Mold pressing device and mold pressing positioning system

Abstract

The invention discloses a mold pressing device and a mold pressing positioning system, and belongs to the technical field of vehicle manufacturing. The mould pressing positioning device comprises a rack, a fixed mould, a movable mould and a pre-fixing piece, a cavity is formed in one side, facing the movable mold, of the fixed mold; before the movable mold and the fixed mold are closed, the pre-fixing piece extends out of the movable mold in the first direction so as to abut against the to-be-treated plate in the cavity, so that the to-be-treated plate is pressed in the cavity, and the problem that the machining yield is too low due to the fact that the to-be-treated plate is prone to displacement is effectively solved through a double positioning structure of the cavity and the top plate. The mold pressing positioning system comprises a positioning tool and a mechanical arm, the positioning tool is used for positioning the to-be-treated plate, and the mechanical arm is used for picking up the to-be-treated plate on the positioning tool and driving the to-be-treated plate to move to the cavity opening of the cavity, so that it can be ensured that the mechanical arm accurately picks up the to-be-treated plate, and the positioning accuracy of the to-be-treated plate is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle manufacturing technology, and in particular to a molding device and a molding positioning system. Background Technology

[0002] Composite fiberboard, with its excellent properties such as low density and high strength, is one of the preferred materials for automotive lightweighting and can be widely used in components such as battery casings, pedals, front compartments, and control arms. However, composite fiberboard alone cannot meet the requirements of various shapes, and often needs to be hot-pressed into shape using a hot press, followed by injection molding using an injection molding machine to achieve various structures.

[0003] In related technologies, to achieve good positioning of composite fiberboard, it is generally necessary to place the composite fiberboard horizontally in a vertical injection molding machine before injection molding. However, vertical injection molding machines can only manufacture smaller parts and cannot meet the manufacturing needs of large-sized parts. When using horizontal equipment, although it is possible to manufacture large-sized composite fiberboard parts, the composite fiberboard needs to be placed vertically. When positioning settings such as mold hooks or perforations cannot be used, it is difficult to achieve proper positioning of the planar composite fiberboard, and the composite fiberboard is prone to displacement, resulting in a very low yield rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a molding device and a molding positioning system, which can solve the problem of difficulty in positioning composite fiberboard when it is placed vertically, resulting in a low yield rate of composite fiberboard processing. The technical solution is as follows: On the one hand, a molding apparatus is provided, the molding apparatus including a frame, a fixed mold, a moving mold and a pre-fixed component; The moving mold is movably mounted on the frame along the first direction; The fixed mold is fixed on the frame and is located on one side of the moving mold in the first direction; the fixed mold has a cavity on the side facing the moving mold, and the cavity is used to place the material to be processed; At least a portion of the pre-fixed member is inside the moving mold and is movably connected to the moving mold along the first direction; The pre-fixing member is configured such that, before the mold is closed, the moving mold and the fixed mold extend outward along the first direction to the outside of the moving mold, so as to press the sheet material to be processed into the cavity.

[0005] Optionally, the cavity bottom has a smoothly transitioned recess and a protrusion, the protrusion being used to contact the non-deformable area on the material to be processed, and the recess being used to contact the deformable area on the material to be processed. The pre-fixing component is configured such that, before the moving mold and the fixed mold are closed, the plate to be processed is pressed onto the protrusion.

[0006] Optionally, the moving mold has a through hole; the pre-fixing member includes a first power mechanism and a push rod connected to the first power mechanism; the first power mechanism is disposed inside the moving mold, and the push rod can pass through the through hole to extend to the outside of the moving mold; The first power mechanism is configured such that, before the moving mold and the fixed mold are closed, the moving mold moves along a first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold, so as to drive the ejector rod to extend to the outside of the moving mold and press the plate to be processed onto the protrusion.

[0007] Optionally, the molding device is configured to: after pressing the sheet material to be processed onto the protrusion by the ejector pin, control the moving mold to move along a first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold, so as to close the mold with the fixed mold; During the mold closing process between the moving mold and the fixed mold, the first power mechanism is further configured to move along a first direction and toward the side opposite to the fixed mold, so that the ejector rod gradually retracts into the moving mold.

[0008] Optionally, the molding device is configured such that after the moving mold and the fixed mold are closed, the sheet material to be processed can be pressed into a sheet material of a specific shape, and the sheet material of the specific shape is injection molded to form at least one injection-molded reinforcement on the sheet material of the specific shape.

[0009] On the other hand, a molding positioning system is provided, including a positioning fixture, a robot, and a molding device; the positioning fixture is used to position the sheet material to be processed, and the robot is used to pick up the sheet material to be processed on the positioning fixture and move the sheet material to be processed to the cavity opening.

[0010] Optionally, the positioning fixture includes a support platform and a plurality of positioning sensors disposed on the support platform; After the material to be processed is placed on the support platform, the plurality of positioning sensors are located at the bottom of the material to be processed or distributed around the material to be processed, and the positioning fixture is configured to: detect the contact information with the material to be processed by each of the positioning sensors to determine whether the material to be processed on the support platform is accurately positioned.

[0011] Optionally, each of the positioning sensors is a pressure sensor, and each of the pressure sensors is used to detect the pressure applied to the material to be processed in order to determine the contact information with the material to be processed; The positioning fixture is configured to determine the accurate positioning of the plate to be processed on the support platform after the pressure values ​​detected by each of the pressure sensors are all within a preset pressure threshold.

[0012] Optionally, the positioning fixture and / or the robotic arm has positioning marks; The robotic arm is configured to: after detecting the positioning mark, grip or pick up the material to be processed from the position of the positioning mark.

[0013] Optionally, the molding device has a position sensor; The pre-fixing member is configured to extend outward along the first direction to the outside of the moving mold after the robot arm moves the material to be processed to the opening of the cavity and the position sensor detects that the material to be processed is facing the opening of the cavity, so as to press the material to be processed into the cavity.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include at least the following: the sheet material to be processed is placed in the cavity of the fixed mold, and the cavity itself forms a circumferential limit on the sheet material to be processed, restricting the displacement of the sheet material to be processed in the direction perpendicular to the first direction; at the same time, the pre-fixed member extends out in the first direction at the front edge of the mold closing and presses against the sheet material to be processed, so that the sheet material to be processed is pressed and fixed inside the cavity, preventing it from moving or shifting due to force during the mold closing process. That is, through the dual positioning structure of the cavity and the pre-fixed member, the problem of easy displacement of the sheet material to be processed when it is placed vertically in the prior art is effectively solved, resulting in a low yield rate. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a molding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this application embodiment, showing the robotic arm moving the sheet material to be processed to the cavity opening position; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pre-fixing component pressing the sheet material to be processed into the cavity according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pre-fixed component pressing the material to be processed into the cavity, and then the robot releasing the material to be processed in the embodiment of this application; Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the working process of the molding positioning system when viewed from above in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning tooling in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a control block diagram of the molding positioning system in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plastic part formed after compression molding in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] In related technologies, horizontal equipment includes a frame, a fixed mold, and a moving mold. The fixed mold is fixed on the frame, while the moving mold is movably mounted on the frame and can move horizontally to approach or move away from the fixed mold. The material to be processed can be a composite fiberboard used as an interior or exterior panel for vehicles. A protrusion can be provided on the side of the fixed mold closest to the moving mold. Positioning holes or grooves are provided on the material to be processed to facilitate the engagement of the protrusion on the fixed mold and achieve positioning of the material. However, due to the high mechanical properties of composite fiberboard and the requirements for the appearance of the woven fibers, it is difficult to create positioning grooves on the surface of the composite fiberboard. Furthermore, creating positioning grooves would disrupt the regular structure of the woven fibers. Creating positioning holes would disrupt the appearance consistency of the composite fiberboard and would require multiple holes for positioning. Therefore, composite fiberboard cannot be used as an exterior component.

[0019] Based on this, see Figures 1-3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a molding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in this application embodiment, showing the robotic arm moving the sheet material to be processed to the cavity opening position; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the pre-fixed component presses the sheet material out of the mold cavity according to an embodiment of this application. One embodiment of this application proposes a molding device 40 that can position the sheet material 50 without requiring positioning holes or grooves on it.

[0020] The molding device 40 includes a frame 46, a fixed mold 45, a movable mold 44, and a pre-fixed component 47. The movable mold 44 is movably mounted on the frame 46 along a first direction, which is a horizontal direction, meaning that the molding device 40 is a horizontal molding device.

[0021] The fixed mold 45 is fixed on the frame 46 and is located on one side of the moving mold 44 in the first direction. A cavity 451 is formed on the side of the fixed mold 45 facing the moving mold 44, and the cavity 451 is used to place the sheet material 50 to be processed. The inner wall shape of the cavity 451 is the same as the final outer wall shape of the sheet material 50 to be processed. The inner wall of the cavity 451 is used to limit the periphery of the sheet material 50 to be processed, preventing displacement of the sheet material 50 during the mold closing process between the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45. The depth of the cavity 451 can be greater than the thickness of the sheet material 50 to facilitate the moving mold 44 extending into the cavity 451 for molding.

[0022] At least a portion of the pre-fixed member 47 is inside the moving mold 44 and movably connected to the moving mold 44 along a first direction. The pre-fixed member 47 is configured such that, before mold closing, the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45 extend outward along the first direction to abut against the sheet metal 50 to be processed, thereby pressing the sheet metal 50 into the cavity 451. When the sheet metal 50 is placed in the cavity 451, since the sheet metal 50 is relatively thin, it is easy to tip over if it is not pressed. Therefore, before mold closing, the ejector pin 471 first presses the sheet metal 50 into the cavity 451 to prevent it from tipping over. At the same time, pressing the sheet metal 50 into the cavity 451 by the ejector pin 471 also prevents the sheet metal 50 from shifting within the cavity 451 in a direction perpendicular to the pre-fixed member 47.

[0023] In summary, the sheet material 50 to be processed is placed within the cavity 451 of the fixed mold 45. The cavity 451 itself forms a circumferential limit on the sheet material 50, restricting its displacement perpendicular to the first direction. Simultaneously, the pre-fixed member 47 extends out in the first direction at the mold closing edge and presses against the sheet material 50, ensuring that the sheet material 50 is pressed and fixed within the cavity 451, preventing it from shifting or deviating due to force during mold closing. This dual positioning structure of the cavity 451 and the pre-fixed member 47 effectively solves the problem of easy displacement of the sheet material 50 when placed vertically in existing technologies, leading to a low yield rate. Furthermore, no positioning holes or grooves are needed on the sheet material 50, completely preserving the regular structure of the woven fibers and the consistency of the sheet material 50's appearance. This allows the sheet material 50, when made of composite fiberboard, to meet the usage requirements of exterior parts such as vehicle interior panels and exterior panels. In addition, the pre-fixed member 47 is movably connected to the moving mold 44 along the first direction. Its extension length can be adjusted according to the thickness of the plate 50 to be processed and the depth of the cavity 451. It can adapt to different specifications of plate 50 to be processed without replacing the positioning components. At the same time, the structure of the cavity 451 can be designed according to the shape of the plate 50 to be processed. The number and distribution of the pre-fixed members 47 can be flexibly adjusted, further improving the versatility and applicability of the device.

[0024] The molding device 40 includes a mold assembly and a frame 46. The mold assembly includes a fixed mold 45, a moving mold 44, and a pre-fixed component 47. The frame 46 may include a moving platen 461 and a fixed platen 462 of a horizontal injection molding machine. The fixed mold 45 is fixed on the fixed platen 462, and the moving mold 44 is fixed on the moving platen 461.

[0025] It should be noted that the sheet material 50 to be processed is a flat structure before being placed into the cavity 451. After being molded by the molding device 40 in the cavity 451, it becomes the sheet material 50 to be processed with the required specific shape.

[0026] In some embodiments, the bottom of the cavity 451 has a smoothly transitioned recess and a protrusion. The protrusion is used to contact the non-deformable area on the sheet material 50 to be processed, and the recess is used to contact the deformable area on the sheet material 50 to be processed. The protrusion makes precise contact with the non-deformable area of ​​the sheet material 50 to be processed, providing a stable support reference for the sheet material 50 to be processed; the recess reserves molding space for the deformable area, avoiding interference or compression of the deformable area of ​​the sheet material 50 by the wall of the cavity 451 during the molding process.

[0027] The pre-fixing component 47 is configured such that the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45 press the plate to be processed 50 onto the protrusion before the mold is closed.

[0028] In this embodiment, the pre-fixing member 47 presses the sheet material 50 to be processed onto the protrusion before mold closing. The contact support surface of the protrusion provides a clear positioning reference for the sheet material 50, limiting its displacement perpendicular to the mold closing direction (first direction). Simultaneously, the clamping force of the pre-fixing member 47 and the supporting force of the protrusion form a counterforce, ensuring the sheet material 50 is tightly fitted to the surface of the protrusion, preventing it from shifting or deviating during mold closing due to impact or pressure fluctuations. The clamping action of the pre-fixing member 47 is concentrated on the non-deformable area of ​​the sheet material 50, rather than directly acting on the deformable area, thus avoiding damage to the fiber structure of the deformable area or affecting its subsequent deformation flexibility.

[0029] For further details, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pre-fixed member pressing the material to be processed into the cavity, and then the robot arm releasing the material to be processed. After the pre-fixed member 47 presses the material to be processed 50 onto the protrusion, the robot arm releases the material to be processed 50.

[0030] It should be noted that the material to be processed 50 can be a composite fiberboard, and the thickness of the composite fiberboard is preferably 0.25mm-2.5mm. The depth of the cavity 451 along the first direction is 0mm-5mm, preferably 0.25-2mm, and the material to be processed 50 is heated before being fed into the mold, so the material to be processed 50 can undergo slight deformation. At this time, the robotic arm 20 only needs to move the material to be processed 50 to the opening of the cavity 451, and then the pre-fixing member 47 can press and fix the material to be processed 50 in the cavity 451.

[0031] Of course, in other embodiments, when the thickness of the plate 50 to be processed is large and the depth of the corresponding cavity 451 along the first direction is also large, the robot arm 20 can drive the plate 50 to be processed to be positioned for the third time at the cavity opening before placing the plate 50 to be processed into the cavity 451.

[0032] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a top view of the working process of the molding positioning system in this application embodiment. The moving mold 44 has a through hole; the pre-fixing member 47 includes a first power mechanism 472 and a push rod 471 connected to the first power mechanism 472; the first power mechanism 472 is disposed inside the moving mold 44, and the push rod 471 can pass through the through hole to extend to the outside of the moving mold 44; wherein, the first power mechanism 472 is configured such that: before the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45 are closed, the moving mold 44 moves along a first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold 45, so as to drive the push rod 471 to extend to the outside of the moving mold 44 and press the plate 50 to be processed onto the protrusion.

[0033] For example, the first power mechanism 472 is movably disposed within the moving mold 44 along the first direction. The moving mold 44 is provided with a lead screw moving mechanism, which includes a lead screw and a nut seat threadedly connected to the lead screw. The first power mechanism 472 is the nut seat. When the lead screw rotates, it can drive the nut seat to move along the first direction, thereby pushing the push rod 471 to move along the first direction within the through hole, so as to extend out of the through hole to press the plate 50 to be processed.

[0034] Of course, in other embodiments, the first power mechanism can also be a cylinder, which is fixed inside the moving mold, and the push rod can extend and retract along the first direction under the pushing action of the cylinder.

[0035] See Figure 5The molding device 40 is configured such that, after pressing the sheet material 50 to be processed onto the protrusion by the ejector pin 471, the moving mold 44 moves along a first direction toward the side closer to the fixed mold 45 to close with the fixed mold 45. During the mold closing process, the first power mechanism 472 is also configured to move along the first direction toward the side away from the fixed mold 45, so that the ejector pin 471 gradually retracts into the moving mold 44.

[0036] In this embodiment, the ejector pin 471 is driven by the first power mechanism 472 to gradually retract into the moving mold 44 during the mold closing process. This allows the ejector pin 471 to synchronously avoid interference with the fixed mold 45 and the cavity 451 as the moving mold 44 closes, ensuring smooth and continuous mold closing and reducing the probability of mold failure and equipment maintenance costs. Furthermore, the gradual retraction of the ejector pin 471 is not a rigid detachment. In the initial stage of mold closing, the ejector pin 471 maintains a certain clamping force, ensuring the stability of the material to be processed 50 in the initial stage of mold closing. As the mold closing pressure gradually increases, the ejector pin 471 retracts synchronously, allowing the force on the material to be processed 50 to smoothly transition from the clamping force of the ejector pin 471 to the mold closing forming pressure. This avoids the sudden dislocation of the material to be processed 50 due to the sudden detachment of the ejector pin 471, or local pressure overload caused by the rigid support of the ejector pin 471, thereby preventing damage such as fiber breakage and surface depressions in materials such as composite fiberboard.

[0037] In some other embodiments, the pre-fixing member includes a telescopic rod fixed to the frame, the telescopic rod being able to extend through a perforation to the outside of the moving mold, the telescopic rod being configured such that: before the moving mold and the fixed mold are closed, the telescopic rod extends to the outside of the moving mold along a first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold, and presses the sheet material to be processed onto the protrusion.

[0038] In this embodiment, when pre-fixing of the material to be processed is required, the telescopic rod is directly activated, extending to pass through the perforation and press the material to be processed. When the moving mold closes, the telescopic rod remains extended, and the moving mold moves relative to the telescopic rod towards the side closer to the fixed mold. The moving mold can directly close with the fixed mold without retracting, and the telescopic rod also guides the moving mold during its movement. After the moving mold and fixed mold close, the telescopic rod retracts.

[0039] In some embodiments, the molding device 40 is configured such that, after the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45 are closed, the sheet material 50 to be processed can be pressed into a sheet material 50 of a specific shape, and injection molded onto the sheet material 50 of the specific shape to form at least one injection-molded reinforcement 51 on the sheet material 50 of the specific shape. (See also...) Figure 5 .

[0040] In this embodiment, grooves can be opened on the moving mold 44, the fixed mold 45, or both the moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45, according to actual needs, so as to form injection-molded reinforcing parts at different positions on the sheet material 50 of a specific shape after being pressed.

[0041] After the fixed mold 45 and the moving mold 44 are closed, the sheet material 50 to be processed can first be molded into a specific shape. Then, the molded material is directly injected into the cavity formed by the closed moving mold 44 and the fixed mold 45, forming at least one injection-molded reinforcing part on the sheet material 50 with the specific shape. That is, the molding device 40 of this application can directly realize both molding and injection molding processes. This avoids the problem of secondary positioning required when the molding device 40 and the injection molding device are set separately in related technologies, which leads to the need to replace the injection molding device after molding. It effectively avoids the deviation caused by secondary positioning and ensures the dimensional accuracy and shape consistency of the product.

[0042] See Figure 1 and Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning fixture in an embodiment of this application. An embodiment of this application also discloses a molding positioning system, including a positioning fixture 10, a robot arm 20, and a molding device 40; the positioning fixture 10 is used to position the sheet material 50 to be processed, and the robot arm 20 is used to pick up the sheet material 50 to be processed on the positioning fixture 10 and place the sheet material 50 to be processed into the cavity 451.

[0043] In this embodiment, the positioning fixture 10 is used to position the sheet material 50 to be processed, ensuring that the sheet material 50 is in a uniform preset position before being picked up, thus avoiding failure of the robot arm 20 to pick up or offset of the material due to the placement deviation of the sheet material 50. Then, the robot arm 20 accurately places the positioned sheet material 50 into the cavity 451 of the molding device 40 through a preset program, such as visual guidance or coordinate positioning. The combination of the two can avoid the positioning deviation problem of manual material feeding, ensure the accuracy of subsequent molding and injection molding, and reduce the product defect rate caused by material offset.

[0044] See Figure 6 The positioning fixture 10 includes a support platform and multiple positioning sensors 11 disposed on the support platform. After the plate to be processed 50 is placed on the support platform, the multiple positioning sensors 11 are located at the bottom of the plate to be processed 50 or distributed around the plate to be processed 50. The positioning fixture 10 is configured to detect the contact information with the plate to be processed 50 through each positioning sensor 11 to determine whether the plate to be processed 50 on the support platform is accurately positioned.

[0045] In this way, after the positioning fixture 10 positions the plate 50 to be processed, the robot arm 20 can grasp the plate 50 to be processed, which can achieve the first positioning of the plate 50 to be processed and ensure that the robot arm 20 can accurately grasp the plate 50 to be processed.

[0046] In some embodiments, each positioning sensor 11 is a pressure sensor, which detects the pressure applied to the sheet material 50 to determine contact information with the sheet material 50. The positioning fixture 10 is configured to determine the accurate positioning of the sheet material 50 on the support platform after the pressure value detected by each pressure sensor falls within a preset pressure threshold range. The positioning sensors 11 are located at corners or abrupt changes in shape on the sheet material 50.

[0047] In this embodiment, the positioning sensors 11 are all pressure sensors, and multiple pressure sensors are distributed around the material to be processed 50. For example, the material to be processed 50 has an approximate quadrilateral structure, meaning it has four corners, and each corner has a pressure sensor on both sides. Specifically, two pressure sensors are provided on each long side and each short side of the material to be processed 50. Since the short sides are shorter, one pressure sensor can be provided on each short side, resulting in a total of six pressure sensors around the perimeter of the material to be processed 50.

[0048] For example, pressure sensors are movably mounted on a support platform. For instance, the support platform has a placement area for the sheet material 50 to be processed. Each pressure sensor has a first position and a second position. The pressure sensor can move from the first position to the second position. When the pressure sensor is in the first position, the sheet material 50 to be processed is not placed on the support platform, and each pressure sensor is outside the placement area for the sheet material 50. When the pressure sensor is in the second position, the sheet material 50 to be processed is placed on the support platform, and there is an interference fit of 0.01mm-0.05mm between each pressure sensor and the sheet material 50. Thus, when the sheet material 50 is not placed, the pressure sensor is in the first position, and there is a certain distance between the pressure sensor and the placement area for the sheet material 50, facilitating placement. When the sheet material 50 is placed, the pressure sensor moves from the first position to the second position, and during this movement, it can also push the sheet material 50 that was not accurately placed, so that the sheet material 50 is moved into the placement area, achieving the first positioning of the sheet material 50.

[0049] Alternatively, the pressure difference detected by any two pressure sensors can be less than a preset pressure threshold, for example, 0.3 kPa-1 kPa. If the detection values ​​of all six pressure sensors are equal, the pressure difference between any two pressure sensors is 0 kPa, which is less than the preset pressure threshold. Therefore, it can be determined that the positioning of the plate to be processed 50 on the support platform is accurate. Alternatively, if one pressure sensor detects 0 kPa, and the pressure difference detected by the remaining pressure sensors is 2.5 kPa, then the pressure difference between two pressure sensors is greater than the preset pressure threshold. Therefore, it can be considered that the positioning of the plate to be processed 50 on the support platform is inaccurate.

[0050] When the positioning is inaccurate, there are two situations: one is that the board to be processed 50 is unqualified, for example, the board to be processed 50 is warped, deformed, missing corners, or the size of the board to be processed is too small; the other is that the board to be processed 50 is qualified, but it is not accurately positioned.

[0051] For example, the tooling to be processed has an alarm. When the pressure sensor detects that the positioning is inaccurate, the plate to be processed can be manually observed to distinguish between the two situations mentioned above. Alternatively, an image recognition module can be used to scan the outer surface of the plate to be processed 50 to identify whether the plate to be processed 50 is qualified. If the plate to be processed 50 is qualified, the robotic arm 20 is used to pick up the plate to be processed 50 and place it back on the support platform for repositioning.

[0052] In some other embodiments, each positioning sensor 11 is a gravity sensor.

[0053] For example, a gravity sensor can be installed at the bottom of the fixture to be processed, that is, the gravity sensor is used to detect whether the weight of the sheet material 50 to be processed is equal at different positions. For example, a gravity sensor is installed at six positions on the sheet material 50 to be processed at equal distances from the center of gravity.

[0054] Of course, in other embodiments, each positioning sensor 11 can also be a temperature sensor or a displacement sensor.

[0055] In some embodiments, the positioning fixture 10 and / or the plate to be processed 50 have positioning marks; the robot arm 20 is configured to: after detecting the positioning mark, grip or pick up the plate to be processed 50 from the position of the positioning mark, which is equivalent to a second positioning, to ensure the accuracy of the gripping or picking position and avoid subsequent processing positioning errors caused by the offset of the plate to be processed 50.

[0056] The positioning markers can be visually recognizable physical markers, including but not limited to: high-contrast geometric markings, reflective markings, laser-engraved markings, etc. The robotic arm 20 is equipped with an image recognition module, such as a CCD camera. Before grasping the material to be processed 50, the robotic arm 20 first activates the image recognition module to acquire the positioning markers, and then calculates the actual physical position of the positioning markers through image coordinate conversion. Finally, the robotic arm 20 adjusts its posture and movement path to precisely move to the position of the material to be processed 50 corresponding to the positioning marker, and performs the gripping or suction action.

[0057] Of course, the positioning marker can also be an infrared transmitter or an electromagnetic induction transmitter. Correspondingly, the robotic arm 20 is equipped with an infrared receiver and an electromagnetic induction receiver.

[0058] It should be emphasized that the molding device 40 of this application is first used for molding, and after molding is completed, it is also used for injection molding on the surface of the sheet material 50 to be processed with a specific shape. Therefore, the opening size of the cavity 451 is equal to the planar size of the sheet material 50 to be processed, so as to avoid overflow between the sheet material 50 to be processed and the periphery of the cavity 451 during injection molding.

[0059] Based on this, the molding device 40 has a position sensor; the pre-fixing member 47 is configured to extend out of the moving mold 44 in the first direction after the robot 20 moves the sheet material 50 to be processed to the opening of the cavity 451 and the position sensor detects that the sheet material 50 is facing the opening of the cavity 451, so as to press the sheet material 50 to be processed into the cavity 451.

[0060] When the robotic arm 20 moves the material to be processed 50 to a position less than or equal to 10mm from the cavity opening, a position sensor detects this. The position sensor can be a laser rangefinder or an infrared rangefinder. Taking a laser rangefinder as an example, laser rangefinders are installed at the four corners of the cavity 451 opening. When the robotic arm 20 moves the material to be processed 50 to a position 10mm from the cavity opening, all four laser rangefinders are activated simultaneously. If the detection value of each laser rangefinder is within a preset distance threshold range, it indicates that the material to be processed 50 is facing the cavity opening of 451. The preset distance threshold can be the distance between the laser rangefinder and the corresponding corner of the material to be processed 50 when the material to be processed 50 is facing the cavity opening of 451 and is 10mm from the cavity opening. When the material to be processed 50 is parallel to the cavity opening of the cavity 451, but the material to be processed 50 is not directly facing the cavity opening, at least one distance sensor may not detect the distance. Therefore, it indicates that the material to be processed 50 is not directly facing the cavity opening of the cavity 451. In this case, the robot arm 20 needs to drive the material to be processed 50 back to the positioning fixture 10 for repositioning. When the material to be processed 50 is tilted at the cavity opening of the cavity 451, at least one distance sensor may not detect the distance. Therefore, it indicates that the material to be processed 50 is not directly facing the cavity opening of the cavity 451. In this case, the robot arm 20 needs to drive the material to be processed 50 back to the positioning fixture 10 for repositioning.

[0061] In this embodiment, after the positioning fixture 10 completes the initial positioning of the sheet material 50 to be processed, during the process of the robot arm 20 picking up the sheet material 50 and moving it towards the molding device 40, positioning deviations may occur due to factors such as robot arm vibration, airflow interference, and slight slippage of the sheet material 50. In this embodiment, a third positioning detection is added before the sheet material 50 is placed into the cavity 451 by using a position sensor on the molding device 40. Only when the sensor confirms that the sheet material 50 is aligned with the opening of the cavity 451, the pre-fixing member 47 performs a clamping action. Here, "aligned" means that the orthographic projection of the sheet material 50 along the first direction on the cavity 451 is within the opening range of the cavity 451.

[0062] In this way, after the sheet material 50 is positioned for the first time by the positioning fixture 10, and then positioned for the second time by the robot arm 20 when it picks up the sheet material 50 from the positioning fixture 10, the robot arm 20 will perform a third positioning when placing the sheet material 50. These three positioning operations ensure that the sheet material 50 can be accurately placed into the cavity 451. In addition, after the third positioning, the moving mold 44 is adjusted so that the pre-fixed part 47 on the moving mold 44 is aligned with the non-deformable area on the sheet material 50 to achieve a fourth positioning. Finally, the pre-fixed part 47 extends out of the moving mold 44 to achieve a fifth positioning of the sheet material 50. After five positioning operations, the accuracy of the compression molding process can be guaranteed, and the product qualification rate can be improved.

[0063] For example, the robotic arm 20 includes a gripping component 24, which can be a suction cup or a clamp. When it is necessary to obtain the material to be processed 50, the suction cup is used to adsorb one side of the material to be processed 50 along the thickness direction, or the clamp is used to hold it on both sides of the top of the material to be processed 50. When the robotic arm 20 moves the material to be processed 50 to the cavity opening position, the pre-fixing member 47 extends to press and fix the material to be processed 50 in the cavity 451, and then the robotic arm 20 releases the material to be processed 50.

[0064] See Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a control block diagram of the molding positioning system in this embodiment. The molding positioning system includes: a positioning fixture 10, a robot arm 20, an injection molding system, and a molding device 40. The positioning fixture 10 also includes a first processing unit 12 and a first information unit 13. The positioning sensor 11 is used to detect contact information with the sheet material 50 to be processed and transmits the contact information to the first processing unit 12. The first processing unit 12 compares the contact information with a preset pressure threshold. If any contact information does not match the preset pressure threshold, it sends a warning to the alarm module. If all contact information matches the preset pressure threshold, it transmits the information to the robot arm 20 through the first information unit 13. After receiving the information, the robot arm 20 grasps the sheet material 50 to be processed.

[0065] The robotic arm 20 includes a second information unit 21, a second processing unit 22, and a second start-up unit 23. The second information unit 21 receives information from the first information unit 13 and transmits it to the second processing unit 22. The second processing unit 22 processes the information and sends corresponding instructions to the second start-up unit 23. These instructions include gripping the material to be processed 50 on the positioning fixture 10, moving the material to be processed 50 along its path, stopping the material to be processed 50 at the position directly opposite the cavity opening, and gripping the completed material to be processed 50 on the moving mold 44 or the fixed mold 45. Furthermore, the processing unit 42 also needs to send the start-up information of the robotic arm 20 to the molding device 40. The molding device 40 receives and transmits the working instructions from the robotic arm 20, allowing it to perform preliminary preparations, such as adjusting the mold opening distance. After receiving the instructions, the second start-up unit 23 grips the material to be processed 50. Taking the suction of the sheet material 50 to be processed as an example, the robot arm 20 is equipped with four spaced suction cups. The four suction cups respectively suction the sheet material 50, and the suction pressure, position, and force information of the four suction cups during the movement process need to be compared with the data in the preset program. If they do not match, an alarm will be set, and the robot arm 20 will put the sheet material 50 back into the positioning fixture 10; if they match, it will continue to move towards the molding device 40. When the robot arm 20 moves the sheet material 50 to be processed to the front of the cavity 451, it maintains a certain distance and height from the cavity opening according to the originally designed path. The position sensor detects whether the sheet material 50 is facing the cavity opening. If it is facing the cavity opening, the completion information of the second start unit 23 is transmitted to the injection molding system 30 through the second information unit 21.

[0066] The injection molding system 30 includes a third information unit 31, a third processing unit 32, and a confirmation unit 33. After receiving the information from the second information unit 21, the third information unit 31 transmits it to the third processing unit 32. The third processing unit 32 starts the pre-fixing process of the injection molding machine and transmits the pre-fixing start information to the molding device 40 through the third information unit 31. The molding device 40 includes a moving mold 44 and a fixed mold 45.

[0067] The molding device 40 includes a fourth information unit 41, a fourth processing unit 42, and a fourth start-up unit 43. After receiving information from the third information unit 31, the fourth information unit 41 processes the information through the fourth processing unit 42 to determine whether the molding device 40 can proceed to the next step. This mainly involves checking whether the parameters of the molding device 40 match the pre-designed information, such as whether the temperature inside the cavity has been reached and whether the cooling water circulation is functioning correctly. If they do not match, the mold issues an alarm. If they match, the fourth processing unit 42 processes the information and transmits it to the fourth start-up unit 43. The fourth start-up unit 43 controls the pre-fixed member 47 of the moving mold 44 to eject, pressing the sheet material 50 to be processed completely into the cavity 451. The positioning is determined by comparing the ejection pressure of the pre-fixed member 47 and the distance the pre-fixed member 47 moves after reaching a certain pressure with the data in the preset program. If they do not match, an alarm is issued and the pre-fixed member 47 resets; if they match, the information is transmitted to the fourth information unit 41 through the fourth processing unit 42.

[0068] The fourth information unit 41 transmits the action completion information of the fourth start unit 43 through the third information unit 31 and the third processing unit 32, and finally to the confirmation unit 33. The confirmation unit 33 re-verifies to ensure the consistency of the obtained data information with the program data. For example, it confirms whether the temperature inside the cavity has reached the set value, whether the sheet material 50 to be processed is pressed in the cavity, and transmits the confirmation information to the robot arm 20. After receiving the information, the robot arm passes through the second information unit 21, the second processing unit 22, and the second start unit 23, and finally starts the robot arm to release the suction cup that is holding the sheet material 50 to be processed, returns to its original position, prepares for the next action, and transmits the completion information to the injection molding system 30.

[0069] The third information unit 31 of the injection molding system 30 receives the signal from the retraction of the robot arm 20 and transmits the signal to the third processing unit 32. The third processing unit 32 then initiates the mold closing process of the injection molding machine. After mold closing, the confirmation unit 33 compares the data from the mold closing process (the movement process of the moving mold 44, the reset process, the intermediate pause process, and other production instruction programs) with the pre-set corresponding program data. If they do not match, a warning is displayed, and the mold is opened while the pre-fixed part 47 remains stationary against the composite fiberboard. If they match, the injection molding process is performed, ultimately resulting in a precisely positioned injection molded part. This injection molded part can be a composite fiber exterior covering formed through compression molding. (See reference...) Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plastic part formed after compression molding in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, after injection molding is completed, the pre-fixed member 47 can also be used to eject the injection-molded reinforcing member.

[0070] In summary, the material to be processed is placed within the cavity of the fixed mold. The cavity itself provides circumferential restraint to the material, limiting its displacement perpendicular to the first direction. Simultaneously, the pre-fixed component extends out in the first direction at the mold closing edge and presses against the material, ensuring it is firmly fixed within the cavity and preventing movement or displacement during mold closing. This dual positioning structure of the cavity and the pre-fixed component effectively solves the problem of low yield rates caused by displacement of the material when placed vertically in existing technologies.

[0071] It should be noted that the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated in the accompanying drawings for clarity. Furthermore, it is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, it can be directly on the other element, or there may be intermediate layers. Additionally, it is understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "below" another element or layer, it can be directly below the other element, or there may be more than one intermediate layer or element. Furthermore, it is also understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being "between" two layers or two elements, it can be the only layer between the two layers or two elements, or there may be more than one intermediate layer or element. Similar reference numerals throughout indicate similar elements.

[0072] In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise expressly defined.

[0073] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A molding device (40), characterized in that, The molding device (40) includes a frame (46), a fixed mold (45), a moving mold (44), and a pre-fixed component (47). The moving mold (44) is movably mounted on the frame (46) along the first direction; The fixed mold (45) is fixed on the frame (46) and is located on one side of the moving mold (44) in the first direction; the fixed mold (45) has a cavity (451) on the side facing the moving mold (44), and the cavity (451) is used to place the plate to be processed (50). At least a portion of the pre-fixed member (47) is inside the moving mold (44) and is movably connected to the moving mold (44) along the first direction; The pre-fixed member (47) is configured such that: before the mold is closed, the moving mold (44) and the fixed mold (45) extend out of the moving mold (44) along the first direction to abut against the plate to be processed (50) so that the plate to be processed (50) is pressed into the cavity (451).

2. The molding device (40) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity (451) has a smoothly transitioned recessed portion and a raised portion at its bottom. The raised portion is used to contact the non-deformable area on the plate to be processed (50), and the recessed portion is used to contact the deformable area on the plate to be processed (50). The pre-fixing member (47) is configured such that the moving mold (44) and the fixed mold (45) press the plate to be processed (50) onto the protrusion before the mold is closed.

3. The molding device (40) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The moving mold (44) has a through hole; the pre-fixing member (47) includes a first power mechanism (472) and a push rod (471) connected to the first power mechanism (472); the first power mechanism (472) is located inside the moving mold (44), and the push rod (471) can pass through the through hole to extend to the outside of the moving mold (44); The first power mechanism (472) is configured such that: before the moving mold (44) and the fixed mold (45) are closed, the moving mold (44) moves along the first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold (45) to drive the push rod (471) to extend to the outside of the moving mold (44) and press the plate to be processed (50) onto the protrusion.

4. The molding device (40) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The molding device (40) is configured to: after pressing the sheet material (50) to be processed onto the protrusion by means of the ejector rod (471), control the moving mold (44) to move along a first direction and toward the side closer to the fixed mold (45) so as to close the mold with the fixed mold (45); During the mold closing process of the moving mold (44) and the fixed mold (45), the first power mechanism (472) is also configured to move along a first direction and toward the side away from the fixed mold (45) so that the ejector rod (471) gradually retracts into the moving mold (44).

5. The molding apparatus (40) according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The molding device (40) is configured such that after the moving mold (44) and the fixed mold (45) are closed, the sheet material (50) to be processed can be pressed into a sheet material of a specific shape, and the sheet material of the specific shape is injection molded to form at least one injection-molded reinforcement on the sheet material of the specific shape.

6. A molding positioning system, characterized in that, It includes a positioning fixture (10), a robot (20), and a molding device (40) as described in any one of claims 1-5; the positioning fixture (10) is used to position the sheet material (50) to be processed, and the robot (20) is used to pick up the sheet material (50) to be processed on the positioning fixture (10) and move the sheet material (50) to be processed to the cavity (451).

7. The molding positioning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning fixture (10) includes a support platform and a plurality of positioning sensors (11) disposed on the support platform. After the plate to be processed (50) is placed on the support platform, the plurality of positioning sensors (11) are located at the bottom of the plate to be processed (50) or distributed around the plate to be processed (50), and the positioning fixture (10) is configured to: detect the contact information with the plate to be processed (50) by each of the positioning sensors (11) to determine whether the plate to be processed (50) on the support platform is accurately positioned.

8. The molding positioning system according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the positioning sensors (11) is a pressure sensor, and each of the pressure sensors is used to detect the pressure applied to the plate to be processed (50) in order to determine the contact information with the plate to be processed (50); The positioning fixture (10) is configured to: after the pressure values ​​detected by each of the pressure sensors are within the preset pressure threshold range, determine that the positioning of the plate to be processed (50) on the support platform is accurate.

9. The molding positioning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning fixture (10) and / or the robot (20) have positioning marks; The robotic arm (20) is configured to: after detecting the positioning mark, grip or pick up the plate to be processed (50) from the position of the positioning mark.

10. The molding positioning system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The molding device (40) has a position sensor; The pre-fixing member (47) is configured to extend out of the moving mold (44) along the first direction after the robot (20) moves the plate to be processed (50) to the opening of the cavity (451) and the position sensor detects that the plate to be processed (50) is facing the opening of the cavity (451), so as to press the plate to be processed (50) into the cavity (451).

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