U.S. patent application number 10/258361 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-19 for method for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying shoes.
Invention is credited to Caresana, Alberto, Dini, Enrico, Rognoni, Paolo, Saija, Giuseppe, Scandella, Livio, Torielli, Giovanni.
Application Number | 20030110582 10/258361 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11444927 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030110582 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Torielli, Giovanni ; et
al. |
June 19, 2003 |
Method for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying
shoes
Abstract
A method for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying
shoes, wherein a last is moved so as to trace: a first circular
arc, a straight segment which is perpendicular to the first
circular arc, and a second circular arc which is perpendicular to
the straight segment. The first and second circular arcs belong to
two distinct and spatially separate circles. The method uses a
plurality of rotating units and is designed so that it can be used
both with human operators and with automatic and/or semiautomatic
machines. The invention provides total integration of a transfer
system with a handling device in. order to achieve production
flexibility.
Inventors: |
Torielli, Giovanni;
(Cassolnovo, IT) ; Rognoni, Paolo; (Vigevano,
IT) ; Scandella, Livio; (Vigevano, IT) ;
Caresana, Alberto; (Vigevano, IT) ; Saija,
Giuseppe; (Vigevano, IT) ; Dini, Enrico;
(Bientina, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
R Neil Sudol
Coleman Sudol Sapone
714 Colorado Avenue
Bridgeport
CT
06605-1601
US
|
Family ID: |
11444927 |
Appl. No.: |
10/258361 |
Filed: |
October 21, 2002 |
PCT Filed: |
February 19, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP01/01821 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
12/1A |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43D 111/00 20130101;
A43D 119/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
12/1.00A |
International
Class: |
A43D 086/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 26, 2000 |
IT |
M 12000 A000919 |
Claims
1. A method for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying
shoes, each shoe being assembled on one of said lasts,
characterized in that at least one of said lasts is moved so as to
trace a first circular arc, a straight segment which is
substantially perpendicular to said first circular arc, and a
second circular arc which is substantially perpendicular to said
straight segment, said first and second circular arcs belonging to
two distinct and spatially separate circles.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein after said second
circular arc said last is moved so as to travel along a second
straight segment which is spatially distinct with respect to said
first straight segment and is substantially perpendicular to said
second circular arc.
3. The method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
wherein after said second straight segment, said last is moved so
as to trace a third circular arc which is substantially
perpendicular to said second straight segment; said first, second
and third circular arcs belonging to three distinct and spatially
separate circles.
4. The method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
wherein after said third circular arc said last is moved so as to
trace a third straight segment which is spatially distinct from
said first and second straight segments and is substantially
perpendicular to said third circular arc.
5. A method for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying
shoes, each shoe being assembled on one of said lasts,
characterized in that at least one of said lasts is moved so as to
perform a plurality of movements which are mutually spatially
distinct and wherein each movement comprises a circular arc and a
straight segment which is substantially perpendicular to said
circular arc, so that the straight segments transfer said last from
one circle to another one which is different and spatially
distinct, so that said last is moved along a plurality of spatially
mutually distinct circles.
6. A device for handling and transferring lasts for assemblying
shoes, each shoe being assembled on one of said lasts, comprising:
a plurality of rotating units, each of which supports a plurality
of supports, each adapted to support one of said lasts, and a
transfer unit for transferring said last from one rotating unit to
another.
7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said rotating unit can
move, on command, by preset discrete movements, so as to engage a
plurality of preset stations, so that at each movement said
plurality of supports can be arranged on said preset stations,
changing a relative position of said lasts.
8. The device according to at least one of claims 6-7, wherein each
one of said rotating units comprises a plurality of arms, an inner
end of each arm being supported by a motorized component of said
rotating unit so that each arm can trace a circular arc during
movement, an outer end of said arm supporting said support.
9. The device according to at least one of claims 6-8,
characterized in that each one of said rotating units comprises a
transfer unit; preferably a separate transfer unit for each
component with which it is interfaced; preferably, each transfer
unit is arranged at the center of said rotating unit and comprises
a motorized arm and a pusher body for transferring said last;
preferably, said transfer unit has a single degree of freedom.
10. The device according to at least one of claims 6-9, wherein
said plurality of rotating units comprises a plurality of
production rotating units for performing operations for the
assembly of said shoe and a plurality of handling rotating units
for the transfer of said lasts, and comprises a plurality of
storage rotating units for providing distributed storage of said
lasts.
11. The device according to at least one of claims 6-10, wherein
each one of said handling rotating units is interfaced with three
or four production rotating units or storage rotating units,
preferably with three production rotating units or storage rotating
units; preferably, said storage rotating unit is provided with 12
supports and said production rotating unit is provided with 24
supports.
12. The device according to at least one of claims 6-11, wherein a
number of preset positions of said production rotating unit or of
said storage rotating unit is a multiple of the number of
interfaces of said handling rotating unit.
13. The device according to at least one of claims 6-12, wherein
said support supports a container for containing accessories for
assembling said shoe, said container preferably having an auxiliary
support for supporting said last.
14. The device according to at least one of claims 6-13, comprising
a plurality of modules, each module comprising a handling rotating
unit, a production rotating unit and a storage rotating unit.
15. The device according to at least one of claims 6-14, comprising
a linear arrangement formed by an alternating succession of
production rotating units and of said handling rotating units.
16. The device according to at least one of claims 6-15, wherein
said rotating units can move by angular steps.
17. The device according to at least one of claims 6-16, wherein
said device has a finite and known number of states.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a method for handling and
transferring lasts for assemblying shoes. In general, the shoes are
assembled on a last which supports the shoe during all assembly
operations.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In the shoemaking sector, the handling and transfer of
lasts, semifinished parts and components is currently performed
mainly by using a system comprising a swing-tray conveyor. The
conveyor consists of a track supported by a metallic structure
which accommodates a certain number of multiple-platform carriages
or swing-trays. The swing-trays are moved by a chain which is
actuated by a gearmotor producing a slow advancement motion. The
term "last" designates the support on which the shoe is
assembled.
[0003] Systems of this type are known from IT-1,233,886,
EP-0236655, U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,020, and FR-257452. Those systems
generally have several drawbacks and it is generally impossible, or
very difficult, to perform production work directly on the
conveyor. The last is in fact not provided with systems for
centering on the conveyor, and the same is true for the
semifinished parts. Attempts have been made in the past to provide
the swing-tray with adapted bracket systems in order to provide a
spatial reference for the lasts, but a problem would arise: either
the handling unit that should pick the last and place it on the
treatment machine is sufficiently sophisticated and expensive to be
able to synchronize with the speed of the conveyor, or it is
necessary to stop the motion of the swing-trays in order to allow
loading/unloading operations. Further, it is impossible to make
fast items overtake other slow ones. The swing-trays are in fact
suspended one behind the other from a common advancement system;
overtaking is therefore impossible. Fast items, i.e., items which
do not require all the operations, are forced to move at the same
speed of the slow ones. It is also impossible to ensure flexible
management of urgent jobs and of individual batches or limited
quantities. The need to reconcile buffer storage requirements on
the conveyor with the need to process different items forces one to
give the conveyor a slower speed and optimize work so as to comply
with this limitation. This forces operators to anticipate or chase
the conveyor, moving by a few meters to reach the swing-tray that
has advanced or to go and get the material that perhaps has not yet
arrived. Moreover, the conveyor is very long and therefore very
bulky, because S-shaped paths are inherently not advisable; at
most, L-shaped or U-shaped configurations are acceptable. Finally,
handling of the lasts from and to the conveyor is exclusively
manual. Accordingly, approximately 30% of the time that elapses,
for each last, from loading onto the conveyor to its removal, is
due to operations for handling the lasts on the part of the
operators without adding value to the finished product. The result
is an intense movement of hands to and from the conveyor in order
to handle the materials and feed the machines. Therefore, although
new technologies have led to a highly advanced development of the
treatment machines, using electronic and computer technology for
gluing machines, roughing machines, tacking machines, pulling and
lasting machines, heel seat lasting machines et cetera, all these
efforts risk being thwarted because the operator remains an
indispensable factor in the handling of the lasts and semifinished
parts.
[0004] More recently, in order to overcome the above drawbacks, a
technology has been developed which is known as palletized transfer
with soft accumulation. In these systems, the conveyor is replaced
by a transfer system with a ribbed belt and the semifinished items
are accommodated on pallets. Examples of embodiment of this type
are disclosed in IT-1,234,088, FR-2,705,872, FR-2,742,426,
EP-0691089, EP-0689778, EP-0691089, EP-0329007, and U.S. Pat. No.
4,639,963. Those technologies have allowed the automatic execution
of some treatments on shoes by using, in most cases,
anthropomorphic robots of the type disclosed in FR-2,586,908.
However, this system has several drawbacks. First of all, the
spatial arrangement of each pallet is not determined beforehand and
therefore each pallet must be provided with identification
markings, such as labels, colored signals, bar codes or microchip
transponders, so as to transmit a signal which is capable of
identifying the content of the pallet along its entire path. This
entails not only a financial cost but also problems in terms of the
reliability of the reading of these signals on moving parts.
[0005] Moreover, the dimensions of the pallet are not flexible, so
that it is possible to set up either a pallet capable of
transferring only the last or a pallet capable of transferring the
sole and the components as well. However, it is very difficult to
provide the two options in a same system. Further, these systems
have a considerable linear extension, even more than the conveyor,
because the pallet system tends to extend horizontally while the
conventional conveyor extends vertically. Moreover, in order to
allow singling out, centering and other operations on the pallets,
technical spaces become necessary. Finally, the storage facilities
that can be provided with this system require a very large ratio of
volume to number of lasts, because also the pallets are stored.
Accordingly, this worsens the space occupation problems. Finally,
anthropomorphic robots, usable for work on these systems, have very
high costs for this sector and this aspect alone can compromise the
application of this system.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The aim of the present invention is to overcome the
above-noted drawbacks with a method for handling and transferring
lasts for assemblying shoes, each shoe being assembled on one of
the lasts, wherein at least one of the lasts is moved so as to
trace a first circular arc, a straight segment which is
substantially perpendicular to said first circular arc, and a
second circular arc which is substantially perpendicular to said
straight segment; said first and second circular arcs belonging to
two distinct and spatially separated circles.
[0007] For the purposes of the present invention, the term
"perpendicular" with reference to the relationship between a
straight segment and a circular arc must of course be understood in
the sense of a right-angled arrangement between the straight
segment and the tangent to the circular arc in the point where the
straight segment encounters the circular arc.
[0008] Preferably, after the second circular arc the last is moved
so as to trace a second straight segment which is spatially
distinct from the first straight portion and is substantially
perpendicular to the second circular arc.
[0009] Preferably, after the second straight segment the last is
moved so as to trace a third circular arc which is substantially
perpendicular to the second straight segment; the first, second and
third circular arcs belonging to three distinct and spatially
separated circles.
[0010] Preferably, after the third circular arc the last is moved
so as to trace a third straight segment which is spatially distinct
from the first and second straight segments and is substantially
perpendicular to the third circular arc.
[0011] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a
method for handling and transferring lasts for the assembly of
shoes, each shoe being assembled on one of the lasts, wherein at
least one of the lasts is moved so as to perform a plurality of
movements which are spatially mutually distinct, each movement
including a circular arc and a straight segment which is
substantially perpendicular to the circular arc, so that the
straight segments transfer the last from one circle to another
spatially distinct one, so that the last is moved along a plurality
of circles which are spatially distinct from each other.
[0012] The invention also relates to a device for assemblying
shoes, each shoe being assembled on a last, comprising: a plurality
of rotating units, each of which supports a plurality of supports,
each meant to support one of the lasts, and a transfer unit for
transferring the last from one rotating unit to the other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present invention will become better apparent with
reference to an embodiment of the invention, described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided only by
way of non-limitative example of the invention and wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the device according to
the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a detail of the device of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged-scale perspective view of a detail of
the device of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is an enlarged-scale perspective view of a detail of
the device of FIG. 3; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
device according to the invention.
WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the device is used for the
assembly of shoes, each shoe being assembled on a last 10. In
particular, the last 10 supports the application of the upper and
the sole, according to per se known systems. Each one of a
plurality of rotating units 11, 12 and 13 supports a plurality of
supports 14. Each support 14 supports a last 10 either directly or
by means of an interposed container 15. The container 15 is used to
contain additional material which is useful for the assembly of the
shoe, such as for example the sole, the upper et cetera. If the
container 15 is used, the last 10 is supported by a block 16,
having a shape adapted to interlock within a corresponding block 17
provided on the container 15. According to this embodiment, the
container 15 has, in its lower part, a coupling 18 adapted to
couple to a corresponding member 19 provided on the support 14.
[0020] As an alternative, if the container 15 is not used, the
block 17 is arranged in the place of the coupling 19, so that the
block 16 that supports the last is directly coupled on the support
14, without interposing the container 15.
[0021] The embodiment of FIG. 3 illustrates the case in which the
container 15 is used. The embodiment of FIG. 5 illustrates the case
in which the block 16 is coupled directly onto the support 14.
[0022] A transfer unit is provided in order to transfer the last 10
from one rotating unit 11, 12, 13 to the other.
[0023] A transfer unit 20 is provided for each component with which
the rotating unit is interfaced.
[0024] Production rotating units 11 are provided in order to
perform the operations for the assembly of a shoe; the rotating
units are accordingly adapted to be coupled to machines dedicated
to specific functions, such as a heel seat pounding machine 30, a
heel seat lasting machine 31, a pulling and lasting machine 32, or
directly to an operator 33 whose task is, for example, to remove
tacks. Handling rotating units 13 are provided in order to transfer
the lasts 10 from one unit to another, and storage rotating units
12 are provided in order to also provide distributed storage for
the lasts 10.
[0025] In the embodiment shown in the figures, a production
rotating unit 11 may have a single transfer unit 20, because it is
interfaced only with a handling rotating unit 13. A storage
rotating unit 12 may have two transfer units 20, because it is
interfaced with two handling rotating units 13, and a handling
rotating unit 13 may have three transfer units 20, because it is
interfaced with two storage rotating units 12 and a production
rotating unit 11.
[0026] Each transfer unit 20 is arranged at the center of the
rotating unit 11, 12, 13 and comprises a motorized arm 21 and a
pusher body 22 in order to transfer the last 10 from one unit to
the other. The arm 21 has a single degree of freedom in order to
minimize transfer times. However, it is possible to add other
degrees of freedom for additional functions.
[0027] Each one of the rotating units 11, 12 and 13 comprises a
plurality of arms 23. An internal end of each arm 23 is supported
by a motorized part 24 of the rotating unit, so that each arm 23
can trace a circular arc during its motion. An outer end of the arm
23 supports the support 14, which is in turn adapted to support the
last 10.
[0028] According to the embodiment shown in the figures, each
handling unit is interfaced with three production rotating units or
storage rotating units. However, according to an alternative
embodiment, it is also possible to interface each handling rotating
unit with four production rotating units or storage rotating
units.
[0029] The rotating units can move in angular steps, covering
identical angles, within the same rotating unit, so that after each
movement the lasts can be moved along the circle of each rotating
unit 11, 12 and 13 and occupy mutually different positions, but
within spatially predefined positions around the rotating unit. In
this manner, the device has a finite and known number of
states.
[0030] Preferably, the number of preset positions of a production
rotating unit 11 or of a storage rotating unit 12 is a multiple of
the number of interfaces of the handling rotating unit 13. In this
way, if, as in the embodiment shown in the figures, the handling
rotating unit 13 is interfaced with three other rotating units, the
number of preset positions of the production rotating unit 11 and
of the storage rotating unit 12 is a multiple of three.
[0031] The device comprises a plurality of modules, and each module
comprises a handling rotating unit 13, a production rotating unit
11 and a storage rotating unit 13. Each module has its own
autonomous operation, but the mutual coupling of the various
modules provides the greatest advantages of the invention.
[0032] In the form of coupling described with reference to the
accompanying figures, the device comprises a linear arrangement
formed by an alternating succession of handling rotating units 13
and of storage rotating units 12 and also comprises lateral
extensions formed by production rotating units 11. The production
rotating units 11 are coupled to the linear arrangement at the
handling rotating units 13. This provides a complete structure, as
shown with particular reference to FIG. 1, in which the operations
for manufacturing the shoes are all performed at the production
units 11, such as the roughing machine 40, the coarse roughing
machine 41, the tacking machine 43, the gluing machine 44, the sole
gluing machine 45, the reactivator 46, the sole mating and pressing
machine 47, the finishing line 48, the screw-type heel coupling and
lace untying machine 49, and the injection-molding carousel 50.
[0033] The rotation of each rotating unit, as mentioned, occurs by
angular steps; if, for example, x=12 and y=24, the minimum angular
step for the storage rotating unit is
S.sub.aT=360.degree./x=360.degree./12=30.degree. and for the
production rotating unit the minimum angular step is
S.sub.aT=360.degree./y=360.degree./24=15.degree.. If m=3, for the
production rotating unit one has:
S.sub.aT=360.degree./m=360.degree./3=12- 0.degree..
[0034] The choice of x=12, y=24 and m=3 is preferred because
of:
[0035] general advantages, which also relate to worker ergonomics,
the physical volume of the invention, the capability of the
invention to accumulate and transfer parts, et cetera;
[0036] advantages linked to practical results in the dynamic
behavior of the invention when subjected to various operating
conditions.
[0037] The fact of having angular steps ensures that at each change
of state, i.e., at each angular step, the spatial reference of each
object being moved is always maintained. In other words, it is not
necessary to perform part centering operations after moving it by
an angle .alpha.; centering is a consequence of the availability of
the angular steps. The system has a finite and known number of
states, by virtue of which it is possible to determine in each
instant the position of a part that has entered the system without
continuously monitoring the position of each part. It is sufficient
to identify each part only once, preferably only at the input of
the system. Various methods, such as transponders, bar codes et
cetera, can be used to identify the parts.
[0038] Each module, i.e., each set of three units, is controlled by
a local intelligent electronic/computerized unit, for example a
PLC, which is capable of communicating with a system at a higher
level by means of field bus systems or Ethernet systems or other
systems. The high-level system, which is termed herein "handling
system control", is capable of routing objects along the invention,
delegating to the local intelligent units the operations to be
performed: part expulsion, part collection, component rotation, et
cetera, and all the management of the sensors (proximity sensors,
limit switches, photocells, et cetera) and the interfacing with the
manufacturing machines. The choice of the rules and policy for
control of the invention is therefore implemented by designing and
laying multiple layers of software running on the various
processing systems (PC and PLC).
[0039] In practice, therefore, after loading the parts and thus
after enabling the system to know at all times the position of each
part, without the need for any further sensing except for
redundancy checks, the lasts 10 are moved through the structure,
according to requirements, without particular constraints, since
the lasts can move back and forth along the structure according to
the particular manufacturing processes that are necessary.
[0040] The system is flexible both from the mechanical point of
view and from the point of view of production; it in fact allows to
arrange around the system the stations that deal with the
manufacturing processes that affect the parts. By virtue of its
shape, the manufacturing stations can be moved without compromising
the execution of the operations.
[0041] It should be noted that each manufacturing unit is
considered as a component capable of clustering around itself
manufacturing processes for which a sequence is necessary. The
system therefore allows management of overtaking and bypasses
(production flexibility) according to:
[0042] the type of manufacturing process to be performed on the
part;
[0043] the number of operations performed on the part;
[0044] the technology used to produce the part;
[0045] the number of parts constituting each production batch;
[0046] the priority (or preemption) of one production batch with
respect to another.
[0047] The invention has solved various problems in relation to
conventional systems and has introduced some advantages:
[0048] It is an integrated system. In soft-accumulation systems, in
which the parts are typically transferred by means of pallets, the
object to be processed has to be stopped and locked in place in
order to perform the manufacturing processes. Typically, the
manufacturing processes are performed on the transfer line by means
of multiple-axis robots which are extremely expensive. The
technology of soft accumulation is unlikely to allow integration
with "conventional" automatic machines, because in such case, in
addition to having to lock the part in transit, one would have to
transfer the part from the line to the machine by means of a
handling system. The invention is instead an integrated transfer
and handling system which allows to also use conventional automatic
machines, not necessarily robots, for the manufacturing processes.
The invention behaves, according to the situations, as a
distributed storage and transfer unit, as a handling unit, and as a
worktable.
[0049] Teamwork is possible. The invention in fact allows a
plurality of operators facing the same manufacturing unit to work
in close cooperation, allowing them to work according to the
general criteria of the Toyota and kanban methods. Moreover, in
case of temporary absence of one operator, the others can easily
move to the vacant post and perform the work of the missing
operator as well.
[0050] Good mechanical modularity and easy configuration is
provided; by choosing x=12, y=24 and m=3 (where x and y are
multiples of m), the system according to the invention allows to
build units having a high mechanical modularity and capable of
being configured very easily.
[0051] It is a man-oriented and machine-oriented structure. The
invention is in fact well-suited for interfacing with operators and
with automatic machines, allowing proper cohabitation of these
production resources.
[0052] Considerable accumulation (buffer storage and WIP) is
allowed. Two contrasting requirements occur in the shoemaking
industry: to have a reasonably small number of parts involved and
at the same time to have a certain number of these parts in order
to ensure free-air seasoning. The configurations that can be
provided with the invention allow proper balance between these two
quantities.
[0053] Overtaking and bypassing functions for groups of operations
are allowed. The overtaking and bypassing functions are strongly
felt needs in manufacturing fields which, owing to the nature of
the manufactured goods, in order to schedule the production plans,
et cetera, require batch overtaking according to priority,
precedence and preemption. The logic structure of the invention in
fact inherently comprises two movement loops: a manufacturing loop
11, i.e., a loop capable of controlling operators and machines, and
a fast transfer loop 12 and 13, i.e., a loop capable of moving the
lasts so as to minimize the transfer times and allow overtaking and
bypassing.
[0054] Individual batch management is ensured. The production of
samples or, generally, of small batches can in fact become a
priority operation. In view of the above, one can say that
management of the individual batch or unit batch is often likened
to an urgent job and therefore fast execution is required.
[0055] The system has a finite number of states, i.e., it can be
likened to a sort of matrix in which each cell represents the
spatial arrangements of the parts being conveyed. The cells change
state, depending on which part occupies which cell, in known time
quanta.
[0056] The number of part recognition devices to be used is limited
and is used only at the input of the device. The parts can in fact
be marked with microchip transponders, bar codes or other systems.
Once a part in transit at the inlet of the invention has been
identified, by means of the finite-state structure it is in theory
possible to follow its path simply by analyzing the states of the
automaton, but it is still possible to use distributed recognition
systems. Because of this, further recognition devices in addition
to the one located at the input are not required.
[0057] Extensions in non-canonical directions are allowed. The
choice of the tern of x, y, m with multiple values allows to
provide structures which can branch in various directions, forming
straight, L-shaped, C-shaped, S-shaped structures, et cetera.
[0058] The necessary accumulation in front of the operators is
ensured. In some manufacturing fields, the operator assigned to
performing a certain task may require the simultaneous presence of
more than one part. With the invention, the mutually adjacent
arrangement of the parts to be subjected to manufacturing processes
allows the operator who is in the above conditions to access
without difficulty the parts that he needs.
[0059] Manufacturing processes performed directly on the
manufacturing units 11 are allowed. Manual assembly operations, as
well as some manufacturing processes, can be performed directly on
the unit, which acts as a worktable.
[0060] Direct manufacturing processes on the manufacturing units
are allowed even with simplified robots. Since rotations through
known angular steps are available, after locking in place the part
to be processed it is possible to interface the invention with
robots having multiple axes, including robots with parallel
kinematic systems, which can work directly on the production
rotating units. Each part is in fact constantly given a spatial
reference and therefore indexing processes are not required, as
instead occurs in soft-accumulation systems.
[0061] The structure allows space optimization. The choice of m=3
in fact has implications for space optimization. The manufacturing
units 11 are spaced from the units that deal with the transfer 12
and 13 while ensuring the correct technical spaces for maneuvering
and maximum utilization of the work area.
[0062] It is a flexible architecture. The expandable nature of the
invention in fact includes three aspects: the mechanical one, the
electronic one and the computerized one. As regards the mechanical
aspect, it has already been stated that the device has good
mechanical modularity, capable of ensuring easy reconfigurations.
From the electronic standpoint, expanding the invention entails the
connection of field connectors (bus or network) and the programming
of the intelligent units. The last aspect, i.e., the computerized
one, entails updating the configuration map, consequently defining
the new routings of the parts being processed according to the
production plan and to its scheduling.
* * * * *