Dual rail tube bending robot system and method of bending tubes using the same

Abstract

The application discloses a double-track pipe bending robot system and a pipe bending method using the same. The double-track pipe bending robot system comprises a first guide rail (11) and a second guide rail (12) which are arranged in parallel and are both arc-shaped, a pipe bending mechanism (21) arranged on the first guide rail (11) and capable of walking along the first guide rail (11), a pipe bending head (211) arranged at the top end of the pipe bending mechanism (21), a pipe clamping device (31) capable of walking along the second guide rail (12), a pre-bending mechanism (41) for pre-bending a linear pipe (50) into an arc shape, and a pipe guiding mechanism (32) for receiving the arc-shaped pipe (50) discharged from the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism (41). The application provides a system for bending a special-shaped pipe with an arc shape, the linear pipe is pre-bent into an arc shape, and then the pipe is bent again by using the pipe bending robot which is kept in a relatively static state and the pipe clamping device, so that the pipe is bent while moving, and the bending efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotic pipe bending forming technology, specifically a dual-track pipe bending robot system and a method for bending pipes using the robot system. Background Technology

[0002] Pipe bending equipment is widely used in various industrial fields, such as automobile manufacturing, petrochemicals, construction, and shipbuilding. Pipe bending robot systems have gradually become the mainstream of pipe bending equipment, greatly improving bending efficiency. Chinese patent document CN103785725A proposed a seven-axis pipe bending robot 10 years ago. This robot has a high degree of automation and solves the problem of bending slender pipes. To further improve work efficiency, dual-robot pipe bending systems have become a development direction in the industry. Chinese patent document CN114115113A discloses a method for generating intelligent pipe bending trajectories based on a dual-robot pipe bending system. It sets up a pipe bending robot on each side of the clamp holding the pipe, with both robots located on the same travel axis guide rail. One robot on each side of the pipe is bent, greatly improving bending efficiency. Chinese patent document CN115488854A also discloses an optimized system and method for automated pipe bending using dual robots. The system includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail, with a pipe bending robot mounted on each rail. A pipe clamping mechanism is located between the first and second guide rails. During operation, the first and second robots bend the pipe from both ends toward the middle. This design separates the two robots, increasing the range of rotation angles of the pipe bending machine around the pipe, and allows for more convenient and faster pipe bending while reducing the complexity of the mechanism.

[0003] With the advancement of technology, the shapes of pipes required by modern industry are becoming increasingly complex. For example, pipes used in rockets, missiles, and cylindrical pressure vessels often require bending at large angles and over a wide range, and in most cases, secondary bending is required based on curved pipes. However, existing pipe bending robot systems often process straight pipes, and the market urgently needs a pipe bending robot system that can bend curved pipes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a pipe bending robot system that can be operated on an assembly line. It takes traditional straight pipes as the processing object and obtains irregular pipe fittings with an arc shape as the basic shape through a secondary bending process.

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

[0006] Dual-track pipe bending robot system, including

[0007] First guide rail and second guide rail;

[0008] The pipe bending mechanism is a pipe bending robot located on the first guide rail and can move along the first guide rail. The top of the pipe bending mechanism is equipped with a pipe bending head for bending pipes.

[0009] Pipe clamping mechanism, used to fix pipe fittings;

[0010] Also includes

[0011] The pre-bending mechanism is used to pre-bend straight pipes into an arc shape, and the second guide rail is located on one side of the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism;

[0012] The pipe fitting guide mechanism, located at the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism, is used to receive the arc-shaped pipe fittings discharged from the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism.

[0013] Both the first and second guide rails are arc-shaped and arranged in parallel.

[0014] The pipe clamping mechanism is located on the second guide rail and can move along the second guide rail. The pipe guiding mechanism is located between the pipe clamping mechanism and the pre-bending mechanism.

[0015] The inventive concept of this invention lies in using a straight pipe as a starting point and fully utilizing existing methods for conveying straight pipes to transport them to the system described in this application. The bending process consists of two steps. The first step uses a pre-bending mechanism to pre-bend the straight pipe into an arc shape. The second step is based on a parallel arrangement of a first guide rail and a second guide rail. The first guide rail carries the bending robot, and the second guide rail carries the pipe clamping mechanism. The synchronous operation of the bending robot and the pipe clamping mechanism keeps their positions relatively stationary, significantly reducing the computational workload of the processing trajectory. Simultaneously, bending is achieved while moving, thus improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the pipe guiding mechanism is a key feature of this application, preventing excessive drooping of the curved pipe end and ensuring smooth clamping of the curved pipe by the pipe clamping mechanism.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, the pipe bending mechanism has two pipe bending heads, which are fixed to a support plate connected to the end of the bending mechanism. The two bending heads can rotate 360 ​​degrees and can be installed as mirror images of each other. Each head can independently complete the bending operation. By adopting a dual-head structure, it can quickly adapt to the bending requirements of pipes in various positions and overcome the problems of limited movement of traditional single-head bending and complex movement steps when performing multi-directional bending. This further reduces the amount of computation required for the processing trajectory and the probability of interference between the bending heads and the curved pipes, thereby shortening the bending time while ensuring accuracy.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment, the pre-bending mechanism is a rolling machine, which is a prior art technology for bending straight pipes into arc shapes.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment, the first guide rail is either a closed-loop guide rail or a non-closed-loop guide rail; when the first guide rail is a closed-loop guide rail, the pre-bending mechanism is located on the outside of the first guide rail; when the first guide rail is a non-closed-loop guide rail, the pre-bending mechanism is located at the non-closed-loop portion of the first guide rail. This embodiment defines the positions of the first guide rail and the pre-bending mechanism.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment, the tube bending mechanism is fixed on a sliding plate. Guide sliders that cooperate with the first guide rail are provided on both sides of the sliding plate. A drive gear is provided on the sliding plate. The drive gear meshes with the first guide rail under the drive of the gear drive motor, so that the sliding plate moves along the first guide rail.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment, the second guide rail is a non-closed-loop guide rail, and the second guide rail is located outside the first guide rail.

[0021] As a preferred embodiment, the top of the pipe guide mechanism is a guide head with a guide hole, the guide hole being frustum-shaped, with the bottom of the frustum-shaped structure having a larger diameter facing the pre-bending mechanism.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the pipe guide mechanism is provided with a guiding walking mechanism, allowing the pipe guide mechanism to travel along the second guide rail. This design enables the pipe guide mechanism to adjust its position according to the length of the pipe and the pipe exit speed of the pre-bending mechanism.

[0023] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for bending pipe fittings using a dual-track pipe bending robot system, comprising the following steps:

[0024] S1. Pre-bending: The pipe fitting enters the pre-bending mechanism, which first pre-bends the straight pipe fitting into an arc shape. The arc-shaped pipe fitting is then led out of the pre-bending mechanism and enters the pipe fitting guide mechanism.

[0025] S2. Clamping: When at least 1 / 3 of the pipe length passes through the pipe guide mechanism, the pipe clamping mechanism clamps the pipe and moves along the second guide rail at a speed equal to the pipe's outgoing speed.

[0026] S3, Front bending: The pipe bending mechanism moves along the first guide rail at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism and bends the part of the pipe that is in front of the pipe clamping mechanism.

[0027] S4. Rear bending: After the bending mechanism completes the front bending, it pauses its movement along the first guide rail. When the starting position of the rear bending reaches the bending mechanism, it moves again at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism and performs the rear bending.

[0028] S5, Unclamping: After the bending of the latter section is completed, the bending mechanism clamps the bent pipe fitting, and the pipe fitting clamping mechanism opens to a non-clamping state.

[0029] S6. Unloading and Resetting: The pipe bending mechanism clamps the pipe and moves forward along the first guide rail until the unloading point. After the pipe is unloaded, it moves along the first guide rail to the starting position of the pipe bending mechanism. After the pipe clamping mechanism releases the clamp on the pipe, it returns along the second guide rail and clamps the other pipe that was led out from the pipe guiding mechanism again.

[0030] As a preferred embodiment, in step S2, the clamping point of the pipe clamping mechanism is located at 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the length of the pipe.

[0031] In summary, this invention proposes a system for bending irregularly shaped pipe fittings based on an arc shape. It makes full use of existing straight pipe conveying equipment to transport straight pipes into the system, uses a pre-bending mechanism to pre-bend the straight pipe fittings into an arc shape, and then uses a bending robot that remains relatively stationary and a pipe fitting clamping mechanism to perform a secondary bending. The bending robot and the arc-shaped pipe fitting are less likely to interfere with each other, and the pipe fitting is bent while moving. The assembly line operation scheme enables this system to have high bending efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-bending mechanism of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the fixed roller and the roller drive motor in the pre-bending mechanism of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the guide head of the pipe fitting guide mechanism of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double pipe bending head of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sliding plate component of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping head in the pipe clamping mechanism of the present invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 11. First guide rail; 12. Second guide rail; 21. Pipe bending mechanism; 211. Pipe bending head; 212. Support plate; 221. Sliding plate; 222. Guide slider; 223. Drive gear; 224. Gear drive motor; 31. Pipe clamping mechanism; 311. Clamping head; 312. Clamping cylinder; 32. Pipe guiding mechanism; 321. Guide hole; 322. Guide head; 323. Guide walking mechanism; 41. Pre-bending mechanism; 411. Fixed roller; 412. Moving roller; 413. Roller drive motor; 414. Sliding guide rail; 50. Pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Example 1

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the dual-track pipe bending robot system described in this application includes a pre-bending mechanism 41 and a pipe bending mechanism 21.

[0043] The pre-bending mechanism 41 is a rolling machine. This is existing technology. Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the rolling machine comprises six fixed rollers 411 and one movable roller 412. The six fixed rollers 411 are equipped with six sets of roller drive motors 413. The movable roller 412 can move along the sliding guide rail 414, allowing the curvature of the tube 50 to be adjusted. After the tube 50 arrives at the rolling machine, the fixed rollers 411 carry the tube 50 forward and bend it into the required curved tube shape, and then gradually feed it out from the end of the rolling machine.

[0044] A pipe fitting guide mechanism 32 is provided near the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism 41 to receive the arc-shaped pipe fitting 50 discharged from the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism 41. The top of the pipe fitting guide mechanism 32 is a guide head 322, which has a frustum-shaped guide hole 321. The bottom of the frustum, with its larger diameter, faces the pre-bending mechanism 41. A cross-sectional view of the guide head 322 is shown below. Figure 4 As shown.

[0045] The pipe guide mechanism 32 can be movable or fixed. In this embodiment, the pipe guide mechanism 32 is movable, and a guide walking mechanism 323 is provided at the bottom of the pipe guide mechanism 32, so that the pipe guide mechanism 32 can move along the second guide rail 12. The guide walking mechanism 323 is prior art and will not be described in detail.

[0046] The mechanism for bending the arc-shaped pipe fitting 50 into the required special-shaped pipe in this application includes: a first guide rail 11, a second guide rail 12, a pipe bending mechanism 21, and a pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31.

[0047] like Figure 1As shown, both the first guide rail 11 and the second guide rail 12 are arc-shaped and arranged in parallel. Both the first guide rail 11 and the second guide rail 12 are non-closed-loop guide rails, and the pre-bending mechanism 41 is located at the non-closed-loop section of the first guide rail 11. Obviously, the first guide rail 11 and the second guide rail 12 can also be configured as closed-loop guide rails; in this case, the first guide rail 11 is located inside the second guide rail 12, and the pre-bending mechanism 41 is located outside the first guide rail 11.

[0048] A pipe bending mechanism 21 is mounted on the first guide rail 11. This mechanism is a six-degree-of-freedom pipe bending robot, capable of adjusting its posture and position in three-dimensional space to adapt to different bending and movement requirements. The top of the pipe bending mechanism 21 is equipped with a pipe bending head 211 for bending the pipe fitting 50. (The text abruptly ends here.) Figure 5 As shown, two pipe bending heads 211 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the support plate 212, which is rotatably connected to the end of the pipe bending mechanism 21. By selecting different pipe bending heads 211 to bend the pipe 50 according to different bending angles and locations, the bending speed can be increased.

[0049] The pipe bending mechanism 21 is fixed to a sliding plate 221, allowing the pipe bending mechanism 21 to move along the first guide rail 11. The structure of the sliding plate 221 is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, two guide sliders 222 that cooperate with the first guide rail 11 are provided on each side of the sliding plate 221. A drive gear 223 is provided on the sliding plate 221. Under the drive of the gear drive motor 224, the drive gear 223 can mesh with the first guide rail 11 to move the sliding plate 221 along the first guide rail 11. Of course, the cooperation between the sliding plate 221 and the first guide rail 11 can also adopt other existing technologies.

[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, the second guide rail 12 is a single rail, located outside the first guide rail 11 and connected to the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism 41. The second guide rail 12 is used for the pipe clamping mechanism 31 and the pipe guiding mechanism 32 to travel on it, with the pipe guiding mechanism 32 located between the pipe clamping mechanism 31 and the pre-bending mechanism 41. Naturally, the pipe guiding mechanism 32 does not need to move under normal circumstances. The bottom of the pipe guiding mechanism 32 is the guiding walking mechanism 323, which is existing technology and will not be described further.

[0051] The traveling mechanism at the bottom of the pipe clamping mechanism 31 is the same as the guiding traveling mechanism 323 of the pipe guide mechanism 32. Of course, the traveling mechanisms of the pipe clamping mechanism 31 and the pipe guide mechanism 32 can also adopt the form of cooperation between the sliding plate 221 and the first guide rail 11.

[0052] like Figure 8As shown, the top of the pipe clamping mechanism 31 is provided with two clamping heads 311, each of which is driven to open and close by a clamping cylinder 312. The clamping heads 311 open and close in a scissor-like manner with an opening and closing angle of 180 degrees, and a pressure sensor for detecting the clamping force can also be installed inside. Obviously, the center line of the guide hole 321 and the center line of the clamping head 311 are preferably at the same height.

[0053] The method for bending pipe fittings using a dual-track pipe bending robot system includes the following steps:

[0054] S1. Pre-bending: The pipe fitting 50 enters the pre-bending mechanism 41, which first pre-bends the straight pipe fitting 50 into an arc shape. After the arc-shaped pipe fitting 50 is led out from the pre-bending mechanism 41, it enters the pipe fitting guide mechanism 32. The pipe fitting guide mechanism 32 does not need to move normally. When the pipe fitting 50 is long, the pipe fitting guide mechanism 32 can move forward along the second guide rail 12 to better support the pipe fitting 50.

[0055] S2. Clamping: When at least 1 / 3 of the length of the pipe fitting 50 passes through the pipe fitting guide mechanism 32, the pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31 clamps the pipe fitting 50 and moves along the second guide rail 12 at a speed equal to the outgoing speed of the pipe fitting 50. The clamping point of the pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31 on the pipe fitting 50 is located at 1 / 3-2 / 3 of the length of the pipe fitting 50.

[0056] S3, Front bending: The pipe bending mechanism 21 moves along the first guide rail 11 at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism 31 and bends the part of the pipe 50 that is in front of the pipe clamping mechanism 31.

[0057] S4. Rear bending: After the bending mechanism 21 completes the front bending, it pauses its movement along the first guide rail 11. When the starting position of the rear bending reaches the bending mechanism 21, it moves again at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism 31 and performs the rear bending.

[0058] S5, Unclamping: After the rear section is bent, the bending mechanism 21 clamps the bent pipe fitting 50, and the pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31 opens to a non-clamping state.

[0059] S6. Unloading and Resetting: The pipe bending mechanism 21 clamps the pipe fitting 50 and continues to move forward along the first guide rail 11 until the unloading point. Figure 1 The location of the pipe fitting 50 not on the pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31 is the unloading point; after the pipe fitting 50 is put down, it moves along the first guide rail 11 to the starting position of the pipe bending mechanism 21; after the pipe fitting clamping mechanism 31 releases the clamp on the pipe fitting 50, it returns along the second guide rail 12 and clamps the other pipe fitting 50 that is led out from the pipe fitting guiding mechanism 32 again.

Claims

1. Dual-track pipe bending robot system, including First guide rail (11) and second guide rail (12); The pipe bending mechanism (21) is a pipe bending robot, located on the first guide rail (11) and can walk along the first guide rail (11). The top of the pipe bending mechanism (21) is provided with a pipe bending head (211) for bending pipe fittings (50). Pipe clamping mechanism (31) is used to fix pipe fitting (50); Its features are: Also includes The pre-bending mechanism (41) is used to pre-bend the straight pipe fitting (50) into an arc shape, and the second guide rail (12) is located on one side of the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism (41). The pipe fitting guide mechanism (32) is located at the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism (41) and is used to receive the arc-shaped pipe fitting (50) that is discharged from the discharge end of the pre-bending mechanism (41). The first guide rail (11) and the second guide rail (12) are both arc-shaped and arranged in parallel; The pipe clamping mechanism (31) is located on the second guide rail (12) and can move along the second guide rail (12). The pipe guiding mechanism (32) is located between the pipe clamping mechanism (31) and the pre-bending mechanism (41).

2. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pipe bending mechanism (21) has two pipe bending heads (211), which are fixed on a support plate (212). The support plate (212) is connected to the end of the pipe bending mechanism (21).

3. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-bending mechanism (41) is a rolling machine.

4. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first guide rail (11) is a closed-loop guide rail or a non-closed-loop guide rail; when the first guide rail (11) is a closed-loop guide rail, the pre-bending mechanism (41) is located outside the first guide rail (11); when the first guide rail (11) is a non-closed-loop guide rail, the pre-bending mechanism (41) is located at the non-closed-loop part of the first guide rail (11).

5. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bending mechanism (21) is fixed on a sliding plate (221). Guide sliders (222) that cooperate with the first guide rail (11) are provided on both sides of the sliding plate (221). A drive gear (223) is provided on the sliding plate (221). The drive gear (223) meshes with the first guide rail (11) under the drive of the gear drive motor (224) to realize the movement of the sliding plate (221) along the first guide rail (11).

6. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The second guide rail (12) is a non-closed-loop guide rail, and the second guide rail (12) is located outside the first guide rail (11).

7. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the pipe guide mechanism (32) is a guide head (322) with a guide hole (321). The guide hole (321) is truncated cone-shaped, and the bottom of the truncated cone with a larger diameter faces the pre-bending mechanism (41).

8. The dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the pipe guide mechanism (32) is provided with a guide walking mechanism (323), which allows the pipe guide mechanism (32) to walk along the second guide rail (12).

9. A method for bending pipe fittings using the dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1, Pre-bending: The pipe fitting (50) enters the pre-bending mechanism (41), and the straight pipe fitting (50) is pre-bent into an arc shape. The arc-shaped pipe fitting (50) is then led out from the pre-bending mechanism (41) and enters the pipe fitting guide mechanism (32). S2, Clamping: When at least 1 / 3 of the length of the fitting (50) passes through the fitting guide mechanism (32), the fitting clamping mechanism (31) clamps the fitting (50) and moves along the second guide rail (12) at a speed equal to the outgoing speed of the fitting (50); S3, Front bending: The pipe bending mechanism (21) moves along the first guide rail (11) at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism (31) and bends the part of the pipe (50) that is in front of the pipe clamping mechanism (31); S4, Rear bending: After the bending mechanism (21) completes the front bending, it stops moving along the first guide rail (11). When the starting position of the rear bending reaches the bending mechanism (21), it moves again at the same speed as the pipe clamping mechanism (31) and performs the rear bending. S5, Unclamping: After the bending of the rear section is completed, the bending mechanism (21) clamps the bent pipe fitting (50), and the pipe fitting clamping mechanism (31) opens to a non-clamping state; S6. Unloading and Resetting: The pipe bending mechanism (21) clamps the pipe fitting (50) and moves forward along the first guide rail (11) until the unloading point. After the pipe fitting (50) is put down, it moves along the first guide rail (11) to the starting position of the pipe bending mechanism (21). After the pipe fitting clamping mechanism (31) releases the clamp on the pipe fitting (50), it returns along the second guide rail (12) and clamps the other pipe fitting (50) that is led out from the pipe fitting guide mechanism (32) again.

10. The method for bending pipe fittings using the dual-track pipe bending robot system as described in claim 9, characterized in that: In step S2, the clamping point of the pipe clamping mechanism (31) on the pipe (50) is located at 1 / 3-2 / 3 of the length of the pipe (50).

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