Sorting device and sorting method for rapid discharging of intermediate frequency furnace

Abstract

The invention discloses an intermediate frequency furnace rapid discharging sorting device which comprises a rack, a blank detection mechanism, a conveying chain, a material kicking assembly, a sorting assembly, a driving motor, an oxide skin assembly, a pneumatic FRL and an electric control box, and the blank detection mechanism is used for detecting whether blanks are qualified or not; the kicking assembly and the sorting assembly are arranged on the front side and the rear side of the middle of the conveying chain respectively. The material kicking assembly is used for kicking the unqualified blanks into the sorting assembly, and the sorting assembly is used for classifying the unqualified blanks falling into the sorting assembly. According to the sorting device for rapid discharging of the intermediate frequency furnace, unqualified hot blanks can be rapidly extracted, removed and classified, the production efficiency of the whole production line is improved, the harmful factor that qualified high-temperature blanks generate oxide skin due to long-time exposure in air is reduced, the energy loss of the hot blanks and the oxide skin are reduced, and the service life of the hot blanks is prolonged. Therefore, the service life of the forging equipment grinding tool is prolonged. The invention further discloses a sorting method for rapid discharging of the intermediate frequency furnace.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of medium-frequency furnace equipment, specifically relating to a sorting device and sorting method for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Induction furnaces, as efficient and clean metal smelting equipment, are widely used in the casting and forging industries. In forging production lines, after the induction furnace heats the metal material to the forging temperature, the high-temperature billet (hot billet) needs to be quickly transferred to forging equipment (such as forging hammers and presses) for forming. The efficiency and quality of this discharge and subsequent processing stage directly affect the overall production line capacity, energy consumption, and the quality of the final product.

[0003] Currently, the following technical bottlenecks generally exist in the processing of billets after discharge from medium-frequency furnaces:

[0004] (1) Disconnection between discharge and sorting processes, resulting in low production efficiency: In existing technologies, after discharge from the medium-frequency furnace, the high-temperature billets are usually poured into a common hopper or conveyor chain through an inclined furnace body. Then, operators rely on experience to visually judge or use simple mechanical devices for rough sorting. This mode has significant "waiting" and "delay". Unqualified billets (such as those that have not reached the required temperature) are mixed with qualified billets, requiring manual intervention or stopping the production line to remove them, which seriously interrupts the production cycle and becomes a bottleneck restricting the overall production efficiency.

[0005] (2) Severe heat loss and oxidation of qualified billets: During the waiting period for sorting and rejection of defective products, all billets, including qualified high-temperature billets, are exposed to air for extended periods. This leads to two serious consequences:

[0006] Heat loss: The billet temperature drops rapidly, and in order to meet the requirements of the forging process, it often needs to be reheated, which results in huge energy waste and increases production costs;

[0007] Oxide scale thickening: High-temperature billets generate a large amount of oxide scale upon contact with air. This oxide scale will detach during subsequent forging processes and, like an abrasive, rapidly wear down expensive forging dies, significantly shortening their lifespan. Simultaneously, the oxide scale adhering to the workpiece also leads to surface quality defects in the forgings, increasing cleaning processes and scrap rates.

[0008] (3) Low level of automation and high safety risk: Relying on manual visual sorting and rejection is not only inefficient and inconsistent, but also requires operators to be in close contact with high temperature and hot billets and equipment, which poses a very high safety risk and the working environment is also very harsh. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a sorting device for rapid discharge of medium-frequency furnace materials. This device can quickly extract, remove, and classify unqualified hot billets, improve the overall production efficiency of the production line, reduce the harmful factors that cause qualified high-temperature billets to develop oxide scale due to prolonged exposure to air, reduce energy loss and oxide scale in hot billets, and thus extend the service life of forging equipment molds.

[0010] Another objective of this invention is to provide a sorting method for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace.

[0011] The technical solution to achieve the above objective is: a sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace, comprising a frame, a billet detection mechanism, a conveyor chain, a kicking assembly, a sorting assembly, a drive motor, an oxide scale assembly, a pneumatic triplet, and an electrical control box, wherein:

[0012] The billet detection mechanism is located at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace. The billet detection mechanism is used to detect whether the billet is qualified and to feed back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box.

[0013] The conveyor chain is horizontally arranged at the top of the frame, and the kicking component and the sorting component are respectively arranged at the front and rear sides of the middle of the conveyor chain; the kicking component is used to kick unqualified blanks into the sorting component, and the sorting component is used to classify the unqualified blanks that fall into it.

[0014] An adjustable pressure roller assembly is provided above the input end of the conveyor chain, and adjustable guide plates are provided on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain, respectively.

[0015] The output end of the conveyor chain is connected to a discharge chute;

[0016] The drive motor is located at the top of the frame and is used to drive the conveyor chain.

[0017] The oxide scale assembly includes an oxide scale chute and an oxide scale collection box. The oxide scale chute is laterally inclined on the frame and located below the conveyor chain. The oxide scale collection box is located next to the frame and below the output end of the oxide scale chute.

[0018] The pneumatic triplet and the electrical control box are installed inside the frame. The pneumatic triplet provides compressed air to the cylinders of the material ejection assembly and the sorting assembly.

[0019] The billet detection mechanism, drive motor, pneumatic triplet, cylinder of the ejector assembly, and cylinder of the sorting assembly are respectively connected to the electrical control box.

[0020] In the above-mentioned sorting device for rapid discharge of materials from a medium-frequency furnace, the bottom end of the frame is provided with adjustable feet.

[0021] The sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace described above, wherein the guide width of the conveyor chain is changed by adjusting the distance between the adjustable guide plates on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain.

[0022] In the above-mentioned sorting device for rapid discharge of medium frequency furnace, the adjustable pressure roller assembly is used to prevent the billet on the conveyor chain from jumping up and down, while increasing the friction between the billet and the conveyor chain, and quickly pulling the billet off the conveyor chain.

[0023] The sorting device for rapid discharge of materials from a medium-frequency furnace described above, wherein the material ejection assembly includes an ejection sensor, an ejection cylinder, and an ejection head; the ejection cylinder drives the ejection head to move back and forth, and the ejection sensor and the ejection cylinder are respectively connected to the electrical control box;

[0024] The sorting assembly includes a Y-shaped sorting slide, a lever, and a lever cylinder. The Y-shaped sorting slide consists of a main slide section and two branch sections. The Y-shaped sorting slide is inclined, and the main slide section is located on the rear side of the middle of the conveyor chain. One end of the lever is rotatably mounted at the connection of the two branch sections of the Y-shaped sorting slide. The lever cylinder drives the lever to swing left and right. The lever cylinder is connected to the electrical control box.

[0025] In the above-mentioned sorting device for rapid discharge of materials from a medium-frequency furnace, a water-cooling component is provided on the transmission bearing of the conveyor chain.

[0026] In the above-mentioned sorting device for rapid discharge of medium frequency furnace, the billet detection mechanism includes a billet temperature sensor, which is used to detect whether the billet temperature is qualified.

[0027] This invention also provides a sorting method for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace, which uses the above-mentioned sorting device for discharge sorting and includes the following steps:

[0028] S1, the billet detection mechanism detects whether the billet at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace is qualified, and feeds back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box;

[0029] S2, the billet in the medium frequency furnace enters the conveyor chain after passing through the adjustable pressure roller assembly. The drive motor drives the conveyor chain to run, and the billet is conveyed along the conveyor chain to the kicking assembly. If the billet is qualified, the kicking assembly does not operate, and the billet continues to be conveyed along the conveyor chain to the discharge chute, and is conveyed to the forging station through the discharge chute. If the billet is unqualified, the electrical control box controls the kicking assembly to operate, and the kicking assembly kicks the unqualified billet into the sorting assembly.

[0030] S3, the sorting component classifies the defective billets that fall into it. One channel of the sorting component is used to collect billets with unqualified temperature, and the other channel is used to collect billets with other serious defects.

[0031] S4, during the process of transporting the billet along the conveyor chain, the brittle oxide scale on the surface naturally falls off into the oxide scale chute and slides down into the oxide scale collection box.

[0032] The sorting device and sorting method for rapid discharge of medium frequency furnaces of the present invention can quickly extract, remove and classify unqualified hot billets, improve the overall production efficiency of the production line, reduce the harmful factors of oxide scale formation on qualified high-temperature billets caused by prolonged exposure to air, reduce energy loss and oxide scale of hot billets, thereby extending the service life of forging equipment molds. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram (front view) of the sorting device for rapid discharge from an intermediate frequency furnace according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram (rear view) of the sorting device for rapid discharge from an intermediate frequency furnace according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram (side view) of the sorting device for rapid discharge from an intermediate frequency furnace according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is an electrical schematic diagram of the sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, its specific embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sorting device for rapid discharge of medium frequency furnace includes a frame 1, a billet detection mechanism 2, a conveying chain 3, a kicking assembly 4, a sorting assembly 5, a drive motor 6, an oxide scale assembly 7, a pneumatic triplet 8, and an electrical control box 9.

[0039] The billet detection mechanism 2 is set at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace. The billet detection mechanism 2 is used to detect whether the billet is qualified and to feed back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box 9. The billet detection mechanism includes a billet temperature sensor 21, which is used to detect whether the billet temperature is qualified.

[0040] The conveyor chain 3 is horizontally arranged at the top of the frame 1, and the kicking assembly 4 and the sorting assembly 5 are respectively arranged at the front and rear sides of the middle of the conveyor chain 3. The kicking assembly 4 is used to kick unqualified blanks into the sorting assembly 5, and the sorting assembly 5 is used to classify the unqualified blanks that fall into it.

[0041] The ejector assembly 4 includes an ejector sensor 43, an ejector cylinder 41, and an ejector head 42. The ejector cylinder 41 drives the ejector head 42 to move back and forth. The ejector sensor 43 and the ejector cylinder are respectively connected to the electrical control box 9. The ejector sensor 43 is used to feed back the blank arrival signal to the electrical control box 9. When the blank arrives, the electrical control box 9 controls whether the ejector cylinder 41 is activated based on the blank qualification signal fed back by the blank detection mechanism 2. If the blank is qualified, the ejector cylinder 41 is not activated. If the blank is unqualified, the ejector cylinder 41 is activated, driving the ejector head 42 to move backward. The ejector head 42 kicks the blank into the sorting assembly 5.

[0042] The sorting assembly 5 includes a Y-shaped sorting slide 51, a lever 52, and a lever cylinder 53. The Y-shaped sorting slide consists of a main slide section and two branch sections. The Y-shaped sorting slide 51 is inclined, and the main slide section of the Y-shaped sorting slide is located on the rear side of the middle of the conveyor chain 3. One end of the lever 52 is rotatably set at the connection of the two branch sections of the Y-shaped sorting slide 51. The lever cylinder 53 drives the lever 52 to swing left and right, so that the billet falling into it slides out along the branch channel of the Y-shaped sorting slide 51. The lever cylinder 53 is connected to the electrical control box 9.

[0043] The sorting assembly 5, via a Y-shaped sorting chute 51, can classify billets with different defects. For example, one channel of the Y-shaped sorting chute 51 can be used to collect billets with excessively low temperatures (which can be returned for remelting), while the other channel can be used for billets with other defects (to be processed). Based on the type of defective billet reported by the billet detection mechanism 2, the electrical control box 9 controls the lever cylinder 53 to open the corresponding channel, thereby collecting the billets with unacceptable temperatures.

[0044] The sorting component 5 can achieve refined processing of non-conforming products, avoid mixing of all defective products, facilitate subsequent analysis and recycling, and improve the level of refinement in production management.

[0045] An adjustable pressure roller assembly 31 is provided above the input end of the conveyor chain 3, and adjustable guide plates 32 are provided on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain 3 respectively. By adjusting the distance between the adjustable guide plates 32 on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain 3, the guide width of the conveyor chain 3 can be changed, so that the conveyor chain 3 can be adapted to blanks of various diameters.

[0046] The adjustable pressure roller assembly 31 is used to prevent the billet on the conveyor chain 3 from jumping up and down, while increasing the friction between the billet and the conveyor chain to quickly pull the billet off onto the conveyor chain 3.

[0047] The output end of the conveyor chain 3 is connected to the discharge slide 10, which can quickly transport qualified hot billets directly to the subsequent forging station.

[0048] The drive motor 6 is located at the top of the frame 1 and is used to drive the conveyor chain 3. A water-cooling component 33 is provided on the transmission bearing of the conveyor chain 3 to cool the transmission bearing of the conveyor chain 3.

[0049] The oxide scale assembly 7 includes an oxide scale chute 71 and an oxide scale collection box 72. The oxide scale chute 71 is laterally inclined on the frame 1 and located below the conveyor chain 3. The oxide scale collection box 72 is located beside the frame 1 and below the output end of the oxide scale chute 71. During the transport of the billet along the conveyor chain 3, the brittle oxide scale on the surface naturally falls off into the oxide scale chute 71 and slides down along the oxide scale chute 71 into the oxide scale collection box 72.

[0050] The pneumatic triplet 8 and the electrical control box 9 are installed inside the frame 1. The pneumatic triplet 8 provides compressed air to the cylinders of the material ejection assembly 3 and the sorting assembly.

[0051] The billet inspection mechanism 2, drive motor 6, pneumatic triplet 8, ejector cylinder 41 of the ejector assembly, and lever cylinder 53 of the sorting assembly are respectively connected to the electrical control box 9.

[0052] The sorting device for rapid discharge of medium-frequency furnace of the present invention has an adjustable foot 11 at the bottom of the frame 1. The adjustable foot 11 can adjust the overall height of the equipment so that the conveyor chain 3 is slightly higher than the lower limit height of the outlet coil of the medium-frequency furnace, which can effectively solve the problem of slight sticking of hot discharge.

[0053] The sorting device for rapid discharge from the medium-frequency furnace of the present invention uses a conveyor chain 3, typically made of high-temperature resistant engineering plastic or metal. Its function is to smoothly transport qualified billets that have not been rejected to the next process (such as the loading robot or chute of a forging press). The conveyor chain 3 is seamlessly connected to the discharge chute 10, ensuring a continuous trough structure with a certain slope and smooth inner walls (usually inlaid with refractory or wear-resistant materials) for the qualified billets.

[0054] The discharge chute 10 uses gravity as a power source, allowing the billet to accelerate towards the forging station after leaving the conveyor chain 3. The discharge chute 10 is used to quickly transfer qualified hot billets, minimizing their exposure time in the air, thereby reducing temperature drop and secondary oxidation, achieving energy saving and protecting the mold conveyor.

[0055] The adjustable pressure roller assembly 31 and the adjustable guide plate 32 form an adjustable "channel". The adjustable guide plate, located on both sides of the billet's travel path, can be adjusted in width via a screw or guide rail mechanism. Its function is to limit the lateral movement of the billet, ensuring it travels along a preset straight path and preventing deviation. The adjustable pressure roller assembly 3 is located above the billet and applies a certain downward pressure via a spring or cylinder. Its functions are twofold: first, to prevent the billet from "jumping" due to vibration during rapid travel, maintaining stability; and second, to "press down" irregularly shaped billets to ensure smooth conveying. By adjusting the spacing of the adjustable guide plates 32 and the height and pressure of the adjustable pressure roller assembly 3, it is possible to precisely adapt to round steel, square billets, or other billet cross-sectional shapes of different diameters, achieving the versatility and flexibility of the device.

[0056] The water-cooling assembly 33 is a closed-loop cooling system. Its primary cooling components are critical rotating parts located near the high-temperature billet, such as the bearings of the conveyor chain and the bearings of the pressure rollers in the adjustable pressure roller assembly 31. The water-cooling assembly 33 pumps cooling water (usually softened water) into a cooling water jacket encased within the bearing housing or bushing. The flowing cooling water continuously removes heat radiated and conducted from the high-temperature billet. The heated water then flows into an external heat exchanger (such as a cooling tower or plate heat exchanger) for further cooling and is then recycled.

[0057] The water-cooling component 33 ensures that the bearing will not seize due to grease failure or metal expansion in high-temperature and harsh environments, ensuring that the equipment can operate stably and continuously for a long time.

[0058] The pneumatic triplet 8 acts as a "health care provider" for the pneumatic system (excluding cylinder 41 and lever cylinder 53). It integrates a filter (to remove water and impurities), a pressure reducing valve (to stabilize working pressure), and an oil mist lubricator (to provide lubrication to the cylinders), ensuring reliable operation and long service life of the pneumatic components.

[0059] A method for rapid discharge sorting of materials from a medium-frequency furnace, using the aforementioned sorting device, includes the following steps:

[0060] S1, the billet inspection mechanism 2 detects whether the billet at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace is qualified and feeds back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box 9; specifically, the billet temperature sensor 21 detects whether the billet temperature is qualified.

[0061] S2, the billet in the medium frequency furnace enters the conveyor chain 3 after passing through the adjustable pressure roller assembly 31. The drive motor 6 drives the conveyor chain 3 to run. The billet is conveyed along the conveyor chain 3 to the kicking assembly 4. If the billet is qualified, the kicking assembly 4 does not operate. The billet continues to be conveyed along the conveyor chain 3 to the discharge slide 10 and is conveyed to the forging station through the discharge slide 10. If the billet is unqualified, the electrical control box 9 controls the kicking assembly 4 to operate. The kicking assembly 4 kicks the unqualified billet into the sorting assembly 5.

[0062] S3, the sorting component 5 sorts and processes the defective billets that fall into it. For example, one channel of the sorting component is used to collect billets that do not meet the temperature requirements, and another channel can be used to collect billets with other defects.

[0063] S4, during the process of transporting the billet along the conveyor chain 3, the brittle oxide scale on the surface naturally falls off into the oxide scale chute 71 and slides along the oxide scale chute 71 into the oxide scale collection box 72.

[0064] The sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace of the present invention can quickly and accurately transport qualified hot billets directly to the forging equipment within a very short time after the billets exit the furnace, while immediately removing or discarding unqualified billets. This maximizes the retention of heat energy in qualified billets, reduces oxidation, ensures smooth operation of the production line, and ultimately achieves the goals of improving efficiency, saving energy, and protecting the molds.

[0065] In summary, the sorting device for rapid discharge of medium-frequency furnaces of the present invention can quickly extract, remove and classify unqualified hot billets, improve the overall production efficiency of the production line, reduce the harmful factors of oxide scale formation on qualified high-temperature billets caused by prolonged exposure to air, reduce energy loss and oxide scale of hot billets, thereby extending the service life of forging equipment molds.

[0066] Those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any variations or modifications to the above embodiments that are within the spirit and essence of the present invention will fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace, characterized in that, It includes a frame, billet inspection mechanism, conveyor chain, ejector assembly, sorting assembly, drive motor, scale assembly, pneumatic triplet, and electrical control box, among which: The billet detection mechanism is located at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace. The billet detection mechanism is used to detect whether the billet is qualified and to feed back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box. The conveyor chain is horizontally arranged at the top of the frame, and the kicking component and the sorting component are respectively arranged at the front and rear sides of the middle of the conveyor chain; the kicking component is used to kick unqualified blanks into the sorting component, and the sorting component is used to classify the unqualified blanks that fall into it. An adjustable pressure roller assembly is provided above the input end of the conveyor chain, and adjustable guide plates are provided on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain, respectively. The output end of the conveyor chain is connected to a discharge chute; The drive motor is located at the top of the frame and is used to drive the conveyor chain. The oxide scale assembly includes an oxide scale chute and an oxide scale collection box. The oxide scale chute is laterally inclined on the frame and located below the conveyor chain. The oxide scale collection box is located next to the frame and below the output end of the oxide scale chute. The pneumatic triplet and the electrical control box are installed inside the frame. The pneumatic triplet provides compressed air to the cylinders of the material ejection assembly and the sorting assembly. The billet detection mechanism, drive motor, pneumatic triplet, cylinder of the ejector assembly, and cylinder of the sorting assembly are respectively connected to the electrical control box.

2. The sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the frame is equipped with adjustable feet.

3. The sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide width of the conveyor chain can be changed by adjusting the distance between the adjustable guide plates on the front and rear sides of the conveyor chain.

4. The sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustable pressure roller assembly is used to prevent the billet on the conveyor chain from jumping up and down, while increasing the friction between the billet and the conveyor chain, and quickly pulling the billet off the conveyor chain.

5. A sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material ejection assembly includes an ejection sensor, an ejection cylinder, and an ejection head; the ejection cylinder drives the ejection head to move back and forth, and the ejection sensor and the ejection cylinder are respectively connected to the electrical control box; The sorting assembly includes a Y-shaped sorting slide, a lever, and a lever cylinder. The Y-shaped sorting slide consists of a main slide section and two branch sections. The Y-shaped sorting slide is inclined, and the main slide section is located on the rear side of the middle of the conveyor chain. One end of the lever is rotatably mounted at the connection of the two branch sections of the Y-shaped sorting slide. The lever cylinder drives the lever to swing left and right. The lever cylinder is connected to the electrical control box.

6. A sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission bearing of the conveyor chain is equipped with a water-cooling component.

7. A sorting device for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The billet inspection mechanism includes a billet temperature sensor, which is used to detect whether the billet temperature is qualified.

8. A sorting method for rapid discharge from a medium-frequency furnace, characterized in that, The process of sorting discharged materials using the sorting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 includes the following steps: S1, the billet detection mechanism detects whether the billet at the discharge end of the medium frequency furnace is qualified, and feeds back the information on whether the billet is qualified to the electrical control box; S2, the billet in the medium frequency furnace enters the conveyor chain after passing through the adjustable pressure roller assembly. The drive motor drives the conveyor chain to run, and the billet is conveyed along the conveyor chain to the kicking assembly. If the billet is qualified, the kicking assembly does not operate, and the billet continues to be conveyed along the conveyor chain to the discharge chute, and is conveyed to the forging station through the discharge chute. If the billet is unqualified, the electrical control box controls the kicking assembly to operate, and the kicking assembly kicks the unqualified billet into the sorting assembly. S3, the sorting component sorts and processes the unqualified blanks that fall into it; S4, during the process of transporting the billet along the conveyor chain, the brittle oxide scale on the surface naturally falls off into the oxide scale chute and slides down into the oxide scale collection box.

Images