Battery module caching-in-box method and system

Abstract

The application provides a battery module buffering and boxing method and system in the technical field of power battery pack production, which comprises the following steps: S10, a PLC controls a first AGV carrying a battery module to drive into a buffering station, and controls a second AGV carrying a PACK box to drive into a boxing station; S20, the PLC obtains module information including a module code and a module type from an upper computer based on the AGV number of the first AGV; S30, after the buffering robot is controlled based on the module information to position the battery module, the battery module is grabbed to a buffering table; S40, based on the boxing ratio, battery modules of different module types are grabbed from the buffering table to a rotating table; S50, the module information of the battery modules on the rotating table is verified; and S60, the PLC controls a boxing robot to position the battery modules on the rotating table and grab them into the PACK box. The application has the advantages that the quality, efficiency and safety of the battery module boxing are greatly improved, and the boxing cost is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of power battery pack production, and in particular to a method and system for caching battery modules into boxes. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing depletion of traditional energy sources and the numerous problems exposed in their production and use, the development of alternative energy sources has become a widespread consensus. Power battery packs, as a key component of new energy vehicles, are in increasing demand, and battery manufacturers are placing higher demands on power battery pack production lines. Power battery packs consist of a PACK box containing several battery modules, so during the production process, each battery module must be boxed.

[0003] Since many small and medium-sized enterprises lack sufficient R&D capabilities, they still rely on manual lifting to place battery modules into PACK boxes. This method is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also poses safety risks. Some large-scale enterprises are equipped with automatic box placement systems, but as PACK boxes become increasingly compact, the gap between the battery modules and the partitions of the PACK box is very small, making it impossible to accurately identify the placement of the battery modules. Moreover, the battery modules are easily scratched against the PACK box during placement, causing damage to the battery modules. In addition, different types of battery modules need to be placed in the PACK box according to a fixed ratio, so the incoming battery modules must be strictly proportional. If the ratio is abnormal, the box placement operation will be impossible.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a battery module cache box method and system to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of battery module boxing and reduce the boxing cost has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery module cache boxing method and system, so as to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of battery module boxing and reduce the boxing cost.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for caching battery modules into a box, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step S10: The PLC controls the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffering station, controls the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and positions and lifts the first and second AGVs.

[0008] Step S20: The PLC obtains the AGV number of the first AGV, and obtains module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer based on the AGV number, including the module code and module type;

[0009] Step S30: The PLC controls the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type;

[0010] Step S40: The PLC grabs the battery modules of different module types from the buffering table to the rotating table based on the preset boxing ratio;

[0011] Step S50: After the PLC verifies the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table, it controls the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module;

[0012] Step S60: The PLC controls the box-entering robot to position the battery module on the rotating table, grab the battery module and place it into the PACK box. During the placement process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time.

[0013] Step S70: After all battery modules are placed in the PACK box, the PLC releases the first AGV and the second AGV.

[0014] Furthermore, the step S10 is specifically as follows:

[0015] The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

[0016] Furthermore, the step S30 is specifically as follows:

[0017] Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type.

[0018] Furthermore, the step S50 is specifically as follows:

[0019] The PLC uses a barcode scanner to scan the battery module placed on the rotating table to obtain the module code and module type, and determines whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, and the process ends.

[0020] Furthermore, the step S60 is specifically as follows:

[0021] The PLC-controlled box-entering robot uses the second CCD camera to visually locate the battery module and PACK box on the rotating table, obtain the length, width, height, and placement direction of the battery module and PACK box, and grab the battery module and place it in the PACK box. During the placement process, the laser rangefinder is used to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module for scratch detection.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a battery module cache box system, comprising the following modules:

[0023] The feeding module is used to control the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffer station, control the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and position and lift the first and second AGVs.

[0024] A module information acquisition module is used for the PLC to obtain the AGV number of the first AGV, and based on the AGV number, obtains the module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer, including the module code and module type;

[0025] A cache module, configured to control the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information and then grab the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type;

[0026] The proportional grabbing module is used for grabbing battery modules of different module types from the buffer table to the rotating table based on the preset box ratio of the PLC;

[0027] The cleaning module is used to control the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module after the PLC verifies the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table;

[0028] The box-entry module is used to control the box-entry robot to position the battery module on the rotating table, grab the battery module and place it into the PACK box. During the placement process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time.

[0029] The AGV release module is used to allow the PLC to release the first and second AGVs after all battery modules are placed in the PACK box.

[0030] Furthermore, the feeding module is specifically used for:

[0031] The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

[0032] Furthermore, the cache module is specifically used to:

[0033] Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type.

[0034] Furthermore, the cleaning module is specifically used for:

[0035] The PLC uses a barcode scanner to scan the battery module placed on the rotating table to obtain the module code and module type, and determines whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, and the process ends.

[0036] Furthermore, the box entry module is specifically used to:

[0037] The PLC-controlled box-entering robot uses the second CCD camera to visually locate the battery module and PACK box on the rotating table, obtain the length, width, height, and placement direction of the battery module and PACK box, and grab the battery module and place it in the PACK box. During the placement process, the laser rangefinder is used to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module for scratch detection.

[0038] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0039] The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the cache station, controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station, and positions and lifts the first AGV trolley and the second AGV trolley, and then obtains the AGV number of the first AGV trolley to obtain the module information including the module code and module type from the host computer; based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to position the battery module, grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache table based on the module type, and grabs the battery modules of different module types from the cache table to the rotating table based on the preset box entry ratio, and then verifies the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table, controls the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module, and then controls the box entry robot to After the battery module on the rotating table is positioned, the battery module is grabbed and placed in the PACK box. During the placement process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time. After all the battery modules are placed in the PACK box, the first AGV and the second AGV are released. That is, the PLC controls the battery module to automatically enter the box without human intervention. Before entering the box, the bottom of the battery module is cleaned by a plasma cleaner, and the battery module and the PACK box are visually positioned by a CCD camera. During the boxing process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time to ensure that the battery module is placed in the PACK box in a clean state and accurately, and to avoid surface scratches. Ultimately, the quality, efficiency and safety of battery module boxing are greatly improved, and the boxing cost is greatly reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0041] Figure 1 The present invention is a flow chart of a method for caching battery modules into a box.

[0042] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a battery module caching system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The technical solution in the embodiments of the present application has the following overall idea: the PLC controls the automatic boxing of battery modules without manual intervention; the bottom of the battery module is cleaned by a plasma cleaner before boxing; the battery module and the PACK box are visually positioned by a CCD camera; and scratches are detected in real time by a laser rangefinder during the boxing process, so as to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of the battery module boxing and reduce the boxing cost.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a preferred embodiment of a battery module buffering method of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0045] Step S10: The PLC (programmable logic controller) controls the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffering station, controls the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and positions and lifts the first and second AGVs. The PLC controls the operation of each device via the Profinet industrial fieldbus.

[0046] Step S20: The PLC obtains the AGV number of the first AGV by scanning the barcode gun, and obtains the module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer based on the AGV number, including the module code and module type;

[0047] Step S30: The PLC controls the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type;

[0048] Step S40: The PLC grabs the battery modules of different module types from the buffer table to the rotating table based on the preset box-in ratio; during the placement of the battery modules, the rotating table is controlled to rotate so that the modules are placed in the correct position on the rotating table;

[0049] Step S50: After the PLC verifies the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table, it controls the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module;

[0050] Step S60: The PLC controls the box-entering robot to position the battery module on the rotating table, grab the battery module and place it into the PACK box. During the placement process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time.

[0051] Step S70: After all battery modules are placed in the PACK box, the PLC controls the positioning and lifting mechanism to reset to release the first AGV and the second AGV.

[0052] The present invention adopts PLC to control the caching robot and the box-entering robot to realize automatic positioning, grasping and placing of battery modules, thereby solving the problems of high labor costs and potential safety hazards for personnel; the robot and CCD camera are used for visual positioning to solve the problem of inability to accurately locate the battery module, and a laser rangefinder is used to detect in real time whether the edge of the battery module is scratched against the PACK box; the front-end battery module materials are first cached using the caching station, and then the battery modules are grasped according to a fixed box-entering ratio, placed on the rotating table, and then the box-entering robot performs the box-entering work.

[0053] The step S10 is specifically as follows:

[0054] The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

[0055] The step S30 is specifically as follows:

[0056] Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache table based on the module type; the cache robot performs position compensation based on the visual positioning result to accurately grab the battery module.

[0057] The step S50 is specifically as follows:

[0058] The PLC uses a barcode scanner to scan the battery module placed on the rotating table to obtain the module code and module type, and determines whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, the process ends, and the battery module is grabbed to the NG cart.

[0059] The step S60 is specifically as follows:

[0060] The PLC-controlled box-entering robot uses the second CCD camera to visually locate the battery module and PACK box on the rotating table, obtain the length, width, height, and placement direction of the battery module and the PACK box, and grab the battery module and place it in the PACK box. During the placement process, the laser rangefinder is used to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module for scratch detection. When the possibility of scratches is detected, an alarm is immediately issued; the box-entering robot performs position compensation based on the visual positioning results to accurately grab the battery module.

[0061] A preferred embodiment of a battery module cache storage system of the present invention includes the following modules:

[0062] The feeding module is used by the PLC (programmable logic controller) to control the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffer station, control the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and position and lift the first and second AGVs. The PLC controls the operation of each device through the Profinet industrial field bus.

[0063] The module information acquisition module is used for the PLC to obtain the AGV number of the first AGV car through a barcode scanner, and obtain the module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer based on the AGV number, including the module code and module type;

[0064] A cache module, configured to control the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information and then grab the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type;

[0065] The proportional grabbing module is used for grabbing battery modules of different module types from the buffer table to the rotating table based on the preset box-in ratio of the PLC; during the placement of the battery modules, the rotating table is controlled to rotate so that the modules are placed in the correct position on the rotating table;

[0066] The cleaning module is used to control the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module after the PLC verifies the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table;

[0067] The box-entry module is used to control the box-entry robot to position the battery module on the rotating table, grab the battery module and place it into the PACK box. During the placement process, a laser rangefinder is used to detect scratches in real time.

[0068] The AGV release module is used to release the first and second AGV trolleys by controlling the positioning and lifting mechanism to reset after all battery modules are placed in the PACK box.

[0069] The present invention adopts PLC to control the caching robot and the box-entering robot to realize automatic positioning, grasping and placing of battery modules, thereby solving the problems of high labor costs and potential safety hazards for personnel; the robot and CCD camera are used for visual positioning to solve the problem of inability to accurately locate the battery module, and a laser rangefinder is used to detect in real time whether the edge of the battery module is scratched against the PACK box; the front-end battery module materials are first cached using the caching station, and then the battery modules are grasped according to a fixed box-entering ratio, placed on the rotating table, and then the box-entering robot performs the box-entering work.

[0070] The feeding module is specifically used for:

[0071] The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

[0072] The cache module is specifically used for:

[0073] Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache table based on the module type; the cache robot performs position compensation based on the visual positioning result to accurately grab the battery module.

[0074] The cleaning module is specifically used for:

[0075] The PLC uses a barcode scanner to scan the battery module placed on the rotating table to obtain the module code and module type, and determines whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, the process ends, and the battery module is grabbed to the NG cart.

[0076] The box entry module is specifically used for:

[0077] The PLC-controlled box-entering robot uses the second CCD camera to visually locate the battery module and PACK box on the rotating table, obtain the length, width, height, and placement direction of the battery module and the PACK box, and grab the battery module and place it in the PACK box. During the placement process, the laser rangefinder is used to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module for scratch detection. When the possibility of scratches is detected, an alarm is immediately issued; the box-entering robot performs position compensation based on the visual positioning results to accurately grab the battery module.

[0078] In summary, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0079] The first AGV car loaded with the battery module is driven into the buffer station by the PLC control, the second AGV car loaded with the PACK box is driven into the box loading station by the PLC control, and the first AGV car and the second AGV car are positioned and jacked up, then the AGV number of the first AGV car is acquired to acquire the module information including the module code and the module type from the upper computer; the PLC controls the buffer robot to position the battery module, and then the battery module is grabbed to the corresponding buffer table based on the module type, the battery modules of different module types are grabbed from the buffer table to the rotating table based on the preset box loading ratio, then the PLC checks the module information of the battery module placed on the rotating table, controls the plasma cleaning machine to clean the battery module, controls the box loading robot to position the battery module on the rotating table, and then grabs the battery module and puts it into the PACK box, the scratching detection is performed by the laser range finder in real time during the placing process, after all the battery modules are put into the PACK box, the first AGV car and the second AGV car are released; that is, the PLC controls the battery module to be automatically loaded into the box, without manual intervention, the bottom of the battery module is cleaned by the plasma cleaning machine before loading into the box, the battery module and the PACK box are visually positioned by the CCD camera, the scratching detection is performed by the laser range finder in real time during the loading process, the battery module is ensured to be in a clean state and accurately put into the PACK box, and surface scratching is avoided, finally, the quality, efficiency and safety of the battery module loading into the box are greatly improved, and the loading cost is greatly reduced.

[0080] Although the specific embodiments of the present application are described above, those skilled in the art should understand that the specific embodiments described are only illustrative, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, and equivalent modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the spirit of the present application should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for caching battery modules into a box, characterized by: The steps include: Step S10: The PLC controls the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffering station, controls the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and positions and lifts the first and second AGVs. Step S20: The PLC obtains the AGV number of the first AGV, and obtains module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer based on the AGV number, including the module code and module type; Step S30: The PLC controls the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type; Step S40: The PLC grabs the battery modules of different module types from the buffering table to the rotating table based on the preset boxing ratio; Step S50: The PLC scans the battery module placed on the rotating table with a barcode scanner to obtain the module code and module type, and determines whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, and the process ends. Step S60: The PLC controls the box-entering robot to visually locate the battery module and the PACK box on the rotating table using the second CCD camera. The robot obtains the length, width, height, and placement orientation of the battery module and the PACK box, and then grabs the battery module and places it into the PACK box. During the placement process, the robot uses a laser rangefinder to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module to perform scratch detection. Step S70: After all battery modules are placed in the PACK box, the PLC releases the first AGV and the second AGV.

2. A battery module cache storage method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S10 is specifically as follows: The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

3. The method for caching battery modules into a box according to claim 1, wherein: The step S30 is specifically as follows: Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type.

4. A battery module cache box system, characterized by: Includes the following modules: The feeding module is used to control the first AGV loaded with battery modules to enter the buffer station, control the second AGV loaded with PACK boxes to enter the box loading station, and position and lift the first and second AGVs. A module information acquisition module is used for the PLC to obtain the AGV number of the first AGV, and based on the AGV number, obtains the module information of the loaded battery module from the host computer, including the module code and module type; A cache module, configured to control the cache robot to locate the battery module based on the module information and then grab the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type; The proportional grabbing module is used for grabbing battery modules of different module types from the buffer table to the rotating table based on the preset box ratio of the PLC; The cleaning module is used for the PLC to scan the battery module placed on the rotating table through a barcode scanner to obtain the module code and module type, and to determine whether the module code and module type obtained by the scan match the module information obtained from the host computer. If so, the module information verification is successful, and the plasma cleaning is controlled to clean the bottom of the battery module; if not, the module information verification fails, and the process ends; The box-entry module is used by the PLC to control the box-entry robot to visually locate the battery module and PACK box on the rotating table through the second CCD camera. The robot obtains the length, width, height, and placement direction of the battery module and PACK box, and then grabs the battery module and places it into the PACK box. During the placement process, the robot uses a laser rangefinder to determine in real time whether there are any obstacles under the battery module for scratch detection. The AGV release module is used to allow the PLC to release the first and second AGVs after all battery modules are placed in the PACK box.

5. The battery module buffering system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The feeding module is specifically used for: The PLC controls the first AGV trolley loaded with battery modules to drive into the buffer station, and controls the second AGV trolley loaded with PACK boxes to drive into the box entry station. After the in-position sensor detects that the first and second AGV trolleys have moved into position, the positioning jacking mechanism is first controlled to extend the positioning pins to position the first and second AGV trolleys, and then the jacking cylinder of the positioning jacking mechanism is controlled to lift the first and second AGV trolleys.

6. The battery module buffering system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cache module is specifically used for: Based on the module information, the PLC controls the cache robot to visually locate the battery module through the first CCD camera, and then grabs the battery module to the corresponding cache station based on the module type.

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