Process and arrangement for making a reinforced structural member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962884-B2
Application number	US-201414767845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Process for making a reinforced structural member, in particular forming part of an automobile or other vehicle or an aeroplane or a ship, the reinforced structural member comprising an original structural member and a reinforcing carrier and an adhesive bead and/or a plurality of adhesive plots arranged between an outer surface of the reinforcing carrier and a contact surface of the original structural member, for structurally bonding the reinforcing carrier to the original structural member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for making a reinforced structural member, which is configured to form part of an automobile or other vehicle or an airplane or a ship, the reinforced structural member comprising an original structural member and a non-metal reinforcing carrier and an adhesive bead or beads and/or a plurality of adhesive plots arranged between an outer surface of the non-metal reinforcing carrier and a contact surface of the original structural member, for structurally bonding the non-metal reinforcing carrier to the original structural member, the process comprising the steps:
picking up the non-metal reinforcing carrier with a robot,
bringing the non-metal reinforcing carrier, by correspondingly operating the robot, close to an adhesive dispense unit,
moving the reinforcing carrier, by correspondingly operating the robot, along the adhesive dispense unit according to a predetermined path, and, in timely correspondence to the movement of the carrier, discharging a predetermined amount of adhesive per time from the adhesive dispense unit, to apply the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots on predetermined locations on the outer surface of the non-metal reinforcing carrier, thereby controlling the robot and the adhesive dispense unit such that the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots are formed in a predetermined shape,
moving the non-metal reinforcing carrier, by correspondingly operating the robot, with the applied adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots to the original structural member which is arranged in a working space,
pressing, by correspondingly operating the robot, the non-metal reinforcing carrier into the original structural member such that the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots contact predetermined locations on the contact surface of the original structural member and adheres thereto to form an assembled reinforced structural member, and
operating the robot to handle the assembled reinforced structural member and to release the non-metal reinforcing carrier and to return to a start position for picking a next reinforcing carrier and re-starting the process.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the bond between the original structural member and the non-metal reinforcing carrier is realized exclusively by the pressing step.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the bond between the original structural member and the non-metal reinforcing carrier formed during the pressing step is mechanically sufficiently stable such that the robot holding the reinforcing carrier can pick up the assembled reinforced structural member by gripping a back surface of the reinforcing carrier and without directly contacting the original structural member.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of moving the reinforcing carrier along the adhesive dispense unit and applying the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots on the reinforcing carrier comprises controlling the robot and the dispense unit such that a constant amount of adhesive is applied along the predetermined path.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of moving the reinforcing carrier along the adhesive dispense unit and applying the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots on the reinforcing carrier comprises controlling the robot and the dispense unit such that a variable amount of adhesive is applied along the predetermined path, such that the cross-section of the respective adhesive bead and/or adhesive plots varies according to a pre-defined geometric configuration of the adhesive bead and/or plurality of adhesive plots.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the original structural member comprises at least a first structural element and a second structural element, and the process comprises the steps:
moving the reinforcing carrier provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots to the first structural element and pressing the reinforcing carrier into the first structural element, by correspondingly operating the robot,
moving the reinforcing carrier and the first structural element adhering thereto, by correspondingly operating the robot, to an assembling position,
operating the robot such that the first structural element provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots is pressed against the second structural element which is waiting at the assembling position or
operating the robot such that the first structural element is released at the assembling position, the robot is moved to a storage position where the second structural element waits, picking the second structural element and transferring it to the assembling position and pressing it against the first structural element provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots,
wherein the pressing of the first structural element against the second structural element or vice versa is carried out such that the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots contact a surface of the second structural element in an uncured state and adhere to the second structural element.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the pressing of the reinforcing carrier provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots against the original structural member or the first structural element and optionally the pressing of the first structural element against the second structural element are effected in translational motions of the robot holding the reinforcing carrier or respective structural element, and/or
wherein the pressing of the reinforcing carrier provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots against the original structural member or the first structural member and optionally the pressing of the first structural element against the second structural element are effected by a means of combination of translational and rotational motions of the robot holding the reinforcing carrier or respective structural element.

8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein by the pressing of the reinforcing carrier into the original structural member or the first structural element and optionally by the pressing of the first and second structural elements, provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots, against each other, the lateral extension of the or each adhesive bead and/or adhesive plot is increased to form an adhesive layer.

9. The process according to claim 6 , wherein an adhesive dispense unit with a fixed nozzle connected to a dosing unit is used such that the predetermined locations on the reinforcing carrier or first and second structural elements, where adhesive is applied, are exclusively controlled by the movements of the robot, and/or
wherein a hot curing adhesive is used and after the step of applying adhesive to the reinforcing carrier, to form an adhesive bead and/or a plurality of adhesive plots on the reinforcing carrier, the process is interrupted and resumed at a later time.

10. The process according to claim 6 , comprising providing the reinforcing carrier and/or the first structural element and/or the second structural element with a manipulation portion for robot manipulation.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing of the reinforcing carrier provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots against the original structural member is effected in translational motions of the robot holding the reinforcing carrier, and/or
wherein the pressing of the reinforcing carrier provided with the adhesive bead or beads and/or adhesive plots against the original structural member is effected by a means of combination of translational and rotational motions of the

Assignees

• Sika Tech Ag

Inventors

• Belpaire Vincent
• Meier Michael
• Berli Kurt
• Wäger Martin

Classifications

• F16B11/006 Primary

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• C09J5/00

  Adhesive processes in general; Adhesive processes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. relating to primers · CPC title

• B29C66/61

  Joining from or joining on the inside (for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387) · CPC title