Automatic clamping device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic clamping device and method. The automatic clamping device comprises a tailstock, a chuck and a mechanical arm clamping jaw. The chuck is fixedly arranged and used for fixing the front end of a workpiece. The tailstock is arranged on the guide rail, can slide along the guide rail and is used for fixing the tail end of the workpiece; the mechanical arm clamping jaw is arranged between the tailstock and the chuck and used for achieving discharging and synchronous feeding of workpieces. According to the integrated double-posture clamping jaw continuous feeding and discharging mechanism, through parallel operation of the horizontal clamping jaw and the vertical clamping jaw, feeding and discharging procedures which are carried out in a traditional sequence are synchronously completed in a single action cycle, the empty waiting time between the procedures is thoroughly eliminated, and an uninterrupted continuous production flow is constructed; the whole process is from workpiece grabbing, pre-positioning and clamping to discharging after machining, manual intervention is not needed, the auxiliary machining time of a single workpiece is greatly shortened, and the overall efficiency of batch production is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining technology, and in particular to an automatic clamping device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of machining, different workpieces need to be processed in depth, and during the processing of workpieces, clamping operations are required.

[0003] For cylindrical workpieces with long cores, such as Figure 5 As shown, the workpiece requires positioning and clamping at both ends, and the main body of the workpiece has a cylindrical structure. The upper structure of the workpiece is a cylindrical magnetic ring 22, which serves as the clamping and positioning point. A long inner core 21 extends from the middle of the magnetic ring 22 to the outside. The lower structure of the workpiece is a cylindrical tail cap 23, which serves as the clamping point. The upper end is for clamping, and the lower end is for support.

[0004] Currently, in manual clamping, the upper end of the workpiece is pre-clamped in a three-jaw chuck, and then the lower end cap is fixed. To ensure proper clamping, the workpiece needs to be pushed upwards again and tightened to guarantee positioning accuracy. However, manual clamping is inefficient and not suitable for mass production needs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide an automatic clamping device and method, which aims to solve the existing technical problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an automatic clamping device, including a tailstock, a chuck, and a robotic arm gripper; The chuck is fixedly installed to fix the front end of the workpiece; the tailstock is mounted on the guide rail and can slide along the guide rail to fix the tail end of the workpiece; the robotic arm gripper is located between the tailstock and the chuck to realize the unloading and synchronous loading of the workpiece, wherein the tailstock and the chuck are arranged coaxially opposite each other along the guide rail.

[0007] Furthermore, a flange is provided above the tailstock, and a through hole is opened in the center of the flange. The entrance of the through hole is an axially inclined flared structure. A V-block is installed on the surface of the flange, and a push plate is provided below the flange. The push plate is connected to a propulsion cylinder, and the propulsion cylinder can drive the push plate to push the workpiece axially, so that the front end of the workpiece fully enters the chuck.

[0008] Furthermore, the tailstock has a built-in measuring component, which includes a measuring head and a measuring cylinder. The measuring head can contact the tail end of the workpiece under the drive of the measuring cylinder to measure the axial dimensions of the workpiece before and after processing.

[0009] Furthermore, the robotic arm gripper includes a horizontal gripper and a vertical gripper, the horizontal gripper and the vertical gripper being arranged perpendicular to each other. The horizontal gripper consists of a lower horizontal gripper and an upper horizontal gripper, and the vertical gripper consists of a lower vertical gripper and an upper vertical gripper. The horizontal gripper and the vertical gripper correspond to the gripping and loading of the workpiece to be processed and the gripping and unloading of the processed workpiece, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the horizontal gripper is movably mounted and connected to a side-push cylinder, which drives the horizontal gripper to move along the workpiece axial direction to achieve docking between the workpiece and the chuck.

[0011] Furthermore, the chuck has a through hole at its center and has stepped axial and radial positioning surfaces. The chuck applies a uniform radial clamping force to the workpiece under constant air pressure through multiple circumferentially distributed jaws, thereby achieving precise positioning, self-centering, and clamping of the workpiece's front end boss.

[0012] Furthermore, a slider and a rack are installed at the bottom of the tailstock, which are connected to a servo motor through a gear and rack meshing mechanism. The tailstock can move smoothly along the guide rail under the drive of the servo motor, thereby achieving positional adaptation between the tailstock and the workpiece.

[0013] Furthermore, the workpiece is a long cylindrical structure with a cylindrical magnetic ring at the upper end, a cylindrical tail cap at the lower end, and a slender inner core in the middle.

[0014] An automatic clamping method, using the automatic clamping device as described above, specifically includes the following steps; S1. The robotic arm gripper picks up the workpiece to be processed through horizontal grippers, and the robotic arm drives the gripper to move to the dedicated machine tool that sends a material change signal; S2. The tailstock moves backward to disengage the tail of the workpiece from the tailstock; S3. After the tailstock moves to a safe position, the robotic arm gripper clamps the front and rear ends of the workpiece on the special machine tool through the vertical gripper. S4. The chuck automatically releases, and the robotic arm gripper moves along the workpiece axis to remove the workpiece; S5. The robotic arm drives the robotic arm gripper to change positions, inserting the long rod structure at the front end of the workpiece on the horizontal gripper into the chuck; S6. The horizontal jaws are released, and the side-push cylinder drives the horizontal jaws to push the workpiece axially closer to the chuck. Under normal conditions, the front end boss of the workpiece is inserted into the chuck for a certain length. S7. The tailstock moves toward the workpiece until the tail end of the workpiece can be placed on the V-block. Then the tailstock stops moving, the horizontal gripper releases, and the robotic arm gripper moves away from the working area of ​​the dedicated machine tool. S8. The tailstock continues to approach the workpiece, while the pusher cylinder drives the push plate to push the workpiece axially. S9. When the workpiece enters the through hole at the tail end, the tailstock stops moving, the pusher cylinder drives the push plate to retract, and the measuring cylinder drives the measuring head to contact the tail end of the workpiece to obtain the first measurement data. S10. After the workpiece is processed, the measuring cylinder drives the measuring head to contact the tail end of the workpiece again to obtain the second measurement data. The difference between the second and first measurement data is used to obtain the change in the axial dimension of the workpiece.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are reflected in: This invention integrates a dual-attitude gripper continuous loading and unloading mechanism. Through the parallel operation of horizontal and vertical grippers, the traditional sequential loading and unloading processes are completed synchronously within a single action cycle, completely eliminating idle waiting time between processes and establishing an uninterrupted continuous production flow. The entire process, from workpiece gripping, pre-positioning, clamping to post-processing unloading, requires no manual intervention, significantly shortening the auxiliary processing time for a single workpiece and significantly improving the overall efficiency of batch production.

[0016] This invention addresses the high-precision machining requirements of long cylindrical workpieces by employing multiple precision designs to ensure positioning and clamping accuracy. The stepped axial and radial positioning surfaces of the chuck enable precise positioning and self-centering of the workpiece's front boss. The flared guide structure of the tailstock, in conjunction with the V-block, facilitates rapid tail-end centering. Furthermore, the active axial clamping mechanism of the propulsion cylinder effectively eliminates assembly gaps, ensuring the workpiece fits tightly against the positioning surfaces. Constant air pressure driven jaws provide uniform radial clamping force, preventing workpiece deformation and significantly reducing the risk of end-face runout and dynamic imbalance, thereby greatly improving the dimensional consistency and quality stability of batch-processed products.

[0017] This invention is designed for elongated cylindrical workpieces with a cylindrical magnetic ring at the top, a cylindrical tail cap at the bottom, and a slender inner core in the middle, precisely matching the process requirements of "clamping at the top and supporting at the bottom." The through-hole structure of the chuck facilitates the insertion of the slender inner core of the workpiece, while the V-block and flared structure of the tailstock adapt to the support and centering requirements of the tail cap. This achieves efficient adaptation to such special-structure workpieces and solves the technical pain points of traditional clamping equipment, such as difficulty in positioning and unstable clamping of elongated cylindrical workpieces. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic clamping device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the tailstock structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper structure of the robotic arm of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the chuck structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the workpiece structure of the present invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Tailstock; 2. Workpiece; 3. Gripper; 4. Chuck; 5. Guide rail; 11. Flange; 12. Trumpet-shaped structure; 13. V-block; 14. Measuring head; 15. Measuring cylinder; 16. Push plate; 17. Propulsion cylinder; 18. Slider; 19. Rack; 21. Inner core; 22. Magnetic ring; 23. Tail cap; 31. Lower horizontal jaw; 32. Lower vertical jaw; 33. Side-push cylinder; 34. Flange; 35. Upper horizontal jaw; 36. Upper vertical jaw; 41. Through hole; 42. Axial positioning surface; 43. Radial positioning surface; 44. Clamping jaw. Detailed Implementation

[0020] 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 a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. 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.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-4 The present invention provides an automatic clamping device, including a tailstock 1, a chuck 4 and a robotic arm gripper 3; The chuck 4 is fixedly installed to fix the front end of the workpiece 2; the tailstock 1 is installed on the guide rail 5 and can slide along the guide rail 5 to fix the tail end of the workpiece 2; the robotic arm gripper 3 is installed between the tailstock 1 and the chuck 4 to realize the unloading and synchronous loading of the workpiece 2, wherein the tailstock 1 and the chuck 4 are arranged coaxially opposite each other along the guide rail 5.

[0022] In one embodiment, a flange 11 is provided above the tailstock 1, and a through hole is opened in the center of the flange 11. The entrance of the through hole is an axially inclined flared structure 12. A V-block 13 is installed on the surface of the flange 11. A push plate 16 is provided below the flange 11. The push plate 16 is connected to a propulsion cylinder 17. The propulsion cylinder 17 can drive the push plate 16 to push the workpiece 2 axially, so that the front end of the workpiece 2 fully enters the chuck 4.

[0023] The inlet of the central through hole of flange 11 adopts an axially inclined design, presenting a trumpet-shaped guide slope with a large inlet diameter that gradually narrows towards the inside of tailstock 1. The slope angle of this structure is adapted to form a complementary guiding relationship with the outer circle contour of the cylindrical tail cap at the tail end of workpiece 2. Its large inlet diameter can expand the guide range of the tail end of workpiece 2 and reduce the initial alignment accuracy requirements.

[0024] V-block 13 is installed on the surface of flange 11. The included angle of its V-groove is adapted to the diameter of the cylindrical structure at the tail end of workpiece 2. By utilizing the line contact characteristics between the inclined surfaces on both sides of the V-groove and the outer circle of workpiece 2, the radial position of workpiece 2 can be automatically calibrated by the gravity of workpiece 2 itself or the thrust of the tailstock 1, thereby achieving centering and positioning of the cylindrical workpiece.

[0025] In the automated clamping process, when the tailstock 1 moves along the guide rail 5 towards the workpiece 2 under the drive of the servo motor, the cylindrical tail cap at the tail end of the workpiece 2 first enters the large inlet range of the flared structure 12. Due to the "expansion and containment" characteristic of the inclined guide surface of the flared opening, even if there is a slight radial deviation between the tail end of the workpiece 2 and the center of the flange through hole, the tail end of the workpiece 2 can be guided to slide towards the center of the through hole through the guiding effect of the inclined surface, completing the initial coarse positioning and avoiding jamming or inability to enter due to initial alignment deviation.

[0026] As the tailstock 1 continues to move toward the workpiece 2, the tail end of the workpiece 2, after being coarsely positioned by the flared structure 12, gradually contacts the V-groove of the V-block 13. At this point, the two inclined surfaces of the V-groove form a symmetrical line of contact with the cylindrical outer circle of the tail end of the workpiece 2. Under the continuous axial thrust applied by the tailstock 1 or the assistance of the workpiece 2's own gravity, the tail end of the workpiece 2 will automatically adjust its radial position along the inclined surface of the V-groove until the axis of the workpiece 2 is coaxial with the center of the through hole of the flange 11 and the center of the chuck 4, achieving precise alignment. This process does not require additional drive or detection and calibration mechanisms and is completed entirely by relying on the self-positioning characteristics of the mechanical structure.

[0027] After the tail end of workpiece 2 is precisely aligned by the V-block 13, the inclined surfaces on both sides of the V-groove form a stable supporting contact with the tail end of workpiece 2. The structural design of the V-block 13 ensures the uniform distribution of the supporting force, which can not only bear the weight of workpiece 2 itself, but also resist the radial cutting force generated during the machining process, preventing radial displacement or vibration of the tail end of workpiece 2 during the machining process. It provides a stable lower support foundation for the clamping process requirement of "clamping at the upper end and supporting at the lower end" of workpiece 2, and ensures the overall clamping rigidity.

[0028] In this embodiment, the tailstock 1 is configured to integrate active clamping and support functions: it moves along the guide rail 5 via servo drive, and its V-block 13 and flared structure 12 achieve rapid centering and support of the tail cap; the built-in propulsion cylinder 17 can actively apply axial thrust to the workpiece 2 to ensure that the front end of the workpiece 2 completely eliminates the assembly gap in the chuck 4 and fits tightly against the positioning surface, and the active clamping mechanism ensures clamping rigidity and repeatability positioning accuracy.

[0029] In one embodiment, the tailstock 1 has a built-in measuring component, which includes a measuring head 14 and a measuring cylinder 15. The measuring head 14 can contact the tail end of the workpiece 2 under the drive of the measuring cylinder 15, and is used to measure the axial dimensions of the workpiece 2 before and after processing.

[0030] In this embodiment, the measuring cylinder 15 drives the measuring head 14 to contact the tail end of the workpiece 2 to obtain the first measurement data. After the workpiece is processed, the measuring cylinder 15 drives the measuring head 14 to contact the tail end of the workpiece 2 again to obtain the second measurement data. The difference between the second and first measurement data is used to obtain the change in the axial dimension of the workpiece.

[0031] In one embodiment, the robotic arm gripper 3 includes a horizontal gripper and a vertical gripper, which are arranged perpendicularly to each other. The horizontal gripper consists of a lower horizontal gripper 31 and an upper horizontal gripper 35, and the vertical gripper consists of a lower vertical gripper 32 and an upper vertical gripper 36. The horizontal gripper and the vertical gripper correspond to the gripping and loading of the workpiece 2 to be processed and the gripping and unloading of the processed workpiece 2, respectively.

[0032] The robotic arm gripper 3 is rigidly connected to the robotic arm via flange 34, forming a composite structure. The horizontal and vertical grippers are arranged at a preset angle along the robotic arm's movement direction, typically 90° vertically or adapted to the machine tool layout, ensuring that they do not interfere with each other during operation and can accurately dock with the machine tool's clamping station and the workpiece 2 storage station, respectively. The horizontal gripper consists of a lower horizontal gripper 31 and an upper horizontal gripper 35, which respectively grip the rear and front bosses of the workpiece 2 to be processed. Symmetrical gripping ensures the stability of the workpiece 2 after gripping, preventing the slender inner core from bending due to uneven force. The vertical gripper consists of a lower vertical gripper 32 and an upper vertical gripper 36, with the gripper spacing and clamping force consistent with the horizontal gripper, adapting to the boss structure of the processed workpiece 2 to ensure reliable gripping.

[0033] The horizontal and vertical grippers are each equipped with independent drive units such as small cylinders or servo motors, which can realize their independent opening and closing actions without affecting each other. At the same time, the action sequence of the two grippers is uniformly scheduled by the system controller, which precisely matches the processing rhythm of the machine tool with the coordinated actions of the tailstock 1 and chuck 4, ensuring seamless connection between the loading and unloading process and the processing process.

[0034] After the special machine tool completes the processing of a workpiece 2, it sends a material change signal to the system. The robotic arm gripper 3 has grabbed the workpiece to be processed by the horizontal gripper. The lower horizontal gripper 31 holds the rear end boss, and the upper horizontal gripper 35 holds the front end boss. Driven by the robotic arm, it moves to the preset standby position next to the machine tool. At this time, the vertical gripper is in the open state, waiting to grab the processed workpiece 2.

[0035] The system controls the tailstock 1 to move backward, so that the tail of the processed workpiece 2 is disengaged from the support of the V-block 13. After the tailstock reaches the safe position, the robotic arm drives the gripper to move precisely, so that the lower 32 and upper 36 of the vertical gripper are aligned with the rear end boss and the front end boss of the processed workpiece 2, respectively. Then the vertical gripper closes and firmly clamps the processed workpiece 2. At the same time, the chuck 4 automatically releases the clamp on the processed workpiece 2, preparing for the removal of the workpiece 2.

[0036] Within the same action cycle where the vertical gripper clamps the processed workpiece 2 and removes it along the axial direction with the robotic arm, the horizontal gripper simultaneously performs the loading action, carrying the workpiece 2 to be processed. The robotic arm, through posture adjustment, aligns the slender inner core at the front end of the workpiece 2 with the central through-hole 41 of the chuck 4, and gradually approaches the clamping station, achieving a temporal and spatial overlap between "unloading and picking up" and "loading and alignment." This process completely eliminates the sequential waiting time of "picking up the workpiece first, then loading" in traditional loading and unloading processes, significantly shortening the material changeover cycle.

[0037] After the processed workpiece 2 is removed by the vertical gripper and transferred to the designated unloading area, the vertical gripper opens to release workpiece 2. At the same time, the workpiece to be processed carried by the horizontal gripper has completed pre-alignment with the chuck 4, and subsequent precise clamping can be completed with the assistance of the side-push cylinder 33. The robotic arm drives the gripper to reset to the standby position, grabs the next workpiece 2 to be processed, and enters the next parallel loading and unloading cycle.

[0038] In one embodiment, the lower horizontal gripper 31 is movably disposed and connected to the side-push cylinder 33. The side-push cylinder 33 drives the lower horizontal gripper 31 to move along the axial direction of the workpiece 2, thereby achieving docking between the workpiece 2 and the chuck 4. Specifically, the side-push cylinder 33 is equipped with a displacement sensor.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the workpiece 2 is fed to one end of the chuck by the horizontal gripper, the upper 35 of the horizontal gripper is released, and the lower 31 of the horizontal gripper is driven by the side-push cylinder 33 to push the workpiece 2 axially closer to the chuck 4. Precise axial micro-feeding can be performed at the end of the workpiece 2 feeding, and the position can be detected in real time. It also has anti-collision protection and self-diagnosis function of feeding status.

[0040] In one embodiment, the chuck 4 has a through hole 41 at its center and has a stepped axial positioning surface 42 and a radial positioning surface 43. The chuck 4 applies a uniform radial clamping force to the workpiece 2 under constant air pressure through multiple circumferentially distributed jaws 44, thereby achieving precise positioning, self-centering and clamping of the front end boss of the workpiece 2.

[0041] The through hole 41 in the center of the chuck 4 has a diameter that matches the diameter of the slender inner core extending from the front end of the workpiece 2, and the through hole extends through the entire chuck 4. The core function of this structure is to provide a dedicated guide channel for the slender inner core of the workpiece, preventing interference or collision between the slender structure of the workpiece 2 and the chuck 4 during clamping, ensuring that the workpiece 2 can be smoothly axially advanced to the positioning position, and reserving space for precise fitting between the front boss of the workpiece 2 and the positioning surface of the chuck 4.

[0042] The axial positioning surface 42 and radial positioning surface 43 of the chuck 4 are arranged in a stepped manner, forming a dual positioning structure of "axial limiting + radial centering". Among them, the axial positioning surface 42 is an annular end face, which precisely fits with the upper end face of the front boss of the workpiece, and is used to limit the axial displacement of the workpiece 2 to ensure the uniformity of the axial reference of the workpiece 2 during clamping; the radial positioning surface 43 is a cylindrical inner surface, which is clearance-fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the front boss of the workpiece 2. Through the guiding effect of the cylindrical surface, the boss of the workpiece 2 is guided to automatically adjust its radial position, providing a mechanical basis for self-centering.

[0043] The chuck 4 is equipped with multiple evenly distributed jaws 44, typically 3 or 4 jaws, arranged symmetrically along the circumference of the chuck. The jaws 44 are connected to the pneumatic drive mechanism inside the chuck, such as cylinders or piston-connecting rod mechanisms. Compressed air serves as the power source, and after being regulated by a pressure regulating valve, it outputs a constant air pressure to drive the pneumatic mechanism, which in turn drives all the jaws 44 to perform synchronous radial extension and retraction movements, ensuring that the clamping force of each jaw on the workpiece boss is consistent in magnitude and symmetrical in point of application.

[0044] With the coordinated action of the robotic arm gripper 3, the slender inner core of the workpiece 2 is smoothly introduced through the central through hole 41 of the chuck 4, and the front boss of the workpiece 2 gradually approaches the stepped positioning surface of the chuck 4. As the axial micro-feeding thrust of the side-push cylinder 33 and the axial clamping force of the tailstock 1 push cylinder 17 work together, the upper end face of the front boss of the workpiece 2 is tightly fitted with the axial positioning surface 42 of the chuck, completely eliminating the axial assembly gap and completing the axial reference positioning of the workpiece 2. Simultaneously, the outer cylindrical surface of the workpiece 2 boss enters the radial positioning surface 43 of the chuck. Through the cylindrical guiding action of the radial positioning surface, the radial deviation of the workpiece 2 is initially corrected, making the axis of the workpiece 2 and the central axis of the chuck 4 tend to be coaxial.

[0045] After the workpiece 2 is axially positioned, the system supplies constant air pressure to the pneumatic drive mechanism of the chuck 4. The compressed air drives the linkage mechanism inside the chuck 4, causing multiple symmetrically distributed jaws 44 to synchronously retract radially towards the center. Because the movement trajectory of the jaws 44 is completely symmetrical and the clamping force is guaranteed by constant air pressure, the force exerted by each jaw on the outer cylindrical surface of the workpiece 2 boss is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Under the action of the clamping force, the workpiece 2 boss will automatically fine-tune along the guide direction of the radial positioning surface 43 until the axis of the workpiece 2 is completely aligned with the central axis of the chuck 4, achieving precise self-centering. At this time, the jaws 44 are tightly fitted with the outer cylindrical surface of the workpiece 2 boss, forming a stable radial clamping, which not only restricts the radial displacement and rotation of the workpiece 2, but also avoids deformation of the workpiece 2 due to uneven clamping force.

[0046] During the machining process, the input air pressure of the chuck 4 remains constant, ensuring that the clamping force of the jaws 44 on the workpiece 2 remains stable. The constant clamping force not only resists the influence of external forces such as cutting force and centrifugal force during machining, preventing the workpiece 2 from becoming loose or displaced, but also avoids damage to the boss of the workpiece 2 caused by fluctuations in clamping force, thus ensuring the stability of the machining process and the surface quality of the workpiece.

[0047] In one embodiment, a slider 18 and a rack 19 are installed at the bottom of the tailstock 1. They are connected to a servo motor through a gear and rack meshing mechanism, and can move smoothly along the guide rail 5 under the drive of the servo motor to achieve positional adaptation between the tailstock 1 and the workpiece 2.

[0048] In this embodiment, when one end of the workpiece 2 is connected to the chuck 4, the tailstock 1 is driven to move along the guide rail 5 through the cooperation of the slider 18 and the guide rail 5, so that the tailstock 1 docks with the other end of the workpiece 2, thereby realizing the clamping operation of the workpiece 2.

[0049] In one embodiment, the workpiece 2 is a long cylindrical structure with a cylindrical magnetic ring 22 at the upper end, a cylindrical tail cap 23 at the lower end, and a slender inner core 21 in the middle.

[0050] The present invention also provides an automatic clamping method, using the automatic clamping device as described above, specifically including the following steps; S1. The robotic arm gripper 3 picks up the workpiece to be processed through horizontal grippers, and the robotic arm drives the gripper to move to the special machine tool that sends the material change signal; S2. The tailstock 1 moves backward to disengage the tail of the workpiece 2 from the tailstock 1; S3. After the tailstock 1 moves to a safe position, the robotic arm gripper 3 clamps the front and rear ends of the workpiece on the special machine tool through the vertical gripper. S4. The chuck 4 automatically releases, and the robotic arm gripper 3 moves along the workpiece axis to remove the workpiece; S5. The robotic arm drives the robotic arm gripper 3 to change positions, and inserts the long rod structure of the front end of the workpiece on the horizontal gripper into the chuck 4; S6. The upper horizontal jaw 35 is released, and the lower horizontal jaw 31 is driven by the side push cylinder 33 to push the workpiece 2 axially closer to the chuck 4. Under normal conditions, the front end boss of the workpiece 2 is inserted into the chuck 4 for a certain length. S7. Tailstock 1 moves toward workpiece 2 until the tail end of workpiece 2 can be placed on V-block 13. Tailstock 1 stops moving, horizontal gripper 31 is released, and robotic arm gripper 3 moves away from the working area of ​​the special machine tool. S8. Tailstock 1 continues to approach the workpiece, while the push cylinder 17 drives the push plate 16 to push the workpiece axially. S9. When the workpiece 2 enters the through hole 41 at the tail end, the tailstock 1 stops moving, the push cylinder 17 drives the push plate 16 to retract, and the measuring cylinder 15 drives the measuring head 14 to contact the tail end of the workpiece 2 to obtain the first measurement data. S10. After the workpiece 2 is processed, the measuring cylinder 15 drives the measuring head 14 to contact the tail end of the workpiece 2 again to obtain the second measurement data. The difference between the second and first measurement data is used to obtain the change in the axial dimension of the workpiece 2.

[0051] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture as shown in the attached figure. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0052] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied. Furthermore, "multiple" refers to two or more. Moreover, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent.

[0053] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic clamping device, characterized in that: Includes tailstock (1), chuck (4) and robotic arm gripper (3); The chuck (4) is fixedly installed to fix the front end of the workpiece (2); the tailstock (1) is installed on the guide rail (5) and can slide along the guide rail (5) to fix the tail end of the workpiece (2); the robotic arm gripper (3) is installed between the tailstock (1) and the chuck (4) to realize the unloading and synchronous loading of the workpiece (2), wherein the tailstock (1) and the chuck (4) are arranged coaxially opposite to each other along the guide rail (5).

2. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A flange (11) is provided above the tailstock (1). A through hole is opened in the center of the flange (11). The entrance of the through hole is an axially inclined flared structure (12). A V-block (13) is installed on the surface of the flange (11). A push plate (16) is provided below the flange (11). The push plate (16) is connected to the propulsion cylinder (17). The propulsion cylinder (17) can drive the push plate (16) to push the workpiece (2) axially, so that the front end of the workpiece (2) fully enters the chuck (4).

3. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The tailstock (1) has a built-in measuring component, which includes a measuring head (14) and a measuring cylinder (15). The measuring head (14) can contact the tail end of the workpiece under the drive of the measuring cylinder (15) to measure the axial dimensions of the workpiece (2) before and after processing.

4. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm gripper (3) includes a horizontal gripper and a vertical gripper. The horizontal gripper and the vertical gripper are arranged perpendicular to each other. The horizontal gripper consists of a lower horizontal gripper (31) and an upper horizontal gripper (35). The vertical gripper consists of a lower vertical gripper (32) and an upper vertical gripper (36). The horizontal gripper and the vertical gripper correspond to the gripping and loading of the workpiece to be processed (2) and the gripping and unloading of the processed workpiece (2), respectively.

5. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The horizontal jaw (31) is movably mounted and connected to the side-push cylinder (33). The side-push cylinder (33) drives the horizontal jaw (31) to move along the workpiece (2) axis, thereby realizing the docking of the workpiece (2) with the chuck (4).

6. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The chuck (4) has a through hole (41) in the center and has a stepped axial positioning surface (42) and a radial positioning surface (43). The chuck (4) applies a uniform radial clamping force to the workpiece (2) under constant air pressure through multiple circumferentially distributed jaws (44), thereby achieving precise positioning, self-centering and clamping of the front end boss of the workpiece (2).

7. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tailstock (1) is equipped with a slider (18) and a rack (19) at its bottom. It is connected to a servo motor through a gear and rack meshing mechanism. It can move smoothly along the guide rail (5) under the drive of the servo motor, so as to achieve the positional adaptation between the tailstock (1) and the workpiece (2).

8. The automatic clamping device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The workpiece (2) is a long cylindrical structure with a cylindrical magnetic ring (22) at the top, a cylindrical tail cap (23) at the bottom, and a slender inner core (21) in the middle.

9. An automatic clamping method, using the automatic clamping device as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: Specifically, it includes the following steps; S1. The robotic arm gripper (3) grabs the workpiece to be processed through the horizontal gripper, and the robotic arm drives the gripper to move to the special machine tool that sends the material change signal; S2. Tailstock (1) moves backward to disengage the tail of workpiece (2) from tailstock (1). S3. After the tailstock (1) moves to a safe position, the robotic arm gripper (3) clamps the front and rear ends of the workpiece (2) on the special machine tool through the vertical gripper; S4. The chuck (4) automatically releases, and the robotic arm gripper (3) moves along the workpiece axis to remove the workpiece; S5. The robotic arm drives the robotic arm gripper (3) to change the work position and insert the long rod structure of the front end of the workpiece on the horizontal gripper into the chuck (4); S6. The upper (35) of the horizontal jaw is released, and the lower (31) of the horizontal jaw is driven by the side-push cylinder (33) to push the workpiece (2) axially close to the chuck (4). Under normal conditions, the front end boss of the workpiece (2) is inserted into the chuck (4) for a certain length. S7. The tailstock (1) moves toward the workpiece (2) until the tail end of the workpiece (2) can be placed on the V-block (13). Then the tailstock (1) stops moving, the horizontal gripper (31) releases, and the robotic arm gripper (3) moves away from the working area of ​​the special machine tool. S8. The tailstock (1) continues to approach the workpiece, while the push cylinder (17) drives the push plate (16) to push the workpiece in the axial direction. S9. When the workpiece (2) enters the through hole (41) at the tail end, the tailstock (1) stops moving, the push cylinder (17) drives the push plate (16) to retract, and the measuring cylinder (15) drives the measuring head (14) to contact the tail end of the workpiece (2) to obtain the first measurement data. S10. After the workpiece (2) is processed, the measuring cylinder (15) drives the measuring head (14) to contact the tail end of the workpiece (2) again to obtain the second measurement data. The difference between the second and first measurement data is used to obtain the change in the axial dimension of the workpiece (2).

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