Crucible carrying equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and discloses crucible carrying equipment which comprises a rack, a lifting mechanism, a heating furnace, a moving assembly and a clamping assembly. The clamping assembly is arranged at the output end of the moving assembly, and a preheating module is arranged at the clamping end of the clamping assembly; wherein the moving assembly drives the clamping assembly to move a crucible containing raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism drives the crucible to enter the heating furnace, and the preheating module preheats the clamping end of the clamping assembly; the lifting mechanism drives the clamping assembly to move the crucible out of the heating furnace and move the crucible to a casting station. The device has the beneficial effects that the automation degree is high, the carrying efficiency is improved, the carrying time in each process is easy to control, the quality difference between semi-finished products is reduced, the thermal stress between the clamping assembly and the crucible is reduced, and the service life of the crucible is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and particularly to a crucible handling device. Background Art

[0002] During the manufacturing process of semiconductor material products, a casting process is often used for forming. Generally, it is necessary to move a crucible to a loading station, add raw material powder, and then move the entire crucible to a heating station to melt the raw material powder into a molten liquid. Subsequently, the crucible is removed from the heating station, and the molten liquid is poured into a corresponding mold to form a semi-finished product of a semiconductor device, and then further processed to produce a finished product.

[0003] In the prior art, manual participation is required in some handling processes of the crucible. The labor intensity of workers is high, and there are relatively high safety risks. The handling efficiency is low. At the same time, the handling time in each process cannot be controlled, resulting in relatively large quality differences between semi-finished products, which is not conducive to mass production. In addition, when the crucible is removed from the heating station, the temperature difference between the existing clamping assembly and the crucible is relatively large, resulting in relatively large thermal stress on the surface of the crucible, and the crucible is prone to deformation, reducing the service life of the crucible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible handling device with high automation, which can improve the handling efficiency, is easy to control the handling time in each process, reduce the quality differences between semi-finished products, reduce the thermal stress between the clamping assembly and the crucible, and improve the service life of the crucible.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a crucible handling device, including a frame, a lifting mechanism, a heating furnace, a moving component, and a clamping component;

[0006] The lifting mechanism and the heating furnace are connected to the frame, and the lifting mechanism is located below the heating furnace;

[0007] The clamping component is arranged at the output end of the moving component, and a preheating module is arranged at the clamping end of the clamping component;

[0008] Wherein, the moving component drives the clamping component to move a crucible filled with raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism drives the crucible into the heating furnace, the preheating module preheats the clamping end of the clamping component. After the raw material powder in the crucible melts, the lifting mechanism drives the clamping component to remove the crucible from the heating furnace and move it to the casting station.

[0009] Further, the lifting mechanism includes a support plate, a driving unit, a lead screw, a lifting platform, guide rods, and linear bearings. The support plate is fixedly connected to the frame. The driving unit is fixedly arranged on the support plate. The output end of the driving unit is in transmission connection with the lead screw. The lead screw is arranged vertically. The top of the lead screw is fixedly connected to the lifting platform on which the crucible can be placed. The linear bearings are vertically arranged circumferentially on the support plate. One end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the lifting platform, and the other end passes through the linear bearing and is slidably connected to the linear bearing;

[0010] Wherein, the driving unit drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the lifting platform and the guide rods to rise or fall synchronously.

[0011] Further, it further includes a heat insulation assembly which is arranged at the output end of the lifting mechanism and is used for placing the crucible.

[0012] Further, the heat insulation assembly includes a tray, a heat insulation base, a first positioning disc, and a second positioning disc. The tray is fixedly arranged at the output end of the lifting mechanism. The heat insulation base is arranged inside the tray. The first positioning disc is fixedly arranged above the heat insulation base.

[0013] Further, the heat insulation base includes a first seat body and a second seat body which are stacked from bottom to top. The first seat body is arranged inside the tray and is fixedly connected to the tray. The second seat body is detachably connected above the first seat body. The first positioning disc is fixedly connected above the second seat body;

[0014] Wherein, the second seat body enters the heating cavity of the heating furnace driven by the lifting mechanism, and the first seat body is located outside the heating furnace.

[0015] Further, the clamping assembly includes a mounting frame, a reduction motor, a driving gear, a rack, two guide rails, a first heat insulation sheet, and two jaw units. The mounting frame is connected to the output end of the moving assembly. The reduction motor is fixedly arranged on the mounting frame. The output end of the mounting frame is connected to the driving gear. Two guide rails are arranged in parallel on the mounting frame. Each guide rail includes two sliders. The sliders are connected to the jaw units. The first heat insulation sheet is clamped between the slider and the jaw unit. The rack is fixedly connected to the jaw unit. The rack meshes with the driving gear. The jaw unit is provided with a preheating module;

[0016] Wherein, the reduction motor drives the driving gear to rotate, so that the two jaw units move towards or away from each other.

[0017] Furthermore, the jaw unit includes a cantilever, a second heat insulation sheet, and a clamping jaw. One end of the cantilever is fixedly connected to the slider, the other end of the cantilever is fixedly connected with the second heat insulation sheet, the second heat insulation sheet is connected to the clamping jaw, an annular boss is provided on the outer wall of the crucible, and a first clamping groove corresponding to the annular boss is formed at the clamping end of the clamping jaw. The preheating module is provided on the clamping jaw.

[0018] Furthermore, the heat insulation assembly further includes a second positioning disk, the second positioning disk is detachably arranged above the first positioning disk, and a second clamping groove corresponding to the second positioning disk is further formed at the clamping end of the clamping jaw for axially limiting the clamping of the crucible.

[0019] Furthermore, the clamping assembly further includes a pressure sensor and a level sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged between the two jaw units, and the level sensor is arranged on the mounting frame.

[0020] Furthermore, the preheating module includes a heating rod and a thermocouple.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: It includes a frame, a lifting mechanism, a heating furnace, a moving component, and a clamping component. Through the cooperation of the lifting mechanism, the moving component, and the clamping component, after the crucible is loaded, the moving component drives the clamping component to move the crucible containing the raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the crucible into the heating furnace for heating. When the raw material powder in the crucible melts into a molten liquid, before moving the crucible to the casting station, the clamping end of the clamping component is preheated through the preheating module. After the lifting mechanism drives the crucible out of the heating furnace, the moving component drives the clamping component to move the crucible to the casting station. It realizes the automatic handling of the crucible from the loading station to the heating station and then to the casting station, improves the handling efficiency, is easy to control the handling time in each process, reduces the quality difference between semi-finished products, and is conducive to batch production. In addition, a preheating module is provided to reduce the temperature difference between the clamping component and the crucible, reduce the thermal stress on the crucible, and improve the service life of the crucible. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the moving component of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is the initial state diagram of the lifting mechanism of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4It is a diagram showing the heating state of the crucible of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the lifting mechanism of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the heat insulation component of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 It is an exploded view of the parts of the heat insulation component of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing the initial state of the clamping component of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing the clamping state of the clamping component of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 10 It is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional view of the gripper of the crucible handling device in the clamping state;

[0033] Figure 12 It is a diagram showing the pick-and-place state of the cover of the crucible handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In the figure, 1, frame; 100, limit block; 2, lifting mechanism; 21, support plate; 22, drive unit; 23, lead screw; 24, lifting platform; 25, guide rod; 26, linear bearing; 3, heating furnace; 4, moving component; 5, clamping component; 51, mounting frame; 52, reduction motor; 53, drive gear; 54, rack; 55, guide rail; 56, first heat insulation sheet; 57, jaw unit; 571, cantilever; 572, second heat insulation sheet; 573, gripper; 5731, first clamping groove; 5732, second clamping groove; 58, pressure sensor; 59, horizontal sensor; 6, preheating module; 7, heat insulation component; 71, tray; 72, heat insulation base; 721, first seat body; 722, second seat body; 723, pressing block; 73, first positioning disk; 74, second positioning disk; 8, crucible; 81, crucible body; 811, annular boss; 812, drainage port; 82, cover; 821, T-shaped boss. Detailed Embodiments

[0035] The following will further describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", etc. in the present invention is based on the positional relationship shown in the drawings. These terms are only used for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the devices and components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used in the present invention to describe various information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, "first" information may also be referred to as "second" information, and similarly, "second" information may also be referred to as "first" information.

[0038] As Figures 1 to 12 shown, a crucible 8 handling device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 1, a lifting mechanism 2, a heating furnace 3, a moving assembly 4, and a clamping assembly 5. Among them, the lifting mechanism 2 and the heating furnace 3 are connected to the frame 1, and the lifting mechanism 2 is located below the heating furnace 3; the lifting mechanism 2 is used to move the crucible 8 into or out of the heating furnace 3 to realize the automatic handling of the crucible 8 in and out of the heating furnace 3. The clamping assembly 5 is provided at the output end of the moving assembly 4, and the clamping assembly 5 is used to clamp and handle the crucible 8 to realize the switching of the crucible 8 from the feeding station to the heating station and the casting station. Specifically, since the crucible 8 has a high temperature after being removed from the heating furnace 3, in order to reduce the temperature difference between the clamping assembly 5 and the crucible 8, reduce the thermal stress suffered by the crucible 8, and avoid deformation of the crucible 8, thereby improving the service life of the crucible 8, a preheating module 6 is provided at the clamping end of the clamping assembly 5.

[0039] Specifically, referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 , the moving assembly 4 drives the clamping assembly 5 to move the crucible 8 containing raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism 2. The lifting mechanism 2 drives the crucible 8 into the heating furnace 3 (i.e., makes the crucible 8 reach the heating station). At this time, the preheating module 6 preheats the clamping end of the clamping assembly 5 to reduce the temperature difference between the clamping assembly 5 and the crucible 8. After the raw material powder in the crucible 8 melts, the lifting mechanism 2 drives the clamping assembly 5 to move the crucible 8 out of the heating furnace 3 and move it to the casting station. Since the clamping assembly 5 is preheated, the preheating temperature can be adjusted to be the same as the melting state temperature of the raw material powder, so as to ensure that the temperature change of the crucible 8 is small from the time it is removed from the heating furnace 3 to the casting station, and at the same time avoid heat dissipation of the molten liquid in the crucible 8, affecting the subsequent casting process and ensuring the stability of casting.

[0040] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the movement of the crucible 8 into the heating furnace 3, referring to Figures 3 to 5, The lifting mechanism includes a support plate 21, a driving unit 22, a lead screw 23, a lifting platform 24, a guide rod 25 and a linear bearing 26. Among them, the support plate 21 is fixedly connected to the frame 1, the driving unit 22 is fixedly arranged on the support plate 21, the output end of the driving unit 22 is drivingly connected with a lead screw 23, the lead screw 23 is vertically arranged, the top of the lead screw 23 is fixedly connected with a lifting platform 24, and the crucible 8 can be placed on the lifting platform 24. The linear bearing 26 is vertically arranged circumferentially on the support plate 21. One end of the guide rod 25 is fixedly connected to the lifting platform 24, and the other end passes through the linear bearing 26 and is slidably connected to the linear bearing 26. In this embodiment, the driving unit 22 drives the lead screw seat on the lead screw 23 to rotate, and then drives the lead screw 23 to rotate. The driving unit 22 can be driven by a motor.

[0041] Specifically, with the cooperation of the moving assembly 4 and the clamping assembly 5, the crucible 8 is moved to the lifting platform 24. The heating furnace 3 is located above the lifting platform 24. The driving unit 22 drives the lead screw 23 to rotate, and then drives the lifting platform 24 and the guide rod 25 to rise or fall synchronously, so as to realize the entry and exit of the crucible 8 from the heating furnace 3.

[0042] Furthermore, since the lifting mechanism 2 drives the crucible 8 to enter and exit the heating furnace 3, in order to prevent the heat from being transferred to the lifting mechanism during the heating process of the crucible 8, thereby affecting the heating rate of the crucible 8, and at the same time to prevent heat transfer, resulting in a decrease in the temperature of the molten liquid in the crucible 8 and affecting subsequent casting, a heat insulation assembly 7 is also included. The heat insulation assembly 7 is arranged at the output end of the lifting mechanism 2, and the heat insulation assembly 7 is used to place the crucible 8, that is, when the crucible 8 moves synchronously with the output end of the lifting mechanism 2, it is prevented that the crucible 8 is in direct contact with the lifting mechanism 2, resulting in heat dissipation.

[0043] Specifically, refer to Figures 5 to 7 , The heat insulation assembly 7 includes a tray 71, a heat insulation base 72, a first positioning plate 73 and a second positioning plate 74. Among them, the tray 71 is fixedly arranged at the output end of the lifting mechanism 2. The tray 71 can be used to hold the molten liquid spilled from the crucible 8. A heat insulation base 72 is arranged in the tray 71. The heat insulation base 72 is made of heat insulation material and can prevent heat transfer between the crucible 8 and the lifting mechanism 2. In order to facilitate the placement of the crucible 8. A first positioning plate 73 is fixedly arranged above the heat insulation base 72 for positioning when the crucible 8 is placed.

[0044] Even further, refer to Figure 4, in this embodiment, a heating cavity is provided in the middle of the heating furnace 3. When the lifting mechanism 2 moves the crucible 8 into the heating cavity, the top of the heat insulation base 72 is located inside the heating cavity, and the bottom is located outside the heating cavity. Although the heat insulation base 72 is made of heat insulation material, there is a significant temperature difference between the top (high-temperature area) and the bottom (low-temperature area). The difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the material causes stress concentration inside, and cracks or fractures are likely to occur in the heat insulation base 72 after long-term use, resulting in unstable support for the crucible 8 and having a certain safety risk.

[0045] Therefore, in some embodiments, refer to Figure 7 , the heat insulation base 72 includes a first base body 721 and a second base body 722 stacked from bottom to top. Specifically, the first base body 721 is arranged in the tray 71 and fixedly connected to the tray 71. The second base body 722 is detachably connected above the first base body 721. Specifically, a sunk groove is formed in the first base body 721, and the bottom of the second base body 722 is inserted into the sunk groove to realize the detachable connection between the second base body 722 and the first base body 721. A first positioning plate 73 is fixedly connected above the second base body 722. When the lifting mechanism 2 drives the whole heat insulation base 72 to rise and moves the crucible 8 to the heating furnace 3 for heating, the second base body 722 enters the heating cavity of the heating furnace 3 driven by the lifting mechanism 2, and the first base body 721 is located outside the heating furnace 3. The detachable design of the second base body 722 and the first base body 721 is beneficial to the replacement of the second base body 722.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the fixation of the first base body 721 and the tray 71, a circular protrusion is provided at the bottom of the first base body 721, and pressing blocks 723 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the circular protrusion. The pressing blocks 723 and the tray 71 can be fixedly connected by screws, and the tray 71 and the lifting platform 24 can also be fixedly connected by screws.

[0047] Further, in order to facilitate the design of the clamping assembly 5, in this embodiment, refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 9, the clamping assembly 5 includes a mounting frame 51, a reduction motor 52, a driving gear 53, a rack 54, two guide rails 55, a first heat insulation sheet 56 and two jaw units 57. Among them, the mounting frame 51 is connected to the output end of the moving assembly 4. Specifically, in this embodiment, the moving assembly 4 is selected as a six-axis manipulator, and the moving assembly 4 can be selected according to the actual handling requirements of the crucible 8. The reduction motor 52 is fixedly arranged on the mounting frame 51. The output end of the mounting frame 51 is connected with a driving gear 53. Two guide rails 55 are arranged in parallel on the mounting frame 51. The guide rail 55 includes two sliders, and a jaw unit 57 is connected to the slider. The first heat insulation sheet 56 is clamped between the slider and the jaw unit 57. A rack 54 is fixedly connected to the jaw unit 57. The rack 54 meshes with the driving gear 53. A preheating module 6 is arranged on the jaw unit 57. Among them, the reduction motor 52 drives the driving gear 53 to rotate, so that the two jaw units 57 move towards or away from each other. The setting of the first heat insulation sheet 56 is to prevent the jaw unit 57 from being heated when clamping the crucible 8 and transferring heat to the reduction motor 52, affecting the normal operation of the reduction motor 52.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the overall size of the clamping assembly 5, refer to Figure 8 , the reduction motor 52 is fixedly arranged below the mounting frame 51, and the output end penetrates through the mounting frame 51 and extends above the mounting frame 51 to be connected with a driving gear 53. The two guide rails 55 are arranged on one side of the mounting bracket close to the driving gear 53. The extending direction of the rack 54 is the same as the extending direction of the guide rail 55. And the rack 54 is arranged between the two guide rails 55 to reduce the overall external dimension.

[0049] Furthermore, in order to simplify the overall structure of the jaw unit 57, refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 9 , the jaw unit 57 includes a cantilever 571, a second heat insulation sheet 572, and a clamping jaw 573. Among them, one end of the cantilever 571 is fixedly connected to the slider, and the other end of the cantilever 571 is fixedly connected to a second heat insulation sheet 572. The second heat insulation sheet 572 is connected to the clamping jaw 573. In order to prevent the heat of the crucible 8 from being transferred to the cantilever 571 and causing heat loss of the crucible 8, therefore, a second heat insulation sheet 572 is provided to isolate the heat transfer between the cantilever 571 and the clamping jaw 573. The clamping jaw 573 is used to clamp the crucible 8. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the positioning of the clamping jaw 573 and the crucible 8 during clamping, an annular boss 811 is provided on the outer wall of the crucible 8, and a first clamping groove 5731 corresponding to the annular boss 811 is provided at the clamping end of the clamping jaw 573. A preheating module 6 is arranged on the clamping jaw 573. Refer to Figure 11, that is, before the heated crucible 8 is transported, the gripper 573 is heated by the preheating module 6 to the same temperature as the crucible 8. In this embodiment, the preheating module 6 includes a heating rod and a thermocouple, and their installation positions can be adjusted according to actual assembly requirements. Therefore, the specific structures of the heating rod and the thermocouple are not shown in the figure. Among them, the heating rod is used to heat the gripper 573, and the thermocouple can measure the real-time temperature of the gripper 573 to ensure that it is unified with the heating temperature of the crucible 8. Further, the structure of the preheating module 6 can also select heating devices such as heating wires or PTC ceramic heating plates, and the selected preheating module 6 can be adjusted according to the structure of the gripper 573. In this embodiment, the gripper 573 is made of a metal material, which has good thermal conductivity.

[0050] Furthermore, since the overall size of the annular boss 811 is small, in order to further improve the clamping accuracy of the crucible 8, refer to Figures 6 to 11 , the heat insulation component 7 further includes a second positioning disk 74. Among them, the second positioning disk 74 is detachably arranged above the first positioning disk 73, and a second clamping groove 5732 corresponding to the second positioning disk 74 is also opened at the clamping end of the gripper 573 for axially limiting the clamping of the crucible 8. That is, when the crucible 8 located on the first positioning disk 73 is clamped, the second positioning disk 74 is clamped synchronously, increasing the clamping area of the crucible 8, and at the same time avoiding direct contact between the gripper 573 and the crucible 8, reducing the risk of damage to the crucible 8 during clamping while improving the clamping accuracy.

[0051] Furthermore, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the clamping force and posture during the clamping of the crucible 8, the clamping component 5 further includes a pressure sensor 58 and a level sensor 59. Among them, the pressure sensor 58 is arranged between the two jaw units 57, and the level sensor 59 is arranged on the mounting frame 51. That is, when the crucible 8 is clamped, the pressure sensor 58 measures the clamping force applied by the two jaw units 57, and the clamping force can be adjusted to keep the clamping process of the crucible 8 stable. At the same time, the level sensor 59 is set to ensure that the mouth of the crucible 8 is always facing up, avoiding the molten liquid in the crucible 8 from spilling out.

[0052] Further, in order to increase the melting speed of the raw material powder in the crucible 8 and improve the production efficiency, in this embodiment, refer to Figure 7 、 Figure 12 , the crucible 8 includes a crucible body 81 and a cover body 82. Among them, the crucible body 81 is used to accommodate the raw material powder, the annular boss 811 is arranged on the outer wall of the crucible body 81, a drainage port 812 is arranged at the top of the crucible body 81, and the drainage port 812 is used for drainage when the molten liquid is led out into the mold. The cover body 82 is arranged above the crucible body 81. In order to facilitate the pouring of the molten liquid during the subsequent casting process and at the same time facilitate the taking and placing of the cover body 82, refer to Figure 12, a T-shaped boss 821 is provided on the top of the cover body 82, and a limit clamping block 100 into which the T-shaped boss 821 is inserted is provided on the frame 1. In this embodiment, the limit clamping block 100 is provided on a cross bar on one side of the frame 1 near the lower part of the heating furnace 5. That is, before the crucible 81 is moved to the first positioning disk 73 through the moving assembly 4 and the clamping assembly 5 and heated in the heating furnace, the moving assembly 4 and the clamping assembly 5 cooperate to first move the crucible body 81 under the cover body 82, jack up the cover body 82 and translate it along the slotting direction of the limit clamping block 100 to close the crucible opening with the cover body 82. Subsequently, the entire crucible 81 is placed on the first positioning disk 73, and the lifting mechanism 2 drives the crucible 8 to move upward into the heating furnace 3 to realize the heating and melting of the raw material powder.

[0053] In summary, the embodiment of the present invention provides a handling device for a crucible 8, including a frame 1, a lifting mechanism 2, a heating furnace 3, a moving assembly 4 and a clamping assembly 5. Through the cooperation of the lifting mechanism 2, the moving assembly 4 and the clamping assembly 5, after the crucible 8 is loaded, the moving assembly 4 drives the clamping assembly 5 to move the crucible 8 containing the raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism 2. The lifting mechanism 2 drives the crucible 8 into the heating furnace 3 for heating. After the raw material powder in the crucible 8 is melted into a molten liquid, before moving the crucible 8 to the casting station, the clamping end of the clamping assembly 5 is preheated by the preheating module 6. After the lifting mechanism 2 drives the crucible 8 out of the heating furnace 3, the moving assembly 4 drives the clamping assembly 5 to move the crucible 8 to the casting station. The automatic handling of the crucible 8 from the loading station to the heating station and then to the casting station is realized, improving the handling efficiency, facilitating the control of the handling time in each process, reducing the quality difference between semi-finished products, and being conducive to batch production. In addition, a preheating module 6 is provided to reduce the temperature difference between the clamping assembly 5 and the crucible 8, reduce the thermal stress on the crucible 8, and improve the service life of the crucible 8.

[0054] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art in this technical field, without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, several improvements and replacements can be made, and these improvements and replacements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A crucible handling device, characterized in that: It includes a frame, a lifting mechanism, a heating furnace, a moving component and a clamping component; The lifting mechanism and the heating furnace are connected to the frame, and the lifting mechanism is located below the heating furnace; The clamping assembly is arranged at the output end of the moving assembly, and the clamping end of the clamping assembly is provided with a preheating module; Among them, the moving component drives the clamping component to move the crucible containing the raw material powder to the output end of the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism drives the crucible into the heating furnace, the preheating module preheats the clamping end of the clamping component, and when the raw material powder in the crucible is melted, the lifting mechanism drives the clamping component to move the crucible out of the heating furnace and move it to the casting station.

2. The crucible handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism comprises a support plate, a driving unit, a lead screw, a lifting platform, a guide rod and a linear bearing, wherein the support plate is fixedly connected to the frame, the driving unit is fixedly arranged on the support plate, the output end of the driving unit is drivingly connected to the lead screw, the lead screw is vertically arranged, the top of the lead screw is fixedly connected to the lifting platform, the crucible can be placed on the lifting platform, the linear bearing is vertically arranged in the circumference of the support plate, one end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the lifting platform, and the other end passes through the linear bearing and is slidably connected to the linear bearing; The driving unit drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the lifting platform and the guide rod to rise or fall synchronously.

3. The crucible handling device according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a heat insulation component, which is arranged at the output end of the lifting mechanism and is used to place the crucible.

4. The crucible handling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thermal insulation assembly includes a tray, a thermal insulation base, a first positioning plate and a second positioning plate. The tray is fixed at the output end of the lifting mechanism, the thermal insulation base is arranged inside the tray, and the first positioning plate is fixedly arranged above the thermal insulation base.

5. The crucible handling device according to claim 4, wherein: The heat-insulating base comprises a first base body and a second base body stacked from bottom to top, the first base body is arranged in the tray and fixedly connected to the tray, the second base body is detachably connected above the first base body, and the first positioning plate is fixedly connected above the second base body; Wherein, the second seat body enters the heating chamber of the heating furnace under the drive of the lifting mechanism, and the first seat body is located outside the heating furnace.

6. The crucible handling device according to claim 5, wherein: The clamping assembly includes a mounting frame, a reduction motor, a driving gear, a rack, two guide rails, a first heat insulation sheet and two clamping jaw units. The mounting frame is connected to the output end of the moving assembly, the reduction motor is fixedly arranged on the mounting frame, the output end of the mounting frame is connected to the driving gear, the mounting frame is provided with two guide rails in parallel, the guide rails include two sliders, the slider is connected to the clamping jaw unit, the first heat insulation sheet is clamped between the slider and the clamping jaw unit, the rack is fixedly connected to the clamping jaw unit, the rack is meshed with the driving gear, and the clamping jaw unit is provided with the preheating module; Wherein, the reduction motor drives the driving gear to rotate so that the two clamping jaw units move toward or away from each other.

7. The crucible handling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The jaw unit includes a cantilever, a second heat insulation sheet, and a gripping jaw. One end of the cantilever is fixedly connected to the slider, and the other end of the cantilever is fixedly connected with the second heat insulation sheet. The second heat insulation sheet is connected to the gripping jaw. An annular boss is provided on the outer wall of the crucible, and a first clamping groove corresponding to the annular boss is formed at the clamping end of the gripping jaw. The preheating module is provided on the gripping jaw.

8. The crucible handling device according to claim 7, wherein: The heat insulation assembly further includes a second positioning disc, which is detachably arranged above the first positioning disc. A second clamping groove corresponding to the second positioning disc is further formed at the clamping end of the gripping jaw for axially limiting the clamping of the crucible.

9. The crucible handling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamping assembly further includes a pressure sensor and a level sensor. The pressure sensor is arranged between the two jaw units, and the level sensor is arranged on the mounting frame.

10. The crucible handling device according to claim 6, wherein: The preheating module includes a heating rod and a thermocouple.

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