Method of driving to take material

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of metal smelting, and particularly relates to a travelling crane material taking method. In the present application, the material taking system is low in layout cost, and only needs to be provided with a radar on the travelling crane, and the material pile information at all positions in the stock bin can be obtained by driving the displacement of the travelling crane. Before production operation is performed, the material pile information in the stock bin is obtained, so that the user can know the real-time information of the material, and guidance for the travelling crane material taking can be provided, so as to avoid interference between the travelling crane material taking process and the material pile. The travelling crane system can automatically perform material taking operation according to the given material taking information, and automatically realize material allocation operation, so that the production efficiency can be greatly improved under the premise of guaranteeing the personal safety of the operation personnel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of metal smelting technology, and specifically relates to a method for overhead crane material handling. Background Technology

[0002] In smelting plants, material silos typically require manual operation of cranes by workers to retrieve and load materials. Workers on the crane have poor visibility and frequently need to leave their positions to observe the grab's position before controlling it, resulting in low material retrieval efficiency. If another worker is dispatched to the silo to communicate and adjust the grab in real time with the crane operator, the grab is prone to swaying during startup, operation, and shutdown, potentially causing material to fall and compromising the safety of the worker inside the silo.

[0003] Chinese patent CN110562854A discloses an automatic control system for a combined storage silo crane. It includes a crane control system, whose input terminals receive signals from a vision system, positioning system, grab bucket weighing system, and material level monitoring system in the unloading silo. The crane control system outputs control signals to the trolley motor, gantry motor, grab bucket lifting motor, and grab bucket opening / closing motor. The vision system is located at the top of each unloading silo, dividing the material yard into a grid. It independently calculates the material surface height for each grid cell. The combined logistics system establishes a four-dimensional model of the material outline, simulating the material's shape in real time, receiving production instructions, and dispatching the crane closest to the target grab point to transfer materials. This approach involves a large number of vision systems, a large amount of data uploaded by the vision systems, high requirements for the signal transmission system, and high deployment and maintenance costs for the automatic control system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a crane material handling method that can achieve automatic material handling at low cost.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A method for handling materials by a crane.

[0007] A. Collecting material pile information: A crane is installed in the silo, and the crane is equipped with radar. The crane travels along its track to obtain material pile information in the silo.

[0008] B. User submits material collection information: Material collection information includes the material collection start point and the material feeding end point;

[0009] C. Enter the automatic material handling process: control the crane to move to the material handling starting point, and after handling the material, move to the material feeding end point to feed the material.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention has the following technical advantages: The deployment cost of the material handling system is low; only radar needs to be installed on the overhead crane to drive its movement, thus acquiring information on the material piles at various locations within the silo. Before production operations begin, the material pile information within the silo is obtained, which not only allows users to obtain real-time material information but also provides guidance for the overhead crane's material handling, avoiding interference between the crane and the material pile during the handling process. The overhead crane system can automatically perform material handling operations based on given handling information, automating material distribution and significantly improving production efficiency while ensuring the safety of operators. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The following is a brief explanation of the contents depicted in the accompanying drawings and the markings within them:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a top-view schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the radar detection range.

[0014] In the diagram: 10. Hopper, 20. Overhead crane, 20a. Safe travel range for the crane, 21. Trolley, 30. Radar. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through the description of the examples.

[0016] A method for handling materials by a crane.

[0017] A. Collecting material pile information; a crane 20 is installed inside the silo 10, and a radar 30 is installed on the crane 20. The crane 20 travels along its track to obtain material pile information inside the silo 10.

[0018] B. The user submits material collection information; the material collection information includes the material collection start point and the material feeding end point.

[0019] C. Enter the automatic material handling process; control the crane to move to the material handling starting point, and after handling the material, move to the material feeding end point to feed the material.

[0020] The radar 30 is mounted on the overhead crane 20. Before material handling, the crane 20 travels along its track to collect information on the material piles within the silo 10, including the location and volume of each pile, as well as the location and height of the highest point of each pile. This information provides the crane 20 with the basic data for material handling. During material handling, the user can determine the material quantity and the stacking status of the silo 10 based on the pile information and set the starting and ending points for material handling. The crane 20 then automatically performs the material handling operation under the control system.

[0021] In this embodiment, the hopper 10 is a rectangular hopper. The traveling crane 20 includes a large trolley 21 whose extension direction is parallel to the short side of the hopper 10. The large trolley 21 moves along the long side of the hopper 10. A small trolley is mounted on the large trolley 21, and the small trolley moves along the short side of the hopper 10 on the large trolley 21. That is, the traveling crane 20 includes a large trolley 21 whose displacement direction coincides with the long side of the hopper 10, and a small trolley whose displacement direction coincides with the short side of the hopper 10. A grab bucket is connected below the small trolley.

[0022] As attached Figure 1 , 2 As shown, two radars 30 are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the trolley 21. The lowest point of the signal acquisition range of the radar 30 is higher than the maximum stacking height of the material pile, and the safe driving range 20a is located within the signal acquisition area of ​​the radar 30.

[0023] Step A includes the following steps:

[0024] A1. After the radar 30 is powered on, the trolley 21 of the crane 20 is controlled to move along its track and collect all material pile information of the silo 10 within the travel range of the crane 20.

[0025] A2. When the trolley 21 of the traveling crane 20 is in motion, collect and update the material pile information in real time.

[0026] In other words, radar 30 moves synchronously with trolley 21. When trolley 21 moves, radar 30 synchronously collects and updates the material pile information in real time. This can update the material pile information in silo 10 with low energy consumption, thereby ensuring the real-time nature of the material pile information.

[0027] Furthermore, step A3 involves controlling the trolley 21 to travel along its track after a set time interval since its last displacement, collecting information on all material piles in the silo 10 within the travel range of the trolley 20. During the period when the trolley 21 is stationary, material may enter the silo 10. To promptly obtain information on changes in the material piles within the silo 10 and provide reliable material pile information for material retrieval, thus ensuring the reliability of the displacement path planning, the set time interval can be adjusted according to the actual material retrieval situation.

[0028] If there is one or more cranes 20 in the hopper 10, the hopper information of each crane 20 is synchronized in the same control system. Step A3 is that if the hopper information is not updated within a set time period, the adjacent crane 20 is driven to move and the hopper information is collected.

[0029] Due to production and maintenance needs, operators or vehicles need to enter the material hopper 10 for operations. To prevent safety accidents during the automatic operation of the overhead crane 20, during steps A and C, the radar 30 collects information below the overhead crane 20 in real time to determine whether there are personnel or vehicles within the safe range 20a. If personnel or vehicles enter the safe range 20a, the overhead crane 20 interrupts or terminates the material handling process. Operators can control the material handling process independently based on the information collected by the radar 30, or contact and wait for personnel or vehicles within the safe range 20a to leave before restarting the automatic material handling process of the overhead crane 20. To further ensure operational safety, if the information collected by the radar 30 determines that personnel or vehicles within the safe range 20a are moving away from the overhead crane 20, the overhead crane 20 downshifts, slows down, and stops, interrupting the material handling process; if the information collected by the radar 30 determines that personnel or vehicles within the safe range 20a are moving towards the overhead crane 20, the overhead crane 20 stops urgently and terminates the material handling process.

[0030] Because the crane 20 may experience interruptions or terminations in the material handling process due to safety risks, in step C, before initiating a new material handling operation and driving the crane 20 to move, it is necessary to determine the operating status of the crane 20. In this embodiment, step C includes step C0.

[0031] C0. Determine if the grab bucket is unloaded. If the grab bucket is unloaded, proceed to step C1. If the grab bucket is not unloaded, proceed to step C01.

[0032] C01. Determine if the grab bucket is above the highest point of the material pile. If the grab bucket is above the highest point of the material pile, proceed to step C02. If the grab bucket is below the highest point of the material pile, raise the grab bucket of the traveling crane 20 above the highest point of the material pile and then proceed to step C02. The highest point of the material pile mentioned here refers to the highest point of the material pile in the displacement path of the traveling crane 20.

[0033] C02, control the movement of the large trolley 21 and small trolley of the crane 20 to the feeding end point, the grab bucket descends to the feeding position and opens to feed the material, and the material collection process is completed.

[0034] Based on the material pile information collected in step A, the operator determines the amount of material in each pile and then submits the material retrieval information. In step C, to prevent interference with the material during the displacement of the crane 20, the lifting height of the grab bucket and the displacement of the crane 20 are controlled based on the information of the highest point of the material collected in step A.

[0035] Step C includes the following steps:

[0036] C1. Based on the material pile information obtained in step A, raise the grab bucket of the crane 20 to above the highest position of the material pile.

[0037] C2. Control the movement of the large trolley 21 and small trolley of the crane 20 to the material picking starting point;

[0038] C3. Control the grab bucket to open and descend to pick up material. After the grab bucket picks up material, maintain the grab bucket in the closed state and control the grab bucket to rise above the highest position of the current material pile.

[0039] C4. Control the movement of the large trolley 21 and small trolley of the crane 20 to the feeding endpoint, and the grab bucket opens to feed the material;

[0040] C5. Complete the material handling process.

[0041] The highest point of the material pile mentioned in step C1 refers to the highest point of the material pile within the hopper 10, between the location of the main trolley of the overhead crane 20 and the material collection starting point. The current highest position of the material pile mentioned in step C3 refers to the highest point of the material pile within the hopper 10, between the location of the main trolley of the overhead crane 20 and the material feeding endpoint.

[0042] To further shorten the material handling time, after receiving the material handling information submitted by the user, the trolley 21 can be moved first, and then the trolley and grab bucket of the traveling crane 20 can be moved to the material handling position while avoiding the highest point of the material pile, based on the material pile information. In other words, step C can be as follows:

[0043] C1. Based on the material pile information obtained in step A, drive the crane 20 to move towards the material picking starting point;

[0044] C2. While avoiding the highest point of the material pile, control the grab bucket to rise or fall to the material collection position and the trolley to move towards the material collection point;

[0045] C3. After the crane 20 moves to the material collection starting point, the grab bucket collects the material and maintains the grab bucket in a closed state. While the grab bucket rises, it drives the crane 20 to move towards the material feeding end point.

[0046] C4. While avoiding the highest point of the material pile, control the grab bucket to the feeding position and the trolley to move towards the feeding point;

[0047] C5. After the crane moves to the feeding endpoint, the grab bucket opens to feed the material, completing the material collection process.

[0048] This can save the time required for the 20-meter displacement of the vehicle, thereby improving material handling efficiency.

[0049] In step C2, the highest point of the material pile refers to the highest point of the material pile within the silo 10, between the location of the main trolley of the overhead crane 20 and the material collection starting point. In step C3, the current highest point of the material pile refers to the highest point of the material pile within the silo 10, between the location of the main trolley of the overhead crane 20 and the material feeding endpoint.

Claims

1. A method for taking materials by a travelling crane, characterized in that: Step A, collecting information of the material pile; A bin (10) is provided with a travelling crane (20), and a radar (30) is arranged on the travelling crane (20); the travelling crane (20) travels along its track to obtain the information of the material pile in the bin (10); Step B, a user submits information for taking materials; the information for taking materials includes a starting point for taking materials and a terminal point for feeding materials; Step C, entering an automatic taking process; the displacement of the travelling crane (20) is controlled to the starting point for taking materials, and after taking materials, the displacement of the travelling crane (20) is controlled to the terminal point for feeding materials to feed materials; during the execution of the steps A and C, the radar (30) collects information below the travelling crane (20) in real time to determine whether there is a person or vehicle in the safety range (20a) of the travelling crane (20); if a person or vehicle intrudes into the safety range (20a) of the travelling crane (20), the travelling crane (20) interrupts or terminates the taking process; if the person or vehicle in the safety range (20a) of the travelling crane (20) moves away from the travelling crane (20), the travelling crane (20) is decelerated and stopped to interrupt the taking process; if the person or vehicle in the safety range (20a) of the travelling crane (20) moves towards the travelling crane (20), the travelling crane (20) is stopped urgently and the taking process is terminated; the step C includes the following steps: Step C1, according to the information of the material pile collected in the step A, the grab bucket of the travelling crane (20) is lifted to above the highest position of the material pile; Step C2, the displacement of the crab (21) and the trolley of the travelling crane (20) is controlled to the starting point for taking materials; Step C3, the grab bucket is controlled to open and descend to take materials, and after the grab bucket takes materials, the grab bucket is maintained in a closed state and is lifted to above the highest position of the current material pile; Step C4, the displacement of the crab (21) and the trolley of the travelling crane (20) is controlled to the terminal point for feeding materials, and the grab bucket is controlled to open to feed materials; Step C5, the taking process is completed; the step C includes the following step C0 before the displacement of the travelling crane (20) is controlled: Step C0, it is determined whether the grab bucket is empty; if the grab bucket is empty, the step C1 is entered; if the grab bucket is not empty, the step C01 is entered; Step C01, it is determined whether the grab bucket is located above the highest position of the material pile; if the grab bucket is located above the highest position of the material pile, the step C02 is entered; if the grab bucket is lower than the highest position of the material pile, the grab bucket of the travelling crane (20) is lifted to above the highest position of the material pile, and then the step C02 is entered; Step C02, the displacement of the crab (21) and the trolley of the travelling crane (20) is controlled to the terminal point for feeding materials, the grab bucket is controlled to descend to the feeding position to open and feed materials, and the taking process is completed; the step A includes the following steps: A1, after the radar (30) is powered on, the displacement of the crab (21) of the travelling crane (20) along its track is controlled to collect all information of the material pile in the bin (10) within the travel range of the travelling crane (20); A2, when the crab (21) of the travelling crane (20) is displaced, the information of the material pile is collected and updated in real time; the step A includes the following step A3: after the crab (21) is stationary for a set time, the displacement of the crab (21) of the travelling crane (20) along its track is controlled to collect all information of the material pile in the bin (10) within the travel range of the travelling crane (20); 4. The method for taking materials by a travelling crane according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: ​ ​ ​ 3. The method of claim 2, wherein: ​ ​ C1, drive the crane (20) to the starting point of material taking according to the information of the stockpile collected in step A; C2, control the grab to rise or fall to the material taking point and the trolley to move to the material taking point under the premise of avoiding the highest point of the stockpile; C3, after the crane (20) moves to the starting point of material taking, the grab takes material and maintains the closed state of the grab, and the crane (20) moves to the ending point of material throwing while the grab rises; C4, control the grab to the material throwing point and the trolley to move to the material throwing point under the premise of avoiding the highest point of the stockpile; C5, after the crane (20) moves to the ending point of material throwing, the grab throws material and the material taking process is completed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: The stock bin (10) is a square bin, and the crane (20) includes a trolley (21) whose displacement direction is consistent with the long side direction of the stock bin (10), and the trolley (21) is provided with a trolley whose displacement direction is consistent with the short side direction of the stock bin (10); Two radars (30) are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the trolley (21), the lowest part of the signal collection range of the radar (30) is higher than the maximum value of the stacking height of the stockpile, and the crane safety range (20a) is located in the signal collection area of the radar (30).

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