A device for cleaning calcined charcoal blocks for aluminum.

Abstract

This invention discloses a cleaning device for calcined charcoal blocks used in aluminum production, comprising a robotic arm and a cleaning system. The cleaning system includes a frame, milling cutters, and a drive mechanism. The frame is a semi-enclosed shell structure with an opening on one side, including a top plate, a bottom plate, and a side plate. Mounting holes are provided on the top, bottom, and side plates, with one side plate connecting to the robotic arm. The milling cutters include disc milling cutters and straight shank milling cutters. The drive mechanism includes a motor, a coupling, a T-type steering reducer, and a clutch. The motor is mounted on one side plate and connected to the T-type steering reducer via a coupling. The other two output shafts of the T-type steering reducer are respectively connected to the clutch via couplings, and the clutch output shafts are respectively connected to the disc milling cutter and the straight shank milling cutter. This design reduces the weight of the drive mechanism and lowers the procurement cost of the robotic arm. The milling cutters used not only clean the charcoal bowl and internal inclined grooves but also have a repair function, restoring deformed charcoal bowls and inclined grooves to standard dimensions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of alumina production technology, specifically relating to a device for cleaning calcined carbon blocks for aluminum. Background Technology

[0002] In the alumina production process, carbon blocks are an essential electrolytic material in aluminum electrolysis. Their main function is to introduce electricity into the electrolytic cell and participate in the electrochemical reaction during aluminum electrolysis. Before use, carbon blocks need to be filled with coke powder and roasted to fix their geometric dimensions and prevent oxidation and deformation during high-temperature roasting. After roasting, the surface of the carbon blocks is basically covered with a large amount of filler. If this filler is introduced into the electrolytic cell, it will increase the amount of electrolytic carbon residue and reduce current efficiency. Therefore, the filler adhering to the surface of the carbon blocks must be cleaned before entering the electrolysis cell.

[0003] The main areas for cleaning charcoal blocks include the four sides and the top of the charcoal bowl. Currently, the process usually involves manual cleaning to remove the filler adhering to the surface of the charcoal blocks. This method is labor-intensive, costly, and results in a harsh working environment due to high temperatures and dust pollution. To protect the environment and reduce the impact on the health of workers, it is imperative to adopt fully automated robotic cleaning of charcoal blocks and automatic dust collection.

[0004] Some researchers have explored automated methods for cleaning charcoal blocks, using intelligent systems to control robotic arms that employ scrapers or milling cutters to remove the filler material from the surface of the charcoal blocks. This technology has the following drawbacks:

[0005] 1) The robotic arm drive mechanism uses two milling cutters and carbon blocks for cleaning, and two motors are configured for each milling cutter, which increases the weight of the drive mechanism and the cost of the robotic arm accordingly.

[0006] 2) Because the charcoal block will deform slightly after being fired at high temperature, inserting a mold with the same shape as the charcoal bowl into the charcoal bowl by rotating it will damage the inner wall of the charcoal bowl and the inclined groove inside the charcoal bowl. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for cleaning charcoal blocks used in aluminum roasting. A novel milling cutter is designed to clean the charcoal bowl, taking into account its special structure, and the weight of the drive mechanism is reduced, thereby lowering the procurement cost of the robotic arm.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention is a cleaning device for calcined charcoal blocks used in aluminum production, comprising a robotic arm and a cleaning system. The cleaning system is mounted on the robotic arm, and the robotic arm is electrically connected to a control system. The cleaning system includes:

[0009] A frame for mounting a milling cutter and drive mechanism for cleaning carbon blocks. The frame is a semi-enclosed shell structure with an opening on one side, including a top plate, a bottom plate, and a side plate. The top plate, bottom plate, and side plate are provided with mounting holes, and one side plate is connected to a robot arm.

[0010] Milling cutters, including disc milling cutters and straight shank milling cutters, are used to clean the end face of charcoal blocks and the inclined grooves inside charcoal bowls, respectively;

[0011] The drive mechanism includes a motor, coupling, T-type steering reducer, and clutch;

[0012] The motor is mounted on one side plate and connected to a T-type steering reducer via a coupling. The other two output shafts of the T-type steering reducer are connected to clutches via couplings, and the clutch output shafts are connected to a disc milling cutter and a straight shank milling cutter, respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the disc milling cutter includes:

[0014] A disc with a connecting hole in the center for connection to the clutch output shaft, and baffles around the circumference of the disc;

[0015] The disc blade is trapezoidal in shape and is evenly spaced in 4-6 places along the circumference of the baffle. The bottom and end faces of the disc blade are fixedly connected to the disc and the baffle, respectively. The top surface of the disc blade is inclined and includes a front angle and a rear angle. The front angle exceeds the height of the baffle, and the height of the rear angle is the same as that of the baffle.

[0016] Furthermore, the straight shank end mill includes:

[0017] The tool holder is a rod with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inclined slot hole. The top of the tool holder is provided with a connecting seat to connect the clutch output shaft. The upper part of the tool holder is provided with a cutting groove along the length direction from the bottom. The cutting groove is a planar cutting groove, and 1-3 grooves are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tool holder.

[0018] A straight shank blade, the length of which is adapted to the groove, is respectively installed on one end face of the groove. The side end face of the straight shank blade extends out of the groove and is located outside the shank. The circle formed by rotating the side end face about the central axis of the shank is adapted to the oblique groove.

[0019] Furthermore, the motor is located outside the frame and fixedly connected to the side plate, and the motor input end is connected to the control system. The clutch is a dual-shaft magnetic powder clutch, which is installed on the top plate and the bottom plate respectively, located outside the frame and electrically connected to the control system.

[0020] Furthermore, the cleaning system also includes:

[0021] The negative pressure suction pipe is located on the side plate opposite to the motor and runs through the side plate. The inlet of the negative pressure suction pipe is located outside the frame, and the outlet is located inside the frame and connected to the negative pressure source through the air supply pipe.

[0022] The high-pressure purge pipe is installed on the base plate on the side of the clutch and extends through the base plate. The outlet of the high-pressure purge pipe is located inside the frame, and the inlet of the high-pressure purge pipe is located outside the frame. It is connected to the high-pressure air source through the air supply pipe.

[0023] Furthermore, the robotic arm is electrically connected to the control system, and the robotic arm is equipped with a positioning system. The positioning system uses a machine vision positioning system to photograph and locate the carbon block, and uses a three-dimensional model to standardize the carbon block.

[0024] Furthermore, most machine vision positioning systems use the AT-S1000-01A fixed 3D vision system.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0026] 1) The cleaning system designed in this invention has a simple structure. The unique combination of T-shaped steering reducer and clutch can control the rotation of disc milling cutter and straight shank milling cutter separately using a single motor. This not only facilitates function switching during use, but also effectively reduces the weight of the drive mechanism. Because the heavier the load, the more the robot needs to increase its rated load capacity, and the higher the price will be, thereby reducing the purchase cost of the robot. The special charcoal bowl cleaning mechanism designed in this invention can not only clean the charcoal bowl and the internal inclined groove, but also has a repair function, which can repair the deformed charcoal bowl and inclined groove to the standard size.

[0027] 2) The disc end mill is used to clean the end face of the carbon block. The disc is designed to increase the cleaning area and improve efficiency. The disc end mills are spaced apart around the baffle. The disc end mills are driven to rotate by the output shaft of the clutch. The disc end mill adopts a trapezoidal structure. Its top surface is inclined and includes a front angle and a rear angle. The front angle extends beyond the baffle to clean the carbon block, and the rear angle is conducive to chip removal.

[0028] 3) The straight shank end mill is equipped with a cutting groove and a straight shank insert is installed in the cutting groove and the output shaft of the clutch drives the shank to rotate, so that the straight shank insert cleans the inside of the charcoal bowl and can extend into the cutting groove to clean the cutting groove, avoiding damage to the inner wall of the charcoal bowl and the cutting groove inside the charcoal bowl. In addition, this flat cutting groove facilitates material unloading and avoids sticking.

[0029] 4) In this design, the motor and clutch are mounted outside the frame and connected to the side plate, top plate and bottom plate respectively, which controls the size of the frame itself and reduces the weight. The two clutches are set opposite each other, so that the disc milling cutter and the straight shank milling cutter are opposite each other. This helps to maintain the weight balance of the cleaning system and ensures the cleaning stability during use.

[0030] 5) The cleaning system of this invention integrates a disc milling cutter, a high-pressure blowing device, a straight shank milling cutter, and a negative pressure dust collection device, which is not easy to accumulate dust. The negative pressure dust suction pipe is designed to mill and suck up debris at the same time during the cleaning of the charcoal bowl, which improves the quality and efficiency of charcoal block cleaning. The high-pressure blowing pipe blows away dust from the lens of the vision positioning system, the coupling inside the frame, the clutch, etc.

[0031] 6) This invention locates the charcoal blocks by setting up a positioning system, uses a three-dimensional model of standard charcoal blocks, and combines it with an intelligent control algorithm to automatically identify the position of the charcoal blocks. The cleaning system, controlled by a robotic arm, cleans the charcoal blocks from all angles without human intervention, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and saving labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall installation of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disc milling cutter structure of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the straight shank end mill structure of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the negative pressure suction pipe and the high pressure blowing pipe of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the milling cutter structure used in existing technology.

[0038] The diagram is labeled as follows: 1. Frame, 11. Top plate, 12. Bottom plate, 13. Side plate, 2. Milling cutter, 21. Disc milling cutter, 211. Disc, 212. Baffle, 213. Disc insert, 213-1. Front angle, 213-2. Rear angle, 22. Straight shank milling cutter, 221. Handle, 222. Connecting seat, 223. Tool groove, 224. Straight shank insert, 3. Drive mechanism, 31. Motor, 32. Coupling, 33. T-type steering reducer, 34. Clutch, 4. Negative pressure suction pipe, 5. High pressure blow pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be further explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to better understand it.

[0040] Please see Figure 1-5 A device for cleaning calcined charcoal blocks for aluminum is disclosed, comprising a robotic arm and a cleaning system. The robotic arm is an SRA100HS (NACHI) series robot, and the cleaning system is mounted on the robotic arm. The robotic arm is electrically connected to the control system and is equipped with a positioning system. The positioning system uses a machine vision system to photograph and locate the charcoal blocks and uses 3D modeling to standardize the charcoal blocks, enabling intelligent algorithms to directly control the robotic arm and cleaning system to automatically clean the charcoal blocks without manual operation. Specifically, the machine vision system is an AT-S1000-01A fixed 3D vision system, equipped with its own 3D modeling capabilities, and features strong versatility, impact resistance, and vibration resistance.

[0041] The cleaning system includes a frame 1, a milling cutter 2, a drive mechanism 3, a negative pressure suction pipe 4, and a high-pressure blowing pipe 5.

[0042] The frame 1 is used to mount the milling cutter 2 and drive mechanism 3 for cleaning carbon blocks, and to mount the cleaning system on the robotic arm. To reduce the weight of the device and make the structure compact, the frame 1 is a semi-enclosed shell structure with an opening on one side, including a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, and a side plate 13. Mounting holes are provided on the top plate 11, bottom plate 12, and side plate 13. Specifically, the frame 1 is fixedly connected to the robotic arm via a flange on the side plate opposite the opening, which facilitates structural balance.

[0043] The milling cutter 2 includes a disc milling cutter 21 and a straight shank milling cutter 22, which are used to clean the end face of the charcoal block and the inclined groove inside the charcoal bowl, respectively.

[0044] The drive mechanism 3 includes a motor 31, three couplings 32, a T-type steering reducer 33, and two clutches 34. The T-type steering reducer 33 is located within the frame 1, and its three output shafts are respectively connected to the couplings 32. One coupling 32 is connected to the motor 31 through a mounting hole, and the other two couplings 32 are respectively connected to the clutches 34 through mounting holes. The output shafts of the clutches 34 are respectively connected to a disc milling cutter 21 and a straight shank milling cutter 22.

[0045] Specifically, the motor 31 is located outside the frame 1 and fixedly connected to the side plate 13. The input end of the motor 31 is connected to the control system. The clutch 34 is a dual-shaft magnetic powder clutch, which is installed on the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12 respectively, located outside the frame 1 and electrically connected to the control system. The milling cutter 2 includes a disc milling cutter 21 and a straight shank milling cutter 22. The disc milling cutter 21 is used to clean the end face of the charcoal block, and the straight shank milling cutter 22 is used to clean the charcoal bowl and its internal inclined groove.

[0046] This unique combination of T-shaped steering reducer 33 and clutch 34 allows for the separate control of the rotation of disc milling cutter 21 and straight shank milling cutter 22 using a single motor 31, replacing the traditional setup where two milling cutters are each equipped with a separate motor. Furthermore, this design is compact, has simple components, reduces the weight of the drive mechanism, and lowers the procurement cost of the robotic arm.

[0047] Furthermore, the disc milling cutter 21 includes a disc 211 and a disc insert 213. A connecting hole is provided in the center of the disc 211, and the output shaft of the clutch 34 is connected to the disc 211 through the connecting hole, thereby driving the disc milling cutter 21 to rotate. A baffle 212 is provided around the disc 211 for mounting the disc insert 213 and for supporting the disc insert 213. The disc blade 213 is trapezoidal, with four blades evenly spaced along the circumference of the baffle 212. The bottom surface of the disc blade 213 is fixedly connected to the surface of the disc 211, and the end face of the disc blade 213 is fixedly connected to the baffle 212. The top surface of the disc blade 213 is inclined and includes a front angle 213-1 and a rear angle 213-2. The front angle 213-1 extends beyond the height of the baffle 212 and is mainly used to scrape the filler material adhering to the surface of the carbon block. The rear angle 213-2 is lower than the front angle 213-1 and is level with the baffle 212, which is beneficial for chip removal and avoids damage to the baffle 212.

[0048] The straight shank end mill 22 includes a shank 221 and a straight shank insert 224. The shank 221 is a rod with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the slant hole and a length not less than the length of the slant. The top of the shank 221 is provided with a connecting seat 222 to connect the output shaft of the clutch 34. A groove 223 is formed on the upper part of the shank 221 along its length from the bottom. The groove 223 is a planar groove, which facilitates material removal and avoids sticking. Two grooves 223 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the shank 221, which helps to maintain the structural stability of the straight shank end mill 22 when it rotates and improves cleaning efficiency. The length of the straight shank blade 224 is adapted to the blade groove 223, and it is respectively installed on one end face of the blade groove 223. The side end face of the straight shank blade 224 extends out of the blade groove 223 and is located outside the handle 221. The circle formed by rotating the side end face about the central axis of the handle 221 is adapted to the inclined groove. It can not only clean the charcoal bowl and the internal inclined groove, avoiding damage to the inner wall of the charcoal bowl and the internal inclined groove, but also has a repair function, repairing the deformed charcoal bowl and inclined groove to the standard size.

[0049] The negative pressure suction pipe 4 is mounted on and passes through the side plate 13 opposite to the motor 31. The inlet of the negative pressure suction pipe 4 is located outside the frame 1, and the outlet of the negative pressure suction pipe 4 is located inside the frame 1 and connected to the negative pressure source via an air supply pipe. The inlet of the negative pressure suction pipe 4 is close to the upper end of the handle 221 of the straight shank end mill 22, and the outlet of the negative pressure suction pipe 4 is located inside the frame 1 and connected to the negative pressure source via an air supply pipe. In this embodiment, the negative pressure source is an air compressor, which is connected to the air supply port of the negative pressure generator via an air supply pipe. The inlet of the negative pressure generator is connected to the outlet of the connecting pipe via an air supply pipe, and the outlet of the negative pressure generator is connected to the waste recycling device via an air supply pipe.

[0050] The high-pressure purge pipe 5 is installed on the side plate 13 opposite to the motor 31 and passes through the side plate 13. The outlet of the high-pressure purge pipe 5 is located inside the frame 1, and the inlet is connected to high-pressure air through the air supply pipe.

[0051] During use, the negative pressure suction pipe 4 is rotated to be perpendicular to the charcoal bowl using a robotic arm, and then inserted into the charcoal bowl to absorb the charcoal residue. The inside of the charcoal bowl is then cleaned using a straight shank end mill 22. After use, the high-pressure blow pipe 5 is used to clean the dust from the vision positioning system lens, the coupling 32 inside the frame 1, and the clutch 34.

[0052] This design employs a dual-end milling cutter configuration. A disc end mill 21 and a straight shank end mill 22 are respectively used for the end face of the charcoal block and the inclined groove inside the charcoal bowl. The disc end mill 21 can quickly clean the filling material from the end face of the charcoal block, while the straight shank end mill 22 extends into the charcoal bowl. Its unique structure prevents damage to the inner wall of the charcoal bowl during cleaning of the charcoal bowl and the inclined groove, thus avoiding deformation of the charcoal bowl at high temperatures. In the dual-end milling cutter configuration, a single motor 31 controls both the disc end mill 21 and the straight shank end mill 22 through a coupling 32, a T-type steering reducer 33, and a clutch 34. This satisfies the control requirements while making the drive mechanism 3 lightweight and simple.

[0053] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A calcined anthracite block cleaning apparatus for aluminum, comprising a robot and a cleaning system, the cleaning system is installed on the robot, the robot is electrically connected with a control system, characterized in that, The cleaning system comprises: A rack (1) which is a semi-closed shell structure with one side open, comprising a top plate (11), a bottom plate (12) and a side plate (13), wherein one side plate (13) is connected with a mechanical hand; A milling cutter (2) comprising a disc milling cutter (21) and a straight shank milling cutter (22) for cleaning the end face of the carbon block and the inclined chute inside the carbon bowl, respectively; The disc milling cutter (21) comprises: A disc (211) with a connecting hole in the center connected with the output shaft of a clutch (34), and a baffle (212) arranged circumferentially on the disc (211); Disc blades (213) which are trapezoidal bodies, 4-6 of which are evenly and spacedly arranged circumferentially along the baffle (212), the bottom surface and the end surface of the disc blades (213) are fixedly connected with the disc (211) and the baffle (212), respectively, and the top surface of the disc blades (213) is inclined to include a front angle (213-1) and a rear angle (213-2), wherein the front angle (213-1) exceeds the height of the baffle (212), and the height of the rear angle (213-2) is flush with the baffle (212); The straight shank milling cutter (22) comprises: A tool shank (221) which is a rod body with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inclined chute hole, a connecting seat (222) is arranged at the top end of the tool shank (221) to connect the output shaft of the clutch (34), a tool groove (223) is arranged on the upper part of the tool shank (221) towards the bottom end along the length direction, the tool groove (223) is a planar tool groove, and 1-3 of which are evenly and spacedly arranged circumferentially along the tool shank (221); Straight shank blades (224) which are adapted in length to the tool groove (223) and are respectively installed on one of the end surfaces of the tool groove (223), the side end surface of the straight shank blade (224) extends out of the tool groove (223) to the outside of the tool shank (221), and the circle formed by the rotation of the side end surface around the center axis of the tool shank (221) is adapted to the inclined chute; A driving mechanism (3) comprising a motor (31), a shaft coupling (32), a T-shaped steering reducer (33) and a clutch (34); the motor (31) is fixedly connected with the side plate (13) outside the rack (1), the input end of the motor (31) is connected with a control system, and the output end is connected with the T-shaped steering reducer (33) through the shaft coupling (32), the other two output shafts of the T-shaped steering reducer (33) are connected with the clutch (34) through the shaft coupling (32), respectively, the clutch (34) is a double-shaft magnetic powder clutch, is installed on the top plate (11) and the bottom plate (12), respectively, is located outside the rack (1) and is electrically connected with the control system, and the output shafts of the clutch (34) are connected with the disc milling cutter (21) and the straight shank milling cutter (22), respectively.

2. A carbon block baking cleaning apparatus for aluminum as recited in claim 1, wherein The cleaning system further comprises: A negative pressure suction pipe (4) arranged on the side plate (13) opposite to the motor (31) and penetrating through the side plate (13), wherein the inlet of the negative pressure suction pipe (4) is located outside the rack (1), and the outlet is located inside the rack (1) and connected with a negative pressure source through a gas conveying pipe. A high-pressure purge pipe (5) is arranged on the bottom plate (12) on the side of the clutch (34) and penetrates the bottom plate (12), the outlet of the high-pressure purge pipe (5) is located in the rack (1), the inlet of the high-pressure purge pipe (5) is located outside the rack (1) and is connected with the high-pressure air source through a gas conveying pipe.

3. The calcined carbon block cleaning apparatus for aluminum as claimed in claim 1, wherein The mechanical arm is electrically connected with the control system, and a positioning system is arranged on the mechanical arm, the positioning system adopts a machine vision positioning system to take a picture to position the carbon block, and a three-dimensional modeling standard carbon block is utilized.

4. A carbon block cleaning apparatus for use with aluminium as claimed in claim 3 wherein, The machine vision positioning system adopts an AT-S1000-01A fixed 3D vision system.

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