JP2006061919A - Method and device for changing head of welding torch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for changing a head of a welding torch to be mounted on a welding robot capable of performing high-speed welding using a plurality of torches even for a work having a narrow part to be welded and the automatic welding of all parts to be welded including the narrow part to be welded by one welding robot by providing a technical means capable of changing one torch and a plurality of torches to the welding robot. <P>SOLUTION: A structure in which an additional torch 5 is fixed to a torch head 2a of a head-changing type welding torch by a bracket 6 is employed as a structure of a plurality of torches to be mounted on a robot. An assembly head having one welding head (a single head) or a plurality of torch heads can be selectively mounted for one torch body 10 mounted on an arm tip of the welding robot. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a head exchange method and a head exchange device for a head exchange type welding torch attached to a welding robot.

  Several types of welding torches with different head lengths and head tip angles are prepared, and these welding torches are properly used according to the workpiece. In automatic welding using a welding robot, when it is necessary to use different torches with different head lengths and head tip angles depending on the welding location, a head exchange type welding torch, that is, welding with a torch head detachably attached to the torch body Using a torch, the torch body is mounted on the welding robot, and several types of torch heads that are attached to and detached from the torch body are mounted on the head changer so that the head to be mounted on the torch body is replaced according to the welding location. Yes.

  On the other hand, in automatic welding using a welding robot, it is attempted to improve welding speed by simultaneously using a plurality of welding torches mounted with their torch tips close to each other. In this welding method using a plurality of torches, it is difficult to weld a narrow welded part. If there is a welded part that cannot be welded with a plurality of torches, is the whole welded part of the work to be welded with a single torch? Alternatively, a method has been adopted in which a portion where welding cannot be performed is skipped and welding is performed with a plurality of torches, and a portion where welding is skipped is manually welded later.

  In other words, the conventional welding work by a welding robot is impossible to weld by replacing the head as necessary and automatically welding all the welding parts of the workpiece with a single torch, or by performing high-speed welding using multiple torches. The part was to be manually welded later.

  In the conventional head exchange type welding torch structure and the multi-torch torch structure, it is not possible to automatically replace a single torch with a plurality of torches. We can select either welding with this torch, or welding with multiple torches that skips areas that cannot be welded with multiple torches, such as large workpieces with narrow welds that cannot be welded with multiple torches. There was a problem that welding could not be performed fully automatically and with high efficiency.

  The present invention provides a technical means capable of exchanging and mounting a single torch and a plurality of torches to a welding robot using a head exchange type welding torch. It is an object to make it possible to achieve high-speed welding using a plurality of torches and automatic welding of all welding points including narrow welding points with a single welding robot.

  This invention employs a structure in which an additional torch 5 is fixed to a torch head 2a of a head exchange type welding torch by a bracket 6 as a structure of a plurality of torches to be attached to a robot. The above-described problem is solved by selectively attaching a welding head (single head) or an assembly head including a plurality of torch heads to the torch body 10.

  That is, the method of exchanging the head of the welding torch in the welding robot according to the present invention is to attach the body 10 of the head exchange type welding torch in which the torch body 10 and the torch heads 2 and 2a are detachable at the neck portion to the tip of the robot arm, A single head 2 attached to and detached from the body, and an assembly head 1 in which another torch 5 is fixed to the base of the interchangeable head 2a attached to and detached from the body via a bracket 6 with their tips approaching each other. A single torch and a plurality of torches, wherein the single head or the assembly head is mounted on the head exchange device 11, the tip of the robot arm is moved to the head exchange device, and the body or the assembly head is attached to the body attached to the tip. It is a head exchange method.

  The invention of claim 2 of the present application is a torch exchanging device used for carrying out the above method, and a torch head 2, 2a to a base 16 and a torch body 10 mounted on the tip of a robot arm on the base. An insertion / extraction table 19 that moves in the insertion / extraction direction, a head exchange table 20 that moves in a selection direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction on the base, and a plurality of heads arranged on the head exchange table at predetermined intervals in the selection direction A plurality of head holders, a head holder 21 s for holding the single head 2, a replaceable torch head 2 a and another torch 5. And a head holder 21d for holding the interchangeable torch head 2a of the three-dimensional body 1.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the torch head exchanging device according to the second aspect, the detection member 22 for detecting the position of the insertion / extraction direction and the selection direction of the torch attached to the robot arm in the vicinity of the body receiving portion is provided. It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, automatic replacement between a single torch and a plurality of torches can be performed in a manner similar to the replacement of a conventionally used single torch head. It is also possible to perform automatic welding with appropriate replacement, so high-speed welding with multiple torches with a single welding robot and welding of narrow parts with a single torch with a head shape according to the welding location, etc. It is possible to perform automatically, and there is an effect that high-speed automatic welding can be realized at all the welding locations for various workpieces.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a replacement portion (assembly head) 1 of a plurality of torches used in the method and apparatus of the present invention. The assembly head 1 includes a head 2a of a head exchange type torch, and an integrated torch 5 in which the head 3 and the body 4 are integrated. The interchangeable torch head 2a and the integral torch 5 are connected and fixed by a bracket 6 at the neck portion of both. The integrated torch 5 is fixed obliquely with respect to the replaceable torch head 2a, and is provided with the tips approaching so that the welding locations of both torch heads are substantially the same location. A cable 7 suspended from a cable hanger is connected to the integrated torch 5.

  The exchangeable torch head 2a includes a neck flange 8 having a circumferential groove 8a at the base (neck), and a neck of the exchangeable torch body 10 in which a fitting end 9 protruding from the neck flange is attached to the arm tip of the welding robot. It is attached to the welding robot by being inserted into the fitting hole and locked by a locking device built in the body. As the attachment / detachment structure of the interchangeable torch head 2a and the body, the head attachment / detachment structure of a single torch in the conventional apparatus can be used as it is.

  2 to 4 are views showing an embodiment of the head exchange device of the present invention. 2 is a front view of the head exchange device, FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view taken along the arrow B of FIG. As schematically shown in FIG. 6, the head changer 11 is mounted on the base 12 of the welding robot with the upper side in FIG. 2 facing upward. The arms 13 and 14 and the wrist 15 of the welding robot are bent as shown in the figure when the head is replaced, and the torch head is replaced with the tip of the attached torch facing up.

  The head exchanging device 11 has a base 17 fixed to a robot base with a base plate 17 that is displaceable in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 and elastically biased to the front side by a front and rear guide 46 and a spring 41 (see FIG. 4). A body receiving portion 18 is provided on the lower front side of the base. An insertion / extraction table 19 that moves up and down via a vertical guide 47 and a cylinder 42 is mounted on the front surface of the upper half of the base plate 17. A head exchanging table 20 that reciprocates in the left-right direction is mounted. Two head holders 21 s and 21 d are arranged in the head exchange table 20 at positions facing the body receiving portion 18 at the left and right moving ends of the head exchange table, respectively.

  The neck detection device 22 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is disposed on the front front side (front side in FIG. 2) of the body receiving unit 18, and the position of the detection probe 23 at the front side of the head holder facing the body receiving unit 18. In such a manner, it is fixed to the base 17. The probe 23 of this neck detecting device can be pushed in the left-right direction of FIG. 2 when the head exchange device is viewed from the front, and its tip can be swung up and down, and detects the amount of pushing and the amount of rocking. Sensors 24 and 25 are provided.

  When the torch attached to the tip of the robot arm passes through the probe tip of the neck detecting device, the tip of the probe 23 enters the circumferential groove 8a of the neck flange 8 (see FIG. 1) of the torch head. The position of the neck of the welding torch that has entered the head exchange device 11 is detected by detecting the amount of this pushing. If there is a deviation from the normal position in the detected neck position, the deviation amount is calculated by the NC unit of the robot, the position of the tip of the robot arm is corrected, and the torch head and torch body mounted on the robot are The head holder 21 and the body receiving portion 18 are smoothly inserted. 2 is absorbed by the elastic support of the spring 41 of the base 17.

  The body receiving portion 18 includes an unlocking piece 27 driven by a cylinder 26 at the bottom, and left and right clamping claws 30 and 31 for clamping the entering torch body 10 by the operation of the cylinders 28 and 29.

  The head holders 21s and 21d are provided with a pair of fingers 32 inserted so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the circumferential groove 8a of the neck flange of the torch head to be held. A holding ball 33 is provided. The neck flange 8 of the torch is pushed between the opposing fingers 32 while pushing the ball 33, and the pushed position is held by the urging force in the protruding direction of the ball 33. Further, the head holders 32 s and 32 d are provided with cylinders 34 driven clampers 35 s and 35 d for clamping the neck flange 8 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction of the head) between the fingers 32 and 32.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the probe 23 of the neck detecting device 22 is supported so as to be swingable up and down around the support shaft 36 at the base end and to be movable left and right along the guide 37. The tip of the probe is predetermined by springs 38 and 39. The position is elastically positioned.

  Next, the operation of exchanging with a plurality of torches with a single torch attached to the robot will be described. Each of the head holders 21s and 21d of the head changer holds a single head 2 for the single torch (same as the replaceable head 2a) 2 and an assembly head 1 for a plurality of torches. 2, the neck exchanging device holds only the assembly head 1, and the head exchanging table 20 is moved as shown in FIG. 2 by the contraction of the cylinder 40 so that the single head holder 21 s faces the body receiving portion 18. Moving to the left, the single head clamper 35s is retracted.

  Immediately before the torch body 10 attached to the robot is inserted into the body receiving portion 18, the left and right and top and bottom position errors of the torch head 2 attached to the torch body 10 into which the neck detecting device 22 enters are detected, If there is an error, a correction command is sent to the robot, and the robot corrects the position, and then inserts the gripped torch body into the body receiving unit 18. At this time, the neck flange of the mounted torch head 2 is inserted into the single head holder 21s.

  In this state, the single head clamper 35s advances to clamp the neck flange 8 of the single head 2, and after the lock release piece 27 of the body receiving part unlocks the single head, the cylinder 42 is extended to extend the insertion / removal base 19 Moves up and pulls the single head 2 out of the torch body 10.

  Next, the extension of the cylinder 40 causes the head exchange base 20 to move to the right, so that the head holder 21d on the assembly head side faces the body receiving portion 18. When the cylinder 42 is retracted, the insertion / extraction base 19 is lowered, and the neck of the exchangeable torch head 2 a of the assembly head is inserted into the torch body 10, and the torch head 2 a is locked to the torch body 10 by this insertion operation. Next, the assembly head side clamper 35d moves backward, and the tip of the robot moves away from the head changer to the left in FIG. 3, whereby the conversion from a single torch to a plurality of torches is completed. When the head is replaced, the wire in the torch is drawn to the torch body side.

The figure which shows the assembly head of the multiple torch used by this invention Front view of the head replacement device of the present invention Cross-sectional side view taken along line AA in FIG. B arrow view of FIG. Cross-sectional plan view of the neck detector Side view showing the positional relationship between the head changer and the robot

Explanation of symbols

1 Assembly head 2 Torch head
2a Interchangeable head 5 Integrated torch 6 Bracket
10 Torch Body
11 Head changer
16 base
18 Body receiver
19 Insertion table
20 Head switch
21d, 21s head holder
22 Neck detector

Claims (3)

  Attach the body (10) of the interchangeable welding torch to which the torch body (10) and the torch head (2, 2a) can be attached and removed at the neck, and attach the body head (10) to the tip of the robot arm. And an assembly head (1) in which the other torch (5) is fixed to the base of the interchangeable head (2a) to be attached to and detached from the body via a bracket (6) with their tips approaching each other, A welding robot single torch and a plurality of torches that are loaded into a head changer (11), the tip of the robot arm is moved to the head changer, and the single head or the assembly head is attached to the body attached to the tip. Head replacement method. A base (16), an insertion / extraction base (19) that moves in the insertion / extraction direction of the torch head (2, 2a) to the torch body (10) attached to the tip of the robot arm on the base, and the base A head exchange table (20) that moves in a selection direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction, a plurality of head holders arranged on the head exchange table at a predetermined interval in the selection direction, and a body receiver that faces the selected head holder. Part (18) and
The plurality of head holders include a head holder (21s) for holding a single head (2), and the replaceable torch head (1) of the assembly (1) of the replaceable torch head (2a) and another torch (5). A torch exchanging device for a welding robot, comprising a head holder (21d) for holding 2a).   The welding robot torch according to claim 2, further comprising a detection member (22) for detecting a position in the insertion / extraction direction and a selection direction of the torch attached to the robot arm in proximity to the body receiving portion. Head changer.

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