JPH0151299B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a production instruction device suitable for use on a parts assembly line. The present invention relates to a production instruction device that indicates parts to be assembled during assembly.

[Background of the Invention] In general, with the aim of making efficient use of an assembly line or improving assembly work efficiency, various types of workpieces are conveyed on the same assembly line and parts determined according to each workpiece are assembled. A production method is adopted in which In such a production system, parts to be assembled must be selected according to the types of workpieces that are sequentially conveyed onto the assembly line, but conventionally, workers have to select the parts to be assembled in accordance with the types of workpieces that are sequentially conveyed onto the assembly line. The parts to be assembled are stored in memory, and the operator selects the parts based on the type of work being transported.

However, as the number of types of workpieces and parts to be assembled increases, the burden on the operator increases, and there is a risk that errors in judgment of the type of workpieces and mistakes in selection of parts to be assembled may occur. In particular, in an assembly line having a plurality of assembly sections installed in series, the above-mentioned problem becomes even more pronounced when different parts are assembled and transported in each assembly section.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a production instruction device that can automatically identify the type of workpiece and instruct the parts to be assembled for each assembly section.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention sequentially transports a plurality of types of workpieces that are machined based on a production instruction board on which processing details are displayed to a plurality of consecutively installed assembly sections, and each section attaches predetermined parts to the workpieces. The production instruction device for an assembly line is configured to be assembled, and the production instruction board has an identification code display consisting of a predetermined row of openings arranged corresponding to the type of workpiece, and the production instruction board has an identification code display consisting of a predetermined row of openings arranged corresponding to the type of workpiece. reading means for detecting the presence or absence of openings in the row of openings on the production instruction board that is conveyed sequentially and reading the identification code display; storage means for sequentially storing the identification code signals output from the reading means; control means for reading out the identified identification code and outputting an instruction signal corresponding to the identification code to instruct the assembly parts determined for each assembly section; and a location for each assembly part in each assembly section. and an instruction means provided correspondingly to the instruction signal and driven based on the instruction signal, and detecting that a production instruction board, which is conveyed along with each work at a position apart from the work, has reached the assembly section. and a detection means, and when the detection signal is input from the detection means, the control means reads out the identification codes in the order in which they are stored, and switches the instruction signal to be output to the instruction means for the corresponding assembly part. This is what I did.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a production line to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 shows a detailed configuration diagram of main parts. As shown in FIG. 1, the production line consists of a machining line 100 and an assembly line 200, and the machining line 100 includes a plurality of machining sections 11 that machine materials to form workpieces of predetermined shapes. , and a sub-assembly section 12 that assembles the workpieces sent from each machining section 11 as necessary. The contents of machining in the machining section 11 are displayed in different colors and/or codes on a production instruction board 13 that is sequentially sent based on a production plan. This production instruction plate 13 is formed into a disk shape of metal or the like, and is configured to be sent to the next section while rolling in the groove of the shooter as the workpiece moves in the machining line 100. . For example, if the processing instructions specified on the production instruction board 13 sent to the subassembly section 12 do not require assembly of the workpieces, the workpieces are sent as is to the assembly line 200, and the subassembly is completed. If necessary, the works are assembled together and then sent to the assembly line 200.

On the other hand, the assembly line 200 is the machining line 1
A belt conveyor 21 that conveys the workpieces sent from 00, and a plurality of component shelves 22 (22a, 22b,
22c) and assembled product storage area 2 where assembled products are accumulated.
3, and each parts shelf 22a to 22c has
For example, as shown in the figure, the assembly parts P ₁ to _{P 5} ,
Components Q ₁ to Q ₅ and R ₁ to R ₅ are stored separately. Further, the conveyor 21 is divided into a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) assembly sections A, B, and C in the conveyance direction, and the component shelves 22a to 22c are provided corresponding to the assembly sections A, B, and C. ing.

The production instruction board 13, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B,
For example, it is made of a circular flat plate having rigidity such as metal, and has a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) openings 14 having a center point on the same circumference of the disk surface.
, two large and small positioning holes 15 and 16, and a center hole 17 of the disk are formed. Although the contents of the processing instructions are not shown, they are displayed on the surface of the disk in different colors and/or codes. The identification code indicating the type of workpiece is displayed by the arrangement and combination of the apertures 14, for example, a plurality of (n) apertures set at equal intervals on a disk with the positioning hole 15 as a reference. The type of workpiece is displayed by the number of openings formed at the position and the code display based on the arrangement and combination of the openings. This makes it possible to identify 2 ⁿ workpiece types, and in the illustrated example, ^25, ie, 32 workpiece types can be displayed.

The production instruction device 300 includes a reading device 31 that reads the identification code displayed on the production instruction board 13.
Then, the identification code signal output from the reading device 31 is captured and stored, and a predetermined assembly part corresponding to the identification code is read out from an internal memory, etc., and an instruction signal is generated to instruct the parts to be assembled. a control device 32 that outputs the information, an instruction device 33 (33a to 33c) provided at a position corresponding to each component on the parts shelf 22, and a production instruction board 13 that is conveyed on the conveyor 21 along with the workpiece. limit switches 34 (34a to 34
It consists of c) and. The reading device 31 is formed as shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the reading head section 40 of the reading device 31, and shows a reference pin 41 provided at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 15 of the production instruction plate 13 and a position corresponding to the center hole 17. It is composed of a sensing part 42 of a proximity sensor provided in the opening, an optical sensor 43 provided corresponding to the opening setting position, and a positioning pin (not shown) provided corresponding to the positioning hole 16. By inserting the positioning hole 15 of the indicator plate 13 into the fitting part formed at the tip of the reference pin 41 and inserting the positioning hole 16 into the positioning pin, it is possible to align it to a predetermined reading position. It's getting old. The sensing section 42 of the proximity sensor detects that the production instruction board 13 is set, and starts the operation of the reading device 31. Further, the optical sensor 43 is configured to detect the presence or absence of the opening 14 at the corresponding opening setting position and output the detection signal to the control device 32. Note that as means for detecting the presence or absence of the opening 14 as an identification hole, in addition to the above-mentioned method using the optical sensor 43, it is also possible to use a mechanical means such as a roller plunger type limit switch. According to this method, depending on how the production instruction plate 13 is set, there may be variations in the operation of the limit switch, and unless the positional accuracy of the opening 14 and the limit switch are made considerably high, erroneous detection due to malfunction may occur. There is a fear that this will occur. In this regard, according to the optical sensor 43, it is possible to increase the tolerance of the relative position between the aperture 14 and the optical sensor 43, and thereby it is possible to eliminate false detection errors.

The control device 32 has an input section 3 as shown in FIG.
2a, an output section 32b, a CPU 32c, and a memory 32d. As shown in FIG. 5, the memory 32d stores a list of parts to be assembled in each assembly section in correspondence with the identification code CS. CPU32c is input section 3
2a, the identification code CS output from the reading device 31 is sequentially stored in the memory 32d, and the assembly part corresponding to this identification code CS is read from the parts list, and the assembly part is stored. Indicating device 3 for parts shelf 22
3a to 3c, a parts instruction signal DS is output. As shown in FIG. 2, the indicating device 33 has indicator lamps 35 provided corresponding to storage compartments formed to correspond to the respective parts P ₁ to _{P 5} stored in the parts shelf 22a, for example.
, an opening/closing lid 36 provided at the parts outlet, and an indicator lamp drive device 37 that drives the indicator lamp 35.
and an opening/closing lid driving device 38 that drives the opening/closing lid 36. The display lamp driving device 37 is adapted to display the parts to be assembled by lighting the display lamps 35 of one or more compartments in which the parts to be assembled designated by the input instruction signal DS are stored. Further, the opening/closing lid driving device 38 is configured to open one or more opening/closing lids 35 housing parts corresponding to the input instruction signal DS.

The detection ends of the limit switches 34a to 34c are
It is provided in a protruding position to contact the production instruction plate 13 that is conveyed on the conveyor 21 together with the workpiece, and its detection signals Fa to Fc are sent to the control device 3.
The data is input to the CPU 32c via the second input section 32a.

The operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be explained below.

Every time a production instruction plate 13 is sent to the conveyor 21 from the sub-assembly section 12 together with a workpiece, an operator reads the production instruction plate 13 and transfers it to the head 4.
Attach to 0. The reading device 31 starts operating every time the proximity sensor senses the production instruction plate 13, reads the identification code display formed by the opening 14, and sequentially outputs the identification code signal CS. The CPU 32c takes in the identification code signal CS via the input section 32a and sequentially stores it in a predetermined area of the memory 32d. For example, in the order shown in _FIG .
If W ₂ and W ₃ are sent, their identification code signals CS ₁ , CS ₂ and CS ₃ are stored in address order. Next, the operator places the workpiece W ₁ on the conveyor 21 and places the production instruction plate 13 corresponding to the workpiece W ₁ upright at a predetermined position on the conveyor 21 . When workpiece W ₁ reaches section A, limit switch 34a switches to production instruction plate 1.
3, and the detection signal Fa is sent to the CPU32C.
will be sent to. As a result, the CPU 32c reads the identification code signal CS ₁ stored in the first address, reads the assembly part P ₁ of the A section corresponding to CS ₁ from the parts list, and outputs the parts instruction signal DS (P ₁ ). do. This signal DS(P ₁ )
indicator lamp and opening/closing lid drive device 36, 37
is the parts shelf 22a where assembly parts _P1 are stored.
Turn on the indicator lamp of the compartment and open the opening/closing lid. The worker in the A section takes out the assembly part P ₁ from this section and assembles it on the workpiece W ₁ .

Next, when the signal Fa that detects that the workpiece W ₂ has been transferred to the A section is input to the CPU 32c, the CPU 32c reads the identification code signal CS ₂ stored in the next address, and then selects CS from the parts list. The assembly part P ₃ of the A section corresponding to _{section 2} is read out, and a part instruction signal DS (P ₃ ) is output. As a result, the instruction device 33a is switched to an instruction corresponding to part _P3 . At this time, workpiece W ₁ reaches the B section and the limit switch 34
When the first detection signal Fb is output from b, the CPU
32c reads the identification code signal CS ₁ stored in the first address, and then reads it from the parts list.
The assembly part Q ₁ of the B section corresponding to CS ₁ is read out, and a part instruction signal DS (Q ₁ ) is output. As a result, the indicating device 33b drives the display lamp and opening/closing lid corresponding to the component _Q1 to indicate the component to be assembled. FIG. 2 shows the state at this time. In this way, the identification code signals CS in the address order corresponding to the number of detection signals Fa to Fc output from each assembly section are read out, and based on this, the indicating devices 33a to 33c are driven to determine which sections should be assembled in each section. Direct parts.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the production instruction board used in the machining line is provided with an identification code display consisting of an arrangement and combination of openings representing the type of workpiece, and this identification code display is transmitted from an optical sensor. The identification code is automatically read by a reading device, and based on the identification code, it is displayed with an indicator lamp in the storage compartment where the parts to be assembled are stored. Since the system automatically determines the type of workpiece and instructs the parts to be assembled, the operator can simply take out the parts from the section where the lamp display or opening/closing lid is open and assemble them onto the workpiece. This has the effect of significantly reducing the burden on the operator and eliminating erroneous operations such as mistakes in selecting parts to be assembled or forgetting to assemble parts due to incorrect judgment.

Furthermore, since the instructions for parts to be assembled in each assembly section are switched in accordance with the conveyance of the workpiece, the above-mentioned effect is further enhanced.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the production instruction board used in the machining line is shared without providing a production instruction board for the assembly line, which simplifies production management and Production management with the processing line can be made consistent. Moreover, since the production instruction plate is made of iron and has a disc shape, it can be rolled using a simple means such as a shooter and transported to the next section by itself, and has excellent durability.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically identify the type of workpiece and specify the parts to be assembled, thereby eliminating misjudgment of the workpiece type and making mistakes in selecting the parts to be assembled. This has the effect of eliminating problems such as forgetting to assemble or forgetting to assemble.

In addition, since the identification code is displayed in a predetermined row of openings, even if the production instruction board is soiled by dust or oil, the openings are unlikely to be completely blocked, making it an environment where it is easily soiled. Even when used in the field, the presence or absence of an opening can be reliably detected using an optical sensor or the like, and misidentification can be prevented.

In addition, since the production instruction plate is not fixed to the workpiece and is transported separately, it does not interfere with assembly work and is not limited by the shape and dimensions of the workpiece. can be configured, and the detection means can be made simple.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a production line to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the production instruction device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
B is a plan view and a sectional view taken along the line XX of the production instruction board of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the reading device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an example of a parts list. FIG. 13...Production instruction board, 21...Conveyor, 22
... Parts shelf, 31 ... Reading device, 32 ... Control device, 33 ... Indication device, 34 ... Limit switch, 35 ... Display lamp, 36 ... Opening/closing lid, 37
...Display lamp drive device, 38...Opening/closing lid drive device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of types of workpieces that have been machined based on a production instruction board on which processing details are displayed are sequentially conveyed to a plurality of consecutively installed assembly sections, and each section performs a predetermined process on the workpieces. An assembly line production instruction device configured to assemble parts of
The production instruction board is disk-shaped and has an identification code display consisting of a predetermined row of openings arranged corresponding to the type of workpiece, and the production instruction board is conveyed sequentially in correspondence with each workpiece. a reading means for detecting the presence or absence of an opening in the opening row and reading an identification code display; a storage means for sequentially storing identification code signals outputted from the reading means; a control means for outputting an instruction signal for instructing the parts to be assembled, which is determined for each assembly section in correspondence with the code; and a detection means for detecting that a production instruction plate, which is conveyed along with each work at a position away from the work, has arrived at the assembly section, and the control means includes: A production instruction device characterized in that, when a detection signal is input from the detection means, the identification codes are read out in the order in which they are stored, and the instruction signal output to the instruction means for the corresponding assembly part is switched. 2 In the invention described in claim 1,
A production instruction device characterized in that the instruction means includes an indicator lamp provided corresponding to each part. 3 In the invention described in claim 1,
The production instruction device is characterized in that the instruction means includes an opening/closing lid provided at a component extraction port of a storage section in which each component is stored.