Aluminum alloy wheel gravity casting system

Abstract

The application discloses an aluminum alloy wheel hub gravity casting system, which comprises at least two casting machines, which are arranged on the ground of a factory building at intervals; a first mechanical arm unit and a second mechanical arm unit are arranged on the ground on one side of the two casting machines; a shaft ring loading and heating mechanism is arranged on the side opposite to the casting machines of the two mechanical arm units, and is used for automatic loading and heating treatment of the shaft ring used for wheel hub casting; a filter screen separation and forming mechanism is arranged on the same side of the shaft ring loading and heating mechanism and is arranged at intervals from the shaft ring loading and heating mechanism, and is used for automatically stamping the separated filter screen into a funnel shape; the first mechanical arm unit can rotate in a horizontal circumferential direction, and the at least two casting machines, the shaft ring loading and heating mechanism and the filter screen separation and forming mechanism are located in or on a circular track formed by the circumferential rotation of the first mechanical arm unit. The unmanned casting system has high automation degree and can realize automatic long-time batch processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of gravity casting equipment for aluminum alloy wheels, and specifically relates to a gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheels. Background Technology

[0002] Wheel hubs are important exterior and safety components of automobiles. Gravity casting machines are an indispensable piece of equipment in the aluminum alloy casting industry. Their principle involves allowing molten metal to flow into a metal mold cavity under gravity, where it then cools to obtain the casting.

[0003] Currently, during production, one person is required to operate two gravity casting machines for aluminum alloy automotive wheel hubs. Each casting requires the addition of molten aluminum, which must be filtered through a filter screen before being added to the mold. The filter screen needs to be replaced promptly. Two filter screens are required for each casting: one is placed in a funnel used to guide the molten aluminum into the casting mold, and the other, along with a screen holder, is placed in the upper mold of the casting mold. The filter screen placed in the upper mold along with the screen holder needs to be punched into a funnel shape first. However, in the current production process, the feeding (including filter screen separation, stamping into a funnel shape and placing it into the casting mold along with the screen holder, and placing the filter screen into the funnel) and unloading (removing the filter screen from the funnel), the unloading of the wheel hub after casting, and the feeding of the steel rims (shaft rims) used in the wheel hub are all done manually. Operators need to move back and forth between two casting machines. Removing the filter screen is quite laborious. Therefore, not only is the production efficiency low, the production cycle long, and the labor intensity high, but it is also time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, the casting working environment is poor, molten aluminum may splash, and the temperature of the newly cast wheel hub is relatively high, posing certain safety hazards. If one person is responsible for one casting machine, there is a waste of manpower, resulting in increased labor costs.

[0004] Before the molten aluminum is poured into the mold, the shaft ring needs to be heated before being placed into the mold. Current practice typically involves manually picking the shaft ring directly from its placement position, heating it in a heating device, and then manually placing it into the mold. This method has the following drawbacks: 1. Manually picking the shaft ring is inefficient and labor-intensive; 2. The shaft ring occupies a large area, resulting in low space utilization; 3. Manually picking the heated shaft ring, due to its high temperature, may pose a safety hazard.

[0005] In the casting process, the forming, placement, and removal of the filter screens from the funnel are all done manually. Specifically, a stack of filter screens is first separated one by one, and then an awl is used to shape the screens into a funnel shape before placing them into the gravity casting machine. In other words, in current wheel hub gravity casting technology, the separation and forming of the filter screens are all done manually. This method also suffers from high labor intensity, low production efficiency, and safety hazards.

[0006] In addition, riser replenishment is usually required during casting. The current operation involves workers using clamps to hold a replenishment cup filled with molten aluminum from a casting robot, and then adding an appropriate amount of molten aluminum as needed after the aluminum is poured. However, this manual replenishment method also suffers from high labor intensity and low production efficiency.

[0007] In summary, existing gravity casting systems for aluminum alloy wheels rely entirely on manual labor, making automated, long-term batch processing impossible. Furthermore, the production quality depends on human experience, leading to inconsistent product quality. Additionally, the high temperature of molten aluminum poses a safety hazard, as it can easily explode and injure operators. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a highly automated gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheels to address these technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheels.

[0009] The technical solution of this invention is:

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheels, comprising:

[0011] At least two casting machines are set up at intervals on the factory floor, and each casting machine has an upper mold and a lower mold;

[0012] Two robotic arm units are installed on the ground on one side of the two casting machines, respectively, which are implemented as the first robotic arm unit and the second robotic arm unit. The first robotic arm unit is used to perform wheel hub unloading, mesh support loading and unloading, and shaft ring loading, while the second robotic arm unit is used to perform riser replenishment.

[0013] The shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism is located on the side of the two robotic arm units opposite to the casting machine, and is used for automatic feeding and heating treatment of shaft rings used in wheel hub casting.

[0014] The filter screen separation and forming mechanism is located on the same side as the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism and is spaced apart from the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism. It is used to automatically press the filter screen into a funnel shape after separation.

[0015] The first robotic arm unit can rotate horizontally, and at least two casting machines, a shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism, and a filter screen separation and forming mechanism are located within or on the circular trajectory formed by the circumferential rotation of the first robotic arm unit.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0017] The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs of this invention employs a filter screen separation and forming mechanism to replace manual filter screen separation and stamping. A filter screen loading and heating mechanism stores and heats the wheel rings. A first robotic arm unit enables automatic loading and unloading of the filter screens, automatic loading of the wheel rings, and automatic unloading of the wheel hubs. A second robotic arm unit enables automatic liquid replenishment of the riser. A push rod mechanism enables automatic removal of the filter screens and filter residue. This achieves unmanned operation and a high degree of automation in the casting system, enabling automated batch processing over extended periods. It solves the problems of low efficiency, high strength requirements, and safety hazards inherent in existing aluminum alloy casting systems that rely entirely on manual operation. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of two robotic arm units in the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first robotic arm unit of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the gripper mechanism;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the first gripper mechanism and the mounting plate of the middle gripper mechanism;

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the mounting plate and the first mounting base of the middle gripping mechanism;

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the mounting plate of the middle gripper mechanism, the second gripper mechanism, and the funnel;

[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the third gripper mechanism in the middle gripper mechanism;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the axle ring feeding and heating mechanism of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 for Figure 9A schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism of the central shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism;

[0029] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A partially enlarged structural diagram of section A in the middle;

[0030] Figure 12 for Figure 10 A magnified schematic diagram of a portion of section B in the middle;

[0031] Figure 13 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the material buffer mechanism and gripping mechanism of the central shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism;

[0032] Figure 14 for Figure 13 A magnified schematic diagram of a portion of the central C section;

[0033] Figure 15 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the fourth gripper mechanism of the feeding and heating mechanism of the central shaft ring;

[0034] Figure 16 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the worktable and heating device of the central shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism;

[0035] Figure 17 for Figure 16 A partially enlarged structural diagram of section D in the middle;

[0036] Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the filter screen separation and forming mechanism of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 19 for Figure 18 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the motion mechanism, filter separation mechanism, and filter forming mechanism of the middle filter screen separation and forming mechanism;

[0038] Figure 20 for Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the feeding mechanism of the middle filter screen separation and forming mechanism;

[0039] Figure 21 for Figure 20 The structural diagram of the material container is omitted.

[0040] Figure 22 for Figure 20 Schematic diagram of the structure of the medium-capacity feed cylinder;

[0041] Figure 23 for Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the positioning disc in the filter screen forming mechanism of the middle filter screen separation and forming mechanism;

[0042] Figure 24 for Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the worktable surface of the second body of the middle filter screen separation and forming mechanism;

[0043] Figure 25 for Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism of the forming position of the middle filter screen separation forming mechanism;

[0044] Figure 26 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second robotic arm unit of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 27 This is a schematic diagram of the casting machine of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 28 for Figure 27 A magnified schematic diagram of a portion of the structure in section E.

[0047] The components include: 1. Casting machine; 11. Upper mold; 111. Mounting rod; 112. Fixing plate; 113. Top rod; 114. Detection sensor; 12. Lower mold; 2. First robotic arm unit; 21. First robotic arm; 22. Gripping mechanism; 220. Mounting plate; 2201. First mounting surface; 2202. Second mounting surface; 2203. Mounting hole; 221. First gripper mechanism; 2211. First gripper component; 22111. First gripper body; 22112. Bay; 22113. Recessed structure; 22114. Notch; 2212. First driving component; 2213. Guide mechanism; 22131. Guide rail; 22132. Slider; 2214. First mounting base; 22141. First clearance opening; 2 22. Second gripper mechanism; 2220. Second mounting base; 2221. Second gripper component; 2222. Second drive component; 223. Third gripper mechanism; 2230. Third mounting base; 2231. Third gripper component; 22310. Clamping part; 22311. First arc-shaped part; 22312. Second arc-shaped part; 2232. Third drive component; 224. Funnel; 2240. Fourth mounting base; 2241. Horizontal connecting rod; 3. Second robotic arm unit; 31. Second robotic arm; 32. Fixing ring; 321. Lateral connecting rod; 41. First body; 411. First worktable; 412. Lateral clearance groove; 413. Support plate; 414. Longitudinal clearance groove; 42. Gripping mechanism; 420. Vertical support column ; 421. First horizontal mounting base plate; 422. First horizontal slide rail; 423. First horizontal slider; 424. Fourth gripper mechanism; 4241. Gripper cylinder; 4242. Gripper body; 425. First vertical telescopic mechanism; 426. First horizontal mounting plate; 427. Second vertical telescopic mechanism; 428. First positioning mating block; 429. Connecting plate; 43. Picking mechanism; 431. Vertical mounting base plate; 432. Vertical slide rail; 433. Vertical slider; 434. Drive motor; 435. Horizontal support plate; 436. Transmission chain; 437. First positioning block; 4371. First positioning structure; 438. Second positioning block; 4381. Second positioning structure; 439. Second horizontal mounting base plate; 431 0. Second transverse slide rail; 4311. Second transverse slider; 4312. Second transverse mounting plate; 4313. Third vertical telescopic mechanism; 4314. Second positioning mating block; 4315. Third transverse mounting base plate; 4316. Third transverse guide rail; 4317. Position detection sensor; 44. Material buffer mechanism; 441. Positioning rod; 442. First photoelectric sensor; 443. Second photoelectric sensor; 45. Heating mechanism; 450. Support frame; 451. Heating device; 452. Lifting cylinder; 453. Lifting platform; 454. Fixed seat; 51. Second machine body; 510. Worktable surface; 5101. First through hole; 5102. Second through hole; 51021. Second clearance opening; 511. Separation position;512. Forming position; 513. Rotating position; 52. Motion mechanism; 520. Cross arm; 521. Rotating mechanism; 5211. Rotary motor; 5212. Turntable; 522. Second lifting mechanism; 53. Filter screen separation mechanism; 531. Needle suction cup; 532. First vertical drive mechanism; 54. Filter screen forming mechanism; 541. Punch mechanism; 5411. Punch rod; 5412. Positioning disc; 54121. Clearance notch; 5412 2. Connecting hole; 5413. Buffer component; 542. Second vertical drive mechanism; 55. Feeding mechanism; 550. Mesh plate; 551. Material container; 5511. Axial clearance groove; 552. Lifting drive mechanism; 5521. Drive motor; 5522. Lead screw; 5523. Lead screw slider; 5524. Guide rod; 56. Lifting cylinder; 57. First detection camera; 58. Second detection camera; 6. Shaft ring; 7. Mesh support; 71. Punch. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the invention.

[0049] Example:

[0050] See Figures 1 to 28 The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to this invention includes at least two casting machines 1, two robotic arm units, a shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism 4, and a filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5. Figure 1 This is a top view of the casting system. Figure 1 The upper side shown is actually the rear side, and the lower side is actually the front side. See also Figure 1 In this embodiment of the invention, there are two casting machines 1, arranged alternately on the factory floor, one on the left and one on the right. Each casting machine 1 includes a casting mold consisting of an upper mold and a lower mold. The specific structure of the casting mold is not described or limited, but is a conventional structure of aluminum alloy wheel casting molds, which is easily known to those skilled in the art. As an alternative embodiment, the number of casting machines can also be other, such as three or four, with the other two casting machines arranged as follows: Figure 1 As shown on the left and right sides, the goal is simply to ensure that the first robotic arm unit 2 and the second robotic arm unit 3 can rotate to their respective positions. For example... Figure 1As shown, two robotic arm units are installed on the ground behind the two casting machines 1, positioned one in front of the other in the middle of the front side of the two casting machines. For ease of description and distinction, they are respectively implemented as a first robotic arm unit 2 and a second robotic arm unit 3. The first robotic arm unit 2 is used to perform wheel hub unloading, mesh support loading and unloading, and shaft ring loading, while the second robotic arm unit 3 is used to perform riser replenishment. To avoid interference between the first robotic arm unit 2 and the second robotic arm unit 3 during rotation, the height of the second robotic arm unit 3 is lower than that of the first robotic arm unit 2. The shaft ring loading and heating mechanism 4 is located on the side of the two robotic arm units opposite to the casting machine 1, and is used for automatic loading and heating of the shaft rings used in wheel hub casting. The filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5 is located on the same side as the shaft ring loading and heating mechanism 4 and is spaced apart from it, and is used to automatically press the filter screen into a funnel shape after separation. That is to say, the shaft ring loading and heating mechanism 4 and the filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5 are positioned on the left and right sides behind the two robotic arm units, i.e. Figure 1 As shown in the lower part. The first robotic arm unit 2 can rotate horizontally circumferentially, and at least two casting machines 1, the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism 4, and the filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5 are located within or on the circular trajectory formed by the circumferential rotation of the first robotic arm unit 2. That is to say, the first robotic arm unit 2 can rotate circumferentially at any angle around its mounting point in the horizontal plane, and the casting machines 1, the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism 4, and the filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5 are all on the rotation path of the first robotic arm unit 2. Therefore, the heated shaft ring can be placed into the casting machine from the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism 4 through the first robotic arm unit 2, and the stamped filter screen along with the screen holder can be transferred from the filter screen separation and forming mechanism 5 into any of the casting machines 1. At the same time, after casting is completed, the filter screen along with the screen holder can be removed from the casting machine 1 to replace the new filter screen for the next casting. In addition, the formed wheel hub can be removed from the casting machine 1 after casting is completed. As for the second robotic arm unit 3, its rotation angle is smaller than that of the first robotic arm unit 2. It only needs to be able to rotate and switch between the two casting machines 1 to ensure that when the two casting machines 1 are in use, the riser liquid can be replenished into the two casting machines 1 according to the actual situation.

[0051] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, see Figures 3 to 8The gripping mechanism of this invention includes a first robotic arm 21 and a gripping mechanism 22. The first robotic arm 21 is a conventional multi-degree-of-freedom industrial robot, such as a six-degree-of-freedom robot, used in industrial production. It can simulate the extension and bending of a human arm and perform actions such as flipping. Its specific structure is not described in detail or limited, and is not an innovation of this invention. The first robotic arm 21 is mounted on the ground between two casting machines 1 and can rotate horizontally around its mounting point. The two casting machines 1 fall within a circle with a radius equal to the length of the first robotic arm 21 when fully extended. This allows the gripping mechanism 22 on the first robotic arm 21 to freely switch between the two casting machines 1 and perform different loading and unloading operations under the drive of the first robotic arm 21. The gripper mechanism 22 is equipped with a first gripper mechanism 221 for removing the formed wheel hub (not shown) for unloading when the lower mold is opened after the wheel hub (not shown) is cast, a second gripper mechanism 222 for grabbing the funnel-shaped filter screen (not shown) together with the screen holder (not shown) and transferring it to the casting mold for loading, and a third gripper mechanism 223 for grabbing the shaft ring (not shown) and transferring it to the casting mold. The first gripper mechanism 221, the second gripper mechanism 222 and the third gripper mechanism 223 are all mounted and fixed on the execution end of the first robotic arm 21 by a mounting plate 220. Due to the large size of the wheel hub, to ensure sufficient space for the first gripper mechanism 221 to open and close, two surfaces in the thickness direction of the mounting plate 220 are respectively designated as the first mounting surface 2201 and the second mounting surface 2202. The first gripper mechanism 221 is installed on one of the first mounting surface 2201 and the second mounting surface 2202. The second gripper mechanism 222 and the third gripper mechanism 223 are spaced apart on the other surface of the first mounting surface 2201 and the second mounting surface 2202, thus achieving a reasonable arrangement and installation of the three gripper mechanisms and avoiding mutual interference when the three grippers move. The structure is simple and compact, realizing automatic loading and unloading of filter screens, wheel hubs, and shaft rings. It has a high degree of automation, greatly improves efficiency, and reduces the production cycle. Using the first robotic arm 21 to replace manual labor also avoids safety issues caused by high temperatures. It solves the problems of low efficiency, safety hazards, and wasted manpower caused by the use of manual labor in existing technologies.

[0052] The long side of the mounting plate 220 is as follows: Figure 5 The two sides shown are, in other words, along the left-right length direction, with the shorter side being as follows: Figure 5 The left and right sides shown are along the front-to-back direction (width), and the thickness is along the vertical direction (thickness direction, up-down). In this embodiment of the invention, for ease of description and distinction, the following terms are used: Figures 4 to 7The upper surface of the mounting plate 220 shown is the first mounting surface 2201, and the lower surface is the second mounting surface 2202. The first gripper mechanism 221 is mounted on the first mounting surface 2201, and the second gripper mechanism 222 and the third gripper mechanism 223 are mounted on the second mounting surface 2202.

[0053] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first gripper mechanism 221 includes two first gripper assemblies positioned opposite each other along the length of the mounting plate 220, i.e., left and right. Each first gripper assembly includes a first driving member 2212 and a first gripper component 2211 mounted on the driving end of the first driving member. The driving ends of the two first driving members 2212 are arranged opposite each other, i.e., as shown... Figure 5 The diagram shows two first driving members 2212, one with its driving end facing left and the other with its driving end facing right. When the driving ends of the two first driving members 2212 move towards each other (i.e., when they are close together), they can drive the two first gripper components 2211 to perform a clamping action. When the driving ends of the two first driving members 2212 move away from each other (i.e., when they are far apart), they can drive the two first gripper components 2211 to perform a releasing action. Preferably, the first driving member 2212 is a hydraulic cylinder, and the driving end is a hydraulic rod. Alternatively, the first driving member 2212 can also be a motor, and the driving end is a lead screw.

[0054] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first gripper mechanism 221 further includes a guide mechanism 2213. The guide mechanism 2213 includes a guide rail 22131 mounted on the mounting plate 220 and a slider 22132 slidably engaged on the guide rail 22131 and connected to the first gripper component 2211. The extension direction of the guide rail 22131 is parallel to the direction of motion of the driving end of any first driving component. There are two guide rails 22131, one in front of the other on the first mounting surface 2201 and extending in the left-right direction. Two first driving components 2212 are arranged between the two guide rails 22131, one on the left and one on the right. Each first gripper component 2211 corresponds to two sliders 22132. Each first gripper component 2211 includes a first gripper body 22111 and a base for mounting the first gripper body 22111. The base is fixedly mounted above the slider 22132, and the bottom end of the base is fixedly connected to the driving end of the first driving component 2212. The two gripper components have recessed ends that are opposite each other, forming a locking groove 22112 that matches the outer ring of the wheel hub.

[0055] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, in order to facilitate the installation and fixing of the two first driving members 2212, mounting grooves or mounting holes 2203 extending along the thickness direction are provided on the mounting plate 220 (e.g., Figure 6 As shown, the mounting hole 2203 is preferably oblong. The mounting groove or mounting hole 2203 is opposite to, i.e., within the mounting slot or mounting hole 2203. Figure 6The left and right ends are respectively provided with two L-shaped first mounting seats 2214. The horizontal part of the first mounting seat 2214 is fixedly connected to the second mounting surface 2202, and the vertical part has a U-shaped first clearance opening 22141. The driving ends of the two first driving members 2212 are respectively fixed on the vertical parts of the two first mounting seats 2214, and the driving ends pass through the U-shaped first clearance opening 22141 and extend outward. The setting of the mounting groove or mounting hole 2203 can not only reduce the weight of the entire gripper mechanism 22, but also facilitate the installation of the two first driving members 2212. That is to say, the two first driving members 2212 are partially located in the mounting groove or mounting hole 2203, which can also reduce the thickness of the entire gripper mechanism 22 to a certain extent and reduce its size.

[0056] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the second gripper mechanism 222 includes a second mounting base 2220, a second drive member 2222, and two second gripper components 2221. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the second mounting base 2220 is U-shaped and is installed at the bottom of the second mounting surface 2202, on the right end of the second mounting surface 2202, i.e., away from the execution end of the first robotic arm 21. The second drive member 2222 is mounted on the second mounting base 2220, with its drive end facing away from the first robotic arm 21 and the third gripper mechanism 223. Two second gripper components 2221 are mounted on the drive end of the second drive member 2222 and are positioned opposite each other along the width direction of the mounting plate 220, i.e., as shown in the figure. Figure 7 As shown in the diagram, in both the front and rear positions, the clamping portion 22310 of any second gripper component 2221 is provided with a recess that matches the outer ring of the mesh support. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the second gripper component 2221 is inverted L-shaped. A clamping block is provided at the bottom end of the second gripper component 2221. The width of the bottom end of the clamping block, that is, the distance between the front and rear surfaces, is greater than the top end, so that the clamping block is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. The bottom end of the recessed part forms a support platform. The recessed part is adapted to the outer ring of the net support. At the same time, the support leg can also support the net support when clamping, preventing the net support from falling.

[0057] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 7As shown, the gripper mechanism 22 also includes a funnel 224 disposed on the mounting plate 220. The funnel 224 is disposed at the end of the mounting plate 220 away from the first robotic arm 21 and is fixedly connected to the fourth mounting seat 2240 fixed on the mounting plate 220 via a horizontal connecting rod 2241. The funnel 224 can be used to prevent the filter screen from being poured into the mold after filtration. This further increases the functionality of the gripper mechanism 22. Since the second gripper mechanism 222 is disposed at the right end of the mounting plate 220, the installation of the funnel 224 is inconvenient. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the fourth mounting seat 2240 and the second mounting seat 2220 are arranged side by side along the width direction of the mounting plate 220, i.e. Figure 7 As shown, one is positioned at the front and one at the back on the mounting plate 220 at the end furthest from the first robotic arm 21, i.e. Figure 7 The right end of the mounting plate 220 shown, and the bottom surface of the fourth mounting base 2240 is higher than the top surface of the second gripper component 2221. The horizontal connecting rod 2241 and the funnel 224 both avoid the action path of the second gripper component 2221, so that there is no interference between the second gripper mechanism 222 performing gripping and the funnel 224. The structural design is reasonable.

[0058] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 and Figure 8 As shown, the third gripper mechanism 223 is installed at the bottom center of the second mounting surface 2202 of the mounting plate 220. The third gripper mechanism 223 includes a third mounting base 2230, a third driving member 2232, and two third gripper components 2231. Figure 8 As shown, the third mounting base 2230 is U-shaped and spans the bottom of the mounting hole 2203. The third driving member 2232 is mounted on the third mounting base 2230, with its driving end facing the second gripper mechanism 222. Two third gripper components 2231 are mounted on the driving ends of the third driving member 2232 and extend along the width direction of the mounting plate 220, i.e., as shown... Figure 6 The two are arranged in a front-to-back configuration. The inner wall of the clamping portion 22310 of any third gripper component 2231 has a first arcuate portion 22311 that matches the outer ring of the shaft ring, and / or the outer wall of the clamping portion 22310 has a second arcuate portion 22312 that matches the inner ring of the shaft ring. That is, as shown... Figure 8 As shown, the thickness of the bottom end of any third gripper component 2231 is less than the thickness of the top end, and the inner wall surface of the bottom end is an outwardly curved arc, and the outer wall surface is also an outwardly curved arc. With this design, it can perform both gripping of the outer wall and gripping of the inner wall of the shaft ring. It can also use the first arc portion 22311 or the second arc portion 22312 to grip shaft rings of different sizes, which is highly adaptable.

[0059] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the second gripper mechanism 222 and the third gripper mechanism 223 are both conventional pneumatic grippers available on the market. As an alternative embodiment, the second gripper mechanism 222 and the third gripper mechanism 223 may also be conventional electric grippers available on the market.

[0060] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figures 9 to 17 As shown, the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism includes a first body 41, a material buffer mechanism 44, a gripping mechanism 42, a lifting mechanism 43, and a heating mechanism 45. The first body 41 consists of, as shown in the diagram... Figure 9 The worktable consists of two parts, left and right. The worktable itself is also composed of two worktables, left and right. The right worktable (described as the second worktable for ease of description and distinction) is higher than the first worktable 411 (described as the first worktable 411 for ease of description and distinction). The material buffer station is located on the first worktable 411, and the heating station is located on the right worktable. A material buffer mechanism 44 is installed at the material buffer station, and a heating mechanism 45 is installed at the heating station. The loading station is located at a predetermined position above the material buffer station, specifically at the top of the positioning rod 441, and the unloading station is located at a predetermined position above the heating station, i.e., at the lifting position of the lifting platform. Specifically, the area above the material buffer mechanism 44 is as follows... Figure 9 The rear gripping mechanism 42 shown can move laterally to switch between the loading and unloading stations. A lifting mechanism 43 is located behind the material buffer mechanism 44. The lifting mechanism 43 moves vertically up and down to lift the shaft ring 6 to be heated from the material buffer station to the loading station. Then, the gripping mechanism 42 grips the shaft ring 6 and moves it to the unloading station. Finally, the first lifting mechanism at the heating mechanism 45 lowers the shaft ring 6 from the unloading station to the heating station, where the heating mechanism 45 heats the shaft ring 6 according to process requirements. Temporarily storing the shaft ring 6 at the material buffer station solves the problem of the large area occupied by the shaft ring 6 in existing technologies. The automatic loading and unloading of the shaft ring 6 using the lifting mechanism 43, gripping mechanism 42, and lifting mechanism solves the problems of low efficiency, high labor intensity, and safety hazards caused by manual handling of the shaft ring 6 in existing technologies, greatly improving production efficiency and reducing labor costs.

[0061] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the material buffering mechanism 44 includes at least two opposing and spaced-apart positioning rods 441 at the material buffering station of the first body 41, extending vertically upward to the loading station. That is, the top of the positioning rods 441 is the aforementioned loading station. The at least two positioning rods 441 define a buffer space for at least two shaft rings 6 to be stacked. The radial dimension of the buffer space is slightly larger than the size of the shaft rings 6 to be heated, serving a limiting function to prevent the shaft rings 6 from tipping over when stacked, while not affecting the subsequent lifting mechanism 43's ability to lift the shaft rings 6 to the loading station. Specifically, as... Figure 9 As shown, the material buffer mechanism 44 includes four positioning rods 441, which are arranged in a circular pattern to define a cylindrical material buffer space. Multiple shaft rings 6 are stacked together and placed within the material buffer space. The inner wall of the positioning rods 441 is clearance-fitted with the outer ring of the shaft ring 6. The distance between the two positioning rods 441 facing the lifting mechanism 43 is greater than the distance between any two adjacent positioning rods 441, providing sufficient clearance for the lifting mechanism 43's lifting movement. The lifting mechanism 43 can extend from the gap between the two positioning rods 441 facing it to the bottom of the shaft ring 6. The bottom of the lifting mechanism 43 extends through to the bottom of the first worktable 411. Therefore, a clearance opening is provided on the first workbench 411 for the vertical lifting mechanism 43 to move vertically. In use, the lifting mechanism 43 is positioned below the clearance opening on the workbench. Then, the shaft rings 6 are stacked and placed in the buffer space. When feeding is required, the lifting mechanism 43 rises, lifting the stacked shaft rings 6 together so that the topmost shaft ring 6 reaches the feeding station. After the shaft rings 6 at the feeding station are picked up by the gripping mechanism 42 and moved to the unloading station and heating station, the lifting mechanism 43 lifts them upwards again so that the topmost shaft ring 6 reaches the feeding station. This continues until all shaft rings 6 in the buffer space are fed. Then, the lifting mechanism 43 descends to reset, and the worker replenishes the buffer space with shaft rings 6. To facilitate timely detection and replenishment of shaft rings 6 in the buffer space, photoelectric sensors (such as...) can be installed at the top and bottom of the side of the material buffer mechanism 44. Figure 14 The material buffer mechanism 44 uses a first photoelectric sensor 442 and a second photoelectric sensor 443 to detect the presence of shaft rings 6 in the buffer space and can be connected to an alarm to alert workers to replenish them promptly. Multiple positioning rods 441 are used to construct the material buffer mechanism 44, resulting in a simple structure and low cost. Preferably, as shown... Figure 9As shown, multiple material buffer mechanisms 44 are spaced apart along the length of the first workbench 411, i.e., from left to right or right to left. Each material buffer mechanism 44 consists of four circumferentially spaced positioning rods 441. Each material buffer mechanism 44 defines a buffer space. By setting multiple material buffer mechanisms 44, multiple shaft rings 6 can be stored at once, increasing the storage space of shaft rings 6, reducing the frequency of material replenishment, and improving production efficiency. In order to facilitate the picking mechanism 43 to pick up and load shaft rings 6 in each material buffer space one by one, the picking mechanism 43 can be set to be movable in the lateral direction like the gripping mechanism 42, or a picking mechanism 43 can be set on the rear side of each material buffer mechanism 44. In order to reduce the complexity of the structure, only one picking mechanism 43 can be set and the picking mechanism 43 can be set to be movable in the lateral direction. Correspondingly, a lateral clearance groove 412 for the picking mechanism 43 to move is set on the left workbench. The lateral clearance groove 412 is arranged in the lateral direction as shown in the figure. Figure 9 The left and right directions shown are opened on the first workbench 411.

[0062] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the retrieval mechanism 43 includes a vertical mounting base plate 431, a tray driving mechanism, a vertical slide rail 432, and a horizontal tray 435. For example... Figures 10 to 12 As shown, a vertical mounting base plate 431 is vertically mounted on the worktable. The bottom end of the worktable passes through the aforementioned clearance opening or transverse clearance groove 412 and extends downward to the bottom of the first worktable 411. A first transmission gear is provided at the bottom end of the vertical mounting base plate 431, and a second transmission gear is provided at the top end. The pallet driving mechanism includes a drive motor 434 and a transmission chain 436. The drive motor 434 is connected to the first transmission gear, and the transmission chain 436 is connected to both the first and second transmission gears. A vertical slide rail 432 is vertically mounted on the vertical mounting base plate, specifically on the end face of the vertical mounting base plate facing the material buffer mechanism 44. A transverse pallet 435 extends into the buffer space facing the material buffer mechanism 44 and is slidably engaged with the vertical slide rail 432 via a vertical slider 433. The vertical slider 433 is fixedly connected to the transmission chain 436. The drive motor 434 drives the first transmission gear, which in turn drives the second transmission gear and the transmission chain 436 for transmission, similar to the structure of a bicycle chain and sprocket. The vertical slider 433 is fixed to the transmission chain 436 and can move vertically up and down following the transmission chain 436. The structure is conventional and simple. As an alternative embodiment, the pallet drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism 43 can also be other structures well known to those skilled in the art, such as motor and lead screw drive mechanisms. Preferably, as shown in the figure... Figure 11As shown, a positioning detection sensor 4317 is also provided on one side of the top of the vertical mounting base plate 431. The positioning detection sensor 4317 is electrically connected to the drive motor 434. When the horizontal support plate 435 reaches the top of the vertical mounting base plate 431, the positioning detection sensor 4317 feeds back a signal to the drive motor 434. The drive motor 434 receives the signal and controls the stop of the support plate from continuing to lift.

[0063] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the gripping mechanism 42 includes a first horizontal mounting base plate 421, a first vertical telescopic mechanism 425, and a fourth gripper mechanism 424. Specifically, as shown... Figures 13 to 14 As shown, the first horizontal mounting base plate 421 is mounted on the first worktable 411 via a vertical support column 420, and the first horizontal mounting base plate 421 has a section extending from the loading station to the unloading station, i.e. Figure 9 The first horizontal slide rail 422 is shown from left to right. The first vertical telescopic mechanism 425 (preferably a pneumatic cylinder, but also an electric or hydraulic cylinder) slides on the first horizontal slide rail 422 via the first horizontal slider 423, with its telescopic end pointing vertically downwards. The fourth gripper mechanism 424 is installed at the telescopic end of the first vertical telescopic mechanism 425. The fourth gripper mechanism 424 can be driven downwards into the buffer space or upwards out of the buffer space by the telescopic movement of the first vertical telescopic mechanism 425. The fourth gripper mechanism 424 can be vertically raised and lowered to prevent collisions with the top of the material buffer mechanism 44 and the lifting mechanism at the unloading station during movement. When the fourth gripper mechanism 424 moves, it is appropriately raised so that its bottom end can avoid collisions with the top of the material buffer mechanism 44 and the lifting mechanism at the unloading station. The fourth gripper mechanism 424 can be a conventional three-jaw pneumatically driven gripper; the specific structure is not described or limited further. Figure 15 As shown, each gripper body 4242 is U-shaped with its bottom length shorter than its top length. Driven by the gripper cylinder 4241 at the top, the three gripper bodies 4242 synchronously contract or expand radially to achieve clamping or releasing. As an alternative embodiment, the fourth gripper mechanism 424 can also be a conventional electric gripper.

[0064] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, since the gripping mechanism 42 is movable, when it reaches one of the loading stations, in order to ensure that the fourth gripper mechanism 424 can correspond to the loading station at the material buffer mechanism 44 and not misalign with the loading station when the gripper descends, a first positioning block 437 is provided at the top of the vertical mounting base plate 431 of the holding mechanism 43. The top surface of the first positioning block 437 is provided with a first positioning structure 4371 that is recessed downwards or protruding upwards. Figure 14As shown, the first positioning structure 4371 on the first positioning block 437 is a downwardly protruding triangular positioning cone. Correspondingly, a second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 (such as a cylinder) with its telescopic end extending vertically downward is installed on the first horizontal slider 423. A first positioning mating block 428 is installed on the telescopic end of the second vertical telescopic mechanism 427. The bottom surface of the first positioning mating block 428 is provided with a first positioning mating structure that is either concave upward or convex downward, matching the first positioning structure 4371. Figure 11 As shown, the first positioning and mating structure is a downwardly recessed triangular positioning groove. The first positioning and mating block 428 can be driven by the telescopic end of the second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 to engage or disengage with the first positioning block 437. Before the gripping mechanism 42 reaches above the corresponding material buffer mechanism 44 to grip the shaft ring 6 from the loading station, the second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 drives the first positioning block 437 downward so that the first positioning structure 4371 engages with the first positioning and mating structure. The fourth gripper mechanism 424 is fixed together with the lifting mechanism 43. This not only ensures that the gripping mechanism 42 corresponds to the loading station, but also ensures that the gripping mechanism 42 is stable and does not slip when it descends to grip the shaft ring 6, thus preventing it from affecting the gripping operation. At this time, the gripping mechanism 42 can descend to the loading station to grip the shaft ring 6. After gripping, it rises, and then the second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 drives the first positioning block 437 upward to separate from the first positioning and mating block 428. Then, the fourth gripper mechanism 424 moves laterally to the unloading station. Similarly, preferably, when the lifting mechanism 43 is also laterally movable on the first body 41, a similar positioning mechanism is also provided at the bottom end of the lifting mechanism 43. Specifically, such as... Figure 12 As shown, a plurality of second positioning blocks 438 are spaced apart on the second transverse mounting base 439 along a direction parallel to the second transverse slide rail 4310. The top surface of each second positioning block 438 has a downwardly recessed or upwardly protruding second positioning structure 4381. A third vertical telescopic mechanism 4313, such as a cylinder, with its telescopic end extending vertically downwards is mounted on the second transverse slider 4311. A second positioning mating block 4314 is mounted on the telescopic end of the third vertical telescopic mechanism 4313. The bottom surface of the second positioning mating block 4314 has a downwardly protruding or upwardly recessed second positioning mating structure that matches the second positioning structure 4381. The second positioning mating block 4314 can be driven by the third vertical telescopic mechanism 4313 to engage or disengage with the second positioning block 438. The specifics are the same as above and will not be repeated. It should be noted that in this embodiment of the invention, the first vertical telescopic mechanism 425 and the second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 are not directly mounted on the first transverse slider 423. Specifically, as shown... Figure 15As shown, the first vertical telescopic mechanism 425 is fixed to a first horizontal mounting plate 426 that is fixedly connected to the first horizontal slider 423 via an L-shaped connecting plate 429. The second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 is directly fixed to the first horizontal mounting plate 426 and is located behind the first vertical telescopic mechanism 425.

[0065] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, since multiple material buffer mechanisms 44 are provided, and the retrieval mechanism 43 can slide laterally, in order to guide the lateral sliding of the retrieval mechanism 43, such as Figures 10 to 12 As shown, a second horizontal mounting base plate 439 is provided at the bottom of the first body 41. A second horizontal slide rail 4310 extending parallel to the first horizontal slide rail 422 is provided on the second horizontal mounting base plate 439. The bottom end of the vertical mounting base plate 431 is slidably engaged with the second horizontal slide rail 4310 via a second horizontal slider 4311. A drive motor 434 is mounted on the second horizontal slider 4311. More preferably, a third horizontal mounting base plate 4315 is also provided on the rear side of the top end of the vertical mounting base plate 431. A third horizontal guide rail 4316 extending parallel to the second horizontal slide rail 4310 is provided on the third horizontal mounting base plate 4315. The top end of the vertical mounting base plate 431 is slidably engaged with the third horizontal guide rail 4316 via a third horizontal slider. Figure 10 As shown, the second lateral slide rail 4310 of the second lateral mounting base 439 is mounted on the side of the second lateral mounting base 439 facing the material buffer mechanism 44, that is, as... Figure 10 The front side shown is shown, and the third transverse guide rail 4316 is mounted on the top surface of the third transverse mounting base 4315. The third transverse mounting base 4315 serves as both a guide and a support. Optimally, both the second transverse mounting base 439 and the third transverse mounting base 4315 are provided to guide the lateral movement of the lifting mechanism 43. Alternatively, only the second transverse mounting base 439 can be provided without the third transverse mounting base 4315. The second transverse mounting base 439 serves both as a mounting support for the bottom of the lifting mechanism 43 and as a guide for its lateral movement. It should be noted that the drive motor 434 and the third vertical telescopic mechanism 4313 are not directly fixed to the third transverse slider. Figure 12 As shown, a second horizontal mounting plate 4312 is provided at the top of the third horizontal slider. The drive motor 434 is horizontally mounted and fixed on the right side of the second horizontal mounting plate 4312 via a motor base. A second vertical telescopic mechanism 427 is connected to the left side of the second horizontal mounting plate 4312.

[0066] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 16 and Figure 17As shown, the workbench is also provided with multiple support plates 413 extending towards the transverse clearance groove 412. Adjacent support plates 413 have longitudinal clearance grooves 414 to allow the transverse support plate 435 to pass through. The support plates 413 support the shaft ring 6 to be heated, and the longitudinal clearance grooves 414 allow the transverse support plate 435 to pass through from bottom to top, lifting the shaft ring 6 placed on the support plate 413 to the loading station. Correspondingly, the transverse support plate 435 is configured in a Y-shape or U-shape to match the support plate 413.

[0067] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 16 As shown, the heating mechanism 45 consists of a heating device 451 and a first lifting mechanism. The heating device 451 is mounted on a support frame 450. Figure 9 On the right-hand workbench, also known as the second workbench, the support frame 450 has a channel in the middle. The heating device 451 is an induction heating coil. The channel corresponds to the through hole in the middle of the induction heating coil, which is the heating station. The lifting mechanism is vertically installed in the middle channel of the support frame 450, and the lifting cylinder 452 is fixed to the first workbench 411 by the fixed seat 454. The lifting rod of the lifting mechanism passes upward through the channel of the support frame 450 and the through hole in the middle of the induction heating coil, and a lifting platform 453 is installed on the top. The lifting platform 453 is used to support the shaft ring 6 to be heated. The lifting platform 453 is driven by the lifting rod to switch between the upper part of the induction heating coil, i.e., the unloading station, and the middle through hole of the induction heating coil, i.e., the heating station. It should be noted that a laser temperature sensor (not shown) can also be set to detect the temperature of the shaft ring 6. The laser temperature sensor is electrically connected to the heating device 451 and the lifting cylinder 452. When the temperature of the shaft ring 6 is heated to the set temperature, the heating is stopped and the lifting cylinder 452 drives the lifting platform 453 to rise, lifting the heated shaft ring 6 to the unloading station. Then, the heated shaft ring is transferred into the casting mold by the first robotic arm 21.

[0068] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figures 18 to 25As shown, the filter screen separation and forming mechanism includes a second body 51, a feeding mechanism 55, a motion mechanism 52, a filter screen separation mechanism 53, a filter screen forming mechanism 54, and a filter screen gripping mechanism 58. Specifically, the second body 51 has a separation position 511 for separating sheet-shaped filter screens, a forming position 512 for forming funnel-shaped filter screens, and a rotation position 513 located between the separation position 511 and the forming position 512. A screen holder 7 is pre-placed on the forming position 512. The feeding mechanism 55 includes a container cylinder 551 with its axis vertically arranged at the separation position 511 and having a cavity inside, and a lifting drive mechanism 552 located on the container cylinder 551 and movable along the axis of the container cylinder 551 to transport the sheet-shaped filter screen to be formed to the top of the container cylinder 551. The motion mechanism 52 is located at the rotation position 513 and includes a rotating mechanism 521 that moves horizontally around the rotation position 513 and a second lifting mechanism 522 located on the rotating mechanism 521 that can move vertically. A horizontally extending cross arm 520 is provided on one side of the top of the second lifting mechanism 522. The filter screen separation mechanism 53 is located at the bottom end of the cross arm 520 and can move vertically. It is used to pick up the sheet-like filter screens provided by the feeding mechanism 55 one by one and move them to the forming position 512 for stamping into a funnel shape. The filter screen forming mechanism 54 is also located at the bottom end of the cross arm 520 and is arranged opposite to the separation mechanism, i.e., as shown in the figure. Figure 19 The filter screen forming mechanism 54, shown in the diagram, can also move vertically up and down. Driven by the rotating mechanism 521, the filter screen separating mechanism 53 and the filter screen forming mechanism 54 repeatedly switch between the separating position 511 and the forming position 512. The formed filter screen and screen holder 7 at the forming position 512 are picked up and transferred to the next station, the gravity casting machine, by the first robotic arm unit 2. In other words, the action of transferring the formed filter screen to the gravity casting machine is performed by the first robotic arm unit 2. It should be noted that the removal of the screen holder 7 after casting is also performed by the first robotic arm unit 2. In summary, the automatic filter screen separation and forming mechanism of the gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs in this embodiment of the invention uses a feeding mechanism 55 to automatically feed the filter screen, a filter screen separation mechanism 53 to separate the stacked sheet-like filter screens and transfer them to the forming position 512, a filter screen forming mechanism 54 to press the filter screen into the required funnel shape, and a first robotic arm unit 2 to transfer the formed filter screen to the next station, namely the gravity casting machine. This realizes automatic separation, pressing, forming, and automatic loading and unloading of the filter screen, solving the problems of low efficiency and safety issues caused by manual operation of filter screen separation and forming in the prior art. It reduces labor costs and safety issues related to human presence, and greatly improves production efficiency.

[0069] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 22 As shown, the side wall of the material container 551 has a through-hole axial clearance groove 5511 extending along its axis, such as... Figure 21 As shown, a screen plate 550 for receiving the formed sheet filter screen is connected to the drive end of the lifting drive mechanism 552. The screen plate 550 passes through the axial clearance groove 5511 into the receiving cavity and can slide within the axial clearance groove 5511 under the drive of the lifting drive mechanism 552. Figure 21 As shown, the lifting drive mechanism 552 includes a drive motor 5521, a lead screw 5522 connected to the drive motor 5521 with its axis parallel to the axis of the material cylinder 551, and a lead screw slider 5523 threaded onto the lead screw 5522. The screen plate 550 is fixed on the lead screw slider 5523. The axis of the drive motor 5521 is arranged vertically, and the axis of the lead screw 5522 is also arranged vertically, with its bottom end meshing with the drive motor 5521 for transmission. The screen plate 550 is a circular plate with a hollow center that matches the shape of the filter screen, serving to support a stack of filter screens to be formed. Initially, the operator places a pile of filter screens into the container 551 and positions them on the screen plate 550. The screen plate 550 is initially at the bottom of the container 551. The filter screen separation mechanism 53 descends into the container 551 and grabs a filter screen. As the filter screen gradually decreases in height, the filter screen separation mechanism 53 struggles to grab it. Therefore, a lifting drive mechanism 552 is needed to drive the screen plate 550 upwards to raise the filter screen to a position where the filter screen separation mechanism 53 can grab it. The lifting and lowering of the screen plate 550 is achieved using a lead screw 5522 mechanism, which has a relatively simple structure and provides reliable and stable lifting. More preferably, the lifting drive mechanism 552 also includes a guide rod 5524 whose axis is parallel to the axis of the lead screw 5522. Figure 21 and Figure 22 As shown, two guide rods 5524 parallel to the lead screw 5522 are provided on both sides of the lead screw 5522. The middle part of the lead screw slider 5523 is threaded onto the lead screw 5522. At the same time, the two sides of the lead screw slider 5523 are also slidably engaged with the two guide rods 5524 respectively. The guide rods 5524 are used to guide and constrain the lifting and lowering of the lead screw slider 5523, ensuring the straightness of the lifting and lowering movement.

[0070] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, in order to facilitate the easy separation of stacked filter screens without damaging them, the filter screen separation mechanism 53 preferably adopts a needle-type suction cup separation mechanism in the prior art. That is, the filter screen separation mechanism 53 includes a needle-type suction cup 531 and a first vertical drive mechanism 532. The first vertical drive mechanism 532 is preferably a cylinder. The needle-type suction cup 531 is installed at the bottom of the telescopic rod of the first vertical drive mechanism 532, i.e., the cylinder. The needle-type suction cup 531 is driven by the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod of the cylinder to extend into or out of the top opening of the container 551 to grasp the filter screen and achieve filter screen separation. Using a suction method to grasp the filter screen can avoid deformation and damage to the filter screen caused by grasping the outer ring of the filter screen. More preferably, as Figure 18As shown, a first detection camera 57, such as a CCD industrial camera or a CMOS industrial camera, can be installed on the side of the second body 51. The first detection camera 57 is mounted on the second body via an inverted L-shaped mounting bracket and faces the filter separation mechanism 53. The industrial camera captures the number of filters picked up by the needle suction cup 531. The industrial camera will call the matching quantity recognition algorithm to calculate the number of filters picked up, preventing the needle suction cup 531 from picking up more than one filter at a time. If the number of filters is not one, the filters are usually thrown directly into the collection box and picked up again. Alternatively, the sensor can be omitted, and the suction force of the needle suction cup 531 can be adjusted directly. Specifically, the suction force of the needle suction cup 531 can only pick up one filter. When the number of filters exceeds one, such as two or three, the lower filters will automatically fall off due to insufficient suction force. Preferably, a buffer mechanism, such as a spring, can also be provided between the drive end of the first vertical drive mechanism 532 and the needle suction cup 531.

[0071] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 19 As shown, the filter screen forming mechanism 54 includes a punch mechanism 541 and a second vertical drive mechanism 542 (also a cylinder in this embodiment, where the axis of the telescopic rod of the second vertical drive mechanism 542 is parallel to the axis of the telescopic rod of the first vertical drive mechanism 532) that drives the punch mechanism 541 to move up and down. The punch mechanism 541 is located at the bottom end of the second vertical drive mechanism 542. The punch mechanism 541 includes a vertically extending punch rod 5411 installed at the bottom end of the second vertical drive mechanism 542, a positioning disc 5412 installed at the bottom of the punch rod 5411, and a buffer member 5413, such as a spring, sleeved on the punch rod 5411 with one end abutting against the second vertical drive mechanism 542 and the other end abutting against the top surface of the positioning disc 5412. The bottom end of the punch rod 5411 extends at least partially below the bottom end surface of the positioning disc 5412 to form a stamping portion. The dimensions and shape of the punching part are consistent with the size and shape of the hole in the middle of the mesh holder 7, and the punching part is preferably designed with an inverted conical shape so as to punch the filter screen into the required funnel shape. The punching part punches the middle part of the filter screen, which is placed flat on the mesh holder 7, downward into a funnel shape. The positioning disc 5412 is used to press and position the outer periphery of the filter screen to facilitate the punching of the middle part of the filter screen. The buffer 5413 is used to buffer the punching force of the punching rod 5411 to avoid excessive punching force that could damage the filter screen. It should be noted that a second detection camera 58, such as a CCD industrial camera or a CMOS industrial camera, is added next to or directly above the forming position 512 (preferably directly above the forming position 512 in the figure) to detect whether there is any residual filter screen on the mesh holder on the forming position 512. Figure 18 As shown, the second inspection camera 58 is mounted on one side of the second body 51 via an inverted L-shaped mounting bracket, and the second inspection camera 58 is directly above the molding position 512. In fact, Figure 18 The second detection camera 58 is not shown in the document. For ease of description, the applicant only indicated the location where the second detection camera 58 is installed. In fact, the second detection camera 58 is located in... Figure 18 The side facing away from the reader, i.e., the rear side, shown in the diagram, is obscured by the vertical mounting plate used to secure the second inspection camera 58. Specifically, before the filter screen is stamped, the accompanying second inspection camera 58 takes an image of the screen holder and calls the built-in foreign object detection algorithm to detect whether there are any residual filter screens on the screen holder. If a foreign object is detected, an alarm is triggered to prompt manual intervention to remove the residual filter screen, thus preventing adverse effects on the subsequent casting of the wheel hub aluminum liquid due to the residual filter screen.

[0072] In this embodiment of the invention, a vertical mounting plate (not shown) may be provided at the bottom of the cross arm 520, such as... Figure 19 As shown, a first vertical drive mechanism 532 and a second vertical drive mechanism 542 are respectively mounted on the front and rear surfaces of the mounting plate. Alternatively, the tops of the first vertical drive mechanism 532 and the second vertical drive mechanism 542 can be directly fixed to the bottom end of the cross arm 520.

[0073] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 19 and Figure 23 As shown, the positioning disc 5412 has a radially inwardly recessed clearance notch 54121 at one end near the needle suction cup 531, and the needle suction cup 531 is fitted within the clearance notch 54121. This design not only makes the filter separation mechanism 53 and the filter forming mechanism 54 more compact, but also guides the lifting and lowering movements of both. Figure 23 As shown, the positioning disc 5412 has a connecting hole 54122 in the middle, through which the stamping part of the punch 5411 passes and extends downward.

[0074] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 25 As shown, to facilitate the gripping of the filter screen into the casting mold after it is stamped at the forming position 512, a lifting cylinder 56 is provided at the forming position 512, and the screen holder 7 is placed above the lifting shaft of the lifting cylinder 56. Before stamping, the lifting cylinder 56 pushes out, and after the filter screen is placed on the screen holder 7, the lifting cylinder 56 lowers to make the upper surface of the screen holder 7 flush with the worktable surface. Then, the punch rod 5411 presses down, and the filter screen is stamped and formed by the punch hole 71 in the middle of the screen holder 7, making the filter screen funnel-shaped. After stamping, the lifting cylinder 56 rises to make the screen holder 7 higher than the worktable surface, and then the second gripper mechanism 222 can easily remove the screen holder 7 and the filter screen together from the forming position 512.

[0075] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 24As shown, the top surface of the second body 51 has a worktable surface, on which two through holes are spaced apart. One through hole is implemented as a separation position 511, and the other through hole is implemented as a forming position 512. The through hole implemented as the forming position 512 is also as shown in the figure. Figure 24 The inner wall of the through hole on the right side is provided with two opposing, radially outwardly extending second clearance openings 51021 for the filter screen gripping mechanism to extend into and grip the screen holder. That is to say, the lifting cylinder 56 can also be omitted. After the filter screen is stamped, the second gripper mechanism 222 can directly extend into the through hole of the forming position 512 and remove the screen holder together with the filter screen from the forming position 512 through the second clearance openings 51021.

[0076] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 26 As shown, the second robotic arm unit 3 includes a second robotic arm 31 and a transverse connecting rod 321 mounted on the execution end of the second robotic arm 31. The outer end of the transverse connecting rod 321 has a centrally hollowed-out fixing ring 32, which is used for the fixed installation of a replenishing cup (not shown). In use, the replenishing cup is fixed to the fixing ring 32. Then, the second robotic arm 31 drives the replenishing cup to the bottom of the receiving hopper (not shown, used to pour high-temperature molten aluminum into the funnel 224 and pour it into the casting mold) of the aluminum molten robot (not shown). When the receiving hopper pours molten aluminum into the funnel 224, it fills a cup for replenishing the riser. After filling, the second robotic arm 31 moves the replenishing cup outside the funnel 224 for later use. The receiving hopper continues to pour molten aluminum into the funnel 224 until casting is complete. After the molten aluminum cools and solidifies, the second robotic arm 31 drives the replenishing cup to the riser for replenishment as needed. It should be noted that the volume of the replenishment cup can be designed based on the maximum amount of replenishment from the riser based on production experience, so that multiple replenishments are not required.

[0077] According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as Figures 27 to 28 As shown, after the aluminum melt is filtered, the filter screen in funnel 224 cools and adheres to the inner wall of funnel 224. Before replacing the filter screen for the next casting, the used filter screen needs to be removed. Currently, workers manually remove it, which is difficult and inefficient. To solve this problem in this embodiment, a push rod is provided on one side of the upper mold for removing the filter screen from the funnel. Of course, the used filter screen can also be removed using this push rod. Specifically, as shown... Figure 28As shown, a horizontally extending mounting rod 111 is provided on the left side of the upper mold 11 template, and a top rod 113 is located at the bottom of the outer end of the mounting rod 111 and extends vertically downward. Preferably, an inverted L-shaped fixing plate 112 is also provided on the rear side of the top rod. The upper end of the fixing plate 112 is fixedly connected to the top of the outer end of the mounting rod 111, and a detection sensor 114 is also provided on the end face of the fixing plate 112 facing the top rod 113. The detection sensor 114 is electrically connected to the first robotic arm unit 2 and is used to detect the distance the first robotic arm 21 moves upward to avoid collision with the mounting rod 111. In the specific removal action, the first robotic arm 21 flips the funnel 224 so that the aluminum liquid outlet of the funnel 224 faces upward. Then, the first robotic arm 21 drives the funnel 224 to move vertically upward, so that the top rod 113 pushes the filter screen and filter residue in the funnel 224 downward and drops them out from the aluminum liquid inlet of the funnel 224. Figure 1 As shown, the ejector pins 113 on the upper molds of the two casting machines 1 are located on opposite sides, that is, the ejector pin 113 is located on the left side of the left casting machine 1, and the ejector pin 113 is located on the right side of the right casting machine 1. A filter screen collection mechanism (not shown) can also be installed at the bottom of the ejector pin 113.

[0078] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the invention, the filter screen is placed into the funnel by the first robotic arm 21 driving the funnel 224 to be placed into the bottom of the filter screen separation mechanism 53 and then continuing to move upward so that the filter screen is stuck in the funnel 224.

[0079] The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs in this invention employs a wheel hub feeding and heating mechanism to store the wheel hubs and heat them when needed, reducing the manual handling of the wheel hubs to the heating furnace and placement into the casting mold. A first robotic arm unit transfers the heated wheel hubs to the upper mold of the casting mold. A filter screen separation and forming mechanism separates the sheet-like filter screens and stamps them into a funnel shape, reducing the manual folding and separation of the filter screens. Specifically, the first robotic arm unit transfers the stamped filter screen, along with its support, to the upper mold of the casting mold. The mold opens, aligning the pouring port of the upper mold with the receiving hopper. The first robotic arm places the sheet-like filter screen into the funnel and positions the funnel above the pouring port of the casting mold. The first robotic arm then places the heated wheel hub into the mold. The mold closes, and the receiving hopper pours molten aluminum into the funnel. A replenishment cup collects one cup of molten aluminum for replenishing the riser. After casting is completed, the first robotic arm flips the funnel and moves it to the bottom of the push rod, using the push rod to eject the filter screen and filter residue. Next, the first robotic arm flips the mesh support, causing the funnel-shaped filter screen on it to also flip. The funnel-shaped filter screen can fall off automatically; if it doesn't fall off, it can be ejected by the push rod 113. Finally, after the wheel hub cools and solidifies, the upper mold opens, and the ejection mechanism in the lower mold ejects the wheel hub from the lower mold. The first robotic arm drives the first gripper mechanism to remove the formed wheel hub from the lower mold and place it in the wheel hub storage position. The other casting machine operates in the same way. Repeating the above actions enables continuous casting production of aluminum alloy wheel hubs. This achieves unmanned wheel hub casting with a high degree of automation, allowing for automatic long-term batch processing, greatly improving efficiency, reducing labor costs, and minimizing safety hazards associated with manual operation. It should be noted that the entire casting system also includes a PLC controller.

[0080] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention should be included within the protection scope of the invention. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs, characterized in that, include: At least two casting machines are set up at intervals on the factory floor, and each casting machine has an upper mold and a lower mold; Two robotic arm units are installed on the ground on one side of the two casting machines, respectively, which are implemented as the first robotic arm unit and the second robotic arm unit. The first robotic arm unit is used to perform wheel hub unloading, mesh support loading and unloading, and shaft ring loading, while the second robotic arm unit is used to perform riser replenishment. The shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism is located on the side of the two robotic arm units opposite to the casting machine, and is used for automatic feeding and heating treatment of shaft rings used in wheel hub casting. The filter screen separation and forming mechanism is located on the same side as the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism and is spaced apart from the shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism. It is used to automatically press the filter screen into a funnel shape after separation. The filter screen separation and forming mechanism includes: The second body has a separation position for separating sheet-like filter screens, a forming position for forming funnel-shaped filter screens, and a rotation position located between the separation position and the forming position. A screen holder is pre-placed on the forming position. The feeding mechanism includes a material cylinder with its axis vertically arranged at the separation position and having a cavity therein, and a lifting drive mechanism arranged on the material cylinder and movable along the axis of the material cylinder to transport the sheet filter screen to be formed to the top of the material cylinder. The motion mechanism is located at the rotation position and includes a rotation mechanism that moves horizontally around the rotation position and a second lifting mechanism that can move vertically up and down on the rotation mechanism. The top side of the second lifting mechanism is provided with a horizontally extending cross arm. The filter separation mechanism is located at the bottom end of the horizontal arm and can move vertically up and down. The filter screen forming mechanism is also located at the bottom end of the horizontal arm and is positioned opposite to the separation mechanism. The filter screen forming mechanism can also move vertically up and down. The filter screen separation mechanism and the filter screen forming mechanism switch above the separation position and the forming position under the drive of the rotating mechanism; The side wall of the container cylinder has an axial clearance groove that extends through it and along its axis. The drive end of the lifting drive mechanism is connected to a mesh plate for receiving the sheet filter screen to be formed. The mesh plate passes through the axial clearance groove and enters the receiving cavity and can slide in the axial clearance groove under the drive of the lifting drive mechanism. The lifting drive mechanism includes a drive motor, a lead screw connected to the drive motor and whose axis is parallel to the axis of the material cylinder, and a lead screw slider threadedly connected to the lead screw. The mesh plate is fixed on the lead screw slider. The lifting drive mechanism also includes a guide rod whose axis is parallel to the axis of the lead screw. The filter separation mechanism includes a needle suction cup and a first vertical drive mechanism that drives the needle suction cup to move up and down. The needle suction cup is located at the bottom end of the first vertical drive mechanism. The filter screen forming mechanism includes a punch mechanism and a second vertical drive mechanism that drives the punch mechanism to move up and down. The punch mechanism is located at the bottom end of the second vertical drive mechanism. The punch mechanism includes a vertically extending punch rod installed at the bottom end of the second drive mechanism, a positioning disk installed at the bottom of the punch rod, and a buffer member sleeved on the punch rod, with one end abutting against the second vertical drive mechanism and the other end abutting against the top surface of the positioning disk. The bottom end of the punch rod extends at least partially below the bottom end surface of the positioning disk to form a stamping part. The positioning disk has a radially inwardly recessed clearance notch at one end near the needle suction cup, and the needle suction cup is fitted into the clearance notch. The first robotic arm unit can rotate horizontally, and at least two casting machines, a shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism, and a filter screen separation and forming mechanism are located within or on the circular trajectory formed by the circumferential rotation of the first robotic arm unit.

2. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first robotic arm unit is equipped with a gripping mechanism on its execution end. The gripping mechanism includes a mounting plate. The two end faces of the mounting plate in the thickness direction are a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface, respectively. A first gripper mechanism for unloading wheel hubs is provided on one of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface. A second gripper mechanism for loading and unloading mesh supports and a third gripper mechanism for loading shaft rings are provided on the other of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface. The second gripper mechanism and the third gripper mechanism are spaced apart.

3. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first gripper mechanism includes two first gripper assemblies facing each other along the length of the mounting plate, a first mounting base for fixing the first gripper assemblies, and a guide mechanism for guiding the clamping or releasing movements of the first gripper assemblies. Any first gripper assembly includes a first drive member and a first gripper component mounted on the drive end of the first drive assembly. When the drive ends of the two first drive members are arranged opposite to each other and the drive ends of the two first drive members move towards each other, the two first gripper components can be driven to perform a clamping action. When the drive ends of the two first drive members move opposite to each other, the two first gripper components can be driven to perform a releasing action. The guiding mechanism includes a guide rail mounted on the mounting plate and a slider that slides on the guide rail and is connected to the first gripper component; the extension direction of the guide rail is parallel to the direction of motion of the driving end of any of the first driving components. The mounting plate has a mounting groove or mounting hole extending along its thickness direction. Two first mounting seats are arranged opposite each other in the mounting groove or mounting hole. The driving ends of the two first driving members are respectively fixed on the two first mounting seats. The two first mounting seats are respectively provided with clearance openings for the driving ends of their respective first driving members to pass through and move. The second gripper mechanism and the third gripper mechanism are both pneumatic grippers or electric grippers and are fixed to the second mounting surface of the mounting plate by the second mounting base and the third mounting base, respectively.

4. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheels according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting plate is also provided with a funnel for filtering the molten aluminum poured into the mold at one end away from the first robotic arm unit. The funnel is fixedly connected to a fourth mounting base fixed on the mounting plate by a horizontal connecting rod. The fourth mounting base and the second mounting base are arranged side by side along the width direction of the mounting plate at the end of the mounting plate away from the first robotic arm unit, and the bottom surface of the fourth mounting base is higher than the top surface of the second gripper mechanism. The horizontal connecting rod and the funnel both avoid the movement path of the second gripper mechanism.

5. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaft ring feeding and heating mechanism includes: The first machine body has a worktable, on which there are a heating station and a material buffer station. The material buffer station is directly above the material loading station, and the heating station is directly above the material unloading station. At least one material buffer mechanism is provided at the material buffer station for storing the shaft rings to be heated; The gripping mechanism is mounted on the first machine body and located above the material buffer station and the heating station, and can move back and forth between the loading station and the unloading station. The lifting mechanism, which is vertically movable and mounted on the first machine body and located on one side of the material buffer mechanism, is used to lift the shaft ring to be heated at the material buffer station to the loading station. A heating mechanism is provided at the heating station and includes a first lifting mechanism that can be vertically lifted to lower the shaft ring to be heated from the unloading station to the heating station.

6. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 5, characterized in that, The material buffering mechanism includes at least two positioning rods that are opposite to each other and spaced apart at the material buffering station of the first machine body and extend vertically upward to the feeding station. The at least two positioning rods define a buffering space for at least two shaft rings to be stacked. The retrieval mechanism includes: A vertically mounted base plate is set vertically on the worktable, with a first transmission gear at its bottom and a second transmission gear at its top. A pallet driving mechanism includes a drive motor and a transmission chain. The drive motor is connected to the first transmission gear, and the transmission chain is connected to the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear. A vertical slide rail is mounted vertically on the vertical mounting base plate; A horizontal support plate, which slides on the vertical slide rail via a vertical slider, extends into the buffer space. The vertical slider is fixedly connected to the transmission chain; The grasping mechanism includes: The first horizontal mounting base plate is mounted on the workbench by a vertical support frame, and is provided with a first horizontal slide rail extending from the loading station to the unloading station. The first vertical telescopic mechanism is slidably engaged with the first horizontal slide rail by a first horizontal slider, and its telescopic end is vertically downward. The fourth gripper mechanism is installed at the telescopic end of the first vertical telescopic mechanism. The fourth gripper mechanism can be driven by the telescopic movement of the first vertical telescopic mechanism to extend downward into the buffer space or move upward out of the buffer space.

7. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 6, characterized in that, The machine body is also provided with a transverse clearance groove, and the lifting mechanism can move along the transverse clearance groove to approach or move away from the heating station. The top of the vertical mounting base plate is provided with a first positioning block, and the top surface of the first positioning block is provided with a first positioning structure that is recessed downward or protruded upward. The first horizontal slider is equipped with a second vertical telescopic mechanism with its telescopic end extending vertically downward. The telescopic end of the second vertical telescopic mechanism is equipped with a first positioning and fitting block. The bottom surface of the first positioning and fitting block is provided with a first positioning and fitting structure that is recessed upward or protruded downward and matches the first positioning structure. The first positioning and fitting block can be driven by the telescopic end of the second vertical telescopic mechanism to engage or disengage with the first positioning block. A second horizontal mounting base plate is provided at the bottom of the first body. The second horizontal mounting base plate is provided with a second horizontal slide rail extending in a direction parallel to the first horizontal slide rail. The bottom end of the vertical mounting base plate is slidably engaged with the second horizontal slide rail via a second horizontal slider. The drive motor is mounted on the second horizontal slider. The workbench is provided with a longitudinal clearance groove at the material buffer station to avoid the transverse tray. The longitudinal clearance groove is connected to the transverse clearance groove and a support plate for shaft ring support is defined between two adjacent longitudinal clearance grooves. The heating station and the material buffer station are spaced apart along the length of the machine body. Along the length of the first machine body, at least two material buffering mechanisms are spaced apart at the material buffer station, and each material buffering mechanism corresponds to a support plate. The second horizontal mounting base plate is provided with a plurality of second positioning blocks spaced apart along a direction parallel to the second horizontal slide rail, and the top surface of the second positioning block is provided with a second positioning structure that is recessed downward or protruded upward. The second horizontal slider is equipped with a third vertical telescopic mechanism with its telescopic end pointing downwards. The telescopic end of the third vertical telescopic mechanism is equipped with a second positioning and fitting block. The bottom surface of the second positioning and fitting block is provided with a second positioning and fitting structure that protrudes downwards or is recessed upwards and matches the second positioning structure. The second positioning and fitting block can be driven by the third vertical telescopic mechanism to engage or disengage with the second positioning block. Each material buffer mechanism corresponds to a second positioning structure and a second positioning cooperation structure; The top rear side of the vertical mounting base plate is also provided with a third horizontal mounting base plate. The third horizontal mounting base plate is provided with a third horizontal guide rail whose extension direction is parallel to the second horizontal slide rail. The top of the vertical mounting base plate is slidably engaged with the third horizontal guide rail by a third horizontal slider.

8. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 1, characterized in that, On the second body and located on one side of the separation position, a first detection camera is also provided for detecting the number of filters grabbed by the filter separation mechanism; A second detection camera is also provided on one side of the second body and directly above the forming position for detecting whether there is any filter screen remaining on the mesh holder.

9. The gravity casting system for aluminum alloy wheel hubs according to claim 1, characterized in that, One side of the upper mold of any of the casting machines is also provided with a push rod extending vertically downward for ejecting the filter screen and filter residue in the funnel; A detection sensor is also provided on one side of the top rod, and the detection sensor is electrically connected to the first robotic arm unit.

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