Plastic product clamping method, device and equipment and medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a plastic product clamping method, device and equipment and a medium. The method comprises the steps that soft floating initialization is conducted on a target shaft used for controlling the mechanical arm to move left and right; the soft floating initialization comprises the step of adjusting a torque amplitude limiting value when the target shaft is pushed; the target shaft is operated to the position above the mold opening position of an injection molding machine, and a mechanical arm is controlled to clamp a plastic product subjected to mold opening of the injection molding machine; and after it is determined that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine completes ejection of the plastic product, the torque amplitude limiting value is recovered to be a normal value. According to the embodiment of the invention, the equipment can be prevented from being damaged when clamping a plastic product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation control technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, equipment and medium for clamping plastic products. Background Technology

[0002] In the traditional injection molding process for producing plastic products, ejector pins are typically used to eject the plastic products. The ejected plastic products either fall directly into a collection box below or are picked up and disposed of by a robotic arm.

[0003] For the latter, the traditional method is to use the ejector pins on the injection molding machine to eject the plastic product. Since the plastic product is clamped by the gripper on the robotic arm during ejection, the shaft on the robotic arm will be pushed when the ejector pin pushes the plastic product, which can easily lead to damage to the ejector pin and motor overcurrent alarm; or the plastic product can be directly gripped and pulled out by the robotic arm, which may damage the plastic product.

[0004] In other words, if there is a problem with the coordination between the injection molding machine and the robot, it is very likely to cause damage to the ejector pin or trigger a servo alarm. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method, apparatus, equipment, and medium for gripping plastic products, so as to avoid damage to the equipment when gripping plastic products.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for gripping a plastic product is provided, comprising:

[0007] Soft float initialization is performed on the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm; the soft float initialization includes adjusting the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed.

[0008] The target axis is moved above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine, and the robot arm is controlled to clamp the plastic product that has been opened by the injection molding machine.

[0009] After confirming that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product, the torque limit value is restored to the normal value.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a clamping device for plastic products is provided, comprising:

[0011] An initialization module is used to perform soft float initialization on the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm; the soft float initialization includes adjusting the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed.

[0012] The clamping module is used to move the target axis above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine and control the robot to clamp the plastic product of the injection molding machine.

[0013] The recovery module is used to restore the torque limit value to the normal value after determining that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements a method for gripping a plastic product according to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the clamping method for plastic products according to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to execute and implement the clamping method for plastic products according to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] In this embodiment of the invention, the control signals issued by the controller on the robotic arm and the preset control program work in coordination with the servo system to dynamically adjust the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed according to the gripping stage. This enables the robotic arm to push the axis very smoothly when the injection molding machine ejector pin pushes the plastic product during the part picking operation. The close cooperation between the controller and the servo makes the axis pushing process easy and free, avoiding equipment damage or part picking failure that may be caused by excessive resistance.

[0018] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1A This is a flowchart of a method for clamping a plastic product according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 1BThis is a schematic diagram showing the positions of an injection molding machine and a robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a method for clamping a plastic product according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clamping device for plastic products according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device that implements an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0027] Figure 1A This is a flowchart illustrating a method for gripping plastic products according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is applicable to optimizing the coordination logic between the injection molding machine ejector pin and the target axis of a robotic arm, so that they no longer interfere with each other. This method can be executed by a gripping device for the plastic product, which can be implemented in hardware and / or software. This device can be configured in an electronic device with corresponding data processing capabilities, such as a robotic arm controller. Figure 1A As shown, the method includes:

[0028] S110. Perform soft floating initialization on the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm.

[0029] S120. Move the target axis above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine and control the robot arm to clamp the plastic product of the injection molding machine.

[0030] S130. After confirming that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product, the torque limit value is restored to the normal value.

[0031] The soft float initialization includes adjusting the torque limit value when the target shaft is pushed.

[0032] Specifically, such as Figure 1B As shown, an injection molding machine performs injection molding, and a robotic arm's gripper holds the molded plastic product. After the injection molding machine's ejector pin ejects the plastic product, detaching it from the machine, the robotic arm can move the detached product to another location. The problem is that before the ejector pin ejects the plastic product, the robotic arm's gripper has already held it. The force exerted by the ejector pin is transmitted to the robotic arm through the interconnected gripper and the plastic product, causing the target axis on the robotic arm to be pushed, which can easily lead to ejector pin damage and motor overcurrent alarms. To solve this problem, this invention optimizes the coordination logic between the injection molding machine's ejector pin and the robotic arm's target axis, so that they no longer interfere with each other. Specifically…

[0033] First, in the robot's controller, you need to enable the soft floating motion parameters for the target axis and set the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed to a very small value (e.g., 0.01N). Then, control the robot to return to zero to complete the initialization of soft floating.

[0034] After initialization, the controller moves the target axis with the soft floating function enabled above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine, preparing to grip the plastic product. Once the injection molding machine has opened the mold, it sends a signal to the controller. Upon receiving the signal, the controller controls the robotic arm to grip the plastic product. The ejector pins of the injection molding machine begin to eject the plastic product, and simultaneously, the target axis is also pushed. Because the soft floating function is enabled and the torque limit value for the target axis when pushed has been pre-adjusted, the target axis is easily pushed without causing damage to the target axis or ejector pins.

[0035] After confirming that the plastic product has been completely ejected, the controller needs to restore the torque limit value to the normal value (e.g., 100N) and then use a robotic arm to move the plastic product to another location.

[0036] In this embodiment of the invention, the control signals issued by the controller on the robotic arm and the preset control program work in coordination with the servo system to dynamically adjust the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed according to the gripping stage. This enables the robotic arm to push the axis very smoothly when the injection molding machine ejector pin pushes the plastic product during the part picking operation. The close cooperation between the controller and the servo makes the axis pushing process easy and free, avoiding equipment damage or part picking failure that may be caused by excessive resistance.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for gripping a plastic product according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an optimization and improvement based on the above embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0038] S210. Adjust the torque limit value when the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm is pushed to the minimum value.

[0039] During the process of the plastic product being ejected by the ejector pin, the target axis and the robotic arm are pushed along with the ejection of the plastic product.

[0040] Specifically, it is unavoidable that the target shaft is pushed during the gripping process. If the torque limit value is set too high when the target shaft is pushed, the servo must operate at high current and high power to provide sufficient torque to push the plastic product and the target shaft behind it in order to eject the plastic product. This is the root cause of ejector damage and motor overcurrent alarms. If the torque limit value is set too low when the target shaft is pushed, the servo does not need to operate at high current and high power. Only a small torque is needed to push the plastic product and the target shaft behind it, avoiding equipment damage or part removal failure due to excessive resistance. Therefore, in order to protect the ejector and target shaft to the greatest extent, the torque limit value when the target shaft is pushed is set to the minimum value that the software can select during soft float initialization, so as to minimize the resistance of the ejector when pushing out the plastic product.

[0041] S220. Move the target axis above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine and control the robot arm to clamp the plastic product of the injection molding machine.

[0042] S230. After confirming that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product, the torque limit value is restored to the normal value.

[0043] Optionally, determining that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine completes the ejection of the plastic product includes:

[0044] If the position change of the target axis within the interval is less than a preset threshold, then it is determined that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product.

[0045] Specifically, a rapid push of the target axis indicates that the ejector pin is still pushing the plastic product outwards; the target axis is no longer pushed or is pushed very slowly, indicating that the ejector pin has completed ejecting the plastic product. Therefore, the completion of ejection of the plastic product can be determined by monitoring the feedback position change of the target axis. Specifically, the servo sends the feedback position, feedback speed, and feedback torque of the target axis to the controller at regular event intervals (e.g., 0.01s). The controller calculates the position change of the target axis within the interval based on the feedback position. If the position change is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the plastic product has not yet been completely ejected; if the position change is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the plastic product has been completely ejected.

[0046] Optionally, after restoring the torque limiting value to its normal value, the method further includes:

[0047] Fit the next target position based on the current feedback position of the target axis, and move the target axis to the target position.

[0048] Specifically, only after confirming that the plastic product has been ejected and the torque limit value has been recovered, will the controller fit the next target position based on the current position of the target axis, and issue the corresponding position, speed, and acceleration / deceleration settings to the servo to achieve smooth movement of that axis. By moving the plastic product only after confirming that the ejection process has ended, interference between the plastic product and the ejector pin is avoided, resulting in a smoother movement trajectory without abrupt acceleration or deceleration. This helps reduce impact and damage to the plastic product, improving product quality and yield. Simultaneously, avoiding violent movements reduces equipment wear and energy consumption, extends equipment lifespan, and lowers maintenance costs. In actual production, this efficient and stable part-picking method is of great significance for improving production efficiency, ensuring product quality, and reducing production costs.

[0049] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0050] The maximum pushing distance and maximum pushing torque of the target axis are determined based on the shape characteristics of the plastic product produced by the injection molding machine.

[0051] Specifically, plastic products have complex and varied shapes, sizes, and weights. Testers can determine the maximum pushing distance and maximum pushing torque values ​​that match the shape characteristics of the injection molded product at the injection molding site and write them into the controller.

[0052] This invention, in its embodiment, moves the plastic product only after confirming that ejection has finished, avoiding conflict between the moving product and the ejector pin. This results in a smoother movement trajectory for the plastic product, eliminating abrupt acceleration and deceleration, thus reducing impact and damage, and improving product quality and yield. Simultaneously, avoiding violent movement reduces equipment wear and energy consumption, extends equipment lifespan, and lowers maintenance costs. In actual production, this efficient and stable part-removal method is of great significance for improving production efficiency, ensuring product quality, and reducing production costs.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a clamping device for plastic products according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the device includes:

[0054] Initialization module 310 is used to perform soft float initialization on the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm; the soft float initialization includes adjusting the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed.

[0055] The clamping module 320 is used to move the target axis above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine and control the robot arm to clamp the plastic product of the injection molding machine.

[0056] The recovery module 330 is used to restore the torque limit value to the normal value after determining that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product.

[0057] The plastic product clamping device provided in the embodiments of the present invention can perform the plastic product clamping method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of performing the method.

[0058] Optionally, the initialization module 310 includes:

[0059] The adjustment unit is used to adjust the torque limit value when the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the robot arm is pushed to the minimum value.

[0060] Optionally, during the process of the plastic product being ejected by the ejector pin, the target shaft and the robotic arm are pushed along with the ejection of the plastic product.

[0061] Optionally, the recovery module 330 includes:

[0062] The judgment unit is used to determine that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine has completed the ejection of the plastic product if the position change of the target axis within the time interval is lower than a preset threshold.

[0063] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0064] The moving module is used to fit the next target position based on the current feedback position of the target axis and move the target axis to the target position.

[0065] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0066] The setting module is used to determine the maximum pushing distance and maximum pushing torque value of the target axis based on the shape characteristics of the plastic product opened by the injection molding machine.

[0067] The plastic product clamping device further illustrates that it can also perform the plastic product clamping method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of performing the method.

[0068] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an electronic device 40 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0069] like Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device 40 includes at least one processor 41 and a memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) 42 or a random access memory (RAM) 43, communicatively connected to the at least one processor 41. The memory stores computer programs executable by the at least one processor. The processor 41 can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on the computer program stored in the ROM 42 or loaded into the RAM 43 from storage unit 48. The RAM 43 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 40. The processor 41, ROM 42, and RAM 43 are interconnected via a bus 44. An input / output (I / O) interface 45 is also connected to the bus 44.

[0070] Multiple components in electronic device 40 are connected to I / O interface 45, including: input unit 46, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 47, such as various types of monitors, speakers, etc.; storage unit 48, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; and communication unit 49, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc. Communication unit 49 allows electronic device 40 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.

[0071] Processor 41 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 41 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. Processor 41 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as the clamping method for plastic products.

[0072] In some embodiments, the method for gripping plastic products may be implemented as a computer program tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage unit 48. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and / or mounted on electronic device 40 via ROM 42 and / or communication unit 49. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 43 and executed by processor 41, one or more steps of the method for gripping plastic products described above may be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, processor 41 may be configured to perform the method for gripping plastic products by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0073] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0074] Computer programs used to implement the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that when executed by the processor, the computer programs cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer programs may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, or as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0075] In the context of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a computer program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium may be a machine-readable signal medium. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0076] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0077] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as data servers), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., application servers), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., user computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., communication networks). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.

[0078] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. The client-server relationship is created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host, which is a hosting product within the cloud computing service system to address the shortcomings of traditional physical hosts and VPS services, such as high management difficulty and weak business scalability.

[0079] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0080] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for clamping a plastic product, characterized in that: The method comprises: Performing soft floating initialization on the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the manipulator; the soft floating initialization includes adjusting the torque limit value when the target axis is pushed; The target axis is moved to above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine, and the robot is controlled to clamp the plastic product opened by the injection molding machine; After determining that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine completes ejection of the plastic product, the torque limit value is restored to a normal value.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The soft floating initialization of the target axis for controlling the left and right movement of the manipulator includes: The torque limit value when the target axis for controlling the left and right movement of the manipulator is pushed is adjusted to a minimum value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that During the process of the plastic product being ejected by the ejector pin, the target axis and the robot arm are pushed along with the ejection of the plastic product.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining that the ejector pin of the injection molding machine completes ejection of the plastic product includes: If the position change amount of the target axis within the interval time is lower than a preset threshold, it is determined that the ejector of the injection molding machine completes the ejection of the plastic product.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After restoring the torque limit value to a normal value, the method further comprises: Fitting the next target position is performed according to the current feedback position of the target axis, and the target axis is moved to the target position.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The maximum pushing distance and the maximum pushing torque value of the target axis are determined according to the morphological characteristics of the plastic product molded by the injection molding machine.

7. A clamping device for plastic products, characterized in that: The device comprises: An initialization module, used for performing soft floating initialization on a target axis used to control the left and right movement of the manipulator; the soft floating initialization includes adjusting a torque limit value when the target axis is pushed; A clamping module is used to move the target axis to above the mold opening position of the injection molding machine and control the manipulator to clamp the plastic product molded by the injection molding machine; The recovery module is used to restore the torque limit value to a normal value after determining that the ejector of the injection molding machine completes the ejection of the plastic product.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The initialization module includes: The adjustment unit is used to adjust the torque limit value when the target axis used to control the left and right movement of the manipulator is pushed to a minimum value.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, and the computer program is executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the method for clamping a plastic product according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a processor to implement the plastic product clamping method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when executed.

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