Tool-switchable automatic nut welding system

By using polygonal mounting rollers as switchable positioning tooling in the nut joint system, combined with visual inspection and automation technology of industrial robotic arms, the problem of inefficiency in existing systems when replacing products is solved, achieving efficient, safe and economical Nut welding production.

CN119387960APending Publication Date: 2025-02-07GUANGZHOU YULONG AUTOMOBILE PARTS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310917427.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-07-25
Publication Date
2025-02-07

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing nut welding system needs to replace the positioning tooling when replacing the product, resulting in low production efficiency, complex system structure, high cost, and safety hazards.

Method used

A switchable tool automatic welding nut system is designed, and a polygonal mounting roller is used as a switchable positioning tool. Through visual inspection and industrial robotic arms, the automatic loading, positioning and welding of parts is achieved, simplifying the system structure and reducing costs.

Benefits of technology

It realizes that multiple products share one tooling, improves production efficiency, reduces system complexity and cost, and enhances operational safety.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a switchable tool automatic nut welding system which comprises a machine base, a conveying belt, a first industrial mechanical arm, a second industrial mechanical arm, a visual detection device, a switchable positioning tool and a nut welding machine. The visual detection device is arranged above the part placing station, the first industrial mechanical arm grabs parts on the part placing station and places the parts on the switchable positioning tool, and the second industrial mechanical arm grabs the parts on the switchable positioning tool and sends the parts to the nut welding machine for welding. And after welding, the second industrial mechanical arm puts the parts into the part taking station. According to the scheme, the conveying belt feeding mode is adopted, automation of part welding operation is effectively achieved through the industrial mechanical arm, the visual detection device, the nut welding machine and the like, the positioning tool is designed to be a polygonal installation roller with a plurality of installation faces, more parts can be clamped, and the working efficiency is improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of welding equipment, in particular to a switchable tooling automatic nut welding system. Background Art

[0002] Nut welding is an important part of automobile panel welding. Currently, nut welding is mostly done manually. It is difficult for operators to stay focused during long-term operations, and negligence is inevitable, so it is impossible to prevent defects. Even if a full inspection method of manual marking is adopted after welding, it is still impossible to prevent defective products, and defective products will occasionally flow out. If there is leakage and welding error on automobile parts, it is a serious Class A defect.

[0003] In response to the above technical problems, the Chinese utility model patent with authorization announcement number CN215145970U discloses a visual recognition positioning welding system for welding small parts and standard parts. The front sides of the left station feeding conveyor belt and the right station feeding conveyor belt of the feeding system are respectively provided with a first manipulator and a second manipulator, the middle positioning system is placed in front of the visual system component of the feeding system, the left station visual inspection and unloading system is installed on the left side of the left station feeding conveyor belt, the right station visual inspection and unloading system is installed on the right side of the right station feeding conveyor belt, the left station nut welding system and the left station bolt welding system are placed in front of the first manipulator, the right station nut welding system and the right station bolt welding system are placed in front of the second manipulator, and the third manipulator is installed between the left station bolt welding system and the right station bolt welding system. The utility model can effectively realize the automation of all operation processes of parts from automatic feeding, positioning, welding to detection and unloading, improve the utilization rate, production efficiency and automation degree of equipment, and can greatly eliminate the safety risks of manual welding of standard parts. However, the positioning fixture used in this welding system can only be used for one product. If the product needs to be replaced, the positioning fixture needs to be replaced, which will greatly reduce production efficiency. In addition, the system uses multi-station welding, which requires the configuration of multiple visual inspection systems and manipulators. The structure is relatively complex and the cost is high, which is difficult for general factories to bear. In addition, when the welding system is working, the staff can directly contact the high-temperature area, which poses a safety hazard. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems raised by the above-mentioned background technology, the present solution provides a switchable tooling automatic nut welding system with good safety, simple structure and low cost. By replacing the positioning tooling of the automatic nut welding, multiple products can share one tooling, without the need to frequently replace product fixtures. In this way, more products can be clamped for the welding machine to weld, ensuring that the welding machine operates non-stop and improving production efficiency.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: a switchable tooling automatic nut welding system, comprising a machine base, a conveyor belt, a first industrial robot arm, a second industrial robot arm, a visual inspection device, a switchable positioning tooling and a nut welder, wherein the conveyor belt, the first industrial robot arm, the second industrial robot arm, the visual inspection device, the switchable positioning tooling and the nut welder are arranged on the machine base, and the machine base is also provided with a wall panel enclosing the conveyor belt, the first industrial robot arm, the second industrial robot arm, the visual inspection device, the switchable positioning tooling and the nut welder, so that the welding system operates in a relatively closed space, thereby improving the safety of the operation; a part placement station and a part retrieval station are provided on the conveyor belt, the visual inspection device is placed above the part placement station, the first industrial robot arm grabs the parts at the part placement station and places them on the switchable positioning tooling for precise positioning, the second industrial robot arm grabs the parts on the switchable positioning tooling and sends them to the nut welder for welding, and after welding, the second industrial robot arm puts the parts into the part retrieval station. This solution only uses two industrial robotic arms to realize the automation of the parts welding processing process. The switchable positioning tooling is equivalent to a transfer platform, which undertakes the work connection of the two industrial robotic arms. The structure is simpler than the existing welding system, the cost is lower, and it is suitable for popularization and application.

[0006] Furthermore, the switchable positioning tooling includes a mounting seat, a polygonal mounting roller and a switching device, the polygonal mounting roller is provided with a plurality of part positioning surfaces, each of the part positioning surfaces is provided with a positioning block or positioning hole matching the clamped parts, the polygonal mounting roller is rotatably mounted on the mounting seat via a rotating shaft, and the switching device is connected and can drive the polygonal mounting roller to rotate so that the corresponding part positioning surface faces the working surface of the first industrial robot arm or the second industrial robot arm, so as to facilitate the first industrial robot arm or the second industrial robot arm to clamp or grab parts. In this way, different parts can also be placed together on the part placement station in one production schedule, waiting for the visual inspection device to identify its model, and after matching different part positioning surfaces, the switching device drives the polygonal mounting roller to rotate so that the corresponding part is positioned upward (it can also be clamped and taken out according to the working surface of the first industrial robot arm or the second industrial robot arm facing different directions).

[0007] Furthermore, the number of the part positioning surfaces is 3 to 8, preferably 6, and the cross-section of the polygonal mounting drum is a regular hexagon, so that the structure is relatively stable and the rotation is smooth.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to make the clamping and taking-out operations more stable, each of the part positioning surfaces may be provided with an electromagnetic adsorption device for adsorbing parts to ensure that the parts are not likely to fall off the polygonal mounting roller. As another concept of this solution, each of the part positioning surfaces may also be provided with a vacuum adsorption device for adsorbing parts.

[0009] Furthermore, the switching device includes a cylinder and a connecting plate, the piston rod of the cylinder is connected to one end of the connecting plate, and the other end of the connecting plate is connected to the rotating shaft. By controlling the extension length of the piston rod of the cylinder, the polygonal mounting roller can be rotated at a fixed angle to match the working surface of the first industrial robot arm or the second industrial robot arm. The switching device can also be composed of a motor and a fixed-angle turntable.

[0010] Furthermore, a loading frame and a picking frame are placed on the parts placement station and the parts pickup station, respectively, and a positioning device is provided on the conveyor belt to block the loading frame and the picking frame, respectively, so that the loading frame and the picking frame stay on the parts placement station and the parts pickup station, respectively, and wait for the corresponding operation to be completed. Wherein, the conveyor belt adopts a sprocket roller conveyor belt, and the positioning device includes a telescopic rod arranged below the sprocket roller conveyor belt, and the telescopic rod is placed in the roller gap of the sprocket roller conveyor belt, and can be extended up and down, so as to block the loading frame or the picking frame. As another conception of this scheme, the conveyor belt can also adopt a belt conveyor line, and the positioning device can also be arranged on the side of the conveyor belt for blocking.

[0011] Furthermore, the conveyor belt is also provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors for detecting the positions of the loading frame and the unloading frame.

[0012] Furthermore, guardrails are provided on both sides of the conveyor belt to regulate the transportation of the loading frame and the unloading frame.

[0013] Furthermore, the wall panel is provided with a material inlet and a material outlet at positions corresponding to the parts placement station and the parts retrieval station, respectively.

[0014] Furthermore, the wall panel is also provided with a control panel, a transparent window and an inspection door, etc. The control panel controls and connects the conveyor belt, the first industrial robot arm, the second industrial robot arm and the nut welder, etc.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present solution adopts a conveyor belt feeding method, and utilizes industrial robotic arms, visual inspection devices, and nut welders to effectively realize the automation of all operation processes from automatic loading, positioning, welding to unloading of parts. The present solution designs the positioning tooling into a polygonal mounting drum with multiple mounting surfaces, which can clamp more parts and adjust the rhythm balance of two industrial robotic arms. On each mounting surface of the polygonal mounting drum, a unified mounting position is designed for easy disassembly. Each part only needs to make a new positioning block and install it on each mounting surface, so that it can be shared. The positioning block designed for each part is relatively simple and has a very low manufacturing cost. It can be shared with very little investment, so that more products can be clamped for welding by the welding machine. Ensure that the welding machine does not stop working and improve work efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1a 1a and 1b are schematic diagrams of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the conveyor belt structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the switchable positioning tooling structure of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is worth noting that the specific embodiments are only representative embodiments of the present invention, and the specific methods, devices, conditions, materials, etc. exemplified therein are not intended to limit the present invention or the corresponding specific embodiments.

[0021] A switchable tooling automatic nut welding system, such as Figure 1a-Figure 4As shown, it includes a machine base 1, a conveyor belt 2, a first industrial robot arm 3, a second industrial robot arm 4, a visual inspection device 5, a switchable positioning tool 6, a nut welder 7 and an electric control cabinet 8. The conveyor belt 2, the first industrial robot arm 3, the second industrial robot arm 4, the visual inspection device 5, the switchable positioning tool 6, the nut welder 7 and the electric control cabinet 8 are arranged on the machine base 1. The machine base 1 is provided with a wall panel enclosing the conveyor belt 2, the first industrial robot arm 3, the second industrial robot arm 4, the visual inspection device 5, the switchable positioning tool 6, the nut welder 7 and the electric control cabinet 8, so that the welding system operates in a relatively closed space, thereby improving the safety of the operation. The conveyor belt 2 is provided with a part placement station and a part pickup station, and the positions of the wall panel corresponding to the part placement station and the part pickup station are respectively provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12, and the wall panel is also provided with a control panel 13, a transparent window 14 and an inspection door 15, etc., and a loading frame 21 and a pickup frame 22 are respectively placed on the part placement station and the part pickup station, and a positioning device 23 is provided on the conveyor belt 2 for blocking the loading frame 21 and the pickup frame 22, so that the loading frame 21 and the pickup frame 22 respectively stay on the part placement station and the part pickup station and wait for the corresponding operation to end. The visual inspection device 5 is placed above the mounting frame 21. The visual inspection device 5 takes photos and proofreads the parts in the mounting frame 21. After determining the type, position and other information of the parts, the first industrial robot arm 3 grabs the parts in the mounting frame 21 and places them on the switchable positioning fixture 6 for precise positioning. The second industrial robot arm 4 grabs the parts on the switchable positioning fixture 6 and sends them to the nut welder 7 for welding. After welding, the second industrial robot arm 4 puts the parts into the pickup frame 22. The electric control cabinet 8 is electrically connected to the conveyor belt 2, the first industrial robot arm 3, the second industrial robot arm 4, the visual inspection device 5, the nut welder 7 and the control panel 13, etc., and the control panel 13 controls the connection of the conveyor belt 2, the first industrial robot arm 3, the second industrial robot arm 4 and the nut welder 7, etc.

[0022] Further, such as Figure 3 As shown, the conveyor belt 2 is a sprocket roller conveyor belt, and the positioning device 23 includes a telescopic rod arranged below the sprocket roller conveyor belt, and the telescopic rod is placed in the roller gap of the sprocket roller conveyor belt and can be extended up and down to block the loading frame 21 or the unloading frame 22. As another concept of this solution, the conveyor belt 2 can also be a belt conveyor line, and the positioning device can also be arranged on the side of the conveyor belt for blocking.

[0023] Furthermore, the conveyor belt 2 is also provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors 24 for detecting the positions of the loading frame 21 and the unloading frame 22 .

[0024] Furthermore, guardrails are provided on both sides of the conveyor belt 2 to regulate the transportation of the loading frame 21 and the unloading frame 22 .

[0025] Further, such as Figure 4 As shown, the switchable positioning tool 6 includes a mounting seat 61, a polygonal mounting roller 65 and a switching device. The polygonal mounting roller 65 is provided with a plurality of part positioning surfaces, each of which is provided with a positioning block 66 (or positioning hole) for matching and clamping parts. The surface of the positioning block 66 is designed as a fixture for clamping different parts. The bottom surface of the positioning block 66 is fixed on the mounting hole on the part positioning surface. The mounting holes on each of the part positioning surfaces are uniformly designed, that is, the hole spacing, position and hole type of the mounting holes on each of the part positioning surfaces are the same, which is convenient for disassembly. Moreover, each part only needs to make a new positioning block 66 and install it on the part positioning surface, so that it can be shared. The positioning block 66 designed for each part is relatively simple and has a very low manufacturing cost. The polygonal mounting roller 65 is rotatably mounted on the mounting seat 61 through a rotating shaft 63. The switching device is connected and can drive the polygonal mounting roller 66 to rotate, so that the corresponding part positioning surface faces the working surface of the first industrial robot arm 3 or the second industrial robot arm 4, which is convenient for the first industrial robot arm 3 or the second industrial robot arm 4 to clamp or grab parts. In this way, different parts can also be placed together on the parts placement station in one production schedule, waiting for the visual inspection device 5 to identify their models. After matching different part positioning surfaces, the switching device drives the polygonal mounting roller to rotate so that the corresponding parts are positioned upward (they can also be positioned in different directions according to the working surface of the first industrial robot arm or the second industrial robot arm) for clamping and picking operations.

[0026] Furthermore, the number of the part positioning surfaces is 3 to 8; preferably, in the present embodiment, the cross-section of the polygonal mounting drum 65 is a regular hexagon, and the number of the part positioning surfaces is 6, so that the structure is relatively stable and the rotation is smooth.

[0027] Furthermore, in order to make the clamping and taking-out operations more stable, each of the part positioning surfaces may be provided with an electromagnetic adsorption device for adsorbing parts to ensure that the parts are not likely to fall off the polygonal mounting roller. As another concept of this solution, each of the part positioning surfaces may also be provided with a vacuum adsorption device for adsorbing parts.

[0028] Furthermore, the switching device includes a cylinder 62 and a connecting plate 64, the piston rod of the cylinder 62 is connected to one end of the connecting plate 64, and the other end of the connecting plate 64 is connected to the rotating shaft 63. By controlling the extension length of the piston rod of the cylinder 62, the polygonal mounting roller 66 can be rotated at a fixed angle to match the working surface of the first industrial robot arm 3 or the second industrial robot arm 4. As another concept of this solution, the switching device can also be composed of a motor and a fixed-angle turntable.

[0029] This solution only uses two industrial robotic arms to realize the automation of the parts welding process. The switchable positioning tool is equivalent to a transfer platform, which undertakes the work connection of the two industrial robotic arms. The structure is simpler than the existing welding system, the cost is lower, and it is suitable for promotion and application. This solution adopts a switching positioning tool 6, and the positioning tool is designed to be polygonal. Each surface can position parts, so that more parts can be clamped for welding by the welding machine to ensure that the welding machine does not stop working. After the parts on each surface are welded, the clamped parts on the other side can be rotated to the working surface according to the set rotation angle. The clamping working surface and the welding working surface of the first industrial robotic arm 3 or the second industrial robotic arm 4 do not affect each other. In this reciprocating work, automated production can be achieved.

[0030] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the invention description are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A switchable tooling automatic nut welding system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a machine base (1), a conveyor belt (2), a first industrial robot arm (3), a second industrial robot arm (4), a visual inspection device (5), a switchable positioning tool (6) and a nut welder (7), wherein the conveyor belt (2), the first industrial robot arm (3), the second industrial robot arm (4), the visual inspection device (5), the switchable positioning tool (6) and the nut welder (7) are arranged on the machine base (1), and the machine base (1) is provided with a device enclosing the conveyor belt (2), the first industrial robot arm (3), the second industrial robot arm (4), the visual inspection device (5) , a wall panel of a switchable positioning tool (6) and a nut welding machine (7), the conveyor belt (2) is provided with a part placement station and a part retrieval station, the visual inspection device (5) is placed above the part placement station, the first industrial robot arm (3) grabs the parts from the part placement station and places them on the switchable positioning tool (6), the second industrial robot arm (4) grabs the parts on the switchable positioning tool (6) and sends them to the nut welding machine (7) for welding, and after welding, the second industrial robot arm (4) puts the parts into the part retrieval station.

2. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The switchable positioning tool (6) comprises a mounting seat (61), a polygonal mounting roller (65) and a switching device. The polygonal mounting roller (65) is provided with a plurality of part positioning surfaces, each of which is provided with a positioning block matching the clamping parts. The polygonal mounting roller (65) is rotatably mounted on the mounting seat (61) via a rotating shaft (63). The switching device is connected to and can drive the polygonal mounting roller (65) to rotate.

3. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The number of the part positioning surfaces is 6, and the cross-section of the polygonal mounting drum is a regular hexagon.

4. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The switching device comprises a cylinder (63) and a connecting plate (64), wherein a piston rod of the cylinder (63) is connected to one end of the connecting plate (64), and the other end of the connecting plate (64) is connected to the rotating shaft (63).

5. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A loading frame (21) and a picking frame (22) are respectively placed on the parts placement station and the parts picking station, and a positioning device (23) for respectively blocking the loading frame (21) and the picking frame (22) is provided on the conveyor belt (2).

6. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The conveyor belt (2) is a sprocket roller conveyor belt, and the positioning device (23) comprises a telescopic rod arranged below the sprocket roller conveyor belt. The telescopic rod is placed in the roller gap of the sprocket roller conveyor belt and can be telescoped up and down.

7. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The conveyor belt (2) is also provided with a plurality of photoelectric sensors (24) for detecting the positions of the loading frame and the unloading frame.

8. A switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: Guardrails are provided on both sides of the conveyor belt (2).

9. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: It also comprises a base (1), wherein positions of the wall panel corresponding to the parts placement station and the parts retrieval station are respectively provided with a material inlet (11) and a material outlet (12).

10. The switchable tooling automatic nut welding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wall panel is also provided with a control panel (13), a transparent window (14) and an inspection door (15).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Visual identification positioning welding system

    CN215145970U