Plant and method for the automated production of ammunition and conveying device

Abstract

The present invention relates to 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 charge, comprising a plurality of production stations and a conveying device, which conveys the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from the respective production station, wherein 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 for holding the plurality of ammunition parts are guided by the rail.

1 . Plant ( 1 ) for the automated production of ammunition ( 101 ), which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case ( 3 ), an ignition element ( 7 ), a projectile ( 5 ) and a propellant charge ( 9 ), comprising a plurality of production stations and a conveying device ( 100 ), which is designed in particular according to one of claims  21  to  25  and conveys the plurality of ammunition parts to and/or from the respective production station, characterized in that
 the conveying device ( 100 ) is formed by a rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ), in which the rail ( 41 ) defines a conveying track ( 29 ) of the plant ( 1 ) and a plurality of carriages ( 39 ) for holding the plurality of ammunition parts are guided by the rail ( 41 ). 
 
     
     
         2 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ) comprises a drive system, by means of which the plurality of carriages ( 39 ) can be driven individually in order to be able to experience, in particular independently of one another, different movement characteristics along the conveying track ( 29 ). 
     
     
         3 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear motor, wherein in particular the linear motor comprises an arrangement of coils and permanent magnets, wherein in particular the carriage ( 39 ) is equipped with at least one permanent magnet. 
     
     
         4 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 2 to 3 , characterized in that the drive system comprises at least one linear spindle, which is mounted on the conveying device ( 100 ) and drives and/or positions the carriage ( 39 ) in particular without play. 
     
     
         5 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the carriage ( 39 ) is coupled to the rail ( 41 ) in an interlocking manner and/or is guided movably. 
     
     
         6 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the carriage ( 39 ) is guided on the rail ( 41 ) in a rolling and/or sliding and/or floating manner. 
     
     
         7 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that the carriage ( 39 ) is designed to encompass the rail ( 41 ) at least in part, wherein in particular the carriage ( 39 ) has two guide devices for moving along the rail ( 41 ) in particular in a sliding or rolling manner. 
     
     
         8 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 2 to 7 , characterized in that the drive system is configured to move the carriages ( 39 ) with different movement characteristics into a rest position. 
     
     
         9 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claim 7 or 8 , characterized in that the rest position can be approached with an absolute accuracy and/or repetition accuracy of at most 1 mm, in particular at most 0.5 mm, preferably at most 0.1 mm. 
     
     
         10 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 7 to 9 , characterized in that a travel distance ( 118 ) between two production stations, which are designed as processing stations for manipulating the ammunition parts, is between 80 mm and 1200 mm, in particular between 100 and 1000 mm or between 120 and 800 mm. 
     
     
         11 . Plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 7 to 10 , characterized in that a travel distance between two production stations, which are designed as testing positions, is between 10 mm and 60 mm. 
     
     
         12 . System ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 2 to 11 , characterized in that the drive system is configured to approach a rest position before a filling of an ammunition part designed as a case ( 3 ) with a propellant charge ( 9 ) with a different movement characteristic than after the filling with the propellant charge ( 9 ). 
     
     
         13 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the conveying track ( 29 ) is designed such that a time interval for feeding and/or discharging at least one carriage ( 39 ) to a production station designed in particular as a rest position is less than 5 s, in particular less than 3 s or less than 2 s. 
     
     
         14 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , characterized in that a standstill time at a production station, which is designed as a processing station for manipulating the ammunition parts, is between 500 and 3000 milliseconds. 
     
     
         15 . System ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , characterized in that a standstill time ( 120 ) at a production station, which is designed as a testing station, is in the range from 30 to 80 milliseconds. 
     
     
         16 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , further comprising a control system which can actuate the carriages ( 39 ) 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 ( 122 ) of up to 40 m/s 2 , in particular up to 20 m/s 2 , preferably up to 15 m/s 2 . 
     
     
         17 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , wherein the carriages ( 39 ) are held on the rail ( 41 ) by a magnetic holding force oriented in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         18 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the rail ( 41 ) has at least one bearing and/or guide surface ( 83 ,  85 ) for the carriages ( 39 ), wherein a guide surface ( 83 ,  85 ) oriented in particular in the horizontal direction provides the magnetic holding force. 
     
     
         19 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , wherein the rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ) is designed as a magnetic levitation system. 
     
     
         20 . Plant ( 1 ) according to  one of the preceding claims , wherein the conveying device ( 100 ), in particular the carriage ( 39 ), is mounted removably on the rail ( 41 ), in particular by overcoming the magnetic holding force between the carriage ( 39 ) and the rail ( 41 ). 
     
     
         21 . Conveying device ( 100 ) for a plant ( 1 ) designed in particular according to one of  claims 1 to 20  for the automated production of ammunition ( 101 ), characterized by a rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ), in which the rail ( 41 ) defines a conveying track ( 29 ) of the plant ( 1 ) and a carriage ( 39 ) is guided, which carriage ( 39 ) receives at least some of the ammunition parts. 
     
     
         22 . Conveying device ( 100 ) according to  claim 21 , characterized in that the rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ) comprises a drive system, which is configured to drive a plurality of carriages ( 39 ) individually, in particular in order to transfer different movement characteristics along the conveying track ( 29 ) to the carriages ( 39 ) independently of one another. 
     
     
         23 . Conveying device ( 100 ) according to  claim 22 , characterized in that the movement characteristic is freely programmable and the carriages ( 39 ) can be moved in synchronous and/or asynchronous operation, in particular by means of a linear motor or spindle drive. 
     
     
         24 . Conveying device ( 100 ) according to one of  claims 22 to 23 , characterized in that the drive system is configured, after the filling of the carriage ( 39 ) with a propellant charge ( 9 ), to move the carriage ( 39 ) by means of a jerk-limited movement characteristic, in particular into a rest position. 
     
     
         25 . Conveying device ( 100 ) according to one of  claims 22 to 24 , characterized in that the drive system is configured to apply a force of up to 1000 N per carriage ( 39 ). 
     
     
         26 . Conveying device ( 100 ) according to one of  claims 22 to 25 , characterized in that the carriage ( 39 ) is designed such that it can be guided in a magnetically floating manner on the rail ( 41 ). 
     
     
         27 . Use of a rail/carriage arrangement ( 37 ) for a plant ( 1 ) for the automated production of ammunition ( 101 ), which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, namely a case ( 3 ), an ignition element ( 7 ), a projectile ( 5 ) and a propellant charge ( 9 ), wherein the plant comprises a plurality of production stations and a conveying device ( 100 ) designed in particular according to one of  claims 21 to 26 . 
     
     
         28 . Use according to  claim 27  for an ammunition caliber range of 4.5 to 13 mm. 
     
     
         29 . Method for the automated production of ammunition ( 101 ), which consists of a plurality of ammunition parts, in particular a case ( 3 ), an ignition element ( 7 ), a projectile ( 5 ) and a propellant charge ( 9 ), in particular by means of a plant ( 1 ) designed according to  one of the preceding claims 1 to 19 , wherein the method is designed such that the plant ( 1 ) according to one of  claims 1 to 19  carries out the method steps.