公开(公告)号：CA2391761C

公开(公告)日：2005-11-29

申请号：CA2391761

申请日：2002-06-25

Applicant: ABB INC

Inventor： GREAVES MARK ,  PISAN LORENZO ,  IACOBUCCI JOHN ,  ORLANDI UGO ,  KELLY STEPHEN MICHAEL ,  BATRIN MARIUS ,  ABARE JOE

IPC: B29C65/06 ,  B29C65/20 ,  B29C65/78 ,  B29C65/00 ,  B23K37/00 ,  B29C65/02

Abstract: A method of robotic assembly, for manufacturing plastic components from parts mounted upon a plastic shell, using an integrated system of material handling and robots following a programmed series of operations. The robot cells carry out the following steps: (a) scanning the pallet and identifying that the pallet is locked in the docked position of the cell; (b) scanning an assembly area of the shell and communicating location and planarity data to the robot of the cell; (c) selecting a plastic part from a part supply device with the robot; (d) welding the part to the assembly surface of the plastic shell using the robot to perform a spin or fusion welding process. The spin welding process includes: engaging a mounting surface of the part with the assembly surface of the shell; rotating the part until the mounting and assembly surfaces are heated; and applying pressure to the part sufficient to fuse the mounting and assembly surfaces together. The fusion welding includes: simultaneously heating the mounting and assembly surfaces with heaters; and applying pressure to the part sufficient to fuse the mounting and assembly surfaces together; (e) determining the performance status of the foregoing cell steps and identifying the status as: good; scrap or rework. Good status results in conveyance of the loaded pallet for processing at any succeeding cell, but rework and scrap status result in conveyance of the loaded pallet to the unload station without processing at any succeeding cell.

公开(公告)号：CA2391761A1

公开(公告)日：2003-04-25

申请号：CA2391761

申请日：2002-06-25

Applicant: ABB INC

Inventor： IACOBUCCI JOHN ,  KELLY STEPHEN MICHAEL ,  ABARE JOE ,  GREAVES MARK ,  PISAN LORENZO ,  BATRIN MARIUS ,  ORLANDI UGO

IPC: B29C65/06 ,  B29C65/20 ,  B29C65/78 ,  B29C65/00 ,  B23K37/00 ,  B29C65/02

Abstract: A method of robotic assembly, for manufacturing plastic components from parts mounted upon a plastic shell, using an integrated system of material handling and robots following a programmed series of operations. The robot cells carry out the following steps: (a) scanning the pallet and identifying that the pallet is locked in the docked position of the cell; (b) scanning an assembly area of the shell and communicating location and planarity data to the robot of the cell; (c) selecting a plastic part from a part supply device with the robot; (d) welding the part to the assembly surface of the plastic shell using the robot to perform a spin or fusion welding process. The spin welding process includes: engaging a mounting surface of the part with the assembly surface of the shell; rotating the part until the mounting and assembly surfaces are heated; and applying pressure to the part sufficient to fuse the mounting and assembly surfaces together. The fusion welding includes: simultaneously heating the mounting and assembly surfaces with heaters; and applying pressure to the part sufficient to fuse the mounting and assembly surfaces together; (e) determining the performance status of the foregoing cell steps and identifying the status as: good; scrap or rework. Good status results in conveyance of the loaded pallet for processing at any succeeding cell, but rework and scrap status result in conveyance of the loaded pallet to the unload station without processing at any succeeding cell.