Full-process intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of refractory brick automatic masonry, and discloses a whole-process intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system and method.The specific technical scheme is that the whole-process intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system comprises an intelligent planning system, a pre-stacking system, a transfer system and an automatic masonry system; then the stacking strategy of the refractory bricks on each layer is planned through an intelligent algorithm, the refractory bricks of different models are sequentially placed on a tray through a pre-stacking device according to the result of the intelligent algorithm to form a pre-stacking module, and the pre-stacking module is transported into a steel ladle through a transfer system; the laying device carries out ordered laying, closing and powder laying on the refractory bricks placed on the pre-stacking module in the ladle, trays are left in a steel ladle after single-layer laying is completed, the trays left in the ladle are stacked layer by layer to be heightened so as to adapt to the laying height of the refractory bricks, the time for grabbing the refractory bricks to the laying position by the laying device is effectively shortened, and the laying efficiency of the refractory bricks is improved. Therefore, intelligentization and automation of the steel ladle refractory brick masonry process are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automatic refractory brick masonry technology, specifically relating to a fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system and method. Background Technology

[0002] The steel ladle is a core piece of equipment in the steelmaking process, responsible for receiving, transferring, and refining molten steel. Its lining directly contacts high-temperature molten steel and slag, requiring extremely high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, erosion resistance, and thermal insulation properties. Refractory bricks, as the core structural material of the ladle lining, directly determine the service life, operational safety, and continuity of steelmaking production through their construction quality. Manual construction is currently one of the most widely used core construction methods in the industry. The inner wall of the ladle has an arc-shaped structure. Manual construction requires careful selection of brick type and control of mortar joint thickness to ensure that each refractory brick is basically perpendicular to the ladle wall and that the joints are uniform, achieving the required roundness and flatness of the lining and ensuring uniform stress during molten steel transfer. The quality of the ladle refractory brick construction depends heavily on the experience and skill of the construction workers. The construction environment for manual ladle refractory brick construction is extremely demanding, posing multiple challenges to the workers' physiological tolerance, operational stability, and safety awareness. The inner diameter of the steel ladle is typically 2-5 meters, and its depth can reach 2-5 meters. Construction workers must enter the ladle to carry out masonry work. The interior space is narrow and enclosed, with extremely poor ventilation. The combination of high temperature and dust creates a harsh working environment. During the masonry process, it is necessary to frequently move refractory bricks weighing 1-10 kilograms each and mortar. Construction workers must work continuously in restricted postures such as bending over and turning sideways, with average daily working hours exceeding 8 hours. Physical exertion is extremely rapid in the high-temperature environment, easily leading to fatigue and weakness. However, the precision requirements of masonry work cannot be reduced in the slightest. It is necessary to maintain operational stability under harsh conditions, which places extremely high demands on the physical fitness and professional ethics of the construction workers.

[0003] Existing ladle masonry technology has formed a development pattern centered on "automation replacing manual labor and intelligentization improving precision," constructing a diversified technical system around three major directions: equipment integration, process optimization, and intelligent control. In terms of overall equipment layout, an integrated solution of "robot workstation + supporting systems" is commonly adopted, developing fully automated equipment covering column conveying mechanisms and continuous brick feeding systems, significantly reducing reliance on manual labor and labor intensity. Although current technologies attempt to overcome the core technical challenge of brick feeding and automated masonry, the logical consistency between brick feeding and masonry has not been fully resolved. Furthermore, steel ladles exhibit dimensional differences (such as different volumes and inner diameters), have narrow and enclosed internal working spaces, and require a wide variety of refractory brick types (including straight bricks, wedge-shaped bricks, and curved bricks). Overcoming these constraints to achieve equipment adaptability to different steel ladle specifications, operational flexibility in confined spaces, and precise handling of various types of refractory bricks are the core challenges that automated ladle masonry equipment needs to address.

[0004] The technical shortcomings of existing automated equipment can be summarized as follows: 1) Insufficient process coordination and failure to form a closed-loop operation: Some existing automated equipment (such as single column conveying mechanism and independent brick stacking device) can only realize the automation of a single link (such as conveying and stacking) and lack the linkage of the whole process of "pre-stacking-conveying-masonry"; for example, although the traditional automatic brick feeding system can continuously supply bricks, it requires manual assistance to adjust the bricks to the masonry posture and cannot be synchronized with the plastering and brick knocking and pressing process. There are still manual intervention breakpoints and a true closed loop has not been achieved.

[0005] 2) Limited adaptability and flexibility of steel ladles: Existing automated equipment is mostly designed for standard-sized steel ladles, and has poor adaptability to non-standard-sized and irregularly shaped steel ladles; for example, the mechanical arm movement trajectory of some masonry robot workstations is fixed, which makes it difficult to adapt to the arc-shaped side wall structure and deep cavity operation requirements of steel ladles. Moreover, the entire machine needs to be disassembled and reassembled for transfer, and it is not possible to quickly switch working areas, resulting in insufficient flexibility to adapt to production scenarios of multiple specifications of steel ladles.

[0006] 3) Insufficient intelligent regulation and precision control: Existing equipment mostly relies on preset parameters for operation and lacks the ability to dynamically adjust based on the actual working conditions of the ladle; for example, traditional automatic brick stacking devices do not have real-time visual scanning and error correction functions. If there is deformation on the inner wall of the ladle (such as unevenness caused by melting and erosion), brick misalignment and brick joint exceeding the standard are likely to occur; and an intelligent regulation closed loop of "pre-stacking algorithm optimization - masonry process monitoring - quality feedback correction" has not been formed, and the masonry accuracy is difficult to meet the high requirements of the working lining of the ladle. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system and method. It combines intelligent pre-laying of refractory bricks with intelligent automatic masonry, realizing a closed-loop operation from refractory brick feeding and delivery to masonry, replacing traditional manual operation, and achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement while enhancing safety.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system, including an intelligent planning system, a pre-stacking system, a transfer system and an automatic masonry system.

[0009] The intelligent planning system performs three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner wall of the ladle and plans the stacking strategy of each layer of refractory bricks through intelligent algorithms: it automatically provides the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layers to be built in the ladle.

[0010] The pre-stacking system includes multiple pre-stacking devices and multiple pallets. Both sides of the pre-stacking system are equipped with brick preparation areas, and multiple pallets are placed between the brick preparation areas on both sides. The pallets are disc-shaped structures, and when the pallets are stacked, the bottom of the upper pallet is locked onto the top of the lower pallet to achieve a limiting effect. Multiple pre-stacking devices grab the corresponding type of refractory bricks from the brick preparation area according to the results of intelligent algorithms, and place the different models of refractory bricks in sequence on the corresponding trays to form pre-stacking modules. Each pre-stacking module is used to stack all the required refractory bricks at a certain height inside the ladle.

[0011] The transfer system includes a transport mechanism that can move back and forth between the pre-stacking system and the automatic masonry system. The transport mechanism transports the pre-stacking modules from the pre-stacking system to the automatic masonry system and places the pre-stacking modules into the corresponding steel ladles.

[0012] The automated bricklaying system includes a bricklaying device that orderly lays, seals, and applies powder to refractory bricks placed on pre-stacked modules inside a ladle. After a single layer is laid, the pallet remains inside the ladle. During the laying of multiple layers of refractory bricks, the pallets remaining inside the ladle are stacked layer by layer to increase their height to accommodate the laying height of the refractory bricks, thereby effectively reducing the time it takes for the bricklaying device to pick up the refractory bricks and move them to the laying position.

[0013] Based on the three-dimensional reconstruction results of the inner wall of the ladle, the pre-placement intelligent algorithm automatically provides the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layer to be laid in the ladle.

[0014] The automatic bricklaying system includes a circular turntable and a liftable bricklaying device. The circular turntable has rotation and lifting functions. At the end of the circular turntable is a stacking execution module. After the bricklaying device completes the bricklaying of the refractory bricks on the pre-stacked module along the inner wall of the ladle, the pallet placed inside the ladle remains inside the ladle. The thickness of the pallet is consistent with the height of a single layer of refractory bricks. The pallet has the function of bearing refractory bricks and adapting to the bricklaying height.

[0015] The automatic bricklaying system is equipped with a visual guidance function to correct brick misalignment caused by deformation of the inner wall of the ladle, control the gap between refractory bricks, and optimize the finishing strategy.

[0016] A fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick laying method, the specific laying steps are as follows: Step 1: The intelligent planning system performs three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner wall of the ladle and plans the stacking strategy of each layer of refractory bricks through intelligent algorithms, automatically providing the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layers to be built in the ladle. Step 2: The pre-stacking device places refractory bricks on the tray according to the optimized combination of brick types in the masonry layer; Step 3: The transport mechanism delivers the pallet above the ladle, through the inner hole of the annular turntable, and the pallet descends into the ladle and is placed at the bottom of the ladle; Step 4: The bricklaying device performs orderly bricklaying, finishing, and mortar application on the refractory bricks on the pallet according to the stacking requirements; Step 5: Repeat steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. After a single layer of masonry is completed, the pallet is placed inside the ladle. The pallets placed inside the ladle are stacked layer by layer to increase the height to accommodate the masonry height of the refractory bricks.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the specific beneficial effects of this invention are reflected in: I. This invention realizes a dual-system collaborative architecture of intelligent pre-stacking and automatic bricklaying, breaking through the automation limitations of existing single-stage equipment. According to the bricklaying requirements, the refractory bricks are pre-stacking on the corresponding pallets, and the pre-stacking pallets are sent into the ladle for bricklaying, so as to meet the rapid bricklaying requirements of the palletizing robot and achieve a high degree of automation.

[0018] Second, the present invention adopts a pre-stacking intelligent algorithm and a pre-stacking tray reuse design, which can adapt to the stacking requirements of various types, specifications and layers of refractory bricks, and can meet the various stacking requirements of refractory bricks in steel ladles.

[0019] Third, this invention integrates multiple stacking subsystems into one system, realizing integrated operation of masonry, finishing and powdering based on machine vision, ensuring the accuracy and quality of refractory brick masonry. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is the front view of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view at point AA.

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point B.

[0025] In the diagram, 1 is the pre-stacking system, 11 is the pre-stacking device, 12 is the pallet, 2 is the transfer system, 21 is the transport mechanism, 22 is the linear slide rail, 23 is the rack and pinion, 24 is the drive motor, 25 is the crossbeam, 26 is the gripping hanger, 27 is the pallet lifting device, 3 is the automatic bricklaying system, 31 is the bricklaying device, 32 is the annular turntable, 4 is the brick preparation area, and 5 is the steel ladle. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1-5 As shown, a fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system includes an intelligent planning system, a pre-stacking system 1, a transfer system 2, and an automatic masonry system 3. The transfer system 2 is placed between the pre-stacking system 1 and the automatic masonry system 3. The outer ring of the entire device is arranged with guardrails, and the pre-stacking system 1, the transfer system 2, and the automatic masonry system 3 are all placed inside the guardrails.

[0028] The pre-stacking system 1 includes multiple pre-stacking devices 11 and multiple pallets 12. Both sides of the pre-stacking system 1 are provided with brick preparation areas 4, and multiple pallets 12 are placed between the brick preparation areas on both sides. The pallet 12 has a disc-shaped structure. When the pallets 12 are stacked, the bottom of the upper pallet 12 is locked onto the top of the lower pallet 12 to achieve a limiting position.

[0029] Multiple pre-stacking devices 11 grab the corresponding type of refractory bricks from the brick preparation area 4 according to the results of the intelligent algorithm, and place the different models of refractory bricks on the corresponding trays 12 in sequence to form a pre-stacking module. Each pre-stacking module is used to stack all the required refractory bricks at a certain height inside the ladle 5.

[0030] In addition to the currently disclosed layout methods, the pre-stacking system can also adopt other layout methods that can achieve the pre-stacking function.

[0031] As a preferred transfer method, the transfer system 2 includes a transport mechanism 21. A linear slide rail 22 is arranged parallel to the pre-stacking system 1 and the automatic masonry system 3. A rack 23 is arranged along the length of the linear slide rail 22. Drive motors 24 are arranged at both ends of the transport mechanism 21. The output shaft of the drive motor 24 is connected to a drive gear. The drive gear meshes with the rack 23 on the same side. The drive motors 24 on both sides run synchronously. Under the meshing action of the gear and rack 23, the transport mechanism 21 can perform linear reciprocating motion along the linear slide rail 22. A crossbeam 25 is arranged on the transport mechanism 21. A gripping hanger 26 that is perpendicular to the linear slide rail 22 and can move left and right is arranged on the crossbeam 25. A pallet lifting device 27 is mounted on the gripping hanger 26. The pallet lifting device 27 can move up and down on the gripping hanger 26. The pallet lifting device 27 can clamp the pallet 12 and realize up-down and left-right displacement movement to adjust the position of the pallet 12 in the ladle 5.

[0032] The transport mechanism 21 and the masonry device 31 are arranged in a staggered manner, so that there will be no movement interference between the transport mechanism 21 and the masonry device 31 during the process of transporting the pallet 12 by the transport mechanism 21.

[0033] In addition, the transfer system 2 can also use roller conveyor or other structures that can realize the transfer function of pallet 12, and is not limited to the linear slide rail 22 conveyor structure disclosed in the drawings.

[0034] The pallet hoist 27 on the transport mechanism 21 picks up the pallet 12 with the bricks already stacked from the pre-stacking system 1. The transport mechanism 21 transports the pallet 12 from the pre-stacking system 1 to the automatic bricklaying system 3. The pallet 12 is placed above the ladle 5. By adjusting the position of the pallet 12 and lowering it into the corresponding ladle 5, the pallet 12 can be placed on the annular turntable 32 to facilitate the bricklaying device 31 to stack bricks.

[0035] The automatic bricklaying system 3 includes a ring turntable 32 and a lifting bricklaying device 31. The bricklaying device 31 orderly lays, seals, and spreads powder on the refractory bricks on the pre-stacked modules placed inside the ladle 5. After a single layer of bricklaying is completed, the pallet 12 is left inside the ladle 5. During the construction of multiple layers of refractory bricks, the pallet 12 left inside the ladle 5 is stacked layer by layer to increase its height to adapt to the bricklaying height, thereby effectively reducing the time it takes for the bricklaying device 31 to grab the refractory bricks to the bricklaying position.

[0036] Based on the three-dimensional reconstruction results of the inner wall of steel ladle 5, the pre-placement intelligent algorithm automatically provides the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layer to be laid in steel ladle 5.

[0037] The automatic bricklaying system 3 is equipped with a ring turntable 32, which has rotation and lifting functions. At the end of the ring turntable 32, there is a stacking execution module. After the bricklaying device 31 lays all the refractory bricks on the pre-stacked module on the inner wall of the ladle 5, the tray 12 placed inside the ladle 5 remains inside the ladle 5.

[0038] The automatic bricklaying system 3 is equipped with a ring turntable 32, which has rotation and lifting functions. At the end of the ring turntable 32, there is a stacking execution module. After the bricklaying device 31 completes the bricklaying of the refractory bricks on the pre-stacked module along the inner wall of the steel ladle 5, the pallet 12 placed inside the steel ladle 5 remains inside the steel ladle 5. The thickness of the pallet 12 is consistent with the height of a single layer of refractory bricks. The pallet 12 has the function of bearing refractory bricks and adapting the bricklaying height.

[0039] The automatic bricklaying system 3 is equipped with a visual guidance function to correct the brick misalignment caused by deformation of the inner wall of the ladle 5, control the gap between refractory bricks, and optimize the finishing strategy.

[0040] In addition, this masonry system can be applied not only to steel ladles but also to molten iron ladles.

[0041] A fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick laying method, the specific laying steps are as follows: Step 1: The intelligent planning system performs three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner wall of steel ladle 5, and plans the stacking strategy of each layer of refractory bricks through intelligent algorithms, automatically providing the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layer to be built in steel ladle 5. Step 2: The pre-stacking device 11 places refractory bricks on the tray 12 according to the optimized combination of the brick types of the masonry layer; Step 3: The transport mechanism 21 delivers the pallet 12 above the ladle 5, through the inner hole of the annular turntable 32, and the pallet 12 descends into the ladle 5 and is placed at the bottom of the ladle 5.

[0042] Step 4: The bricklaying device 31 performs orderly bricklaying, finishing, and mortar application on the refractory bricks on the pallet 12 according to the stacking requirements; Step 5: Repeat steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. After the single-layer masonry is completed, the pallet 12 is placed inside the steel ladle 5. The pallets 12 placed inside the steel ladle 5 are stacked layer by layer to increase their height to meet the masonry height requirements of each layer.

[0043] The fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick laying system of this invention combines intelligent pre-laying of refractory bricks with intelligent automatic laying of refractory bricks, realizing a closed-loop operation from refractory brick feeding and grabbing to laying, replacing traditional manual operation, improving safety and enabling enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

[0044] 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 and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system, characterized in that, It includes an intelligent planning system, a pre-placement system (1), a transfer system (2), and an automatic masonry system (3). The intelligent planning system performs three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner wall of the ladle (5) and plans the stacking strategy of each layer of refractory bricks through intelligent algorithms; The pre-stacking system (1) includes multiple pre-stacking devices (11) and multiple trays (12). The multiple pre-stacking devices (11) arrange different types of refractory bricks in sequence on the corresponding trays (12) according to the results of the intelligent algorithm to form a pre-stacking module. The transfer system (2) includes a transport mechanism (21), which can move back and forth between the pre-stacking system (1) and the automatic masonry system (3). After the transport mechanism (21) transports the pre-stacking module from the pre-stacking system (1) to the top of the automatic masonry system (3), it places the pre-stacking module into the corresponding steel ladle (5) through the inner hole area of ​​the annular turntable (32). The automatic bricklaying system (3) includes a bricklaying device (31). The bricklaying device (31) lays, closes, and spreads powder on the refractory bricks placed on the pre-stacked module inside the ladle (5) in an orderly manner. After a single layer of bricklaying is completed, the tray (12) is placed inside the ladle (5). The thickness of the tray (12) itself is consistent with the thickness of the single layer of refractory bricks. During the construction of multiple layers of refractory bricks, the tray (12) placed inside the ladle (5) increases in height by stacking layer by layer to adapt to the bricklaying height of the refractory bricks.

2. The fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-placement intelligent algorithm automatically provides the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the next layer to be laid in the steel ladle (5) based on the three-dimensional reconstruction results of the inner wall of the steel ladle (5).

3. The fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The automatic masonry system (3) is equipped with a ring turntable (32), and a lifting masonry device (31) is installed on the ring turntable (32). By rotating the ring turntable (32) and lifting the masonry device (31), masonry can be carried out at any position on the inner wall of the ladle (5). After the masonry device (31) completes the masonry along the inner wall of the ladle (5) with the refractory bricks on the pre-stacked module, the tray (12) placed in the ladle (5) remains in the ladle (5).

4. The fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick masonry system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tray (12) has the function of supporting refractory bricks and achieving adaptive masonry height through layer-by-layer stacking.

5. A fully intelligent steel ladle refractory brick laying method, characterized in that, Using the masonry system as described in claim 1, the specific masonry steps are as follows: Step 1: The intelligent planning system performs three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner wall of the steel ladle (5), and plans the stacking strategy of each layer of refractory bricks through intelligent algorithms, automatically providing the optimized combination and placement order of different types of refractory bricks for the layer to be built in the steel ladle (5); Step 2: The pre-stacking device (11) places refractory bricks on the tray (12) according to the optimized combination of the brick types of the masonry layer; Step 3: The transport mechanism (21) delivers the pallet (12) above the ladle (5), through the inner hole of the annular turntable (32), and the pallet (12) descends into the ladle (5) and is placed at the bottom of the ladle (5); Step 4: The bricklaying device (31) performs orderly bricklaying, finishing and mortaring on the refractory bricks on the pallet (12) according to the stacking requirements; Step 5: Repeat steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. After the single-layer masonry is completed, the pallet (12) is placed inside the steel ladle (5). The pallet (12) placed inside the steel ladle (5) is stacked layer by layer to increase its height to meet the masonry height requirements of each layer.

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