High-temperature steel billet code spraying device

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-temperature steel billet code spraying device. The device comprises a multi-axis mechanical arm; the detection mechanism, the code spraying mechanism, the descaling mechanism and the heat insulation protection assembly are connected to the tail end of the multi-axis mechanical arm through a common mounting base; the heat insulation protection assembly comprises a first protection cover and a first cooling gas connector, the first protection cover covers the detection mechanism, and the first cooling gas connector is arranged on the first protection cover and used for conveying cooling gas into the first protection cover. The device has the advantages that positioning, descaling, code spraying and verification are integrated, manual intervention is not needed, potential safety hazards of high-temperature operation are thoroughly eliminated, meanwhile, the operation rhythm is fast, and seamless butt joint with a high-speed production line can be achieved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of billet identification, and particularly relates to a billet automatic code spraying device suitable for a high-temperature environment. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the steel smelting process, the high-temperature billets (usually at a temperature of 800-1200 DEG C) produced by the continuous casting production line need to be sprayed with furnace numbers, flow numbers and other traceable information on the end face. At present, this operation mainly relies on manual work, which has many defects. First, the workers need to be close to the high-temperature billets, the working environment is poor, and there are serious safety hazards such as high-temperature roasting, heat radiation burns and equipment collision. Second, the quality of manual identification is unstable, and problems such as blurred handwriting and position deviation are prone to occur, which affects the subsequent automatic identification and traceability. Third, the manual code spraying efficiency is low, which is difficult to match the high-speed rhythm of the modern production line, and the high-temperature paint and other consumables are wasted seriously, resulting in high cost.

[0003] Therefore, it is an urgent need to develop a device that can replace manual work, adapt to high-temperature harsh environments, and realize automatic and accurate code spraying, in order to improve the production efficiency of the steel industry, ensure the safety of the operation, and realize lean management. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, provide a high-temperature billet code spraying device, and realize automatic, high-precision and high-quality code spraying on the end face of the high-temperature billet, and ensure that the device itself can operate stably and reliably in a high-temperature radiation environment for a long time.

[0005] Technical scheme: A high-temperature billet code spraying device comprises a multi-axis mechanical arm, and a detection mechanism, a code spraying mechanism, a descaling mechanism and a heat insulation protection assembly connected at the end of the multi-axis mechanical arm through a common mounting base. The heat insulation protection assembly comprises a first protective cover and a first cooling gas interface, the first protective cover covers the detection mechanism, and the first cooling gas interface is arranged on the first protective cover and used for conveying cooling gas into the first protective cover.

[0006] The principle of the present application is that the operation unit is highly integrated in the multi-axis mechanical arm, and the detection mechanism is equipped with active cooling protection, which constitutes a complete automatic code spraying basic platform that can operate reliably in a high-temperature environment, and solves the core problems of the survival and automatic operation of the device in a harsh environment.

[0007] Furthermore, the heat insulation and protection assembly also includes a second protective cover and a second cooling gas interface. The second protective cover covers the coding mechanism, and the second cooling gas interface is located on the second protective cover for supplying cooling gas to its interior. By adding independent cooling protection to the coding mechanism, the high-temperature protection range is extended from the sensing unit to the execution unit, effectively preventing the nozzle and feeding pipeline from becoming clogged or damaged due to high-temperature radiation, and further improving the overall stability and reliability of the device in extreme high-temperature environments.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a vortex tube, the cold gas outlet of which is connected to the first cooling gas interface and the second cooling gas interface, respectively. Using a vortex tube as a unified cold gas source provides the device with a highly efficient, stable, and part-free cooling solution. Only compressed air is needed to generate a low-temperature airflow, greatly improving the cooling effect and the long-term operational reliability of the entire cooling system.

[0009] Specifically, the detection mechanism includes a ranging sensor and an industrial camera, both of which are housed inside the first protective cover.

[0010] Furthermore, the heat insulation and protection assembly also includes a high-temperature resistant glass, which is mounted on the first protective cover. The ranging sensor and the industrial camera view the billet surface through the high-temperature resistant glass. By adding the high-temperature resistant glass, a clear and unobstructed external observation window is provided for the precision optical sensors inside the protective cover, while ensuring the integrity of the sealed environment inside the protective cover. This is a key structure for achieving a combination of effective protection and accurate detection.

[0011] Specifically, the descaling mechanism includes: a pneumatic motor, a wire brush, a mounting plate, and an elastic feed assembly. The rotating shaft of the wire brush is connected to the output shaft of the pneumatic motor via a coupling. The second protective cover is fixed to one side of the mounting plate, and the other side is connected to the motor via the elastic feed assembly. The elastic feed assembly enables the power unit (motor) of the descaling mechanism to have flexible floating capability, which can adapt to the unevenness that may exist on the end face of the billet, thereby ensuring that the wire brush can continuously adhere to the workpiece surface with appropriate pressure during operation, ensuring the uniformity and thoroughness of the descaling effect.

[0012] Specifically, the elastic feed assembly includes: a slide plate, a guide rail, axles, a compression spring, and a limiting block. Multiple axles are fixed on the slide plate, the guide rail is fixed on the mounting plate, the guide rail and axles are matched and aligned, the slide plate is connected to the motor, the compression spring is connected to the mounting plate and the slide plate, and the limiting block is fixed on the mounting plate and aligned with the slide plate.

[0013] Beneficial effects: Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are: it integrates positioning, descaling, coding, and verification into one unit, requiring no manual intervention and completely eliminating safety hazards associated with high-temperature operations. Simultaneously, it boasts a fast operating cycle and can seamlessly integrate with high-speed production lines. Furthermore, the innovative heat insulation and protection assembly, especially the active cooling design, creates a suitable working environment for precision optical and electronic components, effectively resisting the adverse effects of high-temperature steel billets and ensuring the long-term stability and service life of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 Perspective view of the testing facility; Figure 3 A 3D view of the inkjet printing mechanism; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet printing mechanism; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the descaling mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. These embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0016] This embodiment provides a high-temperature steel billet inkjet marking device. The overall architecture is based on a multi-axis robotic arm, such as a six-axis industrial robot, which can achieve flexible movement and precise positioning in three-dimensional space.

[0017] Please see the appendix Figure 1 The device integrates three core functional mechanisms required for the entire process of high-temperature steel billet inkjet printing: a detection mechanism 1, an inkjet printing mechanism 2, and a descaling mechanism 3. To cope with the high-temperature radiation environment of the steel billet, a heat insulation and protection assembly 4 is also included. All four are connected to the end of a multi-axis robotic arm via a common mounting base (such as a flange). The device completes the operation collaboratively through the unified drive of the multi-axis robotic arm.

[0018] Please see the appendix Figure 2 In a preferred embodiment, the heat insulation assembly 4 includes a first protective cover 41 and a first cooling gas interface 43. The first protective cover 41 is installed over the temperature-sensitive detection mechanism 1 in a covering manner, forming an independent and protected internal space. The first cooling gas interface 43 is disposed on the housing of the first protective cover 41 and is used to receive cooling gas from an external gas source and deliver it into the interior, thereby actively cooling the detection mechanism 1 and ensuring its stable operation in high-temperature environments.

[0019] Please see the appendix Figure 3As a further optimization, the heat insulation and protection assembly 4 may also include a second protective cover 44 and a second cooling gas interface 45. The second protective cover 44 covers the outside of the coding mechanism 2, forming a protected chamber. The second cooling gas interface 45 is used to supply cooling gas into this chamber to protect the nozzle, valve body, and feed pipeline of the coding mechanism 2 from high temperatures and prevent the coating from clogging due to high-temperature agglomeration or vaporization.

[0020] To provide an efficient and reliable cooling air source, this device is preferably equipped with a vortex tube 46. A vortex tube is a device that can split a single compressed air flow into two streams: a cold air stream and a hot air stream. In this embodiment, the cold air outlet of the vortex tube 46 is connected to a first cooling gas interface 43 and a second cooling gas interface 45 via pipe branches. Thus, only one standard compressed air input is needed to simultaneously provide a continuous and stable low-temperature airflow to both the detection mechanism 1 and the coding mechanism 2. This solution has no moving parts and is extremely reliable.

[0021] Please see the appendix Figure 2 In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 1 specifically includes a ranging sensor 11 (e.g., a laser profile sensor) and an industrial camera 12. Both of these precision optical components are housed inside the first protective cover 41 and are fully protected. To enable their proper functioning, the heat insulation assembly 4 also includes a high-temperature resistant glass 42, which is sealed and mounted on the first protective cover 41 as an observation window, positioned directly opposite the optical paths of the ranging sensor 11 and the industrial camera 12. Therefore, the ranging sensor 11 and the industrial camera 12 can scan and photograph the external steel billet surface without obstruction through the high-temperature resistant glass 42, while maintaining the sealed and low-temperature environment inside the first protective cover 41.

[0022] Please see the appendix Figure 3 , 4 The coding mechanism 2 specifically includes a nozzle mounting bracket 21 and a nozzle 22. The nozzle mounting bracket 21 is mounted on the second protective cover 44. One end of the nozzle 22 is fixed to the nozzle mounting bracket 21, and the other end extends from the side wall of the second protective cover 44 toward the high-temperature steel billet, so as to provide as much protection as possible without affecting the coding operation.

[0023] Please see the appendix Figure 5The descaling mechanism 3 is crucial for ensuring the quality of the inkjet printing. In one specific embodiment, it includes a pneumatic motor 31, a wire brush 32, a mounting plate 33, and a flexible feed assembly 34. The shaft of the wire brush 32 is rigidly connected to the output shaft of the pneumatic motor 31 via a coupling to transmit rotational power. One side of the mounting plate 33 is securely connected to the outer shell of the second protective cover 44 or a common mounting base, while the other side is connected to the pneumatic motor 31 via the flexible feed assembly 34. This design allows the power unit, consisting of the pneumatic motor 31 and the wire brush 32, to float in a controlled, elastic manner relative to the fixed mounting plate 33.

[0024] To achieve the aforementioned floating function, the specific structure of the elastic feed assembly 34 may include: a slide plate 34a, a guide rail 34b, several axles 34c, a pressure spring 34d, and a limiting block 34e. The guide rail 34b is fixed to the mounting plate 33, while multiple axles 34c are fixed to the slide plate 34a. These axles 34c are in a limiting sliding engagement with the guide rail 34b. The engagement can be achieved by having two rows of axles, with the guide rail positioned between the two rows of axles, allowing the slide plate 34a to move linearly and stably along the guide rail 34b. The pneumatic motor 31 is fixed to the slide plate 34a. The pressure spring 34d connects the fixed mounting plate 33 and the movable slide plate 34a, consistently providing a preload force that pushes the slide plate 34a, motor, and wire brush towards the billet. The limiting block 34e is fixed to the mounting plate 33 to limit the maximum stroke of the slide plate 34a, preventing it from disengaging or moving excessively. When the wire brush 32 comes into contact with the uneven surface of the billet, the elastic feed assembly 34 allows it to automatically retract or extend according to the surface profile, thereby always maintaining appropriate contact pressure and achieving the best descaling effect.

[0025] The working process of this device is as follows: 1) The multi-axis robotic arm moves the device to the standby position. The cooling system is activated, and the vortex tube 46 starts working, continuously supplying cool air into the first protective cover 41 and the second protective cover 44.

[0026] 2) The robotic arm drives the inspection mechanism 1 to align with the end face of the steel billet. The ranging sensor 11 scans through the high-temperature resistant glass 42, and the industrial camera 12 acquires images of the target end face through the high-temperature resistant glass 42 to obtain the contour coordinate information of the target end face. Based on this, the system plans the optimal coding area.

[0027] 3) The robotic arm moves the wire brush 32 of the descaling mechanism 3 to the target area according to the planned path. The pneumatic motor 31 starts, and the wire brush 32 rotates at high speed. Under the action of the elastic feed component 34, the wire brush 32 adheres to the surface of the steel billet with constant pressure to clean and remove the oxide scale.

[0028] 4) After descaling is completed, the robotic arm moves the inkjet printing mechanism 2 to the cleaned area to perform the inkjet printing operation.

[0029] 5) After the coding is completed, the robotic arm moves the detection mechanism 1 again, so that the industrial camera 12 inside it takes pictures of the printed characters through the high-temperature resistant glass 42. The system automatically performs image recognition and comparison to confirm the coding quality.

[0030] 6) After completing all steps, the robotic arm resets and waits for the next work instruction.

[0031] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A high-temperature billet code spraying device characterized by comprising: The application relates to a multi-axis robot arm and a detection mechanism (1), a code spraying mechanism (2), a descaling mechanism (3) and a heat insulation protection assembly (4) which are connected to the end of the multi-axis robot arm through a common mounting base. The heat insulation protection assembly (4) comprises a first protection cover (41) and a first cooling gas interface (43), the first protection cover (41) covers the detection mechanism (1), and the first cooling gas interface (43) is arranged on the first protection cover (41) and used for conveying cooling gas into the first protection cover (41). The heat insulation protection assembly (4) further comprises a second protection cover (44) and a second cooling gas interface (45), the second protection cover (44) covers the code spraying mechanism (2), and the second cooling gas interface (45) is arranged on the second protection cover (44) and used for conveying cooling gas into the second protection cover (44).

2. The high-temperature billet inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein A vortex tube (46) is further arranged, and the cold gas outlet of the vortex tube (46) is connected with the first cooling gas interface (43) and the second cooling gas interface (45) respectively.

3. The high-temperature billet ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The detection mechanism (1) comprises a distance measuring sensor (11) and an industrial camera (12), and the distance measuring sensor (11) and the industrial camera (12) are arranged in the first protection cover (41).

4. The high temperature billet ink jet printer of claim 1 wherein, The heat insulation protection assembly (4) further comprises a high-temperature-resistant glass (42), the high-temperature-resistant glass (42) is arranged on the first protection cover (41), and the distance measuring sensor (11) and the industrial camera (12) are arranged to face the surface of the billet through the high-temperature-resistant glass (42).

5. The high-temperature billet ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The descaling mechanism (3) comprises a pneumatic motor (31), a steel wire brush (32), a mounting plate (33) and an elastic feeding assembly (34), the rotating shaft of the steel wire brush (32) is connected with the output shaft of the pneumatic motor (31) through a coupling, one side of the mounting plate (33) is fixedly connected with the second protection cover (44), and the other side is connected with the motor (31) through the elastic feeding assembly (34).

6. The high temperature billet ink jet printer of claim 1 wherein, The elastic feeding assembly (34) comprises a sliding plate (34a), a guide rail (34b), an axle (34c), a compression spring (34d) and a limiting block (34e), a plurality of axles (34c) are fixedly arranged on the sliding plate (34a), the guide rail (34b) is fixedly arranged on the mounting plate (33), the guide rail (34b) and the axles (34c) are arranged in matched position, the sliding plate (34a) is connected with the motor (31), the compression spring (34d) is connected with the mounting plate (33) and the sliding plate (34a), and the limiting block (34e) is fixedly arranged on the mounting plate (33) and matched with the sliding plate (34a).

7. The high-temperature billet ink-jet printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein ​

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