Automatic fine disassembling and recycling system and method for waste electrical and electronic parts

Abstract

This invention discloses an automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) parts, comprising a control unit and connected to it a workbench unit, an image recognition unit, a laser detection and dismantling unit, and a robotic arm handling unit. The laser detection and dismantling unit includes a laser irradiation subunit and a LIBS detection subunit. The control unit receives category and contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit to determine the workbench's movement range, ensuring the part to be dismantled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit. It receives element information from the irradiation point of the LIBS detection subunit to further determine the part's type and corrects the part's contour data based on the workbench's movement position coordinates. It generates a dismantling trajectory based on the part's contour data, sends a signal to control the workbench to move along the dismantling trajectory, and simultaneously sends a signal to the laser irradiation subunit to emit pulsed laser light to dismantle the part. This invention can achieve the identification, dismantling, and recycling of different parts from WEEE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electronic component recycling system and method, and more particularly to an automated and precise dismantling and recycling system and method for waste electrical components. Background Technology

[0002] The sorting, recycling, and reuse of waste electrical and electronic components (WEEE) are crucial for reducing resource waste and environmental pollution. Dismantling WEEE allows for the recycling of parts and chips for secondary use, and also enables the extraction of valuable elements, including gold, aluminum, iron, and various precious metals. Obtaining resources this way is significantly cheaper than direct processing or smelting, thus achieving energy conservation and promoting a circular economy. In industrial production, traditional dismantling methods involve crushing, pulverizing, and grading WEEE to separate metals from non-metals and extract valuable metallic elements. However, the challenge remains: how to accurately classify and dismantle various components without damaging them, enabling large-scale industrial recycling. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an automated and precise dismantling and recycling system and method for waste electrical components to address the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art is as follows:

[0005] An automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical appliance parts includes a control unit and a workbench unit, an image recognition unit, a laser detection and dismantling unit, and a robotic arm handling unit, all connected to the control unit.

[0006] The workbench unit includes a workbench and a workbench drive unit; the workbench is used to hold waste electrical appliances; the workbench drive unit is used to drive the workbench to achieve three-dimensional movement.

[0007] The image recognition unit is used to collect images or video data of discarded electrical appliances on the workbench, perform preliminary identification and classification of the parts on them and extract contour coordinate data;

[0008] The laser detection and disassembly unit includes a laser irradiation subunit and a LIBS detection subunit. The laser irradiation subunit is used to emit pulsed laser light and irradiate the surface of the object on the worktable with the pulsed laser light. The LIBS detection subunit is used to collect the radiation light emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser light and to determine the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis.

[0009] The robotic arm handling unit is used to place waste electrical appliances on a workbench before disassembly and to place the parts obtained from the waste electrical appliances after disassembly into a recycling device for storing the disassembled parts.

[0010] The control unit receives category and contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit. It uses the contour coordinate data to determine the movement range of the worktable, ensuring the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit. It also receives element information from each laser irradiation point from the LIBS detection subunit. Based on the category identified by the image recognition unit and the corresponding structural and material parameters of the part, it further determines the type of part and, combined with the worktable's movement coordinates, further corrects the part's contour data. Based on the corrected part contour data, it generates a disassembly trajectory and sends a signal to control the worktable to move along the trajectory. Simultaneously, it sends a signal to cause the laser irradiation subunit to emit pulsed laser light to disassemble the part from the waste electrical equipment. Finally, it sends a signal to control the operation of the robotic arm handling unit.

[0011] Furthermore, the laser irradiation subunit includes an ultrashort pulse laser, an optical path shaping device, and a lens changing device; the ultrashort pulse laser is used to emit ultrashort pulse laser; the optical path shaping device is used to shape the beam output by the ultrashort pulse laser; the lens changing device is used to change the lens so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device is output after passing through a lens that matches the process requirements.

[0012] Furthermore, the lens changing device includes a disc-shaped lens magazine and a disc drive device for rotating the lens magazine; the lens magazine is used to store lenses, including laser inspection lenses for LIBS inspection and laser processing lenses for disassembling parts; when the process requires LIBS inspection, the control unit sends a signal to control the disc drive device to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device passes through the laser inspection lens and is output; when the process requires disassembling parts, the control unit sends a signal to control the disc drive device to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device passes through the laser processing lens and is output.

[0013] Furthermore, the LIBS detection subunit includes a fiber optic probe and a spectrometer; the fiber optic probe is used to detect the radiation emitted by an object when irradiated by a pulsed laser, and it couples the received light to the fiber optic spectrometer; the fiber optic spectrometer identifies ionic elements through spectral analysis of the incident light, and outputs the element information to the control unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the image recognition unit includes an image acquisition device and an image processing device. The image acquisition device is used to acquire images or video information of parts in waste electrical appliances; the image processing device is used to process the acquired image or video information to obtain the category of the parts and the outline coordinate data of the parts.

[0015] Furthermore, the control unit generates a detection trajectory based on the part contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit and according to the error range; it sends a signal to move the worktable according to the detection trajectory, causing the laser irradiation subunit to emit pulsed laser light, and the LIBS detection subunit to detect the element at the laser irradiation point; it receives the element information at the laser irradiation point, compares it with the part's structure and material parameters, and further determines the type of part; it combines the positional relationship between the worktable movement trajectory and the irradiation point to further correct the part's contour.

[0016] Furthermore, the recycling device includes multiple bins; these bins are distinguished by location, color, or label, so that they correspond one-to-one with the category of parts.

[0017] Furthermore, the material boxes are fixed in different positions according to the type of parts they contain; the control unit automatically plans the movement path of the robotic arm handling unit during processing based on the position of the material boxes and the type of parts.

[0018] This invention also provides a recycling method utilizing the above-mentioned automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components; comprising the following steps:

[0019] Step 1: The control unit sends a signal to control the robotic arm handling unit to place the waste electrical appliances on the worktable;

[0020] Step 2: The image recognition unit collects images or video data of the waste electrical appliances on the workbench, performs preliminary identification and classification of the parts on them, and extracts contour coordinate data; it then sends the obtained part categories and contour coordinate data to the control unit.

[0021] Step 3: The control unit sends a signal to control the movement of the worktable based on the contour coordinate data of the part, so that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit.

[0022] Step 4: The control unit outputs a signal to control the laser irradiation subunit to emit a pulsed laser to irradiate the surface of the part on the worktable; the LIBS detection subunit collects the radiation emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser, and determines the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis; it then sends the element information of each laser irradiation point to the control unit.

[0023] Step 5: The control unit, based on the element information of each laser irradiation point and the structural and material information of the components, further determines the type of part and further corrects the contour data of the part based on the moving position coordinates of the worktable; it generates a disassembly trajectory based on the corrected part contour data, sends a signal to control the worktable to move according to the disassembly trajectory, and simultaneously sends a signal to make the laser irradiation subunit emit pulsed laser to disassemble the part from the waste electrical appliance.

[0024] Step 6: The control unit sends a signal to control the robotic arm handling unit to place the parts dismantled from the waste electrical appliances into the recycling device.

[0025] Furthermore, in step 5, the output laser power of the laser irradiation subunit and the table movement speed are adjusted for different types of parts.

[0026] The advantages and positive effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components. It utilizes ultra-short pulse lasers to dismantle the components, including laser cutting and laser melting of welded areas. This significantly reduces damage to the components being recycled, and can even achieve non-destructive dismantling. It features high dismantling speed, high precision, and good dismantling quality, and can dismantle various metallic and non-metallic materials. By selecting appropriate processing lenses and laser parameters such as spot diameter, pulse width, center wavelength, and laser power, precise dismantling of the components can be achieved.

[0027] This invention enables fully automated and precise identification, disassembly, and recycling of different parts from waste electrical appliances. It uses ultra-short pulse laser disassembly technology to achieve non-destructive disassembly of different parts, and simultaneously employs LIBS detection technology, robotics, and image recognition technology to automate the entire recycling process, making it applicable to large-scale industrial production. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic fine dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical appliance parts according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a recycling method using the above-mentioned automatic fine dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components, according to the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Workbench unit; 1-1. Workbench; 2. Control unit; 3. Robotic arm handling unit; 3-1. First robotic arm; 3-2. Second robotic arm; 4. Image acquisition device; 4-1. Camera; 4-2. Camera mounting base; 4-3. Fixed tripod; 5. Laser irradiation subunit; 5-1. Ultrashort pulse laser; 5-2. Optical path shaping device; 5-3. Lens changing device; 6. LIBS detection subunit; 6-1. Spectrometer; 6-2. Fiber optic probe; 7. Recycling device; 7-1. First material box; 7-2. Second material box; 7-3. Third material box. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0032] In the description of this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," and "bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and do not require the invention to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "connected" and "linked" used in this invention should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or a detachable connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through intermediate components; or an electrical connection or signal transmission. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 2 An automated precision dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical components includes a control unit 2, and a workbench unit 1, an image recognition unit, a laser detection and dismantling unit, and a robotic arm handling unit 3, all connected to the control unit 2.

[0034] The workbench unit 1 includes a workbench 1-1 and a workbench drive device; the workbench 1-1 is used to fix waste electrical appliances; the workbench drive device is used to drive the workbench 1-1 to achieve three-dimensional movement.

[0035] The image recognition unit is used to perform preliminary identification, classification and extraction of contour coordinate data of the parts on the workbench 1-1 by acquiring images or video data of the discarded electrical appliances.

[0036] The laser detection and disassembly unit includes a laser irradiation subunit 5 and a LIBS detection subunit 6. The laser irradiation subunit 5 is used to emit pulsed laser light and irradiate the surface of the object on the worktable 1-1. The LIBS detection subunit 6 is used to collect the radiation light emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser light and to determine the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis.

[0037] The robotic arm handling unit 3 is used to place the waste electrical appliances on the workbench 1-1 before disassembly, and to place the parts obtained from the waste electrical appliances after disassembly into the recycling device 7 for storing the disassembled parts.

[0038] Control unit 2 receives category and contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit. It determines the movement range of worktable 1-1 based on the contour coordinate data, ensuring that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of laser irradiation subunit 5. It receives element information of each laser irradiation point from LIBS detection subunit 6. Based on the category identified by the image recognition unit and the corresponding structural and material parameters of the part, it further determines the type of part and further corrects the contour data of the part by combining the movement position coordinates of worktable 1-1. It generates a disassembly trajectory based on the corrected part contour data and sends a signal to control worktable 1-1 to move according to the disassembly trajectory. At the same time, it sends a signal to cause laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser to disassemble the part from the waste electrical appliance. It sends a signal to control the operation of robotic arm handling unit 3.

[0039] Laser cutting is a processing method that uses a high-power-density laser as a heat source. Following a pre-designed cutting trajectory, the workpiece is irradiated by the laser beam, causing the surface to melt, evaporate, or decompose, thus forming a cut. Similarly, waste electrical appliances are irradiated by the laser beam along the cutting trajectory, achieving surface melting, evaporation, or decomposition.

[0040] LIBS is short for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. LIBS detection refers to the process of using an ultrashort pulse laser to focus a plasma onto the sample surface, and then using a spectrometer to analyze the plasma emission spectrum to identify the elemental composition of the sample. This allows for the identification, classification, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the material.

[0041] LIBS (Liquid-Induced Blasting) detection enables rapid identification, classification, qualitative, and quantitative analysis of materials, with measurement distances ranging from a few centimeters to hundreds of meters, demonstrating significant industrial potential. LIBS detection can be combined with neural networks, vision systems, and information technology to efficiently identify various types of recyclable waste. This invention combines LIBS detection technology with ultrashort pulse laser dismantling technology for precise identification and classification of different parts. It assists ultrashort pulse laser dismantling technology in the precise and non-destructive dismantling of parts to be recycled, expanding the application scope of LIBS detection technology.

[0042] The worktable drive device can be an existing XYZ three-axis moving platform or XYZ three-axis linear module, or it can be a three-dimensional drive device composed of three sets of guide rails, ball screws and servo motors using conventional technology.

[0043] Preferably, the laser irradiation subunit 5 may include an ultrashort pulse laser 5-1, an optical path shaping device 5-2, and a lens changing device 5-3; the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 is used to emit ultrashort pulse laser; the optical path shaping device 5-2 is used to shape the beam output by the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1; the lens changing device 5-3 is used to change the lens so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 is output after passing through a lens that matches the process requirements.

[0044] Beam shaping refers to the use of beam shaping lenses, mirrors, microlenses, or optical fibers of different shapes to homogenize or change the spatial shape of a light spot.

[0045] Ultrashort pulse lasers, broadly speaking, refer to pulse lasers with a pulse duration of less than 1 nanosecond. In this invention, the ultra-high peak power and ultra-short duration facilitate high-precision, non-destructive disassembly of devices; therefore, picosecond pulse lasers or even femtosecond pulse lasers can be selected.

[0046] Preferably, the lens changing device 5-3 may include a disc-shaped lens magazine and a disc drive device for driving the lens magazine to rotate; the lens magazine is used to store lenses, including laser inspection lenses for LIBS inspection and laser processing lenses for disassembling parts; when the process requires LIBS inspection, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to drive the lens magazine to rotate, so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 passes through the laser inspection lens and is output; when the process requires disassembling parts, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to drive the lens magazine to rotate, so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 passes through the laser processing lens and is output.

[0047] Preferably, the lens changing device 5-3 may include a disc-shaped lens magazine and a disc drive device for driving the lens magazine to rotate; the lens magazine is used to store lenses, including laser inspection lenses for LIBS inspection and laser processing lenses for disassembling parts; when the process requires LIBS inspection, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to drive the lens magazine to rotate, so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 passes through the laser inspection lens and is output; when the process requires disassembling parts, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to drive the lens magazine to rotate, so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 passes through the laser processing lens and is output.

[0048] Preferably, the disc-shaped lens magazine can be located below the output end of the optical path shaping device; when the lens magazine is rotated to the set position, the lenses in the disc-shaped lens magazine are aligned with the output end of the optical path shaping device.

[0049] Preferably, the tool magazine and tool changing robot in existing CNC machine tools can be used as a reference; the disc-shaped lens magazine can be located beside the output end of the optical path shaping device; the lens changing device also includes a lens changing robot, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to drive the lens magazine to rotate, so that the lens matching the process requirements is rotated to the position where the lens changing robot picks up and puts the lens; the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the lens changing robot to grab or put down the lens; and controls the lens changing robot to install or remove the lens at the beam output end of the optical path shaping device 5-2.

[0050] Preferably, the LIBS detection subunit 6 may include an optical fiber probe 6-2 and a spectrometer 6-1; the optical fiber probe 6-2 is used to receive the radiation light excited by the object being irradiated by a pulsed laser, and it couples the received light to the optical fiber spectrometer; the optical fiber spectrometer identifies ionic elements by spectral analysis of the incident light, and outputs the element information to the control unit 2.

[0051] Preferably, the image recognition unit may include an image acquisition device 4 and an image processing device. The image acquisition device 4 can be used to acquire images or video information of parts in waste electrical appliances; the image processing device can be used to process the acquired image or video information to obtain the category of the parts and the outline coordinate data of the parts.

[0052] Preferably, the image acquisition device 4 may include a camera 4-1; the image processing device may have a built-in neural network, which performs preliminary identification of the parts in the image and extracts the outline of the parts; the camera 4-1 is calibrated to determine the coordinates of the points on the outline of the parts and obtain the size of the parts.

[0053] Camera 4-1 can be a long-range, wide-field-of-view binocular camera or a monocular camera with a telephoto microscope lens. Both the binocular and monocular cameras are calibrated, and then used to locate points on the object, thereby obtaining the object's contour coordinate data.

[0054] Binocular cameras, utilizing the parallax principle of two lenses, can acquire depth information of a scene, achieving true stereo vision. This gives binocular cameras significant advantages in object recognition, measurement, and localization. For example, in scenarios such as robot grasping and parts inspection on automated production lines, binocular cameras can accurately acquire the three-dimensional coordinates of objects, thereby achieving high-precision localization and manipulation. Long-range, wide-field-of-view binocular cameras can detect surfaces with diagonal lengths of 200-1500mm, and the working distance of the lenses is 300-2000mm.

[0055] Monocular cameras, based on 2D measurement technology, can be used to inspect and measure parameters such as the size, position, and shape of parts, thereby enabling automated production and quality control. Monocular cameras with long-focal-length microscope lenses can inspect surfaces with a diagonal length of 300-1000mm, and the working distance of the lens is 600-2000mm.

[0056] Preferably, the control unit 2 can generate a detection trajectory based on the part contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit and the error range. The detection trajectory can consist of a series of detection points. The selection of detection points can be centered on a point in the part contour. Let the coordinates of a certain contour point be (a,b), and the error of the image processing device in extracting the coordinates of the points in the contour be ±r. Then, five detection points can be selected, namely (a,b), (a+r,b), (ar,b), (a,b+r), and (a,br). Some inflection points in the contour can be selected, and multiple monitoring points can be selected corresponding to the inflection points. Connecting all detection points into a line constitutes the detection trajectory. The control unit 2 sends a signal to move the worktable 1-1 according to the detection trajectory, causes the laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser, and causes the LIBS detection subunit 6 to detect the elements at the laser irradiation point. The control unit 2 receives the element information of the laser irradiation point, compares it with the structure and material parameters of the part, and further determines the type of part. The control unit 2 further corrects the contour of the part by combining the positional relationship between the moving trajectory of the worktable 1-1 and the irradiation point.

[0057] Preferably, the recycling device 7 may include multiple bins; the bins may be distinguished by location, color or label, so that they correspond one-to-one with the category of parts.

[0058] Preferably, the material boxes can be fixed in different positions according to the type of parts they contain; the control unit 2 can automatically plan the movement path of the robotic arm handling unit 3 according to the type of parts during processing based on the position of the material boxes.

[0059] Preferably, the robotic arm handling unit 3 may include a first robotic arm 3-1 and a second robotic arm 3-2; the first robotic arm 3-1 may be used to place the waste electrical appliances on the workbench 1-1 before disassembly; the second robotic arm 3-2 may be used to place the parts obtained from the disassembled waste electrical appliances into different recycling devices 7 after disassembly.

[0060] This invention also provides a recycling method utilizing the above-mentioned automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components; comprising the following steps:

[0061] Step 1: Control unit 2 sends a signal to control robotic arm handling unit 3 to place the waste electrical appliance on workbench 1-1.

[0062] Step 2: The image recognition unit collects images or video data of the waste electrical appliances on the workbench 1-1, performs preliminary identification and classification of the parts on it, and extracts the contour coordinate data; it then sends the obtained part category and contour coordinate data to the control unit 2.

[0063] Step 3: The control unit 2 sends a signal to control the worktable 1-1 to move according to the contour coordinate data of the part, so that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit 5.

[0064] Step 4: Control unit 2 outputs a signal to control laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser light to irradiate the surface of the part on worktable 1-1; LIBS detection subunit 6 collects the radiation light emitted by the object irradiated by the pulsed laser, and determines the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis; it sends the element information of each laser irradiation point to control unit 2.

[0065] Step 5: Control unit 2, based on the element information of each laser irradiation point and the structural and material information of the components, further determines the type of part, and further corrects the contour data of the part based on the moving position coordinates of workbench 1-1; it generates a disassembly trajectory based on the corrected part contour data, sends a signal to control workbench 1-1 to move according to the disassembly trajectory, and simultaneously sends a signal to cause laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser to disassemble the part from the waste electrical appliance.

[0066] Step 6: Control unit 2 sends a signal to control robotic arm handling unit 3 to place the parts disassembled from the waste electrical appliances into recycling device 7.

[0067] Preferably, in step 5, the output laser power of the laser irradiation subunit 5 and the moving speed of the worktable 1-1 can be adjusted for different types of parts.

[0068] The structure and working principle of the present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to a preferred embodiment:

[0069] An automated precision dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical appliance parts includes a control unit 2, and a workbench unit 1, an image recognition unit, a laser detection and dismantling unit, and a robotic arm handling unit 3, all connected to the control unit 2.

[0070] The workbench unit 1 includes a workbench 1-1 and a workbench 1-1 drive device; the workbench 1-1 is used to fix waste electrical appliances; the workbench 1-1 drive device is used to drive the workbench 1-1 to achieve three-dimensional movement.

[0071] The image recognition unit is used to perform preliminary identification, classification and extraction of contour coordinate data of the parts on the workbench 1-1 by acquiring images or video data of the discarded electrical appliances.

[0072] The laser detection and disassembly unit includes a laser irradiation subunit 5 and a LIBS detection subunit 6. The laser irradiation subunit 5 is used to emit pulsed laser light and irradiate the surface of the object on the worktable 1-1. The LIBS detection subunit 6 is used to collect the radiation light emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser light and to determine the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis.

[0073] The robotic arm handling unit 3 is used to place the waste electrical appliances on the workbench 1-1 before disassembly, and to place the parts obtained from the waste electrical appliances after disassembly into the recycling device 7 for storing the disassembled parts.

[0074] Control unit 2 receives category and contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit. It determines the movement range of worktable 1-1 based on the contour coordinate data, ensuring that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of laser irradiation subunit 5. It receives element information of each laser irradiation point from LIBS detection subunit 6. Based on the category identified by the image recognition unit and the corresponding structural and material parameters of the part, it further determines the type of part and further corrects the contour data of the part by combining the movement position coordinates of worktable 1-1. It generates a disassembly trajectory based on the corrected part contour data and sends a signal to control worktable 1-1 to move according to the disassembly trajectory. At the same time, it sends a signal to cause laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser to disassemble the part from the waste electrical appliance. It sends a signal to control the operation of robotic arm handling unit 3.

[0075] The laser irradiation subunit 5 includes an ultrashort pulse laser 5-1, an optical path shaping device 5-2, and a lens changing device 5-3; the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 is used to emit ultrashort pulse laser; the optical path shaping device 5-2 is used to shape the beam output by the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1; the lens changing device 5-3 is used to change the lens so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device 5-2 is output after passing through a lens that matches the process requirements.

[0076] The lens changing device 5-3 includes a disc-shaped lens magazine and a disc drive device for rotating the lens magazine. The lens magazine is used to store lenses, including laser inspection lenses for LIBS inspection and laser processing lenses for disassembling parts. When the process requires LIBS inspection, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device 5-2 is aligned with the laser inspection lens and output after passing through the laser inspection lens. When the process requires disassembling parts, the control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device 5-2 is aligned with the laser processing lens and output after passing through the laser processing lens.

[0077] The LIBS detection subunit 6 includes an optical fiber probe 6-2 and a spectrometer 6-1. The optical fiber probe 6-2 is used to receive the radiation light excited by the object being irradiated by a pulsed laser, and it couples the received light to the optical fiber spectrometer. The optical fiber spectrometer identifies ionic elements by spectral analysis of the incident light and outputs the element information to the control unit 2.

[0078] The image recognition unit includes an image acquisition device 4 and an image processing device. The image acquisition device 4 is used to acquire images or video information of parts in waste electrical appliances; the image processing device is used to process the acquired image or video information to obtain the type and contour coordinate data of the parts.

[0079] The image acquisition device 4 includes a camera 4-1. In this embodiment, the camera 4-1 is a monocular camera with an ultra-long focal length microscope lens assembly.

[0080] Camera 4-1 is located at the upper right of workbench 1-1, at approximately a 45° angle to the horizontal plane. Camera 4-1 is mounted on camera mount 4-2, which in turn is mounted on a fixed tripod 4-3. Camera 4-1 can acquire images of discarded electrical appliances placed on workbench 1-1 from an ultra-long working distance (approximately 2 meters), with its field of view encompassing the entire workbench 1-1. After acquiring images, the image acquisition device 4-1 sends them to the image processing device. The image processing device incorporates a neural network, which performs preliminary identification of the parts in the image, extracts the part contours, calibrates camera 4-1, determines the coordinates of points on the part contours, and obtains the part dimensions. The image processing device then sends the obtained part category, part dimensions, and part contour coordinate information to control unit 2.

[0081] The control unit 2, image processing device, and spectrometer 6-1 are equipped with processors and loaded with corresponding application software to achieve the above functions. The control unit 2, image processing device, and spectrometer 6-1 may also share a processor or use a cloud processor.

[0082] The robotic arm handling unit 3 includes a first robotic arm 3-1 and a second robotic arm 3-2. The first robotic arm 3-1 is used to place the waste electrical appliances on the workbench 1-1 before disassembly. The second robotic arm 3-2 is used to place the parts obtained from the waste electrical appliances after disassembly into different recycling devices 7. The first robotic arm 3-1 is located on the right side of the workbench 1-1, and the second robotic arm 3-2 is located on the left side of the workbench 1-1.

[0083] The recycling device 7 includes multiple material boxes; the material boxes are distinguished by their positions so that they correspond one-to-one with the types of parts, and the material boxes are fixed in different positions according to the types of parts they contain; the control unit 2 automatically plans the movement path of the robotic arm handling unit 3 according to the type of parts during processing based on the positions of the material boxes.

[0084] The following section illustrates the recycling method using the aforementioned automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for discarded electronic components by disassembling the screen cable, backlight strip, and camera from a discarded mobile phone motherboard; it includes the following steps:

[0085] Step A: The waste mobile phone sample is placed at the center of the worktable 1-1 on the worktable unit 1 by the first robotic arm 3-1 of the robotic arm handling unit 3.

[0086] Step B: Control unit 2 sends a signal to control workbench 1-1 to move. Then, camera 4-1 collects images of the discarded mobile phones. After the camera 4-1 collects the images, it sends them to the image processing device. The image processing software in the image processing device performs preliminary identification and processing on the screen cable, screen backlight strip and camera to obtain the part category, part size and part outline coordinate information. The image processing device then sends the part category, part size and part outline coordinate information to control unit 2.

[0087] Step C: The control unit sends a signal to control the movement of the worktable based on the part contour coordinate data from the image processing device, so that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit.

[0088] Step D: Control Unit 2 generates a detection trajectory from contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit. Control Unit 2 sends a signal to control the workbench 1-1 to move according to the detection trajectory. The detection trajectory can be derived from the part contour coordinate information from the image processing device, taking into account error factors such as the screen backlight strip. Four inflection points and the midpoint between each pair of inflection points are selected from the part contour. Each inflection point and midpoint corresponds to five monitoring points, which are connected to form the detection trajectory. Simultaneously, an output signal controls the laser irradiation subunit 5 and the LIBS detection subunit 6 to operate. As the workbench 1-1 moves according to the detection trajectory, the laser irradiation subunit 5 synchronously emits pulsed laser light, and the LIBS detection subunit 6 synchronously detects elements at the laser irradiation points. The LIBS detection subunit 6 generates different detection trajectories for different parts. The LIBS detection subunit 6 sequentially performs LIBS detection on parts such as the screen cable, screen backlight strip, and camera until all parts to be disassembled have been detected.

[0089] Step E: Based on the corrected part contour data, a disassembly trajectory is generated; control unit 2 generates different disassembly trajectories for different parts. Control unit 2 sends a signal to control the disc drive device to rotate the lens magazine, aligning the laser output end of the optical path shaping device 5-2 with the laser processing lens that matches the process requirements. Control unit 2 outputs a signal to enable laser irradiation subunit 5 to select appropriate laser parameters for different parts; control unit 2 sends a signal to control the worktable 1-1 to move according to the disassembly trajectory, and simultaneously sends a signal to enable laser irradiation subunit 5 to emit pulsed laser, using ultra-short laser pulses to perform precise disassembly along the contours of the screen cable, screen backlight strip, and camera.

[0090] Step F: The disassembled parts are removed by the second robotic arm 3-2 in the robotic arm handling unit 3 and placed into the corresponding positions in the recycling device 7. The screen cable is placed in the first material box 7-1; the screen backlight strip is placed in the second material box 7-2; and the camera is placed in the third material box 7-3. The entire process is fully automated.

[0091] The ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 emitted by the aforementioned laser has a center wavelength of 1030 nm, a pulse width of 370 fs, an adjustable repetition rate of 10 kHz to 300 kHz, and a maximum power of 20 W. When used for detection, the laser irradiation subunit 5 uses a repetition rate of 10 kHz. When used for disassembling parts, a repetition rate of 300 kHz can be selected. The laser parameters required for detecting different substances vary slightly, and the output laser parameters of the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

[0092] When the laser irradiation subunit 5 is used for disassembling parts, to ensure disassembly accuracy and efficiency, the ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 with other parameters can be replaced or added as needed to ensure that the laser propagates along the original optical path; alternatively, an ultrashort pulse laser 5-1 with adjustable parameters can be selected. Before laser disassembly, the control unit 2 controls the disk-shaped lens magazine to rotate to the appropriate position. According to the laser disassembly process requirements, the laser detection lens at the laser output end of the optical path shaping device 5-2 is replaced with a laser processing lens with NA=0.4 that meets the process requirements, and the laser processing lens is aligned with the laser output end of the optical path shaping device 5-2. Appropriate laser output power and the moving speed of the worktable 1-1 are selected for different parts. The control unit 2 outputs signals to control the three-dimensional movement of the worktable 1-1, achieving precise disassembly of screen cables, screen backlight strips, and cameras from discarded mobile phone motherboards according to the fine contours of the parts. The disassembly accuracy can reach the μm level.

[0093] The recycling device 7 is used for the classified storage of different parts. The recycling device 7 includes three bins, named bin 7-1, bin 7-2, and bin 7-3. Bin 7-1 holds the screen cable, bin 7-2 holds the screen backlight strip, and bin 7-3 holds the camera. The position of each bin and the corresponding part type are pre-set in the program of the control unit 2, so that the movement path of the first robotic arm 3-1 can be automatically planned according to the different part types during processing. After one disassembly is completed, the first robotic arm 3-1 picks up the disassembled part and puts it into the corresponding bin. After placement, the next part is disassembled, and so on, until all parts are classified.

[0094] The aforementioned workbench, control unit, robotic arm handling unit, first robotic arm, second robotic arm, image recognition unit, long-distance wide-field binocular camera, monocular camera with ultra-long focal length microscope lens group, camera mounting base, fixed tripod, laser detection and disassembly unit, laser irradiation subunit, ultrashort pulse laser, optical path shaping device, lens changing device, LIBS detection subunit, optical fiber probe of spectral analyzer, recycling device, material box, processor, image acquisition device, image processing device, neural network, control program, etc., can all adopt existing technology devices and software; or they can be manufactured or implemented using existing technology devices and software and conventional technical means.

[0095] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical ideas and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. The patent scope of the present invention should not be limited by these embodiments. That is, any equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit disclosed in the present invention still fall within the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical appliance parts, characterized in that, It includes a control unit and a worktable unit, an image recognition unit, a laser detection and disassembly unit, and a robotic arm handling unit, all of which are connected to it. The workbench unit includes a workbench and a workbench drive unit; the workbench is used to hold waste electrical appliances; the workbench drive unit is used to drive the workbench to achieve three-dimensional movement. The image recognition unit is used to collect images or video data of discarded electrical appliances on the workbench, perform preliminary identification and classification of the parts on them and extract contour coordinate data; The laser detection and disassembly unit includes a laser irradiation subunit and a LIBS detection subunit. The laser irradiation subunit is used to emit pulsed laser light and irradiate the surface of the object on the worktable with the pulsed laser light. The LIBS detection subunit is used to collect the radiation light emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser light and to determine the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis. The robotic arm handling unit is used to place waste electrical appliances on a workbench before disassembly and to place the parts obtained from the waste electrical appliances after disassembly into a recycling device for storing the disassembled parts. The control unit receives category and contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit. It uses the contour coordinate data to determine the movement range of the worktable, ensuring the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit. It also receives element information from each laser irradiation point from the LIBS detection subunit. Based on the category identified by the image recognition unit and the corresponding structural and material parameters of the part, it further determines the type of part and, combined with the worktable's movement coordinates, further corrects the part's contour data. Based on the corrected part contour data, it generates a disassembly trajectory and sends a signal to control the worktable to move along the trajectory. Simultaneously, it sends a signal to cause the laser irradiation subunit to emit pulsed laser light to disassemble the part from the waste electrical equipment. Finally, it sends a signal to control the operation of the robotic arm handling unit.

2. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser irradiation subunit includes an ultrashort pulse laser, an optical path shaping device, and a lens changing device. The ultrashort pulse laser is used to emit ultrashort pulse laser light. The optical path shaping device is used to shape the beam output by the ultrashort pulse laser. The lens changing device is used to change the lens so that the laser output by the optical path shaping device is output after passing through a lens that matches the process requirements.

3. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lens changing device includes a disc-shaped lens magazine and a disc drive mechanism that drives the lens magazine to rotate. The lens magazine stores lenses, including laser inspection lenses for LIBS inspection and laser processing lenses for disassembling parts. When the process requires LIBS inspection, the control unit sends a signal to control the disc drive mechanism to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device passes through the laser inspection lens before being output. When the process requires disassembling parts, the control unit sends a signal to control the disc drive mechanism to rotate the lens magazine, so that the laser output from the optical path shaping device passes through the laser processing lens before being output.

4. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LIBS detection subunit includes a fiber optic probe and a spectrometer. The fiber optic probe is used to receive the radiation light emitted by an object when irradiated by a pulsed laser, and it couples the received light to the fiber optic spectrometer. The fiber optic spectrometer identifies ionic elements through spectral analysis of the incident light and outputs the element information to the control unit.

5. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image recognition unit includes an image acquisition device and an image processing device. The image acquisition device is used to acquire images or video information of parts in waste electrical appliances; the image processing device is used to process the acquired image or video information to obtain the category of the parts and the outline coordinate data of the parts.

6. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit generates a detection trajectory based on the part contour coordinate data from the image recognition unit and the error range. It sends a signal to move the worktable along the detection trajectory, causing the laser irradiation subunit to emit pulsed laser light, and the LIBS detection subunit to detect the elements at the laser irradiation point. It receives the element information at the laser irradiation point, compares it with the part's structure and material parameters, and further determines the type of part. It further corrects the part's contour by combining the positional relationship between the worktable movement trajectory and the irradiation point.

7. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recycling device includes multiple bins; the bins are distinguished by location, color, or label, so that they correspond one-to-one with the category of parts.

8. The automated and precise dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material boxes are fixed in different positions according to the type of parts they contain; the control unit automatically plans the movement path of the robotic arm handling unit during processing based on the position of the material boxes and the type of parts.

9. A recycling method utilizing the automated fine dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components as described in claim 1; characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The control unit sends a signal to control the robotic arm handling unit to place the waste electrical appliances on the worktable; Step 2: The image recognition unit collects images or video data of the waste electrical appliances on the workbench, performs preliminary identification and classification of the parts on them, and extracts contour coordinate data; it then sends the obtained part categories and contour coordinate data to the control unit. Step 3: The control unit sends a signal to control the movement of the worktable based on the contour coordinate data of the part, so that the part to be disassembled is within the irradiation range of the laser irradiation subunit. Step 4: The control unit outputs a signal to control the laser irradiation subunit to emit a pulsed laser to irradiate the surface of the part on the worktable; the LIBS detection subunit collects the radiation emitted by the object when irradiated by the pulsed laser, and determines the elements at the laser irradiation point based on spectral analysis; it then sends the element information of each laser irradiation point to the control unit. Step 5: The control unit, based on the element information of each laser irradiation point and the structural and material information of the components, further determines the type of part and further corrects the contour data of the part based on the moving position coordinates of the worktable; it generates a disassembly trajectory based on the corrected part contour data, sends a signal to control the worktable to move according to the disassembly trajectory, and simultaneously sends a signal to make the laser irradiation subunit emit pulsed laser to disassemble the part from the waste electrical appliance. Step 6: The control unit sends a signal to control the robotic arm handling unit to place the parts dismantled from the waste electrical appliances into the recycling device.

10. The recycling method of the automatic fine dismantling and recycling system for waste electrical and electronic components according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step 5, the output laser power of the laser irradiation subunit and the table movement speed are adjusted for different types of parts.

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