Molten steel granulation shot material detection device and method based on machine vision

Abstract

The invention discloses a molten steel granulation shot material detection device and method based on machine vision, and relates to the technical field of quality inspection. The molten steel granulation shot material detection device based on machine vision comprises a detection conveying mechanism and a grabbing mechanism, the grabbing mechanism is used for grabbing and putting steel shots into the detection conveying mechanism for visual detection and taking out unqualified steel shots, and a visual detection structure is arranged on the detection conveying mechanism to scan the steel shots for flaw detection. Automatic detection of molten steel granulation shots is achieved through the machine vision technology, manual intervention is not needed in the whole process from discharging and conveying of the shots to image collection and data processing, and the labor intensity is greatly reduced. And in the conveying process, the operations of uniform feeding arrangement, transfer, detection and blanking output of the steel shots can be realized only by controlling the arrangement transfer mechanism to work, and the work is coherent and high in efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of quality inspection technology, specifically to a machine vision-based device and method for detecting molten steel pellets. Background Technology

[0002] In the shot production process, the dimensional accuracy, shape regularity, and surface defects of the shot formed by molten steel granulation have a crucial impact on its performance in subsequent applications. For example, in shot blasting surface treatment, substandard shot can lead to decreased product performance and reduced production efficiency. Traditional steel granulation shot inspection mainly relies on manual inspection, with inspectors relying on visual observation or simple tools. This method is not only labor-intensive and inefficient but also highly susceptible to human factors, making it difficult to guarantee the accuracy and consistency of the inspection results.

[0003] Currently, the most common surface defect detection technology is visual inspection, such as the steel ball surface defect visual inspection machine disclosed in publication number CN119936034A. This machine includes a main body with a steel ball placement hopper at the top. The inner cavity of the main body is equipped with multiple conveying mechanisms connected to the bottom of the hopper for visual inspection of the steel balls. CCD camera inspection modules are fixed on both sides of the main body. This invention relates to the field of steel ball visual inspection technology. In this steel ball surface defect visual inspection machine, as the steel balls are conveyed downwards, they continuously rotate, turning the side previously obscured by the guide frames towards the gap between the two guide frames. This ensures that each side is exposed between the two guide frames, facilitating visual inspection by the CCD camera inspection module. It can quickly and effectively inspect large quantities of steel balls from all sides, and allows for rapid adjustment of the steel ball positions, effectively guaranteeing the inspection results.

[0004] However, as shown in the above technology, it involves the steel balls falling freely and flipping during the process. The falling process is relatively fast, the detection time is short, and it is also necessary to deal with the afterimages caused by the rapid fall. This places high demands on image processing, increases the difficulty, and is prone to missed detection. In addition, it can only detect one row of steel balls at a time, and it needs to be clamped and flipped in the middle, which is relatively inefficient. After detecting defective products, it is not easy to accurately remove them. For large-scale detection, it is necessary to further improve the detection efficiency and detection accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a machine vision-based device and method for detecting granulated steel shot, which solves the problems that still exist in existing steel shot surface defect detection devices.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a machine vision-based steel shot granulation inspection device, comprising an inspection conveying mechanism and a gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism is used to grip and place steel shot into the inspection conveying mechanism for visual inspection and to remove defective steel shot. The inspection conveying mechanism is equipped with a visual inspection structure to scan the steel shot for defect detection. The inspection conveying mechanism includes: A conveying mechanism is used to output the tested steel shot. The bottom and top of the conveying mechanism are respectively fixedly connected to a first frame and an upper frame. The left side of the upper frame is the feeding station, and the right side is the testing station. The arrangement and transfer mechanism is used to receive steel shot at the loading station and transfer it to the inspection station for visual inspection. After moving to the inspection station, the steel shot is driven to rotate by the conveying mechanism. The feeding hopper is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper frame and is used to receive the steel shot grabbed by the gripping mechanism and evenly distribute it onto the arrangement and transfer mechanism. The arrangement and transfer mechanism includes a square frame and several rollers arranged in parallel on its inner side. The ends of the rollers are pulled closer together by an elastic structure. The front and rear sides of the square frame are longitudinally slidably connected with pressure plates that press down on the ends of the rollers to increase the distance between the rollers. The increased distance between the rollers causes the steel shot to fall onto the conveying mechanism for output. Rubber wheels are also fixedly connected to the ends of the rollers. As the arrangement and transfer mechanism moves to the right, it descends simultaneously, causing the rubber wheels to contact the conveyor belt of the conveying mechanism to drive the rollers and steel shot to rotate.

[0007] Preferably, the roller includes intermittently arranged inclined sections and annular grooves. The inclined sections have a larger diameter in the middle and a smaller diameter at the end near the annular groove. An adhesive film is nested inside the inner surface of the annular groove. Both ends of the roller extend to the outside of the frame. The elastic structure is an elastic band. Several positioning rings fitted onto the ends of the roller are fixedly connected through the surface of the elastic band. Both ends of the roller, located between the rubber wheel and the elastic band, are rotatably fitted with limiting plates. The width of the limiting plates is greater than the diameter of the rubber wheel so that the rubber wheels do not contact each other when the rollers come together.

[0008] Preferably, the arrangement and transfer mechanism further includes two sets of symmetrically arranged guide plates at the front and rear. The guide plates are fixed to the upper frame by brackets that run horizontally through the left and right ends. Guide grooves are provided on opposite sides of the guide plates. Horizontal shafts are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the front and rear of the frame, and rollers are rotatably sleeved at the ends of the horizontal shafts. The rollers roll in the guide grooves.

[0009] Preferably, a lead screw is rotatably connected to the inner side of the guide plate, and a threaded block is fitted onto the outer thread of the lead screw. Short slide rails are fixedly connected to both the front and rear sides of the frame, and the short slide rails slide longitudinally with the threaded block. A connecting shaft is connected through the right ends of the guide plates, and the right ends of the two lead screws are meshed with the connecting shaft through a bevel gear set. A servo motor is fixedly connected to the rear side of the conveying mechanism, and the drive shaft of the servo motor is connected to the connecting shaft through a pulley assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the ends of the left and right rollers are extended, and the left and right corners of the bottom of the pressure plate are provided with bevels. The left and right rollers are separated by pressing outward through the bevels. The four corners of the top of the frame are fixedly connected with guide rods. The top of the pressure plate is bent and sleeved on the outside of the guide rods. A spring is sleeved on the surface of the guide rods and at the bottom of the bent part of the pressure plate. A telescopic pressure rod is fixedly connected to the bottom left side of the feeding hopper, and a pressure strip is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the telescopic pressure rod for pressing down the pressure plate.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the feeding hopper is a slope that is higher on the left and lower on the right, and a discharge port is opened on the right side of the bottom. Multiple sets of positioning partitions are fixedly connected at intervals inside the bottom of the feeding hopper. The gaps between the positioning partitions correspond to the annular grooves of the rollers. A slope plate that is lower on the left and higher on the right is fixedly connected in the middle inside the feeding hopper. A gap is left between the left side of the slope plate and the feeding hopper for steel shot to pass through. A cotton board is pasted on the top of the slope plate, and several protrusions are evenly arranged on the top of the cotton board to disperse the steel shot. A top cover is provided on the left side of the top of the feeding hopper.

[0012] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes two side plates fixedly connected to a first frame, with a telescopic frame slidably connected to the left side of the two side plates. A plurality of guide rollers are rotatably connected to the inner sides of both the telescopic frame and the side plates, and a drive roller is rotatably connected between the two side plates. A conveyor belt is driven between the guide rollers and the drive roller. A first motor is fixedly connected through the rear side plate, and the output shaft of the first motor is driven by the drive roller via a pulley assembly. A first track bar and a first slider are fixedly connected to both the front and rear sides of the telescopic frame. A second slider and a second track bar, respectively slidably connected to the first track bar and the first slider, are fixedly connected to the inner side of the side plates. A movable shaft extends through the front and rear of the inner right side of the telescopic frame, with gears fixedly connected to both ends of the movable shaft. A rack meshing with the gears is fixedly connected to the inner side of the side plates. A second motor is fixedly connected inside the telescopic frame, and the output shaft of the second motor is driven by the movable shaft via a pulley assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the gripping mechanism is a robotic arm, with a second frame fixedly connected to the bottom of the robotic arm. A pneumatic gripper is connected to the end of the robotic arm, and a groove for accommodating steel shot is provided on the inner side of the pneumatic gripper. An electromagnetic column is fixedly connected to the other end of the pneumatic gripper, and the end of the electromagnetic column is set as a hemispherical concave structure to pick up defective steel shot by electromagnetic force.

[0014] Preferably, a control console is provided on the right side of the first rack, and a control screen is installed on the control console; A top plate is fixedly connected to the top right side of the upper frame. The vision inspection structure includes industrial cameras installed on the front and rear sides of the upper frame and at the bottom of the top plate. The front and rear sets of industrial cameras are also connected to a malleable metal tube. A rotating seat is fixedly connected to the bottom of the malleable metal tube. A four-corner stud is threaded to the bottom of the rotating seat, and the head of the four-corner stud is slidably connected to the steel groove of the upper frame.

[0015] This invention also discloses a machine vision-based method for detecting molten steel pellets, comprising the following steps: S1. The steel shot is grabbed and placed into the hopper of the inspection conveying mechanism using the grabbing mechanism. The steel shot falls and is dispersed onto the rollers of the arrangement and transfer mechanism. S2. Move the arrangement and transfer mechanism to the right and lower the contact conveyor belt. Use the power of the conveyor belt to drive the drum to rotate, which in turn drives the steel shot to rotate. Use the vision inspection structure to perform comprehensive vision inspection. S3. After the test is completed, for the unqualified steel shot, control the gripping mechanism to take it out and collect it separately, and then control the arrangement and transfer mechanism to reset. After rising and separating from the conveyor belt, the pressure plate presses down on the end of the roller to increase the roller spacing, and then discharges the steel shot downward to the conveyor mechanism for output.

[0016] This invention provides a machine vision-based device and method for detecting molten steel pellets. Compared with existing technologies, it has the following advantages: 1. This machine vision-based steel shot granulation material inspection device automates the inspection of steel shot granulation material using machine vision technology. From shot feeding and conveying to image acquisition and data processing, the entire process requires no manual intervention, significantly reducing labor intensity. During conveying, only the arrangement and transfer mechanism needs to be controlled to achieve uniform feeding, transfer, inspection, and output of steel shot, resulting in smooth and efficient operation. During inspection, advanced image processing algorithms and high-resolution image acquisition ensure sub-millimeter accuracy, effectively reducing missed detections and misjudgments. Simultaneously, the inspection results can be fed back to the production system in real time, facilitating timely adjustments to granulation process parameters and improving the quality control level of shot production. It is highly practical and suitable for large-scale industrial production applications.

[0017] 2. This machine vision-based steel pelleting inspection device features a specially designed roller that evenly disperses the steel shot falling onto it. Shots that don't fall into the annular groove are scraped off by the bottom of the hopper during subsequent translation and fall into the next annular groove. This dispersed arrangement prevents the shot from obstructing each other and affecting subsequent visual inspection. By descending during translation, the roller's end roller presses against the conveyor belt, allowing the shot to rotate automatically without additional power. The shot's stationary rotation makes it easier to identify and remove defective shots. Simultaneous inspection of a large number of distributed shot is also highly efficient, enabling comprehensive testing. Furthermore, the roller's horizontally flexible sliding design, combined with a downward pressing structure, allows for automatic discharge of the shot, eliminating the need for individual removal and significantly improving efficiency. The overall transfer and inspection operation is simple and efficient.

[0018] 3. This machine vision-based steel pelleting material detection device, through the modification of the feeding hopper, allows the falling steel shot to first pass through the buffer of the cotton plate and the dispersion of the protrusions, and then be concentrated to one side with the help of the inclined surface, and then dispersed between multiple sets of positioning partitions, so that the falling steel shot is relatively evenly distributed back and forth, which facilitates the subsequent even distribution of steel shot on the roller.

[0019] 4. This machine vision-based steel pelletizing material inspection device features a conveyor mechanism that supports the conveyor belt with a retractable split frame. The conveyor belt can be extended by moving the telescopic frame, thereby extending the conveying length. The length of the conveyor belt can be flexibly adjusted according to the site or other layout requirements to meet more needs.

[0020] 5. This machine vision-based steel pelleting material inspection device integrates a pneumatic gripper and an electromagnetic column on the robotic arm. The pneumatic gripper can grab multiple steel pellets at once for feeding, while the electromagnetic column can precisely magnetically attract individual steel pellets, thereby rejecting unqualified steel pellets. The two work together to enable one robotic arm to perform two functions. Only the rotation angle of the pneumatic gripper needs to be controlled, making the structure simple and practical. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a rear perspective view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the loading station of the arrangement and transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the detection station of the arrangement and transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the arrangement and transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the arrangement and transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an exploded view of a partial structure of the arrangement and transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the pressure plate of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the guide plate of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the feeding hopper of the present invention; Figure 12 The positioning partition of the present invention; Figure 13 For the present invention Figure 11 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying mechanism of the present invention; Figure 15 This is a front view of the interior of the conveying mechanism of the present invention; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic gripper and electromagnetic column of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the side-mounted industrial camera of the present invention; Figure 18 This is a flowchart of the visual inspection process for steel shot according to the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1-First rack, 2-Control console, 3-Control panel; 4-Conveying mechanism, 41-Conveyor belt, 42-Telescopic frame, 43-Guide roller, 44-Drive roller, 45-First motor, 46-First track bar, 47-Side plate, 48-First slider, 49-Second slider, 410-Second track bar, 411-Moving shaft, 412-Gear, 413-Rack, 414-Second motor; 5. Mount the rack; 6-Arrangement and transfer mechanism, 61-Square frame, 62-Roller, 621-Inclined section, 622-Annular groove, 623-Glue film, 63-Pressure plate, 631-Inclined angle, 64-Glue wheel, 65-Elastic band, 66-Positioning ring, 67-Limiting plate, 68-Guide plate, 69-Bracket, 610-Guide groove, 611-Horizontal shaft, 612-Roller, 613-Screw rod, 614-Threaded block, 615-Short slide rail, 616-Connecting shaft, 617-Bevel gear set, 618-Servo motor, 619-Guide rod, 620-Spring; 7-Feeding hopper, 71-Positioning partition, 72-Inclined plate, 73-Cotton board, 74-Protrusion, 75-Top cover; 8-Telescopic pressure bar, 9-Pressure strip; 10-Robotic arm, 101-Pneumatic gripper, 102-Electromagnetic column; 11-Second frame, 12-Top plate, 13-Industrial camera, 14-Moldable metal tube, 15-Rotating seat, 16-Four corner studs. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] See Figures 1-18 This invention discloses a machine vision-based device and method for detecting molten steel pellets, and provides the following five technical solutions: The first implementation method includes a detection conveying mechanism and a gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism is used to grip and put steel shot into the detection conveying mechanism for visual inspection and to remove unqualified steel shot. The detection conveying mechanism is equipped with a visual inspection structure to scan steel shot for defect detection. A control console 2 is provided on the right side of the first frame 1, and a control screen 3 is installed on the control console 2. A top plate 12 is fixedly connected to the top right side of the upper frame 5. The vision inspection structure includes industrial cameras 13 installed on the front and rear sides of the upper frame 5 and at the bottom of the top plate 12. The front and rear sets of industrial cameras 13 are also connected to malleable metal tubes 14. A rotating seat 15 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the malleable metal tube 14. A four-corner stud 16 is threaded to the bottom of the rotating seat 15, and the head of the four-corner stud 16 is slidably connected to the steel groove of the upper frame 5. The steel groove can restrict the rotation of the four-corner stud 16, and the position of the industrial camera 13 can be moved and adjusted after loosening. The inspection and conveying mechanism includes: The conveying mechanism 4 is used to output the tested steel shot. The bottom and top of the conveying mechanism 4 are respectively fixedly connected to the first frame 1 and the upper frame 5. The left side of the upper frame 5 is the feeding station, and the right side is the testing station. The arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 is used to receive steel shot in a distributed manner at the loading station and transfer it to the inspection station for visual inspection. After moving to the inspection station, the steel shot is driven to rotate by the conveying mechanism 4. The feeding hopper 7 is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper frame 5 and is used to receive the steel shot grabbed by the gripping mechanism and evenly distribute it onto the arrangement and transfer mechanism 6. The arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 includes a frame 61 and several rollers 62 arranged in parallel on its inner side. The ends of the rollers 62 are pulled closer together by an elastic structure. The front and rear sides of the frame 61 are longitudinally slidably connected with pressure plates 63 that press down on the ends of the rollers 62 to increase the distance between the rollers 62. The increased distance between the rollers 62 causes the steel shot to fall onto the conveyor mechanism 4 for output. The ends of the rollers 62 are also fixedly connected with rubber wheels 64. When the arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 moves to the right, it descends at the same time, so that the rubber wheels 64 contact the conveyor belt 41 of the conveyor mechanism 4 to drive the rollers 62 and the steel shot to rotate.

[0025] Automated inspection of steel shot pellets is achieved through machine vision technology. From shot feeding and conveying to image acquisition and data processing, the entire process requires no manual intervention, significantly reducing labor intensity. During conveying, only the arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 needs to be controlled to achieve uniform feeding, transfer, inspection, and output of steel shot, resulting in a smooth and efficient workflow. During inspection, advanced image processing algorithms and high-resolution image acquisition ensure sub-millimeter accuracy, effectively reducing missed detections and false positives. Simultaneously, inspection results can be fed back to the production system in real time, facilitating timely adjustments to granulation process parameters and improving the quality control level of shot production. This highly practical approach is suitable for large-scale industrial production applications.

[0026] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: the roller 62 includes intermittently arranged inclined sections 621 and annular grooves 622. The inclined section 621 has a large diameter in the middle and a small diameter at the end near the annular groove 622. A rubber film 623 is nested inside the inner surface of the annular groove 622. Both ends of the roller 62 extend to the outside of the frame 61. The elastic structure is an elastic band 65. Several positioning rings 66 are fixedly connected through the surface of the elastic band 65 and sleeved on the ends of the roller 62. When the elastic band 65 stretches, it stretches relatively uniformly as a whole, thereby making each roller 62 expand the distance relatively uniformly. Both ends of the roller 62 and located between the rubber wheel 64 and the elastic band 65 are rotatably fitted with limiting plates 67. The width of the limiting plates 67 is greater than the diameter of the rubber wheel 64 so that the rubber wheels 64 do not contact each other when the rollers 62 come together.

[0027] The arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 also includes two sets of symmetrically arranged guide plates 68. The guide plates 68 are fixed to the upper frame 5 by brackets 69 that pass through the left and right ends laterally. Guide grooves 610 are provided on opposite sides of the guide plates 68. Horizontal shafts 611 are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the front and rear of the frame 61, and rollers 612 are rotatably sleeved at the end of the horizontal shafts 611. The rollers 612 roll in the guide grooves 610.

[0028] A lead screw 613 is rotatably connected to the inner side of the guide plate 68. A threaded block 614 is threaded onto the outer side of the lead screw 613. Short slide rails 615 are fixedly connected to both the front and rear sides of the square frame 61. The short slide rails 615 and the threaded block 614 slide longitudinally. A connecting shaft 616 is connected through the right ends of the guide plate 68. The right ends of the two lead screws 613 are connected to the connecting shaft 616 through a bevel gear set 617. A servo motor 618 is fixedly connected to the rear side of the conveying mechanism 4. The drive shaft of the servo motor 618 is connected to the connecting shaft 616 through a pulley assembly.

[0029] The ends of the two rollers 62 are extended. The bottom of the pressure plate 63 has beveled corners 631 at the left and right corners. The two rollers 62 are separated by pressing them outward through the beveled corners 631. The four corners of the top of the frame 61 are fixedly connected to guide rods 619. The top of the pressure plate 63 is bent and sleeved on the outside of the guide rods 619. A spring 620 is sleeved on the surface of the guide rods 619 and at the bottom of the bent part of the pressure plate 63. A telescopic pressure rod 8 is fixedly connected to the bottom left side of the feeding hopper 7. The telescopic pressure rod 8 is a telescopic drive component such as an electric push rod, cylinder, or hydraulic rod. A pressure strip 9 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the telescopic pressure rod 8 for pressing down the pressure plate 63.

[0030] By specially designing the roller 62, the steel shot falling onto it can be evenly dispersed. Steel shot that does not fall into the annular groove 622 will be scraped off by the bottom of the hopper 7 during subsequent translation and fall into the next row of annular grooves 622. The dispersed arrangement of steel shot can avoid mutual obstruction and affect subsequent visual inspection. By descending during translation, the rubber wheel 64 at the end of the roller 62 can press against the conveyor belt 41, thereby driving the steel shot to rotate automatically without the need for additional power, and performing comprehensive inspection. The steel shot rotates in place, making it easier to identify, and it is also easier to remove the defective ones. At the same time, the simultaneous inspection of a large number of steel shot arrays is also highly efficient. By setting the roller 62 to be horizontally elastically sliding, combined with the squeezing of the downward pressing structure, the roller 62 can be separated to automatically discharge the steel shot, eliminating the need to remove them one by one, greatly improving efficiency. The overall transfer and inspection operation is simple and efficient.

[0031] The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: the bottom of the feeding hopper 7 is a slope with the left side higher than the right side, and a discharge port is opened on the right side of the bottom. Multiple sets of positioning partitions 71 are fixedly connected at intervals inside the bottom of the feeding hopper 7. The gaps between the positioning partitions 71 correspond to the annular grooves 622 of the roller 62. A slope 72 with the left side lower than the right side is fixedly connected in the middle inside the feeding hopper 7. A gap is left between the left side of the slope 72 and the feeding hopper 7 for steel shot to pass through. A cotton board 73 is pasted on the top of the slope 72. The cotton board 73 can buffer the steel shot and prevent it from hitting the slope 72 directly and damaging each other. It can also reduce noise. Several protrusions 74 are evenly arranged on the top of the cotton board 73 to disperse the steel shot. A top cover 75 covers the left side of the top of the feeding hopper 7.

[0032] By modifying the feeding hopper 7, the falling steel shot will first be buffered by the cotton plate 73 and dispersed by the protrusion 74, and then concentrated to one side by the inclined surface, and then dispersed between multiple sets of positioning partitions 71, so that the falling steel shot is relatively evenly distributed back and forth, which facilitates the uniform arrangement of steel shot on the roller 62 in the later stage.

[0033] The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: the conveying mechanism 4 includes two side plates 47 fixedly connected to the first frame 1, and a telescopic frame 42 is slidably connected between the two side plates 47 on the left side. Several guide rollers 43 are rotatably connected to the inner sides of both the telescopic frame 42 and the side plates 47. A drive roller 44 is also rotatably connected between the two side plates 47. A conveyor belt 41 is drively connected between the guide rollers 43 and the drive roller 44. A tensioning wheel structure for tensioning the conveyor belt 41 is also provided on the right side inside the side plate 47. Baffle structures are required at the front and rear of the conveyor belt 41 to prevent steel shot from rolling off the sides, or the conveyor belt 41 is made with an uneven surface to reduce the rolling of the steel shot. The rear side plate 47 is fixedly connected through the first frame 1. The first motor 45 has its output shaft connected to the drive roller 44 via a pulley assembly. The front and rear sides of the telescopic frame 42 are fixedly connected to the first track bar 46 and the first slider 48. The inner side of the side plate 47 is fixedly connected to the second slider 49 and the second track bar 410, which are respectively slidably connected to the first track bar 46 and the first slider 48. The right side of the telescopic frame 42 has a moving shaft 411 running through it from front to back. The front and rear ends of the moving shaft 411 are fixedly connected to the gears 412. The inner side of the side plate 47 is fixedly connected to the rack 413 that meshes with the gears 412. The telescopic frame 42 has a second motor 414 fixedly connected inside it. The output shaft of the second motor 414 is connected to the moving shaft 411 via a pulley assembly.

[0034] The first motor 45 drives the drive roller 44 to rotate, which can drive the conveyor belt 41 to operate; starting the second motor 414 can drive the moving shaft 411 to rotate, which in turn drives the gears 412 at both ends to mesh and roll on the rack 413, which in turn drives the telescopic frame 42 to move, so that the guide roller 43 on it pushes the conveyor belt 41 to complete the extension and retraction.

[0035] The conveying mechanism 4 supports the conveyor belt 41 by setting a retractable split frame. The conveyor belt 41 can be extended or retracted by moving the telescopic frame 42, thereby extending the conveying length. The length of the conveyor belt 41 can be flexibly adjusted according to the site or other layout to meet more needs.

[0036] The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the gripping mechanism is a robotic arm 10, with a second frame 11 fixedly connected to the bottom of the robotic arm 10. A pneumatic gripper 101 is connected to the end of the robotic arm 10, and a groove for accommodating steel shot is provided on the inner side of the pneumatic gripper 101. An electromagnetic column 102 is fixedly connected to the other end of the pneumatic gripper 101, and the end of the electromagnetic column 102 is set as a hemispherical concave structure, which picks up defective steel shot by electromagnetic force.

[0037] The robotic arm 10 integrates a pneumatic gripper 101 and an electromagnetic column 102. The pneumatic gripper 101 can grab multiple steel shot at once for feeding, while the electromagnetic column 102 can precisely magnetically attract a single steel shot to remove defective steel shot. The two work together to enable one robotic arm 10 to perform two functions. It only requires controlling the rotation angle of the pneumatic gripper 101, making the structure simple and practical.

[0038] This invention also discloses a machine vision-based method for detecting molten steel pellets, comprising the following steps: S1. The robotic arm 10 controls the pneumatic gripper 101 to grab the steel shot and put it into the hopper 7 of the detection conveying mechanism. After the steel shot falls, it is first buffered by the cotton plate 73 and dispersed by the protrusion 74. It is then concentrated on the left side with the help of the inclined surface, and then dispersed between multiple sets of positioning partitions 71. It rolls along the bottom slope to the right side to accumulate, and then disperses and arranges itself on the roller 62 of the arrangement and transfer mechanism 6. The steel shot is guided by the inclined section 621 on the roller 62 and rolls onto the annular groove 622. S2. Start the servo motor 618, which drives the coupling 616 to rotate via the belt, and drives the two lead screws 613 to rotate via the bevel gear set 617, thereby driving the threaded block 614 to move to the right. The short slide rail 615 pushes the square frame 61 and its upper structure to move to the right together. The roller 612 rolls in the guide groove 610 of the guide plate 68, causing the square frame 61 to descend during the rightward movement, and causing the rubber wheel 64 at the end of the roller 62 to press against the conveyor belt 41. The conveyor belt 41 drives the rubber wheel 64, the roller 62 and the steel shot to rotate together. At this time, the industrial cameras 13 at the front, back and top are used to perform a comprehensive visual inspection. The collected images are transmitted to the data processing system for processing, and unqualified steel shot is identified and marked. S3. After the inspection, for the unqualified steel shot, start the robotic arm 10 to control the pneumatic gripper 101 to flip and control the electromagnetic column 102 to align with the unqualified steel shot. Then, energize the electromagnetic column 102 to generate magnetism, attract the unqualified steel shot and remove it, and put it into the corresponding collection box for separate collection. Then, reverse drive the servo motor 618 to control the arrangement and transfer mechanism 6 to reset. Then, through the telescopic pressure rod 8, press down the pressure bar 9, indirectly pushing the pressure plate 63 to press down the end of the roller 62, so that the rollers 62 on both sides stretch the elastic band 65, thereby driving the distance between the middle roller 62 to increase synchronously, so that the steel shot is naturally discharged downward to the conveying mechanism 4 for output. Then, retract the telescopic pressure rod 8.

[0039] Furthermore, any content not described in detail in this specification is existing technology known to those skilled in the art.

[0040] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0041] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A machine vision-based steel shot pelletizing inspection device, comprising an inspection conveying mechanism and a gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping mechanism is used to grip and place steel shot into the inspection conveying mechanism for visual inspection and to remove defective steel shot, and the inspection conveying mechanism is provided with a visual inspection structure to scan the steel shot for defect detection, characterized in that: The detection and delivery mechanism includes: A conveying mechanism is used to output the tested steel shot. The bottom and top of the conveying mechanism are respectively fixedly connected to a first frame and an upper frame. The left side of the upper frame is the feeding station, and the right side is the testing station. The arrangement and transfer mechanism is used to receive steel shot at the loading station and transfer it to the inspection station for visual inspection. After moving to the inspection station, the steel shot is driven to rotate by the conveying mechanism. The feeding hopper is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper frame and is used to receive the steel shot grabbed by the gripping mechanism and evenly distribute it onto the arrangement and transfer mechanism. The arrangement and transfer mechanism includes a square frame and several rollers arranged in parallel on its inner side. The ends of the rollers are pulled closer together by an elastic structure. The front and rear sides of the square frame are longitudinally slidably connected with pressure plates that press down on the ends of the rollers to increase the distance between the rollers. The increased distance between the rollers causes the steel shot to fall onto the conveying mechanism for output. Rubber wheels are also fixedly connected to the ends of the rollers. As the arrangement and transfer mechanism moves to the right, it descends simultaneously, causing the rubber wheels to contact the conveyor belt of the conveying mechanism to drive the rollers and steel shot to rotate.

2. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller includes intermittently arranged inclined sections and annular grooves. The inclined sections have a larger diameter in the middle and a smaller diameter at the end near the annular groove. An adhesive film is nested inside the inner surface of the annular groove. Both ends of the roller extend to the outside of the frame. The elastic structure is an elastic band. Several positioning rings are fixedly connected through the surface of the elastic band and fitted onto the ends of the roller. Both ends of the roller, located between the rubber wheel and the elastic band, are rotatably fitted with limiting plates. The width of the limiting plates is greater than the diameter of the rubber wheel so that the rubber wheels do not contact each other when the rollers come together.

3. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arrangement and transfer mechanism also includes two sets of symmetrically arranged guide plates at the front and rear. The guide plates are fixed to the upper frame by brackets that run horizontally through the left and right ends. Guide grooves are provided on opposite sides of the guide plates. Horizontal shafts are fixedly connected to the left and right sides of the front and rear of the frame, and rollers are rotatably sleeved at the ends of the horizontal shafts. The rollers roll in the guide grooves.

4. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A lead screw is rotatably connected to the inner side of the guide plate, and a threaded block is fitted onto the outer thread of the lead screw. Short slide rails are fixedly connected to both the front and rear sides of the frame, and the short slide rails slide longitudinally with the threaded block. A connecting shaft is connected through the right ends of the guide plates, and the right ends of the two lead screws are meshed with the connecting shaft through a bevel gear set. A servo motor is fixedly connected to the rear side of the conveying mechanism, and the drive shaft of the servo motor is connected to the connecting shaft through a pulley assembly.

5. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ends of the two rollers on the left and right are extended, and the bottom of the pressure plate is provided with bevels on the left and right corners. The two rollers are separated by pressing outwards through the bevels. The four corners of the top of the frame are fixedly connected with guide rods. The top of the pressure plate is bent and sleeved on the outside of the guide rods. A spring is sleeved on the surface of the guide rods and at the bottom of the bent part of the pressure plate. A telescopic pressure rod is fixedly connected to the bottom left side of the feeding hopper, and a pressure strip is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the telescopic pressure rod for pressing down the pressure plate.

6. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the feeding hopper is a slope that is higher on the left and lower on the right, and a discharge port is opened on the right side of the bottom. Multiple sets of positioning partitions are fixedly connected at intervals inside the bottom of the feeding hopper. The gaps between the positioning partitions correspond to the annular grooves of the rollers. A slope plate that is lower on the left and higher on the right is fixedly connected in the middle of the inside of the feeding hopper. A gap is left between the left side of the slope plate and the feeding hopper for steel shot to pass through. A cotton board is pasted on the top of the slope plate, and several protrusions are evenly arranged on the top of the cotton board to disperse the steel shot. A top cover is provided on the left side of the top of the feeding hopper.

7. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism includes two side plates fixedly connected to a first frame. A telescopic frame is slidably connected to the left side between the two side plates. Several guide rollers are rotatably connected to the inner sides of the telescopic frame and the side plates. A drive roller is also rotatably connected between the two side plates. A conveyor belt is driven between the guide rollers and the drive roller. A first motor is fixedly connected through the rear side plate. The output shaft of the first motor is driven by the drive roller through a pulley assembly. A first track bar and a first slider are fixedly connected to the front and rear sides of the telescopic frame. A second slider and a second track bar are fixedly connected to the inner side of the side plate and are slidably connected to the first track bar and the first slider, respectively. A moving shaft runs through the front and rear of the right side of the telescopic frame. Gears are fixedly connected to both ends of the moving shaft. A rack that meshes with the gears is fixedly connected to the inner side of the side plate. A second motor is fixedly connected inside the telescopic frame. The output shaft of the second motor is driven by the moving shaft through a pulley assembly.

8. The machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripping mechanism is a robotic arm. A second frame is fixedly connected to the bottom of the robotic arm. A pneumatic gripper is connected to the end of the robotic arm. A groove for accommodating steel shot is opened on the inner side of the pneumatic gripper. An electromagnetic column is fixedly connected to the other end of the pneumatic gripper. The end of the electromagnetic column is set as a hemispherical concave structure. The defective steel shot is picked up by electromagnetic force.

9. A machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A control console is provided on the right side of the first rack, and a control screen is installed on the control console; A top plate is fixedly connected to the top right side of the upper frame. The vision inspection structure includes industrial cameras installed on the front and rear sides of the upper frame and at the bottom of the top plate. The front and rear sets of industrial cameras are also connected to a malleable metal tube. A rotating seat is fixedly connected to the bottom of the malleable metal tube. A four-corner stud is threaded to the bottom of the rotating seat, and the head of the four-corner stud is slidably connected to the steel groove of the upper frame.

10. A detection method based on the machine vision-based steel pelletizing shot detection device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. The steel shot is grabbed and placed into the hopper of the inspection conveying mechanism using the grabbing mechanism. The steel shot falls and is dispersed onto the rollers of the arrangement and transfer mechanism. S2. Move the arrangement and transfer mechanism to the right and lower the contact conveyor belt. Use the power of the conveyor belt to drive the drum to rotate, which in turn drives the steel shot to rotate. Use the vision inspection structure to perform comprehensive vision inspection. S3. After the test is completed, for the unqualified steel shot, control the gripping mechanism to take it out and collect it separately, and then control the arrangement and transfer mechanism to reset. After rising and separating from the conveyor belt, the pressure plate presses down on the end of the roller to increase the roller spacing, and then discharges the steel shot downward to the conveyor mechanism for output.

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