Multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and system thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-robot cooperative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and system thereof, belong to circuit breaker assembly manufacturing technical field, unit includes part sorting station, pose adjustment station, automatic assembly station, loading cover separating station and finished product assembly station;Part sorting station includes part sorting carrier and part sorting robot;Pose adjustment station includes pose adjustment carrier and pose adjustment robot;Loading cover separating station includes circuit breaker carrier and loading cover separating mechanism;Automatic assembly station includes automatic assembly robot;Finished product assembly station includes finished product assembly robot and finished product conveying channel.System includes warehouse unit and multi-robot cooperative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit, warehouse unit includes shelf, storage box, collection box and mobile robot.By multi-robot cooperative mode, realize the full-automatic production process of circuit breaker from part loading to assembly manufacturing, again to finished product warehousing, suitable for the assembly production of different specifications circuit breaker products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of circuit breaker assembly and manufacturing technology, and in particular to a flexible assembly unit and system for multi-robot collaborative circuit breakers. Background Technology

[0002] Circuit breakers, as crucial components in power systems, provide overload protection, short-circuit protection, undervoltage protection, and leakage protection, playing a vital role in various industrial and civil sectors. Current circuit breaker manufacturing methods are mostly semi-automated or manual. Due to the complex internal structure and numerous parts of circuit breakers, existing manufacturing methods suffer from low precision and excessive redundancy. Furthermore, some automated and semi-automated production lines, constrained by rigid manufacturing processes, can only complete simple processes at a single workstation. The flexibility of critical assembly processes such as magnetic and thermal systems is low, resulting in excessively long overall production lines and increased equipment investment. Moreover, different specifications and models of circuit breakers have varying compositions and structures; rigid manufacturing processes can only produce and assemble single-specification parts and products, failing to meet the demands for efficient and flexible assembly of diverse parts and specifications.

[0003] To address this, a flexible assembly method has been proposed in the market, which utilizes industrial robots for assembly. Industrial robots are characterized by high flexibility and strong operability. Combining industrial robots with flexible assembly production can adapt to changing workshop environments, greatly saving costs and time. The process can be flexibly adjusted according to production needs, no longer limited to a single, single-specification assembly method, thus significantly improving assembly efficiency. Examples include the "Flexible Automated Assembly Manufacturing Process for Circuit Breakers and its Supporting Production Line" disclosed in patent number "202010002202.5" and the "Flexible Automated Assembly Manufacturing Process for Circuit Breakers and its Supporting Production Line" disclosed in patent number "201910072689.1". The former's solution can effectively handle the loading and assembly of small circuit breakers, while the latter provides a new approach to system construction by constructing a digital twin system to observe and optimize the robot's trajectory. However, both existing technologies and the two patents mentioned above have two problems: First, the design and optimization of the assembly process only target improvements and optimizations to certain parts of production. Circuit breaker manufacturing involves multiple stages, including material handling, assembly line production, and warehousing, especially the cross-coordination between these stages. Improving only from a single perspective, such as material handling or assembly lines, lacks a fully automated, systematic production process from material handling to production and from production to warehousing. Second, in the critical stage of flexible assembly of multiple parts, an independent robot production mode is adopted. Each robot needs to grasp, adjust the position, and assemble various different parts in sequence. Due to the large number of specifications and varieties of parts involved in circuit breaker products, coupled with the limitations of individual robot movement capabilities, the unit time consumption in this assembly stage is significant, resulting in an uneven production cycle and low efficiency, greatly restricting the overall production line's capacity and efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and provide a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and system. Through multi-robot collaboration, the circuit breaker achieves a fully automated production process from parts loading to assembly manufacturing and finished product warehousing. It can solve the problems of imperfect production process design and irregular production cycle in the existing circuit breaker assembly manufacturing process. It is suitable for efficient and flexible assembly production of circuit breaker products of different specifications, and can increase efficiency and reduce burden for enterprises.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention discloses a flexible assembly unit for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker, including a parts sorting station, a posture adjustment station, an automatic assembly station, a material loading and capping station, and a finished product assembly station.

[0006] The parts sorting station includes a parts sorting carrier that travels between the parts sorting station and the pose adjustment station, and a parts sorting robot that sorts the internal parts of the circuit breaker to the parts sorting carrier.

[0007] The pose adjustment station includes a pose adjustment carrier that travels between the pose adjustment station and the automatic assembly station, and a pose adjustment robot that picks up the internal parts on the parts sorting carrier and places them onto the pose adjustment carrier in a preset posture.

[0008] The loading and unloading station includes a circuit breaker carrier that travels between the loading and unloading station, the automatic assembly station, and the finished product assembly station, and a loading and unloading mechanism for placing the upper and lower casings of the circuit breaker onto the circuit breaker carrier in a preset posture.

[0009] The automated assembly station includes an automated assembly robot for installing internal parts on the posture adjustment carrier into the lower housing of the circuit breaker carrier.

[0010] The finished product assembly station includes a finished product assembly robot for assembling the upper housing and the lower housing on the circuit breaker carrier into a circuit breaker, and a finished product conveying channel for the finished product assembly robot to lower the circuit breaker.

[0011] Preferably, the system includes a parts conveying track and a parts return track for forward and reverse conveying along the conveying directions of the parts sorting station, the posture adjustment station, and the automatic assembly station. The parts sorting carrier and the posture adjustment carrier are both disposed on the parts return track. The parts sorting station includes a sorting return device for transferring the fully loaded parts sorting carrier to the parts conveying track. The posture adjustment station includes a first posture return device for transferring the unloaded parts sorting carrier to the parts return track and a second posture return device for transferring the fully loaded posture adjustment carrier to the parts conveying track. The automatic assembly station includes an assembly return device for transferring the unloaded posture adjustment carrier to the parts return track.

[0012] Preferably, the parts sorting station includes a parts feeding belt for the internal parts to be randomly placed, and the parts conveying track is provided with a parts interception mechanism for intercepting the internal parts.

[0013] Preferably, the pose adjustment robot includes a collaborative robotic arm for gripping the internal parts on the parts sorting carrier and adjusting its posture, and a main robotic arm for gripping the internal parts on the collaborative robotic arm and placing them on the pose adjustment carrier.

[0014] Preferably, the assembly includes an assembly conveying track and an assembly return track for forward and reverse conveying along the loading and unloading station, the automatic assembly station, and the finished product assembly station. The circuit breaker carrier is disposed on the assembly return track. The loading and unloading station includes a loading return device for transferring the fully loaded circuit breaker carrier to the assembly conveying track. The finished product assembly station includes a finished product return device for transferring the unloaded circuit breaker carrier to the assembly return track.

[0015] Preferably, the loading and unloading station includes a loading area for placing a storage box, the storage box containing the upper shell and the lower shell, the loading and unloading mechanism including a loading mechanism and an unloading mechanism, the loading mechanism including a shell conveying track and a gripping component for gripping the upper shell and the lower shell inside the storage box onto the shell conveying track, the shell conveying track being provided with a pushing device for pushing the upper shell and the lower shell over and an intercepting device blocking the shell conveying track, the unloading mechanism being used to grip the upper shell and the lower shell intercepted by the loading intercepting device onto the circuit breaker carrier.

[0016] Preferably, the parts sorting carrier has six placement stations, and the position adjustment carrier has five placement stations.

[0017] A flexible assembly system for multi-robot collaborative circuit breakers is also disclosed, including a storage unit and the aforementioned flexible assembly unit for multi-robot collaborative circuit breakers. The storage unit includes shelves for storing the upper housing, the lower housing, and finished circuit breakers, storage boxes for temporarily storing the upper housing and the lower housing, a collection box placed below the discharge end of the finished product conveying channel, and a mobile robot for transferring the storage box and the collection box.

[0018] Preferably, it includes a multi-robot collaborative control unit for manipulating the pose adjustment robot, the multi-robot collaborative control unit including a kinematic model module, a collaborative space analysis module, and a dual-arm trajectory optimization module.

[0019] Preferably, it includes a digital twin management unit for monitoring and managing the multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and the storage unit. The digital twin management unit includes a model optimization module, a kinematic control module, an algorithm optimization module, and a data interaction module.

[0020] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art:

[0021] 1. This invention provides a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit. Through multi-robot collaboration, the circuit breaker manufacturing process, from parts loading to assembly, is realized. In the parts sorting station, a parts sorting robot categorizes various parts to be assembled and places the sorted parts of the same category into a parts sorting carrier, which then transports them to the pose adjustment station. In the pose adjustment station, a pose adjustment robot adjusts the pose of different parts. A collaborative robotic arm randomly picks up each part to be assembled, and after adjusting the initial pose of the part to the target pose required for automated assembly through angular rotation, the main robotic arm picks up the part from the collaborative robotic arm and places it in the pose adjustment carrier. The components are conveyed to the parts assembly unit; the loading and cover-separating station places the unassembled lower and upper circuit breaker housings into the circuit breaker carrier and transfers them to the automatic assembly station; the automatic assembly station uses an automatic assembly robot to assemble the parts to be assembled in the posture adjustment carrier and the empty circuit breaker housing in the circuit breaker carrier into a complete circuit breaker; the assembled circuit breaker carrier is then transferred to the finished product assembly unit; the finished product assembly unit uses a finished product assembly robot to close the covers on the assembled circuit breakers in the circuit breaker carrier. The multi-robot collaborative flexible assembly unit uses a multi-robot collaborative operation method to achieve efficient and flexible assembly of various circuit breaker parts, solving the problem of excessive time consumption caused by key units in the existing operation process.

[0022] 2. The present invention provides a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system, including a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and a storage unit. The storage unit provides material loading and storage services and finished product warehousing services for multi-robot collaborative flexible assembly.

[0023] 3. The multi-robot collaborative control unit of the present invention mainly completes the collaborative control of multiple robots, performs forward and inverse kinematics analysis, collaborative space analysis and trajectory optimization for multiple robot arms, adjusts the pose of multiple parts of the circuit breaker under collaborative operation conditions, plans and designs the trajectory of the collaborative robot arm, and performs collaborative assembly operations according to the corresponding process.

[0024] 4. The digital twin management unit of this invention provides digital real-time monitoring and management functions for the entire multi-robot collaborative flexible assembly unit and warehousing unit. This unit mainly includes four parts: model processing and optimization, robot model control, algorithm optimization, and data interaction. This part achieves synchronous operation of the virtual and physical systems by building a digital twin system for the flexible assembly production line. Through the visualization service of the twin system, the production line can be monitored in real time, greatly ensuring production efficiency and safety, while realizing multi-robot collaborative optimization and improving the fully automated production capacity and level of circuit breaker flexible assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a multi-robot circuit breaker collaborative assembly system;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flexible assembly unit structure for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-robot collaborative control unit;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the warehouse unit structure;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a digital twin management unit;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the parts sorting carrier structure;

[0032] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the vehicle structure for posture adjustment;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit breaker carrier structure;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the movement paths of the collaborative robotic arm and the main robotic arm;

[0035] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating the data interaction connection between the physical workshop and the twin system;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the logical relationship in a logical judgment algorithm.

[0037] Figure labeling: 1. Multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit; 2. Multi-robot collaborative control unit; 3. Storage unit; 4. Digital twin management unit; 11. Parts sorting station; 12. Posture adjustment station; 13. Material loading and capping station; 14. Automatic assembly station; 15. Finished product assembly station; 16. Parts conveyor track; 17. Parts return track; 18. Assembly return track; 19. Assembly conveyor track; 21. Kinematic model module; 22. Collaborative space analysis module; 23. Dual-arm trajectory optimization module; 31. Storage box; 32. Shelf; 33. Mobile robot; 34. Collection box; 41. Model optimization module; 42. Kinematic control module; 43. Algorithm optimization module; 44. Data interaction module; 111. Parts sorting robot; 112. Parts loading conveyor belt; 113. 114. Sorting and return device; 115. Parts sorting carrier; 121. Parts interception mechanism; 122. Collaborative robotic arm; 123. Main robotic arm; 124. Position adjustment carrier; 125. First position return device; 131. Second position return device; 132. Circuit breaker carrier; 133. Loading return device; 134. Loading mechanism; 145. Covering mechanism; 146. Automatic assembly robot; 147. Assembly return device; 148. Assembly interception device; 159. Finished product assembly robot; 150. Finished product conveying channel; 151. Finished product return device; 1141. Magnetic component; 1142. Handle; 1143. Large U; 1144. Magnetic core; 1145. Magnetic yoke; 1146. Arc extinguishing chamber; 1311. Upper shell station; 1312. Lower shell station; 1313. Fixing device station. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only one embodiment of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] This embodiment provides a flexible assembly unit for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker, such as... Figures 1 to 11 As shown, it includes a parts sorting station 11, a position adjustment station 12, a material loading and cover-separating station 13, an automatic assembly station 14, and a finished product assembly station 15.

[0041] The parts sorting station 11 includes a parts sorting robot 111 and a parts sorting carrier 114. The parts sorting carrier 114 travels back and forth between the parts sorting station 11 and the position adjustment station 12. The parts sorting robot 111 is used to grab the various parts inside the circuit breaker onto the parts sorting carrier 114. When the parts sorting carrier 114 is fully loaded, it will transport the parts inside the circuit breaker to the position adjustment station 12. Then, when the parts sorting carrier 114 is empty, it will return to the parts sorting station 11 to be reloaded.

[0042] The pose adjustment station 12 includes a pose adjustment robot and a pose adjustment carrier 123. The pose adjustment robot is used to grasp the internal parts of the circuit breaker on the parts sorting carrier 114 and adjust the posture of each internal part, placing it on the pose adjustment carrier 123 according to the preset posture. The pose adjustment carrier 123 travels back and forth between the pose adjustment station 12 and the automatic assembly station 14. When fully loaded, the pose adjustment carrier 123 transports the internal parts of the circuit breaker after posture adjustment to the automatic assembly station 14, and then the unloaded pose adjustment carrier 123 is reloaded at the pose adjustment station 12.

[0043] The loading and unloading station 13 includes a loading and unloading mechanism and a circuit breaker carrier 131. The loading and unloading mechanism places the upper and lower housings of the circuit breaker onto the circuit breaker carrier 131 according to a preset posture. The circuit breaker carrier 131 travels between the loading and unloading station 13, the automatic assembly station 14, and the finished product assembly station 15. When fully loaded, the circuit breaker carrier 131 first delivers the upper and lower housings to the automatic assembly station 14 for the installation of the lower housing and the internal structure of the circuit breaker. Then, it delivers the installed lower and upper housings to the finished product assembly station 15 for the installation of the upper and lower housings. When unloaded, the circuit breaker carrier 131 returns to the loading and unloading station 13 to load the upper and lower housings.

[0044] The automated assembly station 14 includes an automated assembly robot 141, which is used to install internal parts on the position adjustment carrier 123 into the lower housing on the circuit breaker carrier 131, so that each internal part is assembled with the lower housing.

[0045] The finished product assembly station 15 includes a finished product assembly robot 151 and a finished product conveying channel 152. The finished product assembly robot 151 is used to assemble the lower and upper housings of the circuit breaker carrier 131 that are transported here to obtain finished circuit breakers, and to grab the finished circuit breakers onto the finished product conveying channel 152 for external delivery or temporary storage.

[0046] In this example, as Figures 1 to 11As shown, the system includes a parts conveying track 16 and a parts return track 17. The parts conveying track 16 and the parts return track 17 are parallel to each other and transport in opposite directions. The parts conveying track 16 transports parts along the directions of the parts sorting station 11, the posture adjustment station 12, and the automatic assembly station 14. The parts return track 17 transports parts along the directions of the automatic assembly station 14, the posture adjustment station 12, and the parts sorting station 11. Both the parts sorting carrier 114 and the posture adjustment carrier 123 are mounted on the parts return track 17.

[0047] The parts sorting station 11 includes a sorting return device 113, which can transfer the fully loaded parts sorting carrier 114 to the parts conveying track 16. Then, driven by the parts conveying track 16, the sorting return device 113 moves towards the posture adjustment station 12.

[0048] The pose adjustment station 12 includes a first pose return device 124 and a second pose return device 125. The first pose return device 124 can intercept the parts sorting carrier 114. After the pose adjustment robot has gripped all the internal parts of the circuit breaker onto the pose adjustment carrier 123, the first pose return device 124 will move the empty parts sorting carrier 114 to the parts return track 17 and then return to the parts sorting station 11 for reloading. The second pose return device 125 will then move the fully loaded pose adjustment carrier 123.

[0049] The automated assembly station 14 includes an assembly return device 142. The assembly return device 142 can intercept the posture adjustment carrier 123. After the automated assembly robot 141 installs all the internal parts on the posture adjustment carrier 123 onto the circuit breaker carrier 131, the assembly return device 142 will push the empty posture adjustment carrier 123 back to the part return track 17, and then return to the posture adjustment station 12 and be intercepted by the second posture return device 125.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the parts sorting station 11 includes a parts feeding belt 112, which is equipped with a parts interception mechanism 115. Internal circuit breaker parts are randomly placed onto the parts feeding belt 112. After the parts feeding belt 112 transports the internal parts to the parts sorting station 11, they are intercepted by the parts interception mechanism 115. Then, the parts sorting robot 111 sorts the internal parts onto the parts sorting carrier 114, which is located at the sorting return device 113. Preferably, the parts sorting robot 111 is a parallel robot connected in parallel with the parts feeding belt 112. The parts sorting robot 111 uses a visual algorithm to perform parts sorting operations on the circuit breaker parts transported by the parts feeding belt 112.

[0051] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 11As shown, the pose adjustment robot includes two robotic arms: a collaborative robotic arm 121 and a main robotic arm 122. The collaborative robotic arm 121 is responsible for picking up the internal parts on the parts sorting carrier 114 and changing the angle of the parts. Then, the main robotic arm 122 picks up the parts with the changed angle and places them on the pose adjustment carrier 123 in a preset posture.

[0052] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the assembly includes an assembly conveyor track 19 and an assembly return track 18. The assembly conveyor track 19 and the assembly return track 18 are parallel to each other and transport in opposite directions. The assembly conveyor track 19 transports materials along the directions of the loading and unloading station 13, the automatic assembly station 14, and the finished product assembly station 15, while the assembly return track 18 transports materials along the directions of the finished product assembly station 15, the automatic assembly station 14, and the loading and unloading station 13. The circuit breaker carrier 131 is mounted on the assembly return track 18.

[0053] The loading and unloading station 13 includes a loading return device 132. The loading return device 132 can intercept the circuit breaker carrier 131 on the assembly return track 18. After the upper and lower housings of the circuit breaker are loaded by the loading and unloading mechanism, the loading return device 132 transfers the fully loaded circuit breaker carrier 131 to the assembly conveying track 19.

[0054] The automated assembly station 14 includes an assembly interception device 143, which is set on the assembly conveyor track 19. The assembly interception device 143 can temporarily intercept the circuit breaker carrier 131 on the assembly conveyor track 19, and wait for the automated assembly robot 141 to install the internal parts of the circuit breaker on the posture adjustment carrier 123 onto the lower housing of the circuit breaker carrier 131. After that, the assembly interception device 143 will release the circuit breaker carrier 131 and it will continue to move towards the finished product assembly station 15.

[0055] The finished product assembly station 15 includes a finished product return device 153. The finished product return device 153 can intercept the circuit breaker carrier 131. After the finished product assembly robot 151 assembles the upper and lower shells on the circuit breaker carrier 131 into a finished circuit breaker and clamps it onto the finished product conveying channel 152, the finished product return device 153 can move the unloaded circuit breaker carrier 131 to the assembly return track 18. Then, driven by the assembly return track 18, the circuit breaker carrier 131 returns to the loading and unloading station 13.

[0056] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 11As shown, the loading and unloading station 13 includes a loading area for placing storage boxes 31, which contain upper and lower housings. The loading and unloading mechanism includes a loading mechanism 133 and an unloading mechanism 134. The loading mechanism 133 includes a housing conveying track and a gripping assembly. The gripping assembly grips the upper and lower housings from the storage boxes 31 onto the housing conveying track. The housing conveying track is equipped with a pushing device to knock down the upper and lower housings and an intercepting device that blocks the upper and lower housings. The unloading mechanism 134 grips the upper and lower housings intercepted by the loading intercepting device onto the circuit breaker carrier 131. Preferably, the gripping assembly mainly consists of a bracket, a gripper, and a sliding cylinder. The unloading mechanism 134 mainly consists of a bracket, a gripper, and a sliding cylinder. The pushing device mainly consists of a blocking mechanism and a bracket. The intercepting device consists of a blocking device and upper and lower sliding cylinders. Of course, the arrangement of the above components is not limited to the above structure; other arrangements are also possible as long as their respective functions can be achieved.

[0057] Because different types of circuit breakers have different numbers of internal parts, this embodiment provides a circuit breaker with six internal parts, specifically as follows: Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the parts sorting carrier 114 has six placement stations, each holding a magnetic component 1141, handle 1142, large U-shaped component 1143, magnetic core 1144, magnetic yoke 1145, and arc-extinguishing chamber 1146. The position adjustment carrier 123 has five placement stations, with the magnetic component 1141 and magnetic core 1144 placed in one station, and the remaining components (magnetic component 1141, handle 1142, large U-shaped component 1143, and arc-extinguishing chamber 1146) each placed in one station. The circuit breaker carrier 131 has three stations: upper housing station 1311, lower housing station 1312, and fixing device station 1313. The upper housing station 1311 is used to place the upper housing of the circuit breaker, the lower housing station 1312 is used to place the lower housing of the circuit breaker, and the fixing device station 1313 is equipped with a device to fix the lower housing to prevent the lower housing from shaking and causing errors during assembly.

[0058] Preferably, the end effector of the collaborative robotic arm 121 includes four grippers with different clamping distances. Different grippers with varying clamping distances are selected to grip the six components of the circuit breaker—magnetic assembly 1141, handle 1142, large U-shaped component 1143, magnetic core 1144, magnetic yoke 1145, and arc-extinguishing chamber 1146—depending on their different orientations and sizes. After the collaborative robotic arm 121 selects different grippers to grip the components on the sorting carrier 114 according to the different orientations of the components, it rotates the end effector to the required collaborative state. Similarly, the main robotic arm 122 rotates the grippers of its end effector to the corresponding angle to grasp the components on the collaborative robotic arm 121, completing the collaboration. After grasping the components, the main robotic arm 122 rotates them according to the required assembly orientation and then places them onto the orientation adjustment carrier 123 using its grippers.

[0059] Preferably, the automated assembly robot 141 has a four-axis robotic arm with flexible grippers. The four-axis robotic arm selects appropriate grippers for six different sizes of parts, and through rotation, grips and adjusts the positions of five circuit breaker parts: the magnetic system (magnetic assembly 1141 and magnetic core 1144), the large U 1143, the arc-extinguishing chamber 1146, the handle 1142, and the magnetic yoke 1145. These parts are then placed on the circuit breaker carrier 131 at the required assembly position on the lower casing of the circuit breaker. After assembly, the assembly interception device 143 releases, and the assembled circuit breaker carrier 131 is transferred to the finished product assembly station 15.

[0060] Preferably, the finished product assembly robot 151 also has a four-axis robotic arm, which is equipped with a flexible gripper. The flexible gripper consists of a sliding cylinder and a gripper, wherein the gripping distance of the gripper is designed according to the size of the circuit breaker.

[0061] In this embodiment, the sorting return device 113, the first posture return device 124, the second posture return device 125, the assembly return device 142, and the loading return device 132 are all composed of two parts: a pushing device and an intercepting device. The intercepting device is responsible for intercepting the carrier, and the pushing device is responsible for switching the carrier's transport track.

[0062] Example 2

[0063] This embodiment provides a flexible assembly system for multi-robot collaborative circuit breakers, such as... Figures 1 to 11As shown, the system includes the multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit 1 and the storage unit 3 as described in Embodiment 1. The storage unit 3 includes a storage box 31, a shelf 32, a mobile robot 33, and a collection box 34. The shelf 32 is used to store the upper housing, lower housing, and finished circuit breakers. The mobile robot 33 can grab the upper and lower housings from the shelf 32 and place them into the storage box 31, and then clamp the storage box 31 to the loading and unloading station 13. The collection box 34 is placed below the discharge end of the finished product conveying channel 152 to collect finished circuit breakers. When the collection box 34 is full, the mobile robot 33 can retrieve the collection box 34, grab the finished circuit breakers from the collection box 34 and place them on the shelf 32, and then the mobile robot 33 puts the empty collection box 34 back below the discharge end of the finished product conveying channel 152. Preferably, the mobile robot 33 includes a mobile chassis and a gripping robotic arm, which can be moved by the mobile chassis.

[0064] The orientation adjustment of circuit breaker components is crucial in the flexible assembly process. The orientation of components during loading is random, and existing methods relying on single robots are inefficient, hindering production cycle time and capacity improvement. Therefore, this embodiment... Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the system includes a multi-robot collaborative control unit 2. This unit includes a kinematic model module 21, a collaborative space analysis module 22, and a dual-arm trajectory optimization module 23. Both the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 of the pose adjustment robot are dual six-axis robotic arms. The multi-robot collaborative control unit 2 significantly improves assembly efficiency, reduces system production cycle time, and avoids collisions during collaboration by enhancing the collaboration between the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122. The specific process is as follows:

[0065] First, the mathematical models of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 are constructed using the kinematic model module 21, and their forward and inverse kinematics are analyzed. The position of the end effector is determined based on the joint changes, enabling it to assemble parts according to robot kinematic constraints. Then, the mathematical models of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 are constructed in the simulation using the collaborative space analysis module 22, and their operating space is analyzed. The feasibility of collaborative work is verified by judging the size of the collaborative space. Finally, in order to effectively complete the assembly of parts by the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122, the trajectories of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 are optimized using the dual-arm trajectory optimization module 23, enabling them to successfully reach the target point to grasp parts while avoiding obstacles.

[0066] Kinematics Model Module 21: Based on the circuit breaker assembly parts process, a suitable pose adjustment robot is selected. The robot's DH parameter table is obtained according to the robot model. A robot model is constructed based on the DH parameter table, and forward and inverse kinematics analyses are performed on the constructed robot model to achieve effective robot control. This allows the robot to assemble parts within kinematic constraints and provides a foundation for constructing its collaborative space model. The forward kinematics analysis involves sequentially transforming the robot arm from the first joint to the end effector joints on the robot arm base, solving for the actual positions that the robot's end effector can reach under the constraints of the assembly process. The inverse kinematics analysis involves deriving the joint angles of the robot arm from the Cartesian coordinates of the end effector on the robot arm base, ultimately obtaining the inverse kinematics solution of the robot arm's joints.

[0067] Collaborative Space Analysis Module 22: such as Figure 9 As shown, when the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 adjust the pose of a circuit breaker component in a random orientation, the starting points and paths of the main robotic arm 122 and the collaborative robotic arm 121 are different. However, since they need to cooperate in pose adjustment and circuit breaker assembly, there is a collaborative space between the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 for coordinated work. A reasonable collaborative space setting is crucial for the operation of the dual-arm robot, requiring it to avoid obstacles and successfully complete the task within the collaborative space. Maneuverability is an important indicator of robot flexibility; the greater the maneuverability, the higher the flexibility of the robotic arm, which is more beneficial for assembling circuit breaker components. To enable flexible and efficient assembly of circuit breaker components, it is necessary to analyze the spatial maneuverability of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122. By combining the operability of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 with the forward kinematics formula, and using the Monte Carlo method, the operating space of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 can be obtained. The intersection of the operating spaces of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 is the desired collaborative space. Analyzing the collaborative space is a prerequisite for ensuring the flexible operation of the robot, and also lays the foundation for subsequent trajectory planning.

[0068] Dual-arm trajectory optimization module 23: To achieve random posture adjustment of circuit breaker parts, the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 need to go through the processes of grasping, obstacle avoidance, cooperation, and assembly. There are three key points in these four processes, and the robotic arms need to reach these key points before performing related operations. These three key points are: the position of the collaborative robotic arm 121 when grasping circuit breaker parts in six random postures; the position when the dual arms cooperate to grasp the parts and complete the posture adjustment; and the position when the main robotic arm 122 assembles the parts according to the required posture after completing the cooperative grasp. Specifically, after grasping the parts, the collaborative robotic arm 121 needs to rotate its end effector to a cooperative working state, while the main robotic arm 122 cooperates to grasp the parts, and after completing the cooperation, places the parts into the carrier according to the required posture. During this process, the robotic arms need to reach the key points using the shortest path within the joint angle limits. During this process, the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 must not collide with each other during movement and are not allowed to encounter obstacles such as the part carrier. To address the challenges encountered by the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 in adjusting the pose of circuit breaker components, a reinforcement learning method is employed. This method enables the pose adjustment robot to explore the component assembly environment and learn to make optimal action decisions in different component assembly environments to complete the task.

[0069] The collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 adjust their actions according to the current part pose adjustment state to transition to a new assembly state. They calculate the reward / penalty value for this assembly behavior by setting a reward / penalty function and feed it back to the dual-arm robot. Through continuous exploration of the assembly environment, the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 execute part pose adjustment actions according to the assembly strategy, generating a large amount of sample data. The reinforcement learning algorithm uses these samples to optimize the trajectories of the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122, improving their posture adjustment strategies in the part assembly environment. Through continuous iterative learning, the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 obtain the optimal trajectory for adjusting the part pose.

[0070] Since the collaborative robotic arm 121 and the main robotic arm 122 need to reach key points and avoid collisions during movement, the distance between their end effectors is crucial. Too far or too close a distance hinders part grasping and pose adjustment. Therefore, ensuring the end effectors accurately reach key points without collisions is key to optimizing the dual-arm robot's trajectory. An artificial potential field method is introduced into the reinforcement learning algorithm to set the reward / penalty function. When the robotic arm approaches a key point, it is rewarded; otherwise, it is penalized. Simultaneously, to prevent collisions between the two arms during part assembly, when one end effector approaches the other, it is penalized; conversely, it is rewarded. The formulas are shown below.

[0071]

[0072]

[0073]

[0074] Where D is the distance between the end effector of the robotic arm and the key point, which changes over time. min R is the minimum distance, and R is the reward value. When D s When the distance is less than the minimum, the robotic arm approaches the target key point and receives a reward k2. When D s When the distance exceeds the minimum, the robotic arm moves away from the target key point and incurs a penalty k1. When the robotic arm accurately reaches the key point, it receives the maximum reward k3, where k is a constant. During each training session, the robotic arm continuously updates R in the formula based on its distance from the key point, constantly moving closer to the target key point, and finally maximizing the accumulated reward to take action towards the target. Once training is complete, the robotic arm can directly reach the target point, avoiding redundant paths during assembly and achieving path optimization.

[0075] The success rate after adopting the multi-robot collaborative control unit 2 is shown in the table below:

[0076]

[0077] Since the arc-extinguishing chamber is the most regular of all the parts, the robot achieved the highest grasping rate of 96% after training with this algorithm. Due to the unevenness and small size of the large U-shaped parts, grasping was more difficult, with a success rate of only 88%. However, overall, the grasping success rates of the five parts met the expected results, proving that reinforcement learning with the introduction of a reward function can effectively enable the robot to reach the target point and grasp the parts. Therefore, it can be applied to this system scheme, demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithm in the system scheme.

[0078] In order to achieve monitoring and management of the entire flexible assembly production process, in this embodiment, as follows: Figures 1 to 11 As shown, it includes a digital twin management unit 4, which comprises a model optimization module 41, a kinematic control module 42, an algorithm optimization module 43, and a data interaction module 44. The digital twin management unit 4 is used to monitor and manage the multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit 1 and the storage unit 3.

[0079] In the model optimization process, the model optimization module 41 uses an adaptive weight reduction method to optimize the model. The kinematic control module 42 adds a kinematic control algorithm to the robot to control the robot model's motion. To address the complex logical relationships in the multi-robot system, the algorithm optimization module 43 uses a logical judgment algorithm to determine the states of the multiple robots and optimize system operation. The data interaction module 44 connects the virtual and physical units through data interaction, displaying in real time information such as the robot's motion trajectory, assembly status, and manufacturing processes between units. This enables the construction and synchronous mapping of a digital twin system for flexible circuit breaker assembly, allowing for real-time monitoring and management of the physical production units (i.e., the multi-robot collaborative flexible circuit breaker assembly unit 1 and the storage unit 3).

[0080] Model Optimization Module 41: As the model runs and the data volume increases, an excessively large number of facets and vertices can burden memory consumption and affect the running speed. Model optimization is a prerequisite for digital twins. The basic premise of optimization is to reduce the number of facets and vertices as much as possible without affecting the appearance of the model, thereby optimizing the model data volume and improving computational efficiency. Traditional LOD algorithms optimize the model by layering it and retaining the highest-level model. This method is insufficient in terms of model refinement, resulting in a relatively coarse model with poor smoothness. Therefore, this model optimization module 41 uses adaptive weight reduction to process the model. This method can reduce the number of facets and vertices based on the weight, achieving refined model processing and optimizing the model while maintaining its smoothness. The formula for adaptive weight reduction is shown below:

[0081]

[0082]

[0083]

[0084] In the formula, P i Let n be the area of ​​the triangle, n be the normal vector of the triangle face, l1, l2, l3 be the lengths of the three sides of the triangle, W be the weight, and k be the area of ​​the triangle face. W For dynamic weights, k is the base weight size, with a value of [0, 1].

[0085] After calculating W according to the formula, triangles with larger weights W are deleted. Then, the weights k are recalculated according to the formula. W The size of k is determined by recalculating the weight W each time. W By adjusting the values ​​of the weights, the model can be adaptively changed, thereby optimizing the model according to the actual situation and achieving refined model processing.

[0086] like Figure 4 As shown, based on the actual kinematic constraints of the robotic arm, the kinematic control of the robotic arm twin model is achieved by adding optimization algorithms to the constructed and optimized twin model. The process is as follows: by analyzing the robot's kinematic model, writing kinematic algorithm code, binding the kinematic relationships between each joint model, the kinematic constraints of the robotic arm are completed, and finally, the movement of the twin model is controlled by the code.

[0087] Algorithm Optimization Module 43: Optimizes the algorithm based on... Figure 9 As shown, in the process of constructing a twin system, since the system consists of multiple robot units, each with complex manufacturing processes and intricate logical relationships, a logical judgment algorithm is used to optimize the motion state of the multiple robots in order to simplify the system's logical operation and improve system performance. This method involves setting bounding boxes for each robot, using collision detection between these bounding boxes to determine if a hazard will occur. Simultaneously, a bounding box is set as a detection condition in the hazardous area. When a robot's own bounding box collides with or enters this area, the presence of a hazard is detected, and the algorithm determines that the collaborative robot should stop working. When the robot crosses the hazardous area, if there is no `chooseobj` in the boundary region, the detection process ends, and the collaborative robot resumes normal operation.

[0088] Data interaction module 44: According to Figure 10 As shown, to achieve data interaction between the physical workshop (multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit 1 and storage unit 3) and the digital twin system, a PLC controller collects data generated in the actual physical workshop, transmits the collected data to middleware via Ethernet, and finally sends it to the virtual system through network protocol conversion. The digital twin workshop receives and identifies the data, performs equipment identification and fault detection based on the transmitted signals, and transmits the data to the workshop service system for optimization and processing. The workshop service system analyzes and optimizes the production line data to ultimately realize the operation and dynamic display of the digital twin system, and simultaneously transmits the optimized data to the database for storage.

[0089] The following table compares the optimization results of the traditional LOD algorithm and the adaptive weight algorithm after adding the digital twin management unit 4:

[0090]

[0091] As shown in the table above, optimization was performed using a joint of a six-DOF robotic arm as the model. Both the traditional LOD algorithm and the adaptive weight reduction algorithm were used. A comparison before and after optimization reveals that, without changing the model's shape or appearance, the traditional LOD algorithm reduced the number of faces from 560,462 to 263,542, improving optimization efficiency by 53.98%, and the number of vertices from 280,237 to 156,341, improving efficiency by 45.21%. The adaptive weight reduction algorithm reduced the number of faces from 560,462 to 172,310, improving efficiency by 69.36%, and the number of vertices from 280,237 to 106,161, improving efficiency by 62.11%. This demonstrates that the improved algorithm in this example, compared to the traditional algorithm, can minimize the number of faces and vertices in the model, achieving higher optimization efficiency and better results.

[0092] This example uses a logical judgment algorithm to optimize system performance. Collision detection is used to determine the status of multiple robots. A bounding box is set in the danger zone. When a robot moves to this position, collision detection is used to determine whether the danger exists. The algorithm then determines whether the collaborative robot should stop working. If the robot crosses the danger zone, the detection process ends and normal operation resumes. To test the effect of this algorithm on system optimization, Table 2 compares the system memory, FPS, and failure rate before and after algorithm optimization, as shown below:

[0093]

[0094] As shown in the table above, the system is evaluated from three aspects: memory usage, FPS, and number of failures. The data shows that memory usage significantly improved after optimization as the system ran. Higher FPS results in smoother gameplay; the algorithm significantly improved FPS, effectively solving the problem of severe frame drops during long runs. The number of failures shows that the increase gradually decreased over time, indicating system stability. This demonstrates that the algorithm effectively optimizes the system, increasing its stability and smoothness.

[0095] To verify the effectiveness of the virtual system, physical assembly units were connected to the virtual system, and the initial state of the virtual system was adjusted to match that of the physical operation units. The robot's state was judged by observing the operation flow of the physical units. Data from the physical unit assembly process was sent to the virtual system to complete the precise assembly of the virtual system, thereby enabling dynamic and real-time monitoring of the system's operational or fault status. Simultaneously, trajectory tracking tests could be performed on both arms to determine whether they operate according to kinematic algorithms and whether they can cooperate safely in the collaborative space, which is of great significance for practical research on dual-arm collaboration.

[0096] When a problem occurs on the physical production line, a signal is sent to the twin system. Upon receiving the fault signal, the corresponding faulty unit in the twin system will light up, making it easier for us to identify the fault in a timely manner. When a unit in the system malfunctions, the unit in question will light up red, and the entire system will stop working. When you switch to the working interface of that unit, the data of the entire system will turn orange-red and stop updating, making it easier for operators to detect production line faults in a timely manner.

[0097] To verify the effectiveness of the design scheme in this example, data was collected through a visualization service system. The collaborative assembly of the dual-arm robot designed in this example was compared with the traditional single-arm robot assembly scheme. The results are shown in the table below:

[0098]

[0099] As shown in the table above, the dual-robot collaborative assembly solution designed in this example is compared with the traditional single-robot assembly solution in terms of assembly time, cumulative path length, and assembly accuracy. In terms of assembly time, the assembly time for the magnetic yoke can be reduced by 6.71 seconds, achieving an optimization rate of 63.48%, demonstrating that the proposed solution can significantly save assembly time, improve the overall system cycle time, and enhance overall performance. Regarding the cumulative path cost of assembled parts, the collaborative work of the two robotic arms can better plan the assembly path, greatly reducing redundant paths during assembly and thus reducing energy consumption during robot assembly. In terms of assembly accuracy, the overall accuracy of dual-robot collaborative assembly is superior to that of single-robot assembly, providing crucial assurance for product qualification rates.

[0100] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A flexible assembly system for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker, characterized in that, The system includes a storage unit and a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit includes a parts sorting station, a posture adjustment station, an automatic assembly station, a material loading and covering station, and a finished product assembly station. The material loading and covering station includes a circuit breaker carrier that travels between the material loading and covering station, the automatic assembly station, and the finished product assembly station, and a material loading and covering mechanism for placing the upper and lower casings of the circuit breaker onto the circuit breaker carrier in a preset posture. The storage unit includes shelves for storing the upper casings, lower casings, and finished circuit breakers, storage boxes for temporarily storing the upper and lower casings, a collection box placed below the discharge end of the finished product conveying channel, and a mobile robot for transferring the storage boxes and the collection boxes. It also includes a multi-robot collaborative control unit for manipulating the pose adjustment robot. This unit comprises a kinematic model module, a collaborative space analysis module, and a dual-arm trajectory optimization module. The dual-arm trajectory optimization module optimizes the trajectories of the collaborative and main robotic arms, enabling them to successfully reach the target point and grasp the part while avoiding obstacles. Within this module, the collaborative and main robotic arms adjust their actions based on the current part pose adjustment state, transitioning to a new assembly state. By setting a reward / penalty function, the reward / penalty value for this assembly behavior is calculated and fed back to the dual-arm robot. Through continuous exploration of the assembly environment, the collaborative and main robotic arms execute part pose adjustment actions according to the assembly strategy, generating a large amount of sample data. The reinforcement learning algorithm uses these samples to optimize the trajectories of the collaborative and master robotic arms, improving the posture adjustment strategies of the collaborative and master robotic arms in the part assembly environment. Through continuous iterative learning, the collaborative and master robotic arms obtain the optimal trajectories to adjust the part pose. The reinforcement learning method enables the pose adjustment robot to explore the part assembly environment and learn to make optimal action decisions in different part assembly environments. The artificial potential field method is introduced into the reinforcement learning algorithm to set the reward and punishment function. When the robotic arm approaches a key point, it is rewarded; otherwise, it is punished. To avoid collisions between the two arms when assembling parts, when the end effector of one robotic arm approaches another end effector, it is punished; otherwise, it is rewarded.

2. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a digital twin management unit for monitoring and managing the multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly unit and the storage unit. The digital twin management unit includes a model optimization module, a kinematic control module, an algorithm optimization module, and a data interaction module.

3. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The parts sorting station includes a parts sorting carrier that travels between the parts sorting station and the pose adjustment station, and a parts sorting robot that sorts the internal parts of the circuit breaker to the parts sorting carrier. The pose adjustment station includes a pose adjustment carrier that travels between the pose adjustment station and the automatic assembly station, and a pose adjustment robot that picks up the internal parts on the parts sorting carrier and places them onto the pose adjustment carrier in a preset posture. The automated assembly station includes an automated assembly robot for installing internal parts on the posture adjustment carrier into the lower housing of the circuit breaker carrier. The finished product assembly station includes a finished product assembly robot for assembling the upper housing and the lower housing on the circuit breaker carrier into a circuit breaker, and a finished product conveying channel for the finished product assembly robot to lower the circuit breaker.

4. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes parts conveying tracks and parts return tracks for forward and reverse conveying along the conveying directions of the parts sorting station, the posture adjustment station, and the automatic assembly station. The parts sorting carrier and the posture adjustment carrier are both set on the parts return track. The parts sorting station includes a sorting return device for transferring the fully loaded parts sorting carrier to the parts conveying track. The posture adjustment station includes a first posture return device for transferring the unloaded parts sorting carrier to the parts return track and a second posture return device for transferring the fully loaded posture adjustment carrier to the parts conveying track. The automatic assembly station includes an assembly return device for transferring the unloaded posture adjustment carrier to the parts return track.

5. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The parts sorting station includes a parts feeding belt for the internal parts to be randomly placed, and the parts conveying track is equipped with a parts interception mechanism for intercepting the internal parts.

6. The multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pose adjustment robot includes a collaborative robotic arm for gripping the internal parts on the parts sorting carrier and adjusting its posture, and a main robotic arm for gripping the internal parts on the collaborative robotic arm and placing them on the pose adjustment carrier.

7. A flexible assembly system for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes assembly conveying tracks and assembly return tracks for forward and reverse conveying along the loading and unloading station, the automatic assembly station, and the finished product assembly station. The circuit breaker carrier is disposed on the assembly return track. The loading and unloading station includes a loading return device for transferring the fully loaded circuit breaker carrier to the assembly conveying track. The finished product assembly station includes a finished product return device for transferring the unloaded circuit breaker carrier to the assembly return track.

8. A flexible assembly system for a multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The loading and unloading station includes a loading area for placing storage boxes, the storage boxes containing the upper shell and the lower shell. The loading and unloading mechanism includes a loading mechanism and an unloading mechanism. The loading mechanism includes a shell conveying track and a gripping component for gripping the upper shell and the lower shell inside the storage box onto the shell conveying track. The shell conveying track is equipped with a pushing device for pushing the upper shell and the lower shell over and an intercepting device that blocks the upper shell and the lower shell across the shell conveying track. The unloading mechanism is used to grip the upper shell and the lower shell that are intercepted by the loading intercepting device onto the circuit breaker carrier.

9. A multi-robot collaborative circuit breaker flexible assembly system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The parts sorting carrier has six placement stations, and the position adjustment carrier has five placement stations.

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