Control operation method and device for discharging robot of rare earth metal electrolytic furnace

Abstract

The invention provides a control operation method for a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolytic furnace, which comprises the following steps: the discharge robot acquires the electrolytic state of the electrolytic furnace through a visual sensor, and judges whether the electrolytic state reaches a discharge standard or not; after it is judged that the discharging standard is met, a discharging robot grabs a discharging tool, the discharging tool is preheated, and the discharging tool is moved to the discharging position to prepare for discharging; the discharging robot moves along the planned path, the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace is monitored through a force sensing system, the track of the robot is corrected according to the contact force, and the discharging process is executed; after the discharging process is finished, whether discharging continues or not is judged, and if not, the process is finished. The molten metal discharging standard is judged in real time through the visual sensor, the position of the furnace opening is dynamically calibrated, tool deformation is monitored, flexible control over the tail end is achieved through the force sensor, damage to the furnace body in the digging operation is avoided, manual participation is reduced, and the operation efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automation technology for rare earth metal electrolytic smelting, and in particular to a control operation method and device for a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolytic furnace. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern industrial automation, particularly in the field of rare earth metal electrolytic smelting automation, there is a growing demand for efficient and smooth discharge technologies in high-temperature, highly corrosive environments. Discharging from rare earth metal electrolytic smelting is a dangerous, laborious, and demanding process. High-temperature (800-1200°C) molten rare earth metal must be precisely scooped from the electrolytic furnace, smoothly transferred to the discharge point, and then poured into a mold. Traditional methods rely on manual operation or semi-automated equipment. Manual operation poses safety risks due to splashing of the high-temperature molten rare earth metal. Furthermore, rare earth metals release toxic gases during electrolysis, making it difficult for humans to remain in high-temperature, irradiated, and toxic environments for extended periods. The fluidity, oxidation level, and impurity content of the molten metal directly impact discharge quality, but manual operation is unable to quantify these factors in real time, which can easily lead to the discharge of substandard metal, resulting in subsequent rework and waste of resources. General-purpose robots lack dynamic calibration capabilities, which can easily cause the scooping tool to collide with the cathode or scrape against the furnace wall. Prolonged exposure to high-temperature molten salt environments can also lead to creep deformation of the scooping tool. Manual operation or rigid mechanical control can easily cause tools to come into hard contact with the crucible / furnace wall, resulting in equipment damage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of one of the defects in the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a control operation method for a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace.

[0004] In a first aspect of the present application, a method for controlling a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace is provided, comprising:

[0005] The discharging robot uses a visual sensor to obtain the electrolysis status of the electrolytic furnace and determine whether the discharging standard is met;

[0006] After determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge;

[0007] The discharging robot moves along the planned path, monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace through the force sensing system, and corrects the robot trajectory according to the contact force to execute the discharging process;

[0008] After the discharging process is finished, it is determined whether to continue discharging, and if not, the process ends.

[0009] Optionally, the discharging robot obtains the electrolysis state of the electrolytic furnace through a visual sensor and determines whether the discharging standard is met, including:

[0010] Acquire state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace detected by the visual sensor at the furnace mouth position of the electrolytic furnace, and send the data to the discharging robot;

[0011] The discharging robot uses a depth algorithm to process the flame state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and compares the image data with the set discharging standard image to determine whether the image data meets the set discharging standard. If so, it is determined that discharging is possible; if not, the image data is continued to be acquired.

[0012] Optionally, after determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge, including:

[0013] Obtaining the position of the discharging tool and sending it to the discharging robot, the discharging robot moves to the position of the discharging tool and grabs the discharging tool;

[0014] After the discharge tool has successfully grasped the material, the discharge tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace and preheated to a temperature consistent with that of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and then moved to the discharge position to prepare for discharge.

[0015] Optionally, obtaining the position of the discharge tool and sending it to the discharge robot, wherein the discharge robot moves to the position of the processing tool and grabs the discharge tool, comprises:

[0016] Obtaining the position of the discharge tool on the tool rack and sending it to the discharge robot;

[0017] The discharging robot moves to the position of the discharging tool according to the position of the discharging tool, identifies the discharging tool through the visual sensor, and verifies it with the set discharging tool. After the verification is successful, the discharging robot grabs the discharging tool;

[0018] After grabbing the discharging tool, the discharging tool is checked for a second time through a force sensor to detect whether the discharging tool is grabbed successfully. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool is grabbed successfully and the discharging tool is controlled to move to the ready position. If not, the check is continued.

[0019] Optionally, after the discharging tool successfully grasps, the discharging tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace to be preheated to a temperature consistent with that of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and then moved to a discharging position to prepare for discharging, comprising:

[0020] Obtaining the position of the furnace opening of the electrolytic furnace by the visual sensor at the furnace opening of the electrolytic furnace and performing inspection;

[0021] After the verification is successful, the discharge tool is controlled to be placed in the electrolytic furnace for heating, and the temperature of the discharge tool is obtained in real time to determine whether the temperature of the discharge tool is consistent with the temperature of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace. If so, it is determined that preheating is completed; if not, heating is continued;

[0022] After determining that the preheating is completed, the discharge tool is controlled to move to the discharge preparation position to prepare for discharge.

[0023] Optionally, the discharging robot moves along a planned path, monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace through a force sensing system, and corrects the robot trajectory according to the contact force to execute a discharging process, including:

[0024] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move along a set planned path, and moves the discharging tool toward the bottom of the electrolytic furnace;

[0025] The force sensing sensor on the discharging robot obtains the contact force between the discharging tool and the electrolytic furnace in real time;

[0026] According to the contact force, the algorithm model set on the discharging robot corrects the trajectory of the discharging robot;

[0027] Obtaining the position of the discharge tool in the electrolytic furnace and determining whether it has reached the set position, if so, stopping the operation; if not, continuing the operation;

[0028] After determining that the set position has been reached, the discharging robot is controlled to stop running for a set time, and then the discharging tool is controlled to leave the electrolytic furnace.

[0029] Optionally, after controlling the discharging tool to leave the electrolytic furnace, the method further includes:

[0030] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move above the mold along the planned path;

[0031] Controlling the discharging tool to rotate around a set direction and angle to discharge the material and stop the movement;

[0032] The discharging tool stops for a set time and then returns to the normal position, ending the discharging process.

[0033] Optionally, after determining that the material is not to be discharged, the method further includes:

[0034] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move to the discharging tool placement position and places the discharging tool;

[0035] The discharging robot moves to an idle position, checks the discharging tool, and determines whether the discharging tool is deformed beyond a set size. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool needs to be replaced. If not, the process ends.

[0036] In a second aspect of the present application, there is provided a device for executing the control operation method of the rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharge robot, comprising: a support device, a robotic arm, and a control module;

[0037] The supporting device is used to support the robotic arm, and the control module is provided on the robotic arm to control the operation of the robotic arm;

[0038] The robotic arm is provided with a force sensor, which is used to obtain the contact force between the discharge tool and the electrolytic furnace and send it to the control module. The control module executes a compliant control strategy based on the contact force to correct the running trajectory of the robotic arm.

[0039] Optionally, the support device includes a track bracket and an L-shaped slide track;

[0040] The L-shaped slide rail is fixed to the rail bracket and is movable relative to the rail bracket;

[0041] The robotic arm includes a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a third robotic arm, a fourth robotic arm and a fifth robotic arm;

[0042] The first robotic arm is slidably disposed on the L-shaped slide rail, the second robotic arm is movably disposed on the first robotic arm, the third robotic arm is movably disposed on the second robotic arm, the fourth robotic arm is rotatably disposed on the third robotic arm, and the fifth robotic arm is disposed at one end of the second robotic arm for controlling the movement of the third and fourth robotic arms;

[0043] The discharging tool is grasped by the fourth robotic arm, and the force sensor is arranged on the fourth robotic arm to obtain the contact force of the discharging tool.

[0044] The present application provides a control operation method for a rare earth metal electrolytic furnace discharging robot, which realizes the automation, intelligence, stabilization and reliability of the rare earth metal electrolytic furnace discharging operation by applying automated robot technology, force sensors, visual sensors and flexible control strategies, while reducing labor costs and maintenance costs. It not only optimizes the rare earth metal electrolytic furnace discharging process, but also provides an innovative, efficient and safe solution for automated industrial applications, which has important practical value and broad application prospects.

[0045] Other technical effects brought about by the additional features will be further explained in the corresponding embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 The present invention is a flowchart of a control operation method of a discharge robot for a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0048] Figure 2 The present invention is a detailed flow chart of a control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharge robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0049] Figure 3 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a control operation device of a discharge robot for a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0050] Figure 4 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of a robotic arm of a control operation device of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharge robot according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0051] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a robotic arm and a discharging tool of a control operation device of a discharging robot for a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0052] In the figure: 100, support device; 200, robotic arm; 101, L-shaped slide rail; 102, L-shaped rail bracket; 103, first robotic arm; 104, second robotic arm; 105, third robotic arm; 106, fifth robotic arm; 107, fourth robotic arm; 108, control module; 109, discharge tool; 110, force sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The present application is described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following examples will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but are not intended to limit the present application in any form. It should be noted that, without departing from the concept of the present application, a number of variations and improvements may be made by those skilled in the art, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Parts not described in detail in the following examples may be implemented using existing technologies.

[0054] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly indicate the quantity of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly specified and specifically defined. In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a communication between the internal parts of two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0058] Traditional rare earth metal electrolytic smelting relies on manual operation or semi-automated equipment. General-purpose robots lack dynamic calibration capabilities, which can easily cause the digging tool to collide with the cathode or scrape the furnace wall. Digging tools are exposed to high-temperature molten salt environments for a long time, making them prone to creep deformation. Manual operation or rigid mechanical control can easily cause the tool to come into hard contact with the crucible / furnace wall, causing equipment damage. Based on the above issues, the present application provides a control method for a rare earth metal electrolytic furnace discharging robot to address these issues.

[0059] Reference Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment of the present application, a control operation method of a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace includes:

[0060] S1. The discharging robot obtains the electrolysis status of the electrolytic furnace through the visual sensor and determines whether it meets the discharging standard;

[0061] S2. After determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge;

[0062] S3: The unloading robot moves along the planned path, and the force sensing system monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace. The robot trajectory is corrected according to the contact force to execute the unloading process.

[0063] S4. After the discharging process is completed, determine whether to continue discharging. If not, end.

[0064] Specifically, first, the discharging robot uses visual sensors to collect the electrolysis status data of the electrolytic furnace (such as temperature, melt level, color, etc.) in real time, and uses built-in algorithm analysis to determine whether the preset discharging standards are met; if the conditions are met, the discharging robot automatically grabs the preheated discharging tool and preheats the discharging tool through the electrolytic furnace to avoid damage to the discharging tool or melt adhesion caused by rapid cooling of the high-temperature melt, and then accurately moves the discharging tool to the top of the electrolytic furnace discharge port for positioning; during the discharging process, the discharging robot moves along a preset path, and at the same time uses the force sensing system to monitor the contact force between the robotic arm and the inner wall of the electrolytic furnace and the melt surface in real time, and dynamically adjusts the motion trajectory through contact force feedback (such as avoiding obstacles or slowing down the insertion speed) to ensure that the discharging tool is stably immersed in the melt and completes the scooping or clamping action; after the discharging is completed, the system determines whether it is necessary to continue the next round of discharging. If not, the operation is terminated and the tool is returned to the tool holder. After that, the discharging robot returns to the initial position, otherwise the discharging process is repeated.

[0065] Before the operation begins, the unloading robot undergoes a thorough inspection and preparation. This includes checking the robot's mechanical components, force sensors, visual sensors, and control unit to ensure all systems are functioning properly. Then, a worker resets the robot to its initial position, ready to begin unloading operations.

[0066] It should be noted that there are multiple visual sensors, which are respectively arranged on the tool rack where the processing tools are placed and at the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace, and are used to detect the discharge tool and the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace and the electrolysis state of the rare earth metals in the electrolytic furnace.

[0067] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present application realize real-time monitoring of the electrolysis state and intelligent judgment of the discharge timing through visual sensors, avoid errors caused by manual intervention, ensure the consistency of discharge quality, and dynamically correct the motion trajectory through the force sensing system. It can cope with the complex working conditions under the high temperature and strong corrosion environment in the electrolytic furnace, reduce the risk of mechanical collision, and extend the life of the equipment; the automation level and safety of rare earth metal electrolysis discharge are realized through visual sensors and force sensors.

[0068] In some specific embodiments of the present application, the discharging robot obtains the electrolysis state of the electrolytic furnace through a visual sensor and determines whether the discharging standard is met, including:

[0069] The flame state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace is detected by the visual sensor at the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace and sent to the discharging robot; the discharging robot obtains the state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace through the visual sensor, and processes the image data using a depth algorithm, and compares the image data with the set discharging standard image to determine whether the image data meets the set discharging standard. If so, it is determined that discharging is possible; if not, the image data continues to be acquired.

[0070] Specifically, in this embodiment, the discharging robot collects flame state image data of the molten rare earth metal in real time through a visual sensor deployed at the mouth of the electrolytic furnace, and transmits the image signal to the control system of the discharging robot; the control system uses a pre-trained deep learning algorithm (such as a convolutional neural network CNN) to perform feature extraction and semantic analysis on the image to identify the physical state parameters of the melt; and compares the analysis results with a preset discharging standard image library (containing flame feature templates of qualified melts), and determines whether the current melt meets the discharging conditions through a similarity threshold; if the conditions are met, the robot triggers the discharging instruction; if not, the image data is continuously collected in a loop until the state is qualified, ensuring that the discharging timing is accurate and controllable.

[0071] It should be noted that the visual sensor observes the color and shape changes of the flame in the electrolytic furnace, and then uses deep learning technology to perform time series and semantic modeling on the dynamic flame changes in the electrolytic furnace. By analyzing the dynamic characteristic changes of the flames in different electrolytic furnaces, it can judge whether the status of the rare earth metals in the electrolytic furnace meets the discharge standards.

[0072] The above-mentioned embodiments of the present application realize intelligent and high-precision discharging decisions through closed-loop control of visual perception + deep learning. The visual sensor obtains the flame state image data of the rare earth metal, and the discharging robot uses the model after deep learning to identify and compare it with the set image, avoiding product defects caused by premature discharging or energy waste caused by late discharging, and achieving the accuracy of the discharging standard.

[0073] In some specific embodiments of the present application, after determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge, including:

[0074] The position of the discharge tool is obtained and sent to the discharge robot. The discharge robot moves to the discharge tool position and grabs the discharge tool. After the discharge tool is successfully grabbed, the discharge tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace and preheated to the same temperature as the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace. It is then moved to the discharge position to prepare for discharge.

[0075] In the above embodiment of the present application, after determining that the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace has reached the discharge standard, the storage position information of the discharge tool is obtained through the visual sensor, and the position information is transmitted to the discharge robot; the discharge robot plans a collision-free path according to the position information, moves to the tool storage place, and completes the precise grasping of the discharge tool through the robotic arm of the discharge robot; after successful grasping, the robot moves the tool to a preset preheating area above the electrolytic furnace mouth, preheats it and monitors the surface temperature of the tool in real time until it matches the temperature of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace; after the preheating is completed, the robot adjusts the tool posture again, moves along the optimized path to directly above the electrolytic furnace discharge port, completes the final positioning before discharge, ensures that the contact angle and depth of the tool and the melt meet the process requirements, achieves the efficiency and reliability of the discharge operation, and improves the purity of rare earth metal extraction and product stability.

[0076] Specifically, the position of the discharge tool is obtained, the discharge robot moves to the processing tool position, and grabs the discharge tool, including:

[0077] Obtain the position of the discharging tool on the tool holder and send it to the discharging robot; the discharging robot moves to the position of the discharging tool according to the position of the discharging tool, identifies the discharging tool through the visual sensor, and verifies it with the set discharging tool. After successful verification, the discharging robot grabs the discharging tool; after grabbing the discharging tool, the discharging tool is verified again through the force sensor to detect whether the discharging tool is successfully grasped. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool is successfully grasped, and the discharging tool is controlled to move to the preparation position. If not, the verification continues.

[0078] Specifically, the precise position information of the discharging tool is obtained in real time through the visual sensor on the tool rack, and the position information is transmitted to the discharging robot; the discharging robot plans the optimal moving path according to the position information, and quickly moves to the top of the corresponding discharging tool on the tool rack. The visual sensor performs image recognition on the tool to confirm that the discharging tool is consistent with the preset discharging tool. After the verification is passed, the discharging robot grabs the discharging tool. After the grabbing is completed, the force sensor monitors the grabbing force and tool weight feedback in real time, and performs a second verification. After the verification is successful, the discharging robot carries the discharging tool to the preparation position next to the electrolytic furnace.

[0079] It should be noted that the secondary verification of the discharging tool includes obtaining the gravity feedback of the discharging tool through the force sensor for judgment. After success, the discharging tool is moved to the detection switch position through the set detection switch, and the switch is touched to see whether the discharging tool is held normally, thereby realizing the secondary verification of the discharging tool.

[0080] In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application, the discharge tool is positioned and identified through the visual sensor on the tool holder and the force sensor on the discharge robot, ensuring that the discharge robot accurately grasps the target discharge tool, avoiding process accidents caused by wrong tool grasping, achieving double verification protection, and improving the accuracy of grasping the discharge tool.

[0081] In some specific embodiments of the present application, after the discharge tool is successfully grasped, the discharge tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace and preheated to the same temperature as the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and then moved to the discharge position to prepare for discharge, including:

[0082] The position of the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace is obtained by the visual sensor at the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace and inspected; after successful verification, the discharge tool is controlled to be placed in the electrolytic furnace for heating, and the temperature of the discharge tool is obtained in real time to determine whether the temperature of the discharge tool is consistent with the temperature of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace. If so, it is determined that preheating is completed, if not, heating is continued; after it is determined that preheating is completed, the discharge tool is controlled to move to the discharge preparation position to prepare for discharge.

[0083] Among them, by detecting the furnace mouth position and the downward position of the output tool, the discharge tool is prevented from colliding with the cathode or anode of the electrolytic furnace when it is downwardly probed.

[0084] It should be noted that there is a movable cylindrical cathode in the electrolytic furnace and an anode is attached to the furnace wall.

[0085] In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application, the furnace mouth position and the downward exploration path of the discharge tool are detected in real time by the visual sensor at the furnace mouth, and the tool movement trajectory is planned in combination with the cathode and anode in the electrolytic furnace to avoid mechanical collisions caused by positioning deviation or cathode displacement, thereby improving the safety of rare earth metal electrolysis discharge operations.

[0086] In some specific embodiments of the present application, the discharge robot moves along a planned path, monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace through a force sensing system, and corrects the robot trajectory according to the contact force to execute the discharge process, including:

[0087] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move according to the set planned path, and moves the discharging tool closer to the bottom of the electrolytic furnace; the force sensing sensor on the discharging robot obtains the contact force between the discharging tool and the electrolytic furnace in real time; according to the contact force, the algorithm model set on the discharging robot corrects the trajectory of the discharging robot; the position of the discharging tool in the electrolytic furnace is obtained to determine whether it has reached the set position. If so, it stops running, otherwise, it continues running; after determining that the set position has been reached, the discharging robot is controlled to stop running for a set time, and then the discharging tool is controlled to leave the electrolytic furnace.

[0088] Among them, based on the three-dimensional coordinates and attitude angles of the target posture, the posture transformation matrix of the end effector is solved, and the robot joints are controlled by inverse kinematics to complete high-precision trajectory motion.

[0089] Specifically, the discharging robot first generates a planned path for the discharging tool according to the preset task, and solves it into motion parameters of each joint through three-dimensional coordinates and posture angles, and drives the robotic arm to drive the discharging tool to move to the bottom of the electrolytic furnace; during the movement, the force sensing sensor (such as a six-dimensional force / torque sensor) installed at the end of the tool collects the contact force between the tool and the inner wall of the electrolytic furnace, the melt surface or the electrode in real time, and transmits the signal to the robot control module; the control module triggers the trajectory correction algorithm based on the contact force threshold, dynamically avoids obstacles by adjusting the joint angle or speed, and uses the posture transformation matrix to update the spatial position of the end effector in real time; when the discharging tool reaches the preset discharging position in the electrolytic furnace, the discharging robot remains stationary for the set time to ensure that the melt is fully attached or solidified, and finally controls the discharging tool to smoothly exit the electrolytic furnace at a preset speed to complete the discharging.

[0090] It should be noted that the force information of the interaction between the discharge robot and the electrolytic furnace is obtained in real time based on the force sensor, where the force information includes the magnitude and direction of the contact force, and is fed back to the compliant controller on the discharge robot. The compliant controller constructs a compliant control process based on the reinforcement learning algorithm, and takes the feedback data of the force sensor and the joint position and speed information of the discharge robot as input. After processing by the deep neural network, it outputs the adjustment strategy of the discharge robot. The adjustment strategy includes correction of the motion direction and fine-tuning of the force, realizing flexible operation of real-time correction of actions based on contact force when simulating manual discharge, and enhancing the robot's adaptability to complex environments.

[0091] In some specific embodiments of the present application, after controlling the discharge tool to leave the electrolytic furnace, the method further includes:

[0092] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move along the planned path to the top of the mold; controls the discharging tool to rotate around the set discharging direction and angle, discharges the material and stops moving; the discharging tool stops for a set time and then returns to the center, ending the discharging process.

[0093] The set unloading direction and angle are used for rotating to control the robotic arm to rotate the unloading tool around the rotation center to the set angle position to realize unloading.

[0094] In some specific embodiments of the present application, after determining that the material is not to be discharged, the method further includes:

[0095] The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move to the discharging tool placement position and places the discharging tool; the discharging robot moves to an idle position, checks the discharging tool, and determines whether the discharging tool is deformed beyond the set size. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool needs to be replaced, if not, the process ends.

[0096] Specifically, a visual sensor mounted on the tool holder detects the discharging tool after pouring. The sensor then takes a photo of the tool and compares the image with the set CAD ideal model image to determine whether the discharging tool needs to be replaced. Specifically, the RGB-D image is used as input, and a UNet network extracts features and outputs a keypoint heat map. Post-processing and optimization are then performed to obtain high-precision 3D keypoints. Subsequently, rigid body registration and TPS elastic registration algorithms are used to match the detected point cloud with the CAD ideal model, calculate keypoint displacement vectors, and quantify the local deformation of the sampling spoon in dimensions such as length, width, and height.

[0097] It should be noted that during the preheating, discharging and pouring processes, the compliance control function is activated to correct the robot trajectory according to the end contact force to ensure that the end of the tool maintains no contact or low contact force with the inner wall of the electrolytic furnace.

[0098] Reference Figure 2As shown, first, the discharging robot is started and initialized, and then the electrolytic furnace discharge is checked to see if it meets the discharging standards. If so, the discharging process is prepared; the discharging robot receives the position information of the tool spoon identified by the visual sensor and moves to the tool spoon (discharging tool) position. The visual sensor performs a first verification of the discharging space. After the verification is successful, the discharging robot grabs the material, and the force sensor on the discharging robot performs a second verification of the tool spoon. After the verification is successful, it moves to the preparation position; then, another visual sensor detects and verifies the furnace mouth of the electrolytic furnace. After the verification is successful, the discharging robot moves the tool spoon to the preheating position for preheating. After the preheating is completed, it moves to the preheating completion position and prepares for discharging.

[0099] Among them, the second verification also includes, after the force sensor detects the gravity of the tool, controlling the discharge tool to move to the set detection switch position and touching the switch to determine whether the tool is held normally.

[0100] The discharging robot then moves along the planned path, its scoop gradually approaching the bottom of the electrolytic furnace to scoop up the molten rare earth metal. During this approach, the end-point force sensing system continuously monitors the contact force between the discharging robot and the electrolytic furnace. The algorithm model adjusts the discharging robot's trajectory based on this contact force, ensuring that the end-point tool maintains zero or low contact with the inner wall of the electrolytic furnace. When the end-point tool reaches the lowest position within the trajectory or the contact force at the bottom is too high to reach the bottom, the discharging robot pauses for a moment and then moves upward (i.e., moves to the discharge completion position after scooping is complete). During this movement, the system monitors the contact force and adjusts its trajectory based on the algorithm model. The robot then moves to the discharge point and executes the discharge process: the discharging robot moves along the planned path to the top of the mold. The center of the scoop's base rotates to the set angle around the pre-set tool rotation center and begins pouring the molten rare earth metal. It pauses for a moment and then returns to its normal position (i.e., returns to its normal position after pouring is complete), then moves to the discharge completion position.

[0101] Finally, it determines whether to continue discharging. If not, the operation is completed. After the operation is completed, the discharging robot moves to the tool rack, places the tool, returns to its initial position, and waits for the next discharging. At the same time, system maintenance: Regular inspection and maintenance of the discharging robot and discharging tools are carried out to ensure the long-term stable operation of the system. If the discharging tool deforms beyond the set size or shape, a fault message is sent and the operation ends.

[0102] During the entire process, operators monitor the operation status in real time through the user interface and perform manual intervention when necessary.

[0103] Reference Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in the second aspect of the present application, a device for a control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharge robot is provided, comprising: a support device 100, a robotic arm 200 and a control module 108.

[0104] The support device 100 is used to support the robotic arm 200, and the control module 108 is set on the robotic arm 200 to control the operation of the robotic arm 200; a force sensor 110 is provided on the robotic arm 200, and the visual sensor is used to identify the discharge tool 109, the furnace mouth position of the electrolytic furnace and the state of the molten rare earth metal; the force sensor 110 is used to obtain the contact force between the discharge tool 109 and the electrolytic furnace, and send it to the control module 108, and the control module 108 executes a compliant control strategy through the contact force to correct the operation trajectory of the robotic arm 200.

[0105] Specifically, the system first uses visual image processing technology from the vision sensor to accurately identify the tool, furnace mouth position, and the state of the molten rare earth metal. Secondly, it controls the discharge robot to move to the target position. Finally, the target position of the operation is adjusted based on the end-point force sensor 110 and the configured control strategy. This not only improves the automation level of rare earth metal electrolytic furnace discharge, but also significantly enhances the efficiency and stability of the operation, showing promising prospects for industrial application.

[0106] Among them, heat insulation and heat dissipation measures are taken for the electronic components and connecting lines of the force sensor 110; high-temperature resistant materials are used to create the protective shell, and the circuit layout is optimized to ensure that key components can operate stably under the high-temperature radiation of the electrolytic furnace.

[0107] In some specific embodiments of the present application, the support device 100 includes an L-shaped track bracket 102 and an L-shaped slide rail 101 .

[0108] The L-shaped slide rail 101 is fixed on the L-shaped rail bracket 102 and is movable relative to the L-shaped rail bracket 102; the robotic arm 200 includes a first robotic arm 103, a second robotic arm 104, a third robotic arm 105, a fourth robotic arm 107 and a fifth robotic arm 106.

[0109] The first robotic arm 103 is slidably arranged on the L-shaped slide rail 101, the second robotic arm 104 is movably arranged on the first robotic arm 103, the third robotic arm 105 is movably arranged on the second robotic arm 104, the fourth robotic arm 107 is rotatably arranged on the third robotic arm 105, and the fifth robotic arm 106 is arranged at one end of the second robotic arm 104 for controlling the movement of the third robotic arm 105 and the fourth robotic arm 107.

[0110] The discharging tool 109 is grasped by the fourth robotic arm 107 , and the force sensor 110 is provided on the fourth robotic arm 107 for obtaining the contact force of the discharging tool 110 .

[0111] Reference Figure 3As shown, specifically, by using the L-shaped track bracket 102 as the basic supporting structure, the installed L-shaped slide track 101 realizes bidirectional movement in the horizontal and vertical directions, that is (X-axis and Y-axis movement); the bottom of the first robotic arm 103 is nested in the L-shaped slide track 101 to realize movement in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and its upper part is connected to the second robotic arm 104 through a linear guide, and the second robotic arm 104 moves on this basis; the third robotic arm 105 is connected to the second robotic arm 104 through a rotary joint to realize flexible swing around the axis, and the fourth robotic arm 107 is connected to the third robotic arm 105 through another rotary joint to constitute the main body of the end effector; the fifth robotic arm 106 is arranged at the end of the second robotic arm 104 to control the movement of the third robotic arm 105 and the fourth robotic arm 107 on the Z axis to ensure the end posture accuracy. During discharging, the first robotic arm 103 is quickly positioned above the target electrolytic furnace along the L-shaped slide rail 101. The second robotic arm 104 to the fourth robotic arm 107 move to deliver the end of the fourth robotic arm 107 to the tool rack, grab the discharging tool 109, and the force sensor 110 monitors the gripping force in real time and feeds back to the control module 108. Subsequently, the robotic arm 200 combination inserts the tool into the electrolytic furnace melt through trajectory planning. The force sensor 110 continuously collects contact force data, and the control module 108 dynamically adjusts the torque of each joint to achieve smooth obstacle avoidance and precise discharging.

[0112] It should be noted that the discharging robot also includes a compliance controller (not shown in the figure). A high-precision six-dimensional force sensor 110 is embedded in the discharging robot to obtain real-time force information of the interaction between the discharging robot and the electrolytic furnace, covering the magnitude and direction of the contact force, and providing data support for subsequent compliance control.

[0113] Among them, the compliant controller: a compliant controller is constructed based on the reinforcement learning algorithm, and the feedback data of the force sensor 110 and the joint position and speed information of the discharge robot are used as input. After processing by the deep neural network, an adjustment strategy of the discharge robot is generated and output to the control module 108 of the discharge robot. The adjustment strategy includes correction of the motion direction and fine-tuning of the force, so as to realize the flexible operation of real-time correction of the action according to the contact force when simulating manual discharge, and enhance the adaptability of the discharge robot to complex environments.

[0114] The preferred features of the above embodiments can be used alone in any embodiment, or in any combination without conflict. In addition, parts not described in detail in the embodiments can be implemented using existing technologies.

[0115] The above describes some specific embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art may make various variations or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of the present application. The above preferred features may be used in any combination as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Claims

1. A control operation method for a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace, characterized in that: include: The discharging robot uses a visual sensor to obtain the electrolysis status of the electrolytic furnace and determine whether the discharging standard is met; After determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge; The discharging robot moves along the planned path, monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace through the force sensing system, and corrects the robot trajectory according to the contact force to execute the discharging process; After the discharging process is finished, it is determined whether to continue discharging, and if not, the process ends.

2. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharging robot obtains the electrolysis state of the electrolytic furnace through a visual sensor and determines whether the discharging standard is met, including: Acquire state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace detected by the visual sensor at the furnace mouth position of the electrolytic furnace, and send the data to the discharging robot; The discharging robot uses a depth algorithm to process the flame state image data of the molten rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and compares the image data with the set discharging standard image to determine whether the image data meets the set discharging standard. If so, it is determined that discharging is possible; if not, the image data is continued to be acquired.

3. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: After determining that the discharge standard is met, the discharge robot grabs the discharge tool, preheats the discharge tool, and moves it to the discharge position to prepare for discharge, including: Obtaining the position of the discharging tool and sending it to the discharging robot, the discharging robot moves to the position of the discharging tool and grabs the discharging tool; After the discharge tool has successfully grasped the material, the discharge tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace and preheated to a temperature consistent with that of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and then moved to the discharge position to prepare for discharge.

4. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method of obtaining the position of the discharge tool and sending the position to the discharge robot, wherein the discharge robot moves to the position of the processing tool and grabs the discharge tool, comprises: Obtaining the position of the discharge tool on the tool rack and sending it to the discharge robot; The discharging robot moves to the position of the discharging tool according to the position of the discharging tool, identifies the discharging tool through the visual sensor, and verifies it with the set discharging tool. After the verification is successful, the discharging robot grabs the discharging tool; After grabbing the discharging tool, the discharging tool is checked for a second time through a force sensor to detect whether the discharging tool is grabbed successfully. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool is grabbed successfully and the discharging tool is controlled to move to the ready position. If not, the check is continued.

5. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: After the discharge tool is successfully grasped, the discharge tool is moved into the electrolytic furnace to be preheated to a temperature consistent with that of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace, and then moved to a discharge position to prepare for discharge, including: Obtaining the position of the furnace opening of the electrolytic furnace by the visual sensor at the furnace opening of the electrolytic furnace and performing inspection; After the verification is successful, the discharge tool is controlled to be placed in the electrolytic furnace for heating, and the temperature of the discharge tool is obtained in real time to determine whether the temperature of the discharge tool is consistent with the temperature of the rare earth metal in the electrolytic furnace. If so, it is determined that preheating is completed; if not, heating is continued; After determining that the preheating is completed, the discharge tool is controlled to move to the discharge preparation position to prepare for discharge.

6. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discharging robot moves along the planned path, monitors the contact force between the robot and the electrolytic furnace through the force sensing system, and corrects the robot trajectory according to the contact force to execute the discharging process, including: The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move along a set planned path, and moves the discharging tool toward the bottom of the electrolytic furnace; The force sensing sensor on the discharging robot obtains the contact force between the discharging tool and the electrolytic furnace in real time; According to the contact force, the algorithm model set on the discharging robot corrects the trajectory of the discharging robot; Obtaining the position of the discharge tool in the electrolytic furnace and determining whether it has reached the set position, if so, stopping the operation; if not, continuing the operation; After determining that the set position has been reached, the discharging robot is controlled to stop running for a set time, and then the discharging tool is controlled to leave the electrolytic furnace.

7. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: After controlling the discharging tool to leave the electrolytic furnace, the method further includes: The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move above the mold along the planned path; Controlling the discharging tool to rotate around the set discharging direction and angle, discharging the material and stopping the movement; The discharging tool stops for a set time and then returns to the normal position, ending the discharging process.

8. The control operation method of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace discharging robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: After it is determined that the material is not to be discharged, it also includes: The discharging robot controls the discharging tool to move to the discharging tool placement position and places the discharging tool; The discharging robot moves to an idle position, checks the discharging tool, and determines whether the discharging tool is deformed beyond a set size. If so, it is determined that the discharging tool needs to be replaced. If not, the process ends.

9. A device for executing the control operation method of a discharge robot of a rare earth metal electrolysis furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: include: Support device, robotic arm and control module; The supporting device is used to support the robotic arm, and the control module is provided on the robotic arm to control the operation of the robotic arm; The robotic arm is provided with a force sensor, which is used to obtain the contact force between the discharge tool and the electrolytic furnace and send it to the control module. The control module executes a compliant control strategy based on the contact force to correct the running trajectory of the robotic arm.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The support device includes a track bracket and an L-shaped slide track; The L-shaped slide rail is fixed to the rail bracket and is movable relative to the rail bracket; The robotic arm includes a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a third robotic arm, a fourth robotic arm and a fifth robotic arm; The first robotic arm is slidably disposed on the L-shaped slide rail, the second robotic arm is movably disposed on the first robotic arm, the third robotic arm is movably disposed on the second robotic arm, the fourth robotic arm is rotatably disposed on the third robotic arm, and the fifth robotic arm is disposed at one end of the second robotic arm for controlling the movement of the third and fourth robotic arms; The discharging tool is grasped by the fourth robotic arm, and the force sensor is arranged on the fourth robotic arm to obtain the contact force of the discharging tool.

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