Method for a robot-assisted assembly of a supporting structure for a passenger transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10562133-B2
Application number	US-201716083830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 10, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

What is described is a method for producing a framework-like supporting structure for a passenger transport system, such as a moving staircase, in which an entire production sequence is divided into at least three separate joining steps which can be performed by coordinated semi- or fully automated joining stations that cooperate with each other. Each of the joining stations comprises at least one retention device and at least one welding robot, as well as optionally at least one handling robot. The joining steps to be performed in the individual joining stations are configured so that interim products can be produced efficiently and harmonized with a subsequent joining step in a subsequent joining station. Interim products can be forwarded sequentially and at optimized, short intervals from joining station to joining station, to be able to provide a finished, load-bearing supporting structure at the end of the sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a supporting structure for a passenger transport system, wherein the supporting structure comprises a framework with a bottom part, a center part, and a top part made from joined load-bearing framework components, the method comprising:
a first joining step at a first joining station comprising
retaining framework components at a retention device, and
welding together the framework components with side parts of the bottom part, side parts of the center part, and side parts of the top part of the framework using at least one welding robot;

transferring the side parts of the bottom part, the side parts of the center part, and the side parts of the top part produced in the first joining step to a second joining station; and
a second joining step at a second joining station comprising a positioning welding together of two further framework components by producing tacked welding connections with the adjacently arranged side parts of the bottom part, the center part, or the top part.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second joining step further comprises:
retaining the side parts of the bottom part, the side parts of the center part, and the side parts of the top part at the at least one retention device,
retaining the further framework components adjacently arranged between the side parts of the bottom part, the center part, and the top part at the at least one retention device,
the positioning welding together of the further framework components by generating tack-welded connections with the adjacently arranged side parts of the bottom part, the center part, or the top part to form a prepositioned bottom part, a prepositioned center part, or a prepositioned top part using at least one welding robot of the second joining station, and
a positioning welding together of the prepositioned bottom part and the prepositioned top part by generating tack-welded connections at the opposite ends of the prepositioned center part to form a prepositioned framework structure using the at least one welding robot.

3. The method according to claim 2 , whereby a third joining step is sequentially performed at a third joining station in a semi- or fully automated manner, the third joining step comprising:
retaining the prepositioned framework structure at a retention device, and
a load-bearing welding together of the framework components of the prepositioned framework structure by generating continuous welding connections to the load-bearing framework using at least one welding robot of the third joining station.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second joining step further comprises:
retaining the side parts of the top part and retaining further framework components adjacently arranged between the side parts of the top part at a first parts retention device,
retaining the side parts of the center part and a retention of further framework components adjacently arranged between the side parts of the center part at a second parts retention device,
retaining the side parts of the bottom part and retention of further framework components adjacently arranged between the side parts of the bottom part at a third parts retention device, and
moving two parts retention devices of the three parts retention devices each relative to a parts retention device of the three parts retention devices.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the prepositioned bottom part or the prepositioned top part is tilted relative to the prepositioned center part using the first or the third parts retention device respectively.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein in the third joining step the entire prepositioned framework structure is rotated using the retention device of the third joining station about a longitudinal axis of the entire prepositioned framework structure.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein respective framework components or side parts are passively held stationary by the respective retention device during at least one of the first and the second joining steps.

8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein respective framework components or side parts are actively moved during at least one of the first and the second joining steps by at least one handling robot.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein during at least one of the first and the second joining steps, parts for the framework components are stored and provided in a parts magazine, and wherein the handling robot removes the parts from the parts magazine and brings the parts to a predeterminable position at the respective retention device.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first joining step comprises:
an active handling and bringing into position of respective framework components of the bottom part or the top part at a first retention device using a handling robot associated with the first retention device,
a retaining of the respective framework components of the bottom part or the top part at one of the two first retention devices, and
a welding together of the framework components of the bottom part or the top part, each with two side parts of the bottom part and two side parts of the top part of the framework, each by a welding robot assigned to each of the first retention devices,
an active handling and bringing into position respective framework components of the center part at a second retention device by a handling robot associated with the second retention device,
a retaining of the respective framework components of the center part at the second retention device, and
a welding together of the framework components of the center part with two side parts of the center part of the framework using two welding robots associated with the second retention device.

11. The method according to claim 3 , wherein during the second joining step, a load-bearing welding together of the framework components of the entire prepositioned framework structure occurs by creating continuous welding connections with the load-bearing framework using at least one welding robot, wherein the scope of the welding performed during the second and the third joining steps is coordinated in such a way that the second and the third joining steps take approximately the same time.

12. The method according to claim 3 further comprising a prejoining step comprising:
a retention of base material components and accessory components to be mounted to them by means of at least one retention device, and
a welding together of the base material components and the accessory components to be mounted to them to form framework components using at least one welding robot.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the base material components and the accessory components to be mounted to them are jointly turned around an axis of rotation during the prejoining step.

Assignees

• Inventio Ag

Inventors

• Gartner Manfred
• Schütz Richard
• Koukal Thomas

Classifications

• B66B23/00 Primary

  Component parts of escalators or moving walkways · CPC title

• B23K31/02 Primary

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title

• B23K2101/24

  Frameworks · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title