Steel pipe production line transition carriage positioning system and automatic control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a steel pipe production line transition carriage positioning system and an automatic control method thereof. The positioning system comprises a coding counting unit, a station positioning unit and a programmable controller, the coding and counting unit comprises an incremental rotary encoder, a high-speed counting module and an initial position sensor, and the initial position sensor is used for counting the initial position of the transverse moving vehicle; the incremental rotary encoder is mounted on a motor shaft of the transverse moving vehicle through a coupling; the high-speed counting module collects data and tracks the position of the transition carriage in real time; and the station positioning unit comprises more than two station position sensors. The automatic control method comprises the steps of S1, judging material information of an outlet station, S2, judging material information of an inlet station, S3, judging material information of a buffer station, S4, judging whether materials exist at the position closest to the outlet station or not, and circularly executing the steps S1 to S4. The automatic conveying device has the beneficial effects that automatic conveying between steel pipe machining stations in an area is achieved, and the production efficiency and the production rhythm are optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a steel pipe production line, and more particularly to a transverse moving vehicle positioning system and an automatic control method thereof for a steel pipe production line, belonging to the technical field of steel pipe manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] For a large-diameter submerged arc welded steel pipe production line, multiple processing procedures are required from raw material steel coils or steel plates to finished steel pipes. A certain number of buffer racks are arranged between each procedure for storing the submerged arc welded pipes to be processed. The transverse moving vehicle is used to transport the pipe materials at the previous station to the next processing station, or pick up materials from the buffer rack and transport them to the processing station, or transport the processed steel pipes to the buffer rack. Therefore, it is necessary for the transverse moving vehicle to accurately locate the accurate positions of the processing station and the buffer rack station.

[0003] Currently, there are two common positioning methods for the transverse moving vehicle transmission and positioning. One is to use a high-speed counting module and an absolute encoder to form a positioning system. An absolute encoder is installed on the traveling motor of the transverse moving vehicle, and the actual positions of each station and the buffer rack are measured on site and fixed in the control system. When the encoder value is consistent with the station position value, the transverse moving vehicle reaches that position. This positioning method can track the position of the transverse moving vehicle in real time. However, during long-term operation, when the encoder coupling becomes loose or the transverse moving vehicle slips on the running track, etc., cumulative errors will cause inaccurate positioning of the transverse moving vehicle, resulting in deviations during the transmission operation of the transverse moving vehicle, and seriously, it will cause harm to equipment and personnel. Another method is to perform coding combination on the detection signals of multiple detection sensors in a programmable control. Each transmission station has a fixed detection code, and a deceleration sensor is set in front of the station to ensure the positioning accuracy. This method solves the mechanical errors such as slipping during the long-term operation of the transverse moving vehicle, but it can only locate the position of the transverse moving vehicle at the station. When the transverse moving vehicle is not at the station, it cannot be accurately positioned. When a certain detection sensor fails, system coding recognition errors will occur, resulting in positioning problems and there are certain potential safety hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above deficiencies existing in the positioning of the transverse moving vehicle in the existing steel pipe production line, the present invention provides a transverse moving vehicle positioning system and an automatic control method for a steel pipe production line.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is: a transverse moving vehicle positioning system for a steel pipe production line, including a transverse moving vehicle, and the positioning system includes a coding and counting unit, a station positioning unit, and a programmable controller.

[0006] The encoding and counting unit includes: an incremental rotary encoder, a high-speed counting module, and an initial position sensor, where the initial position sensor is used to set the initial position of the traversing vehicle; the incremental rotary encoder is installed on the motor shaft of the traversing vehicle through a coupling; the high-speed counting module collects the data of the incremental rotary encoder and tracks the position of the traversing vehicle in real time.

[0007] The station positioning unit includes more than 2 station position sensors.

[0008] An induction piece is provided at each station position.

[0009] The initial position sensor is arranged on the side of the front end of the traversing vehicle.

[0010] The more than 2 station position sensors are sequentially arranged on the side of the rear end of the traversing vehicle.

[0011] The relationship between the number n of the station position sensors and the number N of station positions is N < 2 n 。

[0012] The distance between two adjacent station position sensors is ≥ 100 mm.

[0013] The detection distance of the station position sensor is 15 ± 5 mm.

[0014] The induction piece at each station position is fixedly installed on the ground.

[0015] An automatic control method for the positioning system of the traversing vehicle in the steel pipe production line includes a traversing vehicle, an exit station, and an entrance station. A buffer station is arranged between the exit station and the entrance station. The traversing vehicle transports the steel pipes at the entrance station or the buffer station to the buffer station or the exit station. The steps are as follows:

[0016] S1. Judge the material information of the exit station

[0017] S1-1. When there is no material at the exit station, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station

[0018] S1-1-1. Judge the material information of the buffer station

[0019] When there is material at the buffer station, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station, and the traversing vehicle transports the steel pipe closest to the exit station to the exit station.

[0020] S1-1-2. When there is no material at the buffer station, judge the material information of the entrance station.

[0021] S1-2. When there is material at the exit station, judge the material information of the entrance station

[0022] S2. Judge the material information of the entrance station

[0023] S2-1. When there is material at the entrance station, determine the position of the furthest material-free position from the entrance station

[0024] S2-1-1. When the exit station and the buffer station are material-free, the traversing vehicle transports the steel pipe at the entrance station to the exit station or the furthest material-free position from the entrance station

[0025] S2-1-2. When there is material at the exit station, judge the material information of the buffer station, and the traversing vehicle transports the steel pipe to the furthest material-free position from the entrance station at the buffer station

[0026] S2-2. When there is no material at the entrance station, judge the material information of the buffer station

[0027] S3. Judge the material information of the buffer station

[0028] S3-1. When there is material at the buffer station and the steel pipe is not at the position closest to the exit station, the traversing vehicle transports the steel pipe at the buffer station to the position closest to the exit station

[0029] S3-2. When there is no material at the buffer station, judge whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station

[0030] S4. Judge whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station, and loop to execute steps S1 - S4

[0031] Furthermore, in the above S1, the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station is

[0032] When there is material at the buffer station, it is the steel pipe at the position closest to the exit station on the buffer station

[0033] When there is no material at the buffer station, it is the entrance station

[0034] Furthermore, in the above S2, the furthest material-free station from the entrance station is

[0035] When there is material at the buffer station, it is the furthest material-free position from the entrance station on the buffer station

[0036] When there is no material at the buffer station, it is the exit station

[0037] Furthermore, in the above S3, when there is material at the buffer station and the number of steel pipes is more than 2, execute the material dumping program, and the traversing vehicle transports the steel pipes on the buffer station to the position closer to the exit station in sequence

[0038] When executing the material dumping program, judge the starting station position and the ending station position of the steel pipe to be transported

[0039] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: reasonable design, real-time tracking of the running position of the traversing vehicle, realization of automatic transportation between steel pipe processing workstations within the area, and automatic transfer of steel pipes between buffer racks; improvement of the accuracy and reliability of the running of the traversing vehicle, optimization of production efficiency and production rhythm; completion of self-diagnosis of the running faults of the traversing vehicle, and elimination of potential safety hazards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the positioning system of the traversing vehicle in the steel pipe production line of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the traversing vehicle in the present invention.

[0042] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the working area of the traversing vehicle in the steel pipe production line of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 4 It is a flow chart of the automatic control method of the positioning system of the present invention.

[0044] In the figure: 1. Incremental rotary encoder, 2. High-speed counting module, 3. Initial position sensor, 4. Workstation position sensor, 100. Encoding and counting unit, 200. Workstation positioning unit, 300. Programmable logic controller, 400. Traversing vehicle, 500. Exit workstation, 600. Entrance workstation, 700. Buffer workstation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0045] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should be aware that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments listed, and as long as it conforms to the spirit of the present invention, it should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "vertical", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "horizontal", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing or simplifying the present invention, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "set", "installed", "connected", "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the connection can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] See the appendix Figure 1 、 2 A positioning system for a transverse trolley in a steel pipe production line according to the present invention includes an encoding and counting unit 100, a station positioning unit 200, a programmable logic controller 300, and a transverse trolley 400.

[0049] The encoding and counting unit 100 includes: an incremental rotary encoder 1, a high-speed counting module 2, and an initial position sensor 3, where the initial position sensor 3 is used to set the initial position of the transverse trolley; the incremental rotary encoder 1 is installed on the motor shaft of the transverse trolley 400 through a coupling; the high-speed counting module 2 collects data from the incremental rotary encoder and tracks the position of the transverse trolley 400 in real time.

[0050] The station positioning unit 200 includes more than 2 station position sensors 4, which are used to verify the accuracy of the position collected by the encoder of the transverse trolley. An induction sheet is provided at each station position.

[0051] The data values of each station position are prefabricated in the memory of the programmable logic controller 300. When the position value of the transverse trolley 400 is consistent with the station position data and the encoding information of the station position, the transverse trolley 400 reaches this station position.

[0052] The sensors are installed at the front end or the rear end of the transverse trolley 400, and the initial position sensor 3 is arranged on the side of the front end of the transverse trolley 400; more than 2 station position sensors 4 are arranged on the side of the rear end of the transverse trolley 400 and are arranged in sequence along the moving direction of the transverse trolley 400. Preferably, the distance between adjacent two station position sensors 4 is ≥ 100 mm to prevent mutual interference between the station position sensors.

[0053] The relationship between the number n of the station position sensors 4 and the number N of the station positions is N < 2 n , and the n station position sensors 4 are numbered I, II... n in sequence.

[0054] Furthermore, the detection distance of the station position sensor 4 is 15 ± 5 mm.

[0055] Furthermore, the induction sheet at each station position is fixedly installed on the ground.

[0056] When the transverse vehicle positioning system is powered on for the first time or when an error occurs in the position value collected by the incremental rotary encoder, it is necessary to run the transverse vehicle to a suitable position, detect the initial position value, and write the initial position value of the transverse vehicle into the memory of the programmable controller 300. The transverse vehicle station positioning part is composed of a programmable controller 300 and Ⅰ to n station position sensors 4. The specific number is determined according to the number of station positions. Usually, the number of station positions does not exceed 32, which are used to verify the accuracy of the position collected by the incremental rotary encoder and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the transverse vehicle running position. The switch signal of the station position sensor is encoded and combined in the programmable controller. Each station position corresponds to a specific code, and the 8421 encoding method is adopted. When the transverse vehicle arrives at the station position, the programmable controller verifies the collected station position code information with the incremental rotary encoder data information. When the incremental rotary encoder data information is consistent with the pre-written station position data information or within the allowable error range, the incremental rotary encoder position information is determined to be valid, otherwise it is invalid. When the position information is valid, the position data is written into the encoder, which can effectively eliminate the accumulated position error during long-term operation; when the position information is invalid, an alarm message is issued, the automatic operation mode of the transverse vehicle is exited, and the encoder is manually returned to the original position to set valid data, thereby realizing self-diagnosis of the fault process.

[0057] In addition to the automatic control method, the present invention can also adopt a semi-automatic or manual control mode of the transverse transfer vehicle. In the manual mode, the steel pipe can be reversed at a low speed according to the situation, and the bracket of the transverse transfer vehicle can only be raised or lowered when it is at the working position.

[0058] The transverse vehicle positioning system for a steel pipe production line of the present invention determines the movement direction of the transverse vehicle according to the data position of the current encoder when the steel pipe needs to be transported from the starting station position to the ending station position; after the transverse vehicle reaches the starting station position, the bracket of the transverse vehicle rises to lift the steel pipe upward, after which the transverse vehicle accelerates and starts to transport the steel pipe to the ending station position; when approaching the ending station position, the transverse vehicle starts to decelerate, and stops when reaching the ending station position; the bracket of the transverse vehicle descends to place the steel pipe at the ending station position, thereby completing a steel pipe transportation process.

[0059] The steel pipe transportation work of the transverse transfer vehicle includes starting acceleration, uniform speed movement, deceleration, and stopping. The incremental rotary encoder detects the position and running speed of the transverse transfer vehicle in real time. To ensure that the transverse transfer vehicle can smoothly reach the predetermined workstation, the programmable controller sends control instructions to the frequency converter based on the position information collected from the incremental rotary encoder to achieve precise positioning of the transverse transportation of the steel pipe.

[0060] See attached Figure 3 , 4。The automatic control method of the positioning system for the transverse transfer vehicle in the steel pipe production line described in the present invention includes a transverse transfer vehicle 400, an exit station 500, and an entrance station 600. A buffer station 700 is provided between the exit station 500 and the entrance station 600. The transverse transfer vehicle 400 sequentially transports the steel pipes at the entrance station 600 or the buffer station 700 to the buffer station 700 or the exit station 500. The steps are as follows:

[0061] S1. Judge the material information of the exit station 500

[0062] S1-1. When there is no material at the exit station 500, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station 500.

[0063] S1-1-1. Judge the material information of the buffer station 700

[0064] When there is material at the buffer station 700, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station 500, and the transverse transfer vehicle 400 transports the steel pipe closest to the exit station 500 to the exit station 500.

[0065] S1-1-2. When there is no material at the buffer station 700, judge the material information of the entrance station 600;

[0066] S1-2. When there is material at the exit station 500, judge the material information of the entrance station 600.

[0067] S2. Judge the material information of the entrance station 600

[0068] S2-1. When there is material at the entrance station 600, judge the farthest non-material position from the entrance station 600.

[0069] S2-1-1. When there is no material at the exit station 500 and the buffer station 700, the transverse transfer vehicle 400 transports the steel pipe at the entrance station 600 to the exit station 500 or the farthest non-material position from the entrance station 600;

[0070] S2-1-2. When there is material at the exit station 500, judge the material information of the buffer station 700, and the transverse transfer vehicle 400 transports the steel pipe to the farthest non-material position from the entrance station 600 at the buffer station 700;

[0071] S2-2. When there is no material at the entrance station 600, judge the material information of the buffer station 700.

[0072] S3. Judge the material information of the buffer station 700

[0073] S3-1. When there is material at the buffer station 700 and the steel pipe is not at the position closest to the exit station 500, the transverse transfer vehicle 400 transports the steel pipe at the buffer station 700 to the position closest to the exit station 500;

[0074] S3-2. When there is no material at the buffer station 700, determine whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station 500.

[0075] S4. Determine whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station 500, and loop to execute steps S1 - S4.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above S1, the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station 500 is: when there is material at the buffer station 700, it is the steel pipe at the position closest to the exit station 500 on the buffer station 700; when there is no material at the buffer station 700, it is the entrance station 600.

[0077] In the above S2, the station with the least material farthest from the entrance station 600 is: when there is material at the buffer station 700, it is the position with the least material farthest from the entrance station 600 on the buffer station 700; when there is no material at the buffer station 700, it is the exit station 500.

[0078] In the above S3, when there is material at the buffer station 700 and the number of steel pipes is more than 2, execute the material - dumping program. The traversing vehicle 400 transports the steel pipes on the buffer station 700 to the position closer to the exit station 500 in sequence; when executing the material - dumping program, judge the starting station position and the ending station position of the steel pipe to be transported.

[0079] The automatic control method of the traversing vehicle positioning system of the steel pipe production line of the present invention, during the implementation process,

[0080] (1) If there is no material at the exit station, the traversing vehicle will transport the steel pipe from the station closest to the exit station to the exit station;

[0081] (2) If there is material at the entrance station, according to the material situation in the area, the traversing vehicle will judge and transport to the station with the least material farthest from the entrance station;

[0082] (3) The traversing vehicle dumps materials. If there is material at the exit station and no material at the entrance station, the traversing vehicle meets the material - dumping condition. Dump the steel pipes on the buffer station to a place closer to the exit station;

[0083] (4) If there is no material at the entrance station, there is material at the exit station, and the material - dumping condition is not met, the traversing vehicle will automatically go to a suitable position to wait.

[0084] The "material" in the above "having material" or "having no material" is all steel pipes. The steel pipes can be either finished steel pipes or semi - finished products during the processing.

[0085] In the automatic control mode, the cross - transfer vehicle positioning system of the steel pipe production line of the present invention automatically determines the target position of steel pipe transportation according to the sequence priority of the export station - the import station - the buffer station, combining the material detection information of the bench and the roller path and the connection signals of related equipment; when there is no steel pipe transportation at the export station, the import station, and the buffer station, the cross - transfer vehicle automatically returns to a suitable position to wait for the steel pipe to be transported.

[0086] In the semi - automatic mode, the cross - transfer vehicle positioning system of the steel pipe production line of the present invention can select the starting station position and the ending station position. After starting, the cross - transfer vehicle transports the steel pipe from the starting station position to the ending station position to complete a transportation process.

[0087] The cross - transfer vehicle positioning system of the steel pipe production line of the present invention and its automatic control method. The coding and counting unit and the station positioning unit of the positioning system are interrelated and verified. The control method of variable - frequency speed regulation + encoder position and speed feedback + station position correction + electrical and mechanical compound braking greatly improves the accuracy and reliability of positioning; the positioning system adopts an automatic control method to improve the accuracy and reliability of the cross - transfer vehicle operation, can real - time track the running position of the cross - transfer vehicle, complete the self - diagnosis of the cross - transfer vehicle operation failure, realize the automatic transportation between the steel pipe processing stations in the area, and the automatic transfer between the bench frames at the buffer station, obtain the optimization of production efficiency and production rhythm, and at the same time reduce the number of on - site operators.

[0088] It should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments are examples rather than limitations of the present invention, and those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. A positioning system for a transverse transfer vehicle in a steel pipe production line, comprising a transverse transfer vehicle, characterized in that: The positioning system includes a coding and counting unit, a station positioning unit, and a programmable logic controller; The coding and counting unit includes: an incremental rotary encoder, a high-speed counting module, and an initial position sensor, and the initial position sensor is used for setting the initial position of the transverse transfer vehicle; the incremental rotary encoder is installed on the motor shaft of the transverse transfer vehicle through a coupling; the high-speed counting module collects the data of the incremental rotary encoder and tracks the position of the transverse transfer vehicle in real time; The station positioning unit includes more than 2 station position sensors; An induction sheet is arranged at each station position.

2. The positioning system for a transverse transfer vehicle in a steel pipe production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The initial position sensor is arranged on the side of the front end of the transverse transfer vehicle; The more than 2 station position sensors are sequentially arranged on the side of the rear end of the transverse transfer vehicle.

3. The cross transfer vehicle positioning system for the steel pipe production line according to claim 2, wherein: The relationship between the number n of the station position sensors and the number N of the station positions is N < 2 n .

4. The cross-transfer vehicle positioning system for the steel pipe production line according to claim 3, wherein: The distance between two adjacent station position sensors is ≥ 100 mm.

5. The cross transfer vehicle positioning system for the steel pipe production line according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The detection distance of the station position sensor is 15 ± 5 mm.

6. The cross - transfer vehicle positioning system for the steel pipe production line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The induction sheet at each station position is fixedly installed on the ground.

7. An automatic control method for the positioning system of a transverse transfer vehicle in a steel pipe production line according to claim 1, comprising a transverse transfer vehicle, an exit station, and an entrance station, with a buffer station arranged between the exit station and the entrance station, and the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipes at the entrance station or the buffer station to the buffer station or the exit station. The steps are as follows: S1. Judge the material information of the exit station S1-1. When there is no material at the exit station, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station, S1-1-1. Judge the material information of the buffer station When there is material at the buffer station, judge the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station, and the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipe closest to the exit station to the exit station; S1-1-2. When there is no material at the buffer station, judge the material information of the entrance station; S1-2. When there is material at the exit station, judge the material information of the entrance station; S2. Judge the material information of the entrance station S2-1. When there is material at the entrance station, judge the farthest unoccupied position from the entrance station, S2-1-1. When there is no material at the exit station and the buffer station, the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipe at the entrance station to the exit station or the farthest unoccupied position from the entrance station; S2-1-2. When there is material at the exit station, judge the material information of the buffer station, and the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipe to the farthest unoccupied position from the entrance station at the buffer station; S2-2. When there is no material at the entrance station, judge the material information of the buffer station; S3. Judge the material information of the buffer station S3-1. When there is material at the buffer station and the steel pipe is not at the position closest to the exit station, the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipe at the buffer station to the position closest to the exit station; S3-2. When there is no material at the buffer station, judge whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station; S4. Judge whether there is material at the position closest to the exit station, and loop to execute steps S1 - S4.

8. The automatic control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the said S1, the position of the steel pipe closest to the exit station is, When there is material at the buffer station, it is the steel pipe at the position closest to the exit station on the buffer station; When there is no material at the buffer station, it is the entrance station.

9. The automatic control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the step S2, the no-load station farthest from the entrance station is When the buffer station has materials, it is the no-load position farthest from the entrance station on the buffer station; When the buffer station has no materials, it is the exit station.

10. The automatic control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the step S3, when the buffer station has materials and the number of steel pipes is more than 2, the material dumping program is executed, and the transverse transfer vehicle transports the steel pipes on the buffer station to the position near the exit station in sequence; When executing the material dumping program, judge the starting station position and the ending station position of the steel pipe to be transported.

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