Full-automatic sorting system for ceramic balls

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of intelligent ceramic ball sorting, and particularly relates to a full-automatic ceramic ball sorting system which comprises a material input and conveying module, a height adjusting and horizontal conveying module, an impact treatment module, a multi-stage screening module, a weighing and metering module, an automatic packaging module and a central control module. According to the system, efficient sorting and automatic treatment of ceramic balls are achieved through intelligent control, and the whole process of lifting, conveying, detecting, grading, metering and packaging is covered. The central control module coordinates the operation logic and time sequence of all the modules, integrates the functions of dust control, sensor feedback closed loop network and the like, optimizes the sorting precision and efficiency, overcomes the defects in the aspects of adaptability, precision and cost control in the prior art, and can remarkably improve the automation level and overall performance of ceramic ball sorting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of intelligent ceramic ball sorting technology, specifically a fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system. Background Technology

[0002] The widespread application of ceramic balls in industry has driven higher demands for their sorting accuracy, efficiency, and automation. While existing ceramic ball sorting technologies have achieved basic sorting functions, there is still room for improvement in terms of automation level, sorting efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability, making it difficult to fully meet the needs of modern industry for efficient and intelligent sorting systems.

[0003] A search revealed a centrifugal device for sorting round balls, publication number CN109046992B, published on September 10, 2021. This patent achieves the sorting of ceramic balls through a centrifugal device. Its core structure includes a sorting disc, a sorting body, a rotating shaft, and a power unit, utilizing centrifugal force to separate ceramic balls according to size. However, this technical solution mainly relies on mechanical structures for sorting, lacking intelligent control methods, with limited automation capabilities, and poor adaptability to ceramic balls of different sizes, requiring manual adjustment of sorting parameters. Furthermore, when processing large batches of ceramic balls, the sorting efficiency may be limited, making it difficult to fully meet high-capacity demands.

[0004] A search revealed a patent, CN115930821B, which describes a multi-mode manipulation device and method for microspheres based on standing waves and modal switching, published on May 2, 2025. This patent utilizes standing waves and a piezoelectric drive module to achieve non-destructive, non-contact manipulation and sorting of microspheres, offering high sorting accuracy and flexibility. However, this technical solution primarily targets microsphere sorting, limiting its applicability and making it difficult to directly apply to the sorting of larger ceramic spheres. Furthermore, the sorting process requires microscope-assisted inspection, increasing system complexity and cost. Sorting speed may be affected by the inspection process, hindering its industrial application efficiency.

[0005] The above problems indicate that existing ceramic ball sorting technologies still have certain shortcomings in terms of automation, sorting efficiency, applicability, and cost control. Therefore, this invention provides a fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, at least one technical problem raised in the background art is solved.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: An automated ceramic ball sorting system, comprising a material input and conveying module, a height adjustment and horizontal conveying module, an impact treatment module, a multi-stage screening module, a weighing and metering module, an automated packaging module, and a central control module. The material input and conveying module receives the ceramic balls to be processed and lifts them from a ground reference height to the target processing height; the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module receives and conveys the ceramic balls to the next workstation; the impact treatment module performs impact detection and crushing / separation of the ceramic balls; the multi-stage screening module classifies the ceramic balls according to their geometric dimensions; the weighing and metering module accurately measures qualified ceramic balls; the automated packaging module automatically bags, seals, and codes the ceramic balls; and the central control module communicates bidirectionally with the sensors and actuators in each module via electrical control circuits and a communication bus to coordinate the operating logic and timing of each module.

[0008] Preferably, the material input and conveying module includes a material holding container with a specified volume and load-bearing capacity, a power lifting assembly, and a rigid frame structure. The material holding container is welded from steel plates and has anti-slip pads inside to reduce the rolling friction of ceramic balls during transportation. The power lifting assembly consists of a three-phase asynchronous motor, a worm gear reducer, and a high-strength steel wire rope. The three-phase asynchronous motor is mechanically connected to the input shaft of the worm gear reducer via a flexible coupling, and the output shaft of the worm gear reducer is mechanically connected to the drum. One end of the high-strength steel wire rope is firmly wound on the drum, and the other end is fixedly connected to the lifting lug of the material holding container via a shackle with anti-rotation function. The rigid frame structure is welded from Q235B steel, and linear guide rails are installed on the inner sides of its four columns. Slider blocks matching the linear guide rails are installed on the side walls of the material holding container to ensure that the material holding container rises and falls smoothly along a predetermined trajectory.

[0009] Preferably, the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module includes a variable-height support structure, a horizontal material conveying device, and four sets of electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms. The support structure consists of a fixed base and a liftable platform. The liftable platform is connected to the fixed base through the four sets of electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms. Each set of electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms consists of a servo motor, a ball screw pair, and a scissor linkage structure. The rotational motion of the servo motor is converted into linear reciprocating motion through the ball screw pair, driving the extension and retraction of the scissor linkage structure, thereby realizing the vertical lifting of the liftable platform. The horizontal material conveying device is an electromagnetic vibrating feeder. Its trough is made of 304 stainless steel and the surface is mirror-polished to reduce material conveying resistance and prevent material damage. The vibration amplitude and frequency of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder are steplessly adjusted through a central control module to control the conveying speed and flow rate of the ceramic ball material.

[0010] Preferably, the impact processing module includes an impact target plate made of high-manganese wear-resistant steel, at least one piezoelectric accelerometer, and an independent flipping mechanism. The impact surface of the impact target plate is hardened to a hardness of HRC50-60, and its tilt angle is between 30 and 60 degrees. This decomposes the vertical impact force of the ceramic ball into vertical and horizontal components, allowing the ceramic ball to slide smoothly towards the inlet of the multi-stage screening module after the collision. The piezoelectric accelerometer is fixedly installed on the back of the impact target plate to collect the vibration signal waveform generated by each ceramic ball collision event. The central control module has a built-in signal analysis algorithm that analyzes the amplitude, frequency, and duration of the vibration signal to identify ceramic balls with internal cracks or substandard strength, and generates alarm information or controls the downstream rejection mechanism to divert the broken material. The flipping mechanism is driven by a hydraulic cylinder. When the material container is raised to the top and aligned with the inlet of the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module, the flipping mechanism rotates the container 135 degrees around its horizontal axis, smoothly pouring the ceramic ball material onto the horizontal material conveying device.

[0011] Preferably, the multi-stage screening module includes a three-layer screen structure, two vibrating motors, and multiple material level sensors. The three-layer screen structure, from top to bottom, consists of a coarse screen, a finished product screen, and a fine screen, which respectively intercept oversized debris, qualified ceramic balls, and undersized ceramic balls. The two vibrating motors are symmetrically installed on both sides of the screen box, and their eccentric block phase angles are precisely set to generate composite linear or circular vibration trajectories. Each discharge port is equipped with a material level sensor controlled by a central control module to monitor the material accumulation in each discharge channel and prevent blockage. A blockage monitoring sensor is installed below the screen to determine whether the screen is blocked by monitoring the vibration mode changes in a specific area or by ultrasonic detection. If blockage is detected, an elastic ball bouncing cleaning device or a high-pressure air pulse backflushing device is activated for online blockage clearing.

[0012] Preferably, the weighing and metering module includes multiple weighing units, each corresponding to a qualified product output port of the multi-stage screening module. Each weighing unit consists of a high-precision weighing sensor, an aluminum alloy weighing hopper, and two pneumatic angle seat valves. The inner wall of the weighing hopper is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene to prevent material adhesion. The two pneumatic angle seat valves are located above and below the weighing hopper, respectively, and are controlled quickly and precisely by the central control module via independent solenoid valves. The weighing control process is as follows: First, the discharge gate is closed, and the inlet gate is opened for rapid coarse feeding at a high flow rate setting. When the weighing sensor detects that the weight reaches 95% of the preset target weight, the flow rate setting is switched to a low flow rate setting or jogging is performed to complete precise feeding. When the weight reaches 100% of the target value, the inlet gate is immediately closed. Upon receiving a request signal from the automated packaging module, the discharge gate is fully opened, rapidly discharging the precisely metered material into the packaging bag below.

[0013] Preferably, the automated packaging module includes a bag supply and positioning mechanism, a bag opening mechanism, a sealing mechanism, and a thermal transfer coding machine. The bag supply and positioning mechanism consists of a bag storage bin and a vacuum suction cup bag-picking robot. The bag-picking robot can pick up a bag from the bag storage bin at a time and convey it to the predetermined bag opening station. The bag opening mechanism consists of a pair of clamps and auxiliary air blowing nozzles. The clamps clamp the upper edge of the bag on both sides and pull the bag opening open through a separation movement. At the same time, the air blowing nozzles blow clean compressed air into the bag to make the bag opening fully open. The sealing mechanism is available in two types: one is for 25kg small packages, which are sealed with thread, and the other is for ton bags, which do not need to be sealed. As long as the weight is sufficient, the bag can be removed and replaced. Before the sealing operation, the thermal transfer coding machine prints information such as production date, batch number, and product specifications on the reserved position of the packaging bag.

[0014] Preferably, the core hardware of the central control module is a Siemens S7-1500 series programmable logic controller (PLC). This PLC exchanges data at high speed with the distributed I / O stations, servo drives, frequency converters, and human-machine interfaces of each module in the system via a PROFINET industrial Ethernet interface. The system is equipped with a 15-inch touch screen human-machine interface (HMI), through which the operator can monitor the real-time operating status of the entire system, including the speed of each motor, the values ​​of each sensor, the position of materials in each section, the production count of the current batch, and equipment fault alarm information. The operator can also modify and set key process parameters online, such as material lifting speed, impact drop height, screening vibration frequency, target packaging weight, heat sealing temperature and time, etc. The PLC control program has multiple operating modes embedded in it, including fully automatic operation mode, manual single-step operation mode, and equipment cleaning and maintenance mode.

[0015] Preferably, the material flow path between modules in the system is covered by a fully enclosed pipe or cover, and negative pressure dust collection ports are set at key dust-generating points. All dust collection ports are uniformly connected to a pulse bag dust collector through pipes, forming a dust control subsystem covering the entire system. In addition, the system integrates a comprehensive sensor and feedback control closed-loop network, including an optical image recognition unit, a hole blockage monitoring sensor, a finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale, and a metal detector. The optical image recognition unit consists of an industrial camera, an LED light source, and image processing software. It is used to detect the thickness, width, and presence of obvious foreign objects in the material flow before the material enters the impact treatment module, and feeds back the detection results to the central control module to dynamically adjust the vibration amplitude of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder. The finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale and the metal detector perform final quality confirmation on the sealed finished product packaging. Defective products are pushed to the defective product channel by an automatic rejection arm.

[0016] Preferably, the system integrates a comprehensive sensor and feedback control closed-loop network. In addition to the dedicated sensors mentioned in each module, this comprehensive sensor and feedback control closed-loop network further includes: an optical image recognition unit at the end of the horizontal material conveying device of the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module. This unit consists of an industrial camera, an LED light source, and image processing software. It is used to detect the thickness, width, and presence of obvious foreign objects in the material flow before the material enters the impact treatment module, and feeds the detection results back to the central control module to dynamically adjust the vibration amplitude of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder to achieve constant material flow control; a blockage monitoring sensor is installed below the screen of the multi-stage screening module. This sensor determines whether the screen is blocked by monitoring changes in vibration patterns in a specific area or by ultrasonic detection. Once a blockage is detected, the system automatically activates an elastic ball bouncing cleaning device or a high-pressure air pulse backflushing device configured below the screen for online unblocking; and a finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale and a metal detector are installed in the automated packaging module to perform final quality confirmation of the sealed finished product packaging. Defective products are automatically rejected and pushed to the defective product channel by the rejection arm.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. The fully automated ceramic ball sorting system of this invention achieves fully automated operation from material input, conveying, impact detection, screening, weighing to packaging through a central control module that coordinates and controls all modules. It solves the problems of existing technologies that rely on mechanical structures, lack intelligent control methods, and have limited automation capabilities. It eliminates the need for manual adjustment of sorting parameters, significantly reduces human intervention, and improves the stability and reliability of system operation.

[0019] 2. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system of this invention features optimized timing and logical coordination among its modules. The material input and conveying module can quickly lift a large number of ceramic balls to the processing height, while the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module can flexibly control the material conveying speed and flow rate. The vibrating motor of the multi-stage screening module generates a composite vibration trajectory, accelerating the screening speed and providing an online unblocking function to avoid the impact of blockage on efficiency. This effectively solves the problem of limited sorting efficiency in existing technologies when processing large quantities of ceramic balls, and can meet the high-capacity demands of modern industry.

[0020] 3. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system of this invention utilizes a piezoelectric accelerometer to collect vibration signals through an impact processing module, and identifies defective ceramic balls through a signal analysis algorithm in a central control module. The weighing and measurement module employs a high-precision weighing sensor and a precise control process to achieve accurate measurement of the ceramic balls. Simultaneously, the system integrates an optical image recognition unit, a finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale, and a metal detector to perform multi-stage quality inspection of the product. These features improve sorting accuracy, overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies in sorting precision, and ensure the quality of qualified ceramic balls.

[0021] 4. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system described in this invention features flexible design of its modules. The material input and conveying module can handle different quantities of ceramic balls, while the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module can adapt to ceramic balls of different specifications by adjusting the height and conveying parameters. The three-layer screen structure of the multi-stage screening module can classify ceramic balls of different sizes. Compared to the limitations of some existing solutions that are only suitable for micro-ball sorting, this system can adapt to the sorting of ceramic balls with a larger size range, thus improving the system's adaptability. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall framework of the fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Material input and conveying module; 2. Height adjustment and horizontal conveying module; 3. Impact treatment module; 4. Multi-stage screening module; 5. Weighing and metering module; 6. Automated packaging module; 7. Central control module; 8. Dust control subsystem; 9. Material flow path. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The specific implementation method of the fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system of the present invention is described in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1 Detailed explanation follows. (Attached) Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the overall system framework, including a material input and conveying module 1, a height adjustment and horizontal conveying module 2, an impact treatment module 3, a multi-stage screening module 4, a weighing and metering module 5, an automated packaging module 6, and a central control module 7. These modules are connected via enclosed pipes or enclosures to form a complete sorting and packaging production line. A material flow path 9 runs through the entire system, and a dust control subsystem 8 covers key dust-generating points to achieve environmentally friendly operations.

[0027] The material input and conveying module 1 consists of a rigid frame structure, a power lifting assembly, and a material holding container. The rigid frame structure is welded from Q235B steel, with linear guide rails installed on the inner sides of the four columns. The sliders of the linear guide rails are fixedly connected to the side walls of the material holding container to ensure that the container rises and falls smoothly along a predetermined trajectory. The power lifting assembly includes a three-phase asynchronous motor, a worm gear reducer, and a high-strength steel wire rope. The three-phase asynchronous motor is mechanically connected to the input shaft of the worm gear reducer via a flexible coupling, and the output shaft of the worm gear reducer is mechanically connected to the drum. One end of the high-strength steel wire rope is wound on the drum, and the other end is fixedly connected to the lifting lug of the material holding container via a shackle with anti-rotation function. The inside of the material holding container is equipped with anti-slip pads to reduce the rolling friction of ceramic balls. When the three-phase asynchronous motor starts, the worm gear reducer converts the rotational motion into the rotation of the drum, which in turn drives the high-strength steel wire rope to rise and fall, allowing the material holding container to rise and fall vertically along the linear guide rail to the target processing height.

[0028] The height adjustment and horizontal conveying module 2 consists of a variable height support structure, a horizontal material conveying device, and four sets of electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms. The variable height support structure includes a fixed base and a liftable platform. The liftable platform is connected to the fixed base via the four sets of electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms. Each electric push rod-scissor lift mechanism consists of a servo motor, a ball screw pair, and a scissor linkage structure. The servo motor drives the ball screw pair to convert rotary motion into linear reciprocating motion, thereby driving the scissor linkage structure to extend and retract, achieving vertical lifting of the liftable platform. The material conveying device adopts an electromagnetic vibrating feeder. Its trough is made of 304 stainless steel and has been mirror polished to reduce conveying resistance. The vibration amplitude and frequency of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder are infinitely adjustable by the PLC program in the central control module 7 to match the material conveying requirements under different working conditions. When the material container is raised to the top and aligned with the height adjustment and the inlet of the horizontal conveying module 2, the tilting mechanism is driven by the hydraulic cylinder to rotate the container 135 degrees around its horizontal axis, and smoothly pour the ceramic balls into the trough of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder.

[0029] The impact processing module 3 includes an impact target plate made of high-manganese wear-resistant steel, at least one piezoelectric accelerometer, and an independent flipping mechanism. The tilt angle of the impact target plate is between 30 and 60 degrees. Its impact surface is hardened to HRC50-60, which can withstand frequent collisions and is not easily worn. The piezoelectric accelerometer is fixedly installed on the back of the impact target plate to collect the vibration signal waveform generated by each ceramic ball collision event. The central control module 7 has a built-in signal analysis algorithm. By analyzing the amplitude, frequency, and duration of the vibration signal, it identifies ceramic balls with internal cracks or unqualified strength, and generates alarm information or controls the downstream rejection mechanism to divert the crushed material. The flipping mechanism is driven by a hydraulic cylinder. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is hinged to the bottom of the material container. When the container is lifted to a specified height, the hydraulic cylinder pushes the container to rotate 135 degrees around its horizontal axis, and smoothly tilts the ceramic ball to the next stage.

[0030] The multi-stage screening module 4 includes a three-layer screen structure, two vibrating motors, and multiple material level sensors. The three-layer screen structure consists of a coarse screen, a finished product screen, and a fine screen, which respectively intercept oversized debris, qualified ceramic balls, and undersized ceramic balls. The two vibrating motors are symmetrically installed on both sides of the screen box. Their eccentric block phase angles are precisely set to generate composite linear or circular vibration trajectories. Each discharge port is equipped with a material level sensor controlled by the central control module 7 to monitor the material accumulation in each discharge channel and prevent blockage. A blockage monitoring sensor is installed below the screen to determine whether the screen is blocked by monitoring the vibration mode change in a specific area or by ultrasonic detection. If a blockage is detected, an elastic ball bouncing cleaning device or a high-pressure air pulse backflushing device is activated for online blockage clearing.

[0031] The weighing and metering module 5 includes multiple weighing units, each corresponding to a qualified product output port of the multi-stage screening module 4. The weighing unit consists of a high-precision weighing sensor, an aluminum alloy weighing hopper, and two pneumatic angle seat valves. The inner wall of the weighing hopper is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene to prevent material adhesion. The two pneumatic angle seat valves are located above and below the weighing hopper, respectively, and are controlled by the central control module 7 through independent solenoid valves for rapid and precise switching. The weighing control process is as follows: first, the discharge gate is closed and the inlet gate is opened to quickly feed material at a large flow rate setting. When the weighing sensor detects that the weight reaches 95% of the preset target weight, the flow rate setting is switched to a small flow rate setting or the jog is turned on to complete precise feeding. When the weight reaches 100% of the target value, the inlet gate is immediately closed. After receiving a request signal from the automated packaging module 6, the discharge gate is instructed to open fully to quickly discharge the precisely metered material into the packaging bag below.

[0032] The automated packaging module 6 includes a bag supply and positioning mechanism, a bag opening mechanism, a sealing mechanism, and a thermal transfer coding machine. The bag supply and positioning mechanism consists of a bag storage bin and a vacuum suction cup bag-picking robot. The bag-picking robot can pick up a bag from the storage bin at a time and transport it to the predetermined bag opening station. The bag opening mechanism consists of a pair of clamps and auxiliary air nozzles. The clamps clamp the upper edge of the bag on both sides and pull the bag opening open through a separation movement. At the same time, the air nozzles blow clean compressed air into the bag to make the bag opening fully open. The sealing mechanism is available in two types: one is for 25kg small packages, which are sealed with thread, and the other is for ton bags, which do not need to be sealed. As long as the weight is sufficient, the bag can be removed and replaced. Before the sealing operation, the thermal transfer coding machine prints information such as the production date, batch number, and product specifications in the reserved position on the packaging bag.

[0033] The core hardware of the central control module 7 is a Siemens S7-1500 series programmable logic controller (PLC). This PLC exchanges data at high speed with the distributed I / O stations, servo drives, frequency converters, and human-machine interfaces of various modules in the system via a PROFINET industrial Ethernet interface. The system is equipped with a 15-inch touchscreen HMI, through which operators can monitor the real-time operating status of the entire system, including the speed of each motor, the values ​​of each sensor, the position of materials in each section, the current batch production count, and equipment fault alarm information. Operators can also modify and set key process parameters online, such as material lifting speed, impact drop height, screening vibration frequency, target packaging weight, heat sealing temperature and time, etc. The PLC control program has multiple operating modes embedded, including fully automatic operation mode, manual single-step operation mode, and equipment cleaning and maintenance mode.

[0034] The dust control subsystem 8 covers all key dust-generating points in the system. The material flow paths 9 between modules are covered by fully enclosed pipes or covers. All dust collection ports are connected to a pulse bag filter through pipes. The system integrates a comprehensive sensor and feedback control closed-loop network, including an optical image recognition unit, a hole blockage monitoring sensor, a finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale, and a metal detector. The optical image recognition unit consists of an industrial camera, an LED light source, and image processing software. It is used to detect the thickness and width of the material and the presence of obvious foreign objects before the material enters the impact treatment module 3, and feeds back the detection results to the central control module 7 to dynamically adjust the vibration amplitude of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder. The finished product packaging weight re-inspection scale and the metal detector perform final quality confirmation on the sealed finished product packaging. Unqualified products are pushed to the defective product channel by an automatic rejection arm.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, in order to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and implement the present invention, the specific implementation principle of the present invention will be further explained below in conjunction with a specific application scenario.

[0036] First, when the material input and conveying module 1 starts, the three-phase asynchronous motor drives the worm gear reducer through the flexible coupling, converting the rotational motion into the rotation of the drum. Under the winding and unwinding action of the drum, the high-strength steel wire rope drives the material container to rise and fall smoothly along the linear guide rail inside the rigid frame structure. When the material container rises to the designated height, the hydraulic cylinder drives the tilting mechanism to rotate the container 135 degrees around its horizontal axis. The ceramic ball material is then poured into the electromagnetic vibrating feeder trough of the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module 2. This process ensures the accurate transfer of material from the ground reference height to the target processing height, while avoiding material damage caused by rolling friction.

[0037] Subsequently, the servo motor in the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module 2 drives the ball screw pair to convert the rotational motion into linear reciprocating motion, thereby driving the scissor linkage structure to extend and retract, realizing the vertical lifting of the lifting platform. The electromagnetic vibrating feeder conveys the ceramic ball material to the impact processing module 3 at a controllable speed according to the vibration amplitude and frequency set by the central control module 7. During this process, the optical image recognition unit detects the thickness, width and foreign objects of the material flow and feeds the results back to the central control module 7 to dynamically adjust the working parameters of the electromagnetic vibrating feeder to ensure the stability and uniformity of the material conveying.

[0038] After entering the impact processing module 3, the ceramic ball material slides down along the high-manganese wear-resistant steel impact target plate with an inclination angle between 30 and 60 degrees and collides with the target plate. The piezoelectric accelerometer collects the vibration signal waveform generated by each collision event. The central control module 7 analyzes the signal amplitude, frequency and duration through the built-in algorithm to identify ceramic balls with internal cracks or unqualified strength. For unqualified products, the central control module 7 generates an alarm message and controls the downstream rejection mechanism to divert them, thereby completing the initial screening of the integrity of the ceramic balls.

[0039] Next, the two vibrating motors in the multi-stage screening module 4 generate composite linear or circular vibration trajectories through precise setting of the phase angle of the eccentric blocks, causing the ceramic ball material to flow in stages on the three-layer screen structure. The coarse screen intercepts oversized impurities, the finished product screen separates ceramic balls of qualified size, and the fine screen removes ceramic balls that are too small. The material level sensor equipped at each discharge port monitors the material accumulation in real time to prevent blockage. If the blockage monitoring sensor detects screen blockage, it will activate the elastic ball bouncing cleaning device or the high-pressure air pulse backflushing device to clear the blockage online, ensuring the continuity and efficiency of the screening process.

[0040] After multi-stage screening, the qualified ceramic balls enter the weighing and metering module 5. The high-precision weighing sensor in the weighing unit monitors the weight of the material in real time. First, the discharge gate is closed and the feed gate is opened. The material is quickly coarsely fed at a large flow rate. When the weight reaches 95% of the preset target weight, the flow rate is switched to a small flow rate or jogging is used to complete the precise fine feeding. When the weight reaches 100% of the target value, the feed gate is immediately closed. After receiving the request signal from the automated packaging module 6, the discharge gate is instructed to open fully, and the precisely metered material is quickly discharged into the packaging bag below, thereby achieving precise metering of the qualified ceramic balls.

[0041] In the automated packaging module 6, the vacuum suction cup bag-picking robot picks up a packaging bag from the storage bin and conveys it to the predetermined bag-opening station. The bag-opening mechanism's pair of clamps hold the upper edge of the packaging bag on both sides and pulls the bag opening open through a separation motion. The auxiliary air-blowing nozzle blows clean compressed air into the bag to fully open the bag opening. After the material is filled, the constant temperature heat-sealing strip of the sealing mechanism closes and clamps the bag opening under the drive of the pneumatic pressurization device. The packaging bag is melt-sealed by setting the temperature and time. Before the sealing operation, the heat transfer coding machine prints information such as the production date, batch number, and product specifications in the reserved position on the packaging bag, completing the automatic bagging, sealing, and coding process.

[0042] Throughout the system's operation, the central control module 7 exchanges data at high speed with the distributed I / O stations, servo drives, frequency converters, and human-machine interfaces of each module via the PROFINET industrial Ethernet interface. Operators can monitor the system's real-time operating status through a touchscreen HMI and modify and set key process parameters online. The dust control subsystem 8 covers all key dust-generating points, and the material flow paths between modules are covered by fully enclosed pipes or covers. All dust collection ports are uniformly connected to pulse bag dust collectors to ensure environmentally friendly operations. In addition, finished product packaging weight re-inspection scales and metal detectors perform final quality confirmation on sealed finished product packaging, and non-conforming products are pushed to the defective product channel by an automatic rejection arm.

[0043] Through the above steps, this invention optimizes the overall performance of ceramic ball sorting by integrating intelligent control, efficient sorting mechanism and wide applicability, improves sorting efficiency and automation level, and solves the shortcomings of existing technologies in sorting accuracy, adaptability and cost control.

[0044] All content not described in detail in this specification is prior art known to those skilled in the art, and the model parameters of each electrical appliance are not specifically limited; conventional equipment can be used. Electrical control components not mentioned in this technical solution are prior art and are therefore not shown in the figures, nor will they be described further here.

[0045] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system, characterized in that, include: The material input and conveying module is configured to receive batches of ceramic ball materials and lift them to the target processing height. It includes a material holding container, a power lifting assembly, and a rigid frame structure. The power lifting assembly includes a first power source, a transmission mechanism, and a flexible traction component. The first power source drives the flexible traction component through the transmission mechanism to move the material holding container up and down. The height adjustment and horizontal conveying module is connected in series downstream of the material input and conveying module. It receives materials and can autonomously adjust the overall height to convey the materials to the next work station along a preset trajectory. It includes a variable height support structure and a horizontal material conveying device set on the support structure. The impact treatment module, located at the material output end of the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module, causes ceramic balls to collide with the impact surface to remove weak balls. It includes an impact target plate, the position of which is fixed, and the material drop height is controlled by the height adjustment and horizontal conveying module. The multi-stage screening module collects the impacted material and screens it, including at least two layers of vertically stacked screens with different mesh sizes and a vibration drive mechanism. The vibration drive mechanism drives the screens to vibrate to achieve material separation. The weighing and metering module accurately measures qualified ceramic balls and includes at least one weighing unit, which contains a high-precision weighing sensor, a weighing hopper and a gate mechanism. The automated packaging module, located downstream of the weighing and metering module, packs and seals the qualified ceramic balls after metering, and includes a bag supply and positioning mechanism, a bag opening mechanism, a material conduit, and a sealing mechanism. The central control module is connected to the executable components and sensors of each module through electrical lines and communication buses. It coordinates the operation of the system based on preset programs and real-time data to automate the sorting process.

2. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The primary power source of the power lifting assembly is a three-phase asynchronous motor with an electromagnetic brake. The transmission mechanism is a worm gear reducer, whose input shaft is connected to the motor output shaft via a flexible coupling, and the output shaft is connected to a drum. The flexible traction component is a high-strength steel wire rope, with one end fixed to the drum and the other end connected to the material container via an anti-rotation shackle. The rigid frame structure is welded from Q235B steel and includes columns, beams, and diagonal braces. An installation platform is provided on the top, linear guide rails are provided on the inner side of the columns, and matching sliders are provided on the side walls of the material container.

3. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second lifting mechanism consists of four sets of synchronized electric push rod-scissor lift mechanisms, symmetrically distributed at the four corners below the liftable platform. Each set includes a servo motor, a ball screw pair, and a scissor linkage structure. The servo motor drives the scissor linkage structure to extend and retract via the ball screw pair. The horizontal material conveying device is an electromagnetic vibrating feeder with a trough made of 304 stainless steel and mirror polished. The vibration amplitude and frequency can be steplessly adjusted.

4. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impact target plate is cast from high manganese wear-resistant steel, and its surface hardness reaches HRC50-60 after quenching. It is inclined at 30-60 degrees. At least one piezoelectric acceleration sensor is installed on the back of the impact target plate. The central control module analyzes the vibration signal collected by the sensor and compares it with the benchmark to identify abnormal breakage signals and generate alarms or control diversions.

5. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-stage screening module contains three layers of screens, from top to bottom: coarse screen, finished product screen, and fine screen. The finished product screen has a larger screen aperture than the fine screen. The vibration drive mechanism consists of two symmetrically installed vibration motors with precisely set eccentric block phase angles. Each discharge port is equipped with a material level sensor.

6. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weighing hopper is made of lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloy, with its inner wall coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. The gate mechanism includes an inlet gate and an outlet gate, both of which are pneumatic angle seat valves controlled by a central control module via solenoid valves. The weighing process is as follows: the outlet gate is closed, the inlet gate coarsely feeds the material to 95% of the target weight, then switches to fine feeding, and closes the inlet gate after the target is reached. Upon receiving a packaging request, the outlet gate is opened to discharge the material.

7. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The packaging bag supply and positioning mechanism includes a bag storage compartment and a vacuum suction cup bag-picking robot; the bag opening mechanism includes a clamping plate and an air blowing nozzle, the clamping plate pulls open the bag mouth, and the nozzle blows air to assist in opening; the sealing mechanism is adapted to 25kg small package line sealing and ton bag unsealed mode; and an integrated thermal transfer coding machine is used to print the production date, batch number and product specifications.

8. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The core of the central control module is a programmable logic controller (PLC), which communicates with distributed I / O stations, servo drives, etc. via a PROFINET interface; it is equipped with a 15-inch touch screen human-machine interface, which can monitor the operating status and modify process parameters; and it has fixed fully automatic, manual single-step, and cleaning and maintenance modes.

9. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each module's material flow path is equipped with a closed pipe or cover. Key dust-generating points such as the impact treatment module and multi-stage screening module are equipped with negative pressure dust suction ports, which are connected to a pulse bag dust collector to form a dust control subsystem. The material holding container has an automatic tilting function, which tilts the material 135 degrees after being lifted to the top and then tilting it to pour out the material.

10. The fully automatic ceramic ball sorting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Integrated sensor and feedback control closed-loop network: An optical image recognition unit is installed at the end of the horizontal material conveying device to detect the material flow status and adjust the conveying flow rate; a blockage monitoring sensor is installed below the screen of the multi-stage screening module to activate the online unblocking device when blockage occurs; The automated packaging module is equipped with a finished product re-inspection scale and a metal detector, which automatically rejects unqualified products.

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