Method and control unit for controlling a joining station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11534850-B2
Application number	US-201916689174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A control unit and method for a joining system having at least one joining station, which is designed to join at least one first joining element to a workpiece, determines actual data with respect to a first joining element joined to a current workpiece by the joining station. The control unit and method determine, in accordance with the actual data, a subsequent control instruction for the joining station for joining a first joining element to a subsequent workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A joining system, comprising:
a joining station configured to join joining elements of a first type to a workpiece;
a control unit configured to:
determine actual position data of a first joining element of the first type, which first joining element has been joined to the workpiece by the joining station; and
generate a control instruction based on the actual position data, wherein the control instruction causes the joining station to join a second joining element of the first type to a subsequent workpiece.

2. The joining system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory, configured to retrievably store setpoint data for joining the joining elements to the workpiece,
wherein the control unit is further configured to:
retrieve the setpoint data; and
generate the control instruction so as to be further based the setpoint data.

3. The joining system of claim 2 , wherein the control instruction is generated based on a deviation between the actual position data and the setpoint data.

4. The joining system of claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine a prior control instruction used to join the first joining element to the workpiece; and
determine the control instruction by customizing the prior control instruction based on the actual position data.

5. The joining system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor, comprising one or more of: a photographic camera, a radar scanner, and a laser scanner,
wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the actual position data based on sensor data from the sensor detecting the first joining element joined to the workpiece.

6. The joining system of claim 1 , wherein the actual position data indicates one or more of:
an actual location of the first joining element on the workpiece; and
an actual orientation of the first joining element relative to the workpiece.

7. The joining system of claim 1 , wherein the control instruction influences one or more of:
a location at which the second joining element is joined to the subsequent workpiece by the joining station; and
an orientation with which the second joining element is joined to the subsequent workpiece by the joining station.

8. The joining system of claim 1 ,
wherein the joining system further comprises: a plurality of joining stations, each joining station configured to join joining elements to the workpiece,
wherein the control unit is further configured to determine that the joining station, from among the plurality of joining stations, joined the first joining element to the workpiece, and
wherein the control instruction is further based on the determination that the joining station joined the first joining element to the workpiece.

9. The joining system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of:
the first joining element comprises a bolt; and
the joining station comprises a joining tool configured to join the first joining element to the workpiece.

10. The joining system of claim 9 , wherein the joining tool is a welding tool.

11. The joining system of claim 1 , wherein
the workpiece and the subsequent workpiece are of a same design; and
the workpiece and the subsequent workpiece are part of a road motor vehicle.

12. A method comprising:
determining actual position data of a first joining element of a first type, which first joining element has been joined to a workpiece by a joining station; and
generate a control instruction based on the actual position data, wherein the control instruction causes the joining station to join a second joining element of the first type to a subsequent workpiece.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Zandt Alexander

Classifications

• B23K9/0956

  using sensing means, e.g. optical · CPC title

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B23K11/252

  using digital means · CPC title

• B23K9/20

  Stud welding · CPC title

• B23K9/0953

  using computing means · CPC title