An automobile door sill coding automatic closing and stopping protection device and a welding system using the same

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of automobile door sill coding automatic closing protection device and the welding system using it, including driving mechanism, pivot, first rotary arm and second rotary arm.Driving mechanism is connected with pivot transmission.First rotary arm and second rotary arm are all fixedly connected on pivot.First rotary arm is provided with camera, and second rotary arm is provided with baffle for shielding laser coding device.Pivot is configured to be rotatable under the driving of driving mechanism, drives first rotary arm and second rotary arm synchronous movement, so that device has two kinds of core working conditions: in first working condition, baffle is moved to the light path in front of laser coding device to form physical protection, while camera moves to the lower part of marking station to perform accurate positioning;In second working condition, baffle moves away from light path to allow coding, while camera moves to monitoring area to perform process monitoring or immediate quality inspection after marking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent manufacturing technology for automotive parts, specifically to an automated protection, positioning and quality inspection integrated device for laser marking process of automotive door sill plates, and a welding system including the device. Background Technology

[0002] On the automotive body-in-white production line, structural components such as door sills need to be laser-marked on their surfaces after welding to record vehicle information, production batch, and traceability codes. Laser marking equipment is a Class 4 laser product, and its direct or diffuse beams can cause permanent damage to the operator's eyes; therefore, reliable safety protection devices must be provided.

[0003] In existing technologies, common protective measures include installing fixed protective covers or safety fences. While this method is safe, it increases the size and complexity of the equipment, and the protective covers still need to be opened during loading, unloading, or maintenance, posing safety hazards. Furthermore, traditional marking stations typically separate positioning and quality inspection, requiring multiple stations or repeated material handling, resulting in low production efficiency and the inability to achieve real-time online quality inspection. Marking accuracy relies on the absolute precision of the fixtures and robots, and cannot compensate for cumulative errors, leading to poor consistency in marking position.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that integrates security protection, high-precision positioning, and online quality inspection, and can be seamlessly integrated into automated production lines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention designs an automatic shutdown protection device for marking automotive door sills and a welding system using the same. The technical problems it solves are the contradiction between safety and efficiency of laser marking stations, the dependence of positioning accuracy on hardware accuracy, and the inability to rework in a timely manner due to quality inspection delays in the existing technology.

[0006] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following solution:

[0007] An automatic shut-off protection device for automotive door sill marking, characterized in that it includes a drive mechanism, a rotating shaft, a first rotating arm, and a second rotating arm; the drive mechanism is tractively connected to the rotating shaft for driving its rotation; both the first and second rotating arms are fixedly connected to the rotating shaft; a camera is mounted on the first rotating arm, and a baffle for blocking the laser marking device is mounted on the second rotating arm; wherein the rotating shaft is configured to rotate under the drive of the drive mechanism, causing the first and second rotating arms to move synchronously, so that the automatic shut-off protection device for automotive door sill marking has at least two working states: in the first working state, the baffle moves to the front of the laser marking device's light path to form protection, while the camera moves to below the marking station of the automotive door sill workpiece to perform a positioning function; in the second working state, the baffle moves away from the laser marking device's light path to allow marking, while the camera moves to the monitoring area of ​​the automotive door sill workpiece to perform monitoring and / or quality inspection functions.

[0008] Preferably, the drive mechanism is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and optionally a speed reducer is connected to provide precise rotation control.

[0009] Preferably, the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm are arranged at a fixed angle relative to the rotating shaft, and the fixed angle is 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

[0010] Preferably, it also includes a control unit, which is signal-connected to the drive mechanism, camera, and laser marking device;

[0011] The control unit is configured to: 1. receive positioning data from the camera; 2. calculate the deviation value and compensation value of the marking path based on the positioning data, drive the marking robot to perform movement compensation of the car door sill workpiece according to the deviation value, or directly allow the laser marking device to adjust the marking path; 3. control the drive mechanism to switch to the second working state and start the laser marking device to perform marking.

[0012] Preferably, the control unit is further configured to: in the second working state, receive the image data after marking acquired by the camera for real-time process monitoring or marking quality inspection.

[0013] A welding system, characterized in that it includes a welding robot, a marking robot, an automatic shut-off protection device for marking car door sills as described above, and a laser marking device; the laser marking device is equipped with the automatic shut-off protection device for marking car door sills; the marking robot is used to grab and position the welded car door sill workpiece to the marking station; the camera of the automatic shut-off protection device is used to accurately position the car door sill workpiece, and its baffle is used to provide safety protection for the laser marking device when it is not in operation.

[0014] Preferably, it also includes a visual error-proofing detection device disposed above the marking station, the visual error-proofing detection device being used to perform coarse positioning of the car door sill workpiece to guide the marking robot to perform initial placement.

[0015] Preferably, throughout the entire coding process, the coding robot is always in a state of gripping the car door sill workpiece using a gripping suction cup mechanism.

[0016] A method using the above-described welding system, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0017] Step 1: After fixing the car door sill workpiece, it is welded by a welding robot;

[0018] Step 2: Transfer the welded workpiece to the marking station using a marking robot;

[0019] Step 3: The control unit puts the automatic shutdown protection device into the first working state, uses its camera to accurately position the workpiece, calculates the marking path compensation value based on the deviation value, or directly allows the laser marking device to adjust the marking path.

[0020] Step 4: The control unit controls the automatic shutdown protection device to switch to the second working state, so that the baffle is moved away and the laser marking device is started to mark. The control unit drives the marking robot to perform real-time movement compensation of the car door sill workpiece according to the deviation value and compensation value; at the same time, the camera monitors and inspects the marking process or marking result.

[0021] A method for marking automotive door sill plates using the above-mentioned welding system, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0022] S1: Workpiece transfer and preliminary positioning steps;

[0023] The coding robot picks up the welded car door sill workpiece and transfers it to the marking station. The visual error prevention detection device set above the marking station performs image acquisition and recognition on the car door sill workpiece to achieve coarse positioning of the car door sill workpiece and guide the coding robot to place the car door sill workpiece within the preset range of the marking station.

[0024] S2: Precision positioning and safety verification steps;

[0025] The automatic shut-off protective device for marking the car door sill is put into its first working state, at which time the baffle blocks the light outlet of the laser marking device; the camera in the first working state captures images of the marking reference point of the workpiece and performs fine positioning; based on the hand-eye calibration relationship, the deviation value and compensation value between the actual position of the workpiece and the theoretical marking position are calculated, or the laser marking device is directly adjusted to adjust the marking path, and then a positioning completion signal and a safety confirmation signal are generated;

[0026] S3: Collaborative start-up and marking steps;

[0027] After receiving both the positioning completion signal and the safety confirmation signal from the vehicle door sill coding automatic shutdown protective device, the control unit issues a drive command.

[0028] The drive mechanism drives the rotating shaft to rotate, causing the first and second rotating arms to move synchronously, thus switching the device to the second working state. During this process: the baffle of the second rotating arm moves away from the light output path of the laser marking device and triggers a light path unobstructed signal; the camera of the first rotating arm rotates and moves to the bottom of the monitoring area; after receiving the light path unobstructed signal, the control unit performs real-time compensation on the marking path according to the deviation value and compensation value calculated in step S2, and starts the laser marking device to mark the workpiece.

[0029] S4: Process monitoring and real-time quality inspection steps;

[0030] During or after the marking process, images of the marking area are captured by cameras that have been moved to the monitoring area; the images are analyzed, and at least one of the following operations is performed: 1. Real-time analysis of the marking effect; if excessive smoke or abnormal marking is detected, an alarm signal is generated; 2. Identification and reading of the marking content, verification of its correctness, and evaluation of whether the marking quality meets the preset standards, generating a quality inspection result signal.

[0031] The automatic door sill marking and shut-off protection device for automobiles and the welding system using it have the following beneficial effects:

[0032] (1) This invention uses mechanical linkage design to forcibly bind laser protection with the marking process. As long as the laser may emit light, the baffle will definitely move away, fundamentally eliminating the risk of accidental irradiation and achieving functional safety.

[0033] (2) This invention uses a dual positioning method combining upper visual coarse positioning and lower visual fine positioning, combined with hand-eye calibration and real-time path compensation, to effectively eliminate the cumulative error in the robot's movement and grasping process, achieve high-precision marking, and reduce the dependence on the absolute precision of hardware.

[0034] (3) This invention integrates marking and inspection by using two cameras, significantly shortening the production cycle. At the same time, the real-time quality inspection and automatic reprinting functions form a closed loop for production quality, realizing online full inspection and zero-defect control.

[0035] (4) The present invention realizes two functions of the automatic shutdown protection device for marking the door sill. It has a compact structure, saves installation space, and is easy to integrate into existing automated production lines. It is especially suitable for modern smart factories with compact space. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a welding unit in the welding system of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the marking unit in the welding system of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic shutdown protection device for car door sill coding of the present invention in its first working state (protection and positioning).

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic shutdown protection device for marking the car door sill of the present invention in its second working state (marking and monitoring).

[0040] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the workflow of the method of the present invention.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0042] 1—Automotive door sill workpiece; 11—Marking area; 12—Monitoring area; 2—Welding platform; 3—Locking component; 4—Welding robot; 5—Coding robot; 6—Gripping suction cup mechanism; 7—Visual error prevention detection equipment; 8—Laser marking device; 91—Drive mechanism; 92—First rotating arm; 93—Second rotating arm; 94—Rotating shaft; 95—Baffle; 96—Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 5 The present invention will be further described as follows:

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the welding unit in the welding system of the present invention includes a welding platform 2, on which the automobile door sill workpiece 1 is placed, and a locking member 3 is provided to fix it to the welding platform 2. The welding robot 4 is capable of spot welding the automobile door sill workpiece 1.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, after welding is completed, the car door sill workpiece 1 is transferred to the transfer platform, and the coding robot 5 uses the gripping suction cup mechanism 6 to grab the welded car door sill workpiece 1.

[0046] The coding robot 5 transfers the car door sill workpiece 1 to the coding station. The car door sill workpiece 1 is equipped with a visual error prevention detection device 7 above it and a laser coding device 8 below it.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the laser marking device 8 is equipped with an automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill marking. The automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill marking includes a motor 91. The motor 91 drives the rotating shaft 94 to rotate through a reducer. The rotating shaft 94 is perpendicularly connected to the first rotating arm 92 and the second rotating arm 93. The top surface of the first rotating arm 92 is equipped with a camera 96, and the bottom surface of the second rotating arm 93 is equipped with a baffle 95.

[0048] The automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill marking has two core working states: In the first working state (protection and positioning), the baffle moves in front of the laser marking device's output path to form physical protection, while the camera moves below the marking station to perform precise positioning; In the second working state (marking and monitoring), the baffle moves away from the output path to allow marking, while the camera moves to the monitoring area to perform process monitoring or immediate quality inspection after marking.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, when the laser marking device 8 is not working, it is blocked by the baffle 95 to prevent accidental injury to the human eye. The camera 96 ​​is located below the marking area 11 of the car door sill workpiece 1. When the visual error prevention detection device 7 quickly identifies the outline, main features or positioning holes of the car door sill workpiece 1, it guides the robotic arm of the marking robot 5 to place the car door sill workpiece 1 into the correct marking area, thereby achieving guidance and coarse positioning.

[0050] After guidance and coarse positioning are completed, the camera 96 ​​below the marking area 11 of the car door sill workpiece 1 takes a picture, identifies the marking reference point on the part (such as a round hole), and calculates the coordinates of this point in the camera coordinate system. The control unit uses the previously calibrated transformation matrix to instantly convert the coordinates in the camera coordinate system to the coordinates in the laser focus coordinate system. The calculated actual position is compared with the ideal position preset in the program to obtain the deviation value. The marking robot 5 performs movement compensation of the car door sill workpiece 1 based on this deviation value, or directly allows the laser marking device 8 to adjust the marking path, thereby ensuring that the laser beam of the laser marking device 8 can accurately mark the predetermined marking point.

[0051] like Figure 4As shown, after the control unit completes the positioning work based on the visual error prevention detection device 7 above and the camera 96 ​​below, it starts the motor 91, causing the first rotating arm 92 and the second rotating arm 93 to rotate 180°. The baffle 95 of the second rotating arm 93 rotates and moves away from the laser marking device 8, and the laser marking device 8 automatically starts to mark the car door sill workpiece 1. At the same time, the camera 96 ​​of the first rotating arm 92 rotates and moves into the area below the monitoring area 12.

[0052] During the laser marking process of the laser marking device 8, the camera 96 ​​can simultaneously observe the marking effect and monitor whether there is excessive smoke or splashing.

[0053] After the laser marking device 8 completes the marking, the laser head is turned off, and the camera 96 ​​can immediately take a picture and read the newly generated mark.

[0054] like Figure 5 As shown, the working procedure of this invention is as follows:

[0055] S1: Workpiece transfer and preliminary positioning steps:

[0056] The coding robot 5 picks up the welded car door sill workpiece 1 and transfers it to the marking station; the visual error prevention detection device 7 set above the marking station performs image acquisition and recognition on the car door sill workpiece 1 to achieve coarse positioning of the car door sill workpiece 1, and guides the coding robot 5 to place the car door sill workpiece 1 within the preset range of the marking station.

[0057] S2: Precision Positioning and Safety Verification Procedures:

[0058] The automatic shut-off protective device for marking the car door sill is put into its first working state. At this time, the baffle 95 blocks the light outlet of the laser marking device 8. The camera 96, which is in the first working state, acquires images of the marking reference point of the workpiece and performs fine positioning. Based on the hand-eye calibration relationship, the deviation value and compensation value between the actual position of the workpiece and the theoretical marking position are calculated, or the laser marking device 8 is directly adjusted to adjust the marking path, and then a positioning completion signal and a safety confirmation signal are generated.

[0059] When the camera 96 ​​acquires an image of the marking reference point on the workpiece, it indicates that the baffle 95 blocks the light outlet of the laser marking device 8, thereby enabling the control unit to generate a safety confirmation signal.

[0060] S3: Collaborative Start-up and Marking Steps:

[0061] After receiving both the positioning completion signal and the safety confirmation signal from the vehicle door sill coding automatic shutdown protective device, the control unit issues a drive command.

[0062] The drive mechanism 91 drives the rotating shaft 94 to rotate, causing the first rotating arm 92 and the second rotating arm 93 to move synchronously, thus switching the device to the second working state. During this process, the baffle 95 of the second rotating arm 93 moves away from the light output path of the laser marking device 8 and triggers the light path unobstructed signal. The camera 96 ​​of the first rotating arm 92 rotates and moves to below the monitoring area 12. After receiving the light path unobstructed signal, the control unit performs real-time compensation on the marking path according to the deviation value and compensation value calculated in step S2, and starts the laser marking device 8 to mark the workpiece.

[0063] S4: Process monitoring and immediate quality inspection steps:

[0064] During or after the marking process, the camera 96, which has been moved to the monitoring area 12, captures images of the marking area; the images are analyzed, and at least one of the following operations is performed: 1. Real-time analysis of the marking effect; if excessive smoke or abnormal marking is detected, an alarm signal is generated; 2. The marking content is identified and read, its correctness is verified, and the marking quality is evaluated to determine whether it meets the preset standards, and a quality inspection result signal is generated.

[0065] This invention combines safety, precision, and efficiency through ingenious mechanical linkage and intelligent control, providing an advanced solution for intelligent manufacturing of automotive parts.

[0066] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A car door sill coding automatic shutdown protection device, characterized in that... The device includes a drive mechanism (91), a rotating shaft (94), a first rotating arm (92), and a second rotating arm (93). The drive mechanism (91) is connected to the rotating shaft (94) for driving its rotation. The first rotating arm (92) and the second rotating arm (93) are both fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (94). A camera (96) is provided on the first rotating arm (92), and a baffle (95) for blocking the laser marking device (8) is provided on the second rotating arm (93). The rotating shaft (94) is configured to rotate under the drive of the drive mechanism (91), causing the first rotating arm (92) and the second rotating arm (93) to move synchronously, so that the automatic shut-off protection device for the car door sill marking has at least two working states: In the first working state, the baffle (95) moves to the front of the light output path of the laser marking device (8) to form protection, and at the same time the camera (96) moves to the marking station below the car door sill workpiece (1) to perform the positioning function. In the second working state, the baffle (95) moves away from the light output path of the laser marking device (8) to allow marking, while the camera (96) moves to the monitoring area (12) of the car door sill workpiece (1) to perform monitoring and / or quality inspection functions.

2. The automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill coding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive mechanism (91) is a servo motor or a stepper motor, and optionally connected to a speed reducer to provide precise rotation control.

3. The automatic shut-off protection device for vehicle door sill coding according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first rotating arm (92) and the second rotating arm (93) are set at a fixed angle relative to the rotating shaft (94), and the fixed angle is 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

4. The automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill coding according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control unit, which is signal-connected to the drive mechanism (91), the camera (96) and the laser marking device (8); The control unit is configured to: Receive positioning data from the camera (96); Based on the positioning data, the deviation value and compensation value of the marking path are calculated, and the marking robot (5) is driven to perform movement compensation of the car door sill workpiece (1) according to the deviation value, or the laser marking device (8) is directly allowed to adjust the marking path. Control the drive mechanism (91) to switch to the second working state and start the laser marking device (8) to mark.

5. The automatic shut-off protection device for car door sill coding according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control unit is further configured to: in the second working state, receive the image data after marking collected by the camera (96) for real-time process monitoring or marking quality inspection.

6. A welding system, characterized in that: The system includes a welding robot (4), a marking robot (5), an automatic shut-off protection device for marking car door sills as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and a laser marking device (8); the laser marking device (8) is equipped with the automatic shut-off protection device for marking car door sills; the marking robot (5) is used to grab and position the welded car door sill workpiece (1) to the marking station; the camera (96) of the automatic shut-off protection device is used to accurately position the car door sill workpiece (1), and its baffle (95) is used to provide safety protection for the laser marking device (8) in the non-working state.

7. The welding system according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a visual error prevention detection device (7) set above the marking station. The visual error prevention detection device (7) is used to perform coarse positioning of the car door sill workpiece (1) to guide the marking robot (5) to perform initial placement.

8. The welding system according to claim 6, characterized in that: Throughout the coding process, the coding robot (5) is always in a state of gripping the car door sill workpiece (1) through the gripping suction cup mechanism (6).

9. A method using the welding system as described in claim 6, 7, or 8, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: After fixing the car door sill workpiece (1), it is welded by the welding robot (4); Step 2: Transfer the welded workpiece to the marking station using the marking robot (5); Step 3: The control unit puts the automatic shutdown protection device into the first working state, and uses its camera (96) to accurately position the workpiece, calculate the marking path compensation value according to the deviation value, or directly let the laser marking device (8) adjust the marking path. Step 4: The control unit controls the automatic shutdown protection device to switch to the second working state, so that the baffle (95) is moved away and the laser marking device (8) is started to mark. The control unit drives the marking robot (5) to perform real-time movement compensation of the car door sill workpiece (1) according to the deviation value and compensation value; at the same time, the camera (96) monitors and inspects the marking process or marking result.

10. A method for marking automotive door sill plates using the welding system as described in claim 6, 7, or 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Workpiece transfer and preliminary positioning steps; The coding robot (5) grabs and transfers the welded car door sill workpiece (1) to the marking station; the visual error prevention detection device (7) set above the marking station performs image acquisition and recognition on the car door sill workpiece (1) to achieve coarse positioning of the car door sill workpiece (1) and guides the coding robot (5) to place the car door sill workpiece (1) within the preset range of the marking station. S2: Precision positioning and safety verification steps; The automatic shut-off protection device for marking the car door sill is put into the first working state. At this time, the baffle (95) blocks the light outlet of the laser marking device (8). The camera (96) in the first working state collects images of the marking reference point of the workpiece and performs fine positioning. Based on the hand-eye calibration relationship, the deviation value and compensation value between the actual position of the workpiece and the theoretical marking position are calculated, or the laser marking device (8) is directly adjusted to adjust the marking path, and then a positioning completion signal and a safety confirmation signal are generated. S3: Collaborative start-up and marking steps; After receiving both the positioning completion signal and the safety confirmation signal from the vehicle door sill coding automatic shutdown protection device, the control unit issues a drive command. The drive mechanism (91) drives the rotating shaft (94) to rotate, causing the first rotating arm (92) and the second rotating arm (93) to move synchronously, so that the device switches to the second working state; during this process: the baffle (95) of the second rotating arm (93) moves away from the light output path of the laser marking device (8) and triggers the light path unblocking signal; the camera (96) of the first rotating arm (92) rotates and moves to below the monitoring area (12); after receiving the light path unblocking signal, the control unit performs real-time compensation on the marking path according to the deviation value and compensation value calculated in step S2, and starts the laser marking device (8) to mark the workpiece; S4: Process monitoring and real-time quality inspection steps; During or after the marking process, the camera (96) that has been moved to the monitoring area (12) collects images of the marking area; the images are analyzed and at least one of the following operations are performed:

1. The marking effect is analyzed in real time. If excessive smoke or abnormal marking is detected, an alarm signal is generated; 2. The marking content is identified and read, its correctness is verified, and the marking quality is evaluated to determine whether it meets the preset standard and a quality inspection result signal is generated.

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