System for carrying out work processes on workpieces or the like, and method for operating the system
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorSami Touhent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for carrying out work processes on workpieces or the like. The system includes: a work surface on which are arranged first transport units which are movable independently of one another by electromagnetic drives and are designed to remove the workpieces or the like from a first conveying device, subsequently to supply them to various process stations, for carrying out the work processes on the workpieces or the like, and finally to transfer the workpieces or the like to a second conveying device after the work processes have been carried out. The process stations include at least one metering device with a liftable and lowerable metering element, in particular a metering needle, for dispensing a medium to the workpieces.
Claims11
A system for carrying out work processes on workpieces, comprising:
- a work surface on which are arranged first transport units which are movable independently of one another by electromagnetic drives and are configured to remove the workpieces from a first conveying device, subsequently to supply the removed workpieces to various process stations for carrying out the work processes on the workpieces, and to transfer the workpieces to a second conveying device after the work processes have been carried out, wherein the process stations include at least one metering device with a liftable and lowerable metering element for dispensing a medium to the workpieces;
- and
- (i) a contact detection device configured to detect a vertical distance of the metering element with respect to the work surface, the contact detection device configured to detect a contact of the metering element in a lowered position with a height reference surface arranged below the metering element on a first transport unit of the first transport units or on a second transport unit movable by an electromagnetic drive, and/or (ii) a position detection device configured to detect a horizontal position of the metering element with respect to the work surface, the position detection device configured to detect the medium dispensed by the metering element onto a target reference surface arranged on the second transport unit movable by the electromagnetic drive.
A method for carrying out a position detection of a height-adjustable metering element relative to a work surface in a system, the system including:
- a work surface on which are arranged first transport units which are movable independently of one another by electromagnetic drives and are configured to remove the workpieces from a first conveying device, subsequently to supply the removed workpieces to various process stations for carrying out the work processes on the workpieces, and to transfer the workpieces to a second conveying device after the work processes have been carried out, wherein the process stations include a height-adjustable metering element which is height-adjustable to the work surface for dispensing a medium to the workpieces;
- and
- (i) a contact detection device configured to detect a vertical distance of the metering element with respect to the work surface, the contact detection device configured to detect a contact of the metering element in a lowered position with a height reference surface arranged below the metering element on a first transport unit of the first transport units or on a second transport unit movable by an electromagnetic drive, and/or (ii) a position detection device configured to detect a horizontal position of the metering element with respect to the work surface, the position detection device configured to detect the medium dispensed by the metering element onto a target reference surface arranged on the second transport unit movable by the electromagnetic drive;
- the method comprising the following steps:
- (i) performing:
- positioning the height reference surface below the metering element,
- lowering the metering element until the metering element comes into contact with the height reference surface, and detecting the contact, and
- determining a distance of the metering element upon contact with the height reference surface based on a calculated distance of the height reference surface to the work surface based on known heights of the first transport unit and the second transport unit and based on a distance of the first transport unit or the second transport unit above the work surface;
- and/or
- (ii) performing:
- positioning the target reference surface below the metering element, and lowering the metering element to a height just above the target reference surface,
- dispensing medium onto the target reference surface using the metering element, and
- determining a position of the dispensed medium relative to a marking on the target reference surface using the position detection device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.