Machine for gluing a workpiece to a support element prior to machining operations and a method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967468-B2
Application number	US-201916357519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 25, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A machine for gluing a ring-shaped workpiece prior to machining operations. The machine includes a support assembly adapted to receive a removable support element having a top surface for receiving a workpiece; a glue dispenser system adapted to apply a predefined amount of glue on a face of at least one of the workpiece and the support element; a gripper assembly for placing a workpiece on the support element; an illuminating system adapted to illuminate the applied glue with ultraviolet light, this illuminating system including: at least one inner lighting element for radially illuminating an inner radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light, and at least one outer lighting element for radially illuminating an outer radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for gluing a ring-shaped workpiece prior to machining operations, the machine comprising:
a support assembly adapted to receive a removable support element having a top surface for receiving the ring-shaped workpiece;
a glue dispenser system adapted to apply a predefined amount of glue on a face of at least one of the ring-shaped workpiece and the support element;
a gripper assembly for placing the ring-shaped workpiece on the support element;
an illuminating system adapted to illuminate the applied glue with ultraviolet light, this illuminating system including:
at least one inner lighting element for radially illuminating an inner radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light, and
at least one outer lighting element for radially illuminating an outer radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece with ultraviolet light.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the applied glue is high viscosity ultra-violet light-activated glue.

3. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer lighting elements each include an ultraviolet light source comprising one or several fluorescent lamp tubes, or light-emitting diodes, or halogen lamps, or gas-discharge lamps.

4. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the illuminating system includes an inner lighting structure including at least one inner lighting element and an outer lighting structure including at least one outer lighting element, the inner and outer lighting structure having an annular or toroidal shape, the inner lighting structure having a smaller radius than the outer lighting element, the inner and outer lighting structures being adapted to be aligned with the ring-shaped workpiece around a same alignment axis.

5. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper assembly includes an arm provided with at least one magnetic element for exerting a magnetic force on at least a portion of the ring-shaped workpiece, in order to attract and hold the ring-shaped workpiece attached to the gripper assembly.

6. The machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a measurement system adapted to detect a position error of the ring-shaped workpiece relative to the support element, the measurement system including at least one position measurement device comprising optical recognition means that includes an image sensor or a light sensor.

7. The machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a robotic arm for loading and unloading the support element and/or for loading and unloading the ring-shaped workpiece.

8. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the ring-shaped workpiece is a metal ring meant to be used in a ball bearing.

9. An industrial production line comprising: a gluing machine, and a machining tool, the gluing machine being adapted to glue a ring-shaped workpiece to be machined onto a removable support element prior its transfer to the machining tool, the machining tool being adapted to perform machining operations on the ring-shaped workpiece glued to the support element, the gluing machine according to claim 1 .

10. A method for gluing a ring-shaped workpiece prior to machining operations using the gluing machine according to claim 1 , wherein this method includes:
a) providing a removable support element having a top surface for receiving the ring-shaped workpiece and placing the support element on the support assembly;
b) providing the ring-shaped workpiece to be machined;
c) gluing the ring-shaped workpiece to the support element, by:
applying a predefined amount of glue on a face of at least one of the ring-shaped workpiece and the support element, using the glue dispenser system;
bringing in contact the ring-shaped workpiece with the support element, along the face comprising the applied glue, using the gripper assembly;
d) illuminating the applied glue with ultraviolet light, using the illuminating system, by radially illuminating both the inner radial face and the outer radial face of the ring-shaped workpiece, respectively using an inner lighting element and an outer lighting element of the illuminating system.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Escursell Marcel
• Giaever Stig
• Johansson Sture

Classifications

• B29C65/76

  Making non-permanent or releasable joints · CPC title

• B23Q3/062

  adapted for holding workpieces having a special form or being made from a special material · CPC title

• B23P15/003

  bearings (see also F16C33/00) · CPC title

• B23Q3/084 Primary

  using adhesive means · CPC title

• B23Q2703/10

  Devices for clamping workpieces of a particular form or made from a particular material · CPC title