Automatic production process of graphene electrothermal film

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic production process of a graphene electrothermal film, and relates to the field of graphene electrothermal film production, based on an automatic production line, FPC current-carrying strips are spliced into an FPC according to a preset position, the FPC current-carrying strips are welded and fixed at the stacking position of the FPC current-carrying strips, the FPC is coated with conductive paste and covered with a conductive film, hot pressing and pre-fixing are conducted, drying is conducted, and the resistance value of a welding point position is measured. Performing power line welding on the qualified product to obtain a PFC-conductive film structure welded with a power line; the PFC-conductive film welded with the power line is transferred to the surface of uncoiled and flattened lower film cloth, then the surface of the lower film cloth is covered with upper film cloth to obtain composite cloth, and the composite cloth is subjected to hot pressing and cutting to obtain the graphene electrothermal film with the preset specification; full-automatic production of the graphene electrothermal film based on the conductive film, the FPC, the upper film cloth, the lower film cloth and other components can be achieved, the production efficiency is greatly improved, and labor is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrothermal film production technology, specifically to an automated production process for graphene electrothermal films. Background Technology

[0002] Graphene is a novel material with a single-layer, two-dimensional honeycomb lattice structure composed of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms. It possesses excellent optical, electrical, and mechanical properties and holds significant promise for applications in materials science, micro-nano fabrication, energy, biomedicine, and drug delivery, making it a revolutionary material for the future. Graphene generates heat through friction between carbon atoms, a process known as Brownian motion, which is an irregular process. The heat released during graphene's heating is emitted as far-infrared rays, a type of 8-15 micrometer-wide bioluminescence. This light, similar to sunlight, resonates with the human body upon contact and is absorbed and converted by the body. Therefore, the far-infrared rays released during graphene's heating process are also a type of therapeutic light beneficial to the human body.

[0003] Graphene is the main raw material for making electrothermal films. Electrothermal films made from graphene are popular with consumers, especially flexible graphene electrothermal films widely used in wearable protective gear. Flexible graphene electrothermal films consist of upper and lower base fabrics, as well as conductive films and FPC boards embedded within them. The manufacturing process involves multiple complex steps, such as the assembly and welding of the FPC boards. Therefore, the production of graphene electrothermal films currently mostly relies on manual and semi-automatic equipment processes, and there are no fully automated production lines with intelligent control. This generally results in low production efficiency and poor processing accuracy.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design an automated production process for graphene electrothermal films to achieve full automation of graphene production, thereby reducing manual labor intensity and improving processing accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an automated production process for graphene electrothermal films to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: an automated production process for graphene electrothermal film, characterized in that it is based on an automated production line for graphene electrothermal film, the production line including a first tooling conveyor line and a second tooling conveyor line for conveying tooling fixtures, and further including, arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the first tooling conveyor line: an FPC assembly unit for placing FPC current-carrying strips at preset positions on the tooling fixtures, an FPC welding unit for welding and fixing the overlapping parts of the FPC current-carrying strips, a conductive paste coating unit for applying conductive adhesive to the FPC, a conductive film attaching unit for attaching the cut conductive film to the FPC, a hot pressing unit for fixing the conductive film to the FPC, and a material unloading unit; It also includes a drying unit, and the following are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the second tooling conveyor line: a feeding unit, a resistance measuring unit for testing the resistance value of the solder joint of the product, and a power line welding unit for welding the power line to the FPC. The unloading unit is located on the input side of the drying unit, and the loading unit is located on the output side of the drying unit. The power cord welding unit is adjacent to a fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit for fixing the upper and lower film fabrics to the FPC as a whole and cutting them into graphene electrothermal films of preset specifications. The production process is as follows: FPC current-carrying strips are assembled into FPC according to preset positions, and then welded and fixed at the overlapping positions of the FPC current-carrying strips. Conductive paste is coated on the FPC and covered with a conductive film. The FPC is pre-fixed by hot pressing and dried. The resistance value of the weld points is measured. For those that pass the test, power lines are welded to obtain a PFC-conductive film structure with power lines welded on. The PFC-conductive film with power lines welded on is transferred to the surface of the unwound and flattened lower film cloth. Then, a film cloth is covered on its surface to obtain a composite cloth. The composite cloth is hot-pressed and cut to obtain a graphene electrothermal film of preset specifications.

[0007] Furthermore, the production process includes the following steps: S1, FPC Assembly: On the first tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture arrives at the preset position of the FPC assembly unit, the robot uses the FPC current carrier strips it has picked up to place them at the unloading point on the tooling fixture according to the preset position until multiple FPC current carrier strips are assembled into an FPC structure. Once unloading is completed, the tooling fixture is transferred to the next station. S2, FPC Welding: On the first tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture carries the assembled FPC current-carrying strip to the preset position of the FPC welding unit, the pressing mechanism presses the FPC current-carrying strip onto the tooling fixture, and the welding robot welds and fixes the overlapping part of the FPC current-carrying strip. The tooling fixture then moves to the next station. S3. Applying conductive paste: On the first tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture carries the welded FPC to the preset position of the conductive paste application unit, the conductive paste applicator applies conductive paste to the preset application points of the FPC. After the application is completed, the tooling fixture moves to the next station. S4. Applying conductive film: On the first tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture carries the PFC coated with conductive paste to the preset position of the conductive film application unit, the robot picks up the cut conductive film and places it on the surface of the PFC, and the tooling fixture moves to the next station. S5. Hot pressing: On the first tooling conveyor line, the tooling fixture carries the PFC with the conductive film attached to the hot pressing unit, where the conductive film and PFC are pre-fixed by hot pressing. S6. Drying; S7. Resistance Measurement: On the second tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture carries the dried PFC-conductive film to the preset position of the resistance measurement unit, the resistance of the PFC-conductive film is tested by the resistance test terminal carried by the robot's robotic arm. Products that pass the resistance test are transferred to the next station with the tooling fixture. S8. Welding power cord: On the second tooling conveyor line, after the tooling fixture carries the good product with the resistance tested to the preset position of the power cord welding unit, the robot's robotic arm grabs the power cord with the wire end stripped by the automatic wire stripper and places it in the preset position of the FPC. Then, the automatic welding robot welds and fixes the power cord to the FPC. The welded semi-finished product is transferred to the next station. S9. Covering: The semi-finished product with the welded power cord is transferred to the unwound lower film cloth by a robotic arm and conveyed forward together. Then, the unwound upper film cloth is covered on its surface to form a composite cloth with the power cord exposed. The composite cloth is pulled forward by the material pulling mechanism. S10. Hot pressing: Under the control of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism, the composite fabric is hot-pressed by the hot pressing mechanism and then enters the cutting process. S11. Cutting: After hot pressing, the composite fabric enters the cutting station under the control of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism. The pressing mechanism and the material pulling mechanism jointly fix the composite fabric. The cutting mechanism cuts the composite fabric laterally. The cut composite fabric is then pulled forward and released by the material pulling mechanism and conveyed to the next process. The material pulling mechanism returns to the pressing mechanism and clamps the fabric end, pulling the continuous composite fabric for the next round of cutting.

[0008] Furthermore, the FPC assembly unit includes an FPC current-carrying strip feeding rack, a robot for picking up FPC current-carrying strips from the FPC current-carrying strip feeding rack and placing them on a tooling fixture, and a visual recognition system for detecting the position signal of the FPC current-carrying strip picked up by the feeding robot and feeding it back to the robot to guide the robot to place the FPC current-carrying strips in a preset position. The visual recognition system includes a camera and an image processing system. The camera is electrically connected to the image processing system and is used to transmit the image signal of the FPC current-carrying strip detected by the camera to the image processing system, and convert it into a digital signal and transmit it to the control system of the loading robot, so as to provide position compensation and angle compensation information for the loading robot to place the FPC current-carrying strip onto the tooling.

[0009] Furthermore, the FPC welding unit includes a pressing mechanism for pressing the FPC onto a tooling fixture and a welding robot for welding and fixing the overlapping parts of the FPC current-carrying strips.

[0010] Furthermore, the conductive paste coating unit includes a conductive paste applicator that applies conductive paste to the FPC according to a set trajectory.

[0011] Furthermore, the input side of the conductive film attaching unit is provided with a conductive film cutting unit. The conductive film attaching unit includes an attaching robot for gripping and attaching the conductive film cut by the conductive film cutting unit onto the FPC, and its front end is connected to a suction tool for picking up and placing the conductive film.

[0012] Furthermore, the unloading unit includes an unloading robot for gripping products on the tooling fixture located on the first tooling conveyor line and placing them on the input side of the drying unit.

[0013] Furthermore, the loading unit includes a vision recognition system and a loading robot for grabbing the products output from the drying unit's output side and placing them at a preset position on the tooling fixture located on the second tooling conveyor line; the vision recognition system includes a camera located above the drying unit's output side, the camera being electrically connected to an image processing system, for transmitting the product image signal detected by the camera to the image processing system, and converting it into a digital signal for transmission to the loading robot's control system, providing position compensation and angle compensation information for the loading robot to place the product onto the tooling fixture.

[0014] Furthermore, the resistance measuring unit includes a robot and a resistance test terminal installed on the robot. A defective product discharge unit is provided between the resistance measuring unit and the power line welding unit, which includes a feeding robot and a defective product container. The feeding robot is electrically connected to the resistance test terminal and is used to control the feeding robot to grab the defective product and place it in the defective product container when the resistance test terminal detects an abnormal resistance value.

[0015] Furthermore, the fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit includes a lower film fabric feeding mechanism, an upper film fabric feeding mechanism, a hot pressing mechanism, and a pulling mechanism arranged sequentially along the production line direction. A feeding robot is provided on one side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism to grab the product on the tooling of the second tooling conveyor line and place it on the surface of the lower film fabric that is unwound and laid flat by the lower film fabric feeding mechanism. The upper film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism is located on the output side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism and is used to cover the product surface with the upper film fabric that is unwound by the upper film fabric feeding mechanism to form a composite fabric. The composite fabric passes through the hot pressing mechanism and is restrained by the reciprocating pulling mechanism.

[0016] Furthermore, the fabric hot-press cutting unit also includes a cutting mechanism disposed on the output side of the hot-pressing mechanism. A pressing mechanism is disposed between the cutting mechanism and the hot-pressing mechanism to allow the composite fabric to pass through and to press it. The pressing mechanism cooperates with the material pulling mechanism to fix the composite fabric when the cutting mechanism performs cutting.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention comprises an FPC assembly unit, an FPC welding unit, a conductive paste coating unit, a conductive film attaching unit for attaching conductive film to the FPC, a hot pressing unit, and a feeding unit arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the first tooling conveyor line; a feeding unit, a resistance measuring unit, and a power line welding unit arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the second tooling conveyor line; a drying unit connected between the first and second tooling conveyor lines; and a fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit located on the output side of the power line welding unit. This forms a fully automated production process based on this production line, enabling fully automated production of graphene electrothermal films based on components such as conductive film, FPC, upper film cloth, and lower film cloth, greatly improving production efficiency and saving labor.

[0018] 2. By setting each working unit as an independent structure, the present invention can complete the operation independently, which is convenient for maintenance, and the production tasks of other units can be completed while one unit is being maintained.

[0019] 3. This invention combines a robot with a visual recognition system, using visual imaging to guide the robot to accurately place FPC and conductive film onto the corresponding tooling positions, which can greatly improve the accuracy of product processing and reduce the defect rate. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated production line according to an embodiment of the present invention (excluding the fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit). Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an FPC assembly unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an FPC welding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive paste coating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive film attaching unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hot pressing unit and the unloading unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power line welding unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of existing graphene electrothermal films; In the diagram: 100. First tooling conveyor line, 200. Second tooling conveyor line, 300. Tooling fixture, 400. Conveyor belt; 1. FPC assembly unit, 101. Assembly robot, 102. Pickup fixture, 103. Camera, 104. FPC current-carrying strip loading rack, 2. FPC welding unit, 201. Welding robot, 3. Conductive paste coating unit, 301. Conductive paste applicator, 4. Conductive film bonding unit, 5. Hot pressing unit, 6. Unloading unit, 601. Unloading robot, 7. Drying unit, 8. Loading unit, 9. Resistance measurement unit, 91. Defective product discharge unit, 1 0. Power cord welding unit; 1001. Automatic wire stripping and welding integrated machine; 11. Fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit; 111. Feeding robot; 112. Lower film fabric feeding mechanism; 1120. Lower film fabric roll; 1121. Feeding rack; 1122. Guide roller; 113. Upper film fabric feeding mechanism; 1130. Upper film fabric roll; 114. Hot pressing mechanism; 115. Pressing mechanism; 116. Material pulling mechanism; 117. Cutting mechanism; 1101. Upper film fabric; 1102. Conductive film; 1103. FPC; 11031. FPC current carrying strip; 1104. Lower film fabric; 1105. Power cord. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The principles and features of the present invention are described below. The embodiments given are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0022] As shown in the attached figure, this embodiment provides an automated production line for graphene electrothermal films. The structure of the graphene electrothermal film is shown below. Figure 10 As shown, an FPC 1103 consisting of multiple FPCA current-carrying strips 11031 is fixed to a conductive film 1102, and a power line is connected to its end. Its upper and lower surfaces are covered with an upper film cloth 1101 and a lower film cloth 1104.

[0023] The production line includes a first tooling conveyor line 100 and a second tooling conveyor line 200 for conveying tooling fixtures 300, and a drying unit 7 is connected between the first tooling conveyor line 100 and the second tooling conveyor line 200.

[0024] Along the conveying direction of the first tooling conveyor line 100, the following are arranged in sequence: an FPC assembly unit 1 for placing the FPC current-carrying strips at preset positions on the tooling fixture; an FPC welding unit 2 for welding and fixing the overlapping parts of the FPC current-carrying strips; a conductive paste coating unit 3 for applying conductive adhesive to the FPC; a conductive film attaching unit 4 for attaching the cut conductive film to the FPC; a hot pressing unit 5 for fixing the conductive film to the FPC; and a feeding unit 6, wherein the feeding unit 6 is located on the input side of the drying unit 7. Along the conveying direction of the second tooling conveyor line 200, the following are arranged in sequence: a feeding unit 8, a resistance measuring unit 9 for testing the resistance value of the solder joint of the product, and a power line welding unit 10 for welding the power line to the FPC, wherein the feeding unit 8 is located on the output side of the drying unit 7. The power cord welding unit 10 is adjacent to a fabric coating and hot-pressing cutting unit 11 for fixing the upper and lower film fabrics to the FPC as a whole and cutting them into graphene electrothermal films of preset specifications. Specifically: The FPC welding unit 2, conductive paste coating unit 3, conductive film attaching unit 4, hot pressing unit 5, and unloading unit 6 are independently arranged and sequentially adjacent to each other. Each unit is equipped with a conveyor belt 400 for conveying the tooling fixture 300, forming a first tooling conveyor line 100. The tooling fixture 300 is transferred between adjacent units by the conveyor belt, carrying the product to be processed and automatically transferring it to the next process, until the product is transferred from the unloading unit 6 to the drying unit 7, and then from the loading unit 8 to the resistance measuring unit 9. The loading unit 8, resistance measuring unit 9, and power cord welding unit 10 are independently arranged and sequentially adjacent to each other. Each unit is equipped with a conveyor belt for conveying the tooling fixture 300, forming a second tooling conveyor line 200. The tooling fixture 300 is transferred between adjacent units by the conveyor belt, carrying the product to be processed and automatically transferring it to the next process, until it is cut into a finished product of a preset specification by the fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit 11.

[0025] A complete FPC is composed of multiple FPC current-carrying strips arranged in different positions and directions. This assembly process is completed in FPC assembly unit 1, and the welding and fixing of the FPC current-carrying strips is carried out by FPC welding unit 2. The FPC assembly unit 1 can be equipped with one or more workstations according to the shape of the FPC. Each workstation of the FPC assembly unit 1 includes an FPC current-carrying strip loading rack 104 (a rectangular groove structure for storing FPC current-carrying strips), an assembly robot 101 for picking up the FPC current-carrying strips from the FPC current-carrying strip loading rack and placing them on a tooling fixture according to a preset position, and a vision recognition system for detecting the position signal of the FPC current-carrying strip picked up by the assembly robot 101 and feeding it back to the assembly robot 101 to guide the assembly robot 101 to place the FPC current-carrying strips according to the preset position. The visual recognition system includes a camera 103 and an image processing system. The camera is electrically connected to the image processing system and is used to transmit the image signal of the FPC current carrier strip detected by the camera to the image processing system and convert it into a digital signal to be transmitted to the control system of the assembly robot 101. This provides position compensation and angle compensation information for the assembly robot 101 to place the FPC current carrier strip onto the tooling.

[0026] Specifically, when the robot receives the material supply signal, it goes to the material collection point to collect the material at the designated location. Then, it moves to the photo-taking point and waits for the tooling to arrive. When the robot receives the tooling to arrive signal, it lowers the camera to take a picture (single-camera correction and positioning guidance; the camera is inverted and fixed on the machine platform. Visual positioning guides the robot to correct fluctuations in the material's position and perform position correction on the grabbed material. The camera is responsible for capturing material images, and then the vision system analyzes the deviations. Finally, the robot makes adjustments based on the analysis results to ensure that the material can be correctly placed in the preset position). The robot then moves to the material release point to release the material at the designated location onto the tooling.

[0027] The FPC carrier strips are placed on the FPC carrier strip feeding rack, and the feeding of each FPC carrier strip is controlled by a servo system. A vision recognition system works in conjunction with the assembly robot 101. After the tooling is in place, the feeding robot removes the FPC, moves it to the camera position to take a picture, and uses the camera's relative position to guide the robot to accurately place the FPC into the corresponding tooling position. The vision recognition system mainly consists of a camera, lens, light source, light source controller, and industrial computer. A CCD camera converts the detected target into an image signal, which is transmitted to a dedicated image processing system. Based on pixel distribution, brightness, color, and other information, it is converted into a digital signal. The image processing system performs various calculations on these signals to extract the target's features and outputs results based on preset tolerances and other conditions, thus achieving automatic recognition. The feeding robot's operating arm has a suction fixture 102 for picking up the FPC carrier strips. The suction fixture's suction cup size is set according to the product size; the suction cup can be made of foamed silicone or a non-marking suction cup. The feeding rack is equipped with sensors to track the quantity of FPC materials for timely replenishment.

[0028] The FPC welding unit 2 includes a pressing mechanism (existing technology, such as a conventional press or heat press machine, mainly composed of a heating tube, a pressure plate, a cylinder, and a control panel, which pushes the pressure plate up and down through the cylinder, and the heating tube is placed inside the pressure plate to heat the pressure plate) for pressing the FPC current-carrying strips together and fixing them in place, and a vision recognition system cooperates with the welding robot to guide the welding robot to automatically supply solder wire for welding; wherein the pressing mechanism can make the two FPC current-carrying strips that need to be stacked and welded seamlessly, reduce the height of the FPC and increase the welding strength.

[0029] After the FPC assembly and welding are completed, it is transferred to the conductive paste coating unit 3 for the process of applying conductive paste to preset positions on the FPC. The conductive paste coating unit 3 includes a conductive paste applicator 301 that applies conductive paste to the FPC according to a set trajectory. The conductive paste applicator 301 is set at the front end of the robot manipulator arm and works with the robot and vision recognition system to apply conductive paste to the FPC.

[0030] After the conductive paste is coated, it flows to the conductive film attaching unit 4, where the conductive film is attached to the FPC. The input side of the conductive film attaching unit 4 is equipped with a conductive film cutting unit for automatically cutting conductive films into preset specifications. The conductive film cutting unit is located on a platform and consists of a motor, a cutting blade, a rubber roller, and a feeding rack. The conductive film to be cut is placed on the feeding rack, fed between the blades, and the width of the conductive film is set and stepped to the corresponding width by rollers. The blades then close to cut. The conductive film attaching unit 4 includes an attaching robot 402 for gripping and attaching the conductive film cut by the conductive film cutting unit to the FPC. Its front end is connected to a suction fixture for picking up and placing the conductive film. With the assistance of a vision recognition system, the attaching robot picks up the cut conductive film and attaches it to the FPC. The attaching robot is located between the conveyor belt and the platform, and the front end of the robot's working arm is equipped with a suction fixture to grip the conductive film.

[0031] After the conductive film is attached to the FPC, it is transferred to the hot pressing unit 5 to pre-fix the conductive film and the FPC by hot pressing. The hot pressing unit 5 is a hot press. The tooling fixture carries the product into position, and the cylinder controlling the pressing block of the hot press lowers. The product is hot pressed for a preset time. After the hot pressing is completed, the cylinder rises, and the conveyor belt carries the tooling fixture to the next station, namely the unloading unit 6.

[0032] The unloading unit 6 includes an unloading robot 601 for gripping products from the tooling fixtures on the first tooling conveyor line and placing them on the input side of the drying unit 7. After the tooling fixtures have positioned the products, the unloading robot is controlled to grip the products and place them in the drying unit 7 for the drying process. The drying unit 7 is a tunnel kiln-type drying oven with a conveyor belt for transporting products running through it. After exiting the tunnel kiln, the products are transferred by the loading unit 8 to the tooling fixtures on the second tooling conveyor line.

[0033] The loading unit 8 includes a vision recognition system and a loading robot for grabbing the products output from the output side of the drying unit 7 and placing them at a preset position on the tooling of the second tooling conveyor line. The vision recognition system includes a camera located above the output side of the drying unit 7. The camera is electrically connected to an image processing system and is used to transmit the product image signal detected by the camera to the image processing system and convert it into a digital signal to the control system of the loading robot, providing position compensation and angle compensation information for the loading robot to place the product onto the tooling.

[0034] After the product enters the second tooling conveyor line, it first enters the resistance measurement process, which measures the resistance value at the solder joint. The resistance measurement unit 9 includes a robot and resistance test terminals installed on the robot. Simultaneously, in conjunction with a vision recognition system, the tooling mold carrying the product arrives at the camera's imaging area for image capture and positioning, and sends the position information to the robot, guiding it to the solder joint position to measure the product. The measured resistance value data is then sent to the backend. A defective product discharge unit 91 is provided between the resistance measurement unit 9 and the power cord welding unit 10. This unit includes a unloading robot and a defective product container. The unloading robot is electrically connected to the resistance test terminals. When the resistance test terminals detect an abnormal resistance value, the unloading robot is controlled to grab the defective product and place it in the defective product container. If the measured resistance value is acceptable, the defective product discharge unit releases the product to the next process, namely the power cord welding unit 10.

[0035] The power cord welding unit 10 includes an automatic wire stripping and welding integrated machine 1001 (existing technology). The coiled power cord is placed on a feeding tray, and a wire stripping mechanism strips and cuts it. A power cord gripping device is located at the front end of the robot arm, which also has a welding torch and a solder feeding device. The gripping device picks up the power cord and places it at the FPC welding position. An automatic wire feeding system automatically strips and cuts the cord at both ends to a controllable length. The robot guides the robot to pick up the wire and perform positioning welding. After welding, the product is transferred to the next workstation's fixture for a fabric covering and hot-pressing cutting process.

[0036] The aforementioned visual recognition system and the robot electrically connected to it are existing technologies, such as Hikvision cameras and Epson robot systems, and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] The fabric covering and hot pressing cutting unit 11 includes a lower film fabric feeding mechanism 112, an upper film fabric feeding mechanism 113, a hot pressing mechanism 114, and a pulling mechanism 116 arranged sequentially along the production line direction. A feeding robot 111 is provided on one side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism 112, which is used to grab the product on the tooling of the second tooling conveyor line and place it on the surface of the lower film fabric that is unwound and laid flat by the lower film fabric feeding mechanism. The upper film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism 113 is located on the output side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism 112, and is used to cover the product surface with the upper film fabric that is unwound by the upper film fabric feeding mechanism 113 to form a composite fabric. The composite fabric passes through the hot pressing mechanism 114 and is restrained by the reciprocating pulling mechanism 116. The fabric hot-press cutting unit 11 also includes a cutting mechanism 117 disposed on the output side of the hot-pressing mechanism 114. A pressing mechanism 115 is disposed between the cutting mechanism 117 and the hot-pressing mechanism 114 to allow the composite fabric to pass through and to press it. It cooperates with the material pulling mechanism 116 to fix the composite fabric when the cutting mechanism 117 performs cutting. The pressing mechanism includes a base plate and a pressure plate that can move up and down relative to the base plate under the action of a driving source.

[0038] In this process, the lower film fabric feeding mechanism 112 includes a feeding rack 1121 and a guide roller 1122. The lower film fabric roll 1120 is placed on the feeding rack, and the lower film fabric is unwound and unfolded. The loading robot 111 grabs the product with the power cord welded and places it on the unfolded lower film fabric. Then, it passes through the upper film fabric feeding mechanism 113, which includes a feeding rack and a guide roller. The upper film fabric roll 1130 is placed on the feeding rack. After the upper film fabric is unwound and unfolded, it covers the surface of the product, forming a composite fabric structure of upper film fabric, conductive film FPC, and lower film fabric, with the power cord exposed. The composite fabric passes through the hot pressing mechanism 114, the pressing mechanism 115, and is restrained by the pulling mechanism 116. The pulling mechanism 116 can reciprocate along the production line direction and has a gripper structure 1161 for clamping and releasing the fabric head. The material pulling mechanism 116 clamps the composite fabric and pulls it forward a certain distance as it moves forward. During the pulling process, the hot pressing mechanism 114 and the pressing mechanism 115 do not work. After pulling the fabric a certain distance, the material pulling mechanism 116 stops, the hot pressing mechanism 114 performs hot pressing, and the pressing mechanism 115 presses the composite fabric passing through it. The fabric end is clamped by the material pulling mechanism 116. At this time, the cutting blade of the cutting unit makes a horizontal cut, completing the cutting of the composite fabric. After the fabric is cut, the material pulling mechanism 116 releases the composite fabric, and the cut composite fabric falls onto the conveyor belt to continue moving forward. The material pulling mechanism then resets to a position close to the pressing mechanism 115 and clamps the fabric end there. Then the pressing mechanism 115 releases, and the material pulling mechanism 116 pulls the fabric end to repeat the above actions.

[0039] Based on the automated production line described in the above embodiments, the fully automated production process of graphene electrothermal film is as follows: FPC current-carrying strips are assembled into an FPC according to preset positions, and welded and fixed at the overlapping positions of the FPC current-carrying strips. Conductive paste is coated onto the FPC, and a conductive film is covered. The FPC is then pre-fixed by hot pressing and dried. The resistance value at the weld points is measured. Qualified FPCs are then welded with power lines to obtain a PFC-conductive film structure with welded power lines. The PFC-conductive film with welded power lines is transferred to the surface of an unwound and flattened lower film fabric, and then an upper film fabric is laid on its surface to obtain a composite fabric. The composite fabric is then hot-pressed and cut to obtain a graphene electrothermal film of preset specifications. Specifically, the following steps are included: S1, FPC Assembly: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling reaches the preset position (current strip placement point) of the FPC assembly unit (1), the robot uses the FPC current strip it has picked up to place the FPC current strip on the tooling at the preset position until multiple FPC current strips are assembled into an FPC structure, the material is discharged, and the tooling is transferred to the next station. The FPC assembly unit (1) includes at least two stations, one station for placing the x-direction FPC current-carrying strip on the tooling fixture, and the other station for placing the y-direction FPC current-carrying strip on the tooling fixture. The x-direction and y-direction FPC current-carrying strips intersect and overlap at the ends to form an FPC structure. The specific number of stations depends on the design of the FPC. In order to ensure the accuracy of the placement of the FPC current carrier strip, the FPC assembly unit (1) is also equipped with a vision recognition system. When the robot receives the material supply signal, the robot picks up the FPC current carrier strip and moves it to the photo taking point. It waits for the tooling to arrive signal, takes a photo with the camera, and accurately positions the FPC. The FPC is then placed to the tooling placement point. Once the placement is complete, the tooling flows to the next station. S2, FPC welding: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the assembled FPC current-carrying strip to the preset position of the FPC welding unit (2), the FPC current-carrying strip is pressed onto the tooling fixture by the pressing mechanism, and the overlapping part of the FPC current-carrying strip is welded and fixed by the welding robot (existing technology), and the tooling fixture is transferred to the next station. S3, Applying conductive paste: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the welded FPC to the preset position of the conductive paste application unit (3), the conductive paste is applied to the preset application point of the FPC using a conductive paste applicator (an automatic applicator in the prior art). After the applicator is completed, the tooling fixture is transferred to the next station. S4. Applying conductive film: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the PFC coated with conductive paste to the preset position of the conductive film application unit (4), the robot picks up the cut conductive film (the conductive film is pre-cut to a length of 20-500mm and a width of 6-35mm) and places it on the surface of the PFC. The tooling fixture then moves to the next station. S5. Hot pressing: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), the tooling fixture carries the PFC with the conductive film attached to the hot pressing unit (5) to pre-fix the conductive film and PFC with hot pressing. The hot pressing time is 5-30s. S6. Drying, this process is completed inside the tunnel kiln; S7. Resistance measurement: On the second tooling conveyor line (200), after the tooling fixture carries the dried PFC-conductive film to the preset position of the resistance measurement unit (9), the resistance of the PFC-conductive film is tested by the resistance test terminal carried by the robot's robotic arm. Products that pass the resistance test (within the preset threshold range) are transferred to the next station with the tooling fixture, while defective products that fail the resistance test are sent to the defective product container. S8. Welding Power Cables: On the second tooling conveyor line (200), after the tooling fixture carries the good product with tested resistance to the preset position of the power cable welding unit (10), the robot's robotic arm grabs the power cable with the wire end stripped by the automatic wire stripper and places it in the preset position of the FPC. Then, the automatic welding robot welds the power cable to the FPC and fixes it. The welded semi-finished product is transferred to the next station. Specifically, the wire stripper feeds the wire for the first time, and the robot gripper picks up the wire end. When the gripper is in place, the wire is fed again, and the robot takes away the double black wire. In order to ensure the accuracy of power cable welding, the power cable welding unit (10) is also equipped with a vision recognition system. When the tooling fixture is in place, the camera takes a picture to detect whether there is an FPC. If there is no FPC, the tooling fixture flows to the next station. If there is an FPC, the welding point is positioned, the robot welds, the welding is completed, and the tooling fixture flows to the next station.

[0040] S9, Covering: The semi-finished product with the welded power cord is transferred to the unwound lower film cloth by the robot arm and conveyed forward together. Then the unwound upper film cloth is covered on its surface to form a composite cloth with the power cord exposed. The composite cloth is pulled forward by the material pulling mechanism (116). Once the loading fixture is in place, a camera is mounted to take a picture and detect the presence of an FPC. If no FPC is found, the loading fixture flows into the rotary mechanism. If an FPC is found, the FPC is positioned, the robot picks up the FPC, and the material is placed at the unloading point. Once the unloading is complete, the loading fixture flows into the rotary mechanism. Sensors for detecting FPCs are installed at the unloading point. S10, Hot pressing: Under the restraint of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism (116), the composite fabric is hot pressed by the hot pressing mechanism (114) and enters the cutting process; S11, Cutting: After hot pressing, the composite fabric enters the cutting station under the restraint of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism (116). The composite fabric is fixed by the pressing mechanism (115) and the material pulling mechanism (116). The cutting mechanism cuts the composite fabric laterally. The cut composite fabric is pulled forward and released by the material pulling mechanism (116) and transported to the next process. The material pulling mechanism (116) returns to the pressing mechanism and clamps the fabric head, pulling the continuous composite fabric for the next round of cutting. During the process of the material pulling mechanism pulling the fabric head, the hot pressing process is in a non-working state. At this time, the upper and lower pressure plates of the hot pressing mechanism are separated, and the continuous composite fabric passes freely through the hot pressing mechanism. A sensor for detecting FPC is provided at the cutting point. The cutting mechanism described in this case is cited from the applicant's patent application No. 2025207692825, "A Cutting Device for Graphene Electrothermal Film Production".

Claims

1. An automated production process for graphene electrothermal film, characterized in that, The automated production line based on graphene electrothermal film includes a first tooling conveyor line (100) and a second tooling conveyor line (200) for conveying tooling fixtures, and also includes the following components arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the first tooling conveyor line (100): an FPC assembly unit (1) for placing FPC current-carrying strips at preset positions on the tooling fixtures, an FPC welding unit (2) for welding and fixing the overlapping parts of the FPC current-carrying strips, a conductive paste coating unit (3) for applying conductive adhesive to the FPC, a conductive film attaching unit (4) for attaching the cut conductive film to the FPC, a hot pressing unit (5) for fixing the conductive film to the FPC, and a feeding unit (6). It also includes a drying unit (7), and the following are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the second tooling conveyor line (200): a feeding unit (8), a resistance measuring unit (9) for testing the resistance value of the solder joint of the product, and a power line welding unit (10) for welding the power line to the FPC. The unloading unit (6) is located on the input side of the drying unit (7), and the loading unit (8) is located on the output side of the drying unit (7). The power cord welding unit (10) is adjacent to a fabric covering hot pressing cutting unit (11) for fixing the upper and lower film cloths to the FPC as a whole and cutting them into graphene electrothermal films of preset specifications. The production process is as follows: FPC current-carrying strips are assembled into FPC according to preset positions, and then welded and fixed at the stacking position of FPC current-carrying strips. Conductive paste is coated on FPC and covered with conductive film. Hot pressing is used for pre-fixation and drying. The resistance value of the solder joint is measured. Qualified ones are then welded with power lines to obtain a PFC-conductive film structure with power lines welded on. The PFC conductive film with the power cord soldered on is transferred to the surface of the unwound and flattened lower film cloth, and then the upper film cloth is covered on its surface to obtain a composite cloth. The composite cloth is hot-pressed and cut to obtain a graphene electrothermal film of the preset specifications.

2. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The production process includes the following steps: S1, FPC Assembly: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling reaches the preset position of the FPC assembly unit (1), the robot uses the FPC current carrier strips it has picked up to place them on the unloading point on the tooling according to the preset position until multiple FPC current carrier strips are assembled into an FPC structure. The unloading is completed and the tooling is transferred to the next station. S2, FPC welding: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the assembled FPC current-carrying strip to the preset position of the FPC welding unit (2), the FPC current-carrying strip is pressed onto the tooling fixture by the pressing mechanism, and the overlapping part of the FPC current-carrying strip is welded and fixed by the welding robot, and the tooling fixture is transferred to the next station. S3, Applying conductive paste: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the welded FPC to the preset position of the conductive paste application unit (3), the conductive paste is applied to the preset application point of the FPC using the conductive paste applicator. After the applicator is completed, the tooling fixture is transferred to the next station. S4. Applying conductive film: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), after the tooling fixture carries the PFC coated with conductive paste to the preset position of the conductive film application unit (4), the robot picks up the cut conductive film and places it on the surface of the PFC, and the tooling fixture moves to the next station. S5. Hot pressing: On the first tooling conveyor line (100), the tooling fixture carries the PFC with the conductive film attached to the hot pressing unit (5) to pre-fix the conductive film and PFC with hot pressing. S6. Drying; S7. Resistance measurement: On the second tooling conveyor line (200), after the tooling fixture carries the dried PFC-conductive film to the preset position of the resistance measurement unit (9), the resistance of the PFC-conductive film is tested by the resistance test terminal carried by the robot's robotic arm. Products that pass the resistance test are transferred to the next work station with the tooling fixture. S8. Welding power cord: On the second tooling conveyor line (200), after the tooling fixture carries the good product with the resistance tested to the preset position of the power cord welding unit (10), the robot's mechanical arm grabs the power cord with the wire end stripped by the automatic wire stripper and places it in the preset position of the FPC. Then, the automatic welding robot is used to weld the power cord to the FPC and fix it. The welded semi-finished product is transferred to the next station. S9, Covering: The semi-finished product with the welded power cord is transferred to the unwound lower film cloth by the robot arm and conveyed forward together. Then the unwound upper film cloth is covered on its surface to form a composite cloth with the power cord exposed. The composite cloth is pulled forward by the material pulling mechanism (116). S10, Hot pressing: Under the restraint of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism (116), the composite fabric is hot pressed by the hot pressing mechanism (114) and enters the cutting process; S11, Cutting: After hot pressing, the composite fabric enters the cutting station under the restraint of the reciprocating material pulling mechanism (116). The composite fabric is fixed by the pressing mechanism (115) and the material pulling mechanism (116). The cutting mechanism cuts the composite fabric laterally. The cut composite fabric is pulled forward and released by the material pulling mechanism (116) and transported to the next process. The material pulling mechanism (116) returns to the pressing mechanism and clamps the fabric end, pulling the continuous composite fabric for the next round of cutting.

3. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The FPC assembly unit (1) includes an FPC current-carrying strip feeding rack, a robot for picking up FPC current-carrying strips from the FPC current-carrying strip feeding rack and placing them on a tooling fixture, and a visual recognition system for detecting the position signal of the FPC current-carrying strip picked up by the feeding robot and feeding it back to the robot to guide the robot to place the FPC current-carrying strips in a preset position. The visual recognition system includes a camera and an image processing system. The camera is electrically connected to the image processing system and is used to transmit the image signal of the FPC current-carrying strip detected by the camera to the image processing system, and convert it into a digital signal and transmit it to the control system of the loading robot, so as to provide position compensation and angle compensation information for the loading robot to place the FPC current-carrying strip onto the tooling.

4. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The FPC welding unit (2) includes a pressing mechanism for pressing the FPC onto a tooling fixture and a welding robot for welding and fixing the overlapping parts of the FPC current-carrying strips; the conductive paste coating unit (3) includes a conductive paste applicator for applying conductive paste to the FPC according to a set trajectory.

5. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive film attaching unit (4) is provided with a conductive film cutting unit on its input side. The conductive film attaching unit (4) includes an attaching robot for gripping and attaching the conductive film cut by the conductive film cutting unit to the FPC. Its front end is connected to a suction tool for picking up and placing the conductive film.

6. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unloading unit (6) includes an unloading robot for grabbing products on the tooling fixture located on the first tooling conveyor line (100) and placing them on the input side of the drying unit (7).

7. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading unit (8) includes a vision recognition system and a loading robot for grabbing the products output from the output side of the drying unit (7) and placing them at a preset position on the tooling fixture located on the second tooling conveyor line (200). The vision recognition system includes a camera located above the output side of the drying unit (7). The camera is electrically connected to an image processing system and is used to transmit the product image signal detected by the camera to the image processing system and convert it into a digital signal to the control system of the loading robot, providing position compensation and angle compensation information for the loading robot to place the product onto the tooling fixture.

8. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resistance measuring unit (9) includes a robot and a resistance test terminal installed on the robot. A defective product discharge unit is provided between the resistance measuring unit (9) and the power line welding unit (10), which includes a feeding robot and a defective product container. The feeding robot is electrically connected to the resistance test terminal and is used to control the feeding robot to grab the defective product and place it in the defective product container when the resistance test terminal detects an abnormal resistance value.

9. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fabric covering hot pressing and cutting unit (11) includes a lower film fabric feeding mechanism (112), an upper film fabric feeding mechanism (113), a hot pressing mechanism (114), and a pulling mechanism (116) arranged sequentially along the production line direction. A feeding robot (111) is provided on one side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism (112) to grab the product on the tooling of the second tooling conveyor line (200) and place it on the surface of the lower film fabric that is unwound and laid flat by the lower film fabric feeding mechanism. The upper film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism (113) is located on the output side of the lower film fabric feeding mechanism cutting mechanism (112) and is used to cover the product surface with the upper film fabric that is unwound by the upper film fabric feeding mechanism (113) to form a composite fabric. The composite fabric passes through the hot pressing mechanism (114) and is restrained by the reciprocating pulling mechanism (116).

10. The automated production process for graphene electrothermal film according to claim 9, characterized in that, The hot-press cutting unit (11) further includes a cutting mechanism (117) disposed on the output side of the hot-pressing mechanism. A pressing mechanism (115) is disposed between the cutting mechanism (117) and the hot-pressing mechanism (114) for the composite fabric to pass through and press it. The pressing mechanism (115) cooperates with the pulling mechanism (116) to fix the composite fabric when the cutting mechanism (117) performs cutting.

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