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WO1999006267A1 - Ensemble de carrosserie de vehicule - Google Patents

Ensemble de carrosserie de vehicule Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1999006267A1
WO1999006267A1 PCT/GB1998/002268 GB9802268W WO9906267A1 WO 1999006267 A1 WO1999006267 A1 WO 1999006267A1 GB 9802268 W GB9802268 W GB 9802268W WO 9906267 A1 WO9906267 A1 WO 9906267A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
assembly
sub
tooling
floor panel
side panels
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/GB1998/002268
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Josef Kovarovic
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Intermec Europe Ltd
Original Assignee
Unova UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unova UK Ltd filed Critical Unova UK Ltd
Publication of WO1999006267A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999006267A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21D19/00—Flanging or other edge treatment, e.g. of tubes
    • B21D19/08—Flanging or other edge treatment, e.g. of tubes by single or successive action of pressing tools, e.g. vice jaws
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
    • B23P21/00—Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
    • B23P21/004—Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D65/00—Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23P—METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS
    • B23P2700/00—Indexing scheme relating to the articles being treated, e.g. manufactured, repaired, assembled, connected or other operations covered in the subgroups
    • B23P2700/50—Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines

Definitions

  • This invention concerns the assembly of metal fabrications to form vehicle bodies and the like .
  • the floor panel fabrication essentially comprises a relatively flat sheet metal structure with opposite edges turned down to form flanges which are available for spot welding to similar parallel flanges along the bottom edges of the two side panel fabrications .
  • the floor panel is essentially a generally flat structure, in fact in order to give strength and rigidity to the floor panel , it is typically formed with recesses or upstanding areas formed by bending and forming the sheet metal and each such operation tends to alter the overall dimensions of the sheet and each such dimensional change has to be accommodated within the initial dimensions so that after all the bending and folding has been completed, the width of the floor panel fabrication is equal to the required spacing between the lower edges of the two side panel fabrications .
  • reference to welding herein can also mean any form of material joining or bonding or adhering technique.
  • the first fabrication involving the roof and side panels can be constructed using internal tooling for holding the fabrication accurately and precisely in position relative one to the other instead of relying on external tooling which is essentially all that is available if the floor panel fabrication is to be located in the jig, and secured to the side panels at the same time as the roof panel, is secured thereto as in more conventional framing arrangements.
  • the internal spacing between side panel fabrications can be controlled very accurately which is a first step to accurately controlling internal dimensions of the passenger and engine compartments of a motor vehicle body assembly.
  • the first sub-assembly of roof and side panel fabrication may be created by a single or multistation fabrication machine that incorporates left and right hand tooling plates which carry the required location and clamping the tooling.
  • the tooling plates may be either fixed or interchangeable and may be manually or automatically removable.
  • the tooling plates are movable or collapsible in a direction away from the side panel fabrications which they support during the construction of the sub-assembly so as thereby to space the tooling from the internal walls of the sub-assembly to produce a clearance between the tooling and the side panels to allow the tooling to be extracted from the sub- assembly or the sub-assembly to be extracted from the tooling.
  • the sub-assembly is lifted from the tooling since the clear space through which tooling can pass is essentially the underside of the sub-assembly which will eventually be closed by the floor panel fabrication.
  • joining the roof panel to the side panel fabrication may be achieved either manually or automatically and where automatic welding is performed, this may be from either the inside of the sub-assembly or from outside.
  • an overhead hoist is preferred which may be manually or automatically operated.
  • the amount by which the sub- assembly has to be lifted may be minimal since the tailgate region of the vehicle body will be entirely open at that stage.
  • the sub-assembly may be supported by a hoist without elevation and the tooling retracted first laterally so as to allow for good clearance between the tooling and the inside surfaces of the side panels of the sub-assembly, and thereafter lowering the tooling by a sufficient distance relative to the suspended sub-assembly to allow the latter to be moved substantially horizontally along the transfer line to the next fabricating workstation step.
  • both tooling and sub-assembly may be moved so as to produce the desired clearance to allow the sub-assembly to be moved to the next workstation.
  • a floor panel sub-assembly for securing to a first sub-assembly formed from a roof and two side panels, which with the floor panel will together form at least the passenger and engine compartments of a motor vehicle body, is formed along its two lateral edges with downturned flanges as a final or substantially final manufacturing step prior to its assembly with the side panel and roof sub-assembly ready for welding the adjoining flanges.
  • the advantage of this aspect of the invention is that by waiting until the last or substantially the last operation to form the two downturned edges of the floor panel, it is possible to control the dimension between the outside surfaces of the two downturned edges much more accurately than if these are formed at an earlier stage in the fabrication of the floor panel, to be followed by other sheet metal operations which may alter the final spacing between the two downturned edges.
  • the two lateral edges of the floor panel may be partially downturned prior to final flanging so that the flanges are effectively formed in two steps.
  • a Landis Tool STO. flanging machine is preferably utilised for flanging the floor panel.
  • the flanging machine comprises an anvil tool on which a floor panel can be deposited so that it is symmetrically positioned thereon with edge regions overhanging the anvil by an equal amount on opposite sides, and two forming tools mounted on opposite sides of the anvil tool and movable under power towards the anvil from the two opposite sides thereof to engage and bend down the two overhanging regions of the floor panel fabrication so as to form two downturned flanges which in their final configuration, will become trapped and compressed between the two tools and the anvil, one flange being located between the anvil and each tool.
  • anvil and the two laterally movable tools are carried by a base and the latter conveniently houses pneumatic or hydraulic rams for effecting the inward and outward movement of the tooling to effect the flanging, and subsequent removal of the floor panel.
  • a transfer mechanism is preferably provided which essentially moves the floor panel horizontally onto, and horizontally off, the anvil tool with only minimal vertical elevation.
  • the floor panel after flanging can therefore be removed from the flanging machine even if the two flanging tools still overhang the opposite side edges of the flange floor panel, provided sufficient clearance exists between the downturned edges and the tooling to permit the flanged floor panel to be slid horizontally off the anvil tool.
  • the anvil tool may itself be temporarily displaceable in a downward direction so as to facilitate the transfer of fabricated floor panels into and out of the flanging station.
  • the anvil tool may itself form part of a transfer mechanism which is adapted to receive an unflanged floor panel at one end, transfer the fabrication into the flanging station, act as the anvil tool for the flanging operation and then shift the flanged fabrication clear of the flanging slanging so as to be capable of being transferred onwardly down the line.
  • the transfer mechanism may comprise a form of walking beam assembly and the anvil tool may comprise a fixed lower member within the flanging station onto which unflanged floor panels are transferred on the one hand and from which they are transferred on the other by two walking beam transfer mechanisms, one upstream and the other downstream of the flanging station.
  • the final dimension between outside edges of the two downturned flanges can be controlled to a very high tolerance thereby ensuring that the internal dimensions at least from side to side within the passenger compartment and the engine compartment of the final assembly will likewise be accurate and consistent.
  • the first sub-assembly is engaged by external tooling mounted on gates which are movable towards and away from the external surfaces of the two side panels for welding a flanged lower edge of each of the two side panels to the cooperating flanged edges of the floor panel fabrication as by welding whilst the floor panel is itself carried by an anvil and is accurately located relative to the two gates.
  • the first sub-assembly (roof and side panels) may be transferred in an elevated mode and lowered into the final framing position between the gates on either side of the floor panel carried by the lower tooling or anvil, and the floor panel fabrication may be transferred into the final framing station by means of a transfer mechanism such as described above.
  • the floor panel and first sub-assembly may be transferred into the final framing station substantially horizontally and either in a generally converging or parallel sense by means of appropriate transfer conveying means.
  • the tool carrying gates on opposite sides of the framing station may be carried by supports which allow for movement of the gates towards and away from the framing station and also permit rapid mounting and demounting of such tooling gates to allow for inter-changeability between different pairs of tooling gates depending on the vehicle model proceeding down the line.
  • the floor panel tooling may also be interchangeable to accommodate different floor panel configurations, again depending on the model of vehicle being built at the time.
  • FIG. 1 the roof or roof supports 10 of a vehicle body passenger compartment is shown nesting on the opposite upper edges of left and right hand body sides 12 and 14 and an underbody fabrication 16 is shown nested between the lower edges of the two sides 12 and 14 ready for welding.
  • an underbody fabrication 16 is shown nested between the lower edges of the two sides 12 and 14 ready for welding.
  • the welding between the roof or roof supports 10 and the two sides 12 and 14 and between the lower edges of these and the underbody 16 are all performed at the same time.
  • the tooling used to secure and position the side panels and the roof and underbody have to be external to the compartment generated by the joining together of these various fabrications, and it is difficult to maintain to a high level of accuracy and consistency the internal dimensions of the body shell so formed, particularly the dimension shown at 18, namely between opposite internal faces of the two body sides 12 and 14.
  • Figure 2 illustrates the alternative approach proposed by the present invention in which two sub-assemblies are formed, the first comprising a roof panel 10 joined to side panels 12 and 14 along the cooperating edges 20 and 22, and a floor panel 16 having downturned edges forming joining flanges at 24 and 26 respectively for welding to the lower edges 28 and 30 of the two side panels 12 and 14 respectively.
  • Figure 3 illustrates how the roof and side panel of the first sub-assembly can be held in position immediately before welding between the cooperating edges 20 and 22 by means of internally located tooling carried by a base 32 and central upstanding support 34 carrying tooling gates 36 and 38 with internally engaging tooling at 40 and 42 on tooling gate 36 and at 44 and 46 on tooling gate 38.
  • the central core or spine 34 allows for inward and outward movement of the tooling relative to the tooling gates 36 and 38 and/or inward and outward movement of the tooling gates themselves.
  • the tooling such as 40 and 42 not only clamps to the side panel fabrications but also serves to locate them accurately relative to one another and to the roof panel 10.
  • Removal of the fabricated sub-assembly is achieved by retracting the tooling and/or tooling gates or both so as to be well clear of the two side panels of the sub-assembly and either lifting the sub-assembly or lifting and sliding the sub- assembly clear of the tooling.
  • the tooling gates 36 and 38 may be elevated relative to a pair of stops at 48 and 50 to enable tooling at 52 and 54 to engage the underside of the roof panel 10 prior to the joining of the roof panels and side panels.
  • the tooling 52 and 54 may be withdrawn in a downward sense and/or the tooling gates 36 and 38 lowered so that if the sub- assembly is supported independently of 52 and 54 as by means of a hoist, the retraction of the tooling 52 and 54 or tooling gates 36 and 38 from the underside of the roof panel 10 means with similar retraction of tooling 40, 42, 44 and 46 respectively, the sub-assembly can simply be slid in the form of a railway carriage in a horizontal mode perpendicularly into or out of the page as shown in Figure 3.
  • the floor panel 16 In order to control the lateral internal spacing between side panels and maintain this accurately, it is necessary for the floor panel 16 to have an accurate dimension between the external faces of the two downturned joining edges or flanges 24 and 26 shown in Figure 2.
  • these flanges are only formed after the floor panel has been fully or significantly pre-fabricated so that there is no tendency for any variation to occur in the dimension between the two external surfaces of the two downturned flanges 24 and 26.
  • the flooring panel 16 is shown carried by a lower tooling or anvil 56 itself carried by a base 58 in Figure 4, which illustrates a flanging station based on a Landis Tool STO flanging machine.
  • anvil 56 On opposite sides of the anvil 56 are mounted movable flanging tools 60 and 62 and hydraulic or pneumatic drive means is mounted within the base or otherwise convenient so as to effect inward and outwards movement relative to the anvil 56 of the two tools 60 and 62 to engage and downturn the overhanging edges of the floor panel 16.
  • edges are shown partially downturned at 24 and 26 but it will be seen that by moving the two flanging tools 60 and 62 in an opposite sense inwardly towards the anvil 56, and raising the anvil 56 simultaneously, so the two overhanging and partially downturned edges 24 and 26 of the floor panel 16 will become trapped and nested between the external edges of the anvil and the internal corners of the two tooling members 60 and 62, so that with the final movement of the anvil and tooling the two edge regions are fully turned down and the dimension is controlled very accurately by virtue of the anvil 56.
  • Figure 5 shows a framing station in which the sub-assembly 64 and flanged floor panel 66 are located ready for welding or otherwise joining between the two cooperating pairs of flanges.
  • the floor panel is carried by a transfer device containing interchangeable tooling 68 and interchangeable ring gates 70 and 72 are carried by supports 74 and 76 respectively for movement towards and away from the sub-assembly to engage and locate the side panel of the sub-assembly 64 as required.
  • Figure 6 illustrates a framing facility in which the floor panel fabrication is transferred from one stage to another along the transfer line 78 finally to a flanging station at 80 such as shown in Figure 4, and thereafter a transfer line incorporating a buffer transfers the flanged flooring trays into a framing station with interchangeable gates generally designated 82.
  • the roof and side panel sub-assemblies are formed in the main assembly station generally designated 84 and transferred by overhead transfer into the framing station 82.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Automobile Manufacture Line, Endless Track Vehicle, Trailer (AREA)
  • Automatic Assembly (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé permettant de construire une carrosserie de véhicule à partir de panneaux métalliques (12, 14, 16) formant le toit (10), les flancs et le plancher, en soudant ou en assemblant de toute autre manière, tout en les maintenant de façon lâche, ces parties fabriquées dans un gabarit de montage. On assemble les panneaux du toit (10) et des flancs (12, 14) pour former un sous-ensemble, on fixe ensuite ce sous-ensemble autour d'un panneau de plancher (16) fabriqué et on assemble le sous-ensemble aux côtés opposés du panneau de plancher afin de former la carrosserie du véhicule. Pendant l'assemblage du sous-ensemble de panneaux du toit et des flancs, on utilise un outillage interne pour maintenir les pièces fabriquées en place les unes par rapport aux autres. On forme le premier sous-ensemble de panneaux du toit et des flancs fabriqués à l'aide d'un poste d'assemblage comprenant des supports d'outillage (36, 38) main droite et main gauche qui supportent l'outillage (40, 42, 44, 46) de positionnement et de serrage des deux panneaux des flancs (12, 14), et qui pénètrent dans l'ensemble par le bas ou depuis l'extrémité avant ou arrière de ce dernier. On peut déplacer l'outillage ou le sous-ensemble, ou les deux, afin d'assurer un dégagement suffisant pour pouvoir déplacer le sous-ensemble vers un autre poste de travail. Le panneau du plancher (16) comprend des rebords (24, 26) qui sont assemblés aux rebords situés le long des bords inférieurs des deux panneaux des flancs.
PCT/GB1998/002268 1997-08-02 1998-07-29 Ensemble de carrosserie de vehicule Ceased WO1999006267A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9716359.6 1997-08-02
GB9716359A GB2327913B (en) 1997-08-02 1997-08-02 Vehicle body assembly

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999006267A1 true WO1999006267A1 (fr) 1999-02-11

Family

ID=10816876

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1998/002268 Ceased WO1999006267A1 (fr) 1997-08-02 1998-07-29 Ensemble de carrosserie de vehicule

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (4) GB2344321B (fr)
WO (1) WO1999006267A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3700631B2 (ja) * 2001-09-25 2005-09-28 日産自動車株式会社 車体部品の仮組み装置および車体部品の組立方法
AT411670B (de) * 2002-06-06 2004-04-26 Tms Produktionssysteme Gmbh Verfahren und fertigungslinie zum fügen von karosseriebaugruppen
DE10258633A1 (de) 2002-12-16 2004-07-08 Kuka Roboter Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Positionieren von zusammenzufügenden Bauteilen

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2133749A (en) * 1982-12-22 1984-08-01 Honda Motor Co Ltd Vehicle body assembling system
JPS6052414A (ja) * 1983-08-30 1985-03-25 Daifuku Co Ltd 荷卸し自在な搬送設備

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3443076A1 (de) * 1984-11-26 1986-06-05 Kuka Schweissanlagen + Roboter Gmbh, 8900 Augsburg Flexibles fertigungssystem fuer die bearbeitung und herstellung mehrteiliger baugruppen, insbesondere rohkarosserie-baugruppen
IT1212147B (it) * 1986-03-24 1989-11-08 Fiat Auto Spa Autovettura a pianale portante e carrozzeria ad elementi di materia plastica e procedimento per la sua fabbricazione
US5044541A (en) * 1989-04-21 1991-09-03 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for assembling vehicle body
EP0512576B1 (fr) * 1991-05-10 1995-08-09 Mazda Motor Corporation Procédé pour l'assemblage d'un véhicule et carrosserie de véhicule
US5474437A (en) * 1992-04-24 1995-12-12 Anritsu Corporation Metallic die device for press machine
US5735161A (en) * 1997-01-28 1998-04-07 Western Atlas, Inc. Flanging apparatus

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2133749A (en) * 1982-12-22 1984-08-01 Honda Motor Co Ltd Vehicle body assembling system
JPS6052414A (ja) * 1983-08-30 1985-03-25 Daifuku Co Ltd 荷卸し自在な搬送設備

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 009, no. 183 (M - 400) 30 July 1985 (1985-07-30) *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2327913A (en) 1999-02-10
GB0001023D0 (en) 2000-03-08
GB0001020D0 (en) 2000-03-08
GB2344322A (en) 2000-06-07
GB2327913B (en) 2000-08-30
GB0001022D0 (en) 2000-03-08
GB2344321A (en) 2000-06-07
GB2344321B (en) 2000-08-30
GB9716359D0 (en) 1997-10-08
GB2344322B (en) 2000-08-30
GB2344320B (en) 2000-08-30
GB2344320A (en) 2000-06-07

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