A laser automatic sprue removing device and method in a powder injection molding process

Abstract

The application discloses a laser automatic sprue removing device and method in a powder injection molding process, a laser cutter is installed on a slider of a vertical mold group, a conveying mold group is installed above a machine table, two conveying tracks are symmetrically distributed with respect to the conveying mold group, a conveying plate is slidably installed on the conveying tracks, the conveying plate is fixed with the slider of the conveying mold group, a blank fixing mold is fixed on the conveying plate, a protection structure for protection during cutting is installed on the left side above the conveying plate, a supporting and clamping structure for supporting and fixing the sprue of the blank is installed in the protection structure, and an air suction element for dust suction and cooling is installed, the supporting and clamping structure is arranged in the protection structure, the sprue can be clamped and fixed before cutting, the sprue is prevented from drooping due to its own weight during cutting, cutting quality is improved, and cutting displacement caused by gravity is effectively prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal powder processing, and more particularly to a laser-automatic gate removal device and method for powder injection molding. Background Technology

[0002] In metal powder injection molding, the gate needs to be removed after the blank is formed to meet the requirements of subsequent processing and use. Traditional gate removal methods mainly rely on manual grinding and mechanical cutting, which have many technical bottlenecks: manual grinding is inefficient and affected by the skill level of the operator, resulting in poor cut smoothness and difficulty in ensuring dimensional consistency, which can easily lead to scratches on the blank surface or excessive residual gate allowance; the mechanical stress generated during mechanical cutting can easily cause deformation or cracking of thin-walled and complex-shaped blanks, especially for high-precision small blanks, whose processing accuracy is difficult to meet the stringent industry standards. During the cutting process, the cut part is detached from the blank, while the part that is still connected to the blank may sag due to its own weight before cutting, causing the cut to be misaligned or tilted, which seriously affects the cutting accuracy and product appearance. This problem is particularly prominent in the processing of slender gates or lightweight blanks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a laser automatic gate removal device and method for powder injection molding, which solves the above-mentioned problems.

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

[0005] An automatic laser gate removal device for powder injection molding includes a machine base. A support frame is fixed above the machine base, and a vision device is mounted on the support frame via a mounting bracket. The vision device includes a CCD camera and a ring-shaped white light source. The CCD camera is electrically connected to an industrial control computer (ICC) for identifying the position, shape, and size of the gate. The CCD camera captures an image of the workpiece, and the ICC then uses an edge detection algorithm to extract the connection edge between the gate and the part, determining the center coordinates, diameter, and length of the gate. A longitudinal module is mounted on the support frame, and a transverse module that moves back and forth is mounted on the slider of the longitudinal module. The transverse module's slider is equipped with... The machine is equipped with a vertical module that moves left and right. A laser cutter is mounted on the slider of the vertical module. The laser cutter uses a fiber laser, which has the characteristics of high energy density and small heat-affected zone. A conveying module is installed above the machine, along with two conveying tracks symmetrically distributed about the conveying module. A conveying plate is slidably mounted on the conveying track and fixed to the slider of the conveying module. A blank fixing mold is fixed on the conveying plate. A protective structure for protection during cutting is installed on the upper left side of the conveying plate. A support clamping structure for supporting and fixing the blank gate is installed inside the protective structure, as well as an air suction component for dust collection and cooling.

[0006] Preferably, the blank fixing mold has a placement groove for placing the blank, and multiple evenly distributed vacuum suction cups are embedded in the placement groove of the blank fixing mold. The shape and size of the placement groove on the blank fixing mold match the shape and size of the blank. Different blank models correspond to different blank fixing molds.

[0007] When de-gateing various blanks, simply fix the blank fixing mold of the corresponding blank on the conveyor plate. The vacuum suction cup on the blank fixing mold is connected to an external vacuum pump through a hose, which can fix the blank and prevent it from shaking during processing, thereby improving cutting accuracy.

[0008] Preferably, a drive plate is fixed above the machine base, and a drive groove is formed on the drive plate. The protective structure includes two moving rails fixed above the conveyor plate. Moving sliders are slidably installed on the moving rails. A moving component is installed between the two moving sliders. The moving component is rotatably connected to the drive groove. A vertical plate is fixed above the two moving sliders. A vertical plate is slidably installed on the right side of the vertical plate. Two vertically distributed strip grooves are formed on the vertical plate. Bolts and nuts are fixed on the vertical plate. The bolts pass through the strip grooves and are located on the left side of the vertical plate. The nuts are then tightened on the bolts to fix the vertical plate to the vertical plate. The height of the vertical plate can be adjusted as needed, thereby changing the height of the protective cover. It is suitable for the protection of blanks of various sizes.

[0009] A protective cover is fixed on the upright plate. The protective cover has a cylindrical structure, with a closed design on the left end and an open design on the right end.

[0010] Preferably, the lower opening of the protective cover is designed to form a material discharge notch, and the conveyor plate has a rectangular opening with a material discharge frame welded on it. The material discharge frame is located below the material discharge notch. At the same time, a material discharge port is also provided on the machine base, and a collection frame is placed below the material discharge port. After the gate is cut off, it can enter the material discharge frame through the material discharge notch, and then fall into the collection frame for collection through the material discharge frame and the material discharge port.

[0011] Preferably, the moving component includes a connecting plate fixed between two moving sliders, a moving guide post fixed on the connecting plate, a moving guide roller fixed below the moving guide post, and a strip-shaped moving groove formed on the conveying plate, through which the moving guide roller rolls and is inserted into the driving groove.

[0012] The drive chute includes a horizontally arranged remote chute, and a horizontally designed protective chute is provided at the rear end of the remote chute. The distance between the remote chute and the conveying module is greater than the distance between the protective chute and the conveying module. The rear end of the remote chute and the front end of the protective chute are connected by an inclined drive chute.

[0013] When the moving guide roller is rolled away from the groove, there is a certain distance between the protective cover and the gate of the blank. When the moving guide roller is rolled into the protective groove, the protective cover is fitted onto the gate of the blank.

[0014] Preferably, a drive pusher is fixed on the machine base, and the support clamping structure includes a fixed plate fixed inside the protective cover. The fixed plate has multiple sets of straight grooves and circular holes arranged in an annular array. A clamping component is slidably installed in the straight grooves. A pusher plate is slidably installed left and right inside the protective cover. The pusher plate is slidably connected to the clamping component. Multiple evenly distributed reset rods are fixed on the pusher plate. The reset rods are slidably inserted into the circular holes. A reset spring is sleeved on the reset rod. The two ends of the reset spring abut against the pusher plate and the fixed plate, respectively. The reset spring causes the pusher plate to always have a tendency to move to the left away from the fixed plate. A pusher is provided at the left end of the pusher plate. The pusher is slidably connected to the drive pusher.

[0015] Preferably, the clamping member is screwed with a clamping head, which is used to contact and fix the gate of the blank. The clamping head can be replaced as needed. By replacing the clamping head with a clamping head of different thickness, gates of different sizes can be clamped and fixed.

[0016] A straight pin is fixed on the clamping member. The straight pin is slidably placed in the straight groove. The straight pin can guide the movement of the clamping member so that it can only slide in a straight line along the straight groove. An extension inclined plate is integrally formed at the end of the clamping member away from the clamping head. An inclined clamping groove is opened on the extension inclined plate. A push pin is installed on the push plate through a shaft block. The push pin is slidably inserted into the clamping groove.

[0017] Preferably, the pusher includes a connecting rod fixed to the left end of the push disk, the left end of the connecting rod sliding through the protective cover and positioned outside the protective cover, and a push wheel is installed on the left end of the connecting rod;

[0018] The right side surface of the drive pusher is provided to form a retaining plane, and the right front end slope of the drive pusher is provided to form a drive slope.

[0019] When the moving guide roller is in the protective groove, the push wheel is at the front end of the drive inclined plane;

[0020] When the push wheel rolls into contact with the drive ramp, the collection box and the discharge port are above the discharge box.

[0021] When the conveyor plate moves forward along with the protective structure and the support clamping structure, and the push wheel moves on the drive ramp, the push plate will move to the left and away from the fixed plate under the action of the return spring, so that multiple clamping parts move away from the gate of the blank. The cut-off gate will fall into the unloading frame through the unloading notch on the protective cover, and then fall into the collection frame through the unloading frame and unloading port for collection.

[0022] Preferably, the suction component includes an arc-shaped air pipe fixed to the right side of the fixed plate. Multiple evenly distributed suction pipes are welded to the right end of the arc-shaped air pipe. The suction pipes are connected to the interior of the arc-shaped air pipe. A connecting air pipe is installed on the arc-shaped air pipe. The other end of the connecting air pipe passes through the protective cover and is placed outside the protective cover. The other end of the connecting air pipe is connected to an external negative pressure pump through a flexible hose. The negative pressure pump collects the dust generated during cutting through the suction pipe via the connecting air pipe and the arc-shaped air pipe. At the same time, the airflow generated will also flow over the surface of the gate to cool it down.

[0023] A laser-automated gate removal method for powder injection molded preforms includes:

[0024] S1. Part Fixing: The blank with a gate after powder injection molding is placed in the placement groove of the blank fixing mold and fixed by vacuum adsorption to ensure that there is no relative movement between the blank and the placement groove.

[0025] S2. Blank Conveying and Support: The conveying module conveys the parts to the designated position. During the conveying process, the protective structure is inserted into the gate of the blank to block it, and the support and clamping structure supports and clamps the gate of the blank to ensure that the gate will not sag during the cutting process.

[0026] S3. Visual recognition: The vision device captures an image of the blank and extracts the connection edge between the gate and the blank through the edge detection algorithm to determine the center coordinates, diameter and length of the gate;

[0027] S4. Path planning: Based on the visual recognition results, plan the laser cutting path along the circular trajectory of the connection surface between the gate and the part. The cutting depth is equal to the gate length. Set the laser parameters: power 50W, frequency 20kHz, and cutting speed 10mm / s.

[0028] S5. Laser cutting: The horizontal module, vertical module and vertical module drive the laser cutter to move, so that the laser beam is aligned with the starting position of the gate, and performs continuous or pulsed cutting according to the planned path to remove the gate.

[0029] S6. Quality Inspection: After cutting, the vision device takes another picture of the blank and uses a template matching algorithm to detect gate residue and surface cracks of the part. The residual height is ≤0.1mm and the defect area is ≤0.01mm². The blank returns to the front under the action of the conveying module. If it is qualified, it enters the next process; if it is unqualified, an alarm is triggered.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0031] 1. By setting up a laser cutter that can move in any direction on the machine base, along with a vision device and a blank fixing mold, the laser cutting precision is high, which can ensure the consistency of part size, reduce the scrap rate, and the fiber laser has a small heat-affected zone and no mechanical stress, avoiding damage to thin-walled and complex-shaped parts, thus improving the cutting precision.

[0032] 2. Through the designed protective structure, in conjunction with the drive plate, the cylindrical protective cover in the protective structure can completely cover the gate area during cutting, effectively blocking laser spatter and dust diffusion. The suction unit, through the combination of an arc-shaped air pipe and multiple sets of suction pipes, efficiently collects cutting dust under negative pressure, preventing dust from contaminating the workpiece surface and the working environment. At the same time, the airflow over the gate surface achieves real-time cooling, preventing the workpiece from overheating and deforming. This design not only ensures the health and safety of operators but also reduces the risk of malfunctions caused by dust accumulation inside the equipment, extending the equipment's service life.

[0033] 3. By incorporating a support and clamping structure within the protective structure, which, through the linkage of the drive pusher and the return spring, automatically clamps and fixes the gate before cutting. This effectively prevents misalignment of the cut due to the gate's own weight, ensuring a smooth and tilt-free cut and improving cutting quality. Furthermore, the linkage between the support and clamping structure and the protective structure allows for the first attachment of the protective layer before clamping. After cutting, waste material is discharged first and then moved away from the workpiece. Following cutting, the support and clamping structure works in conjunction with the conveying module to release waste material at a designated location. This waste material then falls precisely into the collection box through the protective cover's discharge notch, the conveyor plate's discharge frame, and the machine's discharge port, achieving automatic and orderly waste collection. This reduces subsequent cleaning workload, improves the cleanliness of the production site, and ensures the stability of the processing process through precise timing control. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a front view of a laser automatic gate removal device in a powder injection molding process proposed in this invention;

[0035] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the blank without installation;

[0036] Figure 3 for Figure 1A structural diagram of the conveyor module, conveyor plate, and protective structure.

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the drive board and protective structure;

[0038] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0039] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Partial cross-sectional view of the central protective structure;

[0040] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the central support and clamping structure;

[0041] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Exploded view;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the gating gate of the blank is fitted inside the protective structure.

[0043] Numbering on the map:

[0044] Machine base; 11. Support frame; 12. Drive board; 121. Remote slot; 122. Drive slot; 123. Protective slot;

[0045] 2. Vertical module; 21. Horizontal module; 22. Vertical section module; 23. Laser cutter;

[0046] 3. Vision device; 31. Mounting frame;

[0047] 4. Drive pusher; 41. Drive inclined plane; 42. Maintain plane;

[0048] 5. Conveying module; 51. Conveying track; 52. Conveying plate; 521. Moving chute; 522. Unloading frame; 53. Blank fixing mold; 531. Vacuum suction cup;

[0049] 6. Protective structure; 61. Protective cover; 62. Vertical plate; 63. Moving track; 631. Moving slider; 632. Connecting plate; 64. Vertical plate; 65. Moving guide column; 651. Moving guide roller;

[0050] 7. Supporting clamping structure; 71. Clamping component; 711. Clamping head; 712. Extending inclined plate; 713. Clamping groove; 714. Straight pin; 72. Fixed plate; 721. Straight groove; 73. Pushing plate; 731. Pushing pin; 74. Connecting rod; 741. Pushing wheel; 75. Reset rod; 751. Reset spring;

[0051] 8. Suction component; 81. Suction pipe; 82. Connecting air pipe; 83. Arc-shaped air pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 - Figure 9 A laser automatic gate removal device for powder injection molding process includes a machine base 1, a support frame 11 fixed above the machine base 1, and a vision device 3 mounted above the support frame 11 via a mounting bracket 31. The vision device 3 includes a CCD camera and a ring white light source. The CCD camera is electrically connected to an industrial control computer and is used to identify the position, shape and size of the gate. The CCD camera captures an image of the blank, and then the industrial control computer extracts the connection edge between the gate and the part through an edge detection algorithm to determine the center coordinates, diameter and length of the gate.

[0054] A longitudinal module 2 is mounted on the support frame 11. A transverse module 21 that moves back and forth is mounted on the slider of the longitudinal module 2. A vertical module 22 that moves left and right is mounted on the slider of the transverse module 21. A laser cutter 23 is mounted on the slider of the vertical module 22. The laser cutter 23 can move up and down linearly under the action of the slider of the vertical module 22. With the help of the transverse module 21 and the longitudinal module 2, the laser cutter 23 can move in any direction above the machine base 1, which is convenient for adjusting its position. At the same time, the laser cutter 23 uses a fiber laser, which has the characteristics of high energy density and small heat-affected zone.

[0055] A conveying module 5 is installed above the machine base 1, and two conveying tracks 51 are symmetrically distributed about the conveying module 5. A conveying plate 52 is slidably installed on the conveying track 51. The conveying plate 52 is fixed to the slider of the conveying module 5. A blank fixing mold 53 is fixed on the conveying plate 52. A protective structure 6 for protection during cutting is installed on the upper left side of the conveying plate 52. A support clamping structure 7 for supporting and fixing the blank gate is installed inside the protective structure 6, as well as a suction component 8 for dust collection and cooling.

[0056] Reference Figure 3The blank fixing mold 53 has a placement groove for placing blanks. Multiple evenly distributed vacuum suction cups 531 are embedded in the placement groove of the blank fixing mold 53. The shape and size of the placement groove on the blank fixing mold 53 match the shape and size of the blank. Different blanks correspond to different blank fixing molds 53. When de-gateing multiple different blanks, it is only necessary to fix the blank fixing mold 53 of the corresponding blank on the conveyor plate 52. The vacuum suction cups 531 on the blank fixing mold 53 are connected to an external vacuum pump through a hose, which can fix the blank and prevent it from shaking during processing, thereby improving the cutting accuracy.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 - Figure 5 A drive plate 12 is fixed above the machine base 1. A drive groove is provided on the drive plate 12. The protective structure 6 includes two moving rails 63 fixed above the conveyor plate 52. Moving sliders 631 are slidably installed on the moving rails 63. A moving part is installed between the two moving sliders 631 and is tumbledly connected to the drive groove. A vertical plate 64 is fixed above the two moving sliders 631. A vertical plate 62 is slidably installed on the right side of the vertical plate 64. Two vertically distributed strip grooves are provided on the vertical plate 64. Bolts and screws are fixed on the vertical plate 62. The bolt passes through the slot and is positioned on the left side of the vertical plate 64. The nut is then tightened on the bolt to fix the vertical plate 62 to the vertical plate 64. The height of the vertical plate 62 can be adjusted as needed, thereby changing the height of the protective cover 61. It is suitable for protecting blanks of various sizes. The protective cover 61 is fixed on the vertical plate 62. The protective cover 61 has a cylindrical structure, with a closed design on the left end and an open design on the right end. After the gate of the blank is cut, the protective cover 61 can be fitted onto the gate to provide protection during cutting.

[0058] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 The protective cover 61 has an opening at the bottom to form a material discharge notch. The conveyor plate 52 has a rectangular opening, and a material discharge frame 522 is welded to the rectangular opening. The material discharge frame 522 is located below the material discharge notch. At the same time, the machine base 1 also has a material discharge port. A collection frame is placed below the material discharge port. After the gate is cut off, it can enter the material discharge frame 522 through the material discharge notch, and then fall into the collection frame for collection through the material discharge frame 522 and the material discharge port.

[0059] Reference Figure 5 The moving part includes a connecting plate 632 fixed between two moving sliders 631, a moving guide post 65 fixed on the connecting plate 632, a moving guide roller 651 fixed below the moving guide post 65, and a strip-shaped moving groove 521 opened on the conveying plate 52. The moving guide roller 651 passes through the moving groove 521 and rolls into the drive groove.

[0060] The drive chute includes a horizontally arranged remote chute 121, and a horizontally designed protective chute 123 is provided at the rear end of the remote chute 121. The distance between the remote chute 121 and the conveying module 5 is greater than the distance between the protective chute 123 and the conveying module 5. The rear end of the remote chute 121 and the front end of the protective chute 123 are connected by an inclined drive chute 122.

[0061] When the moving guide roller 651 is rolled and placed away from the groove 121, there is a certain distance between the protective cover 61 and the gate of the blank. When the moving guide roller 651 is rolled and placed in the protective groove 123, the protective cover 61 is fitted onto the gate of the blank.

[0062] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 A drive pusher 4 is fixed on the machine base 1. The support and clamping structure 7 includes a fixed plate 72 fixed inside the protective cover 61. The fixed plate 72 has multiple sets of straight grooves 721 arranged in a ring array and round holes. A clamping member 71 is slidably installed in the straight grooves 721. A push plate 73 is slidably installed in the protective cover 61. The push plate 73 is slidably connected to the clamping member 71. Multiple evenly distributed reset rods 75 are fixed on the push plate 73. The reset rods 75 are slidably inserted into the round holes. A reset spring 751 is sleeved on the reset rod 75. The two ends of the reset spring 751 abut against the push plate 73 and the fixed plate 72 respectively. The reset spring 751 makes the push plate 73 always tend to move to the left away from the fixed plate 72. A pusher is provided at the left end of the push plate 73. The pusher is slidably connected to the drive pusher 4.

[0063] Refer to 7. Figure 8 The clamping member 71 is screwed with a clamping head 711, which is used to contact and fix the gate of the blank. The clamping head 711 can be replaced as needed. By replacing the clamping head 711 with a clamping head of different thickness, various gates of different sizes can be clamped and fixed. A straight pin 714 is fixed on the clamping member 71. The straight pin 714 is slidably placed in the straight groove 721. The straight pin 714 can guide the movement of the clamping member 71, so that it can only slide in a straight line along the straight groove 721. The end of the clamping member 71 away from the clamping head 711 is integrally formed with an extending inclined plate. Plate 712, the extended inclined plate 712 has an inclined clamping groove 713, and the push plate 73 is equipped with a push pin 731 through a shaft block. The push pin 731 is slidably inserted into the clamping groove 713. When the push plate 73 drives the push pin 731 to move towards one end of the fixed plate 72, the push pin 731 will push multiple clamping parts 71 to move closer to each other in the clamping groove 713, thereby clamping and fixing the gate. Similarly, when the push plate 73 drives the push pin 731 away from the fixed plate 72, the multiple clamping parts 71 will move away from the gate in a synchronized manner, releasing the fixation of the gate.

[0064] Reference Figure 8The pusher includes a connecting rod 74 fixed to the left end of the pusher disk 73. The left end of the connecting rod 74 slides through the protective cover 61 and is placed outside the protective cover 61. A pusher wheel 741 is installed on the left end of the connecting rod 74.

[0065] The right side surface of the drive pusher 4 is set to form a retaining plane 42, and the right front inclined surface of the drive pusher 4 is set to form a drive inclined surface 41. When the moving guide roller 651 is in the protective groove 123, the push wheel 741 is at the front end of the drive inclined surface 41. Then the conveyor plate 52 drives the protective structure 6 and the support clamping structure 7 to continue to move backward. The push wheel 741 will contact the drive inclined surface 41 and drive the push disk 73 to move to the left and approach the fixed disk 72, so that multiple clamping parts 71 move synchronously and approach the gate of the blank. When the push wheel 741 contacts the retaining plane 42, the clamping parts 71 clamp and fix the gate of the blank.

[0066] When the push wheel 741 rolls into contact with the drive inclined surface 41, the collection frame and the discharge port are above the discharge frame 522.

[0067] When the conveyor plate 52 drives the protective structure 6 and the support clamping structure 7 to move forward, and the push wheel 741 moves on the drive inclined plane 41, the push plate 73 will move to the left and away from the fixed plate 72 under the action of the return spring 751, so that the multiple clamping parts 71 are away from the gate of the blank. The cut gate will fall into the unloading frame 522 through the unloading notch on the protective cover 61, and then fall into the collection frame through the unloading frame 522 and the unloading port for collection.

[0068] Reference Figure 6 The suction component 8 includes an arc-shaped air pipe 83 fixed to the right side of the fixed plate 72. Multiple evenly distributed suction pipes 81 are welded to the right end of the arc-shaped air pipe 83. The suction pipes 81 are connected to the inside of the arc-shaped air pipe 83. A connecting air pipe 82 is installed on the arc-shaped air pipe 83. The other end of the connecting air pipe 82 passes through the protective cover 61 and is placed outside the protective cover 61. The other end of the connecting air pipe 82 is connected to an external negative pressure pump through a hose. The negative pressure pump collects the dust generated during cutting through the suction pipe 81 via the connecting air pipe 82 and the arc-shaped air pipe 83. At the same time, the airflow generated will also flow over the surface of the gate to cool it down.

[0069] A laser-automated gate removal method for powder injection molded preforms includes:

[0070] S1. Part fixing: The blank with gate after powder injection molding is placed in the placement groove of blank fixing mold 53 and fixed by vacuum adsorption to ensure that there is no relative movement between the blank and the placement groove.

[0071] S2. Blank Conveying and Support: Conveying module 5 conveys the parts to the designated position. During the conveying process, protective structure 6 is inserted into the gate of the blank to block it. Supporting and clamping structure 7 supports and clamps the gate of the blank to ensure that the gate will not sag during the cutting process.

[0072] S3, Visual Recognition: The vision device 3 captures an image of the blank and extracts the connection edge between the gate and the blank through an edge detection algorithm to determine the center coordinates, diameter and length of the gate;

[0073] S4. Path planning: Based on the visual recognition results, plan the laser cutting path along the circular trajectory of the connection surface between the gate and the part. The cutting depth is equal to the gate length. Set the laser parameters: power 50W, frequency 20kHz, and cutting speed 10mm / s.

[0074] S5, Laser Cutting: The horizontal module 21, the vertical module 2, and the vertical module 22 drive the laser cutter 23 to move, so that the laser beam is aligned with the starting position of the gate and performs continuous or pulsed cutting according to the planned path to remove the gate.

[0075] S6. Quality Inspection: After cutting, the vision device 3 takes another picture of the blank and detects gate residue and surface cracks of the part through template matching algorithm. The residual height is ≤0.1mm and the defect area is ≤0.01mm². The blank returns to the front under the action of the conveying module. If it is qualified, it enters the next process. If it is unqualified, an alarm is triggered.

[0076] Working principle: A six-axis robot is installed on the front side of the machine base 1 as needed. The six-axis robot grips the blank for loading and unloading. In the initial state, the conveyor plate 52 is located on the front side of the machine base 1. The moving guide roller 651 in the protective structure 6 is rolled away from the groove 121. At this time, the protective structure 6 is away from the blank fixing mold 53. The six-axis robot accurately places the blank in the blank fixing mold 53 on the conveyor plate 52. The vacuum suction cup 531 on the blank fixing mold 53 is activated to adsorb and stabilize the blank. Under the action of the conveyor module 5, the conveyor plate 52 drives the blank fixing mold 53 and the blank to move backward into the processing area.

[0077] As the conveyor plate 52 moves backward, the protective structure 6 and the support clamping structure 7 located on the conveyor plate 52 will move backward together. The moving guide roller 651 in the protective structure 6 will move backward with the conveyor plate 52 and move along the drive groove 122 on the drive plate 12.

[0078] When the moving guide roller 651 moves backward in the groove 121 on the drive plate 12, the protective cover 61 in the protective structure 6 moves away from the blank fixing mold 53. Then, when it moves into the drive groove 122, the moving guide roller 651 will drive the moving slider 631 to move to the right and approach the blank fixing mold 53. When the moving guide roller 651 moves into the protective groove 123, the protective cover 61 is inserted into the gate of the blank.

[0079] Then the conveyor plate 52 continues to move backward. At this time, the push wheel 741 is at the front end of the drive ramp 41. Then the conveyor plate 52 drives the protective structure 6 and the support clamping structure 7 to continue to move backward. The push wheel 741 will contact the drive ramp 41 and drive the push plate 73 to move to the right and approach the fixed plate 72, so that multiple clamping parts 71 move synchronously and approach the gate of the blank. When the push wheel 741 contacts the holding plane 42, the clamping parts 71 clamp and fix the gate of the blank. When the conveyor plate 52 continues to move backward, the clamping parts 71 always ensure the clamping and fixing of the gate.

[0080] Then, the vision device 3 captures an image of the blank and extracts the connection edge between the gate and the blank through an edge detection algorithm. It determines the center coordinates, diameter, and length of the gate. Based on the visual recognition results, it plans a laser cutting path, such as a circular trajectory along the connection surface between the gate and the part. The cutting depth is equal to the gate length. The laser parameters are set. Then, the horizontal module 2, the vertical module 21, and the vertical module 22 drive the laser cutter 23 to move, so that the laser beam is aligned with the starting position of the gate. The laser cutter performs continuous or pulsed cutting according to the planned path to remove the gate. During the cutting process, the negative pressure pump collects the dust generated during cutting through the suction pipe 81 through the air pipe 81 via the air pipe 82 and the arc-shaped air pipe 83. At the same time, the airflow generated will also flow over the surface of the gate to cool it down.

[0081] After cutting, vision device 3 takes another picture of the blank and detects gate residue through template matching algorithm. The blank returns to the front under the action of the conveying module. If it is qualified, it enters the next process; otherwise, an alarm is triggered.

[0082] Finally, the conveyor plate 52 drives the blank to move forward and unload. During the forward movement, when the push wheel 741 contacts the holding plane 42, the clamping member 71 clamps and fixes the cut blank gate until the push wheel 741 contacts the drive inclined plane 41. The push plate 73 will move to the left and away from the fixed plate 72 under the action of the return spring 751, so that multiple clamping members 71 move away from the blank gate. The cut gate will fall into the unloading frame 522 through the unloading notch on the protective cover 61, and then fall into the collection frame for collection through the unloading frame 522 and the unloading port.

[0083] Furthermore, when the moving guide roller 651 moves forward and returns, it enters the space away from the protective groove 123 through the drive groove 122 and moves to the space away from the groove 121. The moving guide roller 651 will drive the moving slider 631 to move to the left and away from the blank fixing mold 53. When the moving guide roller 651 moves into the space away from the groove 121, the protective cover 61 is at its farthest from the blank fixing mold 53. When the conveyor plate 52 moves to the front, the six-axis robot grabs the blank for unloading and loading. The above operation can be repeated to continuously carry out the cutting operation.

[0084] By setting up a laser cutter 23 that can move in any direction on the machine tool 1, and cooperating with the vision device 3 and the blank fixing mold 53, the laser cutting accuracy is high, which can ensure the consistency of part size and reduce the scrap rate. The fiber laser has a small heat-affected zone and no mechanical stress, which avoids damage to thin-walled and complex-shaped parts and improves the cutting accuracy.

[0085] With the protective structure 6 and the drive plate 12, the protective structure 6 can shield the gate part before cutting to prevent laser spatter contamination. With the suction component, it can effectively collect cutting dust and cool the blank to avoid overheating and deformation of the blank.

[0086] By setting a support and clamping structure 7 in the protective structure 6, the gate can be clamped and fixed before cutting, preventing the gate from sagging due to its own weight during the cutting process. This effectively prevents the cut misalignment caused by gravity and improves the cutting quality. At the same time, the support and clamping structure 7 and the protective structure 6 are linked together, realizing the protection first and then the clamping. After cutting, the waste material is discharged first and then moved away from the blank. After cutting, the waste material is clamped and moved to the collection position before being released. This realizes automatic and accurate waste material collection and precise timing control, ensuring the stability of the processing process.

[0087] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0088] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0089] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser automatic sprue removing device in a powder injection molding process, characterized in that, The system includes a machine base (1), a support frame (11) fixed above the machine base (1), a vision device (3) mounted above the support frame (11) via a mounting bracket (31), a longitudinal module (2) mounted on the support frame (11), a transverse module (21) that moves back and forth mounted on the slider of the longitudinal module (2), a vertical module (22) that moves left and right mounted on the slider of the transverse module (21), a laser cutter (23) mounted on the slider of the vertical module (22), and a conveying module mounted above the machine base (1). (5), and two conveying tracks (51) symmetrically distributed about the conveying module (5), on which a conveying plate (52) is slidably installed back and forth, the conveying plate (52) is fixed to the slider of the conveying module (5), a blank fixing mold (53) is fixed on the conveying plate (52), a protective structure (6) for protection during cutting is installed on the upper left side of the conveying plate (52), a support clamping structure (7) for supporting and fixing the blank gate is installed in the protective structure (6), and an air suction component (8) for dust collection and cooling; A drive plate (12) is fixed above the machine base (1). A drive groove is provided on the drive plate (12). The protective structure (6) includes two moving rails (63) fixed above the conveyor plate (52). A moving slider (631) is slidably installed on the moving rails (63). A moving part is installed between the two moving sliders (631). The moving part is slidably connected to the drive groove. A vertical plate (64) is fixed above the two moving sliders (631). A vertical plate (62) is slidably installed on the right side of the vertical plate (64). A protective cover (61) is fixed on the vertical plate (62). The moving part includes a connecting plate (632) fixed between two moving sliders (631), a moving guide post (65) fixed on the connecting plate (632), a moving guide roller (651) fixed below the moving guide post (65), a strip-shaped moving groove (521) opened on the conveying plate (52), the moving guide roller (651) passes through the moving groove (521) and rolls into the driving groove, the driving groove includes a horizontally arranged remote groove (121), a horizontally designed protective groove (123) is provided at the rear end of the remote groove (121), the distance between the remote groove (121) and the conveying module (5) is greater than the distance between the protective groove (123) and the conveying module (5), and the rear end of the remote groove (121) and the front end of the protective groove (123) are connected by an inclined driving groove (122); The machine base (1) is fixed with a drive pusher (4). The support and clamping structure (7) includes a fixed plate (72) fixed in the protective cover (61). The fixed plate (72) has multiple sets of straight grooves (721) arranged in a ring array and a round hole. A clamping member (71) is slidably installed in the straight groove (721). A pusher plate (73) is slidably installed in the protective cover (61). The pusher plate (73) is slidably connected to the clamping member (71). Multiple evenly distributed reset rods (75) are fixed on the pusher plate (73). The reset rods (75) are slidably inserted into the round hole. A reset spring (751) is sleeved on the reset rod (75). The two ends of the reset spring (751) abut against the pusher plate (73) and the fixed plate (72) respectively. A pusher is provided on the left end of the pusher plate (73). The pusher is slidably connected to the drive pusher (4). The pusher includes a connecting rod (74) fixed to the left end of the pusher plate (73). The left end of the connecting rod (74) slides through the protective cover (61) and is placed outside the protective cover (61). A push wheel (741) is installed on the left end of the connecting rod (74). The right surface plane of the drive pusher (4) is provided to form a retaining plane (42). The right front inclined surface of the drive pusher (4) is provided to form a drive inclined surface (41).

2. A laser automatic sprue removing device in a powder injection molding process according to claim 1, wherein, The blank fixing mold (53) is provided with a placement groove for placing the blank, and a plurality of uniformly distributed vacuum suction cups (531) are embedded in the placement groove of the blank fixing mold (53).

3. A laser automatic sprue removing device in a powder injection molding process according to claim 1, wherein, The protective cover (61) has an opening at the bottom with a material feeding notch. The conveyor plate (52) has a rectangular opening with a material feeding frame (522) welded on it. The material feeding frame (522) is located below the material feeding notch.

4. The automatic laser de-gating device in powder injection molding process according to claim 1, wherein, A clamping head (711) is fixed to the clamping member (71) with screws. A straight pin (714) is fixed to the clamping member (71). The straight pin (714) is slidably placed in the straight groove (721). An extension inclined plate (712) is integrally formed at one end of the clamping member (71) away from the clamping head (711). An inclined clamping groove (713) is opened on the extension inclined plate (712). A push pin (731) is installed on the push plate (73) through a shaft block. The push pin (731) is slidably inserted into the clamping groove (713).

5. The automatic laser de-gating device in powder injection molding process according to claim 1, wherein, The suction component (8) includes an arc-shaped air pipe (83) fixed on the right side of the fixed plate (72). Multiple evenly distributed suction pipes (81) are welded to the right end of the arc-shaped air pipe (83). The suction pipes (81) are connected to the inside of the arc-shaped air pipe (83). A connecting air pipe (82) is installed on the arc-shaped air pipe (83). The other end of the connecting air pipe (82) passes through the protective cover (61) and is placed outside the protective cover (61).

6. A method of using a laser-based automatic sprue removal device in a powder injection molding process according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: S1. Part fixing: The blank with the gate after powder injection molding is placed in the placement groove of the blank fixing mold (53) and fixed by vacuum adsorption to ensure that there is no relative movement between the blank and the placement groove. S2, billet conveying and support: the conveying module (5) conveys the billet to the designated position, and during the conveying process, the protective structure (6) is inserted into the gate of the billet to block it, and the support clamping structure (7) supports and clamps the gate of the billet to ensure that the gate will not droop during the cutting process. S3, Visual recognition: The visual device (3) captures images of the blank and extracts the connection edge between the gate and the blank through the edge detection algorithm to determine the center coordinates, diameter and length of the gate; S4. Path planning: Based on the visual recognition results, plan the laser cutting path along the circular trajectory of the connection surface between the gate and the part. The cutting depth is equal to the gate length. Set the laser parameters: power 50W, frequency 20kHz, and cutting speed 10mm / s. S5, Laser cutting: The horizontal module (21), the vertical module (2) and the vertical module (22) drive the laser cutter (23) to move, so that the laser beam is aligned with the starting position of the gate and performs continuous or pulsed cutting according to the planned path to remove the gate; S6. Quality inspection: After the cutting is completed, the vision device (3) takes another picture of the blank and detects the gate residue and surface cracks of the part through the template matching algorithm. The residual height is ≤0.1mm and the defect area is ≤0.01mm². The blank returns to the front side under the action of the conveying module. If it is qualified, it will enter the next process. If it is not qualified, an alarm will be triggered.

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