Material sheet feeding method and material sheet feeding system

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of workpiece storage and feeding equipment, and particularly relates to a material sheet feeding method and system. A material rack is transferred to a feeding machine from a material warehouse through material transferring equipment; the material frame comprises a material table and a loading mechanism, the material table is used for stacking round material sheets, the round material sheets are driven by the loading mechanism to move towards the center of the material table to achieve centering, and the edges of the round material sheets are limited by the loading mechanism to achieve positioning; according to the feeding machine, the material frame is fixed to the lifting position through the positioning material table, the material frame is driven to move from the lifting position to the round material pieces on the top layer to be transferred to the feeding position, and automation, modularization and standardization of the round material pieces in the warehousing storage process, the discharging transfer process and the feeding process are achieved; and the tedious process that in the prior art, the circular material pieces need to be transferred for the second time is avoided, and therefore the feeding procedure is simpler.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of workpiece storage and feeding equipment, specifically relating to the feeding method and feeding system for material sheets. Background Technology

[0002] In the product manufacturing industry, the processes of workpiece storage, transportation, and loading are typically involved. Specifically, this includes storing workpieces in designated storage areas before processing, removing them from storage areas during processing, and transporting them to the processing equipment. In particular, the storage and loading of circular sheet metal requires stacking them in designated quantities on corresponding pallets. Upon release, material transfer equipment such as forklifts transports the workpieces to the processing equipment via pallets, and then the workpieces on the pallets are transferred to the loading station of the processing equipment. However, due to limited space in the processing equipment, loading pens cannot be configured, and workpieces must be manually transferred to the loading station. This existing loading method is not only cumbersome and resource-intensive, but also poses certain safety risks. Therefore, it is essential to develop a material supply method that improves loading efficiency and safety. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing cumbersome storage and feeding process of circular sheet materials, and to provide a feeding method and feeding system that automates, modularizes and standardizes the process of circular sheet material storage, material transfer and feeding by setting up a feeding machine and a material rack.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution: A method for feeding sheet materials involves transferring a material rack from a material storage area to a feeding machine via a material transfer device. The material rack includes a material platform and a loading mechanism. The material platform is used to stack circular sheet materials, and the loading mechanism is used to center the circular sheet materials. The feeding machine positions the material platform to fix the material rack in a lifting position and drives the material rack to move from the lifting position to the top layer of circular sheet materials, which are then transferred to the feeding position.

[0005] Compared with existing technologies, this application fixes the relative position of the circular material pieces to the platform by setting a loading mechanism on the platform that can center and position the circular material pieces. The platform also positions the material rack and the feeder. Therefore, during the feeding process, the entire material rack can be transferred from the storage to the feeder to achieve feeding, avoiding the cumbersome process of secondary transfer of the circular material pieces required in existing technologies. This simplifies the feeding process, especially since the feeding and positioning of the circular material pieces can be completed without manual intervention. It realizes the automation, modularization, and standardization of the circular material piece feeding process from storage to transfer and feeding. Furthermore, the circular material pieces can be loaded at locations other than the feeder. This solves the problems of cumbersome processes, high labor costs, and high safety risks caused by the need for manual feeding due to limited processing space in existing technologies, significantly improving operational efficiency and safety.

[0006] Furthermore, the feeding machine is equipped with a linear conveying device and a lifting device. The linear conveying device receives and conveys the material rack transferred by the material transfer equipment. The feeding machine is equipped with a limiting part for blocking the material platform in the forward direction of the material rack. When the material platform is blocked by the limiting part, the material rack is fixed in the lifting position. The second detection element identifies the material rack in the lifting position and outputs a lifting signal. In response to the lifting signal, the lifting device performs the upward movement operation of the material rack. By cooperating with the linear conveying device and the lifting device, the limiting part physically blocks the material platform, and the second detection element triggers the lifting action, ensuring that the material rack is accurately lifted in the lifting position, thereby improving the accuracy of feeding positioning and the reliability of system operation.

[0007] Furthermore, the first detection element identifies the material shortage status at the feeding position and outputs a material shortage signal. In response to the material shortage signal, the feeder drives the material rack to continue moving upward when the material is in a material shortage state, so that the top layer of circular material sheet moves to the feeding position. The above setting realizes the automatic driving of the material rack to move upward to replenish the material sheet when there is a material shortage.

[0008] Furthermore, when the material rack is empty, the feeding machine drives the material rack to descend and the material transfer equipment moves the material rack out of the feeding machine. When the round material pieces are consumed, the material rack is in an empty state. The feeding machine lowers the empty material rack and the material transfer equipment moves the empty material rack out, thereby replenishing the new material rack loaded with round material pieces and realizing automated material feeding.

[0009] Furthermore, a feeding device is also configured to pick up the circular material sheet at the feeding position and transfer it to the next station, such as the feeding station of the processing equipment. When the air pressure of the feeding device remains unchanged within a preset time range or within a preset pressure range, it is determined that the material rack is in an empty state. This method of determining whether there is material on the material rack is determined by the air pressure of the feeding device, without the need to set up a separate sensor on the material rack to detect the bottom material sheet, thereby saving material costs and simplifying the structure.

[0010] Furthermore, a base is disposed on the lower side of the material platform, and load-bearing bosses are constructed on opposite sides of the base. The material platform is supported by the linear conveyor via the base, and supported by the load-bearing bosses on the material hopper, the material transfer equipment, or the lifting device, respectively; and / or, the base is constructed with a load-bearing channel for inserting and supporting the bottom of the material platform, and the material transfer equipment supports the material platform by inserting into the load-bearing channel. The above configuration enables the material rack to adapt to the support and handling needs of three different working conditions: material hopper, material transfer equipment, and loading machine, enhancing the versatility and structural stability of the material rack, while facilitating the quick and safe insertion of material transfer equipment such as forklifts into the load-bearing channel to support the material platform.

[0011] Furthermore, the loading mechanism includes at least three positioning guides evenly distributed around the center periphery of the material platform, and a turntable that drives the at least three positioning guides to synchronously move radially towards or away from the center of the material platform. This centering structure, through mechanical linkage, achieves automatic centering of the circular material sheet, and its structure is simple and reliable.

[0012] Furthermore, the mechanism includes rotating the turntable in a first direction to load circular sheet materials radially away from the center of the material platform using at least three positioning guides; and rotating the turntable in a second direction opposite to the first direction to center and position the circular sheet materials by pushing them towards the center of the material platform using at least three positioning guides. The opening and closing of the positioning guides are achieved through the forward and reverse rotation of the turntable, integrating loading and positioning operations into a single mechanism, simplifying the operation process and improving work efficiency.

[0013] Furthermore, the material platform is configured as a square, and four positioning guides are configured. The four positioning guides are slidably distributed on the diagonal of the material platform through a sliding device. Compared with the form of setting three positioning guides, setting the material platform as a square and arranging four positioning guides on the diagonal can not only improve the centering accuracy of the circular material, but also effectively reduce the size of the material platform under the same maximum stroke distance of the positioning guides.

[0014] Furthermore, after the material rack transferred from the material transfer equipment to the feeder is identified by the third detection element, at least three positioning guides are first removed, and then the material rack is driven to move towards the lifting position. Since the positioning guides are relatively high, when the material rack is raised, if the longitudinal stroke of the feeding device used to transfer the circular material sheet from the material rack to the next station is small, the positioning guides will affect the lateral movement of the feeding device. Therefore, removing the positioning guides before the material rack is raised can avoid increasing the longitudinal stroke of the feeding device.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to further avoid the overlapping of multiple circular pieces during the material transfer process, air is blown onto the edges of the circular pieces at the material loading position through air nozzles. By blowing air onto the edges of the circular pieces, the overlapping circular pieces can be separated.

[0016] Another aspect of this application provides a feeding system for sheet materials, including a material storage unit, a material transfer device, and a feeding machine. The feeding method for circular sheet materials of this application is implemented through the material storage unit, the material transfer device, the material rack, and the feeding machine. The feeding system integrates the material storage unit, the material transfer device, the material rack, and the feeding machine to achieve automated feeding from storage to feeding, and has high integration, high efficiency, and high adaptability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the material feeding process of the material supply system; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the workflow for the material feeding system to remove empty material racks. Figure 3 A 3D view of the material rack containing the material just entering the feeder; Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the material rack is in the lifting position of the feeder; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram showing the material sheet at the loading position when the material rack is raised to the top layer. Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the lifting device and the material rack; Figure 8 This is a top view of the material rack; Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the material rack; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the linear conveying device. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission chain and support. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The specific embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] See Figure 1This application generally relates to a method for feeding a sheet material and a feeding system for implementing the method, for providing a circular sheet material c to a processing equipment, particularly for processing equipment for surface treatment of the circular sheet material c, such as sanding equipment, polishing equipment, or for stamping equipment, etc. The circular sheet material c involved in this application is particularly a circular sheet workpiece made of metal, such as a circular sheet workpiece made of stainless steel, copper, iron, aluminum, etc.

[0020] See Figure 1 The material supply system includes a material storage 3, a feeding machine 2, a material rack 1, and a material transfer device 4. The material storage 3 is used to store the material rack 1. In one specific embodiment, the material storage 3 is equipped with at least two storage units, each of which is used to store one material rack 1. For example, the existing shelf can be arranged with multiple storage units in a longitudinal and transverse manner. The material rack 1 is taken out from the storage unit by a picking mechanism such as a robotic arm and transferred to the material transfer device 4, and then transferred to the feeding machine 2 by the material transfer device 4. The material transfer device 4 can be an existing handling tool such as a forklift or AGV.

[0021] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figures 7 to 9 The material rack 1 is equipped with a material platform 11 and a loading mechanism 12 disposed on the upper side of the material platform 11. The material platform 11 is used to stack circular material pieces c, and the loading mechanism 12 is used to center the circular material pieces c. Specifically, it drives the circular material pieces c to move towards the center of the material platform 11 to achieve centering and limits the edge of the circular material pieces c to achieve positioning. Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the feeding machine 2 uses the positioning platform 11 to fix the material rack 1 at the lifting position a, and drives the material rack 1 to move upward from the lifting position a, so that the top layer of circular material piece c is transferred to the feeding position b, as shown. Figure 1 As shown, in actual application, the feeder 2 is configured on the side adjacent to the processing equipment. The feeder 2 receives the material rack 1 transferred by the material transfer device 4, and after conveying the material rack 1 to the lifting position a, it drives the material rack 1 to move upward, so that the top circular material piece c is transferred to the feeding position b. Then, the feeding device 26, such as a robotic arm, transfers the circular material piece c at the feeding position b to the next station, such as the feeding station of the processing equipment.

[0022] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the rack 1 can be loaded with the circular material piece c before being transferred to the storage bin 3 for storage. In another embodiment, the rack 1 can be placed in the storage bin 3 first, and then the circular material piece c can be loaded into the rack 1 in the storage bin 3. The loading of the circular material piece c into the rack 1 can be achieved by existing automated equipment such as a robotic arm, or it can be achieved manually.

[0023] See Figures 7 to 9In some embodiments, a support seat 114 is disposed in the center of the material platform 11, and circular material sheets c are stacked on the upper side of the support seat 114. The loading mechanism 12 includes at least three positioning guides 121 evenly distributed on the outer periphery of the support seat 114, and a turntable 122 that drives the at least three positioning guides 121 to move radially and synchronously towards or away from the support seat 114. The turntable 122 is located on the lower side of the support seat 114. Figure 8 As shown, when the turntable 122 is rotated along the first direction d (i.e., counterclockwise in the figure), at least three positioning guides 121 move radially away from the support seat 114. When the turntable 122 is rotated along the second direction e (i.e., clockwise in the figure), opposite to the first direction d, at least three positioning guides 121 move radially closer to the support seat 114. During this movement, they push against the edge of the circular piece c, causing the circular piece c to move towards the center of the support seat 114, thus achieving centering. When at least three positioning guides 121 are in contact with the circular piece c, the circular piece c is fully centered, and the contact between at least three positioning guides 121 and the circular piece c is maintained, thereby achieving the positioning of the circular piece c. The centering structure described above achieves automatic centering of the circular piece c through mechanical linkage, and its structure is simple and reliable.

[0024] See Figures 7 to 9 The turntable 122 is constructed with arc-shaped guide grooves 123 through which the corresponding positioning guides 121 pass. When the turntable 122 is driven to rotate, the arc-shaped guide grooves 123 are driven to rotate, thereby pushing the corresponding positioning guides 121 to move through the arc-shaped guide grooves 123. Therefore, through the arc-shaped guide grooves 123, the positioning guides 121 move away from the center of the material table 11 in response to the rotation of the turntable 122 along the first direction d, and move closer to the center of the material table 11 in response to the rotation of the turntable 122 along the second direction e. The centering structure of the above arrangement realizes the automatic centering of the circular material piece c through mechanical linkage. Its structure is simple and reliable.

[0025] In some embodiments, the material platform 11 is configured as a square, and three positioning guides 121 are provided. The three positioning guides 121 are slidably and evenly distributed on the material platform 11 by means of a sliding device 124. The included angle between adjacent positioning guides 121 is 120 degrees. The sliding device 124 includes three slide rails 124a arranged on the material platform 11 and sliders 124b respectively slidably arranged on the corresponding slide rails 124a. The positioning guides 121 are respectively mounted on the corresponding sliders 124b.

[0026] See Figure 8 and Figure 9In another embodiment, the material platform 11 is configured as a square, and four positioning guides 121 are arranged. The four positioning guides 121 are slidably and evenly distributed on the diagonals of the material platform 11 via a sliding device 124. The sliding device 124 includes four slide rails 124a arranged on the material platform 11 and sliders 124b respectively slidably arranged on the corresponding slide rails 124a. The positioning guides 121 are respectively mounted on the corresponding sliders 124b and can move along the slide rails 124a via the sliders 124b. The above-mentioned even distribution means that the included angle between adjacent positioning guides 121 is the same. Compared with the form of setting three positioning guides 121, setting the material platform 11 as a square and arranging four positioning guides 121 on the diagonals can not only improve the centering accuracy of the circular material piece c, but also effectively reduce the size of the material platform 11 under the same maximum stroke distance of the positioning guides 121.

[0027] See Figure 9 In some embodiments, a shaft portion 115 is disposed on the upper side of the material platform 11, a turntable 122 is rotatably mounted on the shaft portion 115, and a support seat 114 is connected to the upper side of the shaft portion 115.

[0028] See Figures 7 to 9 In some embodiments, the loading mechanism 12 is also equipped with a locking screw 125, which is height-adjustably connected to the platform 11. By lowering the locking screw 125, the turntable 122 is clamped to fix the current position of the positioning guide 121, or by raising the locking screw 125, the turntable 122 is released, allowing the turntable 122 to rotate and adjust the position of the positioning guide 121.

[0029] See Figures 3 to 5 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 In some embodiments, the feeder 2 is equipped with a linear conveying device 21, a lifting device 22, and a second detection element 24 corresponding to the lifting position a. The linear conveying device 21 receives and conveys the material rack 1 transferred by the material transfer device 4. The material rack 1 is supported on the upper side of the linear conveying device 21 and conveyed to the lifting position a. The feeder 2 is equipped with a limiting part 23 for blocking the material platform 11 in the forward direction of the material rack 1. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the limiting part 23 is disposed on the lifting device 22. When the material platform 11 is blocked by the limiting part 23 during its movement toward the lifting position a, the material rack 1 is fixed at the lifting position a. The second detection element 24 identifies the material rack 1 located at the lifting position a and outputs a lifting signal. In response to the lifting signal, the lifting device 22 performs an upward movement operation of the material rack 1. By cooperating with the linear conveyor 21 and the lifting device 22, the limiting part 23 physically blocks the material platform 11, and the second detection element 24 triggers the lifting action, ensuring that the material rack 1 is accurately lifted at the lifting position a, thereby improving the accuracy of material loading and positioning and the reliability of system operation.

[0030] See Figure 10 and Figure 11 In some embodiments, the linear conveying device 21 includes two spaced-apart supports 211, a transmission chain 212 surrounding each support 211, and a sprocket drive assembly 213 that drives the two transmission chains 212 to rotate synchronously. The sprocket drive assembly 213 includes a sprocket drive motor 214. The two transmission chains 212 are respectively provided with transmission wheels 215. The two transmission wheels 215 are linked by a rotating shaft 216. One of the transmission wheels 215 is coupled to the sprocket drive motor 214. By setting the supports 211, the transmission chains 212 can be effectively supported, thereby supporting the material rack 1 carried on the transmission chains 212.

[0031] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the second detection element 24 is disposed on opposite sides of the linear conveying device 21.

[0032] See Figures 3 to 6 In some embodiments, the lifting device 22 is equipped with a first detection element 25 corresponding to the loading position b. The first detection element 25 identifies the material shortage state of the loading position b and outputs a material shortage signal. In response to the material shortage signal, the feeder 2 drives the material rack 1 to continue moving upward, so that the top circular material piece c moves to the loading position b. That is, when the first detection element 25 detects the circular material piece c, it is a material-rich state; when the first detection element 25 does not detect the circular material piece c, it is a material-scarce state. This implementation realizes the automatic upward movement of the material rack 1 to replenish the material piece when there is a material shortage.

[0033] See Figures 4 to 7In some embodiments, the lifting device 22 includes a bracket 221 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the linear conveying device 21, and a lifting drive assembly 222 for driving the bracket 221 to move longitudinally. The first detection element 25 is disposed above the bracket 221. In the initial state, when the material rack 1 is transferred to the lifting position a by the linear conveying device 21, the bracket 221 is located below the material platform 11. The lifting drive assembly 222 drives the material rack 1 to move upward by driving the bracket 221 until the circular material piece c at the top layer is identified and stopped by the first detection element 25. In a specific application scenario, after the material rack 1 is placed on the linear conveyor 21, it is transferred from the linear conveyor 21 to the lifting position a. When the material platform 11 is blocked by the limiting part 23, the material rack 1 reaches the lifting position a. The second detection element 24 recognizes the material rack 1, the linear conveyor 21 stops, and then the second detection element 24 outputs a lifting signal. The bracket 221 lifts the material platform 11, thereby driving the material rack 1 to move upward until the first detection element 25 recognizes the circular material piece c on the top layer of the material rack 1 and stops. When the first detection element 25 does not recognize the circular material piece c, the lifting drive assembly 222 drives the bracket 221 to continue moving upward, so that the first detection element 25 recognizes the circular material piece c on the top layer. This process is repeated to achieve automated feeding.

[0034] See Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the feeding system is also equipped with a feeding device 26. When the first detection element 25 identifies that there is a circular piece c at the feeding position b, the feeding device 26 adsorbs the circular piece c at the feeding position b and transfers the circular piece c to the next station, such as the feeding station of the processing equipment.

[0035] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 6In some embodiments, the feeding device 26 includes a suction cup for adsorbing circular material pieces c. When the air pressure of the suction cup remains constant within a preset time range or within a preset pressure range, it is determined that the material rack 1 is in an empty state, that is, the circular material pieces c have been consumed. Then, the lifting device 22 drives the bracket 221 to move down, thereby driving the material rack 1 to move down, and the linear conveying device 21 drives the material rack 1 away from the lifting device 22. The material transfer device 4 moves the empty material rack 1 out of the linear conveying device 21. As a specific application scenario, the feeding device 26 is a six-axis robot arm with the aforementioned suction cup at its end. It drives the suction cup to move to the feeding position b to pick up the circular material piece c at the feeding position b. When the first detection element 25 cannot detect the circular material piece c, it is determined that the feeding position b is in a material shortage state. Then, the lifting device 22 drives the material rack 1 to move upward. When the circular material piece c of the material rack 1 is consumed, no matter how the material rack 1 moves upward, the suction cup can never pick up the circular material piece c, resulting in its air pressure remaining unchanged or changing only slightly. Therefore, by monitoring the air pressure of the suction cup, it can be determined whether the material rack 1 currently located at the lifting device 22 is empty. For example, the air pressure of the suction cup can be monitored within 3-5 seconds when at the feeding position b. If the air pressure remains unchanged or within the preset pressure range during this time period, it is determined that the current material rack 1 is in an empty state. This method of determining whether there is material on the material rack 1 is based on the air pressure of the feeding device 26, without the need to install additional sensors on the material rack 1 to detect the bottom layer of material, thereby saving material costs and simplifying the structure.

[0036] See Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 5 The feeding machine 2 is equipped with a third detection element 27 on the side away from the lifting position b. After the material rack 1 transferred from the material transfer device 4 to the feeding machine 2 is identified by the third detection element 27, at least three positioning guides 121 of the material rack 1 are first removed, and then the material rack 1 is driven to move towards the lifting position a. Since the positioning guides 121 are relatively high, if the longitudinal stroke of the feeding device 26 is small after the material rack 1 is raised, the positioning guides 121 will affect the lateral movement of the feeding device 26. Therefore, by removing the positioning guides 121 before the material rack 1 is raised, the increase in the longitudinal stroke of the feeding device 26 can be avoided.

[0037] See Figures 7 to 9 In some embodiments, the loading mechanism 12 is further configured with a mounting base 126 that penetrates the arc-shaped guide groove 123. The positioning guide part 121 is detachably mounted on the mounting base 126. A pin 127 is detachably inserted between the mounting base 126 and the positioning guide part 121. When the pin 127 is separated from the mounting base 126 and the positioning guide part 121, the positioning guide part 121 can be detached from the mounting base 126. When the pin 127 is inserted into the mounting base 126 and the positioning guide part 121, the positioning guide part 121 is locked to the mounting base 126.

[0038] See Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the feeder 2 is provided with at least three feed guides 28 on the periphery of the feed position b. These at least three feed guides 28 guide the circular sheet c during its transfer to the next station. This configuration ensures the positional accuracy of the circular sheet c during the feed transfer process and prevents it from shifting. It is particularly useful in embodiments where the positioning guide 121 needs to be disassembled, thus improving the feed accuracy of the circular sheet c.

[0039] See Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the downward extension length of the feeding guide 28 adjacent to the side where the material rack 1 enters the lifting position a is less than that of the other feeding guides 28. When the circular material piece c stacked on the material platform 11 is too high, if the feeding guide 28 adjacent to the side where the material rack 1 enters the lifting position a extends too far downward, it will interfere with the circular material piece c. Therefore, by setting the feeding guide 28 on this side to be shorter, interference with the circular material piece c can be avoided, ensuring that the material rack 1 can enter the lifting position a.

[0040] See Figure 3 In some embodiments, at least three feeding guides 121 are respectively provided with wedge-shaped scraping parts 281 on their inner sides. The scraping parts 281 can elastically extend and retract relative to the feeding guides 28. The inner end of the scraping parts 281 is constructed with a serrated structure 282. During the feeding and transfer process, the circular material pieces c will come into contact with the serrated structure 282, thereby scraping off the overlapping circular material pieces c through the serrated structure 282, avoiding the situation where multiple circular material pieces c overlap.

[0041] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, to further avoid the overlap of multiple circular material pieces c during the feeding and transfer process, an air nozzle 29 is also provided for blowing air onto the edge of the circular material piece c at the feeding position b. By blowing air onto the edge of the circular material piece, the overlapping circular material pieces c can be blown apart. In a specific application scenario, after the feeding device 26 picks up the circular material piece c, the air nozzle 29 immediately blows air from the side onto the edge of the circular material piece c for a preset time, for example, 1 second.

[0042] The positioning guide 121 and the feeding guide 28 involved in this application are configured as longitudinally extending rod-shaped structures.

[0043] See Figure 1 , Figure 2, Figure 3 , Figure 7 In some embodiments, the lower side of the platform 11 is provided with a base 111 for supporting the linear conveyor 21. Supporting bosses 112 are constructed on opposite sides of the base 111, supporting the linear conveyor 21 via the base 111. Specifically, the base 111 is supported on the upper side of the drive chain 212, and the supporting bosses 112 are respectively supported on the hopper 3, the material transfer device 4, or the lifting device 22. The bracket 221 of the lifting device 22 drives the material rack 1 to move upward by supporting the supporting bosses 112. The hopper 3 is provided with brackets 31 for supporting the supporting bosses 112 on both sides. Further, the base 111 is constructed with a supporting channel 113 into which the material transfer device 4 can be inserted and supported at the bottom of the platform 11. The material transfer device 4 supports the platform 11 by inserting into the supporting channel 113. For example, the material transfer device 4 is a forklift, and the forklift's forks are inserted into the supporting channel 113 to support the platform 11.

[0044] The above configuration enables the rack 1 to adapt to the support and handling needs of three different working conditions: the material storage 3, the material transfer equipment 4, and the loading machine 2. This enhances the versatility and structural stability of the rack 1, while also facilitating the quick and safe insertion of material transfer equipment 4, such as forklifts, into the carrying channel 113 and supporting the material platform 11.

[0045] See Figure 1 The feeding method provided in this application is executed by a feeding system and includes the following steps.

[0046] Material transfer: The material rack 1 is transferred from the material storage 3 to the feeding machine 2 via the material transfer equipment 4.

[0047] Feeding: The feeding machine 2 receives the material rack 1 transferred by the material transfer equipment 4, and fixes the material rack 1 at the lifting position a through the positioning platform 11, and drives the material rack 1 to move up from the lifting position a, so that the top circular material piece c is transferred to the feeding position b.

[0048] Material handling: The circular material piece c on the top layer is adsorbed by the feeding device 26 and transferred to the next station, such as the feeding station of the processing equipment.

[0049] The operation of stacking circular material pieces c on the material rack 1 can be achieved by using an existing robotic arm to grab the circular material pieces c and place them on the material platform 11, or by manually placing the circular material pieces c on the material platform 11.

[0050] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 8 In some embodiments, the following steps are also included: Loading: The circular material pieces c are stacked on the upper side of the material platform 11, and the circular material pieces c are driven to move towards the center of the material platform 11 by the loading mechanism 12 to achieve centering, and the edges of the circular material pieces c are defined by the loading mechanism 12 to achieve positioning.

[0051] Storage: Place the material rack 1 in the material storage 3.

[0052] The above loading and storage operations are interchangeable. That is, the empty material rack 1 is placed in the material storage 3 first, and then the circular material pieces c are stacked on the material rack 1, or the circular material pieces c are stacked on the material rack 1 first, and then the material rack 1 is placed in the material storage 3.

[0053] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the following steps are also included: Remove the empty rack: When the rack 1 is empty (i.e. the circular material piece c is consumed), drive the rack 1 down to the lifting position a and transfer it to the material transfer device 4 in a direction away from the lifting position a. The material transfer device 4 removes the rack 1 from the feeder 2, and then performs the loading and storage operations.

[0054] See Figure 8 In some embodiments, the process also includes a loading operation of the circular sheet c during the loading process: rotating the turntable 122 along a first direction d (i.e., counterclockwise in the figure) so that at least three positioning guides 121 move radially away from the support seat 114. It also includes a centering and positioning operation of the circular sheet c: rotating the turntable 122 along a second direction e (i.e., clockwise in the figure) opposite to the first direction d so that at least three positioning guides 121 move radially closer to the support seat 114 and push against the edge of the circular sheet c. When all at least three positioning guides 121 have moved to contact the edge of the circular sheet c, the circular sheet c is centered. The at least three positioning guides 121 remain abutting against the edge of the circular sheet c to limit its movement. When the at least three positioning guides 121 are away from the support seat 114, the loading of the circular sheet c is convenient, especially suitable for replacing circular sheets c of different sizes. The opening and closing of the positioning guide 121 are achieved by rotating the turntable 122 in both directions, thereby integrating the loading and positioning operations into the same mechanism, simplifying the operation process and improving work efficiency.

[0055] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the loading operation is performed at a location other than the feeder 2, such as loading the circular sheet c in the hopper 3 and a dedicated loading area, which avoids occupying the space around the processing equipment. The circular sheet c is loaded by machine in an open location, which improves the degree of automation and reduces safety.

[0056] See Figure 1In some embodiments, during loading, the linear conveyor 21 receives and conveys the rack 1 transferred by the material transfer device 4. When the platform 11 is blocked by the limiting part 23, the rack 1 is fixed at the lifting position a. The second detection element 24 identifies the rack 1 at the lifting position a and outputs a lifting signal. In response to the lifting signal, the lifting device 22 performs the upward movement operation of the rack 1 to move the rack 1 up to the top layer of the circular material piece c being identified by the first detection element 25, thereby reaching the loading position b.

[0057] See Figure 1 In some embodiments, the first detection element 25 identifies the material shortage state of the feeding position b and outputs a material shortage signal. In response to the material shortage signal, the feeder 2 drives the material rack 1 to move upward, so that the top circular material piece c moves upward to the feeding position b. When the circular material piece c at the feeding position b is taken out, there is no circular material piece c at the feeding position b, that is, it is in a material shortage state. The first detection element 25 determines that it is in a material shortage state and outputs a material shortage signal. The lifting device 22 continues to drive the material rack 1 to move upward until the first detection element 25 re-identifies the circular material piece c, so that the feeding position b is continuously replenished with new circular material pieces c, thereby realizing automated feeding.

[0058] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, when the circular material piece c of the material rack 1 is consumed, the material rack 1 currently located on the lifting device 22 is in an unloaded state. When the suction cup of the feeding device 26 cannot attract the circular material piece c, its air pressure will remain unchanged or change only slightly. Therefore, when the air pressure of the feeding device 26 remains unchanged within a preset time range or is maintained within a preset pressure range, the material rack 1 is determined to be in an unloaded state. Further, when the material rack 1 is unloaded, the feeding machine 2 drives the material rack 1 to descend and the material transfer device 4 moves the material rack 1 out of the feeding machine 2. Specifically, when the material rack 1 is unloaded, the lifting device 22 drives the material rack 1 to descend, the linear conveying device 21 drives the material rack 1 to move away from the lifting position a, and the material transfer device 4 receives the material rack 1, causing the material rack 1 to be moved out of the linear conveying device 21, thereby transferring it to the corresponding position for loading operation. Furthermore, after the empty material rack 1 is removed from the feeder 2, the material rack 1 fully loaded with circular material pieces c will be transferred back to the feeder 2 via the material transfer equipment 4.

[0059] See Figure 1 and Figure 4In some embodiments, after the material transfer device 4 transfers the rack 1 to the feeder 2, the feeder 2 does not immediately move the rack 1 to the lifting position a. Instead, after the third detection element 27 identifies the rack 1 transferred from the material transfer device 4 to the feeder 2, it first disassembles at least three positioning guides 121, and then drives the rack 1 to move towards the lifting position a. Since the positioning guides 121 are relatively high, if the longitudinal stroke of the feeder 26 is small after the rack 1 rises, the positioning guides 121 will affect the lateral movement of the feeder 26. Therefore, by removing the positioning guides 121 before the rack 1 rises, the increase in the longitudinal stroke of the feeder 26 can be avoided. In a specific application scenario, after the third detection element 27 identifies the rack 1, the positioning guides 121 are manually disassembled, and then the feeder 2 is started to transport the rack 1 to the lifting position a.

[0060] See Figure 1 In some embodiments, after the feeding device 26 adsorbs the circular material piece c, the air nozzle 29 blows air onto the edge of the circular material piece c at the feeding position b, thereby blowing away the overlapping circular material pieces c.

[0061] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The third detection element 27 identifies the material rack 1, thereby determining whether the empty material rack 1 has been moved out of the feeder 2. Specifically, when the empty material rack 1 moves along the side away from the lifting device 22 and is identified by the third detection element 27, the linear conveyor 21 stops, and the material transfer device 4 receives the empty material rack 1, so that the third detection element 27 can no longer identify the material rack 1, then it is determined that the empty material rack 1 has been moved out of the feeder 2.

[0062] After the unloaded rack 1 leaves the lifting device 22, the positioning guide 121 can be reloaded, for example, when it is moved to the third detection element 27 to identify the unloaded rack 1 for installation, or it can be transferred to a designated area for unified installation via the material transfer device 4.

[0063] The first detection element 25, the second detection element 24, and the third detection element 27 involved in this application can be existing photoelectric sensors.

[0064] The feeding method and system of this application fix the relative position of the circular material piece c to the platform 11 by setting a loading mechanism 12 on the platform 11 to center and position the circular material piece c. The platform 11 positions the relative position of the material rack 1 and the feeding machine 2. Therefore, during the feeding process, the material rack 1 can be directly transferred from the material storage 3 to the feeding machine 2 to achieve feeding, avoiding the cumbersome process of secondary transfer of the circular material piece c in the prior art. This simplifies the feeding process, especially since the feeding and positioning of the circular material piece c can be completed without manual intervention. It realizes the automation, modularization and standardization of the circular material piece c from storage, transfer and feeding. Furthermore, the circular material piece c can be loaded at a location other than the feeding machine 2. This solves the problems of cumbersome process, labor consumption and high safety risks caused by the need for manual feeding due to limited processing unit space in the prior art, and significantly improves operation efficiency and safety.

[0065] The contents of the various embodiments of this application can be combined and referenced with each other, and all fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0066] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the foregoing specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to this application should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on this application.

Claims

1. A method for feeding sheet materials, characterized in that, The material rack (1) is transferred from the material storage (3) to the loading machine (2) by the material transfer device (4); the material rack (1) includes a material platform (11) and a loading mechanism (12). The material platform (11) is used to stack circular material pieces (c), and the circular material pieces (c) are centered by the loading mechanism (12); the loading machine (2) fixes the material rack (1) in the lifting position (a) by positioning the material platform (11), and drives the material rack (1) to move up from the lifting position (a), so that the top circular material piece (c) is transferred to the loading position (b).

2. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeder (2) is equipped with a linear conveying device (21) and a lifting device (22). The linear conveying device (21) receives and conveys the rack (1) transferred by the material transfer device (4). The feeder (2) is equipped with a limiting part (23) for blocking the platform (11) in the forward direction of the rack (1). When the platform (11) is blocked by the limiting part (23), the rack (1) is fixed in the lifting position (a). The second detection element (24) identifies the rack (1) in the lifting position (a) and outputs a lifting signal. In response to the lifting signal, the lifting device (22) performs the upward movement operation of the rack (1).

3. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first detection element (25) identifies the material shortage status of the feeding position (b) and outputs a material shortage signal. In response to the material shortage signal, the feeder (2) drives the material rack (1) to continue to move upward, so that the top circular material piece (c) moves upward to the feeding position (b).

4. The feeding method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the rack (1) is unloaded, the rack (1) is driven down by the feeder (2) and the rack (1) is moved out of the feeder (2) by the material transfer equipment (4).

5. The feeding method according to claim 4, characterized in that, It is also equipped with a feeding device (26), which adsorbs the circular material piece (c) at the feeding position (b) and transfers the circular material piece (c) to the next work station. When the air pressure of the feeding device (26) remains unchanged within a preset time range or remains within a preset pressure range, the material rack (1) is determined to be in an unloaded state.

6. The feeding method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The material platform (11) is provided with a base (111) on its lower side. The material platform (11) is provided with support bosses (112) on opposite sides of the base (111). The material platform (111) is supported by the linear conveying device (21) by the base (111) and by the support bosses (112) on the material hopper (3), the material transfer device (4) or the lifting device (22) respectively. And / or, the base (111) is provided with a support channel (113) for the material transfer device (4) to be inserted and supported at the bottom of the material platform (11). The material transfer device (4) supports the material platform (11) by inserting into the support channel (113).

7. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading mechanism (12) includes at least three positioning guides (121) evenly distributed around the center of the platform (11), and a turntable (122) that drives the at least three positioning guides (121) to move radially and synchronously toward or away from the center of the platform (11).

8. The feeding method according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a loading operation of a circular sheet (c) by rotating the turntable (122) along a first direction (d) to move the at least three positioning guides (121) radially away from the center of the platform (11); and a centering operation of a circular sheet (c) by rotating the turntable (122) along a second direction (e) opposite to the first direction (d) to move the at least three positioning guides (121) radially closer to the center of the platform (11) and pushing the edge of the circular sheet (c).

9. The feeding method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material platform (11) is square, and four positioning guides (121) are provided. The four positioning guides (121) are slidably distributed on the diagonal of the material platform (11) through a sliding device (124).

10. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the material rack (1) transferred from the material transfer device (4) to the feeder (2) is identified by the third detection element (27), the at least three positioning guides (121) are first disassembled, and then the material rack (1) is driven to move in the direction of the lifting position (a).

11. The feeding method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Air is blown onto the edge of the circular piece (c) at the feeding position (b) through the air nozzle (29).

12. A feeding system for sheet metal, characterized in that, The material storage unit includes a material storage tank (3), a material transfer device (4), a material rack (1), and a feeder (2), and the material storage tank (3), the material transfer device (4), the material rack (1), and the feeder (2) are used to implement the feeding method of the sheet material according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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