A head changing RGV for automatic fiber placement machine

Abstract

The application discloses a head-changing RGV for an automatic fiber placement machine, which is composed of an RGV vehicle body, a ground rail, a head-changing station, a small tool storage rack, an electric control cabinet and the like. The RGV vehicle body can carry the head-changing station, the small tool storage rack, the electric control cabinet and the like, and has a linear motion function along the ground rail. The head-changing station can carry an end effector such as a fiber placement head of the automatic fiber placement machine and quickly dock with the fiber placement machine. The head-changing station is provided with an electrical interface and can be connected with the fiber placement head to perform preparation work. With the assistance of the head-changing RGV, two fiber placement heads are configured, the actual working time ratio of the fiber placement machine is improved, the utilization rate of the equipment is greatly improved, and the working efficiency of the automatic fiber placement operation is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic composite material fiber placement machines, and more particularly to a head-changing RGV for automatic fiber placement machines. Background Technology

[0002] Carbon fiber has been widely used in the production processes of industries such as aerospace due to its advantages such as lightweight and high strength. In the laying and molding of carbon fiber structural components, the automated composite material fiber placement machine is the core equipment required for its production.

[0003] The yarn placement head, as the end effector of an automatic yarn placement machine, is the core component that pulls the yarn bundle from the prepreg bobbin to the die surface and performs process control. Before the automatic yarn placement operation begins, the bobbin must be manually installed on the yarn placement head, and the yarn must be manually threaded to the end of the head, a process that takes a considerable amount of time. The yarn placement head has a complex structure, and due to the uncertainty of the prepreg's raw material properties, yarn blockage, yarn breakage, and other placement failures are prone to occur during placement. In such cases, the machine must be stopped to troubleshoot the yarn placement head. Therefore, the current model has the following problems:

[0004] First, manual yarn feeding takes a long time. When the prepreg on the yarn feeder is used up, the automatic yarn feeder must be stopped during manual yarn feeding or troubleshooting, and cannot continue to work, resulting in low equipment utilization.

[0005] Secondly, during manual yarn threading or troubleshooting, there may be situations where it is necessary to keep the yarn placement head energized and ventilated to verify that the yarn placement head is fully ready. In this state, the yarn placement head must be attached to the end of the robot or other motion mechanism, which is inconvenient for manual operation and poses certain safety risks. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a head-changing RGV for an automatic yarn placement machine. This RGV can carry the yarn placement head and other end effectors of the automatic yarn placement machine for quick docking with the machine. The head-changing station is equipped with an electrical interface, which can be connected to the yarn placement head for preparatory work such as yarn threading or troubleshooting. During preparatory work or troubleshooting, the actual working time of the yarn placement machine can be increased, greatly improving the utilization rate of the equipment and the working efficiency of automatic yarn placement operations.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] An RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine includes: an RGV body, a ground rail, a head-changing station, a small tooling storage rack, and an electrical control cabinet. The ground rail is fixed to the ground. The head-changing station, the small tooling storage rack, and the electrical control cabinet are installed on the RGV body. The RGV body can move linearly along the ground rail. The head-changing station is used to store filament placement heads. Two stations are arranged on the RGV body, each corresponding to one of the two filament placement heads in the automatic filament placement machine system. The small tooling storage rack is used to store small tooling specifically for the filament placement machine. The electrical control cabinet is connected to the automatic filament placement machine control system to realize communication and control between the devices.

[0009] Preferably, the ground rail includes a guide rail and a drag chain assembly. One end of the drag chain assembly is connected to the RGV vehicle body, and the other end is fixed to the ground. Cables and air pipes are connected from the RGV vehicle body through the drag chain assembly to the overall electrical control cabinet of the automatic filament laying machine, so as to realize the power and air supply and motion control of the head-changing RGV.

[0010] Preferably, anti-collision devices are provided on both sides of the guide rail.

[0011] Preferably, the anti-collision device is a spring buffer or a polyurethane buffer.

[0012] Preferably, the RGV vehicle body includes a frame, a load-bearing surface, a drive mechanism, and auxiliary components. The load-bearing surface, drive mechanism, and auxiliary components are all mounted on the frame. The drive mechanism drives the wheel set of the frame to rotate, thereby driving the vehicle body to move. The auxiliary components include guide wheels, which are locked on both sides of the guide rail to constrain the vehicle body and make the vehicle body move along the guide rail.

[0013] Preferably, each head-changing station includes a column, a pneumatic-electric rocker arm, and two buffer supports. The column and buffer supports are both fixed to the bearing surface of the RGV vehicle body. A pin is installed on the top of the column, and the pneumatic-electric rocker arm is connected to the top of the column through the pin. A telescopic cylinder is installed between the pneumatic-electric rocker arm and the column in the form of a hinge support. As the cylinder extends and retracts, the cylinder pushes the pneumatic-electric rocker arm to swing around the pin to avoid the space required for the robot to dock with the filament-laying head.

[0014] Preferably, the pneumatic rocker arm is equipped with a pressing cylinder at its end, and a quick-change plate is connected to the end of the pressing cylinder. The quick-change plate is equipped with multiple pneumatic modules, which can be quickly connected to the quick-change plate on the yarn laying head to realize the pneumatic and electrical connection of the yarn laying head, which facilitates yarn threading preparation and troubleshooting operations.

[0015] Preferably, the buffer support has two layers, with shock-absorbing rubber between the two layers. A zero-point locator is installed on the top of the buffer support. The zero-point locator cooperates with the zero-point locating pin on the filament placement head. When the filament placement head is placed on the head-changing station, the filament placement head is positioned and constrained.

[0016] Preferably, the small tooling storage rack includes two sets of uprights, each set of uprights has a set of shock-absorbing rubber in the middle, and the top of the uprights has a pin hole that cooperates with the positioning pin on the tooling to achieve positioning of the tooling.

[0017] Preferably, the electrical control cabinet is fixed on the RGV bearing surface, and the electrical equipment required for the head-changing station is arranged inside and outside the cabinet. The relevant cables and air pipes are connected to the electrical control system inside the electrical control cabinet and the automatic filament laying machine control system through the drag chain assembly to realize communication and control between the equipment.

[0018] The present invention has the following positive effects compared with the prior art due to the adoption of the above technical solutions: (1) The present invention is equipped with a head-changing station and tooling rack for the automatic filament placement machine, which can be used to place the filament placement head or other end tooling respectively. The head-changing RGV can move along the guide rail and can be used with the automatic filament placement machine to realize quick replacement of the end actuator; (2) The head-changing station in the present invention has the function of docking with the filament placement head, which can provide electrical power to it and realize the preparation work and other operations at the head-changing station; (3) The head-changing station in the present invention has a buffer function by configuring shock-absorbing rubber, which has a certain flexibility when docking, which can reduce the difficulty of alignment and avoid equipment damage; (4) Through the cooperation of the head-changing RGV and the automatic filament placement machine, it can be realized that when the automatic filament placement machine is automatically laying, the personnel can simultaneously carry out the preparation or troubleshooting work of another filament placement head, reduce the downtime of the equipment, and greatly improve the utilization rate of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the RGV vehicle body provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the composition of the ground track provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the head-changing station provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the swing arm in the head-changing station in the swing-out state provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the retracted state of the cylinder at the head-changing station provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing state of the pressing cylinder at the head-changing station provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the buffer support provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a small tooling storage rack provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] 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.

[0030] This invention provides a method such as Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine, comprising: an RGV body 1, a ground rail 2, a head-changing station 3, a small tooling storage rack 4, and an electrical control cabinet 5. The ground rail 2 is fixed to the ground. The head-changing station 3, the small tooling storage rack 4, and the electrical control cabinet 5 are mounted on the RGV body 1, allowing the RGV body 1 to move linearly along the ground rail 2. It can quickly connect to the filament placement head and other end effectors of the automatic filament placement machine. The head-changing station 3 has an electrical interface for connecting the filament placement head for preparatory work. With the assistance of the head-changing RGV, configuring two filament placement heads can increase the actual working time of the filament placement machine, significantly improving equipment utilization and the efficiency of automatic filament placement operations.

[0031] As attached Figure 2 As shown, the RGV vehicle body 1 is composed of a frame body 101, a load-bearing surface 102, a drive mechanism 103, auxiliary components 104, etc.

[0032] As attached Figure 3 As shown, the ground rail 2 is composed of a guide rail 201, a drag chain assembly 202, an anti-collision device 203, etc.

[0033] The bearing surface 102, drive mechanism 103, and auxiliary components 104 of the vehicle body 1 are all mounted on the frame 101. The drive mechanism 103, including the motor and reducer, drives the wheel assembly to rotate, thereby driving the vehicle body 1 to move. The auxiliary components 104 include guide wheels, which can be locked onto both sides of the guide rail 201 to constrain the vehicle body 1 and make it move along the guide rail 201. The ground rail 2 is equipped with a drag chain device, which is fixed to the ground. One end of the drag chain is connected to the RGV vehicle body 1, and the other end is fixed to the ground. Cables, air hoses, etc., can be connected from the RGV vehicle body to the overall electrical control cabinet of the automatic filament laying machine via the drag chain to realize the power and air supply and movement control of the RGV. Anti-collision devices 3 are provided on both sides of the ground rail 2. These can be implemented by means of, but are not limited to, spring buffers, polyurethane buffers, etc., to prevent the RGV vehicle body 1 from moving beyond the range of the ground rail 2 and to avoid damage to personnel or equipment.

[0034] As attached Figure 4 As shown, the head-changing station 3 consists of a first column 301, a pneumatic rocker arm 302, a buffer support 303, etc., and is mainly used to store the filament placement head. Two head-changing stations 3 are arranged on the head-changing RGV, which correspond to the two filament placement heads in the automatic filament placement machine system, respectively.

[0035] The first column 301 and the buffer support 303 are both fixedly connected to the RGV vehicle body bearing surface 102. A pin 304 is installed on the top of the first column 301. The pneumatic rocker arm 302 is connected to the top of the first column 301 through the pin 304. A telescopic cylinder 305 is installed between the pneumatic rocker arm 302 and the first column 301 in the form of a hinge support. As the cylinder 305 extends and retracts, the cylinder 305 can push the pneumatic rocker arm 302 to swing around the pin to avoid the space required for the robot to dock with the filament-laying head. (See attached image) Figure 5 As shown, in this state, the space above the buffer support 303 is cleared, and the automatic filament placement machine can place the filament placement head on the buffer support 303.

[0036] As attached Figure 4 As shown, the pneumatic rocker arm end 302 is equipped with a pressing cylinder 306, and the end of the pressing cylinder is connected to a quick-change plate 307. The quick-change plate 307 is equipped with multiple sets of pneumatic and electrical modules, which can quickly dock with the quick-change plate on the yarn laying head to realize the pneumatic and electrical connection of the yarn laying head, facilitating yarn threading preparation and troubleshooting operations. (See attached image) Figure 6 As shown, this state indicates that the downward-pressing cylinder is in the retracted state; as attached... Figure 7 As shown, this state is the state where the pressing cylinder is pressed down to the position. In this state, the electrical connection between the head changing station 3 and the wire laying head is realized, and the power and air supply to the wire laying head is realized.

[0037] As attached Figure 8As shown, the buffer support 303 has two layers, with a shock-absorbing rubber 308 between the two layers and a zero-point locator 309 installed on top. The zero-point locator 309 can cooperate with the zero-point locating pin on the filament placement head, achieving positioning and constraint of the filament placement head after it is placed on the head-changing station. The shock-absorbing rubber 308 is located between the two layers of columns, providing a certain degree of cushioning and flexibility during docking of the filament placement machine with the head-changing station and docking of the pressure cylinder gun-changing disc with the filament placement head, thus reducing the requirements for docking accuracy.

[0038] The small tooling storage rack 4 is mainly used to store small tooling specifically for the filament laying machine, such as monofilament laying heads and automatic detection equipment. Figure 9 It consists of two sets of second uprights 401, fixed to the load-bearing surface of the RGV vehicle body. Each set of uprights has a set of shock-absorbing rubber 308 in the middle, which also has a certain degree of flexibility. The top of the upright is provided with a pin hole 402, which can cooperate with the positioning pin on the tooling to achieve positioning of the tooling.

[0039] The electrical control cabinet 5 is fixed on the RGV bearing surface 102. Various electrical equipment required for the head-changing station can be arranged inside and outside the cabinet. Related cables and air pipes can be connected to the electrical control system and the automatic filament laying machine control system through the RGV drag chain 202 to realize communication and control between the equipment.

[0040] The workflow of the head-swapping RGV is as follows:

[0041] In the automatic yarn placement machine system, the two yarn placement heads and the special tooling can be initially placed on the head-changing RGV. The zero-point positioning pin on the yarn placement head cooperates with the zero-point locator 309 on the head-changing station 3. After the air supply to the zero-point locator 309 is cut off, the yarn placement head can be locked on the buffer support 303 of the head-changing station. The cylinder 305 of the head-changing station 3 on the head-changing RGV pushes the swing arm 302 to swing directly above the yarn placement head. The pressing cylinder 306 presses down the gun changing disc 307 on the head-changing station 3 onto the other side of the gun changing disc on the yarn placement head, and the two lock together, thus realizing the power and air supply to the yarn placement head. In this state, the operator can perform yarn threading, testing, troubleshooting and other operations on the yarn placement head.

[0042] After the operator completes the preparation work for the filament placement head, the operator leaves. The RGV (Automated Filament Placer) moves along the guide rail to the docking position with the automatic filament placement machine. The changing plate 307 on the changing station 3 unlocks from the changing plate on the filament placement head. The pressing cylinder 306 retracts, disengaging the two changing plates. The swing cylinder 305 retracts, causing the swing arm 302 to swing to the side, creating docking space. The robot of the automatic filament placement machine moves to the docking position at the changing station 3. The filament placement machine robot docks with the end of the filament placement head, and the changing plate at the robot's end docks with the changing plate on the filament placement head, locking them together. The two zero-point positioners 309 on the changing station unlock from the filament placement head. The automatic filament placement machine robot then moves the filament placement head away from the changing station 3.

[0043] Once the RGV returns to its initial position, the automatic yarn placement machine will begin placing the yarn head. Personnel can continue to perform tasks such as threading, testing, and troubleshooting on another yarn head at another RGV changeover station.

[0044] When the feed hopper in the automatic fiber placement head is used up or the fiber placement head malfunctions, it can be quickly replaced with another ready-to-use fiber placement head. The specific procedure is as follows:

[0045] Both the automatic filament placement machine robot and the head-changing RGV move to the position where the robot docks with the idle head-changing station. The head-changing station's swing arm 302 swings to the side under the action of cylinder 305, the downward cylinder 306 retracts upward, and the zero-point locator 309 above the buffer support 303 is vented and in the unlocked state. The filament placement machine robot attaches the filament placement head and places it on the buffer support 303. The positioning pin on the filament placement head inserts into the zero-point locator 309, and the zero-point locator 309 is de-vented and locked, thus locking the filament placement head. The connection between the robot's end effector and the filament placement head's changing plate is disconnected, and the robot moves to another head-changing station. The current head-changing station locks and docks the filament placement head with the head-changing station according to the aforementioned steps, and supplies power and air. The robot's end effector moves to another head-changing station. After the head-changing station clears the docking space between the robot and the filament placement head according to the aforementioned steps, the robot docks with the prepared filament placement head and continues the filament placement operation. The RGV moves back to its initial position after the head is changed, and personnel manually operate the wire-laying head if there is insufficient material or a malfunction.

[0046] The end effector of the automatic filament placement machine can also be equipped with a small, dedicated tooling. In this case, following the steps described above, the automatic filament placement machine first places the filament placement head at the head-changing station. Then, both the head-changing RGV and the robot move to the docking position with the small, dedicated tooling. The robot docks with the tooling, and the tooling is then attached to the end effector of the robot, allowing it to be used for operations. The return process is the reverse of this process and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] The above methods enable rapid replacement of the filament placement head and end tooling, thereby improving the equipment utilization rate of the automatic filament placement machine.

[0048] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of this patent and do not limit its scope of protection. Those skilled in the art can make partial changes to them, as long as they do not exceed the spirit and essence of this patent, they are all within the scope of protection of this patent.

Claims

1. A head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine, characterized in that, include: The system includes an RGV body, a ground rail, a head-changing station, a small tooling storage rack, and an electrical control cabinet. The ground rail is fixed to the ground, while the head-changing station, small tooling storage rack, and electrical control cabinet are mounted on the RGV body. The RGV body can move linearly along the ground rail. The head-changing station is used to store the yarn-laying heads. Two stations are arranged on the RGV body, each corresponding to one of the two yarn-laying heads in the automatic yarn-laying machine system, enabling pneumatic and electrical connections between the yarn-laying heads for easy yarn threading preparation and troubleshooting. The small tooling storage rack is used to store small tools specifically designed for the yarn-laying machine. The electrical control cabinet is connected to the automatic yarn-laying machine control system to enable communication and control between the devices.

2. The RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground rail includes a guide rail and a drag chain assembly. One end of the drag chain assembly is connected to the RGV body, and the other end is fixed to the ground. Cables and air pipes are connected from the RGV body through the drag chain assembly to the overall electrical control cabinet of the automatic filament laying machine, so as to realize the power and air supply and motion control of the head-changing RGV.

3. The RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, Anti-collision devices are provided on both sides of the guide rail.

4. The RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The anti-collision device is a spring buffer or a polyurethane buffer.

5. The RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The RGV vehicle body includes a frame, a load-bearing surface, a drive mechanism, and auxiliary components. The load-bearing surface, drive mechanism, and auxiliary components are all mounted on the frame. The drive mechanism drives the wheel set of the frame to rotate, thereby driving the vehicle body to move. The auxiliary components include guide wheels, which are locked on both sides of the guide rail to constrain the vehicle body and make the vehicle body move along the guide rail.

6. The RGV for changing heads in an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each head-changing station includes a column, a pneumatic-electric rocker arm, and two buffer supports. The column and buffer supports are both fixed to the RGV vehicle body bearing surface. A pin is installed on the top of the column, and the pneumatic-electric rocker arm is connected to the top of the column through the pin. A telescopic cylinder is installed between the pneumatic-electric rocker arm and the column in the form of a hinge support. As the cylinder extends and retracts, the cylinder pushes the pneumatic-electric rocker arm to swing around the pin to avoid the space required for the robot to dock with the filament-laying head.

7. A head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pneumatic rocker arm is equipped with a pressing cylinder at its end, and a quick-change plate is connected to the end of the pressing cylinder. The quick-change plate is equipped with multiple pneumatic modules, which can be quickly connected to the quick-change plate on the wire laying head.

8. A head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The buffer support consists of two layers, with shock-absorbing rubber between the two layers. A zero-point locator is installed on the top of the buffer support. The zero-point locator cooperates with the zero-point locating pin on the filament placement head. When the filament placement head is placed on the head-changing station, the filament placement head is positioned and constrained.

9. A head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The small tooling storage rack includes two sets of uprights, each set of uprights has a set of shock-absorbing rubber in the middle, and the top of the uprights has pin holes that cooperate with the positioning pins on the tooling to achieve positioning of the tooling.

10. A head-changing RGV for an automatic filament placement machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electrical control cabinet is fixed on the RGV bearing surface, and the electrical equipment required for the head-changing station is arranged inside and outside the cabinet. The relevant cables and air pipes are connected to the electrical control system inside the electrical control cabinet and the automatic filament laying machine control system through the drag chain assembly to realize communication and control between the equipment.

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