CN216049739U - Laboratory station for testing an assembly connection of at least two individual parts - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a laboratory station for testing an assembly connection of at least two individual parts. In order to optimize the assembly and connection of the single pieces and improve the connection precision between the single pieces, the experimental station for testing the assembly and connection of the at least two single pieces comprises a clamp assembly for clamping and positioning the at least two single pieces at a plurality of positions respectively, the clamp assembly comprises a plurality of positioning parts and a plurality of pressing heads for pressing the single pieces on the positioning parts, wherein the positioning parts are formed into positioning pins and/or positioning blocks, at least one positioning part in the plurality of positioning parts can automatically adjust the position along at least one direction, and the experimental station comprises a measuring device for measuring the size and/or the stress. The off-line test of the assembly connection is realized through the experiment station, the size influence of the clamp adjustment on the connecting piece after the single piece assembly connection is detected, effective data support is provided for the clamp adjustment, and the optimization decision of the clamp adjustment is favorably made.

Description

Laboratory station for testing an assembly connection of at least two individual parts

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a laboratory station for testing an assembly connection of at least two individual parts.

Background

In the field of automobile manufacture, for example, dimensional deviations after assembly and connection of a plurality of individual parts are one of the important criteria for assessing the quality of the resulting connection. The spatial positioning of the individual parts plays a crucial role in the dimensional deviations during the assembly of the connection.

Because the single piece generally has certain flexibility, the single piece can rebound and deform after being assembled and connected, and the clamping position of the single piece cannot be directly mapped to the three-dimensional size of the generated connecting piece. In the prior art, the analysis and control of this dimensional deviation during production still relies largely on empirical judgment. Specifically, firstly, three-coordinate measurement needs to be performed on a connecting piece; and then adjusting the clamp for clamping the single piece through empirical analysis judgment, such as manually adjusting the position of the clamp by using a gasket. In order to produce a dimensional deviation of the connection which meets the standard requirements, it may be necessary to make a number of adjustment attempts. Such a size control technique can be referred to, for example, in publication CN 106218752A.

The size control technology in the prior art is only based on subjective experience and lacks scientific and systematic data support. It is also difficult to achieve an optimum adjustment of the jig. And the adjustment of the clamp on the production line requires the line stop operation, which affects the production efficiency and may result in the generation of inferior-quality products, waste products, etc.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform off-line testing for at least two single-piece assembly connections.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model aims to provide a laboratory station for testing the assembly connection of at least two single pieces, which can realize off-line testing of the assembly connection of at least two single pieces, detect the size influence of clamp adjustment on a connecting piece after the single pieces are assembled and connected, provide effective data support for the clamp adjustment, and is favorable for making an optimization decision of the clamp adjustment.

In order to achieve the above object, a laboratory station according to the present invention for testing an assembly connection of at least two singlets is proposed, wherein the laboratory station comprises a gripper assembly for gripping and positioning the at least two singlets at a plurality of positions, respectively, wherein the gripper assembly comprises a plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of pressing heads for pressing the singlets against the positioning elements, wherein the positioning elements are configured as positioning pins and/or positioning blocks, wherein at least one positioning element of the plurality of positioning elements can be automatically adjusted in position in at least one direction, and wherein the laboratory station comprises a measuring device for measuring dimensions.

In the scope of the utility model, a fixture assembly required when the at least two single pieces are assembled and connected is built, and the fixture assembly can clamp and position each single piece to be connected on a plurality of clamping points respectively. The jig assembly may be built, for example, from individual jigs on a station in production to approximately simulate and restore the actual configuration at the station. The positioning of the gripper on the individual parts is here mainly based on the 3-2-1 or N-2-1 positioning principle. The positioning principle means that in order to limit the movement of an object in three dimensions in 6 degrees of freedom, at least 6 positioning points or clamping points are required, of which at least 3 positioning points are required on the surface extending in the largest dimension, two positioning points are required on the next largest plane and one positioning point is required on the smallest plane. For this purpose, the gripper assembly comprises a plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of pressure heads for pressing the individual parts against the positioning elements, wherein the positioning elements are embodied as positioning pins and/or positioning blocks. The positioning block is used for clamping and supporting the single piece in a planar area, and the positioning pin penetrates through a circular hole or a long hole preset in the single piece to realize the spatial positioning limitation of the single piece. It should be noted that not every positioning element must be provided with a pressure head, and that one or more positioning elements of the plurality of positioning elements (e.g. positioning elements that only serve a bearing function) may not necessarily interact with the pressure head. In the case of positioning elements, such as positioning blocks or positioning pins, which are provided with clamping heads, the positioning blocks interact with corresponding block-shaped clamping heads to clamp the single piece, while the positioning pins interact with pin clamping heads with recesses to clamp the single piece. For example, in actual fixture positioning, the 3-2-1 principle is implemented by, for example, a two-pin one-face positioning principle: on the surface of the maximum extension, a primary locating pin (e.g., a round pin) is required to define its two degrees of freedom of movement, and a secondary locating pin (e.g., a diamond pin) is required to define one degree of freedom of movement, and three locating blocks may be required to define the other three degrees of freedom of movement.

In the present invention, the relative positions of the at least two individual pieces before the assembly connection can be changed, for example, by changing the position of one or more positioning elements (positioning pins and/or positioning blocks) in the jig assembly, in order to test whether the dimensional deviation of the connecting elements after the assembly connection meets the expected target. In order to change the position of the positioning element, the utility model provides that at least one positioning element of the plurality of positioning elements can be automatically adjusted in position in at least one direction. This means that one or more of the plurality of positioners can be controllably adjusted in its spatial position without the need for a person to manually handle the positioner. Illustratively, the at least one positioning element is adjustable in position translationally in one direction, two directions, or three directions. It is also contemplated that the at least one positioning element can be translationally adjusted by rotation about an axis parallel to the positioning element (i.e., along an arc in the circumferential direction). It is also possible that the at least one positioning element can change its spatial orientation by pivoting about an axis orthogonal to the positioning element. Without being limited thereto, a combination of various adjustment manners, such as translation in three dimensions in addition to pivoting, etc., may be implemented for the at least one positioning element. In this case, the adjustment of at least one of the plurality of positioning elements can be effected electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically. It should be clear here that for testing purposes, in addition to positioners which can be automatically adjusted in position, other positioners in the jig assembly are also preferably constructed so that the position can be adjusted manually, for example by adding or subtracting shims in the fastening locations of the positioners.

In order to measure the positioning of the positioning element and the individual pieces and the dimensions, in particular the three-dimensional dimensions, of the connecting element formed by the assembly of the at least two individual pieces, the laboratory station according to the utility model also comprises a measuring device for measuring the dimensions. On one hand, the measuring equipment for measuring the size can verify whether the adjusted positioning piece meets the positioning precision requirement, particularly the repeated positioning precision requirement; on the other hand, the dimensions of the connection piece can be measured, and the dimensional deviations can be determined by comparing the dimensions with the nominal dimensions. Based on the determined dimensional deviation, the effect of the positioning element position adjustment on the dimensions of the connecting element can be derived in combination with the position adjustment of the positioning element. Therefore, effective data support is provided for the position adjustment of the positioning piece, and the optimal decision for the position adjustment of the positioning piece is made.

A single piece is to be broadly construed in the present invention. The individual parts can be, for example, parts, assemblies, components, subassemblies or even assemblies or parts thereof. In the field of automotive manufacturing, a single piece is typically a part that is stamped from a sheet workpiece with a stamping die, and such parts may have complex geometries. In the present invention, however, the individual pieces to be tested may also be components, parts, subassemblies or assemblies that are manufactured in the previous sequence of assembly connections to be made. However, to facilitate testing, the single piece being tested may also be a part taken from these parts, components, parts, sub-assemblies or assemblies. In particular in the field of automobile construction with complex process steps, the positioning accuracy or dimensional deviations of the connecting elements directly influence the further assembly of the subsequent process steps and the final appearance of the vehicle due to the layer-by-layer accumulation of dimensional deviations. The consumer is usually concerned with the course of the lines or gaps on the rear of the vehicle, so that the partial assembly connections on the vehicle may directly influence the quality impression of the consumer on the vehicle. The precision of the assembly of the individual parts is therefore of critical importance in the production process.

It should be noted that the assembly, such as welding, gluing, riveting and screwing, can be carried out manually or automatically in the laboratory station after the at least two individual parts have been clamped in place. In this case, a detachable connection, for example a screw connection, is preferably implemented in order to achieve a reuse of the individual parts during the test. In particular, other connection methods can be simulated by screwing, for example by manually screwing at least two individual parts together at a defined welding point by means of a bolt and a nut. However, for optimal restoring of the assembly connection, the originally intended assembly connection, for example, welding, gluing, riveting or a combination thereof, can also be carried out manually or automatically. However, it is also possible to use robots or robot arms for automatically carrying out the welding, riveting, bonding, etc. Here, the welding may involve arc welding, electroslag welding, press welding, brazing, friction welding, argon arc welding, carbon dioxide gas shielded welding, laser welding, or the like.

The utility model can realize the off-line test of the assembly connection of the at least two single pieces, particularly realize the assembly connection of the single pieces under different clamping positioning, thereby effectively detecting the size influence of the clamp adjustment (particularly the different positioning of the positioning piece) on the connecting piece after the single pieces are assembled and connected, providing effective data support for the clamp adjustment and being beneficial to making the optimization decision of the clamp adjustment. Furthermore, the laboratory station can advantageously also detect whether the adjusted positioning element meets the positioning accuracy requirements, in particular the repeated positioning accuracy requirements.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the at least one positioning element can be automatically adjusted in position by means of an electric drive. Here, the electric actuator may be a linear actuator, a two-axis actuator, a three-axis actuator, a rotary actuator, a swing actuator, or any combination thereof. Within the scope of the present invention, an electric drive is understood to be a combination of an electric motor and corresponding mechanical components (e.g., a coupling, a guide rail, a spindle and/or a toothed belt, etc.), which enables a controlled precise position adjustment or precise positioning. Preferably, the electric drive can be designed as a servo positioning mechanism with feedback. The electric drive advantageously enables precise positioning control and maintenance of the at least one positioning element, in contrast to the limited "soft" positioning of the air and hydraulic cylinders commonly used in the industry. It is also possible to use the electric drive to move the position of the positioning element in order to facilitate picking and placing the elements and/or to avoid possible interferences when the individual elements have a complex geometry.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the electric drive is an electric cylinder and/or an electric ramp. The use of electric cylinders and/or electric slides ensures a compact assembly and low-cost maintenance while achieving precise positioning control in one linear direction. It should be noted that, for positioning elements that can be automatically adjusted in position in one direction by means of an electric cylinder and/or an electric slide, it is likewise possible to manually adjust the position of the positioning element in the other direction by means of a spacer or the like.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the position of the positioning element is adjusted in the direction of the clamping force carried by the positioning element by means of an electric cylinder and/or in the direction of the non-clamping force carried by the positioning element by means of an electric slide. Since the positioning members in the chuck assembly may need to be adjusted in position back and forth in the direction in which they bear the clamping force, it is advantageous to use electric cylinders to adjust the position of such positioning members to counter the clamping force applied by the clamping head without the positioning members shifting in position during the clamping process. In general, the electric slide table has a more compact structure than the electric cylinder, and thus is more conveniently arranged in the jig assembly.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the gripper assembly is divided into at least two groups of gripper elements, wherein one group of gripper elements is arranged on the movable platform. On the one hand, on the actual assembly station, the single piece may need to be transferred from the pick-and-place station to the assembly station; on the other hand, since the geometries of the individual pieces may interfere with each other, the piece or pieces need to be moved along a particular path to reach the assembly station. For this purpose, it may be necessary to arrange the gripper assemblies for the individual part or parts (respectively) on a movable platform, by which the individual parts to be joined are joined or overlapped to each other to the clamped state to be joined. Particularly advantageously, a change in the spatial orientation of the clamped individual parts as a whole can also be achieved on the basis of the movability of the platform. It is possible that each group of gripper assemblies is used for clamping and positioning a single piece, and if the gripper assemblies for a single piece are arranged on a platform which can move along the X direction, the position of the single piece in the X direction as a whole can be adjusted by the moving terminal position of the platform. It should be noted that the division of the clamp assembly is not necessarily strictly limited to one single piece. Since the geometry of the individual pieces may limit the clamping, a set of clamp assemblies may also include a small number of clamping heads and/or locating elements for other individual pieces.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the platform is adjustable in position by means of a further electrical drive. For precise positioning of the platform, it is likewise provided with an electrical drive, in particular a linear electrical drive. It is also advantageous to provide a scale on the platform for identifying the position of the platform.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the further electric drive is designed as an electric cylinder. Here, in view of the weight of the platform and the provided clamp assembly, it is preferable to use an electric cylinder that allows a larger load to drive the movement of the platform.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the laboratory station comprises a force sensor, which is arranged below the positioning block for measuring the force effect at the positioning block. In order to measure the stress of the single piece at a certain positioning block or a certain clamping point in the clamping and positioning process, the force sensor is arranged below the positioning block and used for sensing the real-time stress of the positioning block in the clamping and positioning process and in the assembling and connecting process. By means of the force sensor, on one hand, the clamping force of the single piece at the clamping point can be approximately obtained, so that the stress state of the single piece can be monitored in real time, and whether the single piece is deformed or damaged due to clamping or not can be judged. For this purpose, for example, a threshold value can be freely set for the sensed force, and clamping is stopped in time when the force detected exceeds the threshold value, so that damage to the single piece or the clamp assembly is avoided. On the other hand, the force magnitude sensed by one force sensor is actually a linear combination of the forces at all the clamping points. It is therefore also possible to calculate the magnitude of the actual clamping force at one of the clamping points by decoupling the forces sensed at the plurality of clamping points. In this way, a further data support can be provided for the adjustment of the clamping device, wherein the stress state of the individual parts is additionally taken into account in the decision for optimizing the adjustment of the clamping device.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the laboratory station comprises a displacement sensor for measuring a displacement of the holder for measuring a displacement of the at least one positioning element. The displacement sensor is, for example, a hall displacement sensor, a photoelectric displacement sensor, a laser displacement sensor, a grating ruler, and the like. The displacement sensor may also provide feedback to an actuator that causes the at least one positioning element to automatically adjust position to achieve a more precise position adjustment. And through this displacement sensor, can verify whether the locating piece of adjusting satisfies the required precision of location, especially repeated location required precision again.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the measuring device for dimensions is designed as a three-dimensional measuring device. In order to obtain a complete knowledge of the geometry of the connecting element produced by the at least two individual parts after the connection has been assembled, the connecting element is preferably measured in all directions using a three-dimensional measuring device in order to determine three-dimensional coordinate measurement data of the connecting element. The three-dimensional coordinate measurement data may only comprise three-dimensional coordinate positions of a plurality of measuring points on the connecting piece, but preferably is three-dimensional point cloud data of the whole connecting piece. The geometric dimension and the outline of the connecting piece can be comprehensively known by means of the three-dimensional point cloud data. Fine dimensional deviations of the connection can be obtained by comparing the measured three-dimensional point cloud data with a predetermined three-dimensional digital model of the connection.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the three-dimensional measuring instrument comprises a three-dimensional laser scanner, a digital photogrammetric instrument, a three-dimensional measuring machine and a laser tracker. Here, the three-dimensional laser scanner scans a measured object by emitting laser light to acquire three-dimensional coordinates of the surface of the measured object. The coordinate position of each measuring point on the measured object in the three-coordinate measuring space can be detected by the three-coordinate measuring machine in a contact or non-contact mode. The digital photographic measuring instrument adopts a composite three-dimensional non-contact measuring technology combining a structured light technology, a phase measuring technology and a computer vision technology to obtain the three-dimensional information of an object.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the positioning pins comprise round pins and diamond-shaped pins. Positioning holes, in particular round holes and long holes, need to be provided in a single piece in correspondence to the round pins and the diamond pins. For one face of a single piece, a common combination of locating pins and locating holes includes: positioning a round hole and a long round hole by adopting two round pins; positioning two round holes by adopting a round pin and a diamond pin; two round holes are used for positioning, and two round pins are used for positioning.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the clamping heads of the clamp assembly are fixed to the ends of pressure arms driven by air cylinders. In the present invention, the clamping force is preferably applied in the same pneumatic manner as in production. In this case, one cylinder can drive one or more pressure arms, for example, in a pivoting manner, so that a pressure head, which is respectively fastened to the ends of the pressure arms, can exert a clamping force on the individual parts toward the positioning element. The pressure arm can be articulated on a pin on the output side of the cylinder.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the at least two single pieces comprise a quarter outer panel, a tail light cover, a top cover, a wheel cover, a rear tail panel, a front light cover, a rear surrounding panel, a front surrounding upper panel, a top beam, a fender and a bumper of the vehicle; and/or said assembly connection comprises welding, gluing, riveting and screwing.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the laboratory station comprises: the first control unit is used for controlling the clamping of the pressing head, and the second control unit is used for controlling the position adjustment of the positioning piece. Advantageously, the first control unit is configured for controlling the cylinder driving the press arm, in particular controlling the swinging and the application of force of the press arm. Preferably, the second control unit is configured for controlling an electrical drive, in particular an electric cylinder and/or a slide, for adjusting the position of the at least one positioning element. The extension and retraction of the electric cylinder and the setting of its end position are controlled by a second control unit for the precise adjustment of the position of the positioning element.

According to one embodiment of the utility model, the first control unit is provided with a safety switch. Because the laboratory bench includes pneumatic components, what has the safety meaning is for pneumatic control configuration safety switch. In particular, the safety switch is arranged away from or at a safe distance from the gripper assembly to ensure the safety of personnel during the test. The safety switch may be configured as a two-handed switch to avoid false triggering.

Other features of the utility model will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description. All the features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description and also features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description and/or shown in the figures individually can be used not only in the respectively given combination but also in other combinations or in isolation.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model in the case in which no individual parts are clamped;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model with a single piece clamped therein;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of two singlets tested by a laboratory station according to the utility model;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model with parts of the pressure head, pressure arm and cylinder omitted;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of one embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model;

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of a laboratory station according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a portion of a locating pin that is capable of automatic adjustment of position in one embodiment of a laboratory station according to the present invention; and

fig. 8 shows a control loop of an embodiment of the laboratory station according to the utility model.

Detailed Description

It is first pointed out that in the following description of preferred embodiments identical components are provided with the same reference numerals or the same component names, wherein the disclosure contained in the entire description may be transferred in a meaningful manner to identical components having the same reference numerals or the same component names. The positional references selected in the description, such as above, below, side, etc., relate to the figures described directly and shown, and can be transferred to a new position in the sense of a change in position.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model in the case in which no individual parts are clamped. As shown in fig. 1, a laboratory station 1 for testing an assembly connection of at least two individual parts comprises a clamping assembly 2 for clamping and positioning the at least two individual parts in a plurality of positions, respectively, the clamping assembly 2 comprising a plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of pressing heads 4 for pressing the individual parts against the positioning elements, wherein the positioning elements are embodied as positioning pins 5 and/or positioning blocks 3, at least one of the positioning elements is automatically adjustable in position in at least one direction, and the laboratory station comprises a measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions.

The measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions in fig. 1 is preferably designed as a three-dimensional measuring device, in particular as a three-dimensional laser scanner. The measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions can measure the spatial positioning of the positioning element and the individual parts and the three-dimensional dimensions of the connecting element formed by the at least two individual parts being connected, in particular the three-dimensional point cloud data forming the connecting element as a whole. Fine dimensional deviations of the connection can be derived by comparing the measured three-dimensional point cloud data with a predetermined three-dimensional digital model of the connection. Based on the determined dimensional deviation, the effect of the positioning element position adjustment on the dimensions of the connecting element can be derived in combination with the position adjustment of the positioning element. Therefore, effective data support is provided for the position adjustment of the positioning piece, and the optimal decision for the position adjustment of the positioning piece is made. Furthermore, it can be verified by means of the measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions whether the adjusted positioning element meets the positioning accuracy requirements, in particular the repeated positioning accuracy requirements.

The clamp assembly 2 of the experimental station 1 can clamp and position each single piece to be connected on a plurality of clamping points respectively. The gripper assembly 2 can be built on the substrate 10 in accordance with the individual grippers at a mounting station in production, in order to approximately simulate and restore the actual configuration at the mounting station. The clamp assembly 2 in fig. 1 is designed for clamping two individual parts. Illustratively, the two single pieces are a taillight cover and a quarter outer panel, respectively. Without being limited thereto, the single pieces may also include a roof panel, a wheel cover, a rear tail panel, a head lamp cover, a back panel, a cowl top, a roof rail, a fender, a bumper, and the like of the vehicle. Here, for the convenience of testing, only a part of the single piece may be cut.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a gripper assembly 2 in the clamped state, in which no individual part is clamped in the gripper assembly 2. The clamping state here means that the respective pressure arm 9 in the clamp assembly 2 with its pressure head 4 is pivoted by means of the cylinder 11 into a closed state, in which the pressure head 4 lies against or approaches the positioning block 3 or the positioning pin 5, and in the case of clamping a single piece, the pressure head 4 presses the single piece against the respective positioning block 3 or the positioning pin 5. The positioning block 3 is used for clamping and supporting the single piece in a planar area, and the positioning pin 5 penetrates through a circular hole or a long hole preset in the single piece to realize the space positioning of the single piece. For the sake of clarity, only three pairs of interacting positioning blocks 3 and pressing heads 4, a single positioning block 3 and a visible positioning pin 5 are marked in fig. 1. The positioning pins 5 are round pins, but the jig assembly 2 may include diamond-shaped pins. The positioning blocks 3 each have a positioning surface for supporting and positioning the individual parts, which positioning surface can have any desired shape, such as rectangular, triangular, polygonal, etc., but also a profile according to the surface profile of the individual parts, such as an irregular positioning surface on the individual positioning block 3 without a clamping head 4 acting with it in fig. 1.

In the present invention, it is advantageously provided that at least one of the plurality of positioning elements can be automatically adjusted in position in at least one direction. The laboratory station 1 shown in fig. 1 is provided with an automatically adjustable positioning block 3' and an automatically adjustable positioning pin, which is not visible due to the shielding of the components, as will be further shown and described below.

In fig. 1, the automatically adjustable positioning block 3' can be automatically adjusted in position in the Y direction by means of an electric drive, here an electric cylinder 7. The relative position of the single pieces before the assembly connection is finely changed through the space position change of the positioning block 3' capable of automatically adjusting the position, so that whether the size deviation of the connecting piece after the assembly connection of the single pieces meets the expected target or not can be tested. Fig. 1 also shows an electric drive, namely an electric slide 8, for driving the positioning pins, which can be adjusted automatically. The electric sliding table 8 can move a connecting plate carried by the electric sliding table along the Z direction, and then a positioning pin fixed on the connecting plate automatically adjusts the position along the Z direction.

The choice of the electric cylinder 7 or the electric slide 8 for adjusting the position of the positioning element depends on the adjustment direction of the positioning element. Advantageously, the position of the positioning element is adjusted in the direction in which it bears the clamping force by means of the electric cylinder 7, and in the direction in which it does not bear the clamping force by means of the electric ramp 8. In the laboratory station 1 shown in fig. 1, since the positioning block 3' needs to be automatically adjusted in position in the Y direction, the electric cylinder 7 is used to counter the clamping force applied by the pressing head without the positioning block being displaced during clamping. While the positioning pin, which is not shown in fig. 1, needs to be automatically adjusted in position in the Z direction, its corresponding pin pressing head interacts with the positioning pin in the X direction, so that an electric sliding table 8 is selected for the positioning pin. In order to ensure the clamping consistency when adjusting the position of the positioning element, the position of the pressure head 4 is preferably also changed accordingly by means of a shim. For example, when the positioning block 3' is moved upward by 5mm in the Y direction by the electric cylinder, a 5mm spacer can be removed between the corresponding pressing head 4 and the pressing arm 9.

Further, the clip assembly 2 of FIG. 1 may be broadly divided into a first set of clip components for the taillight cover and a second set of clip components primarily for the quarter panels. Here, the first set of clamp assemblies is disposed on a movable platform 13 to facilitate the taking and placing of the taillight cover. It is particularly advantageous that a change in the spatial positioning of the entire clamped taillight cover can also be achieved due to the movability of the platform 13, so that the taillight cover clamped by the first group of clamp assemblies can change its spatial positioning in the X direction. For precise positioning of the platform 13, it is likewise assigned a further electric drive 15, such as an electric cylinder as shown in fig. 1. Here, a scale 14 is also provided on the platform 13 for identifying the position of the platform 13.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model in the case of a single part being clamped therein. Only the jig assembly 2 in the experimental station 1 is shown in fig. 2, and the tail light cover a and the quarter outer panel B are clamped in the jig assembly 2. Here, the quarter panel B is only a part of a quarter panel in a body-in-white or a box-in-box (i.e., a vehicle body that does not include four doors, a front cover, and a rear cover). Here, a positioning block 3 and a positioning pin 5 in the clamp assembly 2 are mutually matched with a pressing head 4 to clamp and position the tail lamp cover a and the side wall outer plate B in positions to be assembled and connected. Fig. 2 shows a positioning pin 5 passing through a positioning hole in the side-surrounding outer panel B and a positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position passing through a positioning hole in the tail lamp cover a. The positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position shown in fig. 2 has position adjustability in the X direction due to being provided on a platform 13 capable of moving in the X direction.

Two line frames are indicated on the quarter outer panel B in fig. 2, and these line frames indicate portions supported by positioning blocks 3, which positioning blocks 3 are not provided with corresponding pressing heads.

In the state shown in fig. 2, after the tail lamp cover a and the quarter panel B are clamped and positioned, the assembly connection, such as welding, bonding, riveting, and screwing, may be performed manually or automatically. In this case, a detachable connection, for example a screw connection, is preferably implemented in order to achieve a reuse of the individual parts during the test. Here, the welding is simulated, for example, by manually screwing at least two individual parts together by means of a bolt and a nut at the intended welding point. However, the intended assembly connection, such as welding, gluing, riveting or a combination thereof, can also be carried out manually or automatically. Here, it is likewise conceivable to use robots or robot arms for automatically carrying out welding, riveting, gluing and/or screwing, etc. After the assembly connection, the measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions shown in fig. 1 may be used to measure the connecting member formed by connecting the tail lamp cover a and the quarter panel B, in particular, three-dimensional point cloud data forming the entire connecting member, and compare it with a predetermined three-dimensional digital model of the connecting member, thereby determining a fine dimensional deviation on the connecting member based on a change in the assembly positioning, and evaluating the influence of the positioning member position adjustment on the dimension of the connecting member in combination with the position adjustment performed on the positioning member.

As is also shown in fig. 2, the pressure heads 4 of the gripper unit 2 are each fastened to the end of a pressure arm 9 driven by a cylinder 11. The pressure arm 9 is hinged with a pin shaft on the output side of the cylinder 11. The pressing arms 9 are driven by the cylinders 11 to swing downwards and press against the corresponding positioning elements. A plurality of pressure heads 4 can be fastened to the end of a pressure arm 9. As shown in fig. 2, three holding-down heads are fixed to the holding-down arm 9: a block-shaped pressing head corresponding to the positioning block at the upper part, a pin pressing head corresponding to the positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position at the middle part and a block-shaped pressing head corresponding to the positioning block at the lower part.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of two individual parts tested by the laboratory station 1 according to the utility model. The individual parts shown here are the rear light cover a and the quarter panel B shown in fig. 2, which are here, for the sake of clarity, rotated in their spatial orientation with respect to fig. 2, for which reference is made to the coordinate system indicated in fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows a total of four positioning pins visible through the single positioning holes, including two positioning pins 5' on the left side of the drawing, which are capable of automatic adjustment, and two positioning pins 5 on the right side of the drawing, which are fastened to a holder 12 on the base plate 1.

The adjustment directions of the positioning elements which can be automatically adjusted are also marked with symbols in fig. 3. The upper, automatically position-adjustable positioning pin 5' can be adjusted in position in the Z direction by means of the electric slide 8 on the one hand, and in position in the X direction by means of the movable platform 13 on the other hand. The lower, automatically adjustable positioning pin 5' is only positionally adjustable in the X direction (as indicated by the arrow) by virtue of being fixed only to the support 12 on the platform 13. Fig. 3 also schematically shows the functional position of the positioning block, which can be automatically adjusted. Likewise, the three boxes on the left indicate the regions which are each clamped by a positioning block arranged on the movable platform 13 and which can be positionally adjusted in the X direction by means of the drive of the platform 13 by means of a further electrical drive 15. The position of the positioning block 3 'of fig. 1 acting on the rear light cover a is also shown in the middle of fig. 3, said positioning block 3' being automatically adjustable in position in the Y direction by means of the electric cylinder 7. In this case, the electric cylinder 7 also makes it possible to avoid the path of movement of the taillight cover a when the platform 13 is moved in the X direction. For this purpose, the starting position and the adjustable end position of the electric cylinder 7 can be set accordingly, and after the rear light cover a has been moved into the predetermined position, the electric cylinder 7 is moved up to the set end position by the positioning block 3'.

It should be understood, however, that for testing purposes, in addition to the individual positioning members (i.e., the positioning block 3 'and the positioning pin 5') which are automatically adjustable in position, other positioning members in the clamp assembly 2 may be configured to be manually adjustable in position, such as by adding or subtracting shims in the tightening locations of the positioning members to change the position of the positioning members.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a laboratory station according to the utility model with parts of the pressure head, pressure arm and cylinder omitted. The positions of the individual positioning elements which can be seen from the current viewing angle are marked in fig. 4. The connection of the upper, automatically adjustable positioning pin 5' with its electric drive, i.e. the electric slide 8, is clearly visible in fig. 4.

Fig. 4 also schematically shows a force sensor 16, which is arranged below the automatically adjustable positioning block 3 'for sensing the force exerted by the positioning block 3' during the clamping positioning and during the assembly connection. By means of the force sensor 16, on one hand, the clamping force of the single piece at the clamping point can be approximately obtained, so that the stress state of the single piece can be monitored in real time, and whether the single piece is deformed or damaged due to clamping can be judged. For this purpose, for example, a threshold value can be freely set for the sensed force level, above which the clamping is stopped in time, for example, the gas supply to the gas cylinder 11 is stopped. On the other hand, the force sensor 16 senses the magnitude of the applied force as a linear combination of forces at all clamping points. The actual clamping force magnitude at one of the clamping points is accurately calculated by decoupling the forces sensed at the plurality of clamping points. Without being limited thereto, it is also conceivable to provide the positioning element with a displacement sensor for measuring the displacement of the at least one positioning element.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of an embodiment of the laboratory station 1 according to the utility model. Here, an electric cylinder 7 for moving the positioning block 3 'which enables automatic position adjustment, an electric slide 8 for moving the positioning pin 5' which enables automatic position adjustment, a further electric drive 15 for moving the movable platform 13 and the respective cylinder 11 for driving the pressure arm 9 are respectively indicated. A mounting hole 17 for the electric cylinder is provided in the middle of the base plate 1 for accommodating the electric cylinder 7, a mounting hole 18 for the air cylinder is provided in the middle lower portion of the base plate 1 for accommodating one of the air cylinders 11, and a mounting hole 19 for the pneumatic component is provided in the substantially right lower portion for providing a space for the pneumatic component in the lower right. Further, fig. 5 also shows a valve island area 20 as a dashed line frame, and valve blocks or the like for the respective cylinders may be provided in the valve island area 20.

Fig. 6 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the laboratory station 1 according to the utility model. The entire electric cylinder 7 is shown without blocking, which electric cylinder 7 serves to drive a positioning block 3' which can be automatically adjusted in position.

It can be seen from fig. 6 that the support 12 on the left side of the electric cylinder 7 additionally forms a guide for the movement of the auxiliary positioning block 3' in the Y direction. Fig. 6 also shows the positional relationship between the positioning pin 5' and the electric slide 8, which can be automatically adjusted. Here, the positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position is shielded by its corresponding pin presser. It should be noted that although the positioning block 3 'capable of automatically adjusting the position is movable in the Y direction by the electric cylinder 7, the position of the positioning block 3' in the X or Z direction can be adjusted by adding or subtracting shims to or from the fastening portions thereof. The position in the X direction is adjusted, for example, by adding or subtracting spacers between the positioning block 3' and the holder 12. Similarly, although the positioning pin 5 'capable of automatically adjusting the position is movable in the Z direction by the electric slide and adjustable in the X direction by means of the additional electric driver 15, its position in the Y direction can be adjusted by adding or subtracting shims between the positioning pin 5' and the electric slide 8.

The groupings of the gripper assemblies 2 are also circled in fig. 6 with dashed lines, respectively. The gripper assembly 2 according to the utility model can be divided into at least two groups of gripper elements, one of which is arranged on a movable platform. The gripper assembly 2 is divided into two groups of gripper elements: a first set of gripper assemblies C, circled in dashed lines, and a second set of gripper assemblies D, circled in dashed lines, wherein the first set of gripper assemblies C is arranged on the movable platform 13. The first group of clamp assemblies C are used for clamping the tail lamp cover A, and the second group of clamp assemblies D are mainly used for clamping the side wall outer plate B, but also comprise parts used for clamping the tail lamp cover A. As described above, the positional adjustment of the clamped tail light cover a in the X direction as a whole can also be achieved due to the movability of the platform 13.

Fig. 7 shows a detail of a positioning pin 5' which can be automatically adjusted in one embodiment of the laboratory station 1 according to the utility model. The positioning block 3 is fixed at the top end by two structural parts to a support 12 that can be fastened to the base plate 10. The bracket 12 is fastened with an electric sliding table 8 in the middle, and a positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position is fixed on a connecting plate of the electric sliding table 8 through a plurality of structural members. The rotation of the motor in the electric sliding table 8 is transmitted to the screw rod in the sliding table through the coupler, and then the connecting plate is driven to move along the Z direction, so that the position of the positioning pin 5' capable of automatically adjusting the position is adjusted in the Z direction. Fig. 7 shows that a guide rail is additionally formed on the carrier 12 to assist the movement of the component to which the positioning pin 5' is connected in the Z direction.

Fig. 8 shows a control loop of an embodiment of the laboratory station according to the utility model. The control loop of the laboratory station 1 comprises: a first control unit 21 for controlling the clamping of the pressing head and a second control unit 22 for controlling the position adjustment of the positioning piece. As shown in fig. 8, the first control unit 21 may comprise five pneumatic controllers 21a to 21e, which are in particular designed as control valves. These pneumatic controllers 21a to 21e control one cylinder 11 in the experimental station 1, respectively. The second control unit 22 for controlling the adjustment of the position of the positioning member may include three electrical controllers 22a to 22 c. An electrical controller 22a is provided for controlling the electric slide 8, an electrical controller 22b is provided for controlling the air cylinder 7, and an electrical controller 22c is provided for controlling the further electrical driver 15. Here, the first control unit 21 and the second control unit 22 are connected to the industrial computer IPC for receiving control signals from the industrial computer IPC. The first control unit 21 can control the components controlled by the first control unit simultaneously or sequentially, so that the respective cylinders 11 can drive the respective pressure heads 4 to simultaneously clamp or sequentially drive the respective pressure heads 4 one after the other. Likewise, the second control unit 22 can actuate the components it controls simultaneously or sequentially, so that the automatically adjustable positioning block 3 ', the automatically adjustable positioning pin 5' and the movable platform 13 can be moved simultaneously or sequentially.

In order to ensure the safety of the laboratory personnel, the first control unit 21 is preferably assigned a safety switch. The safety switch may be disposed remotely from the clamp assembly or at a safe distance from the clamp assembly. In particular, the safety switch is configured as a two-handed switch to avoid false triggering of pneumatic components in the chuck assembly.

In addition to this, the industrial computer IPC can also be connected to the measuring device 6 for measuring dimensions, the displacement sensor and the force sensor 16 to obtain dimensional data about the laboratory stations and the connecting elements and force action data at the positioning blocks.

The utility model is not limited to the embodiments shown but comprises or extends to all technical equivalents that may fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

The features disclosed in the present document can be essential for the implementation of the embodiments in terms of different embodiments and can be implemented both individually and in any combination.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make variations and modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention by using the methods and technical contents disclosed above.

List of reference numerals

1 laboratory station

2 Clamp assembly

3 locating block

3' locating block capable of automatically adjusting position

4 pressing head

5 positioning pin

5' locating pin capable of automatically adjusting position

6 measuring device for measuring dimensions

7 electric cylinder

8 electric sliding table

9 pressure arm

10 base plate

11 cylinder

12 support

13 platform

14 staff gauge

15 additional electric drive

16 force sensor

17 mounting hole for electric cylinder

18 mounting hole for cylinder

19 mounting hole for pneumatic component

20 valve island region.

Claims (15)

1. Laboratory station for testing the assembly and connection of at least two individual parts, characterized in that the laboratory station comprises a fixture assembly for clamping and positioning the at least two individual parts at a plurality of positions, respectively, the fixture assembly comprises a plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of pressing heads for pressing the individual parts onto the positioning elements, wherein the positioning elements are configured as positioning pins and/or positioning blocks, at least one positioning element of the plurality of positioning elements can be automatically adjusted in position in at least one direction, and the laboratory station comprises a measuring device for measuring dimensions.

2. Laboratory station according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one positioning element can be automatically adjusted in position by means of an electrical drive.

3. Laboratory station according to claim 2, characterized in that the electrical drive is an electric cylinder and/or an electric slide.

4. Laboratory station according to claim 3, characterized in that the position of the positioning element is adjusted in the direction of the clamping force carried by the positioning element by means of an electric cylinder and/or in the direction of the non-clamping force carried by the electric slide.

5. Laboratory station according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gripper assembly is divided into at least two groups of gripper elements, wherein one group of gripper elements is arranged on the movable platform.

6. Laboratory station according to claim 5, characterized in that the platform can be adjusted in position by means of a further electrical drive.

7. Laboratory station according to claim 6, characterized in that the further electric drive is designed as an electric cylinder.

8. Laboratory station according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the laboratory station comprises a force sensor which is arranged below the positioning block for measuring a force action at the positioning block; and/or the laboratory station comprises a displacement sensor for measuring the displacement of the at least one positioning element.

9. Laboratory station according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the measuring device for measuring dimensions is designed as a three-dimensional measuring device.

10. Laboratory station according to claim 9, characterized in that the three-dimensional measuring device comprises a three-dimensional laser scanner, a digital photogrammetric device, a three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine and a laser tracker.

11. Laboratory station according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the positioning pins comprise round pins and diamond-shaped pins.

12. Laboratory station according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the holding-down heads of the gripper assembly are fixed to the ends of a pressure arm driven by a pneumatic cylinder.

13. Laboratory station according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the at least two individual parts comprise side wall outer panels, tail light covers, headlight covers, roof covers, wheel covers, rear tailgates, rear coamings, front upper panels, roof beams, fenders and bumpers of the vehicle; and/or said assembly connection comprises welding, gluing, riveting and screwing.

14. Laboratory station according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises: the first control unit is used for controlling the clamping of the pressing head, and the second control unit is used for controlling the position adjustment of the positioning piece.

15. Laboratory station according to claim 14, characterized in that a safety switch is provided with the first control unit.

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