A truss robot automatic assembly device and method for binding rotating targets

Abstract

The present invention relates to a truss robot automatic assembly device and method for binding rotating targets, the device comprises a truss manipulator, a bottom platform, a back tube positioning device and a core heating rod, a slide table driven by a motor through a gear chain is arranged on the bottom platform, a plurality of slide seats are placed on the slide table, an annular target placement groove is opened on the slide seat or a target positioning claw is installed, a heating platform is also fixed on the bottom platform, a back tube bottom end positioning ring is installed on the heating platform, and the back tube positioning device comprises a support frame and an upper positioning claw and a lower positioning claw installed on the support frame for clamping the back tube. The method of assembling the back tube and the target material using the device mainly utilizes mechanical operation for hot assembly, which replaces most of the manual operation, reduces the labor intensity of the workers, reduces the risk of scalding caused by the hot socketing of the workers, and can effectively shorten the assembly time of the target material and the back tube, thereby controlling the oxidation phenomenon occurring during the assembly process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a truss robot automatic assembly device for binding a rotating target material and a method for assembling a backing tube and a target material by using the device. Background Art

[0002] At present, my country's flat panel display manufacturing enterprises are developing rapidly, and the country strongly supports the localization of advanced products. At present, there are two types of targets for coating: flat targets and rotating targets (tube targets). The use of flat targets for sputtering can reach about 30%, while the use rate of rotating targets for sputtering can reach about 80%. Secondly, the rotating target rotates continuously during use, the target surface is smooth, the use is uniform, and there will be no "nodule phenomenon", which can ensure the quality of target use and the uniformity of coating, reduce the defect rate and improve the yield rate. Rotating targets are a major trend in current and future development.

[0003] There are two main processes in the production process of rotating targets: first, the production of the rotating target tube; second, the binding of the target tube and the backing tube.

[0004] At present, the binding process of rotating targets is carried out in a single-section binding manner. The existing binding process is relatively complicated, with many manual operation processes and high proficiency of employees. Since the outer diameter of the target material is very small (generally 1mm) from the inner diameter of the back tube, and the target material and the back tube are assembled in a hot state, the longer the back tube is, the worse the control of the uniformity of the back tube heating temperature is. When the hot target tube is inserted into the hot back tube, there will be a large temperature difference between the target tube and the back tube during the assembly process, especially when the target material is a ceramic tube, it is very easy to crack and cause the target material to be scrapped. In addition, the time is difficult to control during the assembly process, resulting in oxidation of the metallization layer, affecting the target material binding and bonding rate, and then affecting the quality of the target material during the sputtering process. Secondly, during the assembly process of the target material and the back tube, since the target material is assembled manually, there is instability, and the target material and the back tube are prone to contact, resulting in the destruction of the metallization layer, which further affects the welding quality of the target tube and the back tube, resulting in insufficient bonding strength between the target tube, the back tube and the binding layer. After long-term use, the metal binding layer is easy to fall off from the target tube and the back tube. If the falling area reaches a certain extent, the heat transferred from the target tube to the back tube during sputtering will be sharply reduced, causing local overheating of the target tube, thereby causing uneven thermal effects, resulting in target material rupture during sputtering, thereby interrupting the coating precipitation process.

[0005] The shortcomings of existing artificial high-temperature hot assembly are summarized as follows: 1. Under normal circumstances, a 600mm rotating target weighs 30kg. The longer the target, the heavier it is. Manually holding the target for assembly operations is labor-intensive, and hot socketing is prone to burns; 2. The target binding has a limit on the socketing time, and if the manual socketing time is too long, a large oxide film will appear, affecting the binding and fitting rate; 3. When the titanium tube is too long, it is difficult to socket it manually, and a lifting bottom platform needs to be built; 4. When the target (especially the ceramic target) is in the socketing process, it is easy to contact the titanium tube on the left and right. If the temperature difference is large, it is easy to cause the target to crack; 5. During the socketing process, if manual control is not good, it is easy to bring the oxide film on the surface of the target and the titanium tube into the binding layer, affecting the binding quality. Summary of the invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: to provide a truss robot automatic assembly device and method for binding rotating targets. The method of assembling a back tube and a target material using the device mainly utilizes mechanical operation for hot assembly. Mechanical operation replaces most of the manual operation, reduces the labor intensity of workers, and reduces the risk of scalding caused by hot socketing of workers. At the same time, it can effectively shorten the assembly time of the target material and the back tube and thus control the oxidation phenomenon occurring during the assembly process, thereby solving the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0007] The technical solution to solve the above technical problems is: a truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding, including a truss manipulator, a bottom platform, a back tube positioning device and a core heating rod placed inside the back tube for heating the back tube, the bottom platform is located below the truss manipulator, and a slide driven by a motor through a gear chain is arranged on the bottom platform, and multiple slides are placed on the slide, and the slides are either provided with an annular target placement groove or equipped with target positioning claws. A heating platform is also fixed on the bottom platform, and a back tube bottom end positioning ring is installed on the heating platform. The back tube positioning device includes a support frame and an upper positioning claw and a lower positioning claw installed on the support frame for clamping the back tube, and the truss manipulator includes an X-axis assembly, a Z-axis assembly and a tooling fixture for grabbing rotating targets.

[0008] A heat-insulating layer is provided on the fixture of the truss manipulator.

[0009] A baffle plate for locating the position of the slide is installed at the working position on the bottom platform, and a contact sensor for controlling the motor to stop is installed on the baffle plate.

[0010] The slide seat is fixed on the slide table through a positioning bolt.

[0011] The positioning ring at the bottom end of the back tube is in a circular ring shape consisting of two semicircular rings.

[0012] Another technical solution of the present invention is: an assembly method for binding a rotating target material, using the above-mentioned truss robot automatic assembly device for binding a rotating target material, comprising the following steps:

[0013] (1) Placing the target in a heating box for heating;

[0014] (2) Install the core heating rod inside the back tube, and use the back tube positioning device to clamp and fix the back tube on the heating platform, that is, place the bottom end of the back tube in the back tube bottom end positioning ring and glue it tightly and seal it with glue, and the upper positioning jaw and the lower positioning jaw clamp the upper part and the middle part of the back tube respectively;

[0015] (3) Start the core heating rod and the heating platform to heat the back tube;

[0016] (4) When the back tube temperature reaches the assembly temperature, take the target material, which is 10-15°C higher than the back tube temperature, out of the heating box and place it on the slide;

[0017] (5) Start the motor to drive the slide to move the target to the working position. When the slide reaches the working position and touches the contact sensor on the baffle, the contact sensor sends a signal to control the motor to stop, so that the target stops at the working position. The fixture of the truss manipulator grabs the target and moves it to the top of the back tube to wait; at the same time, remove the slide that transports the target from the slide;

[0018] (6) The upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target into the back tube and moves downward. After moving through the upper positioning jaw position, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and then the lower positioning jaw is released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. When the target passes the lower positioning jaw position, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and the truss manipulator clamps the target and continues to move downward. When the target is 10-20mm away from the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube, the staff holds the target by hand and slowly places the target on the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube to complete the assembly of the target section; then the assembled target section is bound to the back tube by manual binding;

[0019] (7) Repeat step (5) to make the fixture of the truss manipulator grab the next section of the target and move it to the top of the back tube to wait, while removing the slide for transporting the target from the slide;

[0020] (8) When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the upper positioning jaw, the upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target material into the back tube and moves downward. After moving through the upper positioning jaw position, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw is then released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. When the target material passes through the lower positioning jaw position, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. The truss manipulator clamps the target material and continues to move downward. When the target material is 10-20mm away from the target material below, the staff holds the target material by hand, and then the truss manipulator releases the target material. The staff slowly places the target material on the target material below to complete the assembly of the target section; then the assembled target section is bound to the back tube by manual binding; when the target material is bound to the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw fixes the back tube by clamping the target material;

[0021] (9) Repeat steps (7) and (8) until the last section of the target material is assembled on the back tube, and manually bind the assembled last section of the target material to the back tube.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] 1. Since mechanical operation replaces most manual operation, workers can easily complete the assembly work by controlling the mechanical device during the assembly process. The operation is easy and does not require high proficiency of employees. In addition, with the use of manipulators for assembly work, workers no longer need to hold the target material for hot assembly operations, which effectively reduces the labor intensity and risk of scalding of workers. The assembly stability of the manipulator is better, which can ensure product quality.

[0024] 2. The assembly process of the back tube and the target material of the present invention is to grab the target material and put it on the outside of the back tube by a truss manipulator. The truss manipulator has an X-axis component and a Z-axis component, which can quickly move and position in the left and right and up and down directions, which can effectively shorten the assembly time of the target material and the back tube and control the oxidation phenomenon during the assembly process.

[0025] 3. The assembly process of the present invention can be completed within 5 minutes, which is significantly shorter than the existing manual hot assembly method. The truss manipulator is accurately positioned, and the back tube is fixed by the back tube positioning device, so it can remain fixed during the assembly process. The target material will not come into contact with the back tube during the process of being inserted into the back tube, and the metallized layer will not be damaged under normal circumstances, which effectively solves the problem of the metallized layer being damaged during the hot assembly of the target material and the titanium tube in the existing process.

[0026] 4. The tooling fixture of the truss manipulator of the present invention is provided with an insulation layer, which has a certain insulation effect on the target material during the grabbing and assembly process, and the assembly time can be controlled within 5 minutes, so that the temperature of the target material drops by about 10°C, matching the temperature of the back tube, and effectively solving the problem of target material (ceramic) cracking due to the temperature difference between the target material and the titanium tube during the assembly process.

[0027] Next, the technical features of a truss robot automatic assembly device and method for binding rotating targets of the present invention will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a front view of the truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 A top view of the truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of placing the target material of the present invention in the annular target material placement groove of the slide.

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the positioning ring at the bottom end of the back tube of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Embodiment 1: A truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding, such as Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, it includes a truss manipulator 10, a bottom platform 4, a back tube positioning device 9 and a core heating rod placed inside the back tube for heating the back tube. The bottom platform 4 is located below the truss manipulator 10. A slide 2 driven by a motor 1 through a gear chain is arranged on the bottom platform. A plurality of slide seats 3 are placed on the slide. The slide seats 3 are provided with an annular target placement groove. A heating platform 8 is also fixed on the bottom platform 4. A back tube bottom end positioning ring 7 is installed on the heating platform. The back tube bottom end positioning ring 7 is an annular ring composed of two semicircular rings. The back tube positioning device 9 includes a support frame 91 and an upper positioning clamp 93 and a lower positioning clamp 92 installed on the support frame for clamping the back tube. The truss manipulator 10 includes an X-axis assembly 101, a Z-axis assembly 102 and a fixture 103 for grabbing a rotating target. A heat preservation layer is arranged on the fixture for heat preservation of the target.

[0033] As a variation of this embodiment, the slide seat may not have an annular target placement groove, but may be provided with a target positioning claw to fix the target, and high temperature resistant heat insulating silicone may be provided on the target positioning claw.

[0034] In this embodiment, a baffle plate 6 for positioning the position of the slide 3 is installed at the working position on the bottom platform 5, and a contact sensor for controlling the motor to stop is installed on the baffle plate. When the slide 3 reaches the working position and touches the contact sensor on the baffle plate, the contact sensor sends a signal to control the motor 1 to stop, so that the target placed on the slide is located at the working position. As a change, other methods can also be used to control the target to reach the working position and stop.

[0035] In this embodiment, the slide 3 is fixed on the slide 2 by the positioning bolt 5. When the slide 3 needs to be removed from the slide 2, the slide can be removed by simply removing the positioning bolt 5.

[0036] Embodiment 2: A method for assembling a rotating target material, using the truss robot automatic assembly device for binding a rotating target material as described in Embodiment 1, comprising the following steps:

[0037] (1) Placing the target material P1 in a heating box for heating;

[0038] (2) Install the core heating rod inside the back tube P2, and clamp and fix the back tube on the heating platform 8 with the back tube positioning device, that is, place the bottom end of the back tube in the back tube bottom end positioning ring 7 and glue it tightly and seal it with glue. The outer diameter of the back tube is the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the circular ring of the back tube bottom end positioning ring. The upper positioning jaw 93 and the lower positioning jaw 92 clamp the upper part and the middle part of the back tube respectively.

[0039] (3) Start the core heating rod and the heating platform 8 to heat the back tube;

[0040] (4) When the back tube temperature reaches the assembly temperature, the target material, which is 10-15°C higher than the back tube temperature, is taken out from the heating box and placed on the annular target placement groove of the slide 3;

[0041] (5) Start the motor 1 to make the slide 2 drive the slide 3 to move the target material to the working position. When the slide reaches the working position and touches the contact sensor on the baffle 6, the contact sensor sends a signal to control the motor to stop, so that the target material stops at the working position. The fixture 103 of the truss manipulator 10 grabs the target material and moves it to the top of the back tube to wait. The movement of the fixture is performed on the X-axis assembly and the Z-axis assembly. At the same time, the slide for transporting the target material is removed from the slide.

[0042] (6) The upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target into the back tube and moves downward. After moving through the upper positioning jaw position, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and then the lower positioning jaw is released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. When the target passes the lower positioning jaw position, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and the truss manipulator clamps the target and continues to move downward. When the target is 10-20mm away from the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube, the staff holds the target by hand and slowly places the target on the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube to complete the assembly of the target section; then the assembled target section is bound to the back tube by manual binding;

[0043] (7) Repeat step (5) to make the fixture of the truss manipulator grab the next section of the target and move it to the top of the back tube to wait, while removing the slide for transporting the target from the slide;

[0044] (8) When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the upper positioning jaw, the upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target material into the back tube and moves downward. After the target material passes through the upper positioning jaw, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw is then released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. After moving through the lower positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. The truss manipulator clamps the target material and continues to move downward. When the target material is 10-20mm away from the target material below, the staff holds the target material by hand, and then the truss manipulator releases the target material. The staff slowly places the target material on the target material below to complete the assembly of the target material section; then the assembled target material section is bound to the back tube by manual binding; when the target material is bound to the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw fixes the back tube by clamping the target material;

[0045] (9) Repeat steps (7) and (8) until the last section of the target material is assembled on the back tube, and manually bind the assembled last section of the target material to the back tube.

[0046] The specific structure of the truss manipulator described in the present invention is the same as that in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

Claims

1. A truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding, characterized in that: It includes a truss manipulator, a bottom platform, a back tube positioning device and a core heating rod placed inside the back tube for heating the back tube. The bottom platform is located below the truss manipulator. A slide driven by a motor through a gear chain is arranged on the bottom platform. A plurality of slide seats are placed on the slide. The slide seats are either provided with an annular target material placement groove or equipped with target material positioning claws. A heating platform is also fixed on the bottom platform. A back tube bottom end positioning ring is installed on the heating platform. The back tube positioning device includes a support frame and an upper positioning claw and a lower positioning claw installed on the support frame for clamping the back tube. The truss manipulator includes an X-axis assembly, a Z-axis assembly and a tooling fixture for grabbing rotating targets.

2. The truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat-insulating layer is provided on the fixture of the truss manipulator.

3. A truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A baffle plate for locating the position of the slide is installed at the working position on the bottom platform, and a contact sensor for controlling the motor to stop is installed on the baffle plate.

4. A truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The slide seat is fixed on the slide table through a positioning bolt.

5. A truss robot automatic assembly device for rotating target binding according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The positioning ring at the bottom end of the back tube is in a circular ring shape consisting of two semicircular rings.

6. A method for assembling a rotating target material, characterized in that: The truss robot automatic assembly device for binding a rotating target material as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises the following steps: (1) Placing the target in a heating box for heating; (2) Install the core heating rod inside the back tube, and use the back tube positioning device to clamp and fix the back tube on the heating platform, that is, place the bottom end of the back tube in the back tube bottom end positioning ring and glue it tightly and seal it with glue, and the upper positioning jaw and the lower positioning jaw clamp the upper part and the middle part of the back tube respectively; (3) Start the core heating rod and the heating platform to heat the back tube; (4) When the back tube temperature reaches the assembly temperature, take the target material, which is 10-15°C higher than the back tube temperature, out of the heating box and place it on the slide; (5) Start the motor to drive the slide to move the target to the working position. When the slide reaches the working position and touches the contact sensor on the baffle, the contact sensor sends a signal to control the motor to stop, so that the target stops at the working position. The fixture of the truss manipulator grabs the target and moves it to the top of the back tube to wait; at the same time, remove the slide that transports the target from the slide; (6) The upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target into the back tube and moves downward. After moving through the upper positioning jaw position, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and then the lower positioning jaw is released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. When the target passes the lower positioning jaw position, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped on the back tube, and the truss manipulator clamps the target and continues to move downward. When the target is 10-20mm away from the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube, the staff holds the target by hand and slowly places the target on the positioning ring at the bottom of the back tube to complete the assembly of the target section; then the assembled target section is bound to the back tube by manual binding; (7) Repeat step (5) to make the fixture of the truss manipulator grab the next section of the target and move it to the top of the back tube to wait, while removing the slide for transporting the target from the slide; (8) When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the upper positioning jaw, the upper positioning jaw releases the back tube, and the truss manipulator puts the target material into the back tube and moves downward. After moving through the upper positioning jaw position, the upper positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. When the target material needs to pass through the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw is then released, and the truss manipulator clamps the back tube and continues to move downward. When the target material passes through the lower positioning jaw position, the lower positioning jaw is tightened and re-clamped. The truss manipulator clamps the target material and continues to move downward. When the target material is 10-20mm away from the target material below, the staff holds the target material by hand, and then the truss manipulator releases the target material. The staff slowly places the target material on the target material below to complete the assembly of the target section; then the assembled target section is bound to the back tube by manual binding; when the target material is bound to the clamping position of the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw, the lower positioning jaw or the upper positioning jaw fixes the back tube by clamping the target material; (9) Repeat steps (7) and (8) until the last section of the target material is assembled on the back tube, and manually bind the assembled last section of the target material to the back tube.

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