Heavy load flexible processing line and method based on stacker type

Abstract

The present application relates to a heavy load flexible processing line and method based on the stacker type, which comprises a host computer loaded with a FMS flexible control system, an electrical control cabinet, a stacker, a horizontal machining center and a loading station which respectively interact with the FMS flexible control system data; the host computer interacts with the ground cabinet PLC to realize the execution action and feedback state; the ground cabinet PLC is respectively electrically connected with the horizontal machining center PMC program, the electrical control cabinet and the stacker cabinet; the stacker walks between the horizontal machining center and the loading station; the present application has reasonable design, compact structure and convenient use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heavy-duty flexible processing line and method based on a stacker crane. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing intelligence of manufacturing, the key questions are how to reduce manual labor and improve automation. Flexible manufacturing lines (equipment) are the core work units, and their intelligence determines the degree of automation of the production line. Existing technologies are merely based on traditional thinking, solving technical problems on a technical basis, without taking a holistic approach from the perspective of artificial intelligence to address and improve flexible manufacturing lines.

[0003] Ensuring that the processing line can meet the processing needs of different products, maintaining the saturation of the processing line, and reducing idle equipment has become an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0004] Currently, flexible machining lines have the following configurations: 1. Robotic Flexible Machining Line: This type of line handles small, lightweight workpieces. Due to space limitations, the robot cannot be too large, and its load capacity is limited, making heavy-duty handling impossible. Furthermore, the robot's reach is restricted to a limited working range. 2. RGV Flexible Machining Line: This type uses a rack and pinion system controlled by servo drives. It is expensive, has high maintenance costs, and typically has only one or two buffer layers with limited height, making it difficult to increase the buffer height and expand the machine tool's processing position. Flexible machining lines aim to solve the problems of difficult and cumbersome handling of heavy-duty workpieces in machine tool production lines, hindering rapid process switching and enabling on-demand production.

[0005] Existing flexible manufacturing systems are limited by site and space, requiring small and flexible handling tools capable of handling heavy-duty workpieces. However, due to the limitations of the robot's working range and load, it cannot handle heavy-duty workpieces. RGV handling systems have high initial investment costs and high maintenance costs in the later stages. Moreover, the space for material storage is limited, and the storage space of the automated warehouse cannot be increased or extended. If additional equipment needs to be added later, adjusting the layout is also very difficult.

[0006] Flexible processing lines using stacker cranes are not limited by workpiece weight or the number of machines. If more machine tools are added later, the stacker crane's tracks can be extended, and the storage units in the automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS) can be heightened or extended. Storage unit assembly is simple and flexible. The stacker crane-based flexible processing line places various products to be processed on pallets, which are then stored in the warehouse by the stacker crane. Next, according to production order requirements, the products to be processed are retrieved from the warehouse using the stacker crane and placed on the corresponding machining centers (one machine can complete the process), or sequentially fed to the corresponding machining centers (multiple machines are needed to complete the process). Then, according to the specified processing program, the machining centers automatically change tools and complete the corresponding processing work in sequence. During this process, racks can be added further, machining centers can be added further, and the stacker crane tracks can be extended, or made long enough from the beginning. This method can accommodate the processing of subsequently added products.

[0007] In flexible machine tool processing lines, traditional machine tool processing production lines suffer from limited functionality and simple processes. If product changes or production plan adjustments occur, they cannot handle small-batch, customized orders from customers. Current machine tool processing technologies include: 1. Fixed machining programs: The machining program is pre-programmed and manually called. After the workpiece is loaded, processing is performed according to the pre-set program. This only allows for the processing of one type of product; if the product is changed, the machining process must be changed again. 2. Same process for both sides of the rotary table: Existing machine tool rotary table NC machining programs are identical for both sides A and B. Because it's impossible to determine which side of the rotary table is being processed, multi-process machining on both sides (A / B) is not possible, and complex process flows cannot be performed.

[0008] Existing double-sided horizontal machining center programs cannot handle multiple product types and processes, nor can they allow for flexible program switching. Furthermore, cross-processing operations between different machine tools are not possible. When switching products, workers need to switch programs on multiple machine tools, which is time-consuming and inefficient. If automatic program retrieval were implemented, workers would no longer need to travel back and forth; they could simply configure the process on the host computer, enabling machine tool processing of multiple product types and processes with cross-processing. Currently, the host computer forwards program numbers via PLC, a complex process that is difficult to debug and recover from data loss due to communication failures. This invention, by determining the macro program call based on the machining of the A and B sides, can achieve thousands of machining processes. Manual switching between machining programs is seamless and convenient, eliminating the need for repeated manual intervention.

[0009] As a supporting component, stacker cranes are increasingly being used in automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) in industrial production automation within flexible manufacturing systems. Stacker cranes are the actuators for material handling in AS / RS, involving motor movements in three directions: walking, lifting, and forks or robotic arms. AS / RS have a compact design and rely solely on normal operating logic control. However, manual debugging, maintenance, and malfunctions during automatic operation can easily lead to collisions and irreparable losses. This invention requires a safety logic independent of the operating logic to limit axis movements. Traditional AS / RS positioning is based on rows, columns, and layers, which is inconvenient when irregular storage locations exist, hindering the automated movement of workpieces between the machining center and the warehouse. However, existing stacker crane position restrictions are mostly implemented in the operating logic, leading to frequent collisions due to skipped execution steps; position protection is only implemented in the operating logic, making the logic cumbersome and difficult to debug. In actual automatic operation, occasional stoppages occur, and troubleshooting is difficult; debugging and equipment maintenance rely entirely on manual judgment, and the compact structure of stacker cranes makes observation difficult, further increasing the risk of collisions.

[0010] Currently, the common visual-guided destacking method for multi-station, multi-layer, and large stacker cranes involves equipping a robotic arm with a large-field-of-view 3D camera to identify the stacker crane. This method has limitations on stack height and pallet size. A common drawback of large-field-of-view cameras is low recognition accuracy. During the destacking process, the robotic arm gripper is prone to collisions with the workpiece. This requires the equipment to have high stability and high precision during operation. Existing visual-guided automatic destacking of stacker cranes typically uses a large-field-of-view 3D camera to identify and guide the destacking of the stacker crane.

[0011] Existing measurement methods require high-precision analog sensors, which are expensive, have long debugging cycles, and require data processing before use. They also have requirements for workpiece surface finish and are easily affected by liquids and light, resulting in measurement accuracy being affected by many factors.

[0012] The current common measurement method is to equip a robotic arm with a laser analog sensor to measure smooth surfaces. This method requires a high degree of surface smoothness and has low measurement accuracy and poor stability for rough surfaces.

[0013] For traditional PLCs in machining centers, conventional discrete quantity alarms involve adding alarm text and variables one by one to the HMI (Human Machine Interface). The PLC then triggers the corresponding alarm variable, displaying the corresponding alarm text on the HMI. However, this method is labor-intensive, and alarms need to be summarized and categorized line by line. Using the ProDiag function to implement discrete quantity alarms eliminates the need to add alarm text and trigger variables to the HMI; programming is only required in the PLC. However, this method has hardware requirements for both the PLC and the HMI, necessitating authorization, and alarms still require summarizing and categorizing line by line. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a heavy-duty flexible processing line and method based on a stacker crane.

[0015] To address this technical problem, the system of this invention includes an FMS flexible control system, an electrical control cabinet, a stacker crane, a horizontal machining center, a machine tool zero-point quick-change module, a cleaning machine, a human-machine interface station, a workpiece buffer storage area, safety doors, and other equipment. The electrical control cabinet is arranged around the stacker crane and collects machine tool information, while the FMS flexible control system issues tasks. The main application of this invention is to solve the problem of difficult workpiece handling in heavy-duty industries, achieving full automation of the entire production line and improving production efficiency.

[0016] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0017] A heavy-duty flexible machining line based on a stacker crane includes a host computer equipped with an FMS flexible control system, an electrical control cabinet that interacts with the FMS flexible control system, a stacker crane, a horizontal machining center, and a loading station.

[0018] The host computer interacts with the ground cabinet PLC to execute actions and provide feedback on status; the ground cabinet PLC is electrically connected to the horizontal machining center PMC program, the electrical control cabinet, and the stacker crane cabinet.

[0019] The stacker crane moves between the horizontal machining center and the loading station.

[0020] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0021] The horizontal machining center is equipped with a machine tool zero-point module, a cleaning machine, a human-machine interface station, and / or a workpiece buffer storage location at the corresponding loading station;

[0022] The signal transmission FMS flexible control system uses PROFINET to link the horizontal machining center and the electrical control cabinet, and TCP communication is used for the AP link between the electrical cabinet and the stacker crane cabinet.

[0023] A heavy-duty flexible processing method based on a stacker crane type, utilizing the aforementioned processing line;

[0024] S1.1 First, at the loading station, the workpiece to be processed is fixed from the workpiece buffer location onto the pallet of the stacker crane;

[0025] S1.2, In the FMS flexible control system, the configuration and processing technology of the workpiece to be processed are preset;

[0026] S1.3, the software control module of the FMS flexible control system, determines task generation based on the machine tool processing task and machine tool processing status of the horizontal machining center;

[0027] S1.4, the software control module issues the task, and the stacker crane's robotic arm begins to execute the task;

[0028] S1.5, determine whether to place the workpiece in the workpiece buffer storage or in the horizontal machining center;

[0029] S1.6 After the material is unloaded, the horizontal machining center changes the worktable according to the pre-configured process and automatically switches the machining program, including the tool calling program.

[0030] S1.7 After the machine tool finishes processing, the stacker crane performs unloading at the loading station according to the task issued by the FMS flexible control system.

[0031] S1.8 After the loading station is placed and unloading is completed manually or by a robot, new workpieces will continue to be loaded.

[0032] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0033] The FMS flexible control system, the PMC program of the horizontal machining center, the electrical control cabinet and the stacker crane cabinet transmit signals to each other, collect the real-time operating status of the stacker crane, the horizontal machining center and the loading station, and determine the next action to be performed based on the current status;

[0034] The PMC program switches processing techniques by calling macro programs;

[0035] The FMS flexible control system has an A-side rotary table and a B-side rotary table;

[0036] In step S1.6, when the PMC of the horizontal machining center controls the rotation of the A-side turntable and the B-side turntable, firstly, the turntable rotation is determined and selected; then, the A-side or B-side turntable is selected; secondly, whether to execute the loading / unloading request is executed; when idle, the loading request is executed; when the machining is completed, the unloading request is executed and feedback is sent to the PLC of the ground cabinet.

[0037] When the stacker crane is operating within the set safety range, perform the following steps;

[0038] The main program of the PMC program calls a macro program to rotate the rotary table by judging the machining surface of the machine tool;

[0039] S2.1, First, the horizontal axis X, vertical axis Z, and longitudinal axis Y return to the reference point; then, the macro program number for surface A is cleared; the macro program number for surface B is cleared; second, auxiliary action preparation is completed; surface A worktable is detected, and the surface A machining macro program is called; surface B worktable is detected, and the surface B machining macro program is called; third, the macro program number for surface A is cleared from the macro program number for surface B; then, it is determined whether the macro program for surface A has been successfully written. If the writing is unsuccessful, the system prompts that the program number is empty; otherwise, the macro program is called; the machine tool machining status is checked; subsequently, the M code is completed during machine tool machining; it is determined whether rotation is allowed; if so, the rotation status is set.

[0040] When the program is determined to be empty, a system alarm is triggered and an alarm message is displayed indicating that the program number is empty.

[0041] In step S1.1 or S1.8, the stacker crane's robotic arm or forks move to perform the following steps;

[0042] S3.1, Establish independent coordinates for each storage location;

[0043] S3.2, to solve the problem of setting independent coordinates of storage locations in S3.1, sets row, column and layer coordinates on the touch screen, and when the location is updated, the coordinates are updated in batches to the corresponding location coordinates;

[0044] S3.3, Click the corresponding storage location on the touch screen in S3.2, and display and maintain the specific storage location in the location coordinate settings;

[0045] S3.4, use multiplexing to associate variables in the PLC;

[0046] S3.5 After setting the point coordinates, pre-set the safe range of movement of each axis relative to the point position for the horizontal axis X, vertical axis Y, and vertical axis Z.

[0047] To execute the specific actions, firstly, the task is issued; then, the vertical axis Y returns to zero, and the return to zero is confirmed via the vertical axis Y zero-position switch; secondly, with the vertical axis Y returning to zero, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z move; when the horizontal axis X and / or vertical axis Z reach the target point and encounter a deceleration switch, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z reduce their operating speed; when they encounter a limit switch, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z stop moving; thirdly, when the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z are within the preset safety threshold of the point, the vertical axis Y moves; after that... The longitudinal axis Y extends and stops when it encounters a limit switch; the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Z are within the preset safety threshold, and the longitudinal axis Y can move; then, the longitudinal axis Y moves when the longitudinal axis Y, the horizontal axis X, and the vertical axis Z are all within the preset safety threshold; then, the vertical axis Z loads; the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Z move when the vertical axis Z is within the preset safety threshold; immediately afterward, the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero.

[0048] S3.6, Based on the storage location and safety range, the PLC reads the current encoder real-time coordinates of each axis, traverses all storage location coordinates, and compares the coordinates with the real-time coordinates;

[0049] S3.7 The comparison results are recorded as follows: when the travel coordinates are within the safe range, the inX mark of the point is True; when the lifting is within the safe range, the inY mark of the point is True; when the fork or robot coordinates of the stacker crane are within the safe range, the inZ mark of the point is True.

[0050] In step S3.7, the safe position restriction logic within the safe range is as follows:

[0051] S3.7.1, When the forks or robot are in the neutral position, they can move and lift. When inX and inY at any point are both True, the forks or robot are allowed to move. When inZ at any point, lifting is allowed for loading operations.

[0052] S3.7.2 When the axis coordinate is outside the safe range and the condition in S3.7.1 is not met, the axis is paused and no movement is allowed;

[0053] S3.7.3 When inX and inY of a point are True, and the forks or robot move toward that point, an interference signal is output. When the corresponding point is a loading station or material channel, the action is prohibited.

[0054] In step S1.4, a high-precision 3D vision camera is set at the Z end of the vertical axis of the robot arm;

[0055] The robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the highest shooting position, triggering a shooting command to the 3D camera; the 3D camera identifies the height of the material stack and transmits the data to the robotic arm; the robotic arm moves to the height identified by the 3D camera, moves to the shooting position above the set workstation, and triggers a shooting command; the 3D camera identifies the current workstation status; if there is no workpiece, the robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the next workstation for shooting and identification; if there is no workpiece at any workstation, the robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the position to identify the current pallet layer, and performs pallet position identification and grasping; if there is a workpiece, the identified data is transmitted to the robotic arm, which uses the position data sent by the 3D camera and the current position data of the robotic arm to determine the final position of the workpiece and grasps it.

[0056] In steps S1.1 and S1.4, a switching sensor is installed on the six axes of the robot arm;

[0057] After the robotic arm reaches the reference point, it begins to move in the set direction. During the movement, the status of the sensors is monitored in real time. Once a sensor signal is detected, the robotic arm stops moving and performs a three-dimensional position transformation by using the current coordinates and the reference coordinates to calculate the final measured data.

[0058] Data transmission is performed in steps S1.1, S1.3, S1.4, S1.7 and / or S1.8, and the data transmission includes alarm data and / or coordinate data;

[0059] Set alarm categories as ALARM, WARNING, and MESSAGE; Alarm is for shutdown alarms, Warning is for non-shutdown faults, and Message is for notification messages.

[0060] The PLC alarm information is automatically summarized by the code, and the alarm data is transmitted to the HMI display via the WString variable, which is used for interaction between the PLC and the HMI.

[0061] The alarm classification and push notification steps are as follows;

[0062] First, the alarm content arrays i_AlarmStr, i_WarningStr, and i_MessageStr of the Input parameter interface are associated with the alarm trigger arrays io_Alarm, io_Warning, and io_Message of the Inout parameter interface;

[0063] Then, in the Output parameter interface, HMI_Alarm, HMI_Warning, and HMI_Message are the alarm trigger push interfaces of the human-machine interface (HMI).

[0064] HMI_AlarmStr, HMI_WarningStr, and HMI_MessageStr are interfaces for pushing alarm content to the HMI.

[0065] Secondly, an alarm is detected using a for loop. The value of the variable corresponding to the trigger array index is checked to see if it is TRUE. If it is TRUE, the corresponding index is recorded in the index record array, and the counter array variable is incremented by 1.

[0066] Next, a for loop is used to push the alarm content corresponding to the index record array to the human-machine interface (HMI).

[0067] When i_ResetButton is TRUE, the alarm will be reset; o_AlarmBit indicates whether there is an alarm output, o_WarningBit indicates whether there is a warning output, and o_MessageBit indicates whether there is a message output.

[0068] This flexible machining line primarily addresses the challenges of handling heavy-duty workpieces during processing, the lack of buffer transfer areas, difficulties in workpiece storage, and the inability to cross-load between machine tools. This flexible machining line utilizes a stacker crane to transport heavy-duty workpieces and facilitates machine tool loading and unloading. It is also equipped with double-layer automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS) for storing workpieces, enabling cross-operation between machine tools. This breaks away from traditional sequential processing methods, achieving rapid production and improving work efficiency.

[0069] Existing measurement methods require high-precision analog sensors, which are expensive, have long debugging cycles, and require data processing before use. They also have requirements for workpiece surface finish and are easily affected by liquids and light, resulting in measurement accuracy being affected by many factors.

[0070] The purpose of this invention is to establish a data measurement method that achieves high stability, high precision, high response, and convenience by adding relatively inexpensive switching sensors to a robotic arm. This invention can use a macro program to determine whether the currently machined surface is surface A or surface B via the machine tool's machining side. The host computer then automatically calls the NC machining program according to the process configuration. Different machining programs can be called for surface A and surface B, and processes can be performed simultaneously on six horizontal machining centers. This invention is rationally designed, low in cost, robust and durable, safe and reliable, simple to operate, time-saving, labor-saving, cost-effective, compact in structure, and easy to use. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall system architecture of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the stacker crane process configuration of the present invention.

[0073] Figure 3 This is a process flow diagram of the double-sided horizontal machining center of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the FMS control system architecture of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the double-sided horizontal machining center of the present invention.

[0076] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable architecture of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the stacker crane of the present invention.

[0078] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor interface of the present invention.

[0079] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm control system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0080] like Figure 1-9 This invention provides a control method and supporting equipment for an integrated machining line. Example 1 illustrates this application in a non-push-type flexible machining line, comprising an FMS flexible control system, an electrical control cabinet, a stacker crane, a horizontal machining center, a machine tool zero-point module, a cleaning machine, a human-machine interface station, and a workpiece buffer storage. Data exchange between the devices is achieved via Ethernet links, and status acquisition determines the stacker crane's loading and unloading of materials to the machine tool.

[0081] The non-push-type gearbox flexible processing line mainly produces gearbox bodies for large engineering vehicles such as bulldozers and mining excavators. The workpieces are large in size and difficult to handle. In order to reduce the workload of workers, a stacker crane is used to load and unload the machine tools. It is adaptable to multiple varieties, flexible in switching, simple and fast, and improves production efficiency.

[0082] This control system is primarily suitable for heavy-duty machining lines with multiple machine tools, various products, and complex processes. It allows for flexible production lines with diverse products, enabling flexible access to machine tool programs and automated mixed-product production, thereby improving production efficiency. It can meet the needs of most machine tool processing production lines on the market.

[0083] The heavy-duty flexible production line in the form of a stacker crane can flexibly expand the number of equipment and storage locations. Compared with the RGV type, it is less expensive. The stacker crane can travel at a speed of up to 120m / min, which meets the redundancy time of equipment processing.

[0084] Combination Figure 1S1.1 First, a worker or robot secures the workpiece to be processed onto the pallet at the loading station. S1.2 The pre-configured processing technology is set in the FMS flexible control system. S1.3 In the FMS flexible control system (which can be Siemens, Mitsubishi, or Hitachi, etc.), the software control module determines the task generation based on the machine tool's processing task and processing status. S1.4 The software control module issues the task, and the stacker crane's robot begins task execution. S1.5 It determines whether to place the workpiece in the workpiece buffer or the machining center. S1.6 After the machine tool finishes unloading, the machine tool exchanges worktables according to the pre-configured process, and the processing program automatically switches, including tool recall. S1.7 After the machine tool finishes processing, the FMS flexible control system issues the task, and the stacker crane executes unloading at the loading station. S1.8 After unloading by a worker or robot at the loading station, new workpieces are loaded. This process is repeated continuously.

[0085] The configuration process is as follows: the FMS flexible control system can perform processing according to the configuration, and can shuffle the processing sequence of the machine tools according to the process. It is not limited by the placement of the machine tools, and can be flexibly called up to meet the process requirements of different products and adapt to the market's requirements for small-batch, multi-variety production.

[0086] The data acquisition relies on a supporting system; the supporting system includes a host computer equipped with an FMS flexible control system, and a ground cabinet PLC that interacts with the host computer to execute actions and provide feedback on status; the ground cabinet PLC is electrically connected to the horizontal machining center PMC program, the electrical control cabinet, and the stacker machine cabinet.

[0087] The signal transmission FMS flexible control system uses PROFINET to link the machining center and the electrical control cabinet, and TCP communication is used for the AP link between the electrical cabinet and the stacker crane cabinet.

[0088] Information acquisition is mainly achieved through the mutual transmission of signals between the FMS flexible control system, the PMC program of the horizontal machining center, the electrical control cabinet, and the stacker machine cabinet, which collects the current operating status of the equipment in real time and determines the next action to be performed based on the current status.

[0089] Example 2, concerning the horizontal machining center of Example 1, relates to the field of machine tool processing. It combines upper computer control, NC programming, and machine tool PMC program, mainly addressing the diversification of machine tool processing products, process adjustments, production plan adjustments, and other changes. Workers frequently need to access the machine tool's operation panel to call up programs. The upper computer calls the machine tool macro program to automatically switch machine tool processing programs, reducing the time operators spend frequently running around and improving processing efficiency.

[0090] This invention is applied in a non-push-type flexible processing line, and the actual application consists of a host computer, Siemens PLC, and FANUC CNC system. Data interaction is achieved through an Ethernet link, and status acquisition is used to determine whether the stacker crane is loading or unloading materials from the machine tool. The machine tool processing program has only one main processing framework, and the processing technology is switched by calling macro programs.

[0091] Specific content; Main program format; The main program calls the macro program by judging the machine tool machining surface; Each axis returns to the reference point; G91G30X0Y0Z0; Each axis returns to the reference point; Clear the macro program number of surface A; Clear the macro program number of surface B; Auxiliary action preparation completed; #801=10; Surface A worktable detected, call the surface A machining macro program; #802=10; Surface B worktable detected, call the surface B machining macro program; #820=1; N10; IF[#1021NE1]Goto 10; M60; N100; #820=1; IF[#1017EQ1]Goto101; IF[#1018EQ1]Goto 102; Goto 100; N101; Surface A rotary table clears the macro program number of surface B rotary table; #802=10; IF[#801EQ 10]Goto 900; #820 = 4; G65P #801; #820 = 5; G4X2; M300; N30; IF[#1021NE1]Goto30; M60; GOTO 1000; Check if the macro program for side A has been successfully written. If it has not been successfully written, the system will prompt that the program number is empty; Call the macro program; Machine tool processing status; Complete M code during machine tool processing; Check if rotation is allowed; Rotation status; Similarly, the program for side B is the same as the program for side A; N900 - When the program is found to be empty, a system alarm will be triggered and an alarm message will be displayed, indicating that the program number is empty. #3000 = 1 (No calling program); N50; IF[#1021NE1]Goto 50; M60; GOTO 1000; N1000; #820 = 1; Goto 100;

[0092] M99; M30;

[0093] The horizontal machining center PMC has an A-side rotary table and a B-side rotary table;

[0094] Specific process: First, the turntable rotation is judged and selected; either A-side or B-side turntable is selected; whether to execute the loading / unloading request is executed. When idle, the loading request is executed, and when processing is completed, the unloading request is executed, and feedback is sent to the ground cabinet PLC.

[0095] Example 3, the purpose of this example: to limit the stacker crane to operate within the correct safe range and avoid collisions and damage. Specific steps are outlined below;

[0096] S3.1 To address the issue of abnormal stacker crane operation, the safety logic of this invention is based on the fact that each storage location has independent coordinates.

[0097] S3.2 addresses the issue of setting independent coordinates for storage locations in S3.1. Traditional row, column, and layer coordinates can be set on the touchscreen. The touchscreen displays an 8x8 grid, and clicking the corresponding button switches the arrangement of layers. After a point is updated, its coordinates are updated in batches to the corresponding point coordinates.

[0098] S3.3, Click the corresponding storage location on the touch screen in S3.2, and you can display and maintain the specific storage location in the location coordinate setting screen.

[0099] S3.4, the automated storage and retrieval system has many storage locations, and the human-machine interface (HMI) uses multiplexing to associate variables in the PLC.

[0100] S3.5 After setting the point coordinates, pre-set the safe range of movement allowed for each axis relative to the point.

[0101] First, the task is issued; then, the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero, and the zero-position switch of the longitudinal axis Y confirms the return to zero; second, with the longitudinal axis Y at zero, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z can move; when the horizontal axis X and / or vertical axis Z reach the target point, based on the sensor, upon encountering a deceleration switch, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z reduce their operating speed; upon encountering a limit switch, the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z stop moving; third, when the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z are within the preset safety threshold of the point, the longitudinal axis Y can move; then, the longitudinal axis Y extends, and upon encountering a limit switch, the longitudinal axis Y stops moving; when the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z are within the preset safety threshold of the point, the longitudinal axis Y can move; when the longitudinal axis Y and horizontal axis X are within the preset safety threshold of the point, the vertical axis Z can move within the preset safety threshold of the point; the vertical axis Z loads; when the horizontal axis X and vertical axis Z are within the preset safety threshold of the point, the longitudinal axis Y can move; the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero.

[0102] S3.6, Based on the storage location and safety range, the PLC reads the real-time coordinates of the current encoder of each axis, traverses all storage location coordinates, and compares the coordinates with the real-time coordinates.

[0103] S3.7 The comparison results are recorded as follows: when the travel coordinates are within the safe range, the inX mark of the point is True; when the lifting is within the safe range, the inY mark of the point is True; when the fork or robot arm coordinates are within the safe range, the inZ mark of the point is True.

[0104] The logic for limiting safe locations within a safe range is as follows.

[0105] S3.7.1 When the fork or manipulator is in the middle position, walking and lifting can be performed. When inX and inY at any point are both True, the fork or manipulator is allowed to move. When inZ at any point is True, lifting is allowed for loading operations.

[0106] S3.7.2 When the axis coordinates are outside the safe range and the conditions in S3.7.1 are not met, the axis pauses and is not allowed to move.

[0107] S3.7.3 When inX and inY at a point are True and the fork or manipulator moves towards this point, an interference signal is output. When the corresponding point is a device such as a loading station or a storage lane, this device is prohibited from moving.

[0108] The above safety logic is executed cyclically in the PLC, independent of the control program. When the conditions of the control program are met but the safety conditions are not, the axis pauses. When both the automatic conditions and the safety conditions are met, the axis moves; when an interference signal is output, the corresponding device is not allowed to move.

[0109] The above safety logic is based on the point coordinates for comparison, sets a reasonable safety range, and realizes safety protection under the condition of ensuring the normal operation of the stacker, avoiding damage caused by abnormal actions of the stacker.

[0110] This embodiment restricts the movement of the stacker axis based on the safety protection logic of point coordinates, and this logic is independent of the operation logic; all warehouse location point coordinates can be displayed and maintained on the touch screen. Without increasing the hardware cost, it can greatly reduce the possibility of equipment damage caused by abnormal operations; it can effectively simplify the control logic. Improve the alarm prompt for convenient equipment maintenance.

[0111] Embodiment 4, as a further improvement to the stacker and the supporting manipulator of the machining center, in the application fields of manipulators and 3D vision, involving technologies combining automation, 3D vision, sensors, machine control, etc. It mainly aims at the problem that when the stacker performs vision-guided precise palletizing and depalletizing, the large-field camera has insufficient accuracy and the high-precision camera has a small field of view and cannot automatically guide the grasping of the entire stack. Through reasonable planning, a method of calculation by the manipulator and recognition by the 3D vision system is designed and established. By installing a high-precision 3D vision camera at the front end of the manipulator, precise depalletizing is performed for the multi-station and multi-layer stacker.

[0112] The existing 3D recognition and depalletizing method of the stacker uses a large-field camera, which has a high cost and cannot meet the high-precision grasping requirements. Therefore, a method of precise grasping with multi-station and multi-layer guidance by the manipulator and the high-precision 3D camera is established.

[0113] The present invention has high stability, high precision, and high responsiveness, reduces costs and improves precision, and is convenient for use.

[0114] The stacker crane includes a robotic arm and / or forks (preferably a FANUC six-axis robotic arm); a high-precision 3D vision camera is installed at the Z-end of the robotic arm's vertical axis;

[0115] Advantages of a six-axis robot: strong operability; multiple application scenarios; high-precision operation; strong programmability.

[0116] High editability is a crucial criterion. Since six-axis industrial robots are controlled through programming, allowing for changes to their motion trajectories and workflows, any advantages gained from programming that cannot be flexibly adjusted at any time become meaningless. This is the key factor determining ease of use.

[0117] This invention utilizes a six-axis robotic arm equipped with a high-precision 3D vision camera for precise workpiece identification and grasping. The high-precision 3D vision camera is mounted on the robotic arm's wrist, and relies on the robotic arm's flexible movement to move the high-precision 3D vision camera to acquire images and perform data calculations. The precise position of the workpiece is calculated using the position determined by the 3D vision and the coordinate data of the robotic arm.

[0118] As the working principle of this invention, a high-precision 3D camera is added to the six axes of the robotic arm. The robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the highest shooting position and triggers a shooting command to the 3D camera. The 3D camera identifies the height of the material stack and transmits the data to the robotic arm. The robotic arm moves to the shooting position above a certain workstation, based on the height identified by the 3D camera, and triggers a shooting command. The 3D camera identifies the current workstation status (workpiece present, workpiece absent). If there is no workpiece, the robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the next workstation for shooting and identification. If there is no workpiece at any workstation, the robotic arm moves the 3D camera to the position to identify the current pallet layer for shooting and performs pallet position identification and grasping. If there is a workpiece, the identified data is transmitted to the robotic arm. The robotic arm uses the position data sent by the 3D camera and the current position data of the robotic arm to obtain the final precise position of the workpiece and grasps it.

[0119] The advantages of the technical solution of this invention are: it enables precise destacking of large stacks of materials with multiple stations and multiple layers using a robotic arm and a high-precision 3D camera; it features high precision, low cost, high efficiency, convenient debugging, and high stability.

[0120] Example 5: To reduce the cost of sensors such as high-precision 3D cameras, a switching sensor is used. A switching signal refers to an on / off signal, which is a passive signal. In circuits, switching signals mainly refer to input and output signals, used to indicate whether a binary state or event has occurred. Switching signals are commonly used in proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, and in digital circuits, such as electronic switches and buttons. Switching signals reflect state signals, such as the open / closed state of a switch.

[0121] By sending a signal to the robot arm through a switch contact with the object's surface, the robot arm stops and records the coordinates after recognizing the signal, and continues to measure other points. This process is repeated, and the accurate measurement data is calculated using the robot arm's coordinates.

[0122] The robotic arm is equipped with a six-axis digital sensor. After the robotic arm reaches the reference point, it begins to move slowly in the set direction. During the movement, the sensor status is monitored in real time. Once a sensor signal is detected, the robotic arm immediately stops moving and performs a three-dimensional position transformation by using the current coordinates and the reference coordinates to calculate the final measured data.

[0123] Example 6 addresses the issue of existing alarm information requiring individual aggregation, which necessitates significant PLC programming work. Conventional alarm information requires either adding alarm text to each alarm in the HMI (Human Machine Interface) or transmitting it to the HMI using the ProDiag function. The ProDiag function has specific hardware requirements for the PLC and HMI, requiring an S7-1500 processor and a high-resolution control panel, and also necessitates a high-level ProDiag license. Furthermore, the ProDiag function consumes substantial PLC resources.

[0124] This invention is applicable to automated control systems composed of PLCs and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs). Alarms are generally classified as ALARM, WARNING, and MESSAGE, where Alarm indicates a shutdown alarm, Warning indicates a non-shutdown fault, and Message indicates a notification message. This invention solves the problems of classifying discrete quantity alarms and adding text messages.

[0125] The purpose of this invention is to automatically summarize PLC alarm information through code, and transmit the alarm text to the human-machine interface (HMI) for display via the WString variable. Furthermore, it does not have high hardware requirements for the PLC and HMI, and the utilization rate of PLC resources is relatively low.

[0126] The advantages of the technical solution in this embodiment are: compared with traditional discrete quantity alarms, it reduces the programming workload for alarm and aggregation; compared with the ProDiag method, it broadens the scope of application and reduces the cost. The alarm aggregation and HMI information push program implements the push of alarm information to the HMI through Wstring type variables.

[0127] The system of this invention consists of an alarm aggregation program and a human-machine interface (HMI) information push program.

[0128] Alarm classification and push principle: Alarm content arrays (i_AlarmStr, i_WarningStr, i_MessageStr) and alarm trigger arrays (io_Alarm, io_Warning, io_Message) are associated through the Input parameter interfaces. The Output parameter interfaces `HMI_Alarm`, `HMI_Warning`, and `HMI_Message` are the alarm trigger push interfaces for the HMI (Human Machine Interface), while `HMI_AlarmStr`, `HMI_WarningStr`, and `HMI_MessageStr` are the alarm content push interfaces for the HMI.

[0129] A for loop is used to check if the value of the variable corresponding to the alarm trigger array index is TRUE. If it is TRUE, the corresponding index is recorded in the index record array, and the counter array variable is incremented by 1.

[0130] The alarm content corresponding to the index record array is pushed to the human-machine interface (HMI) through a for loop.

[0131] The alarm will be reset when i_ResetButton is TRUE.

[0132] o_AlarmBit indicates whether an alarm is output, o_WarningBit indicates whether a warning is output, and o_MessageBit indicates whether a message is output.

[0133] The present invention has been described in detail for the purpose of making the disclosure clearer, and the prior art will not be listed in detail.

[0134] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that multiple technical solutions of the present invention can be combined. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. All technical contents not described in detail in the present invention are well-known technologies.

Claims

1. A heavy load flexible processing line based on a stacker model, characterized by: The upper computer with the FMS flexible control system, the electrical control cabinet, the stacker, the horizontal machining center and the loading station respectively interacting with the FMS flexible control system data; The upper computer interacts with the ground cabinet PLC to realize the execution of actions and the feedback of states; the ground cabinet PLC is respectively electrically connected with the PMC program of the horizontal machining center, the electrical control cabinet and the stacker cabinet; The stacker walks between the horizontal machining center and the loading station; The horizontal machining center is matched with a machine tool zero module, a cleaning machine, a man-machine interaction station and / or a workpiece buffer storage location at the corresponding loading station; The FMS flexible control system transmits signals between the horizontal machining center and the electrical control cabinet through PROFINET link, and between the electrical cabinet and the stacker cabinet through AP link using TCP communication.

2. A heavy load flexible machining method based on a stacker model, characterized by: The machining line according to claim 1; S1.1, first, at the loading station, the workpiece to be processed is fixed from the workpiece buffer storage location to the tray sub-plate of the stacker; S1.2, in the FMS flexible control system, the configuration processing technology of the workpiece to be processed is preset; S1.3, the software control module of the FMS flexible control system judges the task generation according to the machine tool processing task and the machine tool processing state of the horizontal machining center; S1.4, the software control module issues the task, and the mechanical hand of the stacker starts the task execution; S1.5, it is judged whether to place in the workpiece buffer storage location or in the horizontal machining center; S1.6, after the discharging is completed, the horizontal machining center exchanges the workbench according to the pre-configured process, and automatically switches the processing program, including the tool calling program; S1.7, after the machine tool processing is completed, the stacker executes the unloading of the loading station according to the task issued by the FMS flexible control system; S1.8, after the workpiece is placed in the loading station and the unloading is completed by the artificial or mechanical hand, the new workpiece is continuously loaded.

3. A heavy load flexible machining method based on the stacker model as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The FMS flexible control system, the PMC program of the horizontal machining center, the electrical control cabinet and the stacker cabinet signal transmit each other, collect the real-time running state of the current stacker, horizontal machining center and loading station, and judge the next action to be executed according to the current state; The PMC program switches the processing technology by calling the macro program; The FMS flexible control system has an A-face rotary table and a B-face rotary table; In step S1.6, when the horizontal machining center PMC controls the A-face rotary table and the B-face rotary table to rotate, first, the rotary table rotation judgment selection is selected; then, the A-face or B-face rotary table is selected; secondly, it is judged whether to execute the feeding or unloading request; when idle, the feeding request is executed, and when the processing is completed, the unloading request is executed, and feedback is given to the ground cabinet PLC.

4. A heavy load flexible machining method based on the stacker model as defined in claim 3, characterized in that: When the stacker runs within the set safety range, the following steps are executed; The main program of the PMC program calls the macro program by judging the machine tool processing surface to rotate the rotary table; S2.1, first, the horizontal axis X, the vertical axis Z and the longitudinal axis Y return to the reference point; the horizontal axis X, the vertical axis Z and the longitudinal axis Y return to the reference point; Then, the A-face macro program number is emptied; the B-face macro program number is emptied; secondly, the auxiliary action preparation is completed; the A-face workbench is detected, and the A-face processing macro program is called; the B-face workbench is detected, and the B-face processing macro program is called; Thirdly, the A face rotary table empties the macro program number of the B face rotary table; thereafter, it is judged whether the A face macro program is written successfully, if not, the system prompts that the program number is empty; Otherwise, the macro program is called; the machine tool processing state is detected; thereafter, the machine tool processing M code is completed; It is judged whether the rotation state is allowed; If yes, the state is rotated; When it is judged that the program is empty, the system alarm is triggered, and the alarm information is prompted that the program number is empty.

5. A heavy load flexible machining method based on the stacker model as defined in claim 3, characterized by: In step S1.1 or S1.8, the mechanical hand or fork of the stacker is actuated to perform the following steps; S3.1, independent coordinates are established based on each storage location; S3.2, in order to solve the storage location independent coordinate setting problem in S3.1, row, column and layer coordinates are set on the touch screen, and when the point position is updated, the coordinates are updated to the corresponding point position coordinates in batches; S3.3, the corresponding storage location on the touch screen in S3.2 is clicked, and the specific storage location point position is displayed and maintained in the point position coordinate setting; S3.4, the variables in the PLC are associated in a multiplexing manner; S3.5, after setting the point position coordinates, the horizontal axis X, the longitudinal axis Y and the vertical axis Z are pre-set to have a safety range relative to the point position allowed to move; To perform a specific action, first, a task is issued; then, the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero, and the return to zero is confirmed through the longitudinal axis Y zero position switch; secondly, the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero, and the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Z are actuated; the horizontal axis X and / or the vertical axis Z reach the target point position, collide with the speed reduction switch, and the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Z reduce the running speed; collide with the limit switch, and the horizontal axis X and the vertical axis Z stop moving; thirdly, the horizontal axis X is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, the vertical axis Z is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, and the longitudinal axis Y is actuated; thereafter, the longitudinal axis Y is extended, collides with the limit switch, and the longitudinal axis Y stops moving; the horizontal axis X is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, the vertical axis Z is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, and the longitudinal axis Y can be actuated; further, the longitudinal axis Y is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, the horizontal axis X is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, and the vertical axis Z is within the point position pre-set safety threshold and is actuated; thereafter, the vertical axis Z is loaded; The horizontal axis X is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, the vertical axis Z is within the point position pre-set safety threshold, and the longitudinal axis Y is actuated; then, the longitudinal axis Y returns to zero; S3.6, according to the storage location point position and the safety range, the PLC reads the current encoder real-time coordinates of each axis, traverses all the storage location coordinates, and compares the coordinates with the real-time coordinates; S3.7, the comparison results are recorded as follows: when the walking coordinates are within the safety range, the inX mark of the point position is True, when the lifting is within the safety range, the inY mark of the point position is True; when the fork or mechanical hand coordinates of the stacker are within the safety range, the inZ mark of the point position is True.

6. A heavy load flexible machining method based on a stacker model as defined in claim 3, characterized in that: In step S3.7, the safety position limit logic within the safety range is as follows: S3.7.1, when the fork or mechanical hand is in the middle position, the walking and lifting can be actuated, when the inX and inY of any point position are True, the fork or mechanical hand is allowed to actuate, and when the inZ of any point position is True, the lifting is allowed to perform the loading operation; S3. 7.2, when the axis coordinate is outside the safety range, the condition in S3. 7.1 is not met, the axis is paused, and no action is allowed; S3. 7.3, when the inX and inY of the point position are True, and the fork or manipulator moves to the point position, an interference signal is output, and the action is prohibited when the corresponding point position is a loading station or a material channel; In step S1.4, a high-precision 3D vision camera is arranged at the end of the vertical axis Z of the manipulator; The manipulator moves the 3D camera to the highest shooting position, triggers a shooting instruction to the 3D camera; the 3D camera identifies the height of the material pile and transmits the data to the manipulator; the manipulator brings the 3D camera to the height identified by the 3D camera and runs to the shooting position above the set station to trigger the shooting instruction; the 3D camera identifies the current station state; If there is no workpiece, the manipulator moves the 3D camera to the next station for shooting identification; if all stations have no workpieces, the manipulator moves the 3D camera to the current layer tray shooting position for tray position identification and grabbing; If there is a workpiece, the identified data is transmitted to the manipulator, and the manipulator obtains the final position of the workpiece by comparing the position data sent by the 3D camera with the current position data of the manipulator and performs grabbing.

7. A heavy load flexible machining method based on the stacker model as defined in claim 6, characterized in that: In steps S1.1, S1.4, a switching value sensor is added to the six axes of the manipulator; After the manipulator runs to the reference point, it starts to move in a certain direction. During the movement, the sensor state is detected in real time. After detecting the sensor signal, the manipulator stops moving and performs three-dimensional position conversion through the current coordinates and reference coordinates to calculate the final measurement data.

8. The heavy-load flexible machining method based on the stacker model as defined in claim 3, characterized in that: Data transmission is performed in steps S1.1, S1.3, S1.4, S1.7, and / or S1.8, which includes alarm data and / or coordinate data; The alarm classification is set as ALARM, WARNING, and MESSAGE; Alarm is a stop alarm, Warning is a non-stop fault, and Message is a prompt message; PLC alarm information is automatically summarized through code, and alarm data is transmitted to the human-machine interface HMI through the WString variable to display PLC and human-machine interface HMI interaction.

9. The heavy duty flexible machining method based on the stacker model as defined in claim 8, characterized in that: The alarm classification and pushing steps are as follows: Firstly, the alarm content array is associated through the Input parameter interface i_AlarmStr, i_WarningStr, i_MessageStr and the Inout parameter interface io_Alarm, io_Warning, io_Message alarm trigger array; Then, in the Output parameter interface, the human-machine interface HMI_Alarm, the human-machine interface HMI_Warning, and the human-machine interface HMI_Message are the alarm trigger pushing interfaces of the human-machine interface HMI; The human-machine interface HMI_AlarmStr, the human-machine interface HMI_WarningStr, and the human-machine interface HMI_MessageStr are the alarm content pushing interfaces of the human-machine interface HMI; Secondly, through the for loop to determine the alarm, trigger array subscript corresponding variable value is TRUE; if TRUE, the corresponding index record to the index record array, count array variable plus 1; Thirdly, through the for loop to push the corresponding alarm content in the index record array to the human-machine interface HMI; When i_ResetButton is TRUE, the alarm is reset; o_AlarmBit is the alarm output, o_WarningBit is the warning output, and o_MessageBit is the message output.

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