A method for controlling the consistency of the chain pitch and a production process for a round chain

Abstract

The application discloses a chain size consistency control method and a production process of a ring chain. The production process of the ring chain comprises the following procedures: blanking, chain weaving, shot blasting, welding, heat treatment, stretching correction and the like. The chain weaving procedure comprises the steps of implementing the chain size consistency control method and normal chain weaving. The chain size consistency control method comprises the following steps: presetting a target temperature to be heated, heating a chain core tool, measuring an actual temperature of the chain core in real time, and comparing the actual temperature with the target temperature. If the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, the heating is continued. If the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, the heating is stopped or heat preservation is performed, and normal chain weaving is performed. The chain core is preheated, so that the temperature of the chain core is equivalent to that of the bar material. Thermal stress caused by temperature gradients at different positions of the bar material in the chain weaving process is reduced. The size of the same type of chain ring in the whole chain in the chain weaving procedure is stable and consistent, and the chain weaving quality is significantly improved. Meanwhile, the difficulty of quality guarantee is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chain manufacturing technology, specifically to a method for controlling the consistency of chain dimensions and a ring chain manufacturing process. Background Technology

[0002] Link chains are widely used in mining machinery and equipment, often serving as traction components in important mining equipment such as coal planers, scraper conveyors, and transfer conveyors. The manufacturing process of link chains is largely consistent, typically including material preparation, chain weaving, shot blasting, welding, heat treatment, and tensile straightening. For larger chains, induction heating of the bar stock is used to improve its ductility and reduce deformation resistance during chain weaving; this process is called hot-weaving.

[0003] In the chain braiding or hot braiding process, the product bar stock is induction preheated and then fed into the braiding fixture (core braiding) to begin chain braiding. The following problems exist in production: After startup, the initially braided chain segment differs from subsequently braided chains in V-shaped openings, link spacing, and outer width (exceeding allowable tolerances). This results in poor consistency in chain link dimensions, requiring adjustments to the welding parameters of the initial braided segment in subsequent welding processes until normal chain links are welded, before reverting to standard welding parameters for continued production. This significantly reduces work efficiency and increases the difficulty of quality assurance. The reason for this is as follows: Initially, the core temperature of the chain braiding equipment is room temperature, resulting in a significant temperature difference between the core and the preheated bar stock. When the bar stock comes into contact with the core, the contact surface between the inner side of the bar stock and the core cools down rapidly, while the outer side cools down more slowly. This causes the inner side of the bar stock to be colder than the outer side during chain braiding. During bending, due to the relatively lower inner temperature, the resistance to bending is greater on the inner side than on the outer side. This temperature difference leads to thermal stress within the chain links. As the stress is released during cooling, the inner side experiences greater deformation than the outer side. This results in the initial braided chain links having a larger lower V-shaped opening and a slightly smaller upper V-shaped opening, a smaller chain link spacing, and a slightly larger outer width compared to subsequent normal chain links. After the machine has been running for a period of time, the core temperature gradually rises due to heat conduction until it is comparable to the bar stock temperature. During subsequent chain braiding, the thermal stress problem is alleviated, and the chain link dimensions tend to stabilize and become consistent. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address this issue, the present invention provides a method for controlling the consistency of chain dimensions and a chain production process, in order to solve the technical problem of poor chain link size consistency caused by a large temperature difference between the initial braiding core and the preheated bar stock in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling the consistency of braided chain dimensions, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Preset the target heating temperature;

[0008] Heating the braided core;

[0009] Real-time measurement of the actual temperature of the braided core;

[0010] Compare the actual temperature with the target temperature. If the actual temperature is lower than the target temperature, continue heating. If the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, stop heating or keep warm.

[0011] Normal chaining.

[0012] Furthermore, the chain weaving size consistency control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0013] The target heating temperature is preset on the temperature controller;

[0014] The induction heater is energized to induction heat the knitted core;

[0015] The temperature sensor measures the core temperature in real time and transmits the measured actual temperature to the temperature controller.

[0016] The actual temperature is compared with the target temperature. If the actual temperature is lower than the target temperature, the induction heater continues to heat. If the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, the induction heater stops heating or enters a low-power heat preservation mode.

[0017] Furthermore, the step of presetting the target heating temperature on the temperature controller specifically includes the following steps:

[0018] Input the target temperature using the touchscreen or mechanical keyboard on the control panel of the temperature controller;

[0019] The target temperature is stored in the storage unit of the temperature controller.

[0020] Furthermore, the induction heater is energized to induction heat the knitted core, specifically including the following steps:

[0021] The power supply provides AC power at the industrial frequency to the circuit board of the temperature controller;

[0022] The circuit board rectifies, filters, and inverts the industrial frequency AC power into high-frequency AC power of 16-30KHz;

[0023] Under the control unit of the temperature controller, the heating circuit of the circuit board is closed to supply high-frequency alternating current to the coil of the induction heater;

[0024] A coil carrying high-frequency alternating current generates a changing magnetic field. The metal conductor core is placed in the magnetic field, and a circulating current, i.e. eddy current, is generated by electromagnetic induction. Under the action of the eddy current, the metal core is heated and its temperature rises.

[0025] Furthermore, the comparison of the actual temperature and the target temperature specifically includes the following steps;

[0026] The temperature controller's processing unit calls the target temperature stored in the storage unit;

[0027] The temperature controller's processing unit compares the actual temperature with the target temperature.

[0028] Furthermore, if the actual temperature is lower than the target temperature, the induction heater continues to heat, specifically including the following steps:

[0029] The temperature controller's processing unit issues a continued heating command based on the result that the actual temperature is lower than the target temperature;

[0030] The temperature controller's control unit receives a command to continue heating, without disconnecting the heating circuit of the circuit board or switching the heating circuit of the circuit board to the heat preservation circuit.

[0031] The coil continues to receive high-frequency alternating current from the heating circuit to heat the core.

[0032] Furthermore, if the actual temperature equals the target temperature, the induction heater stops heating or enters a low-power heat preservation mode, specifically including the following steps:

[0033] The temperature controller's processing unit issues a stop heating command or a heat preservation command based on the result that the actual temperature equals the target temperature.

[0034] The control unit of the temperature controller receives a stop heating command and disconnects the heating circuit of the circuit board; or, the control unit of the temperature controller receives a heat preservation command and switches the heating circuit of the circuit board to the heat preservation circuit. At this time, the coil receives high-frequency AC power from the heat preservation circuit to keep the core warm. The output power of the heat preservation circuit is lower than that of the heating circuit.

[0035] A second aspect of the present invention provides a chain manufacturing process, including processes such as material preparation, chain weaving, shot blasting, welding, heat treatment, and tensile correction; wherein the chain weaving process includes the chain weaving size consistency control method as described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0036] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0037] This invention provides a method for controlling the consistency of chain link dimensions and a chain production process. The chain production process includes the method for controlling the consistency of chain link dimensions. First, a target temperature is preset, then the core is heated to the target temperature before normal chaining. By preheating the core, the temperature of the core and the bar stock is made similar. Thus, almost no heat conduction occurs after the bar stock and the core come into contact, and the temperature of the inner side of the bar stock does not drop significantly. When the bar stock is bent, because the inner and outer sides are at similar temperatures, thermal stress is greatly reduced. Therefore, stress release during cooling is very small, avoiding the problem that the inner side has a greater amount of deformation than the outer side. This avoids the problems of the initial chain link having a larger lower V-shaped opening, a slightly smaller upper V-shaped opening, a smaller chain link spacing, and a slightly larger outer width, greatly improving the consistency of chain link dimensions. Adjustments can be made in subsequent welding processes, which can effectively improve work efficiency and reduce the difficulty of quality assurance. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0039] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0040] Figure 1 A flowchart of a ring chain production process provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 A flowchart of a chain braiding size consistency control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 The circuit diagram of the temperature controller, temperature sensor, and induction heater used in the implementation of the chain braiding size consistency control method provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the consistency of braided chain dimensions using a temperature controller, temperature sensor, and induction heater, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] The terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and "middle" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0046] This embodiment provides a ring chain manufacturing process, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the process includes material preparation, preheating, chain weaving, shot blasting, welding, heat treatment, and tensile correction, as detailed below:

[0047] Step S1, Material Cutting. A precision bar shearing machine is used to cut the chain bars, which are then placed onto the conveyor. Material Selection: High-quality alloy steel 23MnNiMoCr54; Cutting Requirements: Can stand upright (meaning can be placed vertically), length tolerance ±0.5mm, no burrs on the end face, and no rolled edges.

[0048] Step S2, Preheating. The chain bar material is conveyed to the heating head of the heating equipment via a conveyor device for heating. The first heating cycle is for preheating, followed by a second heating cycle after power is turned off for final heating. After the second heating cycle, shorter materials (bars with shorter lengths after cutting) can reach the specified heating temperature. The preheating voltage is 150±30V, the first heating temperature is 100-200 degrees Celsius, and the second heating reaches the maximum temperature (target temperature), such as 700 degrees Celsius or 880 degrees Celsius.

[0049] Step S3, chain weaving. This step includes implementing the chain weaving size consistency control method and the normal chain weaving process. The chain weaving size consistency control method will be described later; this section describes the normal chain weaving process. The preheated short material is automatically fed to the core weaving machine. When the bar stock touches the limit switch, the chain weaving equipment automatically begins chain weaving.

[0050] Step S4, shot blasting. The braided chain is fed into the shot blasting equipment, which removes the oxide scale on the surface of the chain links after hot braiding, improving the conductivity of the chain links during welding. The rust-removed chain is then output from the shot blasting equipment. A recovery pipe is connected to the shot blasting equipment and the recovery tank. A pumping device is used to recover the rust residue from the shot blasting equipment to the recovery tank, thus achieving rust residue recovery.

[0051] Step S5, welding and deburring. The two ends of a bent metal ring are joined together to form a closed loop using resistance welding. For example, a flash voltage of 310±30V is used for welding.

[0052] Step S6, Heat Treatment. The welded chain is placed in an induction furnace for heat treatment. The monitoring and control methods for the heat treatment process allow for precise control, improving the pass rate of the mechanical properties of the ring chain after heat treatment and reducing the dispersion of performance indicators within the acceptable range. This is because the heating indicator temperature of the ring chain is closely related to the test results of the mechanical properties after heat treatment, making it easier to find optimal process parameters for the heat treatment, thus significantly improving the pass rate of the mechanical properties after heat treatment. The quenching temperature is 920℃ for the shoulder and 770℃ for the straight edge; the tempering temperature is 400℃ for the shoulder and 480℃ for the straight edge.

[0053] Step S7, Tensile Straightening. The heat-treated chain is fed into a fully automatic tensile straightening machine for tensile straightening to improve the performance of the heat-treated chain. Tensile straightening is performed in a single pass, with the tensile load set at 75-80% of the breaking load.

[0054] Step S8, Inspection and Warehousing. The chain links are inspected through tensile breaking load test, bending test, impact test and fatigue test. After meeting the standards, they are subjected to anti-corrosion treatment and finally put into warehousing.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment also provides a method for controlling the consistency of chain braiding dimensions, which belongs to the chain braiding process in the ring chain production process. Before normal chain braiding, at least the following steps are performed:

[0056] Step S311: Preset the target temperature to be heated.

[0057] Step S312: Heat the braided core.

[0058] Step S313: Measure the actual temperature of the braided core in real time.

[0059] Step S314: Compare the actual temperature with the target temperature: If the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, continue heating, i.e., continue to execute step S312; If the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, stop heating or keep warm, i.e., execute step S315.

[0060] Step S315: Once the actual temperature equals the target temperature, proceed with normal chain weaving.

[0061] The implementation of the above control method relies on certain devices. The following example illustrates the implementation of the control method using a temperature controller, a temperature sensor, and an induction heater. For example... Figure 3As shown, the temperature controller 1 includes a control panel 11, a storage unit 12, a processing unit 13, a control unit 14, and a circuit board 15. The control panel 11 has a display screen (touchscreen or mechanical keyboard) where target temperature, power, time, etc., are input, and displays the target temperature, actual temperature, etc. The storage unit 12 stores the target temperature, power, time, etc., input from the control panel 11. The processing unit 13 compares the target temperature and the actual temperature, and issues a continue heating command, a stop heating command, or a heat preservation command based on the comparison result. The control unit 14 is similar to the controller in existing temperature controllers, controlling the on / off state of the circuit. The circuit board 15 has rectification, filtering, and inverter frequency modulation functions (corresponding to rectifier circuit 151, filter circuit 152, and inverter circuit 153), and has a heating circuit 154 and a heat preservation circuit 155. The heating circuit 154 and the heat preservation circuit 155 are controlled by the control unit 14 to be switched on and off, wherein the output power of the heat preservation circuit 155 is lower than the output power of the heating circuit 154. The temperature sensor 2 can be a resistance temperature detector (RTD), thermocouple, infrared sensor, etc. The induction heater 3 is essentially a coil encased in insulation material.

[0062] like Figure 4 As shown, a method for controlling the consistency of braided chain dimensions is implemented using a temperature controller, temperature sensor, and induction heater. The specific steps include:

[0063] Step S321: Preset the target heating temperature on the temperature controller. Input the target temperature on the control panel of the temperature controller using the touch screen or mechanical keyboard, then confirm and store the target temperature in the storage unit of the temperature controller.

[0064] Step S322: The induction heater is energized to induction heat the braided core. The power supply provides AC power at industrial frequency to the circuit board of the temperature controller; the circuit board rectifies, filters, and inverts the AC power into high-frequency AC power of 16-30kHz; under the control of the temperature controller's control unit, the heating circuit of the circuit board closes to supply high-frequency AC power to the coil of the induction heater; the coil carrying the high-frequency AC power generates a changing magnetic field, and the metal conductor braided core is placed in the magnetic field, generating circulating currents, i.e., eddy currents, through electromagnetic induction. Under the action of the eddy currents, the metal braided core is heated, thus achieving the heating of the braided core.

[0065] Step S323: The temperature sensor measures the core temperature in real time and transmits the measured actual temperature to the temperature controller.

[0066] In step S324, the processing unit compares the actual temperature with the target temperature. If the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, proceed to step S322; if the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, proceed to step S325. Specifically, the temperature controller's processing unit retrieves the target temperature stored in the storage unit and compares the actual temperature with the target temperature within the processing unit. Based on the result that the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, the temperature controller's processing unit issues a continue heating command. The temperature controller's control unit receives the continue heating command, without disconnecting the heating circuit of the circuit board or switching the heating circuit to the heat preservation circuit. The coil continues to receive high-frequency AC power from the heating circuit, thus continuing to heat the core. Based on the result that the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, the temperature controller's processing unit issues a stop heating command or a heat preservation command. The temperature controller's control unit receives the stop heating command and disconnects the heating circuit of the circuit board, at which point the core no longer heats up. The temperature controller's control unit receives the heat preservation command and switches the heating circuit of the circuit board to the heat preservation circuit. At this time, the coil receives high-frequency AC power from the heat preservation circuit to preserve the core.

[0067] Step S325: Perform normal chaining.

[0068] The chain link size consistency control method and production process provided in this embodiment include a chain link size consistency control method. First, a target temperature is preset, then the core is heated to the target temperature before normal chain linking. Preheating the core ensures that the core and the bar stock are at similar temperatures, resulting in minimal heat conduction after contact between the bar stock and the core, preventing a significant drop in the temperature of the inner side of the bar stock. When the bar stock is bent, the similar temperatures of the inner and outer sides significantly reduce thermal stress, leading to minimal stress release during cooling. This avoids the problem of greater internal deformation than external deformation, thus preventing issues such as a slightly larger lower V-shaped opening, a slightly smaller upper V-shaped opening, a smaller chain link spacing, and a slightly larger outer width in the initial chain link formation. This greatly improves the consistency of the chain link size. Adjustments can be made in subsequent welding processes, effectively improving work efficiency and reducing the difficulty of quality assurance. Statistical results show that before adopting this technology, the chain dimensional consistency rate (within the allowable tolerance range) was 91.3%, while after adopting this technology, the chain dimensional consistency can reach over 98%. At the same time, it significantly reduces the labor consumption for subsequent welding adjustments. Data shows that before adopting this method, welding a 50-meter chain took 3.5 hours, while after improving the chain dimensional quality, welding a 50-meter chain only takes 2.3 hours, increasing production efficiency by 34%.

[0069] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of controlling chain stitch size consistency, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: presetting a target temperature to be heated in a temperature controller; turning on an induction heater to inductively heat the core; a temperature sensor measures the actual temperature of the core in real time and transmits the measured actual temperature to the temperature controller; comparing the actual temperature with the target temperature, if the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, the induction heater continues to heat, if the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, the induction heater stops heating or enters a low-power holding mode; normal braiding; if the actual temperature is less than the target temperature, the induction heater continues to heat, specifically comprising the following steps: the processing unit of the temperature controller issues a continue-to-heat instruction based on the result that the actual temperature is less than the target temperature; the control unit of the temperature controller receives the continue-to-heat instruction and does not disconnect the heating circuit of the circuit board nor switch the heating circuit of the circuit board to the holding circuit; the coil continues to receive the high-frequency alternating current from the heating circuit to heat the core; if the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature, the induction heater stops heating or enters a low-power holding mode, specifically comprising the following steps: the processing unit of the temperature controller issues a stop-heating instruction or a holding instruction based on the result that the actual temperature is equal to the target temperature; the control unit of the temperature controller receives the stop-heating instruction to disconnect the heating circuit of the circuit board, or the control unit of the temperature controller receives the holding instruction to switch the heating circuit of the circuit board to the holding circuit, at this time, the coil receives the high-frequency alternating current from the holding circuit to hold the core, wherein the output power of the holding circuit is lower than that of the heating circuit.

2. The chain sizing consistency control method according to claim 1, wherein presetting a target temperature to be heated in a temperature controller, specifically comprising the following steps: inputting the target temperature in the control panel of the temperature controller by using a touch screen or a mechanical keyboard; storing the target temperature in the storage unit of the temperature controller.

3. The chain sizing consistency control method of claim 1, wherein turning on an induction heater to inductively heat the core, specifically comprising the following steps: a power supply supplies a power-frequency alternating current to the circuit board of the temperature controller; the circuit board rectifies, filters and inverts the power-frequency alternating current into a high-frequency alternating current of 16-30 KHz; under the action of the control unit of the temperature controller, the heating circuit of the circuit board is closed to supply the high-frequency alternating current to the coil of the induction heater; the coil with the high-frequency alternating current generates a changing magnetic field, the metal conductor core is in the magnetic field, a circulating current is generated by the electromagnetic induction effect, and the metal core is heated and warmed up.

4. The chain sizing consistency control method of claim 1, wherein comparing the actual temperature with the target temperature, specifically comprising the following steps: the processing unit of the temperature controller calls the target temperature stored in the storage unit; the processing unit of the temperature controller compares the actual temperature with the target temperature.

5. A production process of a ring chain including a blanking, a chain weaving, a shot blasting, a welding, a heat treatment, and a stretch correction process, characterized by, The braiding process comprises the control method according to any one of claims 1-4.

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