Welding equipment, welding method and device

Abstract

The present application discloses a welding device, a welding method and a device. The welding device of the embodiment of the present application includes: a mechanical arm, an intelligent camera, an actuator and a lower computer; the actuator includes a bearing part; the lower computer controls the mechanical arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part; the intelligent camera is controlled to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction is a preset direction based on the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded; when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction is a preset direction, the mechanical arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station. According to the embodiment of the present application, the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded are detected by the intelligent camera. When the battery type is changed, additional learning only needs to be performed through the intelligent camera, and there is no need to replace the intelligent camera. The operation is simple, easy to debug, and can achieve rapid changeover. Moreover, the intelligent camera adopts an ultra-small design, which can effectively reduce the installation space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to a welding device, a welding method and a device. Background Art

[0002] The connecting piece is an important component of the battery used to connect the pole and the lug. In the battery manufacturing process, the connecting piece needs to be welded. In order to improve the accuracy of the connecting piece welding, the direction and material of the connecting piece to be welded need to be detected during the connecting piece welding process.

[0003] In the related art, the material and / or direction of the connecting piece is mainly detected by a color sensor or a CCD camera. However, because different types of batteries use different connecting pieces, if a color sensor is used for detection, the installation or setting of the color sensor needs to be changed each time the battery type is changed, and the color sensor cannot detect the direction. The CCD camera needs to occupy a large installation space and requires professional knowledge and skills for debugging, and the operation is complicated.

[0004] Therefore, how to adapt to the ever-changing battery products, reduce installation space and reduce operating difficulty has become a difficult problem in the industry. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a welding device, a welding method and an apparatus, which can adapt to different battery products, reduce installation space and reduce operation difficulty.

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a welding device, including: a robotic arm, an intelligent camera, an actuator and a lower computer; the intelligent camera adopts an ultra-small design; the lower computer is respectively connected to the robotic arm, the intelligent camera and the actuator; the actuator includes a carrying part; the shooting direction of the intelligent camera is toward the carrying part; wherein the lower computer is used to perform the following operations: control the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the carrying part; control the intelligent camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the carrying part, and control the intelligent camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, control the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station.

[0007] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the connecting piece welding process, the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded is captured by the smart camera, and the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded are detected to see whether they are the preset material and the preset direction. The smart camera thinks independently, thereby achieving more stable detection. When changing the battery type, only additional learning is required through the smart camera, and there is no need to replace the smart camera. The operation is simple and the debugging is convenient. It does not require a lot of energy and time to achieve the requirement of rapid changeover. Moreover, the smart camera adopts an ultra-small design, which requires little space and effectively reduces the installation space.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the smart camera includes a built-in light source; the smart camera is used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded through the built-in light source when capturing a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded.

[0009] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, when collecting the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded, the built-in light source of the smart camera is used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded, which can improve the clarity of the detection image and facilitate accurate identification of the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded. Moreover, by using the built-in light source for lighting, there is no need for an external light source, which further reduces the installation space occupied.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the welding equipment also includes a positive electrode connecting piece storage portion and a negative electrode connecting piece storage portion; the lower computer is also used to control the robotic arm to take the connecting piece from the positive electrode connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded during the positive electrode connecting piece welding process; and to control the robotic arm to take the connecting piece from the negative electrode connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded during the negative electrode connecting piece welding process.

[0011] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, in different welding processes, the robot arm is controlled to take the connecting pieces to be welded from different storage parts, which can improve the matching degree between the connecting pieces to be welded and the welding process.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the smart camera is used to: determine the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded based on the detection image; in the positive connecting piece welding process, compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the positive connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset first direction, and when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the positive connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material, and when the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the first direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction; in the negative connecting piece welding process, compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the negative connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset second direction, and when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the negative connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material, and when the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the second direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction.

[0013] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the smart camera can accurately and quickly detect whether the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the actuator also includes a sorting element connected to the bearing part; the lower computer is also used to control the sorting element to perform a sorting action before controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, and the sorting action is used to eliminate the gap between the connecting piece to be welded and the bearing part.

[0015] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the connection pieces to be welded are arranged by the arrangement element, so that the stability of the connection pieces to be welded on the bearing part can be improved, and the possibility of the connection pieces to be welded falling from the bearing part can be reduced, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the actuator also includes a positioning element connected to the bearing part; the lower computer is also used to control the positioning element to perform a positioning action before controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station, and the positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to a target relative position, and the target relative position is a relative position corresponding to the welding station.

[0017] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the position of the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part is adjusted to the target relative position corresponding to the welding station by using the positioning element, which can facilitate the robot arm to transfer the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the actuator also includes a rotating element connected to the bearing part; the lower computer is also used to control the rotating element to perform a rotation action when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material but the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is not a preset direction, and the rotation action is used to adjust the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to a preset direction.

[0019] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is rotated by using a rotating element, so that the matching degree between the direction of the connecting piece to be welded and the preset direction can be improved, thereby improving the success rate of welding and reducing the generation of waste.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the welding equipment also includes a scanning mechanism connected to a lower computer; the lower computer is also used to control the robotic arm to move the connecting piece to be welded to the scanning station corresponding to the scanning mechanism for scanning verification before the robotic arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station in the positive electrode connecting piece welding process. When the scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded passes, the robotic arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

[0021] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, a scanning mechanism is used to scan and verify the connecting piece to be welded. After the scanning and verification is passed, the connecting piece to be welded is moved to the welding station, which can improve the accuracy of welding.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the welding equipment also includes a waste storage section; the lower computer is also used to control the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage section when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not a preset material or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails.

[0023] Through the technical solution provided by this embodiment, if the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset material, or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails, it means that the connecting piece to be welded does not match the current welding process, and it can be determined that the connecting piece to be welded is an NG product. At this time, the control robot arm will place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part, which can avoid NG products from entering the welding station and causing welding errors, and avoid problems such as poor production line environment caused by the random placement of NG products.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides a welding method, comprising: controlling a robotic arm to place a connecting piece to be welded on a carrying portion of an actuator; controlling a smart camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the carrying portion; controlling the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present application provides a welding device, comprising: a material picking control module, used to control a robotic arm to place a connecting piece to be welded on a carrying portion of an actuator; a shooting control module, used to control an intelligent camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the carrying portion; a detection control module, used to control the intelligent camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; a material placing control module, used to control the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded to a corresponding welding station when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The features, advantages and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of welding equipment provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 A top view of the layout of welding equipment provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of welding equipment provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of welding equipment provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a welding method provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0035] Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0036] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0037] Fig.11 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0038] Fig.12 A schematic flow chart of a welding method provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0039] Fig.13 A block diagram of a welding device provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0040] Figure numerals: 10-robotic arm; 11-smart camera; 12-actuator; 13-lower computer; 14-positive electrode connecting piece storage part; 15-negative electrode connecting piece storage part; 16-code scanning mechanism; A-positive electrode welding station; B-negative electrode welding station; C-robotic arm station; D-feeding detection station; 21-positive electrode full welding device; 22-negative electrode full welding device.

[0041] In the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0045] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] At present, most batteries on the market include connecting pieces, and the most common ones are lithium batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries or lithium-ion polymer batteries, etc. The connecting piece, also known as the adapter, is a key component in the battery used to connect the battery tabs and the pole assembly, and it plays an important role in the structure of the battery. The design of the connecting piece includes a tab connection part, a pole connection part and an adapter part, wherein the tab connection part is used to connect with the tab part, and the pole connection part is used to connect with the pole assembly. The two ends of the adapter part are respectively connected to the tab connection part and the pole connection part. Through this design, it is not only convenient to connect the adapter, but also can make full use of the internal space of the battery, thereby improving the performance of the adapter. The connecting piece needs to be welded during the battery manufacturing process. Based on this, in the connecting piece welding process, the direction of the connecting piece needs to be detected to prevent the situation where the tab connection part and the pole connection part are connected in reverse. In addition, the connecting pieces are usually divided into positive connecting pieces and negative connecting pieces. The positive connecting pieces are used to connect the positive electrode lugs and the positive electrode posts, and the negative connecting pieces are used to connect the negative electrode lugs and the negative electrode posts. The positive connecting pieces and the negative connecting pieces are usually made of different materials. Therefore, in the connecting piece welding process, the materials of the connecting pieces also need to be tested.

[0051] In the related art, the material and / or direction of the connecting piece is mainly detected by a color sensor or a CCD camera. However, because different types of batteries use different connecting pieces, if a color sensor is used for detection, the installation or setting of the color sensor needs to be changed each time the battery type is changed, and the color sensor cannot detect the direction. The CCD camera needs to occupy a large installation space and requires professional knowledge and skills for debugging, and the operation is complicated.

[0052] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a welding device, which can identify the material and direction of the connecting piece through a smart camera during the connecting piece welding process. The smart camera thinks independently, thereby achieving more stable detection of the connecting piece. When the battery type is changed, it is only necessary to perform additional learning through the smart camera to detect the connecting piece corresponding to the replaced battery type. There is no need to replace the smart camera. The operation is simple and the debugging is convenient. It does not require a lot of energy and time to achieve the requirement of rapid changeover. Moreover, the smart camera adopts an ultra-small design, which requires little space and can reduce the installation space.

[0053] See also Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the welding equipment provided in some embodiments of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ultrasonic welding device includes a mechanical arm 10, a smart camera 11, an actuator 12 and a lower computer 13. The lower computer 13 is connected to the mechanical arm 10, the smart camera 11 and the actuator 12 respectively, and the actuator 12 includes a bearing part; the shooting direction of the smart camera 11 is toward the bearing part.

[0054] Among them, the lower computer 13 is used to perform the following operations: control the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded on the carrying part of the actuator 12; control the smart camera 11 to capture the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the carrying part, and control the smart camera 11 to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, control the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the smart camera 11 is not a simple camera, but a highly integrated industrial micro-visual system. The smart camera 11 adopts an ultra-small design, which integrates the image acquisition, processing and communication functions into a single camera. The smart camera 11 may include components such as an image acquisition unit, an image processing unit, image processing software, and a network communication unit. Among them, the image acquisition unit includes but is not limited to a CCD or CMOS camera and an image acquisition card, and the image acquisition unit is used to capture the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded and output it to the image processing unit. The image processing unit includes but is not limited to an image acquisition or processing card, and the image processing unit is used to store the image data of the image acquisition unit in real time, and perform image processing with the support of the image processing software. The image processing software mainly completes the image processing function with the support of the hardware environment of the image processing unit. Image processing functions include but are not limited to geometric edge extraction, Blob, grayscale histogram, OCV (On-Chip Variation) or OVR (One-Versus-Rest), one-dimensional code or two-dimensional code, simple positioning and search, etc. OCV is an algorithm for image processing by analyzing and obtaining the similarity between the contour of the image to be tested and the contour of the standard sample. OVR is a strategy for dealing with multi-classification problems, in which each category is regarded as a separate binary classification problem to be solved. In the smart camera, the above algorithms are encapsulated into fixed modules, and users can apply them directly without programming. The network communication unit is mainly used to complete the communication tasks of control information and image data. The smart camera 11 can communicate with the lower computer 13 through the network communication unit, receive the control information sent by the lower computer 13, and send image processing results and other data to the lower computer 13. Among them, the network communication unit includes but is not limited to Ethernet communication devices, which can support a variety of standard networks and bus protocols.

[0056] The connecting piece is usually divided into a positive connecting piece and a negative connecting piece. The positive connecting piece is used to weld with the positive electrode of the battery cell, and the negative connecting piece is used to weld with the negative electrode of the battery cell. Based on this, the connecting piece welding process can be divided into a positive connecting piece welding process and a negative connecting piece welding process. The positive connecting piece welding process is used to weld the positive connecting piece, and the negative connecting piece welding process is used to weld the negative connecting piece. Figure 2 , which is a top view of the layout of the welding equipment provided in some embodiments of the present application, such as Figure 2As shown, it includes a positive electrode welding station A, a negative electrode welding station B, a robot station C and a loading detection station D, wherein the positive electrode welding station A includes a positive electrode full welding device 21 for welding the positive electrode connecting piece, the negative electrode welding station B includes a negative electrode full welding device 22 for welding the negative electrode connecting piece, the robot 10 is arranged in the robot station C, and the smart camera 11 and the actuator 12 are arranged in the loading detection station D. In this way, in the connecting piece welding process, the lower computer 13 can determine whether the current welding process is a positive electrode connecting piece welding process or a negative electrode connecting piece welding process according to the pre-set connecting piece loading process, wherein the positive electrode connecting piece welding process refers to the process of placing the positive electrode connecting piece in the corresponding positive electrode welding station A, and the negative electrode connecting piece welding process refers to the process of placing the negative electrode connecting piece in the corresponding negative electrode welding station B. The connecting piece loading process is used to indicate the loading order of the positive electrode connecting piece and the negative electrode connecting piece. For example, the connection sheet loading process may be to first place the positive connection sheet at the corresponding positive electrode welding station A, and then place the negative connection sheet at the negative electrode welding station B. After determining the current welding process, the lower computer 13 controls the robot arm 10 to obtain the connection sheet to be welded, and controls the robot arm 10 to place the obtained connection sheet to be welded on the bearing part of the actuator 12, and then triggers the smart camera 11 to shoot the connection sheet to be welded on the bearing part through the image acquisition unit, so that the smart camera 11 obtains the detection image of the connection sheet to be welded. Furthermore, the lower computer 13 can inform the smart camera 11 of the current welding process, so that the smart camera 11 sets the preset material and preset direction based on the current welding process. For example, when the current welding process is the positive electrode connecting piece welding process, the smart camera 11 can use the material of the positive electrode connecting piece as the preset material and the direction of the positive electrode connecting piece used during welding as the preset direction. When the current welding process is the negative electrode connecting piece welding process, the smart camera 11 can use the material of the negative electrode connecting piece as the preset material and the direction of the negative electrode connecting piece used during welding as the preset direction. Among them, the materials of the positive electrode connecting piece and the negative electrode connecting piece and the direction used during welding can be preset according to the current battery types in the production line. The types of batteries include but are not limited to: lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, lithium sulfur batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-cathode batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, or lithium-air batteries, etc. The smart camera 11 processes the detection image through the image processing unit to obtain a processing result. The processing result is used to indicate whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and determine whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction. The smart camera 11 transmits the processing result to the lower computer 13. The lower computer 13 determines that the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded match the current welding process when it determines that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction based on the processing result, thereby controlling the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.The welding station corresponding to the connecting piece to be welded is the welding station corresponding to the polarity of the connecting piece to be welded, that is, when the connecting piece to be welded is positive, the corresponding welding station is the positive welding station A, then the lower computer 13 controls the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding positive welding station A for welding through the positive full welding device 21, and when the polarity of the connecting piece to be welded is negative, the corresponding welding station is the negative welding station B, then the lower computer 13 controls the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding negative welding station B for welding through the negative full welding device 22.

[0057] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the connecting piece welding process, the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded is captured by the smart camera 11, and the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded are detected to see whether they are the preset material and the preset direction. The smart camera thinks independently, thereby achieving more stable detection. When changing the battery type, only additional learning is required through the smart camera, and there is no need to replace the smart camera. The operation is simple and the debugging is convenient. The requirements for rapid model change can be achieved without consuming a lot of energy and time. Moreover, the smart camera adopts an ultra-small design, which requires little space and effectively reduces the installation space.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present application, the positive electrode full welding device 21 and the negative electrode full welding device 22 can use ultrasonic welding equipment. Using ultrasonic welding equipment for welding will not produce additives such as glue and adhesives, can reduce environmental pollution, save unnecessary power energy consumption, thereby achieving energy conservation and environmental protection, and ultrasonic welding does not need to be equipped with ventilation devices for dissipating smoke and heat, low cost, high efficiency, and easy to realize automated production, and ultrasonic welding has high welding strength, stronger bonding, and can also achieve seamless welding.

[0059] According to some embodiments of the present application, the smart camera 11 further includes a built-in light source. Based on this, when the smart camera 11 captures the inspection image of the connecting piece to be welded, the built-in light source can be used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded.

[0060] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, when collecting the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded, the built-in light source of the smart camera 11 is used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded, which can improve the clarity of the detection image and facilitate accurate identification of the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded. Moreover, by using the built-in light source for lighting, there is no need for an external light source, which further reduces the installation space occupied.

[0061] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 3 The welding device further includes a positive electrode connecting piece receiving portion 14 and a negative electrode connecting piece receiving portion 15. The positive electrode connecting piece receiving portion 14 and the negative electrode connecting piece receiving portion 15 may also be arranged as follows: Figure 2 In the loading and inspection station D shown.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the positive electrode connecting piece receiving portion 14 includes but is not limited to a receiving groove for receiving the positive electrode connecting piece, and the negative electrode connecting piece receiving portion 15 includes but is not limited to a receiving groove for receiving the negative electrode connecting piece.

[0063] Based on this, the lower computer 13 can control the robot arm 10 to take the connecting piece from the positive connecting piece storage part 14 as the connecting piece to be welded during the positive connecting piece welding process; and control the robot arm 10 to take the connecting piece from the negative connecting piece storage part 15 as the connecting piece to be welded during the negative connecting piece welding process.

[0064] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, in different welding processes, the robot arm 10 is controlled to take the connecting pieces to be welded from different storage parts, which can improve the matching degree between the connecting pieces to be welded and the welding process.

[0065] According to some embodiments of the present application, the smart camera 11 determines whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image in the following manner:

[0066] Determine the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded based on the detection image; in the positive connecting piece welding process, compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the positive connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset first direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the positive connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material, and when the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the first direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction; in the negative connecting piece welding process, compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the negative connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset second direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the negative connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material, and when the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the second direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the first direction is the correct direction used when the positive electrode connecting tab is welded, and the second direction is the correct direction used when the negative electrode connecting tab is welded.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the smart camera 11 can process the detection image using the extraction of geometric edges, Blob, grayscale histogram, OCV or OVR algorithms encapsulated in the image processing unit, so as to identify the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded. After identifying the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded, the smart camera 11 compares the identified material and direction with the preset material and preset direction corresponding to the current welding process, so as to determine whether the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process. If the identified material and direction are consistent with the preset material and preset direction corresponding to the current welding process, it is determined that the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process.

[0069] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the smart camera 11 can accurately and quickly detect whether the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process.

[0070] According to some embodiments of the present application, the actuator 12 may include, in addition to the bearing portion, a finishing element connected to the bearing portion.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, the arranging element is used to arrange the connecting pieces to be welded placed on the bearing part to eliminate the gap between the connecting pieces to be welded and the bearing part, and improve the stability of the connecting pieces to be welded on the bearing part. The arranging element includes but is not limited to an arranging cylinder.

[0072] Based on this, the lower computer 13 is also used to control the sorting element to perform a sorting action before controlling the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, and the sorting action is used to eliminate the gap between the connecting piece to be welded and the bearing part.

[0073] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the connection pieces to be welded are arranged by the arrangement element, so that the stability of the connection pieces to be welded on the bearing part can be improved, and the possibility of the connection pieces to be welded falling from the bearing part can be reduced, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0074] According to some embodiments of the present application, the actuator 12 may include, in addition to the bearing portion, a positioning element connected to the bearing portion.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, the positioning element is used to adjust the position of the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part so that the robot arm 10 can accurately transfer the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station. The positioning element includes but is not limited to a positioning cylinder.

[0076] Based on this, the lower computer 13 is also used to control the positioning element to perform a positioning action before controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station. The positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to the target relative position, and the target relative position is the relative position corresponding to the welding station.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, in order to reduce the design cost, the robot arm 10 usually adopts a fixed motion trajectory when transferring the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, that is, grabbing the connecting piece to be welded from a specific position, and then transferring the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station. Therefore, if the connecting piece to be welded is to be successfully transferred to the corresponding welding station, the connecting piece to be welded needs to be placed at a specific position. In view of this, in order to enable the robot arm 10 to successfully transfer the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, in this embodiment, the position of the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing portion is adjusted by a positioning element, so that the connecting piece to be welded is located at a target relative position corresponding to the welding station to be transferred to, so that the robot arm 10 can transfer the connecting piece to be welded from the target relative position to the corresponding welding station.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present application, the positioning element may include a positive positioning element and a negative positioning element. Based on this, the lower computer 13 may control the positive positioning element to perform a first positioning action in the positive connecting piece welding process, and the first positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to a first target relative position, and the first target relative position is a relative position corresponding to the positive welding station. The lower computer 13 may control the negative positioning element to perform a second positioning action in the negative connecting piece welding process, and the second positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to a second target relative position, and the second target relative position is a relative position corresponding to the negative welding station.

[0079] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the position of the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part is adjusted to the target relative position corresponding to the welding station by using the positioning element, which can facilitate the robot arm 10 to transfer the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0080] According to some embodiments of the present application, the actuator 12 may include, in addition to the bearing portion, a rotating element connected to the bearing portion.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, the rotating element is used to rotate the direction of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the bearing part. The rotating element includes but is not limited to a rotating cylinder.

[0082] Based on this, the lower computer 13 is also used to control the rotating element to perform a rotation action when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material but the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is not a preset direction. The rotation action is used to adjust the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to a preset direction.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the rotating element is connected to the supporting part. When the rotating element performs a rotation action, it can drive the supporting part to rotate. In this way, by rotating the supporting part, the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part can be driven to rotate, thereby adjusting the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to a preset direction.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, the direction in which the connecting piece is placed in the corresponding storage portion is usually consistent with or opposite to the direction adopted during welding. Based on this, when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material, but the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset direction, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded may be opposite to the preset direction. At this time, the lower computer 13 can control the rotating element to rotate 180º, so that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is rotated to the preset direction.

[0085] After the rotation is completed, the lower computer 13 can control the smart camera 11 to re-photograph the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part to obtain a new detection image, and control the smart camera 11 to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction based on the new detection image; when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, control the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station.

[0086] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is rotated by using a rotating element, so that the matching degree between the direction of the connecting piece to be welded and the preset direction can be improved, thereby improving the success rate of welding and reducing the generation of waste.

[0087] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 4 The welding equipment may further include a code scanning mechanism 16 connected to the lower computer 13. The code scanning mechanism 16 may also be arranged in a Figure 2 In the loading and inspection station D shown.

[0088] In the embodiment of the present application, the code scanning mechanism 16 is used to scan the graphic code of the connecting piece, and the graphic code of the connecting piece is used to indicate the model of the connecting piece. By scanning the graphic code of the connecting piece, it can be determined whether the model of the connecting piece matches the current production process. The code scanning mechanism 16 includes but is not limited to a code scanner.

[0089] Based on this, the lower computer 13 can also be used to control the robot arm 10 to move the connecting piece to be welded to the scanning station corresponding to the scanning mechanism 16 for scanning verification before placing the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station during the positive electrode connecting piece welding process. If the scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded passes, the robot arm 10 is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

[0090] Among them, the code scanning verification refers to scanning the graphic code on the connecting piece to be welded by the code scanning mechanism 16 to determine whether the model of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the model of the connecting piece required for the current production process. If they are consistent, the code scanning verification is passed; if they are inconsistent, the code scanning verification fails.

[0091] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the scanning mechanism 16 is used to scan and verify the connecting piece to be welded. After the scanning verification is passed, the connecting piece to be welded is moved to the welding station, which can improve the accuracy of welding.

[0092] According to some embodiments of the present application, the welding equipment may further include a waste storage section.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, the waste material collection part is used to collect the unmatched welding connection pieces that are not compatible with the current welding process, that is, the NG products. The waste material collection part includes but is not limited to a collection slot.

[0094] Based on this, the lower computer 13 is also used to control the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset material or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails.

[0095] In an embodiment of the present application, if the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset material, or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails, it means that the connecting piece to be welded does not match the current welding process, and it can be determined that the connecting piece to be welded is an NG product. At this time, the robot arm 10 can be controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part to avoid NG products entering the welding station and causing welding errors, and to avoid problems such as poor production line environment caused by the random placement of NG products.

[0096] Based on the welding equipment provided in the above embodiment, the present application also provides an embodiment of a welding method, which can be executed by the lower computer 13 in the above welding equipment.

[0097] See also Figure 5 , is a schematic diagram of a welding method provided in some embodiments of the present application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the solution may include the following steps S51-S54.

[0098] S51. Control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part of the actuator.

[0099] S52. Control the smart camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present application, the smart camera 11 includes an image acquisition unit, and the lower computer 13 can control the image acquisition unit of the smart camera 11 to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded on the carrying part when it is determined that the robot arm 10 places the connecting piece to be welded on the carrying part.

[0101] S53. Control the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image. If the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, execute S54.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present application, the smart camera 11 also includes an image processing unit, which includes but is not limited to an image acquisition or processing card. The image processing unit is used to store the image data of the image acquisition unit in real time and perform image processing with the support of image processing software. The image processing software mainly completes the image processing function with the support of the hardware environment of the image processing unit. The image processing function includes but is not limited to the extraction of geometric edges, Blob, grayscale histogram, OCV (On-Chip Variation) or OVR (One-Versus-Rest), one-dimensional code or two-dimensional code, simple positioning and search, etc. The lower computer 13 can inform the smart camera 11 of the current welding process, so that the smart camera 11 sets the preset material and preset direction based on the current welding process. For example, when the current welding process is the positive electrode connecting piece welding process, the smart camera 11 can use the material of the positive electrode connecting piece as the preset material and the direction of the positive electrode connecting piece when welding as the preset direction. When the current welding process is the negative electrode connecting piece welding process, the smart camera 11 can use the material of the negative electrode connecting piece as the preset material and the direction of the negative electrode connecting piece when welding as the preset direction. In this way, the smart camera 11 can perform image processing on the detection image through the image processing unit to obtain a processing result, and the processing result is used to indicate whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction. The smart camera 11 can transmit the processing result of the image processing unit to the lower computer 13. When the lower computer 13 determines that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction based on the processing result, it determines that the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded match the current welding process.

[0103] S54. Control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, when the lower computer 13 determines that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the processing result, it determines that the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded match the current welding process, thereby controlling the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station. Among them, the welding station corresponding to the connecting piece to be welded is the welding station corresponding to the polarity of the connecting piece to be welded, that is, when the connecting piece to be welded is positive, its corresponding welding station is positive welding station A, then the lower computer 13 controls the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding positive welding station A to be welded by the positive full welding device 21, and when the polarity of the connecting piece to be welded is negative, its corresponding welding station is negative welding station B, then the lower computer 13 controls the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding negative welding station B to be welded by the negative full welding device 22.

[0105] In some embodiments of the present application, after the lower computer 13 determines that the robot arm 10 places the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station, it can proceed to the next welding process. For example, if the current welding process is the positive connecting piece welding process, then after determining that the robot arm 10 places the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station, it can enter the negative connecting piece welding process, so that the welding of the positive connecting piece and the negative connecting piece can be completed alternately.

[0106] Through the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, in the connecting piece welding process, the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded is captured by the smart camera 11, and the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded are detected to see whether they are the preset material and the preset direction. The smart camera thinks independently, thereby achieving more stable detection. When changing the battery type, only additional learning is required through the smart camera, and there is no need to replace the smart camera. The operation is simple and the debugging is convenient. The requirements for rapid model change can be achieved without consuming a lot of energy and time. Moreover, the smart camera adopts an ultra-small design, which requires little space and effectively reduces the installation space.

[0107] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 6 Before the above step S51, the lower computer 13 may first execute the following steps S61-S63:

[0108] S61. Determine the current welding process based on the preset connection sheet feeding process. If the current welding process is determined to be the positive connection sheet welding process, execute step S62. If the current welding process is determined to be the negative connection sheet welding process, execute step S63.

[0109] S62. Control the robot arm to take a connecting piece from the positive electrode connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded.

[0110] S63. Control the robot arm to take a connecting piece from the negative electrode connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded.

[0111] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, in different welding processes, the robot arm 10 is controlled to take the connecting pieces to be welded from different storage parts, which can improve the matching degree between the connecting pieces to be welded and the welding process.

[0112] According to some embodiments of the present application, the smart camera 11 further includes a built-in light source. Based on this, in the above step S52, when the smart camera 11 captures the inspection image of the connecting piece to be welded, the built-in light source can be used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded.

[0113] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, when collecting the detection image of the connecting piece to be welded, the built-in light source of the smart camera 11 is used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded, which can improve the clarity of the detection image and facilitate accurate identification of the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded. Moreover, by using the built-in light source for lighting, there is no need for an external light source, which further reduces the installation space occupied.

[0114] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 7 In the above step S53, the smart camera 11 can determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction through the following steps S531-S532:

[0115] S531. Determine the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded based on the detection image, and execute step S532 in the positive connecting piece welding process, and execute step S533 in the negative connecting piece welding process.

[0116] S532. Compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the positive electrode connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset first direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the positive electrode connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material. When the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the first direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction.

[0117] S533. Compare the material of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset material of the negative electrode connecting piece, and compare the direction of the connecting piece to be welded with the preset second direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the negative electrode connecting piece, determine that the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material. When the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the second direction, determine that the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, the first direction is the correct direction used when the positive electrode connecting tab is welded, and the second direction is the correct direction used when the negative electrode connecting tab is welded.

[0119] In the embodiment of the present application, the smart camera 11 can process the detection image using the extraction of geometric edges, Blob, grayscale histogram, OCV or OVR algorithms encapsulated in the image processing unit, so as to identify the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded. After identifying the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded, the smart camera 11 compares the identified material and direction with the preset material and preset direction corresponding to the current welding process, so as to determine whether the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process. If the identified material and direction are consistent with the preset material and preset direction corresponding to the current welding process, it is determined that the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process.

[0120] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the smart camera 11 can accurately and quickly detect whether the connecting piece to be welded matches the current welding process.

[0121] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 8 When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, the lower computer 13 may further perform the following step S80 before performing the above step S54.

[0122] S80. Control the arranging element to perform an arranging action, where the arranging action is used to eliminate the gap between the connecting piece to be welded and the bearing part.

[0123] After step S80 is completed, the robot arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station.

[0124] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the connection pieces to be welded are arranged by the arrangement element, so that the stability of the connection pieces to be welded on the bearing part can be improved, and the possibility of the connection pieces to be welded falling from the bearing part can be reduced, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0125] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Fig. 9 When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, the lower computer 13 may further perform the following step S90 before performing the above step S54.

[0126] S90. Control the positioning element to perform a positioning action, the positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to a target relative position, and the target relative position is a relative position corresponding to the welding station.

[0127] After step S90 is completed, the robot arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station.

[0128] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the position of the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part is adjusted to the target relative position corresponding to the welding station by using the positioning element, which can facilitate the robot arm 10 to transfer the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station, thereby improving the welding success rate.

[0129] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.10 When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, the lower computer 13 may further perform the following step S100 before performing the above step S54.

[0130] S100. In the positive electrode connecting piece welding process, the robot arm is controlled to move the connecting piece to be welded to the scanning station corresponding to the scanning mechanism for scanning verification.

[0131] When the connecting piece to be welded passes the code scanning verification, the above step S54 is executed again.

[0132] Among them, the code scanning verification refers to scanning the graphic code on the connecting piece to be welded by the code scanning mechanism 16 to determine whether the model of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the model of the connecting piece required for the current production process. If they are consistent, the code scanning verification is passed, if they are inconsistent, the code scanning verification fails.

[0133] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the scanning mechanism 16 is used to scan and verify the connecting piece to be welded. After the scanning verification is passed, the connecting piece to be welded is moved to the welding station, which can improve the accuracy of welding.

[0134] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.11 After the above step S53, when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material but the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset direction, the lower computer 13 may further perform the following step S110.

[0135] S110. Control the rotating element to perform a rotating action, where the rotating action is used to adjust the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to a preset direction.

[0136] In some embodiments of the present application, the rotating element is connected to the supporting part. When the rotating element performs a rotation action, it can drive the supporting part to rotate. In this way, by rotating the supporting part, the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part can be driven to rotate, thereby adjusting the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to a preset direction.

[0137] After the rotation is completed, the lower computer 13 can return to execute the above steps S52 and S53 to control the smart camera 11 to re-photograph the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part and detect whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction; and when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, execute step S54 to control the robot arm 10 to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

[0138] Through the technical solution provided in this embodiment, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is rotated by using a rotating element, so that the matching degree between the direction of the connecting piece to be welded and the preset direction can be improved, thereby improving the success rate of welding and reducing the generation of waste.

[0139] According to some embodiments of the present application, see Fig.12 , When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset material, or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails, the lower computer 13 can also execute the following step S120.

[0140] S120. Control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part.

[0141] In the embodiment of the present application, if the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not the preset material, or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails, it means that the connecting piece to be welded does not match the current welding process, and it can be determined that the connecting piece to be welded is an NG product. At this time, the robot arm 10 is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part, which can avoid NG products from entering the welding station and causing welding errors, and avoid problems such as poor production line environment caused by the random placement of NG products.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present application, after the lower computer 13 executes the above step S120, the lower computer 13 can keep the current welding process unchanged and return to execute the above step S51. For example, if the current welding process is the positive electrode connecting piece welding process, after the lower computer 13 executes the above step S120, the positive electrode connecting piece welding process can be continued as the current welding process and returned to execute S51. If the current welding process is the negative electrode connecting piece welding process, after the lower computer 13 executes the above step S120, the negative electrode connecting piece welding process can be continued as the current welding process and returned to execute S51. Because the lower computer 13 executes the above step S120, it means that the currently acquired connecting piece to be welded does not match the current welding process, and the welding of the corresponding connecting piece has not been completed. At this time, by keeping the current welding process unchanged and returning to the above step S51, the success rate of welding can be improved and the occurrence of leaking welding can be avoided.

[0143] Based on the welding method provided in the above embodiments, the present application also provides an embodiment of a welding device.

[0144] See also Fig.13 , which is a schematic diagram of a welding device provided in some embodiments of the present application, such as Fig.13 As shown, the welding device 1300 includes the following modules:

[0145] The material taking control module 1301 is used to control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part of the actuator;

[0146] A shooting control module 1302 is used to control the smart camera to shoot a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the supporting part;

[0147] The detection control module 1303 is used to control the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image;

[0148] The material placement control module 1304 is used to control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded to the corresponding welding station when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction.

[0149] The welding device provided in the embodiment of the present application can achieve Figures 5 to 12 To avoid repetition, the various processes implemented by the method embodiment are not described here.

[0150] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and parts thereof may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

[0151] Unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and optional embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution.

[0152] Unless otherwise specified, all technical features and optional technical features of this application can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution.

[0153] If there is no special explanation, all steps of the present application can be performed sequentially or randomly, preferably sequentially. For example, the method includes steps (a) and (b), which means that the method may include steps (a) and (b) performed sequentially, or may include steps (b) and (a) performed sequentially. For example, it is mentioned that the method may also include step (c), which means that step (c) can be added to the method in any order. For example, the method may include steps (a), (b) and (c), or may include steps (a), (c) and (b), or may include steps (c), (a) and (b), etc.

Claims

1. A welding device, characterized in that: include: Robotic arm, smart camera, actuator and lower computer; The smart camera adopts an ultra-small design; The lower computer is connected to the mechanical arm, the smart camera and the actuator respectively; The actuator includes a bearing portion; The shooting direction of the smart camera is toward the carrying part; The lower computer is used to perform the following operations: Controlling the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the carrying portion; controlling the smart camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the carrying portion, and controlling the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is the preset direction, controlling the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at a corresponding welding station; The smart camera is an industrially highly integrated miniature visual system, comprising an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The smart camera includes a built-in light source; The smart camera is used to illuminate the connecting piece to be welded through the built-in light source when taking a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The welding equipment also includes a positive electrode connecting piece receiving portion and a negative electrode connecting piece receiving portion; The lower computer is also used to control the robot arm to take the connecting piece from the positive connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded during the positive connecting piece welding process; and to control the robot arm to take the connecting piece from the negative connecting piece storage portion as the connecting piece to be welded during the negative connecting piece welding process.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The smart camera is used for: Determining the material and direction of the connecting piece to be welded based on the detection image; In the positive electrode connecting piece welding process, the material of the connecting piece to be welded is compared with the preset positive electrode connecting piece material, and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is compared with the preset first direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the positive electrode connecting piece, the material of the connecting piece to be welded is determined to be the preset material, and when the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the first direction, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is determined to be the preset direction; In the negative electrode connecting piece welding process, the material of the connecting piece to be welded is compared with the preset negative electrode connecting piece material, and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is compared with the preset second direction. When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the material of the negative electrode connecting piece, the material of the connecting piece to be welded is determined to be the preset material. When the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is consistent with the second direction, the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is determined to be the preset direction.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The actuator also includes a finishing element connected to the bearing portion; The lower computer is also used to control the arranging element to perform an arranging action before controlling the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station, and the arranging action is used to eliminate the gap between the connecting piece to be welded and the bearing part.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The actuator also includes a positioning element connected to the bearing portion; The lower computer is also used to control the positioning element to perform a positioning action before controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station. The positioning action is used to adjust the connecting piece to be welded to a target relative position, and the target relative position is a relative position corresponding to the welding station.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The actuator also includes a rotating element connected to the bearing portion; The lower computer is also used to control the rotating element to perform a rotation action when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material but the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is not a preset direction. The rotation action is used to adjust the direction of the connecting piece to be welded to the preset direction.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The welding equipment also includes a code scanning mechanism connected to the lower computer; The lower computer is also used to control the robotic arm to move the connecting piece to be welded to the scanning station corresponding to the scanning mechanism for scanning verification before controlling the robotic arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station in the positive electrode connecting piece welding process. If the scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded passes, the robotic arm is controlled to place the connecting piece to be welded at the corresponding welding station.

9. The device according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that The welding equipment also includes a waste storage portion; The lower computer is also used to control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded into the waste storage part when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is not a preset material or the code scanning verification of the connecting piece to be welded fails.

10. A welding method, characterized in that: include: Controlling the mechanical arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part of the actuator; Controlling a smart camera to capture a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the bearing portion; Controlling the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; When the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction, controlling the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded at a corresponding welding station; The smart camera is an industrially highly integrated miniature visual system, comprising an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit.

11. A welding device, characterized in that: include: A material taking control module, used to control the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded on the bearing part of the actuator; A shooting control module, used for controlling a smart camera to shoot a detection image of the connecting piece to be welded placed on the bearing portion; A detection control module, used to control the smart camera to determine whether the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and whether the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction based on the detection image; a material placing control module, used for controlling the robot arm to place the connecting piece to be welded to a corresponding welding station when the material of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset material and the direction of the connecting piece to be welded is a preset direction; The smart camera is an industrially highly integrated miniature visual system, comprising an image acquisition unit and an image processing unit.

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