Mechanical arm PCB separating machine and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical arm PCB dividing machine and method. The mechanical arm PCB dividing machine comprises a machine table, and a mechanical arm, a conveying belt, a cutting mechanism and a visual positioning mechanism are arranged on the machine table; the mechanical arm moves the PCB to the position above the cutting saw blade and presses the PCB downwards to move along the cutting path, so that a V-shaped groove in the PCB makes contact with the cutting saw blade to complete board splitting. By integrating the conveying belt, the jacking mechanism, the multi-camera visual positioning system, the mechanical arm and the cutting saw blade, full-automatic, high-precision and high-efficiency PCB separation is achieved, the problems that in a traditional fodder chopper board separation mode, manpower dependence is large, positioning is not accurate, and boards are prone to being damaged are effectively solved, and the advantages of being accurate in positioning, good in cutting consistency, high in efficiency and the like are achieved. And the device can be suitable for production of PCBs of various models.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of PCB board separation technology, specifically to a robotic arm PCB board separation machine and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the PCB manufacturing industry, guillotine-type depaneling machines are commonly used for manual depaneling of multi-panel PCBs connected by V-cuts. Existing technology suffers from the following main problems: operators must manually place the PCBs into the depanel for cutting, resulting in high labor costs and low efficiency. Manual operation is prone to damage during depaneling due to inaccurate positioning and improper operation, affecting product yield. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an automated, high-precision, and high-efficiency PCB depaneling device to address these technical shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a robotic arm PCB board separation machine and method.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A robotic arm PCB board depaneling machine includes a machine base, on which a robotic arm, a conveyor belt, a cutting mechanism, and a vision positioning mechanism are provided.

[0006] The conveyor belt is used to transport PCB boards. Along the conveying direction, there are sequentially arranged waiting positions and picking positions on the conveyor belt. A lifting mechanism is provided directly below the picking position. The lifting mechanism is used to lift and position the PCB board after it is in place.

[0007] The robotic arm is used to grab and move the PCB board from the lifting mechanism;

[0008] The visual positioning mechanism includes three visual positioning cameras, which are used to visually identify the V-shaped grooves on the PCB board grasped by the robotic arm and obtain the cutting path.

[0009] The cutting mechanism includes a cutting saw blade that is driven to rotate by a motor;

[0010] The robotic arm moves the PCB board above the cutting saw blade and presses it down along the cutting path, so that the V-groove on the PCB board contacts the cutting saw blade to complete the board separation.

[0011] Furthermore, of the three visual positioning cameras, one is fixed in position, while the other two are connected to their respective mobile modules and can adjust their positions according to the program settings of different PCB boards.

[0012] Furthermore, the end of the robotic arm is equipped with a PCB suction cup fixture for adsorbing and fixing the PCB board.

[0013] Furthermore, the board-removing suction cup fixture includes multiple sets of independent suction cup units, each set of suction cup units being used to adsorb the PCB sub-boards after separation.

[0014] Furthermore, the cutting mechanism is provided with a feeding groove around it, which forms a surrounding structure of the cutting area and is used to collect the PCB board scraps separated after the board is split.

[0015] Furthermore, a collection groove is provided below the cutting saw blade to collect the dust generated during cutting.

[0016] Furthermore, the visual positioning system generates a cutting path by identifying the V-groove on the PCB board and the associated Mark points.

[0017] This invention discloses a method for separating PCB boards in a robotic arm, comprising the following steps:

[0018] S1. The PCB board is transported from the waiting position to the picking position on the conveyor belt;

[0019] S2. The board lifting mechanism is activated to lift and position the PCB board.

[0020] S3. The robotic arm picks up the PCB board from the lifting mechanism and moves it to the vision positioning station;

[0021] S4. The visual positioning system takes pictures and identifies the V-groove and associated Mark points on the PCB board, and obtains the cutting path.

[0022] S5. The robotic arm moves the PCB board above the cutting saw blade according to the cutting path, and moves along the V-groove path and presses down to complete the cutting and separation of the boards.

[0023] S6. After the board separation is completed, the robotic arm will send out the separated PCB sub-boards.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0025] This invention integrates a conveyor belt, a lifting mechanism, a multi-camera vision positioning system, a robotic arm, and a cutting saw blade to achieve fully automatic, high-precision, and high-efficiency PCB board separation. It effectively overcomes the problems of high reliance on manpower, inaccurate positioning, and easy damage to boards in traditional guillotine separation methods. It features precise positioning, good cutting consistency, and can adapt to the production of multiple PCB board models. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0027] Figure 1 This is an axial view schematic diagram of the depaneling machine of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a top view of the depaneling machine of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a suction cup fixture for removing plates. Detailed Implementation

[0030] like Figure 1-3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a robotic PCB board splitting machine, including a machine base 1, a conveyor belt 2 disposed on the machine base 1, a robotic arm 3, a vision positioning mechanism 4, and a cutting mechanism 5.

[0031] Conveyor belt 2 is installed on top of machine 1 for transporting PCB boards. Along the conveying direction, conveyor belt 2 has a waiting board position 21 and a picking board position 22. The waiting board position 21 is used to temporarily store PCB boards that are about to be separated. A lifting mechanism 23 is located directly below the picking board position 22. This lifting mechanism 23 can be driven by a cylinder or a servo motor. When the PCB board is transported from conveyor belt 2 to the picking board position 22, the lifting mechanism 23 moves upward, lifting the PCB board off conveyor belt 1 and precisely positioning it for the robotic arm to grasp.

[0032] The robotic arm 3 is preferably a six-axis industrial robot, mounted on the machine base 1 and located on one side of the conveyor belt 2. The end of the robotic arm 3 is equipped with a PCB-grabbing suction cup fixture 31. The PCB-grabbing suction cup fixture 31 is equipped with multiple vacuum suction cups for adsorbing and fixing the PCB board. Further, as... Figure 3 As shown, the board-removing suction cup fixture 31 is designed as multiple sets of independent suction cup units, each set of suction cup units corresponding to adsorb a single PCB sub-board after board separation.

[0033] The visual positioning mechanism 4 includes three visual positioning cameras 41, 42, and 43, as well as corresponding light sources and image processing systems. One of the visual positioning cameras 41 is fixedly installed and its position remains unchanged. The other two visual positioning cameras 42 and 43 are respectively installed on the first moving module 44 and the second moving module 45, so that their positions can be adjusted according to the program settings of different PCB boards to ensure that the V-groove on the PCB board and the associated Mark point can be completely captured.

[0034] The visual positioning mechanism 4 acquires images of the PCB board and identifies the V-groove and associated Mark points on the PCB board using image processing algorithms. Then, it generates a cutting path, which is uploaded to the host computer and sent to the robotic arm.

[0035] The cutting mechanism 5 includes a cutting saw blade 51 driven to rotate by a motor. A dust collection trough 52 is provided below the cutting saw blade 51 to collect dust generated during the cutting process. A feeding trough 53 is arranged around the periphery of the cutting mechanism 5, forming a surrounding structure for receiving leftover materials such as PCB board frames after separation.

[0036] The present invention employs the aforementioned robotic arm PCB board separating machine for PCB board separation, specifically including the following steps:

[0037] S1. The PCB board is transported from the waiting position 21 to the picking position 22 via the conveyor belt 2;

[0038] S2, the lifting mechanism 23 operates to lift the PCB board and position it precisely;

[0039] S3. The robotic arm 3 moves to the board picking position 22, picks up the PCB board through the board picking suction cup fixture 31, and transfers it to the vision positioning station.

[0040] S4, the three cameras 41, 42, and 43 in the visual positioning mechanism 4 simultaneously take pictures of the V-groove on the PCB board and the associated Mark points. The image processor recognizes the features and generates the cutting path.

[0041] S5. The robotic arm 3 moves the PCB board above the cutting saw blade 52 according to the cutting path and moves along the V-groove trajectory. At the same time, it presses down to make the V-groove contact the high-speed rotating cutting saw blade 52 to complete the board separation.

[0042] S6. After the board separation is completed, the robotic arm 3 will send the separated PCB sub-boards to the designated unloading position to complete one board separation cycle.

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this is merely an example. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to this embodiment without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robotic arm PCB board separating machine, characterized in that: This includes a machine base equipped with a robotic arm, conveyor belt, cutting mechanism, and vision positioning mechanism; The conveyor belt is used to transport PCB boards. Along the conveying direction, there are sequentially arranged waiting positions and picking positions on the conveyor belt. A lifting mechanism is provided directly below the picking position. The lifting mechanism is used to lift and position the PCB board after it is in place. The robotic arm is used to grab and move the PCB board from the lifting mechanism; The visual positioning mechanism includes three visual positioning cameras, which are used to visually identify the V-shaped grooves on the PCB board grasped by the robotic arm and obtain the cutting path. The cutting mechanism includes a cutting saw blade that is driven to rotate by a motor; The robotic arm moves the PCB board above the cutting saw blade and presses it down along the cutting path, so that the V-groove on the PCB board contacts the cutting saw blade to complete the board separation.

2. The robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Of the three visual positioning cameras, one is fixed in position, while the other two are connected to their respective mobile modules and can adjust their positions according to the program settings of different PCB boards.

3. The robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm is equipped with a PCB suction cup fixture at its end, which is used to pick up and fix the PCB board.

4. A robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The board removal suction cup fixture includes multiple sets of independent suction cup units, each set of suction cup units being used to adsorb the PCB sub-boards after separation.

5. A robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cutting mechanism is provided with a feeding groove around it, which forms a surrounding structure of the cutting area and is used to collect the PCB board scraps separated after the board is split.

6. A robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cutting saw blade is provided with a collection groove below it to collect the dust generated during cutting.

7. A robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual positioning system identifies the V-groove on the PCB board and the associated Mark points, and then generates a cutting path.

8. A method for separating PCB boards using a robotic arm PCB board separating machine according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The PCB board is transported from the waiting position to the picking position on the conveyor belt; S2. The board lifting mechanism is activated to lift and position the PCB board. S3. The robotic arm picks up the PCB board from the lifting mechanism and moves it to the vision positioning station; S4. The visual positioning system takes pictures and identifies the V-groove and associated Mark points on the PCB board, and obtains the cutting path. S5. The robotic arm moves the PCB board above the cutting saw blade according to the cutting path, and moves along the V-groove path and presses down to complete the cutting and separation of the boards. S6. After the board separation is completed, the robotic arm will send out the separated PCB sub-boards.

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