A multi-functional flexible assembly inspection apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of assembly detection, and discloses a multifunctional flexible assembly detection device and method, which comprises a feeding area, an assembling area and a carrying mechanism, the assembling area is provided with a bearing tool, the feeding area is provided with a Tray disc feeder and a flexible vibration disc feeder, and the carrying mechanism is used for carrying materials from the feeding area to the assembling area to be assembled into products, the Tray disc feeder and the flexible vibration disc feeder can meet the feeding requirements of various processes, the carrying mechanism is integrated with a three-axis module, a material taking module, a vision module, a cleaning module and a height measuring and detecting module, the carrying mechanism can not only realize the taking and placing of materials and the assembly of products based on visual guidance, but also realize the detection function of the device through the vision module and the height measuring and detecting module, and realizes the cleaning function through the cleaning module, thereby significantly improving the utilization rate of the workshop site, the compatibility and flexibility of the device, improving the quality of products and reducing the production cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of assembly detection, in particular to a multifunctional flexible assembly detection device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the assembly production link of automobile parts, the incoming packaging forms of various product parts are quite different, among which the circuit board type parts are generally packaged in a standardized manner using Tray trays, and the sealing ring type parts are mostly supplied in bulk in the form of material bags; the feeding and assembly processes of the above-mentioned parts are mainly operated manually in the traditional process. The operation mode with manual intervention not only has low production efficiency, but also is more likely to cause cleanliness pollution of the parts due to personnel contact, which adversely affects the product assembly quality. Moreover, the existing equipment has low integration, and in the production process, the processes such as feeding, product cleaning and product detection need to be carried out cooperatively by multiple devices, which not only reduces the utilization rate of the workshop site, but also reduces the compatibility and flexibility of the equipment.

[0003] For the Tray tray feeding demand of the circuit board, the existing feeding machine in the form of up and down reflow has obvious space adaptation defects in actual application: on the one hand, the space occupied by the core lifting mechanism of the equipment is large, which directly compresses the effective storage area of the Tray tray, resulting in limited Tray tray storage capacity of the equipment; on the other hand, the feeding height of the upper conveying line body of such feeding machine is restricted by the structural design, and in order to improve the Tray tray storage capacity, the design idea of raising the height of the upper line body is often adopted, which does not meet the ergonomic requirements and increases the inconvenience of on-site operation and maintenance.

[0004] At the same time, due to the characteristics of small size and soft texture, the sealing ring type parts are prone to stacking and sticking, and the feeding and assembly process of such parts is basically completed manually in the traditional process. Although a few production lines have tried to use automatic feeding process, the existing solutions are difficult to effectively solve the technical problems of sealing ring stacking and jamming, resulting in low automation degree of the production line. The work link involving manual operation will inevitably cause secondary pollution to the sealing ring, further affecting the assembly quality and use reliability of the automobile parts. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a multifunctional flexible assembly detection device and method, which meets the feeding demand of various processes through Tray tray feeding machine and flexible vibration plate feeding machine, and the carrying mechanism integrates three-axis module, feeding module, vision module, cleaning module and height detection module, which can not only realize feeding and product assembly based on visual guidance, but also realize detection and cleaning functions as a detection and cleaning device, significantly improving the compatibility and flexibility of the equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical scheme adopted by the present application is:

[0007] In a first aspect, a multifunctional flexible assembly detection device is provided, which comprises a feeding area, an assembly area and a carrying mechanism, the assembly area is provided with a bearing tool, the feeding area is provided with a Tray disc feeder and a flexible vibration disc feeder, and the carrying mechanism is used for carrying materials from the feeding area to the assembly area to be assembled into products;

[0008] The carrying mechanism comprises a three-axis module located above the feeding area and the assembly area, the output end of the three-axis module is connected with a mounting plate, the mounting plate is provided with a material taking module capable of rotating relative to the mounting plate around the Z-axis direction, and the periphery of the material taking module is provided with a vision module, a height detection module and a cleaning module;

[0009] The material taking module is used for grabbing the first material provided by the Tray disc feeder and the second material provided by the flexible vibration disc feeder, the vision module is used for visually guiding the material taking module to grab the material and visually detecting the product, the height detection module is used for detecting the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product, and the cleaning module is used for cleaning the product.

[0010] Optionally, the mounting plate is provided with a rotating module parallel to the Z-axis direction, the material taking module is installed at the output end of the rotating module, the vision module adopts a vision camera, the height detection module adopts a height sensor, and the cleaning module adopts a vacuum cleaning rod.

[0011] Optionally, the Tray disc feeder comprises two groups of conveying tracks for conveying Tray discs distributed vertically along the longitudinal direction, each group of the conveying tracks is provided with a jacking mechanism for jacking the Tray disc relative to the conveying track, and the rear end of the conveying track is provided with a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism is used for receiving the full Tray disc conveyed by the upper conveying track for the material taking module to take the material, and the lifting mechanism is also used for transferring the empty Tray disc to the lower conveying track.

[0012] Optionally, the jacking mechanism comprises a bottom plate and a top plate capable of opening and closing relative to the Z-axis direction, a sliding frame and a support plate are arranged on the bottom plate, the support plate is located on the outer side of the sliding frame and connected with the top plate, an inclined cam groove is formed in the support plate, a roller connected with the sliding frame is embedded in the cam groove, the bottom plate is connected with the conveying track, and a Y-axis driving unit for driving the sliding frame to move along the Y-axis direction is installed below the bottom plate.

[0013] Secondly, a multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method is proposed, which uses the multifunctional flexible assembly inspection equipment described in the first aspect, and includes the following steps:

[0014] S1. The first material and the second material for assembling the product are provided by the Tray feeder and the flexible vibratory feeder, respectively.

[0015] S2. Under the visual guidance of the vision module, the material picking module first picks up the first material and places it on the carrier fixture, and then picks up the second material and places it in the position corresponding to the first material to realize product assembly.

[0016] S3. After the product is assembled, the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product is detected by the height measurement module, and the product is visually inspected by the vision module.

[0017] Optionally, in step S3, the product is cleaned by a cleaning module before testing.

[0018] Optionally, in step S2, the material handling module picks up and places materials under the visual guidance of the vision module, and the implementation steps are as follows:

[0019] S21. When the Tray or Flexible Vibratory Feeder delivers the material to the designated feeding position, the vision module moves to the preset shooting position through the three-axis module to acquire images of the material to obtain material image information.

[0020] S22. Preprocess the material image information and obtain the actual pose information of the material by extracting the material's feature information;

[0021] S23. Based on the deviation between the actual position and orientation information of the material and the preset standard position and orientation, first control the material picking module to rotate around the rotation center to align the angle, and then calculate the translation compensation amount through the coordinate transformation matrix.

[0022] S24. Based on the coordinate relationship between the feeding position and the unloading position, determine the movement path of the material picking module to complete the material picking and placing actions.

[0023] Optionally, the coordinate transformation matrix represents the transformation relationship between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system, and is established using the nine-point calibration method. The implementation steps of the nine-point calibration method are as follows:

[0024] The coordinate transformation matrix represents the transformation relationship between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system, and is established using the nine-point calibration method. The implementation steps of the nine-point calibration method are as follows:

[0025] Step A: Select nine calibration reference objects and record the coordinates of each reference object in the image coordinate system. and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system ;

[0026] Step B: Based on the principle of least squares fitting, establish the transformation matrix between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system. The transformation relationship satisfies:

[0027] ;

[0028] The above equation can be converted into the following form:

[0029] ;

[0030] The resulting formula is as follows:

[0031] ;

[0032] in, The transformation matrix parameters were obtained by solving nine sets of calibration data.

[0033] Optionally, the rotation center is determined using a five-point rotation center calibration method, the implementation steps of which are as follows:

[0034] Step 1: Select five calibration target points and record the coordinates of each target point in the image coordinate system and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system.

[0035] Step II: Based on the least squares optimization model, establish the equations for solving the center of rotation:

[0036] ;

[0037] Where n=5, and θ is the rotation angle. Let the coordinates be the center of rotation. The target image coordinates, Given the mechanical coordinates of the target point, solve the equations to obtain the rotation center parameters.

[0038] Optionally, the formula for calculating the coordinates of the material's rotation and translation from the original coordinates to the target coordinates is as follows:

[0039] ;

[0040] Where (x1,y1) are the original coordinates of the material, (x2,y2) are the coordinates of the rotation center, θ is the rotation angle, and (x,y) are the target coordinates after rotation and translation.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0042] (1) In this invention, the tray feeder and the flexible vibratory feeder can meet the feeding requirements of various processes. The conveying mechanism integrates a three-axis module, a material picking module, a vision module, a cleaning module and a height measurement and detection module. It can not only realize the picking and placing of materials and product assembly based on vision guidance, but also realize the detection function of the equipment through the vision module and the height measurement and detection module. At the same time, it realizes the cleaning function through the cleaning module, which significantly improves the utilization rate of the workshop space and the compatibility and flexibility of the equipment. It can also reduce production costs while improving product quality.

[0043] (2) For the above-mentioned Tray loading machine, the Y-axis drive unit of its lifting mechanism is horizontally installed below the base plate. With the cooperation of the cam groove and the roller, the horizontal movement of the sliding frame can be converted into the vertical movement of the support plate, thereby driving the top plate to lift relative to the base plate, reducing the space occupied by the lifting mechanism in the vertical direction, so as to reserve more space for Tray storage, improve the production capacity of the equipment, and reduce the height of the loading machine to ensure that the height of the upper conveying track conforms to the ergonomic design.

[0044] (3) In this invention, the material picking module adopts the order of rotation alignment and translation compensation in the process of picking and placing materials under visual guidance. The material is first rotated to the standard posture and then the position is translated to reduce the posture deviation during the movement and improve the accuracy of picking and placing.

[0045] (4) In this invention, by collecting the image coordinates and mechanical coordinates of nine uniformly distributed calibration reference objects, and using the least squares fitting principle to solve the transformation matrix, the accuracy of coordinate transformation can be ensured; and by collecting calibration target point data at five different positions, establishing a least squares optimization model, and accurately solving the rotation center of the material picking module, the positioning error caused by the offset of the rotation center can be avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multifunctional flexible assembly testing equipment in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the isometric structure of the multifunctional flexible assembly testing equipment in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a top view of the multifunctional flexible assembly testing equipment in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positional structure of the flexible vibrating plate and the hopper in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 7 This is an isometric structural diagram of the flexible vibratory feeder and the hopper in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 9 This is an isometric structural diagram of the lifting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling module's material handling process in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Among them, 1. support platform; 101. clearance hole; 2. tray feeder; 201. conveyor track;

[0057] 202. Lifting mechanism; 221. Z-axis drive unit; 222. Guide plate; 223. Support; 224. Receiving platform; 225. Conveying assembly;

[0058] 203. Lifting mechanism; 231. Base plate; 232. Top plate; 233. Sliding frame; 234. Support plate; 235. Cam groove; 236. Roller; 237. Guide rod; 238. Y-axis drive unit;

[0059] 204. Support mechanism; 241. Base; 242. Telescopic component; 243. Support plate; 244. Support block;

[0060] 205. Stop plate;

[0061] 3. Flexible vibratory feeder; 4. Handling mechanism; 401. Three-axis module; 402. Mounting plate; 403. Rotary module; 404. Material handling module; 405. Vision module; 406. Cleaning module; 407. Height detection module;

[0062] 5. Material bin; 501. Material baffle; 502. Material filling port; 503. Material guide plate; 6. Loading fixture. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, which are only used to illustrate the basic structure of the present invention and therefore only show the components relevant to the present invention.

[0064] Products are assembled from different materials, such as sealing rings assembled on circuit board components. Here, the circuit board components are equivalent to the first material, and the sealing rings are equivalent to the second material. The sealing rings need to be assembled into the designated positions of the circuit board components. Circuit board components are usually packaged in a standardized manner using trays, while sealing rings are supplied in bulk in the form of bags.

[0065] Example 1, as Figures 1-3 As shown, a multifunctional flexible assembly and testing equipment includes a feeding area, an assembly area, and a conveying mechanism 4. The assembly area is equipped with a bearing fixture 6, and the feeding area is equipped with a tray feeder 2 and a flexible vibratory feeder 3, both of which are installed on a support platform 1 within the assembly area. The conveying mechanism 4 is used to transport materials from the feeding area to the assembly area to assemble them into products. Specifically, the conveying mechanism 4 first transports the first material provided by the tray feeder 2 to the bearing fixture 6 for positioning and clamping, and then transports the second material provided by the flexible vibratory feeder 3 to the first material on the bearing fixture 6 to assemble the second material onto the first material, thereby forming a product.

[0066] Among them, the bearing fixture 6 is existing technology, used to fix and clamp the carrier of the product (i.e. the first material) to facilitate the assembly of the second material at a designated position on the first material; the Tray feeder 2 and the flexible vibratory feeder 3 are distributed opposite to each other, that is, the flexible vibratory feeder 3 is located on one side of the Tray feeder 2, and the conveying mechanism 4 is located above the Tray feeder 2 and the flexible vibratory feeder 3. Moreover, the Tray feeder 2 adopts an up-and-down recirculation form, which can both transport full Trays and empty Trays.

[0067] Specifically, the equipment can meet the feeding needs of various processes through Tray feeder 2 and flexible vibratory feeder 3. The handling mechanism 4 integrates a three-axis module 401, a material handling module 404, a vision module 405, a cleaning module 406, and a height detection module 407. It can not only realize vision-guided material handling and product assembly, but also realize the detection function of the equipment through the vision module 405 and the height detection module 407. At the same time, the cleaning function is realized through the cleaning module 406. This significantly improves the utilization rate of the workshop space and the compatibility and flexibility of the equipment, and reduces production costs while improving product quality.

[0068] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, the conveying mechanism 4 includes a three-axis module 401, a rotary module 403, a material handling module 404, a vision module 405, a height detection module 407, and a cleaning module 406. The bottom of the three-axis module 401 is connected to the support platform 1, and the output end of the three-axis module 401 is connected to a mounting plate 402. The rotary module 403 is mounted on the mounting plate 402. The material handling module 404 is connected to the output end of the rotary module 403, and the vision module 405, the height detection module 407, and the cleaning module 406 are distributed on the outside of the rotary module 403. The rotary module 403 is parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the material handling module 404 is coaxial with the rotary module 403, that is, the vision module 405, the height detection module 407, and the cleaning module 406 are also distributed around the material handling module 404.

[0069] The three-axis module 401 includes an X-axis linear module, a Y-axis linear module, and a Z-axis linear module, which are connected in sequence. That is, the output end of the Z-axis linear module is the output end of the three-axis module 401. Under the action of the three, the mounting plate 402 can move linearly relative to the support platform 1 along the X, Y, and Z axes. The rotary module 403 adopts existing technology, such as a rotary motor and reducer assembly, which can drive the material picking module 404 to rotate around the Z-axis.

[0070] The material handling module 404 is used to pick up the first material provided by the Tray feeder 2 and the second material provided by the flexible vibrating feeder 3. The vision module 405 is used to visually guide the material handling module 404 to pick up the material and perform visual inspection on the product. The height detection module 407 is used to detect the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product. The cleaning module 406 is used to clean the product.

[0071] Specifically, the material handling module 404 uses multiple suction cups to grab materials, and the cleaning module 406 uses a vacuum cleaning rod parallel to the Z-axis direction. It uses the existing Z-axis module to lift and lower the vacuum cleaning rod relative to the mounting plate 402 along the Z-axis direction, so as to ensure that the lower end of the vacuum cleaning rod can move to the corresponding cleaning position, thereby improving the cleanliness of the product. The Z-axis module is installed on the outside of the rotating module 403, and the vacuum cleaning rod is connected to the output end of the Z-axis module.

[0072] The vision module 405 uses a vision camera, which can not only guide the material handling module 404 to transport materials from the loading area to the assembly area through vision technology, but also work with the height detection module 407 to perform visual inspection and height detection on the assembled product. The height detection module 407 uses a height sensor, which can detect the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product, so as to ensure that the second material is properly assembled on the first material.

[0073] The workflow of handling mechanism 4:

[0074] After the materials provided by Tray Feeder 2 and Flexible Vibratory Feeder 3 arrive at their positions, the material handling module 404, under visual guidance, first transports the first material from Tray Feeder 2 to the bearing fixture 6, and then transports the second material from Flexible Vibratory Feeder 3 to the designated position on the aforementioned first material for assembly. After the product assembly is completed, the cleaning module 406 cleans the product to ensure its cleanliness. At the same time, the vision module 405 and the height detection module 407 cooperate to detect the product. The former performs visual inspection, while the latter uses distance measurement to detect the height of the second material relative to the first material, ensuring that the products produced by this equipment have better quality.

[0075] like Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the Tray loading machine 2 includes a lifting mechanism 202 and two sets of conveying tracks 201. The two sets of conveying tracks 201 are distributed vertically along the longitudinal direction. The upper conveying track 201 is installed on the support platform 1, and the lower conveying track 201 is located below the support platform 1. The support platform 1 has a clearance hole 101 for the lifting mechanism 202 to pass through. The upper conveying track 201 is used to transport full Trays, and the lower conveying track 201 is used to transport empty Trays. The lifting mechanism 202 is used to transfer Trays from the upper conveying track 201 to the lower conveying track 201. The conveying directions of both sets of conveying tracks 201 are parallel to the X-axis direction, and the conveying directions of the upper and lower conveying tracks 201 are opposite.

[0076] A lifting mechanism 203 is provided on the conveying track 201. Supporting mechanisms 204 for supporting trays are provided on both the left and right sides of the lifting mechanism 203. The tray encoding function can be realized by the side support mechanisms 204 in conjunction with the lifting mechanism 203. A stopping mechanism for stopping the tray is provided on the front or rear side of the lifting mechanism 203. That is, the stopping mechanism on the upper conveying track 201 is located on the rear side of the lifting mechanism 203, and the stopping mechanism on the lower conveying track 201 is located on the front side of the lifting mechanism 203.

[0077] Each set of conveyor tracks 201 includes two opposing supports, which are fixedly connected by a lifting truss. Each support is fitted with a conveyor belt that can rotate along the X-axis. The two ends of the tray overlap the top surface of the conveyor belt of the two supports, and the tray is conveyed along the X-axis by the movement of the conveyor belt.

[0078] The lifting mechanism 203 includes a base plate 231, a top plate 232, a sliding frame 233, a support plate 234, and a Y-axis drive unit 238. The base plate 231 is fixedly connected to the support of the conveying track 201. The top plate 232 is arranged parallel above the base plate 231 and is fixedly connected to the support plate 234. The sliding frame 233 and the support plate 234 pass through the base plate 231. There are two support plates 234, which are distributed on the outside of the sliding frame 233. The Y-axis drive unit 238 is installed below the base plate 231, and the lower part of the sliding frame 233 is sleeved on the outside of the Y-axis drive unit 238 and connected to its output end. Rollers 236 are rotatably installed on both sides of the upper part of the sliding frame 233. The support plate 234 has an inclined cam groove 235, and the rollers 236 are fitted into the cam groove 235.

[0079] The sliding frame 233 can move horizontally along the Y-axis direction under the drive of the Y-axis drive unit 238, and the support plate 234 can move vertically along the Z-axis direction. When the Y-axis drive unit 238 drives the sliding frame 233 to move horizontally, the roller 236 moves obliquely along the cam groove 235, driving the support plate 234 to move up and down, thereby realizing the longitudinal opening and closing movement of the top plate 232 relative to the bottom plate 231.

[0080] The Y-axis drive unit 238 is horizontally installed below the base plate 231. With the cooperation of the cam groove 235 and the roller 236, the horizontal movement of the sliding frame 233 can be converted into the vertical movement of the support plate 234, thereby driving the top plate 232 to rise and fall relative to the base plate 231. This reduces the space occupied by the lifting mechanism 203 in the vertical direction, so as to reserve more space for the storage of the tray, improve the production capacity of the equipment, and reduce the height of the feeder to ensure that the height of the upper conveyor track 201 conforms to the ergonomic design.

[0081] To improve the stability of the opening and closing of the top plate 232 relative to the bottom plate 231, multiple guide rods 237 parallel to the Z-axis direction are movably inserted on the bottom plate 231. The guide rods 237 are connected to the bottom plate 231 through linear bearings, and the upper end of the guide rods 237 is fixedly connected to the top plate 232. Therefore, it can be ensured that the top plate 232 can only move along the Z-axis direction, thereby improving the stability of the lifting mechanism 203.

[0082] The support mechanism 204 includes a base 241 fixedly connected to the outer side (i.e., bracket) of the conveying track 201. A telescopic component 242 parallel to the Y-axis direction is fixedly installed on the base 241. A support plate 243 is connected to the output end of the telescopic component 242. A support block 244 parallel to the top plate 232 is fixedly installed on the inner side of the upper part of the support plate 243, and the support plate 243 is parallel and perpendicular to the Y-axis direction. Driven by the telescopic component 242, the support plate 243 can drive the support block 244 to move horizontally along the Y-axis direction, and the support block 244 is located above the top plate 232. That is, the support blocks 244 on the left and right sides of the lifting mechanism 203 can move closer or further away from each other along the Y-axis direction.

[0083] The stopping mechanism includes a stopping plate 205 that can be raised and lowered relative to the support platform 1 along the Z-axis direction. The stopping plate 205 can be driven by a lifting module parallel to the Z-axis direction to protrude from the top surface of the conveying track 201 or be embedded below its top surface to stop the tray conveyed by the conveying track 201. The stopping plate 205 is connected to the output end of the lifting module.

[0084] Since the conveying direction of the upper conveying track 201 is from front to back, the stopping mechanism on the upper conveying track 201 is located behind the lifting mechanism 203, and its lifting module is fixedly connected to its support platform 1; the conveying direction of the lower conveying track 201 is from back to front, so the stopping mechanism on the lower conveying track 201 is located in front of the lifting mechanism 203, and its lifting module is fixedly connected to the truss of the conveying track 201.

[0085] Regarding the tray engraving operation, after the tray on the conveyor track 201 is stopped by the stop mechanism, the lifting mechanism 203 lifts it up to above the support block 244 of the support mechanism 204. Then, the support blocks 244 on both sides move closer together, and the lifting mechanism 203 drives the tray to move down and is supported by the support block 244 of the support mechanism 204. The lifting mechanism 203 then resets to lift the next tray.

[0086] If the support block 244 of the support mechanism 204 already supports a tray, the lifting mechanism 203 will lift it up together with the tray, and the support block 244 will always support the bottom tray, thereby realizing the tray stacking operation to complete the storage of the tray; conversely, the lifting mechanism 203 can also take materials from the support mechanism 204 and send them to the conveyor track 201 for transportation. In this case, the support block 244 supports the second layer of trays above the top plate 232 until they are all taken out and then manually replenished.

[0087] In the upper conveying track 201, the stack of full trays supported by the support mechanism 204 decreases layer by layer from bottom to top until they are all taken out and then replenished. In the lower conveying track 201, the number of empty trays on the support mechanism 204 increases layer by layer from bottom to top until a predetermined number is reached. Then, the lifting mechanism 203 transfers the stack of empty trays to the lower conveying track 201 in one go and sends them out, where they are collected manually.

[0088] The lifting mechanism 202 includes a Z-axis drive unit 221, a guide plate 222, a support 223, a receiving platform 224, and a conveying assembly 225. The Z-axis drive unit 221 and the guide plate 222 are arranged opposite to each other and pass through the clearance hole 101 along the Z-axis direction. The support 223 is located between the Z-axis drive unit 221 and the guide plate 222, that is, the Z-axis drive unit 221 and the guide plate 222 are distributed opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the support 223, and one side of the support 223 is connected to the output end of the Z-axis drive unit 221, and the other side of the support 223 is connected to the output end of the Z-axis drive unit 221. The support 223 is slidably connected to the guide plate 222, thereby enabling the support 223 to move relative to the support platform 1 along the Z-axis. The receiving platform 224 is located above the support 223 and can also move relative to the support 223 along the Z-axis through the corresponding lifting module. The lifting module is installed on the support 223 and its output end is connected to the receiving platform 224. The left and right sides of the receiving platform 224 are provided with conveying components 225 corresponding to the conveying track 201, and the conveying components 225 have the same structure as the conveying track 201.

[0089] Specifically, during loading, the conveying component 225 of the lifting mechanism 202 moves to a position corresponding to the upper conveying track 201 under the drive of the support 223. The upper conveying track 201 conveys the full tray to the conveying component 225. Then, the receiving platform 224 lifts the full tray relative to the support 223, and the conveying mechanism 4 removes the material from the full tray. After the material on the tray is removed, the receiving platform 224 moves down so that the empty tray falls back onto the conveying component 225. The Z-axis drive unit 221 drives the support 223 to move down through the clearance hole 101, so that the conveying component 225 corresponds to the lower conveying track 201 and conveys the empty tray to the lower conveying track 201 to realize the return of the empty tray.

[0090] Among them, the Y-axis drive unit 238, Z-axis drive unit 221, telescopic component 242 and lifting module can all be existing linear modules capable of outputting linear motion, and during the process of conveying the tray on the conveying track 201, the stop plate 205 of the stop mechanism moves down to below the top surface of the conveying track 201.

[0091] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, a hopper 5 is provided on the front side of the flexible vibratory feeder 3. The hopper 5 is slidably mounted on the support platform 1 along the X-axis and moves along the X-axis by means of a cylinder. A discharge port is provided on the rear side of the hopper 5. A baffle plate 501 that can be raised and lowered along the Z-axis is provided at the discharge port. A feeding port 502 for replenishing materials into the hopper 5 is provided above the front side of the hopper 5.

[0092] The top surface of the hopper 5 is provided with a feed inlet. The feed inlet 502 is provided with a guide plate 503 on the side near the feed inlet. The baffle plate 501 is also driven to rise and fall by a corresponding cylinder. When the hopper 5 moves backward so that the discharge port is aligned with the flexible vibrating plate, the cylinder drives the baffle plate 501 to move down and move away. The sealing ring material in the hopper 5 can pass through the discharge port and fall onto the flexible vibrating plate. When the hopper 5 moves forward until the feed inlet and the guide plate 503 on the inner side of the feed inlet 502 are aligned, material can be added to the hopper 5 through the feed inlet 502.

[0093] Because sealing rings are small and easily stacked, they are typically installed manually in traditional processes. While some use automated feeding systems, these often fail to address issues like stacking, resulting in low automation levels on the production line. Furthermore, manual intervention inevitably leads to secondary contamination. This invention utilizes a flexible vibratory feeder combined with a vision-guided three-axis module 401 to solve the problems of sealing ring stacking and automatic material handling. Equipped with vacuum cleaning, it significantly improves product cleanliness. The addition of a material hopper 5 enables the production line to operate automatically for extended periods, greatly reducing production costs and increasing production capacity.

[0094] Working principle:

[0095] A manual tray full of material is placed into the upper conveyor rail 201, and material is added at the material replenishment port 502 of the hopper 5. The tray is then automatically fed into the equipment via the tray feeder 2. The handling mechanism 4 with vision guidance automatically removes the tray and the products from the flexible vibrating plate and moves them to the assembly area for automatic assembly. Under the visual guidance of the vision module 405, the handling mechanism 4 completes the material handling and assembly. After the products are assembled, the cleaning module 406 cleans the products to ensure their cleanliness. At the same time, the vision module 405 and the height detection module 407 work together to detect the products. The former performs visual inspection, while the latter uses distance measurement to detect the height of the second material relative to the first material, ensuring that the products produced by this equipment have better quality. Moreover, the tray feeder 2 uses the upper conveyor rail 201 to transport full trays and the lower conveyor rail 201 to transport empty trays. The tray stacking function is achieved through the side support mechanism 204 and the lifting mechanism 203.

[0096] Example 2: Based on Example 1, the present invention also proposes a multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method, including the following steps: feeding by a feeding machine, material handling and transportation, product cleaning and inspection.

[0097] Material feeding: The first material and the second material for assembling the product are supplied by Tray tray feeder 2 and flexible vibratory feeder 3, respectively. The second material (sealing ring) is fed by flexible vibratory feeder 3 and supplied through hopper 5. The circuit board is fed by Tray tray, which is in turn supplied by Tray tray feeder 2.

[0098] After the material bin 5 is moved backward so that the discharge port is aligned with the flexible vibrating plate, the baffle plate 501 moves down away from the discharge port. The sealing ring material in the material bin 5 can pass through the discharge port and fall onto the flexible vibrating plate. The problem of stacking sealing rings and automatic material picking is solved by the flexible vibrating plate.

[0099] The stack of full trays supported by the support mechanism 204 in the upper conveying track 201 decreases layer by layer from bottom to top. The lifting mechanism 203 places the full trays on the upper conveying track 201 and transports them from front to back to the conveying component 225 of the lifting mechanism 202. After the conveying component 225 receives the full trays, the receiving platform 224 lifts them up so that the handling mechanism 4 can remove the circuit board materials on the full trays.

[0100] After the material on the Tray is removed, the receiving platform 224 moves down, causing the empty Tray to fall back onto the conveying assembly 225. The Z-axis drive unit 221 then drives the support 223 to move down through the clearance hole 101, so that the conveying assembly 225 corresponds to the lower conveying track 201 and conveys the empty Tray to the lower conveying track 201 to achieve the return of the empty Tray.

[0101] Material handling: Guided by the vision module 405, the material handling module 404 first picks up the first material and places it on the support fixture 6, then picks up the second material and places it at the corresponding position of the first material to achieve product assembly. Based on the vision guidance of the vision module 405, driven by the three-axis module 401, the material handling module 404 first moves to the receiving platform 224 of the Tray feeder 2 to pick up the first material, and after transporting the first material to the support fixture 6 in the assembly area, it moves to the flexible vibratory feeder 3 to pick up the second material, and then transports the second material to the designated position on the first material for assembly.

[0102] Product Cleaning: Before testing the product, it is first cleaned using cleaning module 406. Cleaning module 406 uses a vacuum cleaning rod, with a negative pressure generating device connected to its upper end, and the lower end aligned with the product to perform vacuum negative pressure cleaning, ensuring the cleanliness of the product surface.

[0103] Product Inspection: After product assembly, the height of the second material relative to the first material is detected by the height measurement module 407, and the product is visually inspected by the vision module 405. The height measurement module 407 uses a height sensor to determine whether the second material on the product is properly assembled on the first material by detecting the height distance. The vision module 405 uses a vision camera, which, in addition to its visual guidance role in the material handling process, also performs visual inspection here.

[0104] Specifically, the conveying mechanism 4 in this method is equipped with a vision camera, a height sensor and a vacuum cleaning rod in addition to the original conveying function. Therefore, it can not only realize the material grabbing and conveying based on vision guidance, but also has the functions of vision detection and vacuum cleaning.

[0105] Example 3, as Figure 10 As shown, based on Embodiment 2, the present invention also proposes a vision-guided material handling method, that is, the material handling module 404 handles and places materials under the vision guidance of the vision module 405 through this method, the steps of which are as follows:

[0106] S21. When the Tray feeder 2 or the flexible vibratory feeder 3 conveys the material to the designated feeding position, the vision module 405 moves to the preset shooting position through the three-axis module 401 to collect images of the material to obtain material image information. After the material is conveyed to the designated feeding position, the photoelectric sensor sends a feeding signal, and then the vision module 405 moves to the preset shooting position to obtain material image information.

[0107] S22. Preprocess the material image information to obtain the actual pose information of the material by extracting the material's feature information. The preprocessing includes operations such as grayscale conversion, binarization, and filtering. The material's feature information includes edge contours and hole features. Based on the existing template matching algorithm, the material is identified and located to determine its actual pose.

[0108] S23. Based on the deviation between the actual position and orientation of the material and the preset standard position and orientation, first control the material picking module 404 to rotate around the rotation center to align the angle, and then calculate the translation compensation amount through the coordinate transformation matrix; adopt the order of first rotating and aligning, and then translating and compensating, first rotate the material to the standard posture, and then perform position translation, reduce the posture deviation during the movement process, and improve the accuracy of picking and placing.

[0109] S24. Based on the coordinate relationship between the feeding position and the unloading position, determine the movement path of the material picking module 404 to complete the material picking and placing actions.

[0110] Repeat steps S21-S24 to achieve continuous and automated material handling operations. Before handling, a material template library is pre-established through an offline vision system. The conversion relationship between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system is established based on the nine-point calibration method. The rotation center of the tool end (i.e., the material handling module 404) is determined by the five-point rotation center calibration method.

[0111] The implementation steps of the nine-point calibration method are as follows:

[0112] Step A: Select nine calibration reference objects and record the coordinates of each reference object in the image coordinate system. and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system ;

[0113] Step B: Based on the principle of least squares fitting, establish the transformation matrix between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system. The transformation relationship satisfies:

[0114] ;

[0115] The above equation can be converted into the following form:

[0116] ;

[0117] The integrated formula is as follows:

[0118] ;

[0119] in, The transformation matrix parameters were obtained by solving nine sets of calibration data.

[0120] The implementation steps of the five-point rotation center calibration method are as follows:

[0121] Step 1: Select five calibration target points and record the coordinates of each target point in the image coordinate system and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system.

[0122] Step II: Based on the least squares optimization model, establish the equations for solving the center of rotation:

[0123] ;

[0124] Where n=5, and θ is the rotation angle. Let the coordinates be the center of rotation. The target image coordinates, Given the mechanical coordinates of the target point, solve the equations to obtain the rotation center parameters.

[0125] The formula for calculating the coordinates of the material's rotation and translation from the original coordinates to the target coordinates is:

[0126] ;

[0127] Where (x1,y1) are the original coordinates of the material, (x2,y2) are the coordinates of the rotation center, θ is the rotation angle, and (x,y) are the target coordinates after rotation and translation.

[0128] Example 4: Based on Example 3, this invention also proposes a vision-guided material handling system, comprising: a handling mechanism 4: employing a multi-degree-of-freedom industrial robot (such as a three-axis module 401), equipped with a pneumatic gripper or suction cup end effector (i.e., material handling module 404), for material gripping and handling; an offline vision system: including an industrial camera, lens, and light source, for acquiring standard material images, establishing a template library, and completing initial calibration; an online vision system: i.e., a vision module 405, with the same hardware configuration as the offline vision system, for real-time acquisition of material images at the loading position; a calibration module: with a built-in nine-point calibration unit and a five-point rotation center calibration unit, storing calibration data and performing coordinate transformation calculations; and a controller: employing a PLC or industrial PC, communicating with the vision system and the handling mechanism 4, receiving positioning information, and outputting motion control commands.

[0129] The specific implementation steps of the above system are as follows: offline visual positioning, material loading triggering and image acquisition, offset calculation, compensation for the position of the material picking module 404, and material picking and placing execution.

[0130] Offline visual positioning: Standard material images are acquired through an offline vision system, and image preprocessing (including grayscale conversion, binarization, filtering, etc.) is performed to extract the edge contours and hole features of the material and establish a material template library. At the same time, the nine-point calibration method is used to complete the conversion and calibration between the camera coordinate system and the machine coordinate system, and the rotation center coordinates of the tool end are determined through the five-point rotation center calibration method. The calibration parameters are stored in the controller.

[0131] Material feeding trigger and image acquisition: When the Tray feeder 2 or the flexible vibratory feeder 3 delivers the material to the designated feeding position, the position sensor sends a trigger signal to the controller. The controller controls the material picking module of the conveying mechanism 4 to move to the preset shooting position. The online vision system starts image acquisition to obtain real-time image information of the material.

[0132] Offset calculation: The online vision system preprocesses the acquired material images to remove noise interference and extract the actual edge contours and hole features of the material; it then uses a vision combination algorithm to achieve localization and determine the actual pose of the material (including position coordinates and deflection angle).

[0133] Compensation for material handling module 404 position: The controller controls the material handling module 404 to rotate around the calibrated rotation center by a corresponding angle according to the actual deflection angle of the material, so as to achieve material posture alignment; then, according to the transformation matrix obtained by nine-point calibration, the deviation between the actual position of the material and the standard position is calculated to obtain the translation compensation amount.

[0134] Material handling and loading: The controller combines the coordinate relationship between the loading position and the unloading position to determine the optimal movement path of the material handling module 404 (avoiding obstacles and shortening the movement time), and controls the material handling module 404 to move to the material handling position to handle the material according to the planned path; then it moves to the unloading position to release the material, completing one material handling and loading operation.

[0135] In summary, this invention proposes a multifunctional flexible assembly inspection device and method, which integrates automatic feeding of upper and lower layer blister trays, automatic feeding of flexible vibratory feeders, precision assembly under vision guidance, product cleaning and height detection functions, solving the problem of automatic feeding of various products. At the same time, the three-axis module 401 is equipped with vision, height measurement sensors and vacuum cleaning, and has its own loading and unloading functions, while also being used for visual inspection and product cleaning.

[0136] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many improvements and modifications under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. These improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0137] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0138] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0139] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

Claims

1. A multifunctional flexible assembly testing device, characterized in that, It includes a feeding area, an assembly area, and a conveying mechanism. The assembly area is equipped with a load-bearing fixture, the feeding area is equipped with a tray feeder and a flexible vibrating plate feeder, and the conveying mechanism is used to transport materials from the feeding area to the assembly area for assembly into products. The conveying mechanism includes a three-axis module located above the loading area and the assembly area. The output end of the three-axis module is connected to a mounting plate. A material picking module that can rotate relative to the mounting plate around the Z-axis is provided on the mounting plate. A vision module, a height detection module, and a cleaning module are provided around the material picking module. The material handling module is used to pick up the first material provided by the Tray feeder and the second material provided by the flexible vibrating feeder. The vision module is used to visually guide the material handling module to pick up the materials and to perform visual inspection on the product. The height detection module is used to detect the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product. The cleaning module is used to clean the product. The mounting plate is equipped with a rotating module parallel to the Z-axis direction. The material handling module is installed at the output end of the rotating module. The vision module adopts a vision camera, the height detection module adopts a height sensor, and the cleaning module adopts a vacuum cleaning rod. The tray loading machine includes two sets of conveyor tracks distributed vertically along the longitudinal direction for conveying trays. Each set of conveyor tracks is equipped with a lifting mechanism for lifting the trays relative to the conveyor track. The rear end of each conveyor track is equipped with a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to receive full trays conveyed by the upper conveyor track for the material picking module to pick up. The lifting mechanism is also used to transfer empty trays to the lower conveyor track. The lifting mechanism includes a base plate and a top plate that can open and close relative to each other along the Z-axis. A sliding frame and a support plate are mounted on the base plate. The support plate is located outside the sliding frame and connected to the top plate. An inclined cam groove is provided on the support plate. A roller connected to the sliding frame is embedded in the cam groove. The base plate is connected to the conveying track, and a Y-axis drive unit for driving the sliding frame to move along the Y-axis is installed below the base plate.

2. A multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method, employing the multifunctional flexible assembly inspection equipment described in claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The first material and the second material for assembling the product are provided by the Tray feeder and the flexible vibratory feeder, respectively. S2. Under the visual guidance of the vision module, the material picking module first picks up the first material and places it on the carrier fixture, and then picks up the second material and places it in the position corresponding to the first material to realize product assembly. S3. After the product is assembled, the height of the second material relative to the first material in the product is detected by the height measurement module, and the product is visually inspected by the vision module.

3. The multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S3, the product is cleaned by the cleaning module before testing.

4. The multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S2, the material handling module picks up and places materials under the visual guidance of the vision module, and the implementation steps are as follows: S21. When the Tray or Flexible Vibratory Feeder delivers the material to the designated feeding position, the vision module moves to the preset shooting position through the three-axis module to acquire images of the material to obtain material image information. S22. Preprocess the material image information and obtain the actual pose information of the material by extracting the material's feature information; S23. Based on the deviation between the actual position and orientation information of the material and the preset standard position and orientation, first control the material picking module to rotate around the rotation center to align the angle, and then calculate the translation compensation amount through the coordinate transformation matrix. S24. Based on the coordinate relationship between the feeding position and the unloading position, determine the movement path of the material picking module to complete the material picking and placing actions.

5. The multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The coordinate transformation matrix represents the transformation relationship between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system, and is established using the nine-point calibration method. The implementation steps of the nine-point calibration method are as follows: Step A: Select nine calibration reference objects and record the coordinates of each reference object in the image coordinate system. and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system ; Step B: Based on the principle of least squares fitting, establish the transformation matrix between the image coordinate system and the machine coordinate system. The transformation relationship satisfies: ； The above equation can be converted into the following form: ； The resulting formula is as follows: ； in, The transformation matrix parameters were obtained by solving nine sets of calibration data.

6. The multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rotation center is determined using the five-point rotation center calibration method, and the implementation steps of the five-point rotation center calibration method are as follows: Step 1: Select five calibration target points and record the coordinates of each target point in the image coordinate system and the corresponding coordinates in the machine coordinate system. Step II: Based on the least squares optimization model, establish the equations for solving the center of rotation: ； Where n=5, and θ is the rotation angle. Let the coordinates be the center of rotation. The target image coordinates, Given the mechanical coordinates of the target point, solve the equations to obtain the rotation center parameters.

7. The multifunctional flexible assembly inspection method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The formula for calculating the coordinates of the material's rotation and translation from the original coordinates to the target coordinates is: ； Where (x1,y1) are the original coordinates of the material, (x2,y2) are the coordinates of the rotation center, θ is the rotation angle, and (x,y) are the target coordinates after rotation and translation.

Images