Robot preparation feeding and discharging control method and system in machining production line

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of CNC flexible machining production line control, in particular to a robot preparation feeding and discharging control method and system in a machining production line, and the method comprises the steps: building real-time communication among a robot, a CNC machining center and a main control system; the CNC machining center generates a loading and unloading preparation request based on prediction before machining is completed and sends the loading and unloading preparation request to the main control system; the main control system sorts the requests and generates a cooperative scheduling instruction; synchronously controlling a feeding and discharging robot to move to a preparation position near the target CNC machining center in advance along a safe track to wait based on the instruction; and after the CNC machining center completes machining and sends out an allowing signal, the discharging robot is sequentially controlled to execute discharging, and the feeding robot is notified to execute feeding after leaving, so that the movement waiting time of the robots is eliminated, and the machining efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of CNC flexible machining production line control technology, specifically to a robot pre-loading and unloading control method and system in a machining production line. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production lines consisting of multiple CNC machining centers and their associated loading / unloading robots, centralized scheduling is typically used to coordinate the operations of each unit in order to achieve continuous and efficient production. In traditional control modes, loading / unloading actions are triggered based on the immediate signal indicating that CNC machining is complete: when a CNC machine finishes machining a workpiece, it sends a loading / unloading request to its corresponding loading / unloading robot. Upon receiving the instruction, the robot starts from its standby origin, moves along a path to the machining center, and then performs the operation of unloading the machined workpiece and clamping the new part.

[0003] Because the robot's movement from the origin to the machining station takes a certain amount of time, and this movement time is sequentially superimposed on the CNC machining time, the CNC must enter an idle waiting state after completing the machining process until the robot arrives at its destination before the loading and unloading doors can be opened for material changing. This forced machine tool waiting time directly extends the overall production cycle time of the machining center.

[0004] Especially in flexible production lines with multiple machine tools and parallel tasks, the CNC machining cycles exhibit dynamic fluctuations, making it difficult for traditional serial response modes to achieve efficient matching of robot and machine tool work rhythms. The back-and-forth movement and waiting time of robots between different machining centers further amplifies the proportion of non-operational time, limiting the continuous improvement of the overall production line capacity. Therefore, eliminating or reducing the robot's movement waiting time after the machining center completes its work, and achieving tight coupling and overlapping optimization of machine tool and robot operation sequences, has become a key issue in improving the efficiency of this type of automated production line. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a robot pre-loading and unloading control method and system in a machining production line. This method enables each CNC machining center to pre-call the robot for material feeding, allowing the robot to wait beside the machine tool. Once the machine tool has finished processing, the robot directly grabs and places the workpiece, reducing waiting time and greatly improving processing efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a robot pre-loading and unloading control method for a machining production line, applicable to a production line including a loading and unloading robot, a CNC machining center, and a main control system of the production line, comprising the following steps: S1. Establish real-time data communication between the robot control system, CNC machining center and production line main control system; S2. Before the current machining process is completed, the CNC machining center generates a pre-loading / unloading request based on the prediction of its machining completion time, and sends the request to the main control system of the production line. S3. The main control system of the production line receives the request, sorts the received multiple requests according to the preset scheduling strategy, and generates a collaborative scheduling instruction. S4. According to the collaborative scheduling instruction, synchronously control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move along the safe trajectory to the preparatory position near the CNC machining center; S5. After the CNC machining center completes the machining and sends an operation permission signal, control the unloading robot to perform the unloading operation, and after the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, send an loading permission signal to the loading robot. S6. After receiving the loading signal, the loading robot performs the loading operation.

[0007] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, S2, based on the prediction of its processing completion time, specifically includes: In the control program of the CNC machining center, at least one pre-triggered flag is preset; When the CNC machining program reaches the machining stage corresponding to the pre-trigger flag, it is determined that the machining is about to be completed, and the pre-loading / unloading request is generated. The activation condition for the pre-trigger flag is: The CNC machining center's internal machining timer records the running time of the current process, which reaches a preset trigger time threshold; or the CNC machining center's numerical control system detects that the number of remaining program segments or remaining machining amount before the end of the current process is less than a preset trigger progress threshold.

[0008] Two clear and quantifiable activation conditions for the preparation trigger flag are provided, making the CNC machining center's determination of when the machining is about to be completed more accurate and controllable. This avoids the problem of the robot waiting for a long time and wasting energy due to calling too early, or the problem of the robot being unable to prepare for loading and unloading due to calling too late, thus ensuring the timeliness and rationality of the preparation request generation.

[0009] Based on the judgment logic that the running time has reached the trigger threshold or the remaining program segment / machining amount is less than the trigger threshold, there is no need to add a complex time prediction algorithm. It can directly utilize the machining timer of the CNC machining center itself and the detection data of the CNC system, achieving low cost and strong compatibility.

[0010] It supports setting multiple pre-trigger flags, and can flexibly adjust the trigger nodes according to the complexity of different processing procedures and the fluctuation of processing time, adapting to diverse processing technology requirements and further optimizing the response speed and collaborative accuracy of robot scheduling.

[0011] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, S2 specifically includes: S21. When the CNC machining center is running the machining program, it calculates or calls the pre-stored estimated remaining time required from the current position to the completion of the process in real time. S22. Compare the estimated remaining time with a preset robot movement time threshold, which represents the time required for the robot to move from the standby position to the vicinity of the CNC. S23. When the estimated remaining time is less than or equal to the robot movement time threshold, generate and send the pre-loading / unloading request.

[0012] By introducing a comparison logic between the estimated remaining time and the robot's movement time threshold, the timing of the CNC machining center generating a preparatory loading / unloading request is precisely matched with the robot's movement time. This ensures that the robot can arrive at the preparatory position just as the CNC machining is completed, minimizing machine tool waiting time.

[0013] The robot movement time threshold can be pre-calibrated based on actual working conditions such as robot model, motion trajectory length, and load status, and supports dynamic adjustment to adapt to the layout differences of different production lines and robot operating characteristics, thereby improving the adaptability and optimization space of the technical solution.

[0014] By calculating or recalling pre-stored estimated remaining time in real time, the generation of preparation requests is made more in line with the actual processing progress, effectively dealing with processing time fluctuations caused by factors such as material characteristics and equipment operating status, and improving the anti-interference ability and stability of the preparation loading and unloading mechanism.

[0015] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the preparatory loading and unloading request includes at least a loading request; In S3, the main control system of the production line generates corresponding loading requirements based on the received unloading request, and binds the unloading request and loading requirements into a pre-loading task for sorting. The pre-loading / unloading request is sent in the form of a data packet, which includes at least: the identifier of the requesting CNC, the request type, and the estimated processing completion timestamp or priority code.

[0016] The system explicitly includes unloading requests in the pre-loading / unloading requests, and the main control system synchronously generates bound loading requirements. This achieves integrated scheduling of unloading and loading tasks, avoiding the problems of missed loading or untimely loading after handling unloading requests separately. It ensures that the CNC machining center can immediately receive new workpieces to be processed after completing unloading, further reducing equipment idle time. The data packet contains information such as the request source CNC identifier, request type, estimated processing completion timestamp, or priority code, providing comprehensive data support for the main control system to quickly parse requests, accurately locate target equipment, and rationally prioritize tasks. This reduces the time and error of scheduling decisions and improves the efficiency of multi-task scheduling.

[0017] By binding unloading requests and loading requirements into a single task for sorting, the task management logic of the production line's main control system is simplified, avoiding task conflicts or scheduling chaos that may occur when multiple tasks are processed in parallel. At the same time, it facilitates the unified tracking and monitoring of the execution status of unloading and loading tasks, thereby improving the convenience of production management.

[0018] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the steps in S3 include: The main control system of the production line maintains a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks. According to a preset sorting rule, it inserts multiple received preparatory loading and unloading requests into the corresponding positions in the queue to determine their execution priority. Take the highest priority task from the preparatory task queue and parse its corresponding target CNC identifier; Based on the target CNC identifier, a corresponding robot movement task is generated, and a collaborative scheduling instruction data packet is encapsulated and generated. The data packet includes at least: target position coordinates, maximum allowed synchronous movement speed, and a unique task identifier code for state synchronization between the two robots.

[0019] By maintaining a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks, orderly management of concurrent requests from multiple CNC machining centers is achieved, avoiding request congestion or scheduling chaos, ensuring that the preparatory loading and unloading needs of each CNC machining center can be responded to in a timely manner, and improving the orderliness of multi-device collaborative production.

[0020] The collaborative scheduling instruction data packet contains key information such as target position coordinates, maximum synchronous movement speed, and unique task identifier, enabling the robot to accurately locate the target position and ensuring speed matching between the two robots to avoid coordination mismatch caused by speed differences. Furthermore, the unique task identifier facilitates state synchronization and precise association between the robot and the main control system, reducing errors in the transmission and execution of scheduling instructions.

[0021] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the preset sorting rule is: first-in, first-out rule, that is, sorting according to the order in which the pre-loading / unloading requests are received; or The preset sorting rule is as follows: requests are dynamically sorted based on the urgency of the remaining processing time of the CNC machining centers that sent the pre-loading / unloading requests; requests with shorter remaining time have higher priority. The preset sorting rule is as follows: For multiple requests from different CNC machining centers, the production line main control system calculates the task sequence with the shortest total movement path or the least time consumption based on the current position and movement state of the loading robot and unloading robot, and sorts them accordingly.

[0022] Three flexible sorting rules are provided, allowing the production line to choose the appropriate scheduling strategy based on actual production needs. The first-in-first-out (FIFO) rule ensures the fairness and stability of the scheduling process, and is suitable for scenarios where the processing cycles of each CNC machining center are similar. The remaining time urgency sorting prioritizes responding to CNC requests that are about to be completed, minimizing machine tool waiting time, and is suitable for scenarios with large differences in processing cycles. The shortest total movement path / least time sorting optimizes the robot's movement trajectory, reduces the total robot movement time and energy consumption, and improves the overall operating efficiency of the production line, and is suitable for scenarios with multiple CNCs distributed in a decentralized manner.

[0023] It supports dynamic switching of sorting rules based on production conditions, or the combination of multiple rules, making the scheduling strategy more flexible and adaptable. It can cope with changes in various production scenarios such as batch production, emergency order insertion, and equipment failure, thereby improving the flexible production capability of the production line.

[0024] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, step S4 includes: S41. The main control system of the production line parses the collaborative scheduling instruction, generates and synchronously sends movement instructions to the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot; S42. After receiving the instruction, the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot call the pre-stored trajectory safety program, which defines the motion constraints of the robot on the shared path. S43. Based on the trajectory safety program, the respective controllers coordinate to control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move synchronously along the planned path to the predefined loading and unloading preparation positions outside the target CNC machining center.

[0025] The main control system of the production line sends movement commands to the two robots simultaneously, ensuring that the loading robot and the unloading robot start moving at the same time. This avoids the coordination delay caused by a single robot moving first, and ensures that the two robots can arrive at the ready position at the same time, which is precisely matched with the completion time of CNC machining, thus improving the synchronization and efficiency of collaborative operation.

[0026] The pre-stored trajectory safety program defines the motion constraints of the robot on the shared path, standardizes the motion boundaries and interaction rules of the two robots at the program level, effectively prevents collisions and interference between the robots in the shared trajectory area, improves the safety of robot movement, and reduces the risk of equipment damage.

[0027] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, step S5 includes: S51, the unloading robot continuously listens for or receives a processing completion and unloading signal from the target CNC machining center at its prepared position; S52. Only after confirming receipt of the processing completion and unloading signal, and after the loading and unloading gates of the CNC have been opened to a safe position, will the controller of the unloading robot release the waiting state and control the robot to enter the CNC work area to perform the unloading operation. S53. The unloading robot confirms that it has grasped the workpiece through the sensor of its end effector and moves to a preset unloading completion confirmation position; S54. The unloading robot confirms from its motion trajectory or position sensor that its body and the workpiece it has grasped have completely left the work area or safety fence boundary defined by the CNC machining center. When conditions S53 and S54 are met simultaneously, it is determined that the unloading is completed and the process has ended. S55. After determining that the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, the controller of the unloading robot automatically generates a status signal containing a task identifier. S56. The status signal is sent directly to the controller of the loading robot via the real-time data communication link, or it is sent to the controller of the loading robot after being relayed through the main control system of the production line.

[0028] After the unloading robot completes the unloading, it automatically generates a status signal and sends it to the loading robot through a real-time communication link. This ensures that the loading robot can obtain the unloading completion information in a timely manner without waiting for the main control system of the production line to forward the signal. This shortens the signal transmission delay, enables the loading operation to start quickly, and further optimizes the loading and unloading cycle.

[0029] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, after receiving the loading signal, the loading robot also sends a confirmation feedback signal to the unloading robot or the main control system of the production line before performing the loading operation. If the unloading robot or the main control system does not receive the confirmation feedback signal within a preset time, an abnormal handling process is triggered, which includes resending the signal or reporting the fault.

[0030] The pre-defined error handling process for delayed feedback enables timely responses to communication failures or equipment malfunctions. Temporary signal transmission issues can be resolved by retransmitting signals, and reporting faults alerts staff to promptly investigate equipment problems, preventing prolonged production line downtime due to abnormal situations and improving the production line's self-healing capabilities and stability. The closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the unloading robot or the line's main control system to monitor the signal reception status of the loading robot in real time, facilitating precise tracking and control of the loading and unloading process, and enhancing the transparency and precision of production management.

[0031] Secondly, the present invention also provides a robot pre-loading and unloading control system for a machining production line, used to implement the control method described in the first aspect, including: The loading robot and the unloading robot are each equipped with a robot controller and an end effector; At least one CNC machining center with a built-in numerical control system and programmable logic controller (PLC); The main control system of the production line is communicatively connected to the robot controller and the PLC of the CNC machining center. The PLC of the CNC machining center is configured to generate a pre-loading / unloading request based on a prediction of the processing completion time before the completion of its current processing step, and send the request to the main control system of the production line. The main control system of the production line is configured to: receive the pre-loading and unloading requests, sort the received requests according to a preset scheduling strategy, generate a collaborative scheduling instruction, and synchronously control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move along a safe trajectory to a pre-position near the CNC machining center according to the instruction. The controller of the unloading robot is configured to: perform unloading operation after the CNC machining center completes machining and issues an operable signal, and generate and send an loading signal after unloading is completed and the robot leaves. The controller of the loading robot is configured to perform a loading operation after receiving the loading signal.

[0032] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the main control system of the production line, the robot controller and the PLC of the CNC machining center are connected through an industrial Ethernet switch to form a distributed real-time control network.

[0033] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the PLC of the CNC machining center is equipped with a pre-request generation module, which is configured to perform any of the following operations: Monitor the CNC's internal machining timer or machining program execution progress. When a preset trigger threshold is reached, activate a pre-trigger flag and generate the pre-loading / unloading request; or The remaining time is calculated or called in real time and compared with the preset robot movement time threshold. When the condition is met, the preparatory loading and unloading request is generated. The pre-loading / unloading request is sent in the form of a data packet, which includes at least the CNC identifier of the request source, the request type, and the estimated completion time or priority code.

[0034] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the main control system of the production line is equipped with a dynamic task scheduling module, which is configured as follows: Maintain a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks; The received pre-loading / unloading requests are sorted according to at least one of the following: first-in-first-out rule, urgency rule of remaining processing time, or robot movement path optimization rule. Based on the sorting results, the task is retrieved from the queue, the pre-stored robot path and safety parameters are called, and a collaborative scheduling instruction data packet containing the target position, speed limit and unique task identifier is generated.

[0035] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the robot control system stores and runs a trajectory safety control module, which includes a predefined trajectory safety program. The program defines the speed limit, dynamic avoidance logic and interlocking area of ​​the loading robot and the unloading robot in the shared path area. The trajectory safety control module is configured to, upon receiving a synchronous movement command, coordinate and control the two robots to move safely and synchronously to the predefined loading and unloading positions outside the target CNC, according to the trajectory safety program.

[0036] As a further limitation of the technical solution of the present invention, the controller of the unloading robot is equipped with an unloading execution and signal generation module. The module is configured to: after confirming that the CNC machining is completed and the door is open, control the robot to execute unloading, and after confirming that the workpiece is gripped and completely exits the CNC working area, automatically generate and send a loading signal. The controller of the loading robot has a loading execution and confirmation module. This module is configured to: after receiving the loading signal, send a confirmation feedback signal to the sender, and control the robot to perform the loading operation after confirming that there is no error. The system also includes safety interlock logic, which ensures that the CNC access control locks before the unloading robot has completely left, and locks the movement of the loading robot before the loading signal is confirmed.

[0037] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, this application has the following advantages: It solves the problem of wasted time for machine tools during the robot's movement from the standby position to the machining center in traditional machining production lines, where the CNC machining center only calls the robot for loading and unloading after completing the machining. By designing the CNC machining center to generate pre-loading and unloading requests in advance and the line's main control system to coordinate and schedule the robot to arrive in advance, the loading and unloading cycle is significantly shortened, improving the overall processing efficiency and equipment utilization of the production line.

[0038] By adopting a step-by-step collaborative mechanism where the unloading robot completes the unloading and leaves, and the loading robot only performs the loading, combined with safe trajectory planning, the collision and interference between the two robots when working near the CNC machining center are avoided from the perspective of operational logic. At the same time, the loading and unloading operations are prevented from conflicting, thus improving the safety and reliability of the loading and unloading process.

[0039] The technical solution is applicable to flexible production lines that include multiple CNC machining centers and loading / unloading robots. By sorting multiple requests through a preset scheduling strategy, it can flexibly adapt to the production needs of different processing cycles and different workpiece types, and has strong versatility and scalability. Attached Figure Description

[0040] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 This is the initial layout diagram of the machining production line in this invention.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the robot preparing to load and unload materials during the operation of the machining production line in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The robot control system communicates with the CPU of the CNC machining center and the CPU of the production line, and a data exchange interface is programmed. A program is written in the CPU of each CNC machining center on the production line to pre-call the robot for loading and unloading, allowing the robot to move to the vicinity of the machining center in advance. A trajectory safety macro program is written on the robot control system, allowing the loading and unloading robots to operate within a safe range on the same trajectory, ensuring the safe position of both robots when they start running in advance. To make the purpose, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments and accompanying drawings will be used to clearly and completely describe the technical solution protected by this application. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in this application and in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line, applicable to a production line including a loading and unloading robot, a CNC machining center, and a main control system of the production line, comprising the following steps: S1. Establish real-time data communication between the robot control system, CNC machining center and production line main control system; S2. Before the current machining process is completed, the CNC machining center generates a pre-loading / unloading request based on the prediction of its machining completion time, and sends the request to the main control system of the production line. S3. The main control system of the production line receives the request, sorts the received multiple requests according to the preset scheduling strategy, and generates a collaborative scheduling instruction. S4. According to the collaborative scheduling instruction, synchronously control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move along the safe trajectory to the preparatory position near the CNC machining center; S5. After the CNC machining center completes the machining and sends an operation permission signal, control the unloading robot to perform the unloading operation, and after the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, send an loading permission signal to the loading robot. S6. After receiving the loading signal, the loading robot performs the loading operation.

[0047] In some embodiments, S2, based on the prediction of its processing completion time, specifically includes: In the control program of the CNC machining center, at least one pre-triggered flag is preset; When the CNC machining program reaches the machining stage corresponding to the pre-trigger flag, it is determined that the machining is about to be completed, and the pre-loading / unloading request is generated. The activation condition for the pre-trigger flag is: The CNC machining center's internal machining timer records the running time of the current process, which reaches a preset trigger time threshold; or the CNC machining center's numerical control system detects that the number of remaining program segments or remaining machining amount before the end of the current process is less than a preset trigger progress threshold.

[0048] In this embodiment, the pre-trigger flag DBX46.0 is set in the CNC machining program. Specifically, within the loop of the main machining program, the flag is set by determining whether the value of the internal timer T1 is greater than a preset threshold T_set. After the flag is set, the CNC PLC program detects the change in its state and packages it into a pre-loading / unloading request data packet.

[0049] In some embodiments, S2 specifically includes: S21. When the CNC machining center is running the machining program, it calculates or calls the pre-stored estimated remaining time required from the current position to the completion of the process in real time. S22. Compare the estimated remaining time with a preset robot movement time threshold, which represents the time required for the robot to move from the standby position to the vicinity of the CNC. S23. When the estimated remaining time is less than or equal to the robot movement time threshold, generate and send the pre-loading / unloading request. The pre-loading / unloading request includes at least an unloading request; In S3, the main control system of the production line generates corresponding loading requirements based on the received unloading request, and binds the unloading request and loading requirements into a pre-loading task for sorting. The pre-loading / unloading request is sent in the form of a data packet, which includes at least: the identifier of the requesting CNC, the request type, and the estimated processing completion timestamp or priority code.

[0050] In some embodiments, the steps in S3 include: The main control system of the production line maintains a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks. According to a preset sorting rule, it inserts multiple received preparatory loading and unloading requests into the corresponding positions in the queue to determine their execution priority. Take the highest priority task from the preparatory task queue and parse its corresponding target CNC identifier; Based on the target CNC identifier, a corresponding robot movement task is generated, and a collaborative scheduling instruction data packet is encapsulated and generated. The data packet includes at least: target position coordinates, maximum allowed synchronous movement speed, and a unique task identifier code for state synchronization between the two robots.

[0051] The preset sorting rule is a first-in, first-out (FIFO) rule, that is, sorting according to the order in which the pre-loading / unloading requests are received; or The preset sorting rule is as follows: requests are dynamically sorted based on the urgency of the remaining processing time of the CNC machining centers that sent the pre-loading / unloading requests; requests with shorter remaining time have higher priority. The preset sorting rule is as follows: For multiple requests from different CNC machining centers, the production line main control system calculates the task sequence with the shortest total movement path or the least time consumption based on the current position and movement state of the loading robot and unloading robot, and sorts them accordingly.

[0052] Coordinated scheduling instructions should include at least: Target instruction: Instructs the loading robot and unloading robot to proceed to the target CNC machining center. Coordination command: Instructs the loading robot and unloading robot to perform synchronized preparatory movement operations; Timing instructions: These specify the order of operations and triggering conditions between the unloading robot and the loading robot.

[0053] In some embodiments, step S4 includes: S41. The main control system of the production line parses the collaborative scheduling instruction, generates and synchronously sends movement instructions to the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot; S42. After receiving the instruction, the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot call the pre-stored trajectory safety program, which defines the motion constraints of the robot on the shared path. S43. Based on the trajectory safety program, the respective controllers coordinate to control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move synchronously along the planned path to the predefined loading and unloading preparation positions outside the target CNC machining center.

[0054] In some embodiments, step S5 includes: S51, the unloading robot continuously listens for or receives a processing completion and unloading signal from the target CNC machining center at its prepared position; S52. Only after confirming receipt of the processing completion and unloading signal, and after the loading and unloading gates of the CNC have been opened to a safe position, will the controller of the unloading robot release the waiting state and control the robot to enter the CNC work area to perform the unloading operation. S53. The unloading robot confirms that it has grasped the workpiece through the sensor of its end effector and moves to a preset unloading completion confirmation position; S54. The unloading robot confirms from its motion trajectory or position sensor that its body and the workpiece it has grasped have completely left the work area or safety fence boundary defined by the CNC machining center. When conditions S53 and S54 are met simultaneously, it is determined that the unloading is complete and the process has ended.

[0055] S55. After determining that the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, the controller of the unloading robot automatically generates a status signal containing a task identifier. S56. The status signal is sent directly to the controller of the loading robot via the real-time data communication link, or it is sent to the controller of the loading robot after being relayed through the main control system of the production line.

[0056] During S5 implementation, the following security interlocks are also implemented: Before the unloading robot has completely left the CNC working area, the loading and unloading doors of the CNC machining center are logically or physically locked and prohibited from being closed; Before the loading signal is issued and confirmed by the loading robot, the loading robot is logically locked in its ready position and prohibited from moving into the CNC work area.

[0057] In this embodiment of the invention, after receiving the loading signal, the loading robot also sends a confirmation feedback signal to the unloading robot or the main control system of the production line before performing the loading operation. If the unloading robot or the main control system does not receive the confirmation feedback signal within a preset time, an abnormal handling process is triggered, which includes resending the signal or reporting the fault.

[0058] like Figure 2As shown, the main structural layout of the machining production line provided in this embodiment includes seven-axis sliding rail transport robots for loading and unloading. There are four CNC machining centers: a first CNC machining center 3, a second CNC machining center 4, a third CNC machining center 8, and a fourth CNC machining center 9. The slide table 10 is located in the middle of the production line. In this embodiment, two robots are used: the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 is located at the front end of the slide table 10, the loading station 2 is located on the left side of the slide table 10 at the front end of the line, the first CNC machining center 3 and the second CNC machining center 4 are located on the left side of the slide table, the first assembly station 5 is located on the left side of the slide table, the second seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 6 is located at the rear end of the slide table, the second assembly station 7 is located on the right side of the slide table, and the third CNC machining center 8 and the fourth CNC machining center 9 are located on the right side of the slide table.

[0059] In this embodiment, after the entire line is started and running, the first seven-axis slide rail handling robot 1 grabs a part in any material frame in the loading position 2 and returns to the standby position.

[0060] During the initial operation of the production line, the four CNC machining centers are in an empty state. After picking up a part, the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 will perform the loading task according to the readiness status of the CNC machining centers. The CNC machining centers that are ready first will be loaded first. This continues until all four CNC machining centers are full. At this stage, since the CNC machining centers are processing their first piece, they are not yet ready for unloading. Therefore, the second seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 6 has no unloading task and simply waits at the origin.

[0061] In this embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, during the entire production line operation, when all four CNC machining centers are in operation, the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 is holding a part at its origin and waiting, while the second seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 6 is also waiting at its origin. At this time, the production line has neither loading nor unloading tasks. Taking the first CNC machining center 3 as an example, when the first CNC machining center 3 is about to complete its processing among the four CNC machining centers, it sends an unloading request to the line's main control CPU. After receiving the unloading request, the line prioritizes the unloading request from the first CNC machining center 3 and generates a pre-loading / unloading task. The line CPU simultaneously schedules the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 and the second seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 6 to move to the vicinity of the loading gate of the first CNC machining center 3 in advance to wait. When the first CNC machining center 3 finishes processing and the loading door opens, the second seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 6 immediately performs the unloading action, grabs the part from the first CNC machining center 3, leaves the working area of ​​the first CNC machining center 3, and sends a command to inform the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 that it has left; after receiving the command, the first seven-axis sliding rail transport robot 1 performs the unloading action, and after completing the unloading task, returns to the original standby position, grabs the blank part again, and waits for the next cycle.

[0062] In this embodiment, the key step in implementing pre-loading and unloading on the entire production line is to set the time node when the CNC machining center is about to complete automatic processing, generate unloading request instructions and loading requirements in advance, and complete the collaborative scheduling of loading and unloading robots based on the processing status of the CNC machining center. When the pre-loading and unloading technology is not used, loading and unloading are requested based on the completion of processing by the CNC machining center, and the loading and unloading cycle of a single CNC machining center is about 85 seconds. When the pre-loading and unloading technology is used, under the condition that the production line is fault-free and the cycle time is normal, the loading and unloading cycle of a single CNC machining center is about 38 seconds. The loading and unloading cycle can be reduced by more than 50%.

[0063] This invention also provides a robot pre-loading and unloading control system for a machining production line, used to implement the control method described in the above embodiments, including: The loading robot and the unloading robot are each equipped with a robot controller and an end effector; At least one CNC machining center with a built-in numerical control system and programmable logic controller (PLC); The main control system of the production line is communicatively connected to the robot controller and the PLC of the CNC machining center. in, The PLC of the CNC machining center is configured to generate a pre-loading / unloading request based on a prediction of its processing completion time before the completion of its current machining process, and send the request to the main control system of the production line. The main control system of the production line is configured to: receive the pre-loading and unloading requests, sort the received requests according to a preset scheduling strategy, generate a collaborative scheduling instruction, and synchronously control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move along a safe trajectory to a pre-position near the CNC machining center according to the instruction. The controller of the unloading robot is configured to: perform unloading operation after the CNC machining center completes machining and issues an operable signal, and generate and send an loading signal after unloading is completed and the robot leaves. The controller of the loading robot is configured to perform a loading operation after receiving the loading signal.

[0064] In this embodiment of the invention, the main control system of the production line, the robot controller, and the PLC of the CNC machining center are connected through an industrial Ethernet switch to form a distributed real-time control network.

[0065] The PLC of the CNC machining center runs a pre-request generation module, which is configured to perform any of the following operations: Monitor the CNC's internal machining timer or machining program execution progress. When a preset trigger threshold is reached, activate a pre-trigger flag and generate the pre-loading / unloading request; or The remaining time is calculated or called in real time and compared with the preset robot movement time threshold. When the condition is met, the preparatory loading and unloading request is generated. The pre-loading / unloading request is sent in the form of a data packet, which includes at least the CNC identifier of the request source, the request type, and the estimated completion time or priority code.

[0066] In this embodiment of the invention, the main control system of the production line includes a dynamic task scheduling module, which is configured as follows: Maintain a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks; The received pre-loading / unloading requests are sorted according to at least one of the following: first-in-first-out rule, urgency rule of remaining processing time, or robot movement path optimization rule. Based on the sorting results, the task is retrieved from the queue, the pre-stored robot path and safety parameters are called, and a collaborative scheduling instruction data packet containing the target position, speed limit and unique task identifier is generated.

[0067] In this embodiment of the invention, the robot control system stores and runs a trajectory safety control module, which includes a predefined trajectory safety program. The program defines the speed limits, dynamic avoidance logic, and interlocking areas of the loading robot and the unloading robot in the shared path area. The trajectory safety control module is configured to, upon receiving a synchronous movement command, coordinate and control the two robots to move safely and synchronously to the predefined loading and unloading positions outside the target CNC, according to the trajectory safety program.

[0068] In this embodiment of the invention, the controller of the unloading robot is equipped with an unloading execution and signal generation module. This module is configured to: after confirming that the CNC machining is complete and the door is open, control the robot to execute unloading; and after confirming that the workpiece has been gripped and completely exited the CNC working area, automatically generate and send a loading signal. The controller of the loading robot has a loading execution and confirmation module. This module is configured to: after receiving the loading signal, send a confirmation feedback signal to the sender, and control the robot to perform the loading operation after confirming that there is no error. The system also includes safety interlock logic, which ensures that the CNC access control locks before the unloading robot has completely left, and locks the movement of the loading robot before the loading signal is confirmed.

[0069] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the techniques in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented using software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium such as a USB flash drive, mobile hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk, or other media capable of storing program code. It includes several instructions to cause a computer terminal (which may be a personal computer, server, or a second terminal, network terminal, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0070] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0071] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0072] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0073] 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 robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line, applied to a production line including a loading and unloading robot, a CNC machining center, and a main control system of the production line, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Establish real-time data communication between the robot control system, CNC machining center and production line main control system; S2. Before the current machining process is completed, the CNC machining center generates a pre-loading / unloading request based on the prediction of its machining completion time, and sends the request to the main control system of the production line. S3. The main control system of the production line receives the request, sorts the received multiple requests according to the preset scheduling strategy, and generates a collaborative scheduling instruction. S4. According to the collaborative scheduling instruction, synchronously control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move along the safe trajectory to the preparatory position near the CNC machining center; S5. After the CNC machining center completes the machining and sends an operation permission signal, control the unloading robot to perform the unloading operation, and after the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, send an loading permission signal to the loading robot. S6. After receiving the feeding signal, the feeding robot performs the feeding operation.

2. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S2, based on the prediction of its processing completion time, the specific components include: In the control program of the CNC machining center, at least one pre-triggered flag is preset; When the CNC machining program reaches the machining stage corresponding to the pre-trigger flag, it is determined that the machining is about to be completed, and a pre-loading / unloading request is generated. The activation condition for the pre-trigger flag is: The CNC machining center's internal machining timer records the running time of the current process, which reaches a preset trigger time threshold; or the CNC machining center's numerical control system detects that the number of remaining program segments or remaining machining amount before the end of the current process is less than a preset trigger progress threshold.

3. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, S2 specifically includes: S21. When the CNC machining center is running the machining program, it calculates or calls the pre-stored estimated remaining time required from the current position to the completion of the process in real time. S22. Compare the estimated remaining time with a preset robot movement time threshold, which represents the time required for the robot to move from the standby position to the vicinity of the CNC machining center; S23. When the estimated remaining time is less than or equal to the robot movement time threshold, generate and send the pre-loading / unloading request.

4. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The preparation loading / unloading request includes at least a loading request; In S3, the main control system of the production line generates corresponding loading requirements based on the received unloading request, and binds the unloading request and loading requirements into a pre-loading task for sorting. The pre-loading / unloading request is sent in the form of a data packet, which includes at least: the identifier of the requesting CNC, the request type, and the estimated processing completion timestamp or priority code.

5. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps in S3 include: The main control system of the production line maintains a dynamically updated queue of preparatory tasks. According to the preset sorting rules, it inserts multiple received preparatory loading and unloading requests into the corresponding positions in the queue to determine their execution priority. Take the highest priority task from the preparatory task queue and parse its corresponding target CNC identifier; Based on the target CNC identifier, a corresponding robot movement task is generated and encapsulated into a collaborative scheduling instruction data packet. The data packet includes at least: the target position coordinates, the maximum allowed synchronous movement speed, and a unique task identifier code for state synchronization between the two robots.

6. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The preset sorting rule is a first-in, first-out (FIFO) rule, that is, sorting according to the order in which the pre-loading / unloading requests are received; or The preset sorting rule is as follows: requests are dynamically sorted based on the urgency of the remaining processing time of the CNC machining centers that sent the pre-loading / unloading requests; requests with shorter remaining time have higher priority. The preset sorting rule is as follows: For multiple requests from different CNC machining centers, the production line main control system calculates the task sequence with the shortest total movement path or the least time consumption based on the current position and movement state of the loading robot and unloading robot, and sorts them accordingly.

7. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps in S4 include: S41. The main control system of the production line parses the collaborative scheduling instruction, generates and synchronously sends movement instructions to the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot; S42. After receiving the instruction, the controllers of the loading robot and the unloading robot call the pre-stored trajectory safety program, which defines the motion constraints of the robot on the shared path. S43. Based on the trajectory safety program, the respective controllers coordinate to control the loading robot and the unloading robot to move synchronously along the planned path to the predefined loading and unloading preparation positions outside the target CNC machining center.

8. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps in S5 include: S51, the unloading robot continuously listens for or receives a processing completion and unloading signal from the target CNC machining center at its prepared position; S52. Only after confirming receipt of the processing completion and unloading signal, and after the CNC loading and unloading gates have been opened to a safe position, will the controller of the unloading robot release the waiting state and control the robot to enter the CNC work area to perform the unloading operation. S53. The unloading robot confirms that it has grasped the workpiece through the sensor of its end effector and moves to a preset unloading completion confirmation position; S54. The unloading robot confirms from its motion trajectory or position sensor that its body and the workpiece it has grasped have completely left the work area or safety fence boundary defined by the CNC machining center. When conditions S53 and S54 are met simultaneously, it is determined that the unloading is completed and the process has ended. S55. After determining that the unloading is completed and the robot leaves, the controller of the unloading robot automatically generates a status signal containing a task identifier. S56. The status signal is sent directly to the controller of the loading robot via the real-time data communication link, or it is sent to the controller of the loading robot after being relayed through the main control system of the production line.

9. The robot pre-loading and unloading control method in a machining production line according to claim 8, characterized in that, After receiving the loading signal, the loading robot also sends a confirmation feedback signal to the unloading robot or the main control system of the production line before performing the loading operation. If the unloading robot or the main control system does not receive the confirmation feedback signal within a preset time, an abnormal handling process is triggered, which includes resending the signal or reporting the fault.

10. A robot pre-loading and unloading control system for a machining production line, used to implement the control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, include: The loading robot and the unloading robot are each equipped with a robot controller and an end effector; At least one CNC machining center with a built-in numerical control system and programmable logic controller (PLC); The main control system of the production line is communicatively connected to the robot controller and the PLC of the CNC machining center. The PLC of the CNC machining center is configured to generate a pre-loading / unloading request based on a prediction of the processing completion time before the completion of its current processing step, and send the request to the main control system of the production line. The main control system of the production line is configured to: receive the pre-loading and unloading requests, sort the received requests according to a preset scheduling strategy, generate a collaborative scheduling instruction, and synchronously control the loading robot and unloading robot to move along a safe trajectory to a pre-position near the CNC machining center according to the instruction. The controller of the unloading robot is configured to: perform unloading operation after the CNC machining center completes processing and issues an operable signal, and generate and send an loading signal after unloading is completed and the robot leaves. The controller of the loading robot is configured to perform a loading operation after receiving the loading signal.

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