Special-shaped pipe cutting positioning device, cutting system and cutting method

Abstract

The invention relates to a special pipe cutting positioning device, a cutting system and a cutting method, and belongs to the technical field of laser cutting, the positioning device comprises a positioner provided with a turntable, a plurality of positioning mechanisms are fixedly arranged on the turntable at intervals in the circumferential direction, each positioning mechanism comprises a bottom plate, and a first positioning block is fixedly arranged in the middle of each bottom plate; second positioning blocks are fixedly arranged at the two ends of the bottom plate, positioning concave surfaces are formed in the upper surfaces of the first positioning blocks and the upper surfaces of the second positioning blocks, the positioning concave surfaces are attached to the shape of the special-shaped pipe, a positioning pin is fixedly arranged in the positioning concave surface of each second positioning block, and a pressing plate is detachably installed above the first positioning block. The position changing machine can drive the rotating disc to swing and rotate, the space posture of the special-shaped pipe can be flexibly adjusted, synchronous preassembling of multiple workpieces can be achieved through cooperation with multiple sets of positioning mechanisms, the special-shaped pipe can keep the stable posture after one-time clamping, and the use requirement for all-position continuous cutting is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser cutting technology, and in particular to a positioning device, cutting system and cutting method for cutting irregular tubes. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the industry, industrial applications have placed higher demands on the processing of some special-shaped pipes, such as... Figure 14 The irregularly shaped tube shown has irregular shapes and requires precise cutting of the irregular surfaces at both ends for subsequent assembly.

[0003] Currently, there are two main processing methods used in the industry for the aforementioned irregular-shaped tubes. One method is to use special tooling for marking and positioning, and then manually operate plasma cutting equipment to complete the cutting operation. The other method is to use a six-axis industrial robot, with a laser cutting head installed on the robot's end effector. The robot drives the cutting head to move along a preset trajectory to achieve laser cutting of the tube.

[0004] Both existing cutting methods for irregularly shaped tubes have significant drawbacks. The tooling scribing and manual plasma cutting methods have low cutting accuracy and poor cross-sectional quality, making it difficult to meet the processing accuracy requirements for subsequent assembly. Furthermore, manual operation results in poor consistency and low processing efficiency. On the other hand, the cutting method using a six-axis robot equipped with a laser cutting head is limited by the irregular shape of the tube and the spatial structure of the irregular cutting surface. The cutting posture is easily interfered with, making it impossible to achieve a complete cut in a single clamping. The processing requires multiple changes in workpiece position and repeated clamping and positioning, which not only significantly reduces processing efficiency but also makes it difficult to guarantee the overall processing accuracy and consistency of the product due to the accumulation of errors from multiple positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the technical problems of low processing efficiency and difficulty in guaranteeing processing accuracy and consistency in existing irregular tube cutting methods mentioned above, this invention provides an irregular tube cutting positioning device, cutting system, and cutting method.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is as follows: This invention provides a positioning device for cutting irregularly shaped tubes, including a positioner with a turntable mounted on it. The positioner drives the turntable to swing or rotate around an axis. Several positioning mechanisms are fixedly arranged at intervals along the circumference of the turntable. Each positioning mechanism includes a base plate, a first positioning block fixedly positioned in the middle of the base plate, and second positioning blocks fixedly positioned at both ends of the base plate. Positioning concave surfaces are formed on the upper surfaces of both the first and second positioning blocks, fitting snugly against the shape of the irregularly shaped tube. A positioning pin is fixedly installed within the positioning concave surface of each second positioning block. A pressure plate is detachably installed above the first positioning block. The positioner can drive the turntable to swing and rotate, flexibly adjusting the spatial posture of the irregularly shaped tube. Combined with multiple positioning mechanisms, it enables simultaneous pre-loading of multiple workpieces. The positioning concave surfaces on the first and second positioning blocks can tightly fit against the shape of the irregularly shaped tube, achieving precise positioning with the positioning pins. Reliable clamping is then achieved through the pressure plate, ensuring the irregularly shaped tube maintains a stable posture after a single clamping, meeting the requirements for continuous cutting in all positions.

[0007] Preferably, a first support column and a second support column are fixed on the base plate. The first support column and the second support column are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the first positioning block. The first support column and the second support column are respectively connected to both ends of the pressure plate, and the upper ends of the first support column and the second support column are threaded with nuts. The first support column and the second support column provide stable support for the pressure plate. With the cooperation of the upper nuts, the pressure plate can be reliably locked, so that the pressure plate applies a uniform and stable clamping force to the shaped tube, ensuring that the shaped tube does not shift or loosen during high-speed cutting and repositioning, and further improving the stability of workpiece clamping and processing accuracy.

[0008] Preferably, the first support column is rotatably connected to one end of the pressure plate, and the other end of the pressure plate has a V-shaped hole that passes through one side of the pressure plate. The V-shaped hole is used to connect with the second support column. The pressure plate adopts a structure in which one end rotates and the other end has a V-shaped hole for quick snap-fit. This can significantly shorten the time required for workpiece clamping and disassembly, simplify the operation process, and make it convenient for operators to quickly pick up and place irregular tubes and clamp them, effectively improving the efficiency of loading, unloading and clamping positioning.

[0009] Preferably, the positioner includes a base, a first servo motor, and a second servo motor. The first servo motor is horizontally fixedly mounted on one side of the base, and the second servo motor is vertically arranged and rotatably connected to the base on both sides via rotating shafts. The output end of the first servo motor is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft on one side of the second servo motor, and the output end of the second servo motor is fixedly connected to a mounting plate. The mounting plate is fixedly connected to the turntable. The positioner driven by the dual servo motors can achieve high-precision rotation and swing control, providing precise and stable spatial posture adjustment for irregular tubes, ensuring the controllability of the workpiece angle and position during the cutting process, and enabling the laser cutting head to complete the irregular surface processing along the optimal trajectory, further improving cutting accuracy and motion stability.

[0010] A cutting system includes a three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine and at least two special-shaped tube cutting and positioning devices. Multiple special-shaped tube cutting and positioning devices are arranged at intervals in a straight line along the X-axis direction at the processing station, and the axis of the first servo motor is parallel to the Y-axis of the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine. The layout form of multiple cutting and positioning devices arranged in a straight line along the X-axis can form a multi-station linkage processing mode with the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine. While cutting operations are being carried out at one station, loading and unloading and clamping preparation can be completed at other stations, enabling continuous processing without the equipment stopping, and significantly improving the operating efficiency and equipment utilization rate of the overall cutting system.

[0011] Preferably, the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine includes an X-axis bed component, a Y-axis crossbeam component, and a Z-axis laser head component. The Y-axis crossbeam component reciprocates along the X-axis direction on the X-axis bed component, the Z-axis laser head component reciprocates along the Y-axis on the Y-axis crossbeam component, and the Z-axis laser head component itself realizes the up-and-down reciprocating movement of the laser head. The laser head is a three-dimensional laser head capable of AC-axis rotation. The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine can achieve the spatial free movement of the laser head under multi-axis linkage. The AC-axis rotation structure can flexibly adapt to the irregular cutting surfaces and spatial angles of special-shaped tubes, avoid posture interference during the cutting process, and achieve complete cutting of the full profile under one clamping, ensuring uniform machining accuracy of all parts of the special-shaped tube.

[0012] A cutting method includes: Correspondingly clamp a special-shaped tube in each positioning mechanism, so that the positions to be cut at both ends of the special-shaped tube extend outwards from the turntable; Start the positioner for attitude adjustment, and rotate the special-shaped tube to be cut to the preset initial cutting attitude; The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine cuts the special-shaped tube. After one special-shaped tube on the same turntable is cut, the positioner drives the turntable to rotate, sends the next clamped special-shaped tube to the cutting station, and continues to perform cutting to achieve continuous processing of multiple workpieces; After all the workpieces on a single special-shaped tube cutting and positioning device are cut, the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine moves along the X-axis to the next special-shaped tube cutting and positioning device station, and repeats the above cutting process.

[0013] By using a rotary indexing and multi-station switching method, workpiece processing and loading / unloading are synchronized, eliminating equipment waiting time and allowing the 3D five-axis laser cutting machine to maintain continuous and efficient operation. Simultaneously, by completing all processing steps in a single clamping operation, repetitive positioning steps are reduced, resulting in simultaneous improvement in product processing accuracy and production efficiency. The high-precision positioning and multi-station linkage cutting method significantly improves the cutting accuracy and cross-sectional quality of irregularly shaped tubes, ensuring stable processing results that meet the accuracy requirements of subsequent assembly. Furthermore, automated processing and reasonable posture adjustment avoid spatial interference during the cutting process, eliminating multiple workpiece disassembly and assembly steps. This fundamentally reduces the cumulative errors caused by multiple positioning steps, reliably guaranteeing product processing accuracy and consistency, and significantly improving overall processing efficiency.

[0014] Preferably, after the positioner's posture adjustment is completed, a workpiece processing coordinate system is established using the shaped tube cutting positioning device as the positioning reference. The reference coordinates of the shaped tube cutting positioning device and the shaped tube are entered, and a pre-programmed shaped tube 3D cutting program is imported. A no-load simulation is performed to confirm that the movement trajectory of the positioner and the laser head is safe and reliable. By establishing a dedicated processing coordinate system and performing trajectory simulation verification, the risk of motion interference can be identified and avoided in advance, ensuring that the laser head and the positioner run stably along the preset path. This makes the actual processing trajectory highly consistent with the theoretical trajectory, further improving the accuracy and reliability of shaped tube cutting and reducing the scrap rate.

[0015] Preferably, the multiple irregular tube cutting positioning devices arranged in a line along the X-axis are respectively calibrated to a reference, and the coordinates of each station are unified to the same machine tool coordinate system. This multi-station coordinate linkage and matching method ensures that each cutting positioning device operates under the same reference, eliminates positioning deviations between stations, and enables the laser cutting machine to maintain high-precision processing when switching between different stations, thus ensuring the dimensional consistency and processing stability of batch products.

[0016] Preferably, when clamping the shaped tube, first loosen the nut, rotate the pressure plate around the first support, so that the V-shaped hole quickly disengages from the second support, place the shaped tube in the positioning concave surface of the first positioning block and the second positioning block, so that the positioning concave surface fits against the outer wall of the shaped tube, and complete the coarse positioning; then insert the positioning pin into the positioning holes at both ends of the shaped tube to achieve the precise positioning of the shaped tube, reset the pressure plate and tighten the nut. The clamping method that combines the coarse positioning with the positioning pin with the fine positioning can quickly achieve the precise positioning of the shaped tube, ensuring the stable and reliable positioning accuracy of the workpiece. With the quick-opening and closing pressure plate structure, the operation steps are simplified while ensuring the clamping firmness, further improving the clamping efficiency and positioning accuracy of the shaped tube.

[0017] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages of the present invention are: 1. The positioner can drive the turntable to swing and rotate, which can flexibly adjust the spatial posture of the shaped tube. With the help of multiple positioning mechanisms, multiple workpieces can be pre-assembled synchronously. The positioning concave surfaces on the first and second positioning blocks can fit tightly with the shape of the shaped tube. With the help of the positioning pin, precise positioning is achieved. Then, the pressure plate is used to achieve reliable clamping, so that the shaped tube can maintain a stable posture after one clamping, which meets the requirements of continuous cutting in all positions.

[0018] 2. The high-precision positioning and multi-station linkage cutting method can significantly improve the cutting accuracy and cross-sectional quality of irregular tubes, ensuring that the processing effect can stably meet the accuracy requirements of subsequent assembly. At the same time, relying on automated processing and reasonable posture adjustment avoids spatial interference during the cutting process, eliminating the need for multiple disassembly and assembly of workpieces. This fundamentally reduces the cumulative error caused by multiple positioning, ensuring reliable product processing accuracy and consistency, and significantly improving overall processing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the irregular tube cutting and positioning device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shaped tube cutting and positioning device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention after clamping the shaped tube. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shaped tube cutting and positioning device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention after clamping the shaped tube. Figure 2 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioner according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the turntable according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting system according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting system according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the laser head and the shaped tube cutting and positioning device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a structural schematic diagram of the X-axis bed assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a structural schematic diagram of the Y-axis beam assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the Z-axis laser head assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the irregular tube mentioned in the background art; The components represented by the various reference numerals in the diagram are: 1. Positioner; 11. Base; 12. First servo motor; 13. Second servo motor; 14. Mounting plate; 2. Turntable; 21. Weight reduction hole; 22. Mounting hole; 3. Positioning mechanism; 31. Base plate; 32. First positioning block; 33. Second positioning block; 34. Positioning concave surface; 35. Positioning pin; 36. Pressure plate; 361. V-shaped hole; 37. First support column; 38. Second support column; 39. Nut; 4. Three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine; 41. X-axis bed assembly; 411. Support beam; 412. First support seat; 413. Linear guide rail; 414. Connecting beam; 415. Cable chain; 416. First 417. Hard limit; 42. First bellows cover; 42. Y-axis crossbeam assembly; 421. Crossbeam; 422. Linear guide rail slider mechanism; 423. Rack; 424. Third servo motor; 425. First reducer; 426. Adjustment plate; 427. Second hard limit; 428. Second bellows cover; 429. Soft limit; 43. Z-axis laser head assembly; 431. Second support base; 432. Vertical beam; 433. Fourth servo motor; 434. Fifth servo motor; 435. Second reducer; 436. Drive gear; 437. Linear guide rail rack mechanism; 5. Shaped tube; 51. Cutting section; 52. Positioning hole. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this patent, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0022] Example 1 In a typical embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1-6 As shown, a non-standard tube cutting and positioning device is proposed, including: a positioner 1, a turntable 2 and a positioning mechanism 3. The positioner 1 is a dual-axis servo structure, which can control the turntable 2 to swing or rotate around the axis. The turntable 2 is mounted on the positioner 1. Several positioning mechanisms 3 are provided and fixedly mounted on the turntable 2. The positioning mechanisms 3 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the turntable 2. The positioning mechanisms 3 are used for positioning and fixing the non-standard tube 5.

[0023] like Figure 4 As shown, the positioner 1 includes a base 11, a first servo motor 12, a second servo motor 13, and a mounting plate 14. The base 11 has a U-shaped structure and serves as the main support. The first servo motor 12 is horizontally fixedly mounted on one side of the base 11. The second servo motor 13 is vertically arranged, and its two sides are rotatably connected to the base 11 via rotating shafts. The output end of the first servo motor 12 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft on one side of the second servo motor 13 via a reducer, thereby controlling the second servo motor 13 to swing around the Y-axis. The output end of the second servo motor 13 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 14 via a reducer, thereby controlling the rotation of the mounting plate 14 around the axis. Through the combined use of the first servo motor 12 and the second servo motor 13, the tilt angle and rotation angle of the mounting plate 14 can be controlled as needed to meet different processing requirements, ensuring that the workpiece rotation position is the optimal cutting position, and eliminating the occurrence of cutting burrs and tremors.

[0024] Turntable 2 has a circular structure, such as Figure 5 As shown, the turntable 2 has several weight-reducing holes 21 and mounting holes 22. The weight-reducing holes 21 are used to reduce the overall weight of the turntable 2, and the mounting holes 22 are used for bolt installation to achieve a fixed connection between the turntable 2 and the mounting plate 14. The positioning mechanism 3 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the turntable 2 by bolt fixing or welding. The positioning mechanism 3 is used for positioning and fixing the shaped tube 5. The positioning mechanism 3 makes the cut sections 51 at both ends of the shaped tube 5 extend outward from the turntable 2.

[0025] like Figure 6As shown, the positioning mechanism 3 includes a base plate 31, a first positioning block 32, a second positioning block 33, a positioning pin 35, and a pressure plate 36. The shape of the base plate 31 is adapted to the curved shape of the shaped tube 5. In this embodiment, the base plate 31 is a C-shaped plate. There is one first positioning block 32, which is fixedly installed in the middle position of the base plate 31 by welding or bolting. There are two second positioning blocks 33, which are fixedly installed at both ends of the base plate 31 by welding or bolting. The upper surfaces of the positioning block 32 and the second positioning block 33 are provided with positioning concave surfaces 34. The positioning concave surfaces 34 fit the shape of the shaped tube 5 for coarse positioning of the shaped tube 5. A positioning pin 35 is fixed in the positioning concave surface 34 of each second positioning block 33. Positioning holes 52 are machined at the cut surfaces 51 at both ends of the shaped tube 5. The precise positioning of the shaped tube 5 is achieved by the cooperation of the positioning pin 35 and the positioning holes 52. The pressure plate 36 is detachably installed above the first positioning block 32 for pressing and fixing the shaped tube 5.

[0026] In this embodiment, the outer end face of the second positioning block 33 and the outer end face of the base plate 31 are located in the same vertical plane and are both located outside the turntable 2. The distance between the two second positioning blocks 33 is less than the length of the shaped tube 5, so that both ends of the shaped tube 5 extend outward from the second positioning block 33 to facilitate the processing of the cutting section 51.

[0027] The first support column 37 and the second support column 38 are welded and fixed on the base plate 31. The first support column 37 and the second support column 38 are vertically arranged and opposite to each other on both sides of the first positioning block 32. The upper ends of the first support column 37 and the second support column 38 are provided with external threads and threaded with nuts 39. The first support column 37 and the second support column 38 are respectively connected to the two ends of the pressure plate 36.

[0028] Specifically, the first support column 37 is rotatably connected to one end of the pressure plate 36, and the other end of the pressure plate 36 is provided with a V-shaped hole 361. The V-shaped hole 361 passes through one side of the pressure plate 36 for quick connection or separation with the second support column 38. When clamping the workpiece, it is only necessary to loosen the nut 39 and turn the pressure plate 36 to one side to separate it from the second support column 38, and then clamp the workpiece. The first support column 37 and the second support column 38 at both ends are used to support the pressure plate 36, thereby pressing the workpiece.

[0029] In this embodiment, the turntable 2 is provided with four positioning mechanisms 3, which can clamp four workpieces at one time. When cutting, the turntable 2 rotates to the appropriate position for laser cutting. It is understood that in other embodiments, the number of positioning mechanisms 3 can also be set, and no further restrictions are made here.

[0030] Example 2 In another typical embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 7-13As shown, a cutting system is proposed, including a three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4 and at least two irregular tube cutting positioning devices mentioned in Embodiment 1. Multiple irregular tube cutting positioning devices are arranged in a line at intervals along the X-axis at the processing station of the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4, and the axis of the first servo motor 12 is parallel to the Y-axis of the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4.

[0031] The names of the rotation directions of each axis of the laser head are defined as follows: rotation around the X-axis is the A-axis, rotation around the Y-axis is the B-axis, and rotation around the Z-axis is the C-axis. The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4 can realize the movement of the laser head along the X, Y, and Z axes and the rotation around the X and Z axes, that is, to realize three-dimensional cutting by swinging and rotating along the A and C axes. It can handle the cutting of various complex workpieces and select the optimal cutting method and path according to the shape of the workpiece. The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4 includes an X-axis bed assembly 41, a Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42, and a Z-axis laser head assembly 43. The X-axis bed assembly 41 is used to realize the reciprocating motion of the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 in the X-axis direction, thereby realizing the displacement of the laser head in the X direction. The Z-axis laser head assembly 43 reciprocates on the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42, thereby realizing the displacement of the laser head in the Y direction. The Z-axis laser head assembly 43 itself can realize the reciprocating motion of the laser head up and down, realizing the displacement of the laser head in the Z direction. The irregular tube 5 is fixed at the processing station by the irregular tube cutting positioning device. The laser head moves in three-dimensional space through the X, Y, and Z axis displacements and its own rotation axes A and C, realizing the laser cutting of three-dimensional curved parts.

[0032] like Figure 11 As shown, the X-axis bed assembly 41 includes two support beams 411 arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides. The support beams 411 extend along the X-axis, and both ends of the two support beams 411 are fixed on the first support base 412. The two support beams 411 are provided with two parallel linear guide rails 413, which extend along the X-axis. The Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 moves along the linear guide rails 413. The two support beams 411 are also provided with racks. The third servo motor 424 of the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 drives the gear to mesh with the rack, thereby driving the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 to reciprocate along the X-axis.

[0033] Connecting beams 414 are fixedly connected between the two ends of the two support beams 411 and between the two first support seats 412, thus forming a closed high-strength frame. The two ends of the connecting beams 414 are made of two plates welded vertically, and the two vertical surfaces are precision machined. This surface is locked with the precision machined end face of the left and right support beams 411 using screws. One end is fitted and locked, while the other end is left with a gap for telescopic adjustment using an elongated hole. This can effectively reduce the processing difficulty and can adjust the parallelism of the linear guide rails 413 arranged on the left and right support beams 411. The connection of the adjustable end is locked by a screw with a push and pull. After the entire frame is adjusted, it is positioned by a pin. The purpose is to enable the equipment to be installed quickly and accurately and to ensure the accuracy of the equipment. This method is significantly better than the conventional single-plane locking method.

[0034] Four first support seats 412 are equipped with adjustable feet to adjust the level of the entire frame. The relative position of the four first support seats 412 is adjusted by adjusting supports fixed to the base plate. The adjusting supports are provided with threaded holes, and the relative position of the four first support seats 412 is adjusted by using bolts to push the bottom of the first support seats 412.

[0035] The X-axis bed assembly 41 is also equipped with a drag chain 415, which contains the drive motor cables for each axis, as well as optical fibers and gas pipelines for cutting. The support beam 411 is also equipped with the first hard limit 416 of the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 and the first bellows cover 417 for guide rail protection.

[0036] like Figure 12 As shown, the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 includes a crossbeam 421 and a linear guide slider mechanism 422. The crossbeam 421 is perpendicular to the support beam 411 and extends along the Y-axis. Both ends of the crossbeam 421 are slidably connected to the support beam 411 and the linear guide rail 413 on the support beam 411. The linear guide slider mechanism 422 is arranged on the crossbeam 421 and extends along the Y-axis. The linear guide slider mechanism 422 is arranged perpendicularly to the opposite plane. The Z-axis laser head assembly 43 reciprocates along the linear guide slider mechanism 422. The perpendicular arrangement of the linear guide slider mechanism 422 provides stable support. The rack 423 is fixedly mounted on the crossbeam 421 and is on the same plane as the linear guide slider mechanism 422. The Z-axis laser head assembly 43 is displaced in the Y-axis direction by a fourth servo motor 433 through a second reducer 435 and a drive gear 436.

[0037] The two ends of the crossbeam 421 are fixedly mounted with a third servo motor 424 to realize dual-axis drive in the X-axis direction. The third servo motor 424 drives the gear to mesh with the rack on the support beam 411 through the first reducer 425 to realize displacement in the X-axis direction. The meshing position of the gear and rack is achieved by a push and pull screw on the adjustment plate 426. The end face of the adjustment plate 426 is arranged with cylindrical pins to accurately fix the position and prevent loosening during machine operation from affecting the meshing amount of the gear and rack. The crossbeam 421 is provided with a second hard limit 427 and a soft limit stop 429 to limit the stroke of the Z-axis laser head assembly 43. The crossbeam 421 is also provided with a second bellows cover 428 to protect the linear guide and rack.

[0038] like Figure 13 As shown, the Z-axis laser head assembly 43 includes a vertical beam 432, a T-shaped second support base 431, and a fourth servo motor 433 for driving the laser head to move in the Y-axis direction. The second support base 431 is slidably connected to the vertical beam 432 and is located behind the vertical beam 432, which can shorten the width of the second support base 431, thereby increasing the Y-axis stroke and thus increasing the cutting area in the Y direction. The fourth servo motor 433 is fixedly mounted on the second support base 431 and arranged in front of the second support base 431. The second support base 431 is slidably connected to the crossbeam 421. The fourth servo motor 433 meshes with the rack 423 on the crossbeam 421 through a second reducer 435 and a drive gear 436, thereby realizing the displacement of the laser head in the Y-axis direction.

[0039] A fifth servo motor 434 is also fixedly mounted on the second support 431 to drive the movement of the laser head in the Z-axis direction. A three-dimensional laser head is mounted on the bottom of the vertical beam 432. The three-dimensional laser head itself has an AC axis rotation, which can achieve C-axis rotation ±360° (or infinite rotation), and A-axis swing range ±135°, thereby realizing complex cutting of three-dimensional covering parts. The relevant description of the three-dimensional laser head is described in detail in the patent (CN220178431U), and will not be repeated here. The vertical beam 432 is equipped with a linear guide rack mechanism 437, which includes a vertically arranged linear guide rail and a rack. The vertical beam 432 is slidably connected to the second support base 431 through the linear guide rail. The second support base 431 drives the gear to mesh with the rack through the fifth servo motor 434, so that the vertical beam 432 can move up and down along the linear guide rack mechanism 437, thereby realizing the displacement of the laser head in the Z-axis direction. The vertical beam 432 is provided with multiple through holes to facilitate the passage of the laser head's cables, air tubes, optical fibers, etc. inside the vertical beam 432. Similarly, the Z-axis laser head assembly 43 is equipped with a cable chain for arranging cables and optical fibers and a bellows cover to protect the linear guide rail and rack.

[0040] Example 3 In another typical embodiment of the present invention, a cutting method is proposed, which employs the cutting system mentioned in Embodiment 2. The cutting method includes: Loosen the nut 39 on the pressure plate 36 and rotate the pressure plate 36 around the first support column 37 so that the pressure plate 36 quickly disengages from the second support column 38 through the V-shaped hole 361, opening the clamping space. Place the shaped tube 5 in the positioning concave surface 34 of the first positioning block 32 and the second positioning block 33, so that the positioning concave surface 34 fits against the outer wall of the shaped tube 5 to complete the rough positioning. Align the positioning holes 52 at both ends of the shaped tube 5 with the positioning pins 35 on the second positioning block 33, so that the positioning pins 35 are inserted into the positioning holes 52 to achieve precise positioning of the shaped tube 5 and ensure the positional accuracy of the cutting section 51. Reset the pressure plate 36 so that the V-shaped hole 361 is engaged with the second support column 38. Tighten the nut 39 and press and fix the shaped tube 5 through the pressure plate 36 to ensure that there is no movement or loosening during the cutting process. In the above manner, complete the clamping of the shaped tube 5 in all positioning mechanisms 3 on the same turntable 2 so that the two ends of the shaped tube 5 to be cut extend out of the outside of the turntable 2, reserving processing space for laser cutting.

[0041] After all the irregular tubes 5 are clamped, the positioner 1 is started. The first servo motor 12 drives the second servo motor 13 to swing around the Y-axis, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the mounting plate 14 to change the tilt angle of the irregular tube 5 to be cut. The second servo motor 13 drives the mounting plate 14 to rotate around its own axis, and finally rotates the irregular tube 5 to be cut to the preset initial cutting posture, so that the section of the irregular tube to be cut and the laser head output light path form the optimal cutting angle, providing a stable posture for subsequent three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting and avoiding the generation of cutting burrs and tremors.

[0042] After the positioner 1 has been adjusted, the workpiece machining coordinate system is established by using the shaped tube cutting positioning device as the positioning reference, through laser head tool setting or probe edge finding, the reference coordinates of the positioning device and the shaped tube are entered, and the pre-compiled shaped tube 3D cutting program is imported. The system automatically reads process parameters such as cutting path, cutting speed, laser power, focal length, and auxiliary gas pressure, performs no-load simulation, checks whether the linkage of X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis and the swing of A-axis and C-axis interfere with the shape of the shaped tube 5, and confirms that the movement trajectory of positioner 1 and laser head is safe and reliable.

[0043] Specifically, using the machine tool coordinate system of the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4 as the reference, and the base plate 31, the first positioning block 32, the second positioning block 33, and the positioning pin 35 of the shaped tube cutting positioning device as the positioning reference, the coordinates of the positioning device reference point, the center of the positioning pin 35, and the center point of the section to be cut of the shaped tube 5 are collected by the laser head edge finding function or the contact probe, respectively. The system automatically fits and generates the workpiece processing coordinate system, and binds and associates this coordinate system with the machine tool coordinate system to ensure that the subsequent cutting path corresponds accurately with the actual position of the workpiece. Among them, the multiple shaped tube cutting positioning devices arranged in a line along the X-axis are respectively calibrated, and the coordinates of each station are unified to the same machine tool coordinate system to complete the multi-station coordinate linkage matching, so as to ensure that the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine 4 can directly and continuously process without repeating tool setting when switching stations in the X-axis direction.

[0044] The 3D five-axis laser cutting machine 4 executes the cutting according to the program. The X-axis bed assembly 41 drives the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 to move along the X-axis direction, realizing the X-axis feed of the laser head; the Y-axis crossbeam assembly 42 drives the Z-axis laser head assembly 43 to move along the Y-axis direction, realizing the Y-axis feed of the laser head; the Z-axis laser head assembly 43 drives the vertical beam 432 to move up and down through the fifth servo motor 434, realizing the Z-axis feed of the laser head. The laser head has its own A-axis and C-axis linkage rotation. The C-axis can rotate ±360°, and the A-axis can swing ±135°, completing the high-precision cutting of the section 51 of the irregular tube 5 and the three-dimensional curved surface contour. After one irregular tube 5 on the same turntable 2 is cut, the positioner 1 drives the turntable 2 to rotate, sending the next clamped irregular tube 5 to the cutting station to continue the cutting program, realizing continuous processing of multiple workpieces. After all the workpieces on the single positioning device are cut, the 3D five-axis laser cutting machine moves along the X-axis to the next irregular tube cutting positioning device station, repeating the above cutting process to realize uninterrupted production at multiple stations.

[0045] After all the irregular tubes 5 have been cut, the laser head returns to the safe position, each motion axis returns to the standby position, the nut 39 on the pressure plate 36 is loosened, the pressure plate 36 is flipped over, the cut irregular tubes 5 are removed, the dimensions, perpendicularity and smoothness of the cut section are checked to see if they are up to standard, the dust and residue on the positioning mechanism 3, the positioning concave surface 34 and the positioning pin 35 are cleaned to prepare for the next batch of clamping, the positioner 1, the turntable 2 and the laser head are restored to their initial state, the laser and servo power are turned off, and the entire cutting process is completed.

[0046] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device for cutting and positioning irregularly shaped tubes, comprising: The positioner (1) is characterized in that a turntable (2) is installed on the positioner (1), and the positioner (1) is used to drive the turntable (2) to swing or rotate around the axis. Several positioning mechanisms (3) are fixedly arranged on the turntable (2) at intervals along its circumference. Each positioning mechanism (3) includes a base plate (31). A first positioning block (32) is fixedly arranged in the middle position of the base plate (31). A second positioning block (33) is fixedly arranged at both ends of the base plate (31). A positioning concave surface (34) is opened on the upper surface of the first positioning block (32) and the second positioning block (33). The positioning concave surface (34) fits the shape of the special tube (5). A positioning pin (35) is fixedly arranged in the positioning concave surface (34) of each second positioning block (33). A pressure plate (36) is detachably installed above the first positioning block (32).

2. The irregular tube cutting and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (31) is fixed with a first support column (37) and a second support column (38). The first support column (37) and the second support column (38) are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the first positioning block (32). The first support column (37) and the second support column (38) are respectively connected to the two ends of the pressure plate (36), and the upper ends of the first support column (37) and the second support column (38) are threaded with nuts (39).

3. The irregular tube cutting and positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first support (37) is rotatably connected to one end of the pressure plate (36), and the other end of the pressure plate (36) is provided with a V-shaped hole (361). The V-shaped hole (361) passes through one side of the pressure plate (36) and is used to connect with the second support (38).

4. The irregular tube cutting and positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioner (1) includes a base (11), a first servo motor (12) and a second servo motor (13). The first servo motor (12) is horizontally fixedly installed on one side of the base (11). The second servo motor (13) is vertically arranged and rotatably connected to the base (11) on both sides through rotating shafts. The output end of the first servo motor (12) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft on one side of the second servo motor (13). The output end of the second servo motor (13) is fixedly connected to a mounting plate (14). The mounting plate (14) is fixedly connected to the turntable (2).

5. A cutting system, characterized in that, The device includes a three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine (4) and at least two special-shaped tube cutting positioning devices as described in any one of claims 1-4. The multiple special-shaped tube cutting positioning devices are arranged in a line at intervals along the X-axis and installed at the processing station. The axis of the first servo motor (12) is parallel to the Y-axis of the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine (4).

6. The cutting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine (4) includes an X-axis bed assembly (41), a Y-axis crossbeam assembly (42), and a Z-axis laser head assembly (43). The Y-axis crossbeam assembly (42) reciprocates along the X-axis direction on the X-axis bed assembly (41), and the Z-axis laser head assembly (43) reciprocates along the Y-axis on the Y-axis crossbeam assembly (42). The Z-axis laser head assembly (43) itself realizes the up-and-down reciprocating motion of the laser head. The laser head is a three-dimensional laser head that can rotate along the AC axis.

7. A cutting method, characterized in that, The cutting system described in claim 5 is used, and the cutting method includes: Each positioning mechanism (3) is fitted with a shaped tube (5) so that the two ends of the shaped tube (5) to be cut extend outward from the turntable (2); Start the positioner (1) to adjust the posture and rotate the shaped tube (5) to be cut to the preset initial cutting posture; The three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine (4) cuts the shaped tube (5). After one shaped tube (5) on the same turntable (2) is cut, the positioner (1) drives the turntable (2) to rotate and sends the next clamped shaped tube (5) to the cutting station to continue cutting and realize the continuous processing of multiple workpieces. After all the workpieces on the single shaped tube cutting and positioning device are cut, the three-dimensional five-axis laser cutting machine (4) moves along the X-axis to the next shaped tube cutting and positioning device station and repeats the above cutting process.

8. The cutting method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After the positioner (1) has been adjusted, the workpiece processing coordinate system is established with the shaped tube cutting positioning device as the positioning reference. The reference coordinates of the shaped tube cutting positioning device and the shaped tube (5) are entered. The pre-compiled shaped tube three-dimensional cutting program is imported and a no-load simulation is performed to confirm that the positioner (1) and the laser head movement trajectory are safe and reliable.

9. The cutting method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The multiple irregular tube cutting positioning devices arranged in a line along the X-axis are respectively calibrated to unify the coordinates of each station to the same machine tool coordinate system, and the multi-station coordinate linkage matching is completed.

10. The cutting method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When clamping the shaped tube (5), first loosen the nut (39), rotate the pressure plate (36) around the first support (37) to make the V-shaped hole (361) quickly disengage from the second support (38), place the shaped tube (5) in the positioning concave surface (34) of the first positioning block (32) and the second positioning block (33), so that the positioning concave surface (34) fits against the outer wall of the shaped tube (5) to complete the rough positioning; then insert the positioning pin (35) into the positioning hole (52) at both ends of the shaped tube (5) to achieve the precise positioning of the shaped tube (5), reset the pressure plate (36) and tighten the nut (39).

Images