Automatic plate splitting system for aluminum alloy plates

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic plate separation, and discloses an aluminum alloy plate automatic plate separation system which comprises a conveying guide rail frame, a horizontal conveying platform, a vertical conveying platform and a clamping unit, and the conveying guide rail frame is fixedly arranged at a preset position; the horizontal conveying platform is arranged on the conveying guide rail frame; the vertical conveying platform is arranged below the horizontal conveying platform; the clamping units are arranged at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform, the multiple pairs of clamping units are arranged in the length direction of the plate, each pair of clamping units synchronously clamp the plate in the horizontal direction through the horizontal clamping driving unit, and each clamping unit moves in the vertical direction through the independent vertical fine adjustment driving unit; each clamping unit comprises an L-shaped clamping jaw, and the clamping jaws of each pair of clamping units are mutually inverted. When the plates are picked up, the plates are staggered in the horizontal direction through the clamping jaws, and then the plate clamping efficiency and the plate number accuracy are improved in a lifting and picking mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automatic plate separating technology, and in particular to an automatic plate separating system for aluminum alloy plates. Background Technology

[0002] In automated storage and retrieval systems (AS / RS), large quantities of aluminum alloy sheets are typically stored. These sheets are bundled according to uniform specifications, placed on dedicated pallets, and then stored using shelving. The quantity of sheets in each bundle remains consistent to meet the requirements of standardized warehousing and transportation management. While this storage method improves space utilization and warehousing efficiency, it often presents the practical challenge of retrieving only the required amount of sheets during actual outbound operations.

[0003] Currently, most common material handling equipment uses vacuum suction cups for separating and picking up sheet metal. During operation, the suction cup mechanism uses negative pressure to pick up aluminum alloy sheets one by one or in groups to achieve automated handling. However, due to the high flatness and softness of aluminum alloy surfaces, adjacent sheets are prone to adhesion during stacking and storage due to physical factors such as air pressure, surface adhesion, or microscopic oil film bonding. This phenomenon often causes the suction cup to pick up multiple sheets at once, resulting in a discrepancy between the actual quantity picked up and the demand, seriously affecting the accuracy of outbound processing and the stability of the workflow.

[0004] To address the aforementioned adhesion problem, existing technologies generally employ manual intervention to separate the boards. Operators must use manual tools such as pry bars to forcibly insert into the gaps between the bonded boards, physically breaking the adhesion and separating the boards one by one. This method not only relies on manual experience and skill but also significantly increases labor intensity and processing time, reducing overall outbound efficiency. Furthermore, frequent manual intervention can easily lead to scratches or deformation on the board surface, affecting material quality and posing certain operational safety risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system by first misaligning the sheet in the horizontal direction using the grippers and then lifting it up to improve the efficiency of holding the sheet and the accuracy of the number of sheets.

[0006] This application provides an automatic sheet metal separation system for aluminum alloy plates. The technical solution adopted is as follows: An automatic sheet metal separation system for aluminum alloy plates includes a conveyor guide frame, a horizontal conveyor platform, a vertical conveyor platform, and a clamping unit, wherein: The conveying guide rail frame is fixedly installed at a predetermined position; The horizontal conveying platform is located on top of the conveying guide rail frame and moves horizontally via a horizontal drive unit. The vertical conveying platform is located below the horizontal conveying platform and moves along the vertical direction via a vertical initial adjustment drive unit; The clamping unit is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform. Multiple pairs of clamping units are provided along the length of the plate. Each pair of clamping units clamps the plate synchronously in the horizontal direction through a horizontal clamping drive unit. Each clamping unit moves in the vertical direction through an independent vertical fine-tuning drive unit. The clamping unit includes L-shaped grippers, with each pair of grippers being inverted relative to each other.

[0007] Optionally, the top of the conveying guide frame is provided with a conveying rack and a conveying guide rail along its length; The horizontal drive unit includes a mounting bracket and a horizontal conveyor motor, wherein: The mounting frame is installed at the end of the horizontal conveying platform. The horizontal conveying motor is vertically mounted on the mounting frame. The motor shaft of the horizontal conveying motor passes through the mounting frame. A horizontal conveying gear that meshes with the conveying rack is fixedly connected to the end of the motor shaft of the horizontal conveying motor.

[0008] Optionally, the end of the horizontal conveying platform is further provided with a horizontal conveying positioning unit, which includes a longitudinal pressure roller, a transverse pressure roller, and a limiting hook, wherein: The longitudinal pressure roller makes rolling contact with the top of the conveying guide rail; The transverse pressure roller makes rolling contact with the side wall of the conveying guide rail; The limiting hook is L-shaped, and the bottom inner side of the limiting hook contacts the bottom of the conveying guide rail.

[0009] Optionally, the vertical initial adjustment drive unit includes a vertical initial adjustment guide rail base, a vertical initial adjustment guide rail, a vertical initial adjustment motor, and a balancing unit, wherein: The vertical initial adjustment guide rail base is provided in a pair, and the pair of vertical initial adjustment guide rail bases are symmetrically arranged on the top of the horizontal conveying platform; The vertical initial adjustment guide rail is provided in pairs, and the vertical initial adjustment guide rail is adapted to the vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat. The vertical initial adjustment guide rail and the corresponding vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat slide in the vertical direction. The bottom of the vertical initial adjustment guide rail is located at the top of the vertical conveying platform. One of the vertical initial adjustment guide rails is provided with a vertical initial adjustment rack along the vertical direction, the vertical initial adjustment motor is provided on the horizontal conveying platform, and a vertical conveying gear that meshes with the vertical initial adjustment rack is fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the vertical initial adjustment motor. The balancing unit is located between the horizontal conveying platform and the vertical conveying platform.

[0010] Optionally, the balancing unit includes a hydraulic cylinder and a nitrogen cylinder, wherein: The hydraulic cylinder is provided in pairs, and the pair of hydraulic cylinders are symmetrically arranged on the horizontal conveying platform. The rod wall of the hydraulic cylinder is rotatably hinged to the top of the horizontal conveying platform, and the bottom end of the hydraulic cylinder is rotatably hinged to the top of the vertical conveying platform. The nitrogen cylinder is located near the vertical initial adjustment guide rail, away from the vertical initial adjustment motor; The oil cylinder and the nitrogen cylinder together form a nitrogen balance system.

[0011] Optionally, the horizontal clamping drive unit includes a horizontal clamping guide rail, a horizontal clamping slide plate, a horizontal clamping synchronous gear, and a horizontal clamping linear drive component, wherein: The horizontal clamping guide rail is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform, the horizontal clamping slide plate is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform and slides in cooperation with the horizontal clamping guide rail in the horizontal direction, and the telescopic end of the horizontal clamping linear drive component slides in cooperation with the horizontal clamping slide plate. The horizontal clamping synchronous gear is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform and between two adjacent horizontal clamping slides. A horizontal clamping rack that meshes with the horizontal clamping synchronous gear is provided on the side of the horizontal clamping slides that are close to each other.

[0012] Optionally, the clamping unit may further include a ranging sensor located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform; The gripper includes a connecting plate and a pressing block, and the vertical fine-tuning drive unit is a lead screw module, wherein: The connecting plate moves vertically via a lead screw module located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform; The protrusion of the extrusion block has multiple sharp protrusions on one side of the extrusion block near the same pair of clamping units; The vertical conveying platform has an inverted downward pressure cylinder located at the bottom near the gripper.

[0013] Optionally, the automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system further includes an alignment device, which is located below the conveyor guide frame. The alignment device includes an alignment mounting frame and an alignment clamp, wherein: The alignment clamps are slidably disposed on the top of the alignment mounting bracket, and a pair are provided. The alignment clamps move closer to or further apart from each other via independent alignment linear drive components; The direction of movement of the alignment clamping block in the horizontal plane is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pair of jaws in the horizontal plane.

[0014] Optionally, the automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system also includes a placement device, which is slidably engaged with the conveyor guide rail.

[0015] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The L-shaped gripper design allows two opposing grippers to push the gripped material in a horizontal misalignment during clamping. Subsequently, the grippers lift the material through vertical movement to achieve separation. A vertical fine-tuning drive unit is used to precisely adjust the vertical position and height of each gripper, enabling the grippers to move accurately to the location of the specific material to be clamped.

[0016] 2. On the protrusion of the extrusion block, near the inner side of another extrusion block in the same pair of clamping units, there are multiple sharp protrusions. The sharp protrusions on the inner side of the extrusion block press into the surface of the relatively soft aluminum alloy sheet through point contact, so as to greatly increase the static friction and prevent the sheet from slipping during subsequent lifting or misalignment. 3. The inverted pressing cylinder is used to limit the bottom of the lifted plate, forming a safety locking mechanism. When the plate is lifted, the pressure rod extended from the pressing cylinder will rise to the bottom of the plate, forming a bottom mechanical limit and reducing the possibility of the plate falling off. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of the conveyor guide frame, the horizontal conveyor platform, and the vertical conveyor platform in the embodiments of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of the horizontal conveying platform and the vertical conveying platform in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the horizontal conveying platform in the embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the vertical conveying platform structure in the embodiments of this application.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the inverted state of a pair of grippers in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative positions of the horizontal clamping guide rail and the horizontal clamping slide in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the middle.

[0025] Figure 9 yes Figure 1 Enlarged schematic diagram of part B.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the state in which the grippers are holding the plate in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the clamp pushing the plate into a misaligned state in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Conveyor guide frame; 11. Conveyor rack; 12. Conveyor guide rail; 2. Horizontal conveyor platform; 3. Vertical conveyor platform; 4. Clamping unit; 41. Gripper; 411. Connecting plate; 412. Extrusion block; 413. Spiked protrusion; 42. Distance sensor; 43. Vertical fine-tuning drive unit; 44. Pressing cylinder; 5. Horizontal drive unit; 51. Mounting bracket; 52. Horizontal conveyor motor; 53. Horizontal conveyor gear; 6. Vertical initial adjustment drive unit; 61. Vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat; 62. Vertical initial adjustment guide rail; 62. 1. Vertical initial adjustment rack; 63. Vertical initial adjustment motor; 64. Balancing unit; 641. Hydraulic cylinder; 642. Nitrogen cylinder; 7. Horizontal clamping drive unit; 71. Horizontal clamping guide rail; 72. Horizontal clamping slide plate; 73. Horizontal clamping synchronous gear; 74. Horizontal clamping linear drive component; 8. Horizontal conveying and positioning unit; 81. Longitudinal pressure roller; 82. Transverse pressure roller; 83. Limiting hook; 9. Alignment device; 91. Alignment mounting bracket; 92. Alignment clamping block; 93. Alignment linear drive component; 10. Placement device. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-11 This application will be described in further detail.

[0030] This application discloses an automatic sheet separation system for aluminum alloy plates.

[0031] An automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system includes a conveyor rail frame 1, a horizontal conveying platform 2, a vertical conveying platform 3, and a clamping unit 4. The conveyor rail frame 1 is fixedly installed at a predetermined position. The horizontal conveying platform 2 is disposed on the conveyor rail frame 1 and is connected to the conveyor rail frame 1 through a horizontal drive unit 5, enabling the horizontal conveying platform 2 to move in the horizontal direction.

[0032] A vertical conveying platform 3 is positioned below the horizontal conveying platform 2 and connected to the horizontal conveying platform 2 via a vertical initial adjustment drive unit 6, enabling the vertical conveying platform 3 to move vertically. Clamping units 4 are located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3, with multiple pairs installed along the length of the sheet material. Each pair of clamping units 4 is connected via a horizontal clamping drive unit 7, enabling synchronous, opposite-facing or opposite-facing movements in the horizontal direction to clamp or release the sheet material.

[0033] Each independent clamping unit 4 is connected to the vertical conveying platform 3 via an independent vertical fine-tuning drive unit 43, enabling independent movement in the vertical direction. The clamping unit 4 includes L-shaped grippers 41, with the two grippers 41 of each pair of clamping units 4 installed upside down relative to each other.

[0034] The L-shaped gripper 41 is designed so that when clamping the sheet material, the two opposing grippers 41 can push the clamped sheet material to move out of alignment in the horizontal plane; subsequently, the grippers 41 lift the sheet material through vertical movement to achieve separation. The vertical fine-tuning drive unit 43 is used to finely adjust the vertical position and height of a single gripper 41, so that the gripper 41 can move precisely to the location of the specific sheet material to be clamped.

[0035] The horizontal drive unit 5 achieves precise positioning of the clamping mechanism on the horizontal plane, enabling it to move directly above the target stack of sheets. The vertical initial adjustment drive unit 6 achieves large-stroke lifting and lowering of the clamping mechanism, allowing it to approach the stack of sheets. When the L-shaped grippers 41 move synchronously towards each other from both sides of the sheet and clamp a single sheet, the L-shaped structure of the grippers 41 and their paired inverted arrangement apply a horizontal pushing force to the sheet while clamping it, forcing the clamped sheet and its adjacent sheets to move out of alignment in the horizontal plane. This forced misalignment effectively disrupts the adhesion between adjacent sheets, creating the necessary conditions for subsequent sheet separation.

[0036] The horizontal drive unit 5 drives the horizontal conveying platform 2, which in turn moves the entire clamping mechanism below horizontally along the conveying guide rail 1 until multiple pairs of clamping units 4 are aligned with the predetermined clamping positions of the target plate stack. Next, the vertical initial adjustment drive unit 6 is activated, driving the vertical conveying platform 3 and its bottom clamping units 4 to descend as a whole, approaching the top of the plate stack. Then, the independent vertical fine-tuning drive units 43 of each clamping unit 4 begin operation, finely adjusting the final height of each gripper 41 to ensure that the bottom surfaces of all grippers 41 are precisely aligned and in contact with the sidewalls of the predetermined plate. After positioning, the horizontal clamping drive unit 7 is activated, driving a pair of grippers 41 to move synchronously towards each other, clamping the target plate from both sides. During clamping, due to the L-shaped structure and inverted installation of the grippers 41, the plate is subjected to a horizontal force and shifts, thereby peeling off the adhesion from the adjacent plates above and below. After the misalignment is completed, all the vertical fine-tuning drive units 43 operate in unison, driving the grippers 41 that have clamped the plates to move upwards by a small stroke, smoothly lifting the misaligned plates from the plate stack and achieving complete separation. Finally, the separated plates are transported horizontally to the designated location.

[0037] The fully automated clamping and misalignment mechanism replaces the traditional manual separation method using pry bars, significantly reducing labor intensity, eliminating operational safety risks, and greatly improving outbound efficiency. Secondly, the L-shaped gripper 41's forced misalignment mechanism in the horizontal plane effectively and reliably breaks down the physical adhesion between the sheets, solving the problem of sheet adhesion during removal and ensuring the accuracy of the outbound quantity. Finally, the mechanical clamping and lifting method is gentler and more controllable than manual prying, avoiding scratches on the surface of the soft aluminum alloy sheets or deformation caused by pry bars, better protecting material quality. Meanwhile, the independent vertical fine-tuning mechanism enhances adaptability to different stacking states, improving the success rate of sheet separation and system stability.

[0038] A conveying rack 11 and a conveying rail 12 are fixedly mounted on the conveying guide frame 1 along its length. The horizontal drive unit 5 includes a mounting frame 51 and a horizontal conveying motor 52. The mounting frame 51 is fixedly disposed at the end of the horizontal conveying platform 2. The horizontal conveying motor 52 is vertically mounted above the mounting frame 51, and its motor shaft passes vertically downward through the mounting frame 51. A horizontal conveying gear 53 is fixedly connected to the end of the motor shaft of the horizontal conveying motor 52, and the horizontal conveying gear 53 meshes with the conveying rack 11 fixed on the conveying guide frame 1.

[0039] When the horizontal position of the clamping unit 4 needs to be adjusted, the control unit commands the horizontal conveyor motor 52 to start. The horizontal conveyor motor 52 drives the horizontal conveyor gear 53 at its shaft end to rotate. Since the conveyor rack 11 is fixed, the rotating gear rolls on the rack, and this action is converted into the linear movement of the mounting frame 51 along the entire horizontal conveyor platform 2 along the length of the conveyor guide rail 12. By controlling the rotation direction and speed of the horizontal conveyor motor 52, the movement of the horizontal conveyor platform 2 toward or away from the target plate stack, as well as the speed of movement, can be precisely controlled until multiple pairs of clamping units 4 stop accurately above the predetermined work position.

[0040] At the end of the horizontal conveying platform 2, a horizontal conveying positioning unit 8 is also provided. The horizontal conveying positioning unit 8 includes a longitudinal pressure roller 81, a transverse pressure roller 82, and a limiting hook 83. The longitudinal pressure roller 81 forms rolling contact with the top surface of the conveying guide rail 12 fixed on the conveying guide rail frame 1. The transverse pressure roller 82 forms rolling contact with the side wall surface of the same conveying guide rail 12. The limiting hook 83 has an overall L-shaped structure, and its bottom inner contour contacts the bottom surface of the conveying guide rail 12.

[0041] When the horizontal conveyor motor 52 drives the platform to move along the conveyor guide rail 12, the horizontal conveyor positioning unit 8 moves accordingly. During this process, the longitudinal pressure roller 81 always rolls on the top of the conveyor guide rail 12 to maintain a stable vertical clearance, and the transverse pressure roller 82 always rolls along the side wall of the conveyor guide rail 12 to limit horizontal deviation. At the same time, the inner side of the L-shaped bottom of the limiting hook 83 always maintains sliding or micro-motion contact with the bottom surface of the conveyor guide rail 12. These three work together to form a stable kinematic pair, continuously guiding and limiting the platform throughout the entire stroke, ensuring its linear motion accuracy, and providing the necessary conditions for the stable meshing of the drive gear and rack.

[0042] The vertical initial adjustment drive unit 6 includes a vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat 61, a vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62, a vertical initial adjustment motor 63, and a balancing unit 64. A pair of vertical initial adjustment guide rail seats 61 are symmetrically fixedly installed on the top of the horizontal conveying platform 2. A pair of vertical initial adjustment guide rails 62 correspond to the vertical initial adjustment guide rail seats 61, and each vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62 forms a sliding engagement with the corresponding vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat 61 in the vertical direction. The bottom of the vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62 is fixedly fixed to the top of the vertical conveying platform 3. A vertical initial adjustment rack 621 is fixedly installed on one of the vertical initial adjustment guide rails 62 along the vertical direction. The vertical initial adjustment motor 63 is fixedly installed on the horizontal conveying platform 2, and a vertical conveying gear is fixedly connected to its motor shaft. This vertical conveying gear meshes with the aforementioned vertical initial adjustment rack 621. The balancing unit 64 is disposed between the horizontal conveying platform 2 and the vertical conveying platform 3.

[0043] Through rack and pinion transmission, the vertical conveying platform 3 and the load below it achieve large-stroke, rapid lifting and coarse positioning. The vertical initial adjustment motor 63 serves as the power source, driving the vertical conveying gear to rotate. Since the gear meshes with the vertical initial adjustment rack 621 fixedly mounted on the vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62, and the vertical initial adjustment rack 621 is rigidly connected to the vertical conveying platform 3 through the vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62, the rotational motion of the vertical initial adjustment motor 63 is converted into the vertical linear motion of the vertical conveying platform 3 along the vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat 61. The pair of vertical initial adjustment racks 621 and vertical initial adjustment guide rail seats 61 provide stable support and guidance from both sides, preventing skewness or jamming during platform lifting. The balancing unit 64 is a nitrogen balancing system, an existing balancing technology in CNC, used to balance the load of the entire lifting mechanism, ensuring smooth operation and sharing some of the torque to reduce the load on the vertical initial adjustment motor 63 and the wear of the guide rail.

[0044] When the height of the clamping unit 4 needs to be adjusted to approach or move away from the stack of plates, the vertical initial adjustment motor 63 is activated. The motor shaft drives the vertical conveying gear to rotate. The rotating vertical conveying gear meshes with the vertical initial adjustment rack 621, thereby driving the vertical conveying platform 3 to produce vertical displacement.

[0045] The balancing unit 64 includes hydraulic cylinders 641 and nitrogen cylinders 642. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 641 are symmetrically arranged on the horizontal conveying platform 2. The rod wall of each hydraulic cylinder 641 is connected to the top of the horizontal conveying platform 2 by a rotatable hinge, and its bottom end is connected to the top of the vertical conveying platform 3 by a rotatable hinge. The nitrogen cylinder 642 is fixedly installed on the side away from the vertical initial adjustment motor 63, specifically near the vertical initial adjustment guide rail 62 on that side. The axis of rotation of the rod wall of the hydraulic cylinder 641 is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of its bottom.

[0046] When the vertical initial adjustment motor 63 drives the vertical conveyor platform 3 to rise or fall, the two hydraulic cylinders 641 extend or shorten synchronously, and their hinge points rotate freely, always maintaining the parallel relationship and relative distance between the horizontal conveyor platform 2 and the vertical conveyor platform 3.

[0047] The nitrogen balance system allows for the selection of lower-power, lower-cost motors, resulting in a direct economic benefit of reduced motor costs. The nitrogen cylinder 642 is fixedly mounted on top of the horizontal conveyor platform 2 via a counterweight mounting bracket.

[0048] During the pressure balancing phase, the cylinder balances the hydraulic oil inside through its own structure; during the pressure relief phase, the cylinder balances the hydraulic pressure of the system through the valve block and control device, thereby maintaining the stability of the system.

[0049] The horizontal clamping drive unit 7 includes a horizontal clamping guide rail 71, a horizontal clamping slide plate 72, a horizontal clamping synchronizing gear 73, and a horizontal clamping linear drive component 74. The horizontal clamping guide rail 71 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3. The horizontal clamping slide plate 72 is also located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3, and forms a horizontal sliding engagement with the horizontal clamping guide rail 71 through a slider on it. The horizontal clamping linear drive component 74 is fixedly installed on the vertical conveying platform 3, and its telescopic end is connected to the horizontal clamping slide plate 72 and drives it to slide.

[0050] The horizontal clamping guide rail 71, the horizontal clamping slide plate 72, and the horizontal clamping linear drive unit 74 are integrated as a whole, independently adapting to and driving a single clamping unit 4. The horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73 is mounted on the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3 via a gear shaft, located between two adjacent horizontal clamping slide plates 72. A horizontal clamping rack is fixedly installed on the side of each horizontal clamping slide plate 72 that is close to each other; the horizontal clamping racks on two adjacent slide plates simultaneously mesh with the horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73 located between them.

[0051] The horizontal clamping linear drive 74 serves as a power source. When its telescopic end moves linearly, it directly drives the connected horizontal clamping slide 72 to move along the guide rail. The movement of the horizontal clamping slide 72 is transmitted to the horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73 via a horizontal clamping rack on one side, forcing the horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73 to rotate. The rotation of the horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73 then synchronously drives the horizontal clamping rack on the other slide meshing with it. Since the horizontal clamping racks are distributed on both sides of the horizontal clamping synchronization gear 73, the two adjacent horizontal clamping slides 72 will perform linear movements with the same speed but opposite directions, ensuring that the paired clamping units 4 can accurately and synchronously approach or move away. The horizontal clamping linear drive 74 is a cylinder.

[0052] When clamping the sheet metal is required, the telescopic end of the horizontal clamping linear drive 74 extends, pushing the horizontal clamping slide 72, which is directly connected to it, to move laterally toward the sheet metal along the horizontal clamping guide rail 71. The movement of the horizontal clamping slide 72 drives the horizontal clamping rack on it to move, thereby driving the horizontal clamping synchronous gear 73 to rotate. The rotation of the gear synchronously drives another horizontal clamping slide 72 that meshes with it, causing it to move at the same speed but in the opposite direction. In this way, a pair of jaws 41 mounted on these two horizontal clamping slides 72 move synchronously toward each other from both sides of the sheet metal until the sheet metal is clamped. The release process is the opposite; the linear drive moves in the opposite direction, driving the two jaws 41 to move synchronously in opposite directions through the same transmission chain, disengaging them from the sheet metal.

[0053] The clamping unit 4 also includes a ranging sensor 42 fixedly installed at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3. The gripper 41 consists of a connecting plate 411 and a pressing block 412. The vertical fine-tuning drive unit 43 is specifically a lead screw module. The connecting plate 411 is driven by the lead screw module installed at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3 to achieve independent movement in the vertical direction. On the protrusion of the pressing block 412, near the inner side of the other pressing block 412 in the same pair of clamping units 4, there are multiple sharp protrusions 413. At the bottom of the vertical conveying platform 3 near the gripper 41, an inverted pressing cylinder 44 is installed. The inverted pressing cylinder 44 is used to limit the bottom of the lifted plate, forming a safety locking mechanism. When the plate is lifted, the pressure rod extended from the pressing cylinder 44 will rise to below the plate, forming a bottom mechanical limit.

[0054] The distance sensor 42 is used for non-contact, precise measurement of the real-time distance to the surface of the stack of plates below, providing a positional reference for the independent fine-tuning of each gripper 41. The lead screw module, as the vertical fine-tuning drive component, utilizes the high precision and self-locking characteristics of lead screw transmission to achieve precise control of the vertical position of each gripper 41, ensuring that the bottom surface of the pressing block 412 of all grippers 41 is precisely aligned with the surface of the target plate. The distance sensor 42 is an infrared distance measuring device.

[0055] The spikes 413 on the inner side of the extrusion block 412 are pressed into the surface of the relatively soft aluminum alloy sheet through point contact, which greatly increases the static friction and prevents the sheet from slipping during subsequent lifting or misalignment.

[0056] The inverted downward pressure cylinder 44 serves as a mechanical safety device. When its pressure rod extends and rises below the lifted plate, it forms a solid physical barrier to prevent the plate from falling due to accidental detachment.

[0057] During the separation of the sheet metal, firstly, the ranging sensor 42 scans the surface of the sheet metal stack to obtain height information. Next, each vertical fine-tuning drive unit 43 operates independently based on the sensor data, precisely adjusting the height of its connected gripper 41. Then, the horizontal clamping drive unit 7 operates, driving a pair of grippers 41 to move towards each other, with the spiked protrusions 413 on the inner side of the pressing block 412 pressing against both sides of the sheet metal. After confirming clamping, the vertical fine-tuning drive units 43 operate uniformly, driving the grippers 41 to lift and separate the individual sheet metal from the stack. After the sheet metal is lifted off the stack, the inverted pressing cylinder 44 immediately operates, its pressure rod extending upwards and moving to below the bottom plate of the lifted sheet metal, forming a safety limit.

[0058] The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system also includes an alignment device 9. This alignment device 9 is located below the conveyor guide frame 1. The alignment device 9 includes an alignment mounting frame 91 and a pair of alignment clamps 92. The pair of alignment clamps 92 are slidably mounted on top of the alignment mounting frame 91. Each alignment clamp 92 is driven by an independent alignment linear drive 93, allowing the two clamps to move closer or further apart. The direction of movement of the alignment clamps 92 in the horizontal plane is perpendicular to the direction of clamping movement of the pair of grippers 41 in the clamping unit 4 in the horizontal plane.

[0059] After the clamping unit 4 horizontally transports the separated sheet material to directly above the alignment device 9, the gripper 41 descends and places the sheet material in a predetermined area on top of the alignment mounting bracket 91. Then, the gripper 41 releases the sheet material and slightly raises it to avoid obstruction. Next, two independent alignment linear drives 93 simultaneously actuate, pushing their respective connected alignment blocks 92 to move synchronously towards each other along the guide rails on the alignment mounting bracket 91, contacting and clamping the two corresponding edges of the sheet material from mutually perpendicular directions. After clamping and alignment are completed, the alignment blocks 92 remain briefly in position or immediately release and reset, waiting for the gripper 41 to clamp the aligned sheet material again or proceed to the next process.

[0060] By performing secondary positioning in a direction perpendicular to the main clamping direction, the lateral displacement or rotation that may occur during the initial clamping, transportation and placement of the board is effectively eliminated, ensuring that each board has a uniform and accurate orientation when it leaves the warehouse or enters the next workstation.

[0061] Since different customer orders or different specifications of boards will eventually be stacked together and packaged for shipment by board handling vehicles in the warehouse, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between different batches or specifications of boards in the stack.

[0062] The automatic aluminum alloy sheet sorting system also includes a glue strip placement device 10. The glue strip placement device 10 slides along the conveyor guide rail 1 via a sliding component, allowing it to move along the length of the conveyor guide rail 1. When several sheets from the top of a bundle of sheets are transported to the sheet outgoing station by the grippers 41, the glue strip placement device 10 moves above them and places a glue strip on top of the sheet of that type about to be outgoing, thus facilitating the differentiation of different sheet types within the stack.

[0063] Adhesive strips are pasted between different boards to physically separate them. The adhesive strips used are non-metallic materials, specifically polyurethane blocks. The adhesive strip placement device 10 is a strip-placement machine.

[0064] The implementation principle of the automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system in this application embodiment is as follows: The horizontal conveying motor 52 drives the horizontal conveying gear 53 to roll along the conveying rack 11 on the conveying guide frame 1, thereby moving the horizontal conveying platform 2 and the entire lower mechanism to directly above the target sheet stack; the longitudinal pressure roller 81, the transverse pressure roller 82 and the limiting hook 83 of the horizontal conveying positioning unit 8 work together to ensure smooth movement and prevent derailment. Subsequently, the vertical initial adjustment motor 63 drives the vertical conveying platform 3 to descend along the vertical initial adjustment guide seat 61 through the meshing of the vertical conveying gear and the vertical initial adjustment rack 621. The counterweight gas cylinder and the balance telescopic rod in the form of the hydraulic cylinder 641 in the balance unit 64 jointly maintain the stability of the lifting and lowering. In clamping unit 4, each vertical fine-tuning drive unit 43 independently adjusts the height of the gripper 41 based on data from the ranging sensor 42, ensuring that the bottom surface of the pressing block 412 is precisely aligned with the target material. The horizontal clamping linear drive unit 74 drives the pair of inverted L-shaped grippers 41 to move synchronously towards each other via the horizontal clamping synchronous gear 73 and the horizontal clamping rack. The spiked protrusions 413 clamp the material and lift it up after horizontal misalignment. After lifting, the pressure rod of the inverted pressing cylinder 44 extends to form a bottom safety lock. The separated material is transported to the alignment device 9, where a pair of alignment clamping blocks 92 clamp the material vertically for positioning.

[0065] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic sheet metal separation system for aluminum alloy plates, characterized in that: It includes a conveyor guide frame, a horizontal conveyor platform, a vertical conveyor platform, and a clamping unit, wherein: The conveying guide rail frame is fixedly installed at a predetermined position; The horizontal conveying platform is located on top of the conveying guide rail frame and moves horizontally via a horizontal drive unit. The vertical conveying platform is located below the horizontal conveying platform and moves along the vertical direction via a vertical initial adjustment drive unit; The clamping unit is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform. Multiple pairs of clamping units are provided along the length of the plate. Each pair of clamping units clamps the plate synchronously in the horizontal direction through a horizontal clamping drive unit. Each clamping unit moves in the vertical direction through an independent vertical fine-tuning drive unit. The clamping unit includes L-shaped grippers, with each pair of grippers being inverted relative to each other.

2. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the conveying guide frame is provided with a conveying rack and a conveying guide rail along its length; The horizontal drive unit includes a mounting bracket and a horizontal conveyor motor, wherein: The mounting frame is installed at the end of the horizontal conveying platform. The horizontal conveying motor is vertically mounted on the mounting frame. The motor shaft of the horizontal conveying motor passes through the mounting frame. A horizontal conveying gear that meshes with the conveying rack is fixedly connected to the end of the motor shaft of the horizontal conveying motor.

3. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end of the horizontal conveying platform is also provided with a horizontal conveying positioning unit, which includes a longitudinal pressure roller, a transverse pressure roller, and a limiting hook, wherein: The longitudinal pressure roller makes rolling contact with the top of the conveying guide rail; The transverse pressure roller makes rolling contact with the side wall of the conveying guide rail; The limiting hook is L-shaped, and the bottom inner side of the limiting hook contacts the bottom of the conveying guide rail.

4. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical initial adjustment drive unit includes a vertical initial adjustment guide rail base, a vertical initial adjustment guide rail, a vertical initial adjustment motor, and a balancing unit, wherein: The vertical initial adjustment guide rail base is provided in a pair, and the pair of vertical initial adjustment guide rail bases are symmetrically arranged on the top of the horizontal conveying platform; The vertical initial adjustment guide rail is provided in pairs, and the vertical initial adjustment guide rail is adapted to the vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat. The vertical initial adjustment guide rail and the corresponding vertical initial adjustment guide rail seat slide in the vertical direction. The bottom of the vertical initial adjustment guide rail is located at the top of the vertical conveying platform. One of the vertical initial adjustment guide rails is provided with a vertical initial adjustment rack along the vertical direction, the vertical initial adjustment motor is provided on the horizontal conveying platform, and a vertical conveying gear that meshes with the vertical initial adjustment rack is fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the vertical initial adjustment motor. The balancing unit is located between the horizontal conveying platform and the vertical conveying platform.

5. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The balancing unit includes a hydraulic cylinder and a nitrogen cylinder, wherein: The hydraulic cylinder is provided in pairs, and the pair of hydraulic cylinders are symmetrically arranged on the horizontal conveying platform. The rod wall of the hydraulic cylinder is rotatably hinged to the top of the horizontal conveying platform, and the bottom end of the hydraulic cylinder is rotatably hinged to the top of the vertical conveying platform. The nitrogen cylinder is located near the vertical initial adjustment guide rail, away from the vertical initial adjustment motor; The oil cylinder and the nitrogen cylinder together form a nitrogen balance system.

6. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal clamping drive unit includes a horizontal clamping guide rail, a horizontal clamping slide plate, a horizontal clamping synchronous gear, and a horizontal clamping linear drive component, wherein: The horizontal clamping guide rail is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform, and the horizontal clamping slide plate is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform and slides in cooperation with the horizontal clamping guide rail in the horizontal direction. The telescopic end of the horizontal clamping linear drive member slides in cooperation with one of the horizontal clamping slide plates. The horizontal clamping synchronous gear is located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform and between two adjacent horizontal clamping slides. A horizontal clamping rack that meshes with the horizontal clamping synchronous gear is provided on the side of the horizontal clamping slides that are close to each other.

7. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping unit also includes a distance measuring sensor located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform; The gripper includes a connecting plate and a pressing block, and the vertical fine-tuning drive unit is a lead screw module, wherein: The connecting plate moves vertically via a lead screw module located at the bottom of the vertical conveying platform; The protrusion of the extrusion block has multiple sharp protrusions on one side of the extrusion block near the same pair of clamping units; The vertical conveying platform has an inverted downward pressure cylinder located at the bottom near the gripper.

8. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system also includes an alignment device, which is located below the conveyor guide frame. The alignment device includes an alignment mounting frame and an alignment clamping block, wherein: The alignment clamps are slidably disposed on the top of the alignment mounting bracket, and a pair are provided. The alignment clamps move closer to or further apart from each other via independent alignment linear drive components; The direction of movement of the alignment clamping block in the horizontal plane is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pair of jaws in the horizontal plane.

9. The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic aluminum alloy sheet separation system also includes a placement device, which is slidably engaged with the conveyor guide rail.

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