A vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg grasping

Abstract

The present invention provides a vacuum chuck arrangement optimization method for prepreg grabbing, comprising the following steps: presetting the size parameters of the prepreg, the number of vacuum chucks, and the initial arrangement of the vacuum chucks; taking the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the grabbing process of the vacuum chuck as the objective function, and taking the spacing L1, L2 between adjacent vacuum chucks and the margins L3, L4 between the outermost vacuum chuck and the edge of the prepreg as independent variables, establishing an optimization mathematical model for the arrangement of vacuum chuck grabbing points; performing multi-objective linear constrained optimization on the objective function using Matlab software, taking the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the grabbing process of the vacuum chuck as the optimization target, and obtaining the arrangement of the grabbing points of the vacuum chuck on the prepreg. The present invention can quickly obtain the optimal grabbing points of the vacuum chuck on the prepreg, improve the stability of the vacuum chuck in grabbing the prepreg, effectively improve production efficiency and molding quality, and reduce production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automated grasping technology, and in particular to a vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for grasping prepregs. Background Art

[0002] In the automated production process of composite materials, the gripping of prepregs is an important process. Automatic gripping technology for composite materials plays a key role in improving production efficiency and ensuring product quality. At present, vacuum suction cups are mainly used to grip prepregs. The gripping points of the vacuum suction cups on the prepregs directly affect the gripping quality. Unreasonable vacuum suction cup arrangement methods will cause defects such as wrinkles in the prepreg during the subsequent laying process, and even cause the prepreg to fall off. Excessive number of vacuum suction cups will affect the complexity of the structure, increase vacuum loss, and increase the requirements for equipment. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the quality of automated production of composite materials to reasonably arrange the position of the vacuum suction cups on the prepreg and minimize the number of vacuum suction cups while ensuring gripping stability.

[0003] At present, the empirical design method is generally used to design the layout of vacuum suction cups, and the layout plan is modified based on the feedback of the gripping quality in the actual production process. There is a lack of scientific and reasonable vacuum suction cup layout optimization design methods. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem that the existing design needs to be corrected through multiple experiments and is relatively troublesome, the present invention provides a vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg grasping.

[0005] The present invention provides a method for optimizing the arrangement of vacuum suction cups for prepreg gripping, comprising the following steps:

[0006] Step S1, presetting the size parameters of the prepreg, the number of vacuum suction cups, and the initial arrangement of the vacuum suction cups;

[0007] In step S2, the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck is used as the objective function, and the spacing L1 and L2 between adjacent vacuum chucks and the margins L3 and L4 between the outermost vacuum chuck and the edge of the prepreg are used as independent variables to establish the optimal mathematical model of the vacuum chuck gripping point arrangement shown in formula (1):

[0008] (1)

[0009] Where E is the elastic modulus of the prepreg, I is the moment of inertia of the cross section, q is the vertically uniform downward load on the prepreg under its own weight, a is the length of the prepreg, b is the width of the prepreg, m and n are the number of vacuum cups in the length and width directions of the prepreg, L1 and L2 are the spacing between adjacent vacuum cups in the length and width directions, L3 and L4 are the margins between the outermost vacuum cup and the length and width edges of the prepreg, respectively.

[0010] In step S3, a multi-objective linear constrained optimization is performed on the objective function using Matlab software, with the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck being minimized as the optimization goal, to obtain the gripping point arrangement of the vacuum chuck on the prepreg.

[0011] Furthermore, before step S2, the following steps are also included:

[0012] Establish a mechanical model of vacuum suction cup grabbing prepreg,

[0013] The adjacent vacuum suction cups grabbing the prepreg strip and the single vacuum suction cup grabbing the prepreg strip are simplified into fixed-end beam and cantilever beam models.

[0014] The maximum overhang deformation generated during the gripping process of the vacuum suction cup is the maximum deflection value, and its maximum deflection is obtained respectively; it is extended to the rectangular prepreg, and the maximum overhang h between the vacuum suction cups in the plane is the superposition of the overhang deformation generated in the length and width directions of the prepreg respectively. The maximum overhang deformation generated by the vacuum suction cup and the edge of the prepreg is located at the corner position of the prepreg.

[0015] Furthermore, the vacuum suction cups are arranged in an array on a suction cup frame.

[0016] Furthermore, the suction cup frame is provided with a vertical guide rail, a vertical slider installed on the vertical guide rail, a transverse guide rail installed on the vertical slider, and a transverse slider installed on the transverse guide rail, and the vacuum suction cup is arranged on the transverse slider.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention proposes a method for optimizing the arrangement of vacuum suction cups for prepreg gripping. By dividing the arrangement of vacuum suction cups on the prepreg surface into a combination structure of single suction cup and two suction cup gripping, respectively simplified to a fixed-end beam model and a cantilever beam model, analysis and calculation are simplified. Unlike traditional companies that use experience to arrange vacuum suction cups, the present invention provides a reasonable vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method, which can quickly determine the optimal gripping point of the vacuum suction cup on the prepreg, significantly improving the stability of the vacuum suction cup gripping the prepreg, effectively improving production efficiency and subsequent molding quality, and reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum suction cup frame in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 The mechanical model of the vacuum suction cup grabbing the prepreg of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is the relationship between the in-plane drape deformation when the vacuum suction cup of the present invention grasps the prepreg;

[0021] Figure 4 This is the edge overhang deformation relationship when the vacuum suction cup of the present invention grabs the prepreg;

[0022] Figure 5 This is the initial arrangement of the prepreg when the vacuum suction cup grabs it in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention optimizes the arrangement of the vacuum suction cup when grabbing the prepreg. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The present invention provides a method for optimizing the arrangement of vacuum suction cups for prepreg gripping, comprising the following steps:

[0027] Step S1, presetting the size parameters of the prepreg, the number of vacuum suction cups, and the initial arrangement of the vacuum suction cups;

[0028] In step S2, the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck is used as the objective function, and the spacing L1 and L2 between adjacent vacuum chucks and the margins L3 and L4 between the outermost vacuum chuck and the edge of the prepreg are used as independent variables to establish the optimal mathematical model of the vacuum chuck gripping point arrangement shown in formula (1):

[0029] (1)

[0030] Where E is the elastic modulus of the prepreg, I is the moment of inertia of the cross section, q is the vertically uniform downward load on the prepreg under its own weight, a is the length of the prepreg, b is the width of the prepreg, m and n are the number of vacuum cups in the length and width directions of the prepreg, L1 and L2 are the spacing between adjacent vacuum cups in the length and width directions, L3 and L4 are the margins between the outermost vacuum cup and the length and width edges of the prepreg, respectively.

[0031] In step S3, a multi-objective linear constrained optimization is performed on the objective function using Matlab software, with the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck being minimized as the optimization goal, to obtain the gripping point arrangement of the vacuum chuck on the prepreg.

[0032] This invention proposes a method for optimizing the placement of vacuum cups for prepreg gripping. By dividing the placement of vacuum cups on the prepreg surface into a single-cup and two-cup gripping structure, simplifying them into fixed-end beam and cantilever beam models, respectively, simplifies analysis and calculation. Unlike traditional companies' empirical approach to vacuum cup placement, this invention provides a rational method for optimizing vacuum cup placement, rapidly determining the optimal gripping points on the prepreg. This significantly improves the stability of the vacuum cups in gripping the prepreg, effectively increasing production efficiency and subsequent molding quality, and reducing production costs.

[0033] Specifically, before step S2, the following steps are also included:

[0034] Establish a mechanical model of vacuum suction cup grabbing prepreg,

[0035] The adjacent vacuum suction cups grasping the strip prepreg and the single vacuum suction cup grasping the strip prepreg are simplified into the fixed end beam and cantilever beam models.

[0036] The maximum overhang deformation generated during the gripping process of the vacuum suction cup is the maximum deflection value, and its maximum deflection is obtained respectively; it is extended to the rectangular prepreg, and the maximum overhang h between the vacuum suction cups in the plane is the superposition of the overhang deformation generated in the length and width directions of the prepreg respectively. The maximum overhang deformation generated by the vacuum suction cup and the edge of the prepreg is located at the corner position of the prepreg.

[0037] The spacing between the vacuum cups on the prepreg includes the spacing along the length and width of the prepreg. The margins of the outermost vacuum cups on the prepreg include the margins to the length and width of the prepreg. Only the overhang deformation caused by the weight of the vacuum cups during the gripping process is considered.

[0038] In an optional embodiment, the vacuum suction cups are arranged in an array on a suction cup frame. The suction cup frame is provided with a vertical guide rail, a vertical slider mounted on the vertical guide rail, a transverse guide rail mounted on the vertical slider, and a transverse slider mounted on the transverse guide rail, and the vacuum suction cups are arranged on the transverse slider.

[0039] In order to facilitate the explanation of the practical problems to be solved by the present invention, the present invention is described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. Figure 1 As shown, the rectangular prepreg to be grasped by the suction cup frame has a size of 1200×300mm, and 10 vacuum suction cups are used to grasp the prepreg. In this example, considering that the shape of the prepreg to be grasped is a regular rectangle, the vacuum suction cups are arranged in a 2×5 array. The maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg in the process of being grasped by the vacuum suction cup is used as the objective function, and the length L1 and width spacing L2 of the two vacuum suction cups, the margin L3 between the outermost vacuum suction cup and the length edge of the prepreg, and the margin L4 between the outermost vacuum suction cup and the width edge of the prepreg are used as independent variables. The objective function is subjected to multi-objective linear constrained optimization using Matlab software. Example The initial arrangement of the vacuum suction cup when grasping the prepreg is as follows. Figure 5 As shown, L1 = 200mm, L2 = 100mm, L3 = 200mm, L4 = 100mm, and the maximum overhang of the prepreg is 93.75mm; after the embodiment is optimized, the arrangement of the vacuum suction cup when grabbing the prepreg is as follows Figure 6 As shown in the figure, L1=262.1459mm, L2=160.5448mm, L3=75.7082mm, L4=69.7276mm, and the maximum overhang of the prepreg is 4.2mm, which is reduced by 95.52% compared with before optimization, significantly improving the stability of the vacuum suction cup in grasping the prepreg.

[0040] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "one example," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0041] The above is a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present invention cannot be considered to be limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg gripping, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1, presetting the size parameters of the prepreg, the number of vacuum suction cups, and the initial arrangement of the vacuum suction cups; In step S2, the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck is used as the objective function, and the spacing L1 and L2 between adjacent vacuum chucks and the margins L3 and L4 between the outermost vacuum chuck and the edge of the prepreg are used as independent variables to establish the optimal mathematical model of the vacuum chuck gripping point arrangement shown in formula (1): （1） Where E is the elastic modulus of the prepreg, I is the moment of inertia of the cross section, q is the vertically uniform downward load on the prepreg under its own weight, a is the length of the prepreg, b is the width of the prepreg, m and n are the number of vacuum cups in the length and width directions of the prepreg, L1 and L2 are the spacing between adjacent vacuum cups in the length and width directions, L3 and L4 are the margins between the outermost vacuum cup and the length and width edges of the prepreg, respectively. In step S3, a multi-objective linear constrained optimization is performed on the objective function using Matlab software, with the maximum overhang deformation w generated by the prepreg during the gripping process of the vacuum chuck being minimized as the optimization goal, to obtain the gripping point arrangement of the vacuum chuck on the prepreg.

2. The vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg gripping according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before step S2, the following steps are also included: Establish a mechanical model of vacuum suction cup grabbing prepreg, The adjacent vacuum suction cups grabbing the prepreg strip and the single vacuum suction cup grabbing the prepreg strip are simplified into fixed-end beam and cantilever beam models. The maximum overhang deformation generated during the gripping process of the vacuum suction cup is the maximum deflection value, and its maximum deflection is obtained respectively; it is extended to the rectangular prepreg, and the maximum overhang h between the vacuum suction cups in the plane is the superposition of the overhang deformation generated in the length and width directions of the prepreg respectively. The maximum overhang deformation generated by the vacuum suction cup and the edge of the prepreg is located at the corner position of the prepreg.

3. The vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg gripping according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The vacuum suction cups are arranged in an array on a suction cup frame.

4. The vacuum suction cup arrangement optimization method for prepreg gripping according to claim 3, characterized in that: The suction cup frame is provided with a vertical guide rail, a vertical slider installed on the vertical guide rail, a transverse guide rail installed on the vertical slider and a transverse slider installed on the transverse guide rail, and the vacuum suction cup is arranged on the transverse slider.

Images