US 5,272,805 AGranted

System for the flexible assembly of assemblies

AssigneeFANUC Robotics North America, Inc.

InventorsHadi A. Akeel, Lane A. Hautau

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Abstract

A method and system for the flexible assembly of components into an assembly at an assembly station within an assembly area in an adaptive, programmable fashion. Several programmable locators mounted on a platform work cooperatively to receive and support components or parts having critical positioning features at approximate locations. The programmable locators then move the components so that the critical positioning features and hence the components are at desired locations. Thereafter, part position and orientation are constrained at retaining locations while the components are in their desired locations. Processing equipment at least partially joins the retained components either at the assembly station or at a separate processing station. One of the programmable locators may provide one of the retaining locations. Preferably, at least one sensor mounted on one of the programmable locators provides at least one feedback signal for a control means which controls at least one programmable locator to adapt its position with respect to at least one critical feature of its part to thereby relocate the part. In this way, verification of the accuracy of the positioning and holding is provided.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A system for flexibly assembling components to form an assembly of the components at an assembly station in an assembly area, each of the components having at least one critical positioning feature and a plurality of support locations definable relative to the at least one critical positioning feature, the system comprising:

an assembly station including a base and a plurality of spaced programmable locators mounted and constrained at predetermined locations on the base to define a base coordinate frame, each of the programmable locators having a work envelope and being adapted to receive and support at least one of the components at one of said support locations of the at least one of the components wherein the components are cooperatively supported by the plurality of programmable locators at their respective initial support locations relative to the base coordinate frame;
control means having a first set of programs, each of the programmable locators moving independently under program control within said work envelope to adjust said respective support location of the components supported on said programmable locators from said respective initial support locations, wherein said programmable locators are independently adjusted by said first set of programs of said control means to locate the at least one critical positioning feature of each component at a desired position, hence defining a desired position of each component;
and
means for retaining each of the components in its desired position at a plurality of retaining locations, each of the components being constrained at said retaining locations relative to the base, the components being constrained to allow join equipment to at least partially process the compounds to obtain the assembly.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/949,441Filed 22 Sep 1992 · division
Priority: 1 Apr 1991
Granted: 28 Dec 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B23P 21/00
Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with
B23K 37/047
For holding or positioning work: moving work to adjust its position between soldering, welding or cutting steps
B62D 65/02
Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided…
G05B 19/41805
Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible…:…