A robot automatic drilling system for tank cylinder segment parts

Abstract

The application relates to a robot automatic drilling system for a storage tank cylinder segment part, and relates to an automatic drilling system. In order to solve the problems that the existing riveting and drilling processing mode is complex in operation, requires high operation personnel, and cannot be applied to processing of cylinder segment parts of various specifications, the cylinder segment flexible tooling is installed on a rotary table, a plurality of calibration blocks are installed on the cylinder segment flexible tooling in a ring array mode, and the storage tank cylinder segment part is installed on the cylinder segment flexible tooling; a line laser scanning device is installed at the tail end of an ABB robot; the line laser scanning device scans the outer surface of the calibration blocks on the cylinder segment flexible tooling, obtains a three-dimensional coordinate system of the calibration blocks, and transmits the three-dimensional coordinate system to a work control system for calculation; a PLC control system receives a command, obtains data results of the line laser scanning device for calculation, obtains a robot drilling processing track, and sends the robot drilling processing track to a robot control system; and a tail end drilling executor is electrically connected with the PLC control system. The application is used for drilling of cylinder segment parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a robotic automation system, specifically a robotic automatic drilling system for storage tank cylindrical parts, belonging to the field of industrial robots. Background Technology

[0002] Industrial robots offer advantages such as ease of deployment, high production flexibility, and low cost, leading to their increasing application in the aerospace industry, particularly in the riveting and hole-making processes of traditional assembly. Since a single part can have four to five hundred riveting holes, automating robot-based hole-making is crucial for improving product quality and optimizing production processes. However, in actual production, robot operation is complex, requiring skilled programming personnel. Workers without prior experience often struggle to quickly learn to operate robots for processing. Furthermore, the high noise and harsh environment of manual hole-making can pose health risks to workers.

[0003] Furthermore, in existing riveting and drilling processes, automation often relies on specialized equipment. However, this equipment lacks flexibility and adaptability to various part sizes. This approach typically requires a large system, and the coordinated operation of the automated components places high demands on the control system's performance. Therefore, designing a robotic flexible drilling system is crucial.

[0004] In conclusion, the aerospace manufacturing sector still requires industrial robots and supporting systems to improve production efficiency. Existing riveting and drilling methods are complex to operate, demand highly skilled operators, and are not suitable for processing various sizes of cylindrical parts. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of existing riveting and drilling methods being complex to operate, requiring highly skilled operators, and being unsuitable for processing various specifications of cylindrical parts. Therefore, this invention provides a robotic automated drilling system for storage tank cylindrical parts.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is: a robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts, comprising an industrial control system, a flexible tooling for the cylindrical part, an end effector, a robot control system, a PLC control system, an ABB robot, a line laser scanning device, a turntable, and multiple calibration blocks. The turntable is horizontally arranged, the flexible tooling for the cylindrical part is mounted on the turntable, and the multiple calibration blocks are mounted on the flexible tooling in a circular array. The tank cylindrical part is detachably mounted on the flexible tooling. The line laser scanning device is mounted on the end effector of the ABB robot. The line laser scanning device scans across the outer surface of the calibration blocks on the flexible tooling to obtain the three-dimensional coordinate system of the calibration blocks, which is transmitted to the industrial control system for calculation. The PLC control system establishes a communication protocol to send and receive commands, and obtains the data results from the line laser scanning device through I / O signals for calculation to obtain the robot drilling trajectory, which is then sent to the robot control system. The end effector is electrically connected to the PLC control system and receives instructions from the PLC control system to perform drilling on the tank cylindrical part.

[0007] Furthermore, the flexible tooling for the cylinder section includes multiple pads, multiple mounting plates, multiple mounting ring assemblies, and multiple sets of clamping units. Multiple pads are installed on the turntable in a ring at equal intervals. A mounting plate is installed between two adjacent pads. The mounting ring assemblies are installed on the mounting plates. Multiple sets of clamping units are evenly distributed on the mounting ring assemblies and clamp the lower part of the cylinder section.

[0008] Furthermore, the left and right ends of the mounting plate are pressed onto the pad.

[0009] Furthermore, the mounting ring assembly includes a first ring, a second ring, a third ring, multiple stepped mounting seats, and multiple positioning connecting blocks. The multiple stepped mounting seats are mounted on the mounting plate. The first ring, the second ring, and the third ring are sequentially mounted on the multiple stepped mounting seats from the inside to the outside, and the height of the first ring, the second ring, and the third ring decreases sequentially from the inside to the outside. The first ring and the second ring are connected by multiple positioning connecting blocks.

[0010] Preferably, the positioning connecting block is a "Z"-shaped connecting block.

[0011] Furthermore, the clamping unit includes an inward clamping block and an outward clamping block, both of which are mounted on the bottom of the third ring. The clamping plate of the inward clamping block faces the center of the mounting ring assembly, while the clamping plate of the outward clamping block faces the outside of the mounting ring assembly after passing around the first ring.

[0012] Furthermore, the clamping plates of the inward clamping block and the clamping plates of the outward clamping block are staggered, and a gap is left between the clamping plates of the inward clamping block and the clamping plates of the outward clamping block, the gap being the wall thickness of the tank section component.

[0013] Preferably, the first ring, the second ring, and the third ring are all welded together from multiple arc-shaped plates.

[0014] Furthermore, the calibration block includes an external monitoring block and a lower base. The lower base is elongated and is mounted on the third ring. The external monitoring block is mounted on the upper surface of one side of the lower base, and the outer surface of the external monitoring block is horizontal.

[0015] Preferably, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the external monitoring block 9-1 is a right trapezoid.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. The robotic automated drilling system of this invention covers the complete process requirements for drilling cylindrical parts, from online inspection by a line laser scanner, to trajectory calculation and generation by an industrial control computer, and finally to the grasping of an electric spindle tool for operation. By integrating a robot with a dedicated end effector and vision inspection equipment, and with the industrial control computer communicating with a PLC controller and the robot control system, and each module within the system being associated with the PLC control system, the system achieves mechanization, automation, and intelligence in drilling cylindrical parts, improving the quality and efficiency of drilling.

[0018] 2. This invention enables automated inspection, calculation, and drilling of storage tank workpieces by robots. The entire machining process of the cylinder section parts can be fully automated, eliminating the need for manual drilling. This not only reduces the labor intensity and high technical skill requirements of workers but also ensures consistent drilling quality. It is suitable for machining cylinder section parts of various specifications, with high processing efficiency and good consistency in the drilled holes. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall framework design of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the entire robotic automatic drilling system of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flexible tooling 2 in the cylindrical section;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electric spindle and connecting tools on the end-point drilling actuator 3;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the calibration block;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic drilling process of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Specific implementation method one: Combining Figures 1 to 6 This embodiment describes an industrial control system 1, which also includes a flexible cylindrical tooling 2, an end effector drilling actuator 3, a robot control system 4, a PLC control system 5, an ABB robot 6, a line laser scanning device 7, a turntable 8, and multiple calibration blocks 9. The turntable 8 is horizontally arranged, and the flexible cylindrical tooling 2 is mounted on the turntable 8. The multiple calibration blocks 9 are mounted on the flexible cylindrical tooling 2 in a circular array. The tank cylindrical part is detachably mounted on the flexible cylindrical tooling 2. The line laser scanning device 7 is mounted on the end effector of the ABB robot 6. The line laser scanning device 7 scans across the outer surface of the calibration blocks 9 on the flexible cylindrical tooling 2 to obtain the three-dimensional coordinate system of the calibration blocks 9, which is then transmitted to the industrial control system 1 for calculation. The PLC control system 5 establishes a communication protocol to send and receive commands, and obtains the data results from the line laser scanning device 7 through I / O signals for calculation to obtain the robot drilling trajectory, which is then sent to the robot control system 6. The end effector drilling actuator 3 is electrically connected to the PLC control system 5 and receives instructions from the PLC control system 5 to perform drilling on the tank cylindrical part.

[0026] This invention relates to a robotic automated drilling system for cylindrical parts. This system covers the complete process of drilling cylindrical parts, from online inspection by a line laser scanner, to trajectory calculation and generation by an industrial control computer, and finally to the grasping of an electric spindle tool for drilling. By integrating a robot with a dedicated end effector and vision inspection equipment, and through communication between the industrial control computer, a PLC controller, and the robot control system, and with each module within the system linked to the PLC control system, the system achieves mechanization, automation, and intelligence in drilling cylindrical parts, improving the quality and efficiency of drilling (see [link to documentation]). Figure 1 (As shown).

[0027] The end-effector 3 in this embodiment (see...) Figure 3 (As shown) Driven by an electric spindle, it uses a milling cutter to drill and mill the surface to be machined. Generally, electric spindles rely on coolant for cooling during operation, thus requiring the installation of coolant delivery pipes. However, in actual robot operations, the robotic arm's various movements place high demands on the length of the coolant pipes, making pipe installation inconvenient. Furthermore, excessively long pipes can reduce cooling efficiency and cause coolant leaks. The electric spindle selected in this project uses air cooling, effectively avoiding these problems. The electric spindle connection tool consists of a quick-change disc, an adapter frame, and an air-cooled electric spindle, adaptable to the robot tool holder and connected using a tool quick-change adapter.

[0028] In this embodiment, the industrial control computer system 1 is an industrial computer, primarily responsible for establishing Modbus communication with the PLC control system to send and receive commands. It also acquires line laser scanning data through I / O signals, performs calculations to obtain the robot drilling trajectory, and sends it to the ABB robot control system. The PLC controller, based on communication with the host computer, primarily controls the online inspection equipment (laser tracker), end-effectors (electric spindle and drilling tools), flexible tooling, and rotary table in real time, acting as a lower-level controller to perform logical control of the entire drilling process. The ABB robot control system, upon receiving PLC commands, operates the robot to perform preset machining steps, including moving the line laser scanner for calibration, gripping the EDM spindle tool, and executing the feed drilling program.

[0029] Specific Implementation Method Two: Combining Figure 3 This embodiment describes a flexible tooling 2 for the cylindrical section, comprising multiple pads 2-1, multiple mounting plates 2-2, multiple mounting ring assemblies 2-3, and multiple clamping units. The pads 2-1 are mounted in a ring at equal intervals on the turntable 8. A mounting plate 2-2 is installed between adjacent pads 2-1. The mounting ring assemblies 2-3 are mounted on the mounting plates 2-2. The multiple clamping units are evenly distributed on the mounting ring assemblies 2-3 and clamp the lower part of the cylindrical section. This design facilitates the clamping of the lower part of the cylindrical section. Due to the large weight of the cylindrical section and the relatively small size of the holes required, the drilling speed is fast and the drilling time is short. Therefore, the flexible tooling 2 for the cylindrical section in this embodiment can ensure the safe clamping and drilling of the cylindrical section. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiment one.

[0030] In practical use, the flexible cylindrical tooling 2 of the present invention has positioning, clamping, and rotation functions, and its overall structure is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0031] (1) The positioning function is achieved by five positioning blocks arranged on the rotary worktable (pointing to the upper part of the inner clamping blocks 2-4 in the figure). The positioning blocks have the function of centering and supporting the workpiece, and can play a good positioning function. In order to prevent the clamping device of the tooling from clamping on the weld of the cylinder section to be processed and interfering with subsequent processing, the loading positioning line is engraved on the rotary platform. When loading the material, the worker should align the weld with the positioning line to achieve positioning in the rotation direction. (2) The clamping function is completed by the clamping unit on the positioning block, in which the clamping clamp rotates with the worktable. (3) The rotation function is achieved by the turntable under the flexible tooling. The turntable adopts internal gear transmission and semi-fluid grease lubrication.

[0032] The flexible tooling of this invention has three layers and can be used for cylindrical parts of three sizes: 2250mm, 2900mm, and 3350mm.

[0033] Specific implementation method three: Combining Figure 3 In this embodiment, the left and right ends of the mounting plate 2-2 are pressed onto the pad 2-1. This design facilitates not only the connection between the mounting plate 2-2 and the pad 2-1 during the pressing process, but also their horizontal positioning. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one or two.

[0034] Specific implementation method four: Combination Figure 3 This embodiment describes a mounting ring assembly 2-3 comprising a first ring 2-3-1, a second ring 2-3-2, a third ring 2-3-3, multiple stepped mounting seats 2-3-4, and multiple positioning connecting blocks 2-3-5. The multiple stepped mounting seats 2-3-4 are mounted on a mounting plate 2-2. The first ring 2-3-1, second ring 2-3-2, and third ring 2-3-3 are sequentially mounted on the multiple stepped mounting seats 2-3-4 from the inside out, with their heights decreasing sequentially from the inside out. The first ring 2-3-1 and second ring 2-3-2 are connected by the multiple positioning connecting blocks 2-3-5. With this design, the second ring 2-3-2 can bear the overall weight of the cylindrical section, and the clamping units on the first ring 2-3-1 and third ring 2-3-3 can clamp the cylindrical section. Other components and connections are the same as in specific implementation methods one, two or three.

[0035] Specific Implementation Method Five: Combining Figure 3 In this embodiment, the positioning connecting block 2-3-5 is a "Z"-shaped connecting block. This design facilitates the simultaneous connection of the first ring 2-3-1 and the second ring 2-3-2. Other components and connection relationships are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, or four.

[0036] Specific Implementation Method Six: Combination Figure 3 This embodiment describes a clamping unit comprising an inward clamping block 2-4 and an outward clamping block 2-5. Both the inward clamping block 2-4 and the outward clamping block 2-5 are mounted at the bottom of the third ring 2-3-3. The clamping plate of the inward clamping block 2-4 faces the center of the mounting ring assembly 2-3, while the clamping plate of the outward clamping block 2-5 faces the outside of the mounting ring assembly 2-3 after passing around the first ring 2-3-1. With this configuration, the inward clamping block 2-4 and the outward clamping block 2-5 move towards each other, achieving clamping of the cylinder segment. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, four, or five.

[0037] In this embodiment, the inward clamping block 2-4 and the outward clamping block 2-5 move on the principle of a nut-screw pair. By rotating the handle, the handle drives the screw to rotate, and the clamping plate on the screw moves horizontally along the screw axis. This clamping unit has a simple structure and operates reliably and stably.

[0038] Specific implementation method seven: Combination Figure 3 In this embodiment, the clamping plates of the inward clamping block 2-4 and the outward clamping block 2-5 are staggered, with a gap between them equal to the wall thickness of the tank section. This arrangement increases the number of positioning points, preventing vibration or slight shaking during drilling. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for precise alignment of the clamping plates of the inward and outward clamping blocks 2-4 and 2-5, reducing assembly precision while maintaining effective clamping. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, four, five, or six.

[0039] Specific implementation method eight: Combination Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first ring 2-3-1, the second ring 2-3-2, and the third ring 2-3-3 are all welded together from multiple arc-shaped plates. This arrangement facilitates production and installation. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven.

[0040] Specific Implementation Method Nine: Combining Figure 5 This embodiment describes the calibration block 9, which includes an external monitoring block 9-1 and a lower base 9-2. The lower base 9-2 is elongated and mounted on the third ring 2-3-3. The external monitoring block 9-1 is mounted on the upper surface of one side of the lower base 9-2, and its outer surface is horizontal. With this design, the main function of the calibration block is as follows: the robot's end effector is equipped with a line laser sensor. After activation, the sensor moves along a smooth and stable path on the surface of the calibration block, thereby scanning and obtaining the x and z two-dimensional coordinates of the surface based on the sensor coordinate system. Combined with the y-direction coordinates obtained from the robot's movement, the three-dimensional coordinates of the calibration block in the sensor coordinate system can be obtained for subsequent calculation by the industrial control computer. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight.

[0041] Specific Implementation Method Ten: Combining Figure 5 In this embodiment, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the external monitoring block 9-1 is a right-angled trapezoid. The design of the calibration block 9 is as follows: Figure 5As shown. It mainly consists of a 100mm*100mm square surface and a lower base with threaded holes, used to fix it to the flexible tooling 2 of the cylindrical section. Other components and connections are the same as in specific embodiments one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine.

[0042] Combined with the present invention Figures 1 to 6 Explanation of the working principle of this invention:

[0043] In the entire drilling system, due to the large size of the cylindrical workpiece, the robot's workspace cannot reach all the drilling positions. Therefore, a turntable is needed to adjust the orientation of the flexible tooling. Simultaneously, to ensure positional accuracy after rotation, the 360-degree borehole positions of the cylindrical part need to be divided into four quadrants for processing. A calibration block is placed in each quadrant, and a line laser scanner is used for accuracy calibration. Therefore, the complete workflow of the system is as follows:

[0044] 1. The industrial computer reads the received drilling position coordinate file, selects the corresponding program number, and starts the drilling operation;

[0045] 2. The industrial control computer sends instructions to the PLC, and the PLC controls the turntable to rotate by a specified angle according to the quadrant where the drilling position is located;

[0046] 3. After the rotation is complete, the PLC starts the line laser scanning program, and the ABB robot moves to the designated position to scan the calibration block along the preset trajectory;

[0047] 4. The industrial control computer receives the scanning results, performs calculations, generates the robot's processing trajectory, and sends it to the robot control system. At the same time, it sends a grasping command to the PLC.

[0048] 5. The PLC sends a gripping command to the robot. The ABB robot grips the electric spindle tool, sets the speed, and then turns on the electric spindle to preheat and reach the maximum speed.

[0049] 6. Based on the received machining trajectory, the ABB robot begins continuous feed drilling operations and maintains communication with the PLC;

[0050] 7. After drilling is completed, the PLC sends a command to the robot, and the ABB robot returns to the center point, thus ending the machining process for a single hole.

[0051] 8. The turntable resets, the PLC waits for the next hole position information, and repeats the above process until all holes are processed. The robot then lowers the tool, and the drilling ends.

Claims

1. A robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts, comprising an industrial control system (1), characterized in that: It also includes a flexible tooling section (2), an end-of-line drilling actuator (3), a robot control system (4), a PLC control system (5), an ABB robot (6), a line laser scanning device (7), a turntable (8), and multiple calibration blocks (9). The turntable (8) is arranged horizontally, the flexible tooling (2) of the cylinder section is installed on the turntable (8), and multiple calibration blocks (9) are installed on the flexible tooling (2) in a ring array. The cylinder section parts of the storage tank can be detachably installed on the flexible tooling (2). The line laser scanning device (7) is installed at the end of the ABB robot (6); the line laser scanning device (7) scans across the outer surface of the calibration block (9) on the flexible tooling (2) of the cylinder section, obtains the three-dimensional coordinate system of the calibration block (9), and transmits it to the industrial control system (1) for calculation. The PLC control system (5) establishes a communication protocol to send and receive commands, and obtains the data results of the line laser scanning device (7) through I / O signals for calculation, obtains the robot drilling trajectory and sends it to the robot control system (4). The end drilling actuator (3) is electrically connected to the PLC control system (5) and receives the instructions of the PLC control system (5) to perform drilling on the cylinder section parts of the storage tank. The flexible tooling (2) for the cylindrical section includes multiple pads (2-1), multiple mounting plates (2-2), multiple mounting ring assemblies (2-3), and multiple clamping units. Multiple pads (2-1) are installed in a ring at equal intervals on the turntable (8). A mounting plate (2-2) is installed between two adjacent pads (2-1). The mounting ring assembly (2-3) is installed on the mounting plate (2-2). Multiple clamping units are evenly distributed on the mounting ring assembly (2-3) and clamp the lower part of the cylindrical section. The mounting ring assembly (2-3) includes a first ring (2-3-1), a second ring (2-3-2), a third ring (2-3-3), multiple stepped mounting seats (2-3-4), and multiple positioning connecting blocks (2-3-5). The multiple stepped mounting seats (2-3-4) are mounted on the mounting plate (2-2). The first ring (2-3-1), the second ring (2-3-2), and the third ring (2-3-3) are mounted on the multiple stepped mounting seats (2-3-4) from the inside to the outside. The height of the first ring (2-3-1), the second ring (2-3-2), and the third ring (2-3-3) decreases from the inside to the outside. The first ring (2-3-1) and the second ring (2-3-2) are connected by the multiple positioning connecting blocks (2-3-5). The clamping unit includes an inward clamping block (2-4) and an outward clamping block (2-5). Both the inward clamping block (2-4) and the outward clamping block (2-5) are installed at the bottom of the third ring (2-3-3). The clamping plate of the inward clamping block (2-4) faces the center of the mounting ring assembly (2-3), and the clamping plate of the outward clamping block (2-5) faces the outside of the mounting ring assembly (2-3) after passing around the first ring (2-3-1).

2. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right ends of the mounting plate (2-2) are pressed onto the pad plate (2-1).

3. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning connecting block (2-3-5) is a "Z" shaped connecting block.

4. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping plates of the inward clamping block (2-4) and the clamping plates of the outward clamping block (2-5) are arranged in a staggered manner, and a gap is left between the clamping plates of the inward clamping block (2-4) and the clamping plates of the outward clamping block (2-5), the gap being the wall thickness of the tank section part.

5. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first ring (2-3-1), the second ring (2-3-2), and the third ring (2-3-3) are all made of multiple arc-shaped plates welded together.

6. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 5, characterized in that: The calibration block (9) includes an external monitoring block (9-1) and a lower base (9-2). The lower base (9-2) is elongated and is mounted on the third ring (2-3-3). The external monitoring block (9-1) is mounted on the upper surface of one side of the lower base (9-2), and the outer surface of the external monitoring block (9-1) is horizontal.

7. The robotic automatic drilling system for tank cylindrical parts according to claim 6, characterized in that: The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the external monitoring block (9-1) is a right trapezoid.

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