Gear hub internal spline go gauge detection method and detection equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a gear hub internal spline go gauge detection method and detection equipment, and the equipment comprises a conveying mechanism which comprises a conveying belt; the grabbing mechanism is connected with the conveying mechanism and comprises a three-axis transplanting mechanism; the detection mechanism comprises a turntable, an angle detection camera and a go gauge lifting assembly, and the angle detection camera and the go gauge lifting assembly are both arranged above the turntable; the discharging mechanism comprises a discharging assembly and a discharging slide way, and the discharging assembly is used for transferring qualified products to the discharging slide way; and the sorting mechanism comprises a sorting assembly and a sorting slide way, and the sorting assembly is used for transferring unqualified products to the sorting slide way. The method has the advantages that the detection efficiency is improved, the method adapts to the large-scale production rhythm, the detection precision is improved, the quality control effect is optimized, cost and consumption are reduced, efficiency is improved, resource configuration is optimized, and operation safety and compliance are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gear hub inspection technology, specifically to a method and equipment for inspecting the spline gauge inside a gear hub. Background Technology

[0002] As a core load-bearing component in automotive gearboxes and engineering machinery transmission systems, the splines inside the gear hub play a crucial role in power transmission and torque distribution. The dimensional accuracy and tooth profile consistency of the splines directly determine the meshing stability, power transmission efficiency, and overall service life of the transmission system. According to the GB / T 1144-2021 standard "Dimensions, Tolerances and Inspection of Rectangular Splines," the cumulative pitch error of the splines in automotive gear hubs must be strictly controlled within 0.03mm, the tooth profile tolerance must not exceed 0.025mm, and the major and minor diameter tolerances must meet the IT7 precision standard. Go-gauge testing, as the core means of determining whether the splines inside the gear hub can be freely assembled, is a mandatory inspection step before the gear hub leaves the factory to ensure assembly feasibility and operational reliability. Its test results directly affect the operational safety of downstream equipment.

[0003] With the rapid expansion of production capacity in the automotive and construction machinery industries, gear hub production has largely achieved automated die casting, milling, and heat treatment production lines. Some leading companies can achieve a daily production capacity of 10,000 to 20,000 pieces, forming a large-scale production pattern. However, the internal spline gauge inspection process in domestic gear hub manufacturers still largely relies on the traditional model of "manual operation + experience judgment." Some companies only use simple tooling to assist, and the overall process has not broken free from the limitations of the traditional model. This is severely disconnected from the front-end automated production process, becoming a prominent bottleneck restricting the industry's capacity release and quality upgrade.

[0004] The core process of the traditional inspection mode is "manual part removal - alignment of spline hole - manual insertion of GO gauge - judgment based on experience - removal and classification of workpieces", which has many significant problems in terms of efficiency, accuracy, cost, safety and digital management. In terms of inspection efficiency, the traditional method is severely mismatched with the demands of large-scale production. Operators need to use both hands to adjust the gear hub posture to ensure that the internal spline shaft is perfectly aligned with the go gauge, with each inspection taking approximately 20-30 seconds. Furthermore, prolonged repetitive work easily leads to hand fatigue, and the inspection speed decreases with working hours, with an average daily inspection capacity of only 3,000-4,000 pieces per person, far from matching the processing capacity of 10,000-20,000 pieces per day. Problems in the inspection process directly result in workpieces piling up in the inspection area, extending production cycles, and significantly increasing order delivery pressure. Some companies are even forced to adopt the expedient measure of "sampling inspection instead of full inspection," creating serious quality risks.

[0005] In terms of inspection accuracy, the results are unstable and the risk of misjudgment is prominent. The core of inspecting the internal spline go gauge of a gear hub is to determine whether the go gauge can "pass freely" and "retract smoothly." However, the subjectivity of manual operation directly affects the inspection results: on the one hand, there is no uniform standard for the force applied by the operator to push or pull the go gauge. Excessive force may force the workpiece with out-of-tolerance dimensions through or cause scratches on the go gauge and spline tooth surface; insufficient force may cause qualified workpieces to be misjudged as unqualified due to "incomplete pushing or pulling," especially for the small taper design of the internal spline of the gear hub, the difference in force has a more significant impact on the results; on the other hand, it is difficult to ensure the coaxiality of the internal spline axis and the go gauge when manually holding the gear hub, which can easily lead to "unilateral force" causing the go gauge to jam, and thus misjudging "out-of-tolerance dimensions." According to statistics from an automotive transmission company, the misjudgment rate of manual go gauge inspection is as high as 3%-5%. Among them, the material loss caused by "wrong judgment and scrapping of qualified parts" and the after-sales claims caused by "missed judgment and outflow of unqualified parts" form a double quality cost.

[0006] In terms of cost control, high labor and consumable costs put significant pressure on business operations. Regarding labor costs, a large number of professionally trained testing personnel are required, and with labor costs rising annually, the proportion of labor expenditure continues to increase. For some companies, labor costs for testing positions already account for more than 15% of total production costs. Regarding consumable costs, frequent positioning deviations and loss of force control during manual operation accelerate the wear of go gauges. As high-precision standard parts, the cost of a single go gauge can reach several hundred yuan. Under traditional methods, the service life of a go gauge is only 1-2 months, requiring frequent replacement to ensure testing accuracy. Regarding quality costs, rework, scrapping, and after-sales claims caused by misjudgments further exacerbate the burden on enterprises. For example, a construction machinery company once suffered a direct economic loss exceeding one million yuan due to a missed detection of splines inside gear hubs, resulting in the failure of an entire batch of gearboxes.

[0007] In terms of operational safety and compliance, the traditional method has multiple hidden dangers. Gear hubs are mostly made of metal and typically weigh between 0.5-5 kg, with some construction machinery gear hubs weighing over 10 kg. During manual handling and handling, there is a high risk of slipping and falling, causing injuries. Additionally, the sharp edges of the spline grooves inside the gear hub can easily cause hand cuts if jamming occurs during the push-pull process and the operator applies excessive force. Furthermore, some companies, in an effort to improve efficiency, adopt a "bare-handed" operation method. Oil and sweat from hands can contaminate the gear hub surface, affecting subsequent assembly accuracy and rust prevention, which contradicts the compliance requirements for "cleanliness management" of automotive parts and increases quality control risks.

[0008] In terms of digital management, the lack of data traceability hinders the industry's digital transformation. Modern manufacturing emphasizes "quality traceability and problem localization," but under the manual inspection model, inspection results mostly rely on paper records or manual entry into ERP systems, leading to problems such as data errors, omissions, and tampering. Furthermore, it can only record the final result of "qualified / unqualified," failing to collect process data such as gauge pushing force, positioning deviation, and inspection time. When quality problems occur downstream, it is difficult to trace back to the production batch, inspection personnel, and inspection time of the problematic workpiece, making root cause analysis "from finished product to process" impossible. This "data gap" phenomenon is completely disconnected from the core requirement of "quality data-driven process optimization" in the industry's digital transformation, hindering the continuous upgrading of production technology.

[0009] Therefore, the industry urgently needs a go gauge inspection solution for internal splines in gear hubs that integrates automated positioning, precise driving, intelligent sensing, and data management to overcome many pain points of the traditional model, achieve a full-dimensional upgrade of the inspection process, match the full inspection needs of large-scale production, and provide reliable quality control support for high-end equipment manufacturing fields such as automobiles and construction machinery. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and equipment for detecting the spline gauge inside a gear hub, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a go gauge testing device for internal splines in a gear hub, comprising: The conveying mechanism includes a conveyor belt; A gripping mechanism, connected to the conveying mechanism, includes a three-axis transplanting mechanism; The inspection mechanism includes a turntable, an angle detection camera, and a go gauge lifting assembly, wherein the angle detection camera and the go gauge lifting assembly are both located above the turntable; The feeding mechanism includes a feeding assembly and a feeding chute. The feeding assembly is used to transfer qualified products to the feeding chute. The sorting mechanism includes sorting components and sorting chutes. The sorting components are used to transfer products that fail inspection to the sorting chutes.

[0012] Preferably, the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of baffles along the forward direction, the baffles dividing the conveyor belt into a plurality of conveyor compartments.

[0013] Preferably, a sensor is provided at the end of the conveyor belt near the gripping mechanism.

[0014] Preferably, the turntable is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves, which are evenly distributed circumferentially along the upper surface of the turntable.

[0015] Preferably, the angle detection camera is a Keyence high-precision camera.

[0016] Preferably, the testing mechanism includes a base frame and an upper frame, the upper frame is disposed on the upper side of the base frame, the base frame is provided with a support column, and the upper frame reciprocates vertically along the support column.

[0017] Preferably, the top of the support column is provided with a drive motor, and the shaft end of the drive motor is connected to the upper frame.

[0018] Preferably, the bottom surface of the upper frame is provided with a buffer assembly, including a telescopic rod and a buffer plate, with a spring between the telescopic rods, and the buffer assembly is connected to a force sensor, which is connected to a go gauge.

[0019] Preferably, the lower frame is further equipped with a servo motor, the guide gauge is equipped with a wheel, and the servo motor and the wheel are connected by a transmission belt.

[0020] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for detecting a spline gauge inside a gear hub, comprising the following steps: S1: Manually place the toothed hub into the corresponding grid of the wide conveyor line. The conveyor line drives the toothed hub to the end positioning block. The sensor detects the toothed hub and sends a signal. S2: The three-axis transfer mechanism responds to the signal to grab the gear hub, places it on the rotary platform and fixes it, the angle recognition camera takes pictures of the gear hub, the angle data is obtained through software algorithm and sent to the GO gauge rotary servo; S3: The servo servo adjusts the angle of the GO gauge according to the angle data, so that the GO gauge is aligned with the spline inside the gear hub. The rotary motor drives the rotary platform to move the gear hub to the inspection station. S4: The go gauge lifting servo drives the go gauge to descend and insert into the spline inside the gear hub. The force sensor detects the push-pull force value in real time and judges whether the gear hub is qualified (OK) or unqualified (NG) according to the preset threshold. S5: If the gear hub is qualified, the unloading and transfer assembly will send it to the receiving bin; if it is not qualified, the unloading station will not move, and the gear hub will move with the rotary platform to the NG sorting station, and will be sent to the NG chute by the handling mechanism for delivery. S6: The host computer records the inspection time, inspection results and other data of each gear hub in real time, forming a traceable inspection data archive.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: I. Upgraded testing efficiency to adapt to large-scale production pace This application replaces traditional manual operation with technologies such as automated positioning and servo drive, significantly shortening the inspection time for a single piece. It solves the problem of mismatch between traditional manual inspection and front-end automated production capacity, achieving full inspection coverage of splines inside gear hubs. It eliminates the need to rely on the expedient measure of "sampling inspection instead of full inspection," effectively avoiding the quality risks caused by sampling inspection. At the same time, it alleviates the pressure of workpiece backlog and extended production cycle, meeting the inspection needs of large-scale production.

[0022] II. Improved testing accuracy and optimized quality control. This application utilizes high-precision visual positioning, force sensor monitoring, and coaxiality control technologies to eliminate the misjudgment problems caused by subjective factors such as uncontrolled force and positioning deviation in traditional manual inspection. This makes the inspection results more objective and consistent, significantly reducing the risk of qualified parts being misjudged and scrapped, and unqualified parts being missed and discharged. It ensures that the dimensional accuracy and tooth profile consistency of the splines inside the gear hub meet the GB / T 1144-2021 standard and IT7 level accuracy requirements, providing a reliable guarantee for downstream equipment assembly and improving the quality control system for gear hub production.

[0023] III. Reduce costs and increase efficiency, and optimize resource allocation This application replaces manual inspection with automated equipment, reducing reliance on professional inspectors and lowering labor costs. At the same time, standardized inspection operations reduce abnormal wear of gauges, extend their service life, and lower consumable replacement costs. The full inspection mode and accurate judgment also reduce rework, scrap, and after-sales claims costs caused by misjudgment. In addition, the integrated design of the equipment saves production space and optimizes the allocation of resources such as manpower, consumables, and site.

[0024] IV. Enhancing Operational Safety and Compliance This application, through automated material handling and enclosed inspection area design, avoids the risk of slippage and impact injuries that may occur during manual handling of gear hubs, as well as the risk of hand cuts caused by direct contact with sharp spline grooves; at the same time, it reduces the situation of bare hands contacting workpieces, avoids contamination of the gear hub surface by oil and sweat, meets the compliance requirements of "cleanliness management" for automotive parts, and reduces the risks of quality control and safe operation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Fig. 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Fig. 2 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor belt structure of the present invention; Fig. 3 This is a schematic diagram of the detection mechanism of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Conveying mechanism; 11. Conveyor belt; 12. Baffle; 13. Conveying grid; 14. Sensor; 2. Gripping mechanism; 3. Detection mechanism; 31. Turntable; 32. Angle detection camera; 33. Positioning slot; 34. Lower frame; 35. Upper frame; 36. Support column; 37. Telescopic rod; 38. Buffer plate; 39. Spring; 4. Unloading mechanism; 41. Unloading gripper; 42. Unloading chute; 5. Sorting mechanism; 51. Sorting gripper; 52. Sorting chute; 6. Force sensor; 7. Qualifier gauge; 8. Servo motor; 9. Rotary wheel; 10. Drive belt. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Please see Figs. 1 to 3 This invention provides a technical solution: a go gauge inspection device for internal splines in a gear hub, comprising: a conveying mechanism 1, a gripping mechanism 2, an inspection mechanism 3, a feeding mechanism 4, and a sorting mechanism 5. The conveying mechanism includes a conveyor belt 11, which transports the gear hub to be inspected to the gripping mechanism 2; the gripping mechanism 2 is connected to the conveying mechanism and includes a three-axis transfer mechanism. The inspection mechanism 3 includes a turntable 31, an angle detection camera 32, and a go gauge lifting assembly, both of which are positioned above the turntable 31. The feeding mechanism 4 includes a feeding assembly 41 and a feeding chute 42. The feeding assembly 41 transfers qualified products to the feeding chute 41, and the feeding chute 41 has a receiving tray at its outlet. The sorting mechanism 5 includes a sorting assembly 51 and a sorting chute 52. The sorting assembly transfers unqualified products to the sorting chute, and similarly, the sorting chute also has a receiving tray at its outlet.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of baffles 12 are provided on the conveyor belt 11 along the forward direction, and the baffles 12 divide the conveyor belt into a plurality of conveying compartments 13. Multiple conveying compartments 13 can simultaneously place multiple toothed hubs for conveying, and the movement paths of multiple toothed hubs will not interfere with each other, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor 14 is provided at one end of the conveyor belt 11 near the gripping mechanism. The sensor 14 detects that the toothed hub has moved to the corresponding position and sends a signal to the control terminal. The control terminal then sends the signal to the three-axis transfer mechanism, which grips the toothed hub and sends it to the detection mechanism.

[0031] In the gear hub internal spline go gauge inspection equipment of the present invention, the three-axis transfer mechanism adopts the existing technology disclosed in the field of industrial automation. It is a standardized workpiece transfer component with X / Y / Z three-axis orthogonal motion capability. Its core function is to realize workpiece gripping, spatial translation, lifting and positioning. It is widely used in workpiece station switching scenarios of automated production lines. Its structural components (guide rails, drive motors, grippers, etc.) and working principle are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be described in detail here.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of positioning grooves 33 are provided on the turntable 31, and the positioning grooves 33 are evenly distributed circumferentially along the upper end surface of the turntable 31. After receiving the tooth hub positioning signal emitted by the end position sensor 14 of the conveyor belt 11, the three-axis transfer mechanism drives the gripper to translate along the X / Y axis to above the tooth hub to be detected according to a preset program, descends along the Z axis and clamps the tooth hub with the gripper; Then, it is lifted and moved along the preset trajectory to the calibrated angle above the rotary platform. After precise descent, the grippers are released, and the gear hub is placed smoothly in the positioning groove 33 of the turntable 31 to complete the clamping and fixing.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle detection camera 32 is a Keyence high-precision camera.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, the detection mechanism 3 includes a base frame 34 and an upper frame 35. The upper frame 35 is disposed on the upper side of the base frame 34. The base frame 34 is provided with a support column 36. The upper frame 35 reciprocates vertically along the support column 36.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, a drive motor 37 is provided at the top of the support column 36, and the shaft end of the drive motor 37 is connected to the upper frame 35.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, a buffer assembly is provided on the bottom surface of the upper frame 35, including a telescopic rod 37 and a buffer plate 38, with a spring 39 between the telescopic rod 37. The buffer assembly is connected to a force sensor 6, and the force sensor 6 is connected to a go gauge 7. The upper frame 35 reciprocates vertically, inserting the go gauge 7 into the spline inside the gear hub for detection.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, the lower frame is further provided with a servo motor 8, and the go gauge 7 is provided with a rotating wheel 9. The servo motor 8 and the rotating wheel are connected by a transmission belt 10. The upper end of the go gauge 7 is fixedly connected to a force sensor 6, and the upper end of the force sensor 6 is rotatably connected to a buffer plate 38. When the go gauge 7 descends, the servo motor 8 drives the go gauge to rotate, screwing the go gauge into the gear hub for qualification inspection.

[0038] In this invention, the detection mechanism, gripping mechanism, unloading mechanism 4, and sorting mechanism 5 are all installed inside a dark brown acrylic shell. The dark brown acrylic provides a stable, clean, and safe environment for detection and is an important auxiliary component to ensure the high-precision, high-efficiency, and high-stability operation of the equipment.

[0039] The unloading and sorting mechanisms of this equipment use a gripper structure commonly used in industrial automation for the actuation components that grip the toothed hub. This gripper is a mature and standardized clamping component, and its core consists of a drive unit (pneumatic / electric drive), a gripping claw body, and an anti-slip buffer. It has the basic functions of workpiece clamping and stable release. Its structure and working principle are well known to those skilled in the art. This invention does not involve any improvement to the structure of the gripper itself.

[0040] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for detecting the spline gauge inside a gear hub, which uses the equipment provided in any of the above embodiments to detect the gear hub, including the following steps: S1: Manually place the toothed hub into the corresponding grid of the wide conveyor line. The conveyor line drives the toothed hub to the end positioning block. The sensor detects the toothed hub and sends a signal. S2: The three-axis transfer mechanism responds to the signal to grab the gear hub, places it on the turntable and fixes it, the angle recognition camera takes pictures of the gear hub, and obtains the angle data through the software algorithm and sends it to the control terminal; S3: The control terminal adjusts the angle of the go gauge according to the angle data, so that the go gauge is aligned with the spline inside the gear hub. The rotary motor drives the rotary platform to move the gear hub to the inspection station.

[0041] For example, a 5-megapixel high-precision camera, combined with a dedicated algorithm, ensures the accuracy of angle recognition while minimizing environmental interference. First, a standard template for the current product is established in the camera parameters, i.e., the angle template of the mechanical tooling corresponding to the product. After completion, the camera captures the product's angle and posture, which is then converted into the required precise angle data by the algorithm. This data is transmitted to the equipment's programmable logic controller (PLC). The PLC receives the data and determines whether the current angle needs to be changed. If a change is needed, it issues an instruction for the guide gauge mechanism to adjust the angle of the guide gauge to align with the product.

[0042] S4: The go gauge lifting servo drives the go gauge to descend and insert into the spline inside the gear hub. The force sensor detects the push-pull force value in real time and judges whether the gear hub is qualified (OK) or unqualified (NG) according to the preset threshold. S5: If the gear hub is qualified, the unloading and transfer assembly will send it to the receiving bin; if it is not qualified, the unloading station will not move, and the gear hub will move with the rotary platform to the NG sorting station, and will be sent to the NG chute by the handling mechanism.

[0043] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A go gauge testing device for internal splines in a gear hub, characterized in that, include: The conveying mechanism includes a conveyor belt; A gripping mechanism, connected to the conveying mechanism, includes a three-axis transplanting mechanism; The inspection mechanism includes a turntable, an angle detection camera, and a go gauge lifting assembly, wherein the angle detection camera and the go gauge lifting assembly are both located above the turntable; The feeding mechanism includes a feeding assembly and a feeding chute. The feeding assembly is used to transfer qualified products to the feeding chute. The sorting mechanism includes sorting components and sorting chutes. The sorting components are used to transfer products that fail inspection to the sorting chutes.

2. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveyor belt is provided with several baffles along the forward direction, which divide the conveyor belt into several conveyor compartments.

3. The gear hub internal spline gauge testing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A sensor is installed at the end of the conveyor belt near the gripping mechanism.

4. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The turntable is provided with a number of positioning grooves, which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the upper surface of the turntable.

5. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The angle detection camera is a Keyence high-precision camera.

6. The gear hub internal spline gauge testing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The testing mechanism includes a base frame and an upper frame. The upper frame is located on the upper side of the base frame, and the base frame is provided with support columns. The upper frame reciprocates vertically along the support columns.

7. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top of the support column is equipped with a drive motor, and the shaft end of the drive motor is connected to the upper frame.

8. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the upper frame is provided with a buffer assembly, including a telescopic rod and a buffer plate. A spring is provided between the telescopic rods. The buffer assembly is connected to a force sensor, and the force sensor is connected to a gauge.

9. The gear hub internal spline go gauge testing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The lower frame is also equipped with a servo motor, and the guide gauge is equipped with a rotating wheel. The servo motor and the rotating wheel are connected by a transmission belt.

10. A method for inspecting a spline gauge inside a gear hub, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Manually place the toothed hub into the corresponding grid of the wide conveyor line. The conveyor line drives the toothed hub to the end positioning block. The sensor detects the toothed hub and sends a signal. S2: The three-axis transfer mechanism responds to the signal to grab the gear hub, places it on the rotary platform and fixes it, the angle recognition camera takes pictures of the gear hub, the angle data is obtained through software algorithm and sent to the GO gauge rotary servo; S3: The servo servo adjusts the angle of the GO gauge according to the angle data, so that the GO gauge is aligned with the spline inside the gear hub. The rotary motor drives the rotary platform to move the gear hub to the inspection station. S4: The go gauge lifting servo drives the go gauge to descend and insert into the spline inside the gear hub. The force sensor detects the push-pull force value in real time and judges whether the gear hub is qualified (OK) or unqualified (NG) according to the preset threshold. S5: If the gear hub is qualified, the unloading and transfer assembly will send it to the receiving bin; if it is not qualified, the unloading station will not move, and the gear hub will move with the rotary platform to the NG sorting station, and will be sent to the NG chute by the handling mechanism for delivery. S6: The host computer records the inspection time, inspection results and other data of each gear hub in real time, forming a traceable inspection data archive.

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