PRODUCTION LINE OF WOODEN CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS

Abstract

 The object of the invention is the production line of the wooden or wood-based construction elements of modular buildings, characterized in that it contains:
- two rows of feeding roll conveyors 10,
- two rows of receiving roll conveyors 11,
- crosscut saw 1 installed on the first row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,
- column drilling and milling machine 3 on the second row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,
- easily shifting transport platforms 4 for construction elements of modular buildings,
- assembly table 7 for modules with opening for window or door,
- semi-automatic assembly table 6 of full or half modules,
- sliding table saw 2,
- vacuum manipulator 5 with vacuum endings,
- at least two sawdust extractions 8, one of which is situated by column drilling and milling machine 3 and crosscut saw 1 and the other one by siding table saw 2,
- at least one compressor 9 to power the saws and semi-automatic assembly table with compressed air,
- storage area 12.

Description

[0001] The object of the invention is the production line of the wooden or wood-based construction elements of modular buildings, including full and half modules, known for instance from Polish patent application P.423751, as well as the remaining elements of the buildings, including ground beams, studs, floor beams, flat roof beams.

[0002] There are many building systems of wooden facilities on the market. There is a Canadians system, where facilities are built of wooden construction elements, which are processed directly on the construction site, where whole beams are delivered, and where after proper process a building construction is made. The estimated time of building of such facility is 4 weeks.

[0003] There is also a whole walls prefabrication system, where walls of facilities are made of wooden or wood-based elements in the factory. They are insulated on the outside and finished on the inside with built-in electrical installation. Access road to such building site must be able to carry a load of a truck with a trailer as well as a crane, because ready walls weight up to few tones and there is a necessity of delivering them straight to the foundation of the facility. There is no possibility of prefabrication such walls in order to keep them in the storage house.

[0004] There are other modular building systems used in houses building known from the state of the art, for instance ones shown in Polish patent applications P.402526 and PL188884.

[0005] There are also ways of obtaining these or other modules and production lines manufacturing them. As an example, from the documentation of patent application of Polish invention P.385721, there is a way of manufacturing wooden frame elements of houses, especially passive houses, based on previously processed and prepared for assembly elements, composing a wooden framework, comprised of both upper and lower horizontal construction beams and construction studs, as well as ready-made wooden modules to have windows and doors installed. It is characterised by the fact that once having both upper and lower horizontal beams and construction studs set in required outline, they are joined together with the use of crimping fittings and then having wooden modules placed between them to have windows and doors installed, and that combines altogether forming the framework. Such prepared wooden framework is being transported to processing centre and vapour barrier film as well as wood-based board is put on top of it. Next the framework is being moved to another processing centre where the wood-based board is attached to the framework, then drywall is put on and the framework is transported to another processing centre, where the drywall is attached and after that openings for water and electric installations are milled, next the board is turned by 180° to the other side and thermic insulation is placed inside the framework. In the next stage the vapour barrier film is attached to the framework, then the wood-based board is put on top of it and connected to the framework, which is transported to the position where exterior insulation and exterior plaster is put on, and then the ready element of the framework is put vertically.

[0006] The inconvenience of such solutions known from the state of the art is a long period of prefabrication of manufactured modular buildings or their elements in the factory as well as long-lasting and often difficult process of assembly of such facilities on the construction site.

[0007] As an attempt of eliminating such inconveniences was developing a new type of construction modules in order to build modular buildings, allowing both shortening period of building modular facilities to minimum as well as developing new type of modular walls based on above modules. Such modules were shown in Polish patent application P.423751, which includes construction module for building modular building walls, in full and half (cut) version, characterised by having the form of a load-bearing frame consisting of construction elements in the form of flat cuboids i.e. upper and lower beams and two side studs connected together, preferably nailed in such way, that they form a rectangular frame, to which a closing its headroom board is attached, whose width is equivalent to the width of load-bearing frame, whereas the length is at least few centimetres bigger, preferably by 5cm, from the height of load-bearing frame. The board is attached to the load-bearing frame in such way, that on the side of the upper beam its edge is covered with the edge of exterior upper beam, while on the side of the lower beam the board outshoots the lower edge of the lower beam, forming a spline at the bottom of the module, which after the assembly overlaps the ground beam. In the preferable variant, between the side studs of the load-bearing frame, there is, symmetrically placed, at least one enhancing stud, attached to the upper beam on the top and to the lower beam at the bottom, preferably perpendicularly to upper and lower beams. According to the description the main advantage of the solution of the mentioned invention in the form of construction module to build modular buildings is the fact, that it occurs in the form of full and half walls, which can be connected. Thanks to that it is universal and does not have to be adjusted to given order, because the variations of the module are constructed in such a way that it allows to build practically any modular building. The module, in any variation, can be prefabricated in advance, even before the order for building is accepted. It does not require additional processing or adjustment to specific preferences of the user. It can be delivered directly from the magazine to the construction site. The invention has an influence on the construction elements by boosting their quality, accuracy and repeatability. The invention allows to optimise production process of modular houses. It minimalizes creation of waste to minimum during the construction, thanks to that it is environmentally friendly (the object of 136 m² creates about 0,15 m³ of waste and it is used for transport bases, therefore it is minimalized almost to zero).

[0008] The authors of the P.423751 invention managed to work out the construction of modules and then whole walls, which enables to build modular facilities easier and faster. Yet the preparation of the certain parts manually caused inaccuracies resulting from lack of precision and repeatability, and was rather time consuming. Hence it became necessary to work out an effective production line of such modular elements (and other wooden or wood-based elements) for building modular facilities, in order to speed the process of their prefabrication and enhancing their repeatability and accuracy. One of the variants considered by the authors of the solution was working out a fully automatic production line of modular constructions, however it turned out to be too expensive and would cause the cost of final products to go up as well. The authors and the applicants of the invention intended to keep a reasonable price while ensuring high quality of the final product, which would enable any average costumer to afford such products. This was the main motivation in searching for cheaper half-automatic solution, while keeping a high efficiency production line as well as high quality of final products.

[0009] There are different production lines of wooden or wood-based constructions of building elements known from the state of the art.

[0010] For instance there is a machine to assembly frameworks FRAMETEQ F-300 of WEINMANN (https://www.homag.com/pl/product-detail/maszyna-do-montazu-konstrukcji-szkieletowych-frameteq-f-30), which enables fully automatic manufacture of frameworks. The distances between the studs are determined automatically, the operator is only responsible for placing the beams and the studs in the correct position. The beams and studs are then secured automatically. Also there is another machine to assembly frameworks, FRAMETEQ F-500 of WEINMANN (https://www.homag.com/pl/product-detail/maszyna-do-montazu-konstrukcji-szkieletowych-frameteq-f-500).

[0011] There is also a system to build frame walls FRAMETEQ M-300 of WEINMANN (https://www.homag.com/pl/product-detail/system-do-budowy-scian-szkieletowych-frameteq-m-300). It is a composition of machine assembling frameworks and multifunctional bridge, dedicated to produce frame and gable walls. The elements of the frameworks are positioned and sheath is installed and processed automatically in the same place.

[0012] The same company owns a combi wall system FRAMETEQ M-500 (https://www.homag.com/pl/product-detail/kombinowany-system-scienny-frameteq-m-500), which enables manufacturing the framework with high quality sheathing on one side. The frame work is automatically aligned, tensioned and attached. Attachment and processing of the sheathing is also carried out automatically on the same work station.

[0013] There is also another system of production of prefabricated insulated walls Randek -Simple System SF016(https://wtp.hoechsmann.com/pl/lexikon/34491/randek_flexi_range). It is so called butterfly system, where stations are moved sideways and along the tables in order to nail and use the nailing bridge on both sides of the prefabricated wall. Both tables are equipped with screw clamps it allowing a perfect parallelism of mounted elements and hole beams, which enable production of angle shape walls. The first stage is production of the wooden frame with the use of aligning clamp, next nailing the board with the use of nailing bridge NB1000/3000. Afterwards station 1 is moved along and station 2 sideways. Then the element of the building is turned with the hydraulic turning mechanism. Next both stations return to their primary positions and nailing bridge NB1000/3000 nails the board on station 2; the element is finished and set in the vertical position or on traditional conveyor system.

[0014] Another known system is Double System SF021 by Randek, dedicated to efficient production of insulated frame walls with the use of nailing bridge. Boards covering both sides of the wall are nailed with the use of the same nailing bridge. The frame is nailed with the use of balanced nailers moved on the guideway.

[0015] The same company Randek also offers 4- tables solution COMBI SYSTEM SF004. On the 1 station a frame is built, on the 2 boards are aligned and nailed. Next the element is turned to the other side on station 3 with the pneumatic mechanism. Station 3 is used for manual processes, for instance installation of insulation. The last station, station 4 is used for aligning and nailing board/ sheathing with the use of nailing bridge. The element is set in the vertical position with conveyors.

[0016] Another system offered by Randek company is Line System SF020 divided to 6 stations - station 1 is used for nailing the frame with nailers, station 2 is used for boards assembly, next the element is turned to the other side to station 3, where insulation and foil are installed on the wall. Station 4 is used for manual process, for instance nailing the laths, station 5 boards/linings are n ailed with the use of nailing bridge or manually. Next the wall is set in the vertical position and conveyed to final station - station 6, where processes like window installation is carried out.

[0017] Modular Building Automation BV is also a known company for production line (https://www.modularbuildingautomation.eu/listings/1056689-mba-mobi-one-combined-timber-frame-assembly-station-for-walls), which consists of Mobi-One machine and butterfly table used for turning the module to the other side. First with the use of Mobi-One machine the frame is nailed and sheathing materials are attached to the wall. Next the module is turned with the use of butterfly table and is filled with insulation. Afterwards the module returns to the Mobi-One in order to be sheathed on the other side.

[0018] The so far known production lines did not provide the method and possibility as well as a proper control of exterior dimensions for full and half modules and windows and door modules, especially for constructions and dimensions known form the patent application P.423751. The dimensions of the tables used for walls production are so big ( e.g in above mentioned solution of WEINMANN company it is 12m x 3,2m), that there are no adequate stopper surfaces for supporting the edges of given modules, which means they do not guarantee the precise repeatability of exterior dimensions and angles. Whereas in case of modules, especially the ones known from patent application P.423751, the accuracy of + 0, - 0,2 cm is required, because building a wall out of many small modules, if each of them had an inaccuracy bigger than e.g. 0,5cm, than with average use of 15 modules for one wall its dimension could differ by 7,5cm, and such difference is from the constructional point of view unacceptable. The inconvenience of system of whole walls production is also:

• relatively big area, which is mostly around 1200 m²,
• relatively high demand for energy, often about 60 kWh,
• advanced operation,
• the necessity of hiring specialists programming the production line,
• the necessity of building whole walls of previously elaborated specific design, that does not give opportunity of manufacturing universal elements, repeatable and possible to use in every project.

[0019] The authors of above mentioned invention P.423751 set the goal to work out a production line of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular buildings, which would not have any downsides of already known solutions and would enable to reduce the time of prefabrication of given building elements and enhance the effectiveness and repeatability of the prefabrication process. The production line is to enable the effective and precise production of wooden or wood based construction modules to build walls of modular buildings with construction described in patent application P.423751.

[0020] According to the invention, the production line of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular building is characterized, that it contains:

• two rows of feeding roll conveyors (conveyor tables in the form of feeding conveyors),
• two rows of receiving roll conveyors (conveyor tables in the form of receiving conveyors),
• crosscut saw installed on the first row of roll conveyors between the feeding and receiving conveyor,
• column drilling and milling machine on the second row of roll conveyors between the feeding and receiving conveyor,
• easily shifting transport platforms for construction elements of modular buildings,
• assembly table for modules with opening for window or door,
• semi-automatic assembly table of full or half modules to build facilities' walls,
• sliding table saw to cut wood based boards or gypsum fiber boards,
• vacuum manipulator with vacuum endings,
• at least two sawdust extractions, one of which is situated by column drilling and milling machine and crosscut saw and the other one by siding table saw,
• at least one compressor to power the saws and semi-automatic assembly table with compressed air,
• storage area,

while semi-automatic assembly table has rectangular top attached vertically on the base, fixed stopper surfaces and mobile stopper surfaces being tippable boardsides attached to the edge of the top on the outside and being an outside, rectangular contour of the manufactured module to build facilities' walls, moreover semi-automatic assembly table is equipped with pneumatic actuators positioning and stabilizing elements of the prefabricated module relatively and moving tippable boardsides, at least one, and preferably two nailing guns, at least one, and preferably two staplers, pneumatic sockets with possibility of regulating the pressure to connected nailing guns and staplers, as well as equipped with control panel, module of semi-automating operation of opening and closing tippable broadsides and clamping pneumatic actuators positioning the elements of framework of beams and wooden studs composing the module.

[0021] Preferably, semi-automatic assembly table is equipped with at least nine pneumatic actuators aligned symmetrically in three rows of three pieces, and most preferably in fifteen actuators aligned symmetrically in three rows of five pieces each.

[0022] Crosscut saw is used to cut the elements of the wooden beams and studs, including ground beams, studs, floor beams, flat roof beams as well as upper beams, lower beams, side studs of full and half modules or window and door modules.

[0023] Sliding table saw is used to cut wood based or gypsum fibre boards in order to obtain construction sheathing of the modules, creating reinforced construction shield out of a module, characterised by having one dimension (thickness) much smaller than other two-height and width. It is assumed, that the shield is burdened on its middle surface, dividing its thickness in half. The wooden framework is rigidified by rigid shield - in case of above mentioned solution a OSB /3 or gypsum fibre board.

[0024] The column drilling and milling machine is used to drill openings on the side of the modules (positioned openings used for stabilizing the module during its assembly), drilling openings in the ground part and milling them.

[0025] Transport platforms are used for transporting already cut beams an studs for prefabrication processes onto: semi-automatic assembly table or assembly table for modules with openings for windows, doors.

[0026] Vacuum manipulator is used for passing the wood based boards (i.e. OSB/3) or gypsum fibre boards onto sliding table saw or onto semi-automatic assembly table or assembly table for modules with the opening, as well as passing prefabricated modules onto storage area from semi-automatic assembly table and assembly table for modules with opening.

[0027] Semi-automatic assembly table is used for prefabrication of half or full modules with above mentioned construction applied in patent P.423751.

[0028] Assembly table for modules with opening is used for prefabrication of modules with opening for window and modules with opening for door.

[0029] Sawdust extractions are installed near the machines processing the wooden elements and extract sawdust, especially during saw processing.

[0030] Compressors provide the power to the saws and semi-automatic assembly table with compressed air.

[0031] The basic advantages of the solution according to the invention are:

• production possibility and sufficient control of exterior dimensions for full and half modules as well as window and door modules in constructions and dimensions known from the patent application P.423751;
• production possibility of universal, repeatable and able to be used in almost every project elements (i.e. before establishing the design of the wall or facility) with possibility of storing them in magazine for any further project (in case of known production lines of all walls, it is impossible to manufacture them without specific design);
• assurance of high precision in gaining exterior dimensions, repeatability of manufactured modules: width, right angles in modules;
• compactness of the solution - a relatively small production area of 600 m² is required, while known (above mentioned) production lines need eve twice as big areas, since they are very long. The production line in accordance to this invention, based on semi-automatic assembly table with dimensions of 1,3m x 2,8m or second variant 1,3m x 3,7m (on a longer table it is possible to make higher by 90cm modules) may manufacture small (single construction modules), while other lines are used to produce whole walls of a considerable length even about12m, yet these lines are a repetition of three modules with length about 12m aligned 3 x 12m (module 1 - cut, module 2 - nailing, module 3 - stapling) + storing area for elements with length of 12m and height of 2,8m;
• relatively simple operation and small number of employees required to operate the production line, which with the assurance of lowest efficiency can be operated by two employees (the efficiency of the production line depends among others on number of people operating it). In case of so far known production lines the minimum number of staff was four people;
• relatively low need for energy - about 30 kWh, where with more advanced, fully automated production lines the energy needed is much higher;
• relatively low price with comparison to known production lines making prefabricated framework, what comes from applied less complicated specialist machines and devices of small sizes and smaller degree of automatization;
• lack of necessity of hiring specialists programming the production line;
• relatively short period of time to prefabricate certain building elements;
• simplified storing and transport of repeatable conduction and dimensionally modules obtained from production line;
• thanks to the precision and completeness of producing individual construction elements there is no need to carry out further processing on the construction site;
• The built-in wall made of prefabricated items on such production line is easy to install, thanks to the quality and repeatability of modules. The time of installation is much faster than traditional frame building, and obtained rigidity is much higher than so far used wood construction on the market.

[0032] The object of the invention is presented in the drawing, where fig. 1 shows seeding of individual elements of the production line of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular buildings according to the invention, while fig 2 - semi-automatic assembly table plan view.

Example 1

[0033] A production line of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular building according to the present example includes:

• two rows of feeding roll conveyors 10,
• two rows of receiving roll conveyors 11,
• crosscut saw 1 installed on the first row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,
• column drilling and milling machine 3 on the second row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,
• easily shifting transport platforms 4 for construction elements of modular buildings,
• assembly table 7 for modules with opening for window or door,
• semi-automatic assembly table 6 of full or half modules to build facilities' walls,
• sliding table saw 2 to cut wood based boards or gypsum fiber boards,
• vacuum manipulator 5 with vacuum endings,
• two sawdust extractions 8, one of which is situated by column drilling and milling machine 3 and crosscut saw 1 and the other one by siding table saw 2,
• two compressors 9 for power the devices with compressed air, one of which is designated to power the crosscut saw 1 with compressed air, and the other one is designated to power the sliding table saw 2 and semi-automatic assembly table 6 with compressed air,
• storage area 12.

[0034] Semi-automatic assembly table 6 has rectangular top attached vertically on the base, fixed stopper surfaces 13 and mobile stopper surfaces being tippable boardsides 14 attached to the edge of the top on the outside and being an outside, rectangular contour of the manufactured module to build walls of buildings with a module structure known from the polish patent application P.423751, moreover semi-automatic assembly table 6 is equipped with fifteen pneumatic actuators 15 arranged in three rows of five, positioning and stabilizing elements of the prefabricated module relatively and moving tippable boardsides 14, two nailing guns 18, two staplers 19, pneumatic sockets 17 with possibility of regulating the pressure to connected nailing guns 18 and staplers 19, as well as equipped with control panel, module 16 of semi-automating operation of opening and closing tippable broadsides 14 and clamping pneumatic actuators 15 positioning the elements of framework of beams and wooden studs composing the module.

[0035] The process of prefabrication of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular buildings on production line according to the invention is divided into two separate sub-processes:

I. Production process of full and half modules as well as modules with openings for windows or doors runs as follows:

1. with feeding roll conveyors 10 wooden elements of specified cross section are delivered to be cut on the crosscut saw 1, where they are cut into required length, in order to receive upper, lower beams and side studs of full or half or windows or door modules,

2. with the receiving roll conveyors 11 the cut elements are transported to transport platforms 4,

3. side studs of full, half, windows and door modules are transported with the transport planforms 4 to column drilling and milling machine 3, where openings are drilled for stabilizing the modules during their instalment,

4. with the transport platforms 4 all cut and drilled element are transported to semi-automatic assembly table 6 in order to prefabricate full and half modules or to assembly table 7 in order to prefabricate modules with window or door hole,

5. with the vacuum manipulator 5 OSB/3 and gypsum fibre boards are transported to be cut on sliding table saw 2, with which they are cut for the required lengths and widths (cutting boards on sliding table saw can be done simultaneously with cutting remaining elements on the crosscut saw),

6. on semi-automatic assembly table 6 prefabrication of wooden full and half modules is done, while on assembly table 7 prefabrication of wooden construction of modules with window and door opening is done,

7. on prefabricated wooden construction OSB/3 or gypsum fibre boards are placed with the vacuum manipulator 5,

8. on semi-automatic assembly table 6 and assembly table 7 of modules with openings, construction board is stapled to the wooden construction of full and half modules and relatively modules with window and door opening,

9. with the vacuum manipulator 5 ready modules are transported to storage area 12.

II. Production process of remaining elements of the system, i.e. ground beams, top plates, studs, roof flat roof beams runs as follows:

1. with feeding roll conveyors 10 wooden elements of specified cross section are delivered to be cut on the crosscut saw 1, where they are cut into required length,

2. with the receiving roll conveyors 11 the cut elements are transported to transport platforms 4,

3. ground beams are transported on the transport platforms 4 to column drilling and milling machine 3, where openings are drilled and milled in the ground beams,

4. with the transport platforms 4 ground beams, top plates, studs, roof flat roof beams are transported to storage area 12.

[0036] On semi-automatic assembly table installation of full and half modules with construction known from patent application P.423751 is carried out. It is done with crane with vacuum manipulator, nailing guns and staplers. The process requires the following technological activities:

• on designated surfaces of semi-automatic assembly table elements of framework consisting of beams, wooden studs are put, composing full or half module with construction known from patent application P.423751, which are pushed to mobile stopper surfaces setting the shape and size of the module,
• the elements of the framework are blocked with pneumatic actuators steering on the assembly table,
• framework elements connection is done manually with nailing guns,
• switch of vacuum manipulator fan is stared,
• vacuum manipulator is moved along the crane's jib over the lifted element (sheathing board for support framework),
• vacuum manipulator is lowered so that seals were tightly adhered to lifted element, and then the element is lifted to certain height,
• the element is moved along the crane's jib and put on the semi-automatic assembly table, precisely on the framework made of beams and wooden studs and pressed to spline of steel sheets placed on two sides of semi-automatic assembly table,
• after aligning the element in the set position the lever of the sub pressure valve is released to suck the seals from the transported element,
• the board is attached manually to the framework with the stapler,
• after finishing the module again the vacuum manipulator is lowered so that the seals were tightly adhered to its exterior surface, and then prefabricated module is lifted to the required height and put to storage area with the crane.

List of markings used:

[0037] 

1.

crosscut saw

2.

(sliding) table saw

3.

column drilling and milling machine

4.

transport platforms

5.

vacuum manipulator

6.

semi-automatic assembly table

7.

assembly table for modules with opening

8.

sawdust extractions

9.

compressors

10.

feeding roll conveyors

11.

receiving roll conveyors

12.

storage area

13.

fixed stoppers

14.

mobile stoppers (tippable boardsides)

15.

pneumatic actuators positioning the material

16.

module of semi-automating operation of opening and closing tippable broadsides

17.

pneumatic sockets

18.

nailing guns

19.

staplers

Claims

1. The production line of wooden or wood based construction elements of the modular building, characterized in that it contains:

- two rows of feeding roll conveyors 10,

- two rows of receiving roll conveyors 11,

- crosscut saw 1 installed on the first row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,

- column drilling and milling machine 3 on the second row of roll conveyors between the feeding conveyor 10 and receiving conveyor 11,

- easily shifting transport platforms 4 for construction elements of modular buildings,

- assembly table 7 for modules with opening for window or door,

- semi-automatic assembly table 6 of full or half modules,

- sliding table saw 2,

- vacuum manipulator 5 with vacuum endings,

- at least two sawdust extractions 8, one of which is situated by column drilling and milling machine 3 and crosscut saw 1 and the other one by siding table saw 2,

- at least one compressor 9 to power the saws and semi-automatic assembly table with compressed air,

- storage area 12,

while semi-automatic assembly table 6 has rectangular top attached vertically on the base, fixed stopper surfaces 13 and mobile stopper surfaces being tippable boardsides 14 attached to the edge of the top on the outside and being an outside, rectangular contour of the manufactured module to build facilities' walls, moreover semi-automatic assembly table 6 is equipped with pneumatic actuators 15 positioning and stabilizing elements of the prefabricated module relatively and moving tippable boardsides 14, at least one, and preferably two nailing guns 18, at least one, and preferably two staplers 19, pneumatic sockets 17 with possibility of regulating the pressure to connected nailing guns 18 and staplers 19, as well as equipped with control panel 16 module of semi-automating operation of opening and closing tippable broadsides and clamping pneumatic actuators 15 positioning the elements of framework of beams and wooden studs composing the module.

2. Device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the semi-automatic assembly table 6 is equipped with at least nine pneumatic actuators 15 aligned symmetrically in three rows of three pieces, and most preferably in fifteen pneumatic actuators 15 aligned symmetrically in three rows of five pieces each.

Drawing