Plant and Method for the Automated Production of Ammunition and Conveying Device

The invention relates to a plant and a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, and a conveying device for such a plant.

Plants with a closed circulating conveyor track for the automated production of ammunition are known from US 2019 094 000 A1. The plant described in US 2019 094 000 A1 comprises a conveying device for ammunition parts with a plurality of stations at which ammunition parts are processed, mounted, manipulated and/or received and which are ultimately assembled to form the finished ammunition. The conveying device of the individual ammunition parts is implemented by means of a coherent conveying chain, wherein said conveying chain in principle moves the individual ammunition parts between the stations at a constant and identical conveying speed and comes to a standstill in each case once per cycle. The positioning with regard to the individual production stations takes place on account of the arrangement of the holding device for the ammunition parts in the conveying chain. The coherent conveying chain requires only one positioning per cycle. However, this means that only a single cyclic movement profile can be processed, as a result of which all production stations must be approached in the same manner.

The proposed plant must be orientated and calibrated very precisely, as a result of which the operation is susceptible to faults. Furthermore, the fixed and clearly defined arrangement of the processing stations increases the space requirement and the flexibility of the machine. This ultimately has a negative influence on the machine-dependent production overhead costs.

Furthermore, there is the need to process more ammunition parts in a shorter time (to increase the production capacity). For this purpose, the speed of the conveying chain can be increased in the known system. However, as a result, the loadings in the individual bearings increase disproportionately as a result of the faster starting and stopping of the conveying chain, which leads to increased wear of the machine, in particular of its movable parts. In addition, the susceptibility of the overall system to errors with regard to feeding increases during the faster movement of the conveying chain, which leads to increased rejects. This reduces the overall production effectiveness despite a higher production capacity.

A further challenge in the production of ammunition is the adaptability of the machine to the production of different calibers. In the case of a purely mechanically released and fixed displaceability of the conveying chain, the different, caliber-specific diameter of the case can be taken into account only inadequately. Furthermore, it is important for the production quality that the individual production stations are approached in their own and suitable movement profile and the total size of the ammunition to be produced is taken into account.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a plant which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular has an increased production capacity and/or enables a more reliable production of the ammunition, in particular without increasing the space requirement.

The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

Accordingly, a plant for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, is provided. The plant for the automated production can comprise all joining and assembly steps which are necessary in order to generate a complete ammunition unit comprising a case, an ignition element, a projectile and the propellant charge powder. A plant can therefore also be referred to as an ammunition laboratory or assembly plant. The individual ammunition components can be produced in upstream production steps and/or upstream production stations and finally be added to the ammunition assembly plant, at which they are in principle assembled according to proven technology to form a complete ammunition or cartridge which, after passing through the plant, is therefore ready for sale. The plant is preferably realized as a rotary cycle or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged in succession along the rotary cycle or circulation system and assemble ammunition units in an automated manner according to a conveying cycle of the production line. The plant can also be referred to as a linear transport system which, for example in assembly and automation technology for ammunition, serves to transport ammunition parts in a positionally accurate manner to processing and/or assembly stations which are positioned along the transport path.

The plant according to the invention comprises a plurality of production or processing stations, at which the different assembly or production steps can be carried out. The production stations can be configured to handle at least one ammunition part, in particular to manipulate, handle, interact with it or act on it in another manner. For example, the plurality of production stations comprise an ammunition part insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and/or a projectile insertion station, for inserting at least one of the plurality of ammunition parts into the production process of the plant, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition part processing station, for example a case forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for transporting the produced ammunition out of the production process of the plant. The discharge station can also serve to discharge rejects or waste from the production process. The plurality of production stations are arranged in relation to the production process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be supplied to the production stations one after the other in order to allow the production steps which build up one after the other to be carried out.

The plant according to the invention furthermore comprises a conveying device, which can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have the latter, for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveying device accordingly performs at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveying device can hold the ammunition parts which are necessary for the ammunition and permit access of the individual production stations to the ammunition parts or permit processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveying device is responsible for the in particular automated transporting or conveying of the individual ammunition parts along the production process which is defined by the plurality of production stations. The conveying device defines a closed circulating conveying track, along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on the influence thereof on the production process, and which delimits an interior space which is enclosed by the conveying track and an exterior space which is delimited therefrom. The conveying track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of conveying devices, such as carriages, which are distributed along the conveying track and are in particular of identical design. In this case, the plurality of conveying devices can be activated individually and can be moved along the conveying track in order that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveying device. The production process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveying devices are fixed to one another along the conveying track.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the conveying device is formed by a rail/carriage arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveying track of the plant and a plurality of carriages, in particular each, for holding the plurality of ammunition parts are guided by and/or along the rail. The conveying track can be of closed circulating design and delimit an interior space which is enclosed by the conveying track and an exterior space which is delimited therefrom. The individual ammunition parts can be conveyed along the conveying track at least in sections, depending on the influence thereof on the production process. The conveying track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of carriages, in particular of identical design, which are distributed along the conveying track.

The rail/carriage arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the plurality of carriages can be moved translationally relative to the, in particular stationary, rail. Each carriage can be configured to receive and/or fix a plurality of ammunition parts such that the latter can be processed at the production stations, and, if appropriate, displace ammunition parts relative to the carriage in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier which can receive the ammunition parts which are necessary for the ammunition, permit access of the individual production stations to the ammunition parts or permit processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be produced as a separate component with respect to the carriage and can be designed individually for the respective ammunition part. In this case, predefined interfaces for coupling the workpiece carrier and carriage to one another can be provided.

The workpiece carrier has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is configured to be conveyed along the production line. The carrier base can accordingly be configured to be coupled, in particular releasably, to the automated production line in order to be conveyed by the latter in an automated manner from one processing station to the next. The carrier base can be configured, for example, to form a tongue-and-groove system with a connecting component of the automated production line.

The workpiece carrier furthermore comprises at least one receptacle, arranged on the carrier base, in particular preferably releasably fastened thereto, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition cases, two ammunition projectiles, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primers. An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier according to the invention is that it is designed for receiving a plurality of ammunition parts which are held such that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. By way of example, the receptacle is configured such that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 ammunition parts of the same type. For example, the multiplicity of ammunition parts are held in a predetermined, in particular invariable, arrangement by the receptacle. For example, in a row and/or parallel arrangement, such as, for example, in an array field.

According to an exemplary development, the at least one ammunition part receptacle is mounted movably relative to the carrier base. It has been found that, in the laboratory work of ammunition, the individual ammunition parts have to be held in a different orientation depending on the processing station. While this was achieved in the prior art by elaborately and individually constructed processing stations which were able to access the rigid holding devices for the ammunition parts, the present invention departs from this concept to the effect that these requirements can be complied with at the expense of a more complex workpiece carrier. According to the invention, high flexibility is obtained in a simple manner by means of the movable mounting of the ammunition part receptacle relative to the carrier base. Owing to the movability of the material holder, it is possible for the latter to be brought into the respectively optimum orientation during the different processing steps or in the different processing stations. As a result, the individual processing stations can be significantly simplified in terms of construction, handling and actuation and can be significantly reduced in terms of the installation space thereof. The processing stations no longer require elaborately complex systems in order to be able to access the rigidly arranged ammunition parts or to be able to process the latter.

According to a further exemplary development, at least one of the ammunition part receptacles can be moved from a receiving position, in which the at least two ammunition parts can be supplied in particular simultaneously, into a processing position, in which the at least two ammunition parts can be processed in particular simultaneously. Owing to the fact that not necessarily all different ammunition parts types have to be able to be supplied to the same number of different processing stations and/or have to be able to be processed in different orientations or positions in each case, it is thus possible to provide a workpiece carrier which is more cost-effective and nevertheless significantly more flexible in comparison with the prior art. By combining the receptacles of the ammunition parts of different types required for the production of ammunition in one and the same workpiece carrier, considerable advantages can be generated, in particular with regard to the cycle rate. Consequently, the ammunition parts to be joined to one another can be provided, for example, in the direct vicinity of one another, but at any rate can be held by one and the same workpiece carrier, such that they are held in a locally concentrated manner on the workpiece carrier for simple handling and accessibility. The movability of the at least one ammunition part holder relative to the carrier holder can be of flexible configuration such that a multiplicity of different positions can be approached. For example, the at least one ammunition part receptacle can be locked when the receiving position is assumed and/or when the processing position is assumed, such that movability of the ammunition part receptacle is temporarily prevented. It is clear that the position of the at least two ammunition parts in the receiving position or the orientation thereof can furthermore be such that processing of the at least two ammunition parts can likewise take place in the receiving position. The different positions which can be assumed of the ammunition part receptacle relative to the carrier base can differ by a different orientation and/or position in relation to distance from the carrier base.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece carrier furthermore has a coupling interface for connecting to a motor of the production line, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, in order to move the receptacle from the receiving position into the processing position, and in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier itself can accordingly be of drive-free and/or motorless design. The necessary activation or movement energy which is necessary for moving the at least one ammunition part receptacle can be fed in particular completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

According to a further exemplary development, the workpiece-carrier-side coupling interface is designed, in particular adapted and/or orientated with respect to a motor-side coupling interface, in such a way that the workpiece carrier can move into the motor-side coupling interface for connecting to the motor. In this way, coupling of the workpiece carrier and energy source to one another in a particularly simple manner is made possible without the workpiece carrier requiring its own energy supply in order to move the at least one receptacle.

In an exemplary embodiment, the rail/carriage arrangement comprises a drive system, by means of which the plurality of carriages can be driven individually in order to be able to experience, in particular independently of one another, different movement characteristics along the conveying track. As a result, individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each carriage. The production process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the carriages are fixed to one another along the conveying track.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear motor. The linear motor can have an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets. In this case, the carriage can be equipped with at least one permanent magnet. In principle, the magnetic fields of the permanent magnet assigned to the carriage can be combined or adapted to one another in such a way that the carriage is in particular pulled or pushed off alternately, in order to move along the conveying track. One advantage of the linear motor consists in its direct force transmission property, wherein high accelerations and speeds and a high degree of precision can be achieved.

According to an exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle, which is mounted on the conveying device and drives and/or positions the carriage in particular without play.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is coupled to the rail in an interlocking manner and/or is guided movably. For example, rail and carriage can have coupling interfaces which are adapted to one another, in particular adapted in terms of shape, and are designed for coupling to one another and/or for guiding rail and carriage along one another, in particular sliding along one another. For example, the interlocking coupling ensures that rail and carriage are secured to one another, in particular are secured against being moved away from one another, wherein, for example, a predetermined disassembly orientation and/or disassembly direction is predefined by the coupling to one another.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is guided on the rail in a rolling and/or sliding manner. For example, carriage and rail can have rolling and/or sliding surfaces which are adapted to one another and can be oriented in relation to the conveying track, along which the carriage is guided by the rail.

According to a further exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the carriage is designed to encompass the rail at least in part. For example, the carriage can have a substantially C-shape in cross section and receive the rail between its C-limbs. For example, the carriage has two guide devices for moving along the rail in particular in a sliding or rolling manner. For example, the guide devices can be arranged on mutually facing surfaces of the C-limb and can be designed for contacting with corresponding guide surfaces of the rail simultaneously, in particular in a sliding or rolling manner. For example, a dimension of the carriage, in particular the spacing of the two C guide legs, is accordingly adapted to a dimension, in particular vertical dimension, of the rail. Furthermore, it is possible for a distance between the guide legs of the carriage to be settable.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drive system is configured to move the carriages with different movement characteristics or profiles along the plant into a rest position. It has been found that, depending on the processing state of the ammunition, in particular of the individual ammunition parts, different movement profiles, in particular speeds and/or accelerations, are more advantageous in order to configure the plant in a significantly more flexible and reliable manner.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rest position can be approached with an absolute speed and/or a repetition accuracy of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm or at most 0.1 mm.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, a travel distance between two production stations, which are designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts, is between 80 and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or in the range from 120 to 800 mm.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, a travel distance between two production stations, which are designed as testing positions, is in the range from 10 mm to 60 mm.

In general, the inventors of the present invention have found that a travel distance between two production stations, which are designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts, is to be designed to be longer than a travel distance between two production stations, which are designed as testing positions, in particular at which manipulation, processing, production processes or the like which have been carried out are checked, detected by means of sensors or otherwise subjected to a quality check and/or quality assurance.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the drive system is configured to approach a rest position before a filling of an ammunition part designed as a case with a propellant charge with a different movement characteristic than after the filling with the propellant charge. In other words, the drive system can be designed such that it varies, in particular sets the movement characteristic, in particular the movement speed and/or acceleration, depending on the processing progress of the ammunition to be produced, the weight of the ammunition parts held by means of the carriages and/or the characteristic of the ammunition parts held by the carriages. For example, the drive system can be coupled to a sensor system. The sensor system can be configured, for example, to detect a state of the production process, such as, for example, a production progress, a movement characteristic, such as a movement speed and/or acceleration, the number and/or the weight of the ammunition parts held by means of the carriages, etc. By means of such measures according to the invention, it can be ensured in a particularly efficient manner that the carriages move as precisely as possible and/or with a high number of cycles between the individual production stations without the production process and/or the quality of the ammunition to be produced being impaired.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the conveying track is designed such that a time interval for feeding and/or discharging at least one carriage to a production station designed in particular as a rest position is less than 5 seconds, in particular less than 3 seconds or less than 2 seconds. The high number of cycles is an essential means of increasing the production capacity.

According to an exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, a standstill time at a production station, which is designed as a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts, is between 500 ms and 3000 ms. Furthermore, the plant can be designed such that the drive system is capable of carrying out manipulation operations on the ammunition parts held by the carriages without the carriages coming to a standstill. For example, when applying a coating, such as a sealing varnish, it can be provided that the carriage holding the components to be coated moves past the corresponding production station designed as a coating station at in particular constant speed. In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, a standstill time at a production station, which is designed as a testing station, is in the range from 30 ms to 80 ms. As a result of the fact that different movement characteristics can be set with the plant according to the invention or the carriages can be moved with a different movement profile and the carriages can be moved independently of one another, it is furthermore possible to significantly increase the production capacity since a processing operation only has to last as long as the processing operation lasts without the carriage having to wait for a longer-lasting processing operation.

According to an exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the latter comprises a control system which can actuate the carriages at a speed of up to 2 m/s, in particular up to 1.5 m/s, preferably up to 1 m/s, and/or at an acceleration of up to 40 m/s, in particular up to 20 m/s, preferably up to 15 m/s.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the carriages are held on the rail by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction. For example, no further fastening mechanisms acting in the horizontal direction are used. The horizontal, magnetic holding force can be supported by a support, which is oriented in the vertical direction, for a bearing interface on the conveying device side, which bearing interface slides along and/or rolls along the support during the movement of the conveying device relative to the support.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the plant according to the invention, the rail has at least one bearing and/or guide surface for the carriages. The bearing and/or guide surfaces support the movements of the conveying devices for the removal and/or transport of the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. For example, a guide surface oriented in the horizontal direction provides the magnetic holding force. The magnetic holding force can be achieved by a surface contact or by two bearing surfaces of the rail and conveying device arranged at a small distance from one another.

According to a further exemplary development, the rail/carriage arrangement is designed as a magnetic levitation system.

According to a further exemplary development of the plant according to the invention, the conveying device, in particular the carriage, is mounted removably on the rail. For example, the disassembly can be carried out by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage and the rail. A dismantling direction of the conveying device away from the rail can in this case be oriented in the horizontal direction.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a conveying device for a plant, in particular according to the invention, for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, is provided. The conveying device can also be referred to as a workpiece carrier or can have the latter, for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations. The conveying device accordingly performs at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveying device can hold the ammunition parts which are necessary for the ammunition and permit access of the individual production stations to the ammunition parts or permit processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveying device is responsible for the in particular automated transporting or conveying of the individual ammunition parts along the production process which is defined by the plurality of production stations. The conveying device according to the invention comprises a rail/carriage arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveying track plant and a carriage is guided, which carriage receives at least some of the ammunition parts.

According to the further aspect of the present invention, the conveying device has a rail/carriage arrangement, in which the rail defines a conveying track of the plant and a carriage, in particular a plurality of carriages, is guided, which carriage receives at least some of the ammunition parts. The carriage can be designed for holding the plurality of ammunition parts and can be guided by and/or along the rail. The conveying track can be of closed circulating design and delimit an interior space which is enclosed by the conveying track and an exterior space which is delimited therefrom. The individual ammunition parts can be conveyed along the conveying track at least in sections, depending on the influence thereof on the production process. The conveying track can have an endless racetrack-like structure or shape. In particular, the plant comprises a plurality of carriages, in particular of identical design, which are distributed along the conveying track.

The rail/carriage arrangement is based on the basic principle of a linear guide, according to which the carriage, in particular the plurality of carriages, can be moved translationally relative to the, in particular stationary, rail. Each carriage can be configured to receive and/or fix a plurality of ammunition parts such that the latter can be processed at the production stations, and, if appropriate, displace ammunition parts relative to the carriage in order to set a desired positioning or orientation. For example, the carriage can have a so-called workpiece carrier which can receive the ammunition parts which are necessary for the ammunition, permit access of the individual production stations to the ammunition parts or permit processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier can be produced as a separate component with respect to the carriage and can be designed individually for the respective ammunition part. In this case, predefined interfaces for coupling the workpiece carrier and carriage to one another can be provided.

According to an exemplary development of the conveying device according to the invention, the rail/carriage arrangement comprises a drive system, which is configured to drive a plurality of carriages individually, in particular in order to transfer different movement characteristics, such as speed profiles and/or acceleration profiles, to the carriages independently of one another along the conveying track.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveying device according to the invention, the drive system is configured, after the filling of the carriage with a propellant charge, to move the carriage on the basis of a jerk-limited movement characteristic, in particular into a rest position. As a result of the fact that the drive system is capable of transferring an individual movement profile to the carriage depending on the production progress, the type and/or the size and/or the weight of the ammunition parts held, it can be ensured that, in sensitive phases, such as, for example, when a propellant charge is introduced into an ammunition case, a correspondingly cautious movement is carried out, i.e. with reduced speed and/or reduced acceleration. In a further exemplary embodiment of the conveying device according to the invention, the drive system is configured to apply a force of up to 1000 N/carriage.

In a further exemplary development of the conveying device according to the invention, the carriage is designed such that it can be guided in a magnetically floating manner on the rail, in this case, a gap can be formed between two mutually facing bearing/guide surfaces of carriage and rail, in particular for as low-friction a displacement as possible of the carriages relative to the rail.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, use of a rail/carriage arrangement for a plant for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, namely a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, is provided, wherein the plant comprises a plurality of production stations and a conveying device designed in particular according to the invention.

In an exemplary embodiment, the plant is used for an ammunition caliber range in the range from 4.5 to 13 mm.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a method for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant, is provided. According to the method according to the invention, the ammunition can be produced according to a plant designed in accordance with one of the aspects described above or exemplary embodiments and/or the method can be designed such that the plant according to the invention can carry out the method steps.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a plantaccording to the invention, also referred to as an ammunition laboratory or assembly plant, is generally provided with the reference sign, the conveying deviceor the workpiece carrierfor holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations is generally referred to by the reference sign. The finished ammunitionis denoted by the reference sign.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the laboratory installationaccording to the invention in, the ammunition assembly plantin any case comprises the following production stations: a case insertion stationwhich is configured to insert casesinto the conveying device; a projectile insertion stationwhich is configured to insert bullets, also referred to as projectiles, into the conveying device; a propellant charge filling stationwhich is configured to fill caseswith propellant charge powder; an ignition element feed stationfor feeding ignition elementsand an ignition element insertion stationin which the ignition elementsare inserted into the conveying devices; a plurality of quality monitoring stationsand quality testing stationsfor optically and/or tactilely ensuring the quality of the ammunitionand a discharge stationfor finally discharging the produced ammunition.

The conveying devicefor holding the plurality of ammunition parts and for transporting the plurality of ammunition parts from, to and/or between the plurality of production stations,,,,,defines a closed circulating conveying track, which delimits an interior spacewhich is enclosed by the conveying trackand an exterior spacewhich is delimited therefrom. According to the exemplary embodiment in, the conveying trackcomprises two parallel linear sections, which are connected by curved sectionsin order to form a racetrack-shaped conveying track profile. The production stations,,,,,are arranged laterally with respect to the conveying trackin the interior space() or in the exterior space() of the conveying track.