Multi-mode automatic packaging line for gear and shaft assembly products and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-mode automatic packaging production line of gear, shaft accessory product and its control method, including gas phase heat shrinkage automatic packaging equipment, adhesive type automatic cartoner and instant printing labeling equipment, gas phase heat shrinkage automatic packaging equipment front end connects loading end;Gas phase heat shrinkage automatic packaging equipment rear end connects second chain plate track;Second chain plate track rear end connects adhesive type automatic cartoner;Adhesive type automatic cartoner rear end connects third chain plate track;Second chain plate track one side is equipped with manual paper box packaging table, manual packaging table is connected to third chain plate track by fifth chain plate track, third 90 ° turn chain plate track, fourth chain plate track;The rear end of third chain plate track connects discharging end;First industrial computer PC1, second industrial computer PC2 are connected with third industrial computer PC3 respectively.The application realizes automatic packaging for gear, shaft product, realizes the automatic packaging of more than 1500 kinds of gear, shaft accessory products in the same production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automatic packaging technology for automotive parts, and relates to a multi-mode automatic packaging production line for gears and shaft accessories and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] As the market matures, the automotive industry is experiencing rapid growth. With the increasing number of the applicant company's transmissions on the market, the automotive aftermarket is expanding significantly. To thrive in the automotive industry, companies must prioritize brand management, increase focus on after-sales service, and improve its quality. Automotive parts are a key component of after-sales service, and their sales volume is increasing year by year. The current manual, "street vendor" style packaging methods are no longer sufficient to keep pace with the company's development.

[0003] According to research, major OEMs and parts manufacturers do not yet have fully automated packaging lines for multiple product lines; they rely on simple, independent packaging equipment such as tape applicators and labeling machines. Currently, the applicant company produces over 1500 types of gear and shaft parts, using 26 different types of packaging boxes. The packaging industry lacks equipment or production lines compatible with such a large quantity and variety of parts. The applicant company currently employs 10 packaging staff, each packaging 120 pieces per day. This quantity is insufficient to meet the demand for parts, and the current method is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop and establish an automated packaging production line compatible with multiple types of automotive gear and shaft parts. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to propose a multi-mode automatic packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories and its control method, in order to solve the problems of the lack of automatic packaging production lines compatible with various types of gear and shaft accessories in the packaging industry, and the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of existing manual packaging methods that cannot guarantee the demand for accessories.

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

[0006] A multi-mode automatic packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories includes a vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment, an adhesive automatic cartoning machine, and an instant printing and labeling equipment. The front end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment is connected to a feeding end, which includes a first chain plate track, a first industrial control computer PC1, a first industrial barcode scanner and a second industrial barcode scanner respectively installed at the front and rear ends of the first chain plate track, and a pair of grating sensors installed below the second industrial barcode scanner.

[0007] The rear end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment is connected to a second chain plate track via a first 90° turning chain plate track; the rear end of the second chain plate track is connected to an adhesive automatic cartoning machine via a second 90° turning chain plate track; the rear end of the adhesive automatic cartoning machine is connected to a third chain plate track; a mechanical stop device is provided at the end of the second chain plate track, and a manual paper box packaging table is provided on one side of the second chain plate track; the manual packaging table is connected to the third chain plate track via a fifth chain plate track, a third 90° turning chain plate track, and a fourth chain plate track arranged in sequence.

[0008] The rear end of the third chain plate track is connected to the unloading end, which includes an instant printing and labeling device, a second industrial control computer PC2, a third industrial barcode scanner located at the rear end of the instant printing and labeling device, a first reflective sensor located below the instant printing and labeling device, and a second reflective sensor located below the third industrial barcode scanner.

[0009] The first industrial control computer PC1 and the second industrial control computer PC2 are respectively connected to the remote third industrial control computer PC3.

[0010] The PLC1 of the heat shrink equipment is connected to a motor via seven frequency converters. These seven motors control the start and stop of the first chain plate track, the first 90° turn chain plate track, the second chain plate track, the second 90° turn chain plate track, the fourth chain plate track, the third 90° turn chain plate track, and the fifth chain plate track, respectively. Another motor is connected to the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment via a frequency converter to control the start and stop of the third chain plate track. The PLC1 of the heat shrink equipment communicates with the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment.

[0011] Furthermore, the mechanical stop device is controlled by a button.

[0012] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a control method for a multi-mode automated packaging production line for the above-mentioned gear and shaft accessories, specifically including the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Deploy the loading end control software A on the first industrial PC PC1, the unloading end control software B on the second industrial PC PC2, and the remote control software C on the remote third industrial PC PC3. The loading end control software A communicates with the heat shrink equipment PLC1, the WMS system, and the sales service system. The QR code generation / decoding software is deployed on the second industrial PC PC2 and communicates with the control software A, control software B, control software C, and the third industrial barcode scanner. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 communicates with the first and second industrial barcode scanners, as well as with the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 and the adhesive automatic boxing PLC2.

[0014] Step 2: The remote control software C creates a new work order based on the current task of the production line and synchronizes the work order to the loading control software A and the unloading control software B.

[0015] Step 3: The feeding end control software A and the unloading end control software B simultaneously open the current work order. The feeding end control software A sends the working mode of the current work order to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 according to the working mode contained in the current work order; the unloading end control software B sends the working mode of the current work order to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 according to the working mode contained in the work order.

[0016] Step 4: To enable the production line to accommodate more products, the control process in this step is divided into automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, and manual mode, as detailed below:

[0017] Fully Automatic Mode: When gear-type parts are placed into the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the parts arrive below the second industrial barcode scanner, the grating sensor detects the entry of the parts and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. Upon receiving the signal that a part has entered, the heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part's arrival to the main control software A and triggers the second industrial barcode scanner to identify the part's engraved code. After identifying the engraved code content, the second industrial barcode scanner transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the engraved code to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the engraved code content of the current part in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 based on the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track to release or alarm based on the returned signal.

[0018] Semi-automatic mode: When gear-type parts are placed into the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the parts reach the bottom of the second industrial barcode scanner, the grating sensor detects that a part has entered and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part arrival to the main control software A. The main control software A directly sends a YES signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track to perform the release operation according to the returned signal.

[0019] Manual mode: When shaft parts are placed on the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track is stopped under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The parts are placed manually on the first chain plate track, keeping the parts horizontal with the first industrial barcode scanner. The grating sensor detects the entry of a part and transmits a signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the part arrival signal to the main control software A and triggers the first industrial barcode scanner to identify the part's engraved code. After the first industrial barcode scanner identifies the part's engraved code, it transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the part's engraved code to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the current part's engraved code in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 based on the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track to release or alarm based on the returned signal.

[0020] Step 5: After the parts are released, they enter the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment for bagging.

[0021] Step 6: After the parts come out of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment, it is determined whether the part information in the work order is a part that needs to be operated by the cartoning machine. If so, the parts enter the adhesive automatic cartoning machine through the first 90° turning chain plate track, the second chain plate track, and the second 90° turning chain plate track. After passing through the adhesive automatic cartoning machine, the parts are loaded into a fully enclosed adhesive cardboard box. The cardboard box flows from the adhesive automatic cartoning machine to the third chain plate track. If not, the manual start button causes the mechanical stop device at the end of the second chain plate track to fall. The parts then pass through the first 90° turning chain plate track to the second chain plate track, where they are manually boxed, tape-adhesive ...

[0022] Step 7: The part flows from the third chain plate track to the material end, enters the area below the instant printing and labeling equipment via the first reflection sensor, and the first reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3. The instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 sends the part arrival signal to the main control software A.

[0023] Step 8: After receiving the part arrival signal, the central control software A sends the data packet that needs to be marked to the QR code generation / decoding software through the information queue obtained by scanning the code when the part enters the loading end under the current work order.

[0024] Step 9: After receiving the labeling data packet sent by the central control software A, the QR code generation / decoding software generates a QR code from the data packet and sends it to the instant printing and labeling device.

[0025] Step 10: After the instant printing and labeling equipment completes the marking and labeling, the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the third chain plate track to start, and the parts continue to be conveyed downwards.

[0026] Step 11: The part reaches the bottom of the third industrial barcode scanning device via the second reflection sensor. The second reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling device PLC3. The instant printing and labeling device PLC3 controls the third chain plate track to stop and triggers the third industrial barcode scanning device to scan the barcode.

[0027] Step 12: After the third industrial barcode scanning device completes the label recognition, it sends the recognized material code and anti-counterfeiting code to the QR code generation / decoding software. The QR code generation / decoding software decodes the received code content, packages it into a data packet, and sends it to the central control software A.

[0028] Step 14: After receiving the data packet, the master control software A binds the three codes of the part engraving code, material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end in fully automatic and manual modes. In semi-automatic mode, it binds the material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end. Then it enters the sales service database and sends a YES or NO signal to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3.

[0029] Step 15: The PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the operation of the third chain plate track or triggers an alarm based on the received YES or NO signal.

[0030] Step 16, unload the material.

[0031] Furthermore, in step 1, the feeding end control software A communicates with the heat shrink equipment PLC1, the WMS system, and the sales service system via TCP / IP protocol; the QR code generation / decoding software communicates with the control software A, control software B, control software C, and the third industrial barcode scanning device via TCP / IP protocol; the heat shrink equipment PLC1 communicates with the first and second industrial barcode scanning devices via Profinet protocol, and simultaneously communicates with the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 and the adhesive automatic boxing PLC2 via S7 protocol.

[0032] Furthermore, the alarm uses a three-color light.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0034] (1) Through structural optimization and the design of three working modes, this invention achieves automated packaging for mechanical products such as gears and shafts that are heavy, bulky and diverse. It can automatically package more than 1,500 kinds of gear and shaft accessories on the same fully automated production line. It has strong product compatibility and breaks through the bottleneck technology of this industry.

[0035] (2) Use instant printing labeling equipment to achieve online carding and labeling, thereby improving the standardization and consistency of packaging labels;

[0036] (3) The packaging process for accessories has been optimized, realizing automated operation of all processes such as boxing, labeling, and anti-counterfeiting of gears and shafts. Packaging efficiency has been greatly improved, and daily packaging capacity can be increased by 3 times, while also improving packaging quality. At the same time, the labor intensity of on-site workers has been reduced, making on-site work more humane.

[0037] (4) Multiple industrial barcode scanning devices are used to realize the visual recognition system in conjunction with the industrial control program to automatically bind the part engraving code / packaging material code and anti-counterfeiting code in real time, which facilitates after-sales traceability;

[0038] (5) By using vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment, vapor phase heat shrink film can be used to replace rust-proof paper, which can achieve long-term rust prevention effect;

[0039] (6) Optimization and application of packaging materials: By using vapor phase heat shrink film and adhesive paper boxes, the cost of packaging materials for a single part can be reduced by 42%, which is conducive to its widespread application in the metal parts industry. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This invention relates to the overall layout of a multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the operational logic control of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating the marking of codes, material codes, and anti-counterfeiting codes on parts.

[0043] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0044] 1. First industrial barcode scanning equipment; 2. First chain plate track; 3. Second industrial barcode scanning equipment; 4. Vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment; 5. First 90° turning chain plate track; 6. Second chain plate track; 7. Manual paper box packaging table; 8. Second 90° turning chain plate track; 9. Adhesive automatic cartoning machine; 10. Third chain plate track; 11. Instant printing and labeling equipment; 12. Third industrial barcode scanning equipment; 13. Fourth chain plate track; 14. Third 90° turning chain plate track; 15. Fifth chain plate track; 16. Parts engraving code; 17. Material code; 18. Anti-counterfeiting code; 19. Mechanical stop device.

[0045] The present invention will be further explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the layout of the multi-mode automatic packaging production line for gears and shaft accessories of the present invention is U-shaped, with the loading end and unloading end being open. Specifically, it includes a vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4, an adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9, and an instant printing and labeling equipment 11. The front end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4 is connected to the loading end, which includes a first chain track 2, a first industrial control computer PC1, a first industrial barcode scanner 1 and a second industrial barcode scanner 3 respectively located at the front and rear ends of the first chain track 2, and a pair of optical grating sensors located below the second industrial barcode scanner 3 for detecting whether any parts have entered.

[0047] The rear end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4 is connected to the second chain plate track 6 via the first 90° turning chain plate track; the rear end of the second chain plate track 6 is connected to the adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9 via the second 90° turning chain plate track 8; the rear end of the adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9 is connected to the third chain plate track 10; a mechanical stop device 19 is provided at the end of the second chain plate track 6, and the switch of the mechanical stop device 19 is controlled by a button; a manual paper box packaging table 7 is provided on one side of the second chain plate track 6, and the manual packaging table 7 is connected to the third chain plate track 10 via the fifth chain plate track 15, the third 90° turning chain plate track 14, and the fourth chain plate track 13 arranged in sequence.

[0048] The rear end of the third chain track 10 is connected to the unloading end, which includes an instant label printing device 11, a second industrial control computer PC2, a third industrial barcode scanner 12 located at the rear end of the instant label printing device 11, a first reflective sensor located below the instant label printing device 11, and a second reflective sensor located below the third industrial barcode scanner 12. The first reflective sensor detects whether a part has entered below the instant label printing device 11; the second reflective sensor detects whether a part has entered below the third industrial barcode scanner 12, i.e., whether a part has left the production line.

[0049] The first industrial control computer PC1 and the second industrial control computer PC2 are respectively connected to the remote third industrial control computer PC3.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, in this invention, to better control the operation of the entire production line, the PLC1 of the heat shrink equipment is used as the master control PLC for the entire line's operation. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the start / stop of the motors by connecting seven frequency converters. The first to seventh motors correspond to the first chain plate track 2, the first 90° turn chain plate track 5, the second chain plate track 6, the second 90° turn chain plate track 8, the fourth chain plate track 13, the third 90° turn chain plate track 14, and the fifth chain plate track 15, respectively. One frequency converter is connected to the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment, corresponding to the eighth motor, controlling the start / stop of the third chain plate track 10. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 and the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 are connected via the S7 protocol, allowing for real-time interaction of operating status.

[0051] In the above technical solution, considering the direction of material loading and unloading on the production line, the chain plate track and equipment are connected by the first 90° turning chain plate track 5 and the second turning chain plate track 8, so that the production line of the present invention is U-shaped as a whole, avoiding the additional mechanical devices required when using other solutions, and effectively reducing mechanical movements and floor space during the operation of the entire line.

[0052] The control method for the multi-mode automated packaging production line of gear and shaft accessories of the present invention specifically includes the following steps:

[0053] Step 1, as follows Figure 2 As shown, the loading end control software A is deployed on the first industrial computer PC1, the unloading end control software B is deployed on the second industrial computer PC2, and the remote control software C is deployed on the remote third industrial computer PC3. The loading end control software A communicates with the heat shrink equipment PLC1, the WMS system, and the sales service system via TCP / IP protocol. The QR code generation / decoding software is deployed on the second industrial computer PC2 and communicates with the control software A, control software B, control software C, and the third industrial barcode scanning device 3 via TCP / IP protocol. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 communicates with the first industrial barcode scanning device 1 and the second industrial barcode scanning device 3 via Profinet protocol, and also communicates with the instant printing and labeling device PLC3 and the adhesive automatic boxing PLC2 via S7 protocol.

[0054] Step 2: The remote control software C creates a new work order (including part information and working mode) based on the current task of the production line, and synchronizes the work order to the loading end control software A and the unloading end control software B.

[0055] Step 3: The feeding end control software A and the unloading end control software B simultaneously activate the current work order. The feeding end control software A sends the working mode of the current work order to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 (including fully automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, and manual mode) according to the working mode contained in the current work order; the unloading end control software B sends the working mode of the current work order to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 according to the working mode contained in the work order.

[0056] Step 4: To enable the production line to accommodate more products, the control process in this step is divided into automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, and manual mode, as detailed below:

[0057] Fully automatic mode: When gear-type parts are placed into the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track 2 is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the parts reach the bottom of the second industrial barcode scanner 3, the grating sensor detects that a part has entered and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. After receiving the signal that a part has entered, the heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part's arrival to the main control software A and triggers the second industrial barcode scanner 3 to identify the part's engraved code. After the second industrial barcode scanner 3 identifies the engraved code content, it transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the engraved code to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the engraved code content of the current part in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 based on the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track 2 to release or the three-color light alarm to sound based on the returned signal.

[0058] Semi-automatic mode: When gear-type parts are placed into the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track 2 is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the parts reach the bottom of the second industrial barcode scanner 3, the grating sensor detects that a part has entered and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part arrival to the main control software A. The main control software A directly sends a YES signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track 2 to perform the release operation according to the returned signal.

[0059] Manual mode: Place shaft parts into the loading end. Under the current work order, the first chain plate track 2 is in a stopped state under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The parts are placed manually on the first chain plate track 2, keeping the parts horizontal with the first industrial barcode scanner 1. The grating sensor detects the entry of a part and transmits the signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part's arrival to the main control software A and triggers the first industrial barcode scanner 1 to identify the part's engraved code. After the first industrial barcode scanner 1 identifies the part's engraved code content, it transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the part's engraved code content to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the engraved code content of the current part in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 based on the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track 2 to release or the three-color light alarm to sound based on the returned signal.

[0060] Step 5: After the parts are released, they enter the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4 for bagging. The vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4 is a conventional equipment, consisting of a front bagging part and a rear heat shrinking part. Different sizes of vapor phase rust-preventive heat shrink film need to be matched according to the specifications of different parts.

[0061] Step 6: After the parts come out of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment 4, it is determined whether the part information in the work order is a part that needs to be operated by the cartoning machine 9. If so, the parts enter the adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9 through the first 90° turning chain plate track 5, the second chain plate track 6, and the second 90° turning chain plate track 8. After passing through the adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9, the parts are placed in a fully enclosed adhesive cardboard box. The cardboard box flows out of the adhesive automatic cartoning machine 9 and flows to the third chain plate track 10. If not, the manual start button causes the mechanical stop device at the end of the second chain plate track 6 to fall. The parts then pass through the first 90° turning chain plate track 5 to the second chain plate track 6. The cardboard box packaging table 7 performs manual cartoning, tape application, and placement in a fully enclosed cardboard box. The cardboard box flows through the fifth chain plate track 15, the third 90° turning chain plate track 14, and the fourth chain plate track 13 to the third chain plate track 10.

[0062] Step 7: The part flows from the third chain plate track 10 to the material end, enters the area below the instant printing and labeling device 11 via the first reflection sensor, and the first reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling device PLC3. The instant printing and labeling device PLC3 sends the part arrival signal to the main control software A.

[0063] Step 8: After receiving the part arrival signal, the central control software A sends the data packet that needs to be marked to the QR code generation / decoding software through the information queue obtained by scanning the code when the part enters the loading end under the current work order.

[0064] Step 9: After receiving the labeling data packet sent by the central control software A, the QR code generation / decoding software generates a QR code from the data packet and sends it to the instant printing and labeling device 11.

[0065] Step 10: After the instant printing and labeling equipment 11 completes the marking and labeling, the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the third chain plate track 10 to start, and the parts continue to be conveyed downwards.

[0066] Step 11: The part reaches the bottom of the third industrial barcode scanning device 12 via the second reflection sensor. The second reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling device PLC3. The instant printing and labeling device PLC3 controls the third chain plate track 10 to stop and triggers the third industrial barcode scanning device 12 to scan the barcode.

[0067] Step 12: After the third industrial barcode scanning device 12 completes the label recognition, it sends the recognized material code and anti-counterfeiting code to the QR code generation / decoding software. The QR code generation / decoding software decodes the received code content, packages it into a data packet, and sends it to the central control software A.

[0068] Step 14: After receiving the data packet, the master control software A binds the three codes of the part engraving code, material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end in fully automatic and manual modes. In semi-automatic mode, it binds the material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end. Then it enters the sales service database and sends a YES or NO signal to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3.

[0069] Step 15: The PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the third chain plate track 10 to operate or the three-color light alarm to be activated based on the received YES or NO signal.

[0070] Step 16: The worker at the unloading end places the fully packaged parts onto the pallet to complete the unloading process.

[0071] In step 4 of the method of the present invention described above, the semi-automatic mode, compared to the fully automatic mode and the manual mode, omits the process of the second industrial barcode scanner 3 / first industrial barcode scanner 1 identifying the engraved code on the part. This is to make the present invention compatible with more types of products. Because some products have engraved codes and some do not, in order to be compatible with parts without engraved codes, the present invention sets up a semi-automatic working mode. In this mode, barcode scanning is not required; it is only necessary to identify the part entering the system. The anti-counterfeiting label only requires binding two codes (i.e., the material code and the anti-counterfeiting code).

[0072] Additionally, in step 4, the fully automatic and semi-automatic modes are applicable to gear-type parts, where the parts are identified by the second barcode scanner 3; the manual mode is applicable to shaft-type parts, where the parts are identified by the first barcode scanner 1. This is because there are many product types involved. For gear-type parts, the barcode is engraved on the top of the part, so it can be identified by the second industrial barcode scanner 3. However, for shaft-type parts, the barcode is engraved on the side of the part, which the second industrial barcode scanner 3 cannot identify. Therefore, the first barcode scanner 1 is placed to the side, and the shaft-type part is manually placed horizontally with the first barcode scanner 1. The first barcode scanner 1 is then used to identify the side of the part, laying the groundwork for the final three-code binding.

[0073] Currently, the production line of this invention has been put into use by the applicant's company. Through structural optimization and the design of control methods for three working modes, this invention achieves automated packaging for heavy, bulky, and diverse mechanical products such as gears and shafts. It can automatically package more than 1,500 kinds of gear and shaft accessories on the same fully automated production line, with strong product compatibility, breaking through the bottleneck technology of this industry. The production line and control method of this invention optimize the accessory packaging process, realizing the automation of the entire process of boxing, labeling, and anti-counterfeiting of gear and shaft parts, significantly improving packaging efficiency, increasing daily packaging capacity by 3 times, and improving packaging quality. At the same time, it reduces the labor intensity of on-site workers, making on-site work more humane. In addition, this invention uses multiple industrial barcode scanning devices to realize the automatic binding of two or three codes in real time: part engraving code / packaging material code and anti-counterfeiting code, in conjunction with the industrial control program, facilitating after-sales traceability. At the same time, the use of vapor phase heat shrink film and adhesive cardboard boxes can reduce the cost of packaging materials for a single part by 42%, which is conducive to its widespread application in the metal parts industry.

Claims

1. A multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories, characterized in that, The equipment includes a vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment (4), an adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9), and an instant printing labeling equipment (11). The front end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment (4) is connected to the feeding end. The feeding end includes a first chain plate track (2), a first industrial control computer PC1, a first industrial barcode scanner (1) and a second industrial barcode scanner (3) respectively set at the front and rear ends of the first chain plate track (2), and a pair of grating sensors set below the second industrial barcode scanner (3). The rear end of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment (4) is connected to the second chain plate track (6) via the first 90° turning chain plate track; the rear end of the second chain plate track (6) is connected to the adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9) via the second 90° turning chain plate track (8); the rear end of the adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9) is connected to the third chain plate track (10); a mechanical stop device (19) is provided at the end of the second chain plate track (6), and a manual paper box packaging table (7) is provided on one side of the second chain plate track (6). The manual paper box packaging table (7) is connected to the third chain plate track (10) via the fifth chain plate track (15), the third 90° turning chain plate track (14), and the fourth chain plate track (13) arranged in sequence. The rear end of the third chain plate track (10) is connected to the unloading end, which includes an instant printing and labeling device (11), a second industrial control computer PC2, a third industrial barcode scanner (12) located at the rear end of the instant printing and labeling device (11), a first reflective sensor located below the instant printing and labeling device (11), and a second reflective sensor located below the third industrial barcode scanner (12). The first industrial control computer PC1 and the second industrial control computer PC2 are respectively connected to the remote third industrial control computer PC3; The PLC1 of the heat shrink equipment is connected to a motor via seven frequency converters. The seven motors control the start and stop of the first chain plate track (2), the first 90° turning chain plate track (5), the second chain plate track (6), the second 90° turning chain plate track (8), the fourth chain plate track (13), the third 90° turning chain plate track (14), and the fifth chain plate track (15), respectively. Another motor is connected to the PLC3 of the instant printing labeling equipment via a frequency converter to control the start and stop of the third chain plate track (10). The PLC1 of the heat shrink equipment communicates with the PLC3 of the instant printing labeling equipment.

2. The multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical stop device (19) is controlled by a button.

3. A control method for a multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories as described in claim 1 or 2, specifically comprising the following steps: Step 1: Deploy the loading end control software A on the first industrial PC PC1, the unloading end control software B on the second industrial PC PC2, and the remote end control software C on the remote third industrial PC PC3; The loading end control software A communicates with the heat shrink equipment PLC1, the WMS system, and the sales service system respectively; The QR code generation / decoding software is deployed on the second industrial PC PC2 and communicates with the control software A, control software B, control software C, and the third industrial barcode scanner (3); The heat shrink equipment PLC1 communicates with the first industrial barcode scanner (1) and the second industrial barcode scanner (3), and at the same time communicates with the instant printing labeling equipment PLC3 and the adhesive automatic boxing PLC2; Step 2: The remote control software C creates a new work order based on the current task of the production line and synchronizes the work order to the loading control software A and the unloading control software B. Step 3: The feeding end control software A and the unloading end control software B simultaneously start the current work order. The feeding end control software A sends the working mode of the current work order to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 according to the working mode contained in the current work order. The material unloading end control software B sends the current work order's work mode to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3 based on the work mode contained in the work order; Step 4: To enable the production line to accommodate more products, the control process in this step is divided into automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, and manual mode, as detailed below: Fully automatic mode: When gear parts are placed on the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track (2) is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the part arrives below the second industrial barcode scanner (3), the grating sensor detects that a part has entered and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. After receiving the signal that a part has entered, the heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part arrival to the main control software A and triggers the second industrial barcode scanner (3) to identify the part's engraving code. After the second industrial barcode scanner (3) identifies the part's engraving code content, it transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the part's engraving code to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the engraving code content of the current part in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 based on the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track (2) to release or alarm based on the returned signal. Semi-automatic mode: When gear parts are placed into the loading end, under the current work order, the first chain plate track (2) is in operation under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. When the parts arrive below the second industrial barcode scanner (3), the grating sensor detects that a part has entered and sends a signal back to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the part arrival to the main control software A. The main control software A directly gives the heat shrink equipment PLC1 a YES signal. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track (2) to perform the release operation according to the returned signal. Manual mode: Place shaft parts into the loading end. Under the current work order, the first chain plate track (2) is in a stopped state under the control of the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The parts are placed manually on the first chain plate track (2) so that the parts and the first industrial barcode scanner (1) are in a horizontal position. The grating sensor detects that a part has entered and transmits the signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the signal of the arrival of the part to the main control software A and triggers the first industrial barcode scanner (1) to identify the part's engraving code. After the first industrial barcode scanner (1) identifies the part's engraving code content, it transmits it to the heat shrink equipment PLC1. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 sends the part's engraving code content to the main control software A. The main control software A parses and queries the engraving code content of the current part in the WMS system database, and then returns a YES OR NO signal to the heat shrink equipment PLC1 according to the query result. The heat shrink equipment PLC1 controls the first chain plate track (2) to release or alarm according to the returned signal. Step 5: After the parts are released, they enter the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment (4) for bagging; Step 6: After the parts come out of the vapor phase heat shrink automatic packaging equipment (4), it is determined whether the part information in the work order is a part that needs to be operated by the cartoning machine (9). If so, it enters the adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9) through the first 90° turning chain plate track (5), the second chain plate track (6), and the second 90° turning chain plate track (8). After passing through the adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9), the parts are loaded into a fully enclosed adhesive carton. The carton flows out of the adhesive automatic cartoning machine (9) and flows to the third chain plate track (10). If not, the manual start button causes the mechanical stop device at the end of the second chain plate track (6) to fall. The parts then pass through the first 90° turning chain plate track (5) to the second chain plate track (6). The carton is manually loaded, tape is applied, and it is loaded into a fully enclosed carton by the carton packaging table (7). The carton flows through the fifth chain plate track (15), the third 90° turning chain plate track (14), and the fourth chain plate track (13) to the third chain plate track (10). Step 7: The part flows from the third chain plate track (10) to the material end, enters the instant printing and labeling device (11) below via the first reflection sensor, and the first reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling device PLC3. The instant printing and labeling device PLC3 sends the part arrival signal to the main control software A. Step 8: After receiving the part arrival signal, the central control software A sends the data packet that needs to be marked to the QR code generation / decoding software through the information queue obtained by scanning the code when the part enters the loading end under the current work order. Step 9: After receiving the labeling data packet sent by the master control software A, the QR code generation / decoding software generates a QR code from the data packet and sends it to the instant printing and labeling device (11). Step 10: After the instant printing and labeling equipment (11) completes the marking and labeling, the PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the third chain plate track (10) to start, and the parts continue to be conveyed downwards. Step 11: The part reaches the bottom of the third industrial barcode scanner (12) via the second reflection sensor. The second reflection sensor feeds back the signal to the instant printing and labeling device PLC3. The instant printing and labeling device PLC3 controls the third chain plate track (10) to stop and triggers the third industrial barcode scanner (12) to scan the barcode. Step 12: After the third industrial barcode scanning device (12) completes the label recognition, the third industrial barcode scanning device (12) sends the recognized material code and anti-counterfeiting code to the QR code generation / decoding software. The QR code generation / decoding software decodes the received code content and packages it into a data packet, which is then sent to the central control software A. Step 14: After receiving the data packet, the master control software A binds the three codes of the part engraving code, material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end in fully automatic and manual modes. In semi-automatic mode, it binds the material code and anti-counterfeiting code according to the order of the parts at the feeding end. Then it enters the sales service database and sends a YES or NO signal to the instant printing and labeling equipment PLC3. Step 15: The PLC3 of the instant printing and labeling equipment controls the operation of the third chain plate track (10) or alarms according to the received YES or NO signal; Step 16, unload the material.

4. The control method for a multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories as described in claim 3, characterized in that, In step 1, the feeding end control software A communicates with the heat shrink equipment PLC1, WMS system and sales service system via TCP / IP protocol; the QR code generation / decoding software communicates with the control software A, control software B, control software C and the third industrial barcode scanning device (3) via TCP / IP protocol; the heat shrink equipment PLC1 communicates with the first industrial barcode scanning device (1) and the second industrial barcode scanning device (3) via Profinet protocol, and communicates with the instant printing labeling device PLC3 and the adhesive automatic boxing PLC2 via S7 protocol.

5. The control method for a multi-mode automated packaging production line for gear and shaft accessories as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The alarm uses a three-color light.

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