Material sorting control method and sorting device

Abstract

The invention relates to a material sorting control method and a sorting device which are applied to automatic sorting of materials such as PCB terminals. According to the method, based on a vacuum detection unit arranged on a rotary table jig, a vacuum pressure value obtained after materials are adsorbed is obtained in real time and compared with a preset value. If the vacuum pressure value reaches the standard, the rotary table is controlled to rotate in the forward direction, and good products are conveyed to the next working procedure; and if the vacuum pressure value does not reach the standard, the turntable is controlled to rotate reversely, so that defective products automatically fall off and are removed at a specific position, and meanwhile, a standby jig is immediately switched to be in place. By means of the method, online real-time judgment and intelligent sorting of the adsorption state are achieved, defective products are effectively prevented from flowing into the next procedure, equipment clamping stagnation, mold damage and non-planned shutdown caused by material falling are reduced, and the production efficiency and the equipment reliability are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of material sorting technology, and in particular to a material sorting control method and sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] In automated PCB terminal production lines, vacuum suction robots are commonly used for material handling in downstream processes such as insertion, mounting, and transfer. However, some terminal products suffer from defects such as severe deformation, large foreign objects adhering to the surface, or partial missing parts, which prevents them from forming an effective seal with the suction nozzle, resulting in insufficient suction force or complete failure.

[0003] Therefore, if products are not sorted before flowing into subsequent processes, defective products will flow into the subsequent processes together, causing the robot to fail to pick up the products, the picking to be unstable, or the products to fall off unexpectedly during the transfer process. This will lead to frequent equipment shutdowns, reduced production efficiency, and even product damage or equipment failure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a material sorting control method and sorting device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this application provides a material sorting control method applied to a sorting device including a turntable, wherein the turntable is rotatable about a horizontal axis and has multiple stations evenly arranged around its outer periphery, each station being provided with a fixture, and each fixture being provided with a vacuum adsorption hole and a vacuum detection unit, the method comprising the following steps: Define one of the fixtures on the turntable as the current station fixture and rotate it to the receiving position. Control the current station fixture to open its vacuum adsorption hole to maintain the adsorption state. After the material is placed in the current station fixture at the receiving position, the vacuum pressure value of the current station fixture is obtained through the corresponding vacuum detection unit. If the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the material is determined to be a good product, and the turntable is controlled to rotate one station interval around its horizontal axis in the positive direction, so that the current station fixture carrying the good product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the first preset position. Then, the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the good product is transferred to the next process at the first preset position. At the same time, the next station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on. If the vacuum pressure value is less than the first preset value, the material is determined to be defective, and the turntable is controlled to rotate in the opposite direction by one station interval around its horizontal axis, so that the current station fixture carrying the defective product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the second preset position. Then, the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the defective product that is not firmly adsorbed falls off the second preset position by gravity. At the same time, another station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on.

[0006] Furthermore, the forward rotation interval is to control the turntable to rotate 90 degrees forward, and the reverse rotation interval is to control the turntable to rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction.

[0007] Furthermore, at the first preset position, the good product is unloaded into the feed channel to enter the next process.

[0008] Furthermore, at the second preset position, the defective product falls into the waste box.

[0009] Furthermore, the step of controlling the next station fixture or another station fixture on the turntable to rotate to the receiving position and start its vacuum adsorption specifically includes starting its vacuum adsorption before the corresponding fixture rotates to the receiving position.

[0010] Furthermore, the method also includes controlling all fixtures on the turntable to simultaneously perform air blowing operations when the sorting device performs a restart or receives a reset command, and stopping air blowing after the device restarts or resets.

[0011] Furthermore, the material is picked up and transported by a robotic arm to a fixture located at the receiving position. The method also includes a step of controlling the picking and placing of the robotic arm. Control the robotic arm to activate the vacuum suction function of its suction nozzle at the material picking position to pick up materials; Obtain the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle; If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is greater than or equal to the second preset value, then control the robotic arm to move to the receiving position and turn off the vacuum adsorption function of its suction nozzle to release the material to the current workstation fixture. If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is less than the second preset value, the robotic arm's suction nozzle is controlled to close the vacuum adsorption and start blowing air. Then, the robotic arm is controlled to move to the next picking position to re-execute the picking operation.

[0012] Furthermore, the robotic arm releases materials by turning off its own suction function after confirming that its suction nozzle is positioned above the fixture at the receiving position.

[0013] Furthermore, in the step of controlling the robotic arm's suction nozzle to close the vacuum adsorption and open the blowing, the blowing time is 0.2 seconds.

[0014] Secondly, this application also provides a sorting device, comprising: The turntable can rotate around a horizontal axis and has multiple workstations evenly arranged on its outer circumference; Multiple fixtures are set one-to-one on each of the workstations, and each fixture is provided with a vacuum adsorption hole; A vacuum detection unit is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole of each of the aforementioned fixtures and is used to detect the vacuum pressure value of the corresponding fixture. A rotary drive unit, connected to the turntable, is used to drive its rotation; The control unit is connected to the vacuum detection unit, the rotary drive unit, and the vacuum adsorption control valve of each fixture. The control unit is configured to perform the above method.

[0015] The technical solutions provided in this application have the following advantages compared with the prior art: The method provided in this application embodiment controls a turntable to rotate the current station fixture to the receiving position and maintain suction. After the material is placed, the corresponding vacuum detection unit obtains the vacuum pressure value. If the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to a first preset value, the turntable rotates forward by one station spacing. After the current station fixture reaches the first preset position, the suction function is turned off, and good products enter the next process; simultaneously, the next station fixture moves to the receiving position and turns on the suction function. If the vacuum pressure value is less than the first preset value, the turntable rotates in the opposite direction by one station spacing. After the current station fixture reaches the second preset position, the suction function is turned off, and defective products fall off; simultaneously, another station fixture moves to the receiving position and turns on the suction function.

[0016] This application uses vacuum pressure to determine the adsorption of materials, and processes good and bad products separately to prevent bad products from flowing into subsequent processes, thereby reducing equipment downtime, improving production efficiency, and preventing product damage and equipment failure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a material sorting control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sorting device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Turntable; 2. Fixture; 21. Vacuum adsorption hole; 3. Rotary drive unit. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0025] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in the text to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "front," "back," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a positional flip, orientation change, or change of motion, these directional indications will change accordingly. For instance, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text will be interpreted accordingly.

[0026] Figure 1 The flowchart of a material sorting control method provided in this application embodiment is shown. The method is applied to a sorting device including a turntable. The turntable can rotate around a horizontal axis and has multiple stations evenly arranged on its outer periphery. Each station is equipped with a fixture, and each fixture is equipped with a vacuum adsorption hole and a vacuum detection unit.

[0027] The method includes the following steps: Step 1: Define one of the fixtures on the turntable as the current station fixture and rotate it to the receiving position. Control the current station fixture to open its vacuum adsorption hole to maintain the adsorption state.

[0028] Step 2: After the material is placed in the current station fixture at the receiving position, the vacuum pressure value of the current station fixture is obtained through the corresponding vacuum detection unit.

[0029] Specifically, in one embodiment, when an external device (such as a robotic arm) places material onto the current workstation fixture in its receiving position with its vacuum adsorption holes in an adsorption state, a certain sealed space is formed between the material and the fixture due to the adsorption of the fixture, and the air pressure within the space changes. At this time, a vacuum detection unit connected to the vacuum adsorption holes of the fixture starts working, detecting the vacuum level within the sealed space in real time, and feeding back the detected vacuum pressure value to the control unit.

[0030] Step 3: If the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the material is determined to be a good product, and the turntable is controlled to rotate one station interval around its horizontal axis in the positive direction, so that the current station fixture carrying the good product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the first preset position. Then the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the good product is transferred to the next process at the first preset position. At the same time, the next station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on.

[0031] It is understood that the control unit compares the received vacuum pressure value with a pre-set first preset value. If the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to the first preset value, it indicates that a good seal has been formed between the material and the current station fixture, the adsorption force is sufficient, and the material is of good quality (i.e., the material has good flatness and no serious deformation or foreign matter). The control unit then issues a command to drive the turntable to rotate one station interval around its horizontal axis in the positive direction (e.g., rotate 90 degrees, the specific angle depends on the station setting and design requirements). As the turntable rotates, the current station fixture leaves the receiving position and reaches the first preset position. After reaching the first preset position, the control unit controls the vacuum adsorption control valve of the current station fixture to close, stopping adsorption. At this time, the material enters the pre-set channel or device under the action of the pushing mechanism, thus entering the next process. At the same time, during the process of the current station fixture leaving the receiving position, the control unit simultaneously drives the next station fixture on the turntable to rotate to the receiving position, and opens the vacuum adsorption control valve of the next station fixture before reaching the receiving position, so that the next station fixture enters the adsorption state in advance, ready to receive the next material.

[0032] Step 4: If the vacuum pressure value is less than the first preset value, the material is determined to be defective. The turntable is controlled to rotate in the opposite direction by one station interval around its horizontal axis, so that the current station fixture carrying the defective product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the second preset position. Then, the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the defective product that is not firmly adsorbed falls off the second preset position by gravity. At the same time, the other station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on.

[0033] In one embodiment, if the control unit determines that the vacuum pressure value is less than a first preset value, this means that an effective seal has not been formed between the material and the current station fixture, the adsorption force is insufficient, and the material is defective (i.e., the material is not flat enough, is deformed, or has foreign matter attached to its surface). The control unit will issue a command to drive the turntable to rotate in the opposite direction around its horizontal axis by one station interval (e.g., 90 degrees). The reverse rotation of the turntable causes the current station fixture to leave the receiving position and reach a second preset position. After reaching the second preset position, the control unit controls the vacuum adsorption control valve of the current station fixture to close, stopping the suction. After losing the adsorption force, the defective product will fall off the current station fixture under the action of gravity and fall into a waste box pre-placed below the second preset position for subsequent processing and analysis. At the same time as the current station fixture leaves the receiving position, the control unit drives another station fixture on the turntable to rotate to the receiving position, and opens the vacuum adsorption control valve of the other station fixture before reaching the receiving position, so that the other station fixture is ready to receive the material in advance.

[0034] The other fixtures operate in the same way as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0035] By using the above method, the adsorption between the material and the fixture is detected by the vacuum detection unit, which can accurately distinguish between good and bad products. Bad products are screened out before entering the subsequent process, avoiding the impact of bad products on the subsequent production process, thereby effectively improving the quality of the final product.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the forward rotation interval in the third step is a 90-degree forward rotation of the control turntable, and the reverse rotation interval in the fourth step is a 90-degree reverse rotation of the control turntable.

[0037] Specifically, in this embodiment, the turntable is a cylindrical structure, with 360 degrees evenly distributed across four workstations, and the central angle between each workstation is 90 degrees. Therefore, when the turntable rotates 90 degrees forward or backward, the fixture can be accurately moved from one workstation to the next adjacent workstation.

[0038] In the material sorting control method, when qualified material is detected, the turntable rotates 90 degrees forward, moving the fixture carrying the qualified product from the receiving position to the first preset position so that the material can enter the next process; at the same time, the next fixture moves to the receiving position to prepare to receive new material. When unqualified material is detected, the turntable rotates 90 degrees in the reverse direction, moving the fixture carrying the defective product to the second preset position, causing the material to fall, and simultaneously allowing the subsequent fixture to reach the receiving position.

[0039] At the first preset position, the good product is unloaded into the material channel to enter the next process. Specifically, the material can be pushed from the fixture into the material channel by a pushing mechanism, and then the moving mechanism can push the material in the material channel to the unloading station.

[0040] At the second preset position, the defective product falls into the waste box. Specifically, after the material reaches the second preset position, the fixture's adsorption function is turned off, the defective product loses its adsorption force, and falls off the fixture under the action of gravity, falling into the waste box that is placed below the second preset position in advance, thereby achieving the separation of defective products from good products.

[0041] Furthermore, the step of rotating the next station fixture or another station fixture on the control turntable to the receiving position and activating its vacuum adsorption specifically includes activating its vacuum adsorption before the corresponding fixture rotates to the receiving position. Specifically, in the third step, rotating the next station fixture to the receiving position and activating its vacuum adsorption means activating the vacuum adsorption of the next station fixture before it rotates to the receiving position. In the fourth step, rotating the other station fixture to the receiving position and activating its vacuum adsorption means activating the vacuum adsorption of the other station fixture before it rotates to the receiving position.

[0042] It is understandable that when the next station fixture or another station fixture starts rotating and moving towards the receiving position, the vacuum adsorption function is activated before reaching the receiving position. This is to ensure that sufficient adsorption force can be generated immediately when the fixture reaches the receiving position, so as to accurately and stably adsorb the conveyed material onto the surface of the fixture, and avoid the material falling off or shifting its position due to untimely adsorption.

[0043] The method provided in this application also includes controlling all fixtures on the turntable to simultaneously perform air blowing operations when the sorting device performs a restart or receives a reset command, and stopping air blowing after the device restarts or resets.

[0044] During the operation of the sorting device, some material residue, dust, or impurities may adhere to the surface of the fixture. When the equipment is restarted or reset, these residues may affect the accurate adsorption and sorting of new materials. By simultaneously blowing air, the airflow can blow off the residual material on the fixture surface, ensuring the fixture surface is clean and providing good conditions for subsequent material receiving and sorting.

[0045] Furthermore, if the sorting device malfunctions or experiences an abnormality during operation, resulting in a shutdown, there may be unsorted material remaining on the turntable. During restart or reset, simultaneous air blowing can remove this unsorted material from the fixture, preventing it from mixing with newly entering material and ensuring sorting accuracy and product quality.

[0046] It is understandable that residual material may clog the suction channel of the fixture or affect its moving parts, leading to equipment malfunction or performance degradation. Air blowing can remove these potential obstacles, reduce the probability of equipment failure, and ensure the normal operation and stability of the equipment.

[0047] The specific operation is as follows: when the operator manually starts the restart program of the sorting device, or when the equipment automatically enters the restart process due to a malfunction, the command to blow air simultaneously on all fixtures on the control turntable is triggered.

[0048] When the sorting device receives a reset command sent from the outside, such as through the human-machine interface of the control system, a remote control terminal, or a specific signal that triggers a reset operation, it will also start the air blowing program.

[0049] Once the triggering conditions are met, the control system immediately sends a signal to the air blowing devices of all jigs, causing all jigs to start blowing air simultaneously. The air blowing devices typically use a high-pressure air source, delivering the airflow to the jig surface through pipes to create a powerful impact.

[0050] During equipment restart or reset, the air blowing operation will continue for a period of time. The length of this period can be set according to the actual situation and needs of the equipment, and generally needs to be long enough to ensure that residual material on the surface of the fixture is completely removed.

[0051] Once the equipment has restarted or reset, the control system will detect its operating status to confirm that it has returned to normal operation. This can be determined by monitoring various equipment parameters, such as whether the fixture's suction function is normal.

[0052] Once the equipment is confirmed to be back to normal, the control system will send a stop signal to the air blowing devices of all fixtures to shut down the air blowing function and end the air blowing operation.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the material is picked up and transported by a robotic arm to a fixture located at the receiving position. The method of this application further includes a step of controlling the picking and placing of the robotic arm. Step 1: Control the robotic arm to activate the vacuum suction function of its suction nozzle at the material picking position to pick up the material.

[0054] Specifically, the robotic arm moves to the material handling position according to a preset program, at which point the suction nozzle is activated. A negative pressure is created inside the nozzle, generating suction force that tightly adheres the material to the nozzle surface, preparing it for subsequent handling operations.

[0055] Step 2: Obtain the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle.

[0056] After material is adsorbed by the nozzle, the vacuum pressure value of the nozzle is immediately obtained. The vacuum pressure value is a key parameter reflecting the degree of negative pressure inside the nozzle, and it can directly indicate whether the material has been successfully adsorbed. The vacuum pressure value can be measured accurately in real time by a vacuum sensor installed in the nozzle or related gas circuit.

[0057] Step 3: If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is greater than or equal to the second preset value, control the robotic arm to move to the receiving position and turn off the vacuum suction function of its suction nozzle to release the material to the current workstation fixture.

[0058] It is understandable that when the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to the second preset value, it indicates that the negative pressure inside the suction nozzle has reached a sufficient level, and the material has been reliably adsorbed. At this time, the control robot moves to the receiving position according to the predetermined trajectory, and then turns off the suction function of the suction nozzle, so that the negative pressure inside the suction nozzle disappears, and the material falls off the suction nozzle under the action of gravity or other external forces, completing the release of the material.

[0059] Step 4: If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is less than the second preset value, control the robotic arm's suction nozzle to close the vacuum adsorption and start blowing air (the blowing time is preferably 0.2S), and then control the robotic arm to move to the next picking position to re-execute the picking operation.

[0060] If the vacuum pressure value does not reach the second preset value, it means that the nozzle may not have successfully adsorbed the material, or the adsorption may be unstable. To avoid transporting unadsorbed material to the receiving position, the robot arm's nozzle adsorption function is turned off, while the air blowing function is turned on. The airflow generated by the air blowing can remove any impurities or residual material that may be present on the nozzle surface, ensuring the nozzle's cleanliness. Subsequently, the robot arm is controlled to move to the next material receiving position and repeat the adsorption operation until the material is successfully adsorbed.

[0061] It should be noted that the robotic arm releases materials as follows: after confirming that its suction nozzle is positioned above the fixture at the receiving position, it shuts down its own suction function. In this way, the negative pressure inside the suction nozzle gradually disappears, and the material falls off the suction nozzle under the action of gravity (and possibly other auxiliary forces, such as the suction force of the fixture or the propulsion of airflow), completing the release process.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 2 This application also provides a sorting device, including a turntable 1, multiple fixtures 2, a vacuum detection unit (not shown in the figure), a rotary drive unit 3, and a control unit (not shown in the figure).

[0063] The turntable 1 is rotatable around a horizontal axis and has multiple workstations evenly arranged on its outer circumference. Multiple fixtures 2 are correspondingly positioned at each workstation, and each fixture 2 has a vacuum adsorption hole 21. A vacuum detection unit is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole 21 of each fixture 2 to detect the vacuum pressure value of the corresponding fixture. A rotary drive unit 3 is connected to the turntable 1 to drive its rotation. A control unit is connected to the vacuum detection unit, the rotary drive unit 3, and the vacuum adsorption control valve of each fixture, and is configured to execute the above method.

[0064] Specifically, the robotic arm places the PCB terminals to be sorted onto fixture 3 located at the receiving position. Then, the program activates the vacuum generator (not shown in the attached diagram), and the vacuum suction holes 21 on fixture 2 begin to absorb the material. The vacuum detection unit simultaneously monitors the vacuum pressure value within the vacuum suction holes 21. The flatness of the material directly determines the sealing effect between it and the suction surface of fixture 2, thus affecting the vacuum pressure value within the vacuum suction holes 21. If the product has good flatness, it can form an effective seal with the fixture, and the vacuum pressure value will quickly reach and stabilize at the first preset value. The rotary drive unit 3 then drives the turntable 1 to rotate 90 degrees forward, causing the fixture to rotate to the first preset position for unloading. If the product has defects such as warping, deformation, foreign matter attachment, or localized defects that result in insufficient flatness, an effective seal cannot be formed, and the vacuum pressure value will be lower than the first preset value. In this case, the rotary drive unit 3 drives the turntable 1 to rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction, causing the fixture to rotate to the second preset position for unloading.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0066] In the description of this application, 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", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application 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 application.

[0067] 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 application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0068] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0069] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0070] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0071] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Since these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0072] The above description describes specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A material sorting control method, characterized in that, A sorting device including a turntable, the turntable being rotatable about a horizontal axis and having multiple stations evenly arranged around its outer circumference, each station being equipped with a fixture, each fixture being equipped with a vacuum adsorption hole and a vacuum detection unit, the method comprising the following steps: Define one of the fixtures on the turntable as the current station fixture and rotate it to the receiving position. Control the current station fixture to open its vacuum adsorption hole to maintain the adsorption state. After the material is placed in the current station fixture at the receiving position, the vacuum pressure value of the current station fixture is obtained through the corresponding vacuum detection unit. If the vacuum pressure value is greater than or equal to the first preset value, the material is determined to be a good product, and the turntable is controlled to rotate one station interval around its horizontal axis in the positive direction, so that the current station fixture carrying the good product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the first preset position. Then, the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the good product is transferred to the next process at the first preset position. At the same time, the next station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on. If the vacuum pressure value is less than the first preset value, the material is determined to be defective, and the turntable is controlled to rotate in the opposite direction by one station interval around its horizontal axis, so that the current station fixture carrying the defective product leaves the receiving position and rotates to the second preset position. Then, the vacuum adsorption of the current station fixture is turned off, so that the defective product that is not firmly adsorbed falls off the second preset position by gravity. At the same time, another station fixture on the turntable is controlled to rotate to the receiving position and its vacuum adsorption is turned on.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The forward rotation interval is used to control the turntable to rotate 90 degrees forward, and the reverse rotation interval is used to control the turntable to rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, At the first preset position, the good product is unloaded into the feed channel to enter the next process.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, At the second preset position, the defective product falls into the waste box.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the next station fixture or another station fixture on the turntable to rotate to the receiving position and start its vacuum adsorption specifically includes starting its vacuum adsorption before the corresponding fixture rotates to the receiving position.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes controlling all fixtures on the turntable to simultaneously perform air blowing operations when the sorting device performs a restart or receives a reset command, and stopping air blowing after the device restarts or resets.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material is picked up and transported by a robotic arm to a fixture located at the receiving position. The method also includes a step of controlling the picking and placing of the robotic arm. Control the robotic arm to activate the vacuum suction function of its suction nozzle at the material picking position to pick up materials; Obtain the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle; If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is greater than or equal to the second preset value, then control the robotic arm to move to the receiving position and turn off the vacuum adsorption function of its suction nozzle to release the material to the current workstation fixture; If the vacuum pressure value of the robotic arm's suction nozzle is less than the second preset value, the robotic arm's suction nozzle is controlled to close the vacuum adsorption and start blowing air. Then, the robotic arm is controlled to move to the next picking position to re-execute the picking operation.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The robotic arm releases materials by turning off its suction function after confirming that its suction nozzle is positioned above the fixture at the receiving position.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the step of controlling the robotic arm's suction nozzle to close the vacuum adsorption and start blowing air, the blowing time is 0.2 seconds.

10. A sorting device, characterized in that, include: The turntable can rotate around a horizontal axis and has multiple workstations evenly arranged on its outer circumference; Multiple fixtures are set one-to-one on each of the workstations, and each fixture is provided with a vacuum adsorption hole; A vacuum detection unit is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole of each of the aforementioned fixtures and is used to detect the vacuum pressure value of the corresponding fixture. A rotary drive unit, connected to the turntable, is used to drive its rotation; The control unit is connected to the vacuum detection unit, the rotary drive unit, and the vacuum adsorption control valve of each fixture. The control unit is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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