A rotary table switching device and method for tooling fixtures

Abstract

This invention provides a rotary table switching device and method for tooling fixtures. The device includes a rotary table, front and rear positioning mechanisms, a lifting system, a clamping mechanism, and a side-pushing mechanism. In this device, the front and rear positioning mechanisms perform initial positioning of the tooling fixture. Then, four lifting positioning pins in the lifting system are inserted into the positioning holes of the tooling fixture for precise positioning. Next, the side-pushing mechanism supports the tooling fixture, preventing stress on the lifting mechanism and ensuring a longer service life. Finally, the clamping mechanism restricts the degrees of freedom of the tooling fixture in all directions, ensuring accurate positioning and switching. The rotary table switching device provided by this invention has low development and manufacturing costs, and can be integrated with production lines and robotic equipment, improving the automation level of factory equipment, reducing operators and lowering labor costs. The equipment has a simple structure, is easy to maintain and use, and has low maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive welding tooling, and more specifically, to a turntable switching device and method for tooling fixtures. Background Technology

[0002] Welding of body parts is a crucial step in automobile manufacturing. Traditional welding methods rely primarily on manual operation, which is not only inefficient but also makes it difficult to control weld quality. Therefore, robotic welding has become a significant area for improvement. To achieve automated welding, welding workstations or production lines typically need to be designed and built. However, existing welding workstations and production lines usually only produce single products, necessitating the customization of various types of tooling and fixtures to achieve the welding process.

[0003] However, existing workstations or production lines typically use fixed tooling fixtures, making them unsuitable for welding different products. Because the tooling fixtures cannot be changed, the adjustability of robotic welding workstations or production lines is very low, hindering their ability to flexibly handle the welding of different workpieces. Single-product welding workstations result in low equipment utilization and significant waste of factory space. Therefore, there is an urgent need for workstations with interchangeable tooling fixtures to accommodate different tooling fixtures and enable the welding of various workpieces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a turntable switching device and method for tooling fixtures, which solves the problems of single welding methods, low production efficiency, and low equipment utilization in workstations. The present invention is applicable to welding of various types and models of workpieces, saves space, and improves equipment utilization.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical effects, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a turntable switching device for tooling fixtures is provided, comprising a plurality of working positions, wherein a rotary turntable is provided in the middle of the plurality of working positions, and each working position is provided with a front and rear positioning mechanism, a lifting system, a clamping mechanism and a side pushing mechanism.

[0007] The rotary table is located at the center of the entire rotary table switching equipment and is used to rotate the tooling fixture to the designated working position;

[0008] The front and rear positioning mechanism includes a positioning roller, a positioning seat, and an adjusting block; the positioning seat is disposed on the adjusting block and is used to clamp and fix the positioning roller; the adjusting block can adjust the position of the positioning seat and further adjust the position of the positioning roller; the positioning roller can roll and guide the position of the tooling fixture, and perform preliminary positioning of the tooling fixture pushed by the rotary table.

[0009] The lifting system includes four lifting mechanisms, each equipped with a lifting positioning pin and a lifting cylinder. The lifting positioning pin is located at the top of the lifting mechanism and can be inserted into the positioning hole in the tooling fixture. After the tooling fixture is initially positioned, the four lifting mechanisms lift it upward and insert the lifting positioning pin into the positioning hole of the tooling fixture to achieve precise positioning.

[0010] Each lifting machine is equipped with a pushing mechanism on its side. The pushing mechanism consists of a pushing cylinder, a positioning block, and a guide rail slider. The pushing cylinder is connected to the positioning block, which is located on the guide rail slider and can slide on the guide rail slider. When the fixture is lifted and accurately positioned by the lifting mechanism, the pushing cylinder receives a signal and pushes the positioning block into the lower support surface of the fixture to provide mechanical support.

[0011] The clamping mechanism includes a front clamping mechanism and a rear clamping mechanism. The rear clamping mechanism is provided with a clamping block, which can restrict the tooling fixture's degree of freedom in the Z direction. The front clamping mechanism can restrict the tooling fixture's degree of freedom in the X and Y directions.

[0012] Preferably, the lifting cylinder is controlled by an independent valve plate to ensure that the four cylinders operate synchronously during the lifting process.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes an electrically controlled valve island, wherein the lifting cylinder and the side-push cylinder are both controlled by a PLC to circulate air through the electrically controlled valve island to perform their actions.

[0014] Preferably, the positioning rollers in the front and rear positioning mechanisms are two rollers arranged opposite each other.

[0015] Preferably, the front clamping mechanism includes two front clamping mechanisms, namely a first front clamping mechanism and a second front clamping mechanism.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a sensor assembly for detecting tooling fixtures of different vehicle models.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for switching a tooling fixture on a turntable is provided, which is implemented using the aforementioned tooling fixture turntable switching device, and specifically includes the following steps:

[0018] Step S1: Rotate the rotary table to the designated working position, and manually push the tooling fixture to the front and rear positioning mechanisms;

[0019] Step S2: The front and rear positioning mechanisms perform initial positioning of the tooling fixture using their positioning rollers;

[0020] Step S3: After the sensor detects that the tooling fixture 18 has been initially positioned, press the lifting button. The four lifting mechanisms will rise simultaneously to lift the tooling fixture 18, and the lifting positioning pin will be inserted into the positioning hole of the tooling fixture 18 for positioning.

[0021] Step S4: The side-pushing mechanism pushes its positioning block into the lower support surface of the tooling fixture 18 to support the tooling fixture 18 for mechanical support, and the lifting mechanism withdraws;

[0022] Step S5: The clamping mechanism clamps the tooling fixture, and the tooling fixture switching and positioning of one workstation is completed.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The tooling fixture switching device provided by this invention adopts an automatic lifting and locking process. When the positioning pin of the lifting mechanism is inserted into the tooling fixture, the tooling fixture is positioned, ensuring the rotational accuracy of the tooling, with a positional accuracy of ±0.5mm, thus ensuring welding stability. Furthermore, the lifting cylinders are controlled by independent valve plates to ensure that the four cylinders operate synchronously during the lifting process, preventing the tooling from deviating to the side.

[0025] 2. After the lifting mechanism is positioned, the tooling fixture switching device provided by the present invention extends the side push mechanism to support the tooling fixture, so that the lifting mechanism is not subjected to force, thus ensuring a longer service life of the lifting mechanism.

[0026] 3. The tooling fixture switching device provided by this invention has low development and manufacturing costs, and can be linked with production lines and robot equipment, improving the efficiency of robot equipment and the degree of automation of factory equipment, ensuring factory capacity, reducing labor costs, and reducing the cost of redeveloping and manufacturing workstations.

[0027] 4. The equipment has a simple structure, is easy to use and maintain, has low maintenance costs, and occupies a small area, saving factory space.

[0028] 5. Furthermore, the equipment uses sensors to detect and identify tooling fixtures for different vehicle models, which has strong adaptability, ensures accurate switching, and guarantees the reasonable production of products of various models. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable switching device for the tooling fixture described in the first embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the front and rear positioning device described in the first embodiment;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rear clamping device described in the first embodiment;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism and the side-pushing mechanism described in the first embodiment;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling fixture located on the turntable switching device described in the first embodiment;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the turntable switching method for the tooling fixture described in the second embodiment.

[0036] Figure Labels

[0037] 1-Rotary turntable; 2-First lifting positioning pin; 3-First lifting mechanism

[0038] 4-First front clamping mechanism; 5-First side pushing mechanism; 6-Second lifting mechanism

[0039] 7-Second lifting positioning pin; 8-Front and rear positioning mechanism; 9-Third lifting positioning pin

[0040] 10-Third lifting mechanism; 11-Second side pushing mechanism; 12-Second front clamping mechanism

[0041] 13-Fourth Lifting Mechanism 14-Fourth Lifting Positioning Pin 15-Rear Tightening Mechanism

[0042] 16-Electrically controlled valve island; 801-Positioning roller; 802-Positioning seat

[0043] 803-Adjusting block; 1501-Mounting foot; 1502-Clamping block

[0044] 1503 - Cylinder 1001 - Lifting Cylinder 1002 - Positioning Pin

[0045] 1101-Side thrust cylinder; 1102-Positioning block; 1103-Guide rail slider

[0046] 17-Third side push mechanism 18-Tooling fixture 19-Fourth side push mechanism Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0048] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, bottom, etc.) in this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific orientation (as shown in the figures). If the specific orientation changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] This embodiment provides a tooling fixture turntable switching device for switching tooling fixtures 18 used to hold different welding fixtures on a machine welding production line. This enables welding of different workpieces at the same station and switching of the same tooling fixture 18 between different stations. Simultaneously, this device uses sensor components to detect and identify tooling fixtures 18 for different vehicle models, demonstrating strong adaptability and ensuring accurate switching. Figure 1 As shown, the equipment has four different working positions, with a rotary table 1 positioned in the middle of the four working positions. The rotary table 1 is used to rotate the tooling fixture 18 to the designated working position. Each working position is equipped with a front and rear positioning mechanism 8, a lifting mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a side pushing mechanism, and an electrically controlled valve island 16. After the rotary table 1 rotates the specific tooling fixture 18 to the preset working position, the tooling fixture 18 is manually retracted to the front and rear positioning mechanism 8 on the working position.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, the front and rear positioning mechanism 8 is used in the entire tooling switching system to ensure that the tooling fixture 18 accurately reaches the target position. It includes the following components: two opposing positioning rollers 801, a positioning seat 802, and an adjusting block 803. The positioning rollers 801 are used for initial positioning of the tooling fixture 18 pushed by the rotary table 1 to a specific working position, guiding the position of the tooling fixture 18 through rolling. The positioning seat 802 is disposed on the adjusting block 803 and is used to clamp and fix the positioning rollers 801. The adjusting block 803 can adjust the position of the positioning seat 802, further adjusting the position of the positioning rollers 801 to ensure the accuracy of the initial positioning.

[0053] During initial positioning, the fixture 18 is pushed above two opposing positioning rollers 801 in the front and rear positioning mechanisms 8. The positioning rollers 801 guide the fixture 18 to its position through rolling, ensuring the initial positioning of the fixture 18. After the initial positioning of the positioning rollers 801, the adjusting block 803 fixes the positioning block 802, thereby maintaining the stability of the positioning rollers 801. The positioning block 802 only needs to be adjusted once, and subsequent switching of the fixture 18 does not require readjustment of the positioning rollers 801, improving operational efficiency and accuracy. After initial positioning, the fixture 18 is located above the lifting mechanism of the working position.

[0054] Each working position includes four lifting mechanisms: a first lifting mechanism 3, a second lifting mechanism 6, a third lifting mechanism 10, and a fourth lifting mechanism 13. Each lifting mechanism is equipped with a corresponding lifting positioning pin and a lifting cylinder. The lifting positioning pins include a first lifting positioning pin 2, a second lifting positioning pin 7, a third lifting positioning pin 9, and a fourth lifting positioning pin 14. These lifting positioning pins are located at the top of the lifting mechanism and their structure matches the positioning holes on the tooling fixture 18. When the tooling fixture 18 is positioned to a preset position by the front and rear positioning mechanisms 8, the positioning holes of the tooling fixture 18 are aligned with the positioning pins of the four lifting mechanisms. When the four lifting mechanisms rise simultaneously, the lifting positioning pins insert into the positioning holes on the tooling fixture 18, restricting the X and Y degrees of freedom of the tooling fixture 18 and ensuring the precise positioning of the tooling fixture 18. The lifting cylinder provides power for the lifting mechanism, and the lifting cylinder is controlled by an independent valve plate to ensure that the four cylinders operate synchronously during the lifting process, preventing the tooling fixture 18 from deviating to the side.

[0055] After the fixture 18 reaches the front and rear positioning mechanisms 8 and completes preliminary positioning, align the lifting positioning pins of the four lifting mechanisms with the positioning holes of the fixture 18. Once the sensor detects the position of the fixture 18, press the lifting button. The four lifting mechanisms rise simultaneously, lifting the fixture 18 and inserting the lifting positioning pins on the four lifting mechanisms into the positioning holes of the fixture 18, ensuring precise positioning. Using four lifting mechanisms for positioning ensures that the positional accuracy of the fixture 18 during each switch is within ±0.5mm.

[0056] like Figure 4As shown, each lifting mechanism is accompanied by a side pushing mechanism, and each working position has four side pushing mechanisms: the first side pushing mechanism 5, the second side pushing mechanism 11, the third side pushing mechanism 17, and the fourth side pushing mechanism 19. Each side pushing mechanism (taking the second side pushing mechanism 11 as an example) includes: a side pushing cylinder 1101, a positioning block 1102, and a guide rail slider 1103. The side pushing cylinder 1101 is connected to the positioning block 1102, and the positioning block 1102 is located on the guide rail slider 1103 and can slide on the guide rail slider 1103. The side pushing cylinder 1101 provides power for the sliding of the positioning block 1102 on the guide rail slider 1103. Once the tooling fixture 18 is lifted and precisely positioned by the lifting mechanism, the side-push cylinder 1101 receives a signal and vents air to push the guide rail slider 1103, causing the positioning block 1102 to enter the lower support surface of the tooling fixture 18, providing it with mechanical support. At this time, the lifting mechanism retracts, avoiding prolonged pressure and greatly extending its service life. After the tooling fixture 18 is precisely positioned by the lifting system and placed on the side-push system, each clamping mechanism activates to clamp the tooling fixture 18.

[0057] The clamping mechanism includes two front clamping mechanisms, namely a first front clamping mechanism 4 and a second front clamping mechanism 12, and a rear clamping mechanism 15. The front clamping mechanisms control the degrees of freedom of the tooling fixture 18 in the X and Y directions, and the rear clamping mechanism controls the degrees of freedom of the tooling fixture 18 in the Z direction. The rear clamping mechanism 15 includes a mounting base 1501, a clamping block 1502, and a cylinder 1503. The clamping block 1502 and the cylinder 1503 are both mounted on the mounting base 1501. The cylinder 1503 is connected to the clamping block 1502 and can drive it to move up and down and restrict the degree of freedom of the tooling fixture 18 in the Z direction. When the tooling fixture 18 is in position, the PLC-controlled electronic valve island 16 controls the cylinder 1503 to vent, which drives the clamping block 1502 to clamp the tooling fixture and restrict the degree of freedom of the tooling fixture 18 in the Z direction. Similarly, the PLC-controlled electronic valve island 16 controls the two front clamping mechanisms to restrict the freedom of the tooling fixture 18 in the X and Y directions, thereby achieving the clamping of the tooling fixture 18 in the X, Y, and Z directions at the working position. Switching the tooling fixture 18 to the preset working position is now complete.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] This embodiment provides a method for switching the turntable of a tooling fixture, implemented using the turntable switching device of the tooling fixture in the first embodiment, specifically including the following steps:

[0060] Step S1: Rotate the rotary table 1 to rotate the tooling fixture 18 to the designated working position, and manually push the tooling fixture 18 to the front and rear positioning mechanism 8;

[0061] Step S2: The front and rear positioning mechanism 8 performs preliminary positioning of the tooling fixture 18 through its positioning rollers 801;

[0062] Step S3: After the sensor detects that the tooling fixture 18 has been initially positioned, press the lifting button. The four lifting mechanisms will rise simultaneously to lift the tooling fixture 18, and the lifting positioning pin will be inserted into the positioning hole of the tooling fixture 18 for positioning.

[0063] Step S4: The side-pushing mechanism pushes its positioning block into the lower support surface of the tooling fixture 18 to support the tooling fixture 18 for mechanical support, and the lifting mechanism withdraws.

[0064] Step S5: The clamping mechanism clamps the tooling fixture 18, and the tooling fixture 18 of one working position is switched and positioned.

[0065] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotary table switching device for tooling fixtures, characterized in that, It includes several working positions, with a rotating turntable in the middle of the working positions. Each working position is equipped with a front and rear positioning mechanism, a lifting system, a clamping mechanism and a side pushing mechanism. The rotary table is located at the center of the entire rotary table switching equipment and is used to rotate the tooling fixture to the designated working position; The front and rear positioning mechanism includes a positioning roller, a positioning seat, and an adjusting block; the positioning seat is disposed on the adjusting block and is used to clamp and fix the positioning roller; the adjusting block can adjust the position of the positioning seat and further adjust the position of the positioning roller; the positioning roller can roll and guide the position of the tooling fixture, and perform preliminary positioning of the tooling fixture pushed by the rotary table. The lifting system includes four lifting mechanisms, each equipped with a lifting positioning pin and a lifting cylinder. The lifting positioning pin is located at the top of the lifting mechanism and can be inserted into the positioning hole in the tooling fixture. After the tooling fixture is initially positioned, the four lifting mechanisms lift it upward and insert the lifting positioning pin into the positioning hole of the tooling fixture to achieve precise positioning. Each of the lifting mechanisms is provided with a side push mechanism, which includes a side push cylinder, a positioning block, and a guide rail slider. The side push cylinder is connected to the positioning block, and the positioning block is located on the guide rail slider and can slide on the guide rail slider. When the fixture is lifted and accurately positioned by the lifting mechanism, the side push cylinder receives a signal and pushes the positioning block into the lower support surface of the tooling fixture to provide mechanical support. The clamping mechanism includes a front clamping mechanism and a rear clamping mechanism. The rear clamping mechanism is provided with a clamping block, which can restrict the tooling fixture's degree of freedom in the Z direction. The front clamping mechanism can restrict the tooling fixture's degree of freedom in the X and Y directions.

2. The tooling fixture turntable switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting cylinder is controlled by an independent valve plate to ensure that the four cylinders operate synchronously during the lifting process.

3. The turntable switching device for tooling fixtures according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an electronically controlled valve island, wherein the lifting cylinder and the side thrust cylinder are both controlled by a PLC to circulate air through the electronically controlled valve island to perform their actions.

4. The turntable switching device for tooling fixtures according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning rollers in the front and rear positioning mechanisms are two rollers arranged opposite each other.

5. The turntable switching device for tooling fixtures according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front clamping mechanism includes two front clamping mechanisms, namely a first front clamping mechanism and a second front clamping mechanism.

6. The turntable switching device for tooling fixtures according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes sensor components for detecting tooling fixtures for different vehicle models.

7. A method for switching a tooling fixture on a turntable, implemented using the tooling fixture turntable switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, specifically comprising the following steps: Step S1: Rotate the rotary table 1 to the designated working position and manually push the tooling fixture to the front and rear positioning mechanism; Step S2: The front and rear positioning mechanisms perform initial positioning of the tooling fixture using their positioning rollers; Step S3: After the sensor detects that the tooling fixture 18 has been initially positioned, press the lifting button. The four lifting mechanisms will rise simultaneously to lift the tooling fixture 18, and the lifting positioning pin will be inserted into the positioning hole of the tooling fixture 18 for positioning. Step S4: The side-pushing mechanism pushes its positioning block into the lower support surface of the tooling fixture 18 to support the tooling fixture 18 for mechanical support, and the lifting mechanism withdraws; Step S5: The clamping mechanism clamps the tooling fixture, and the tooling fixture switching and positioning of one workstation is completed.

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