Pallet-free stacking device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of stacking equipment, and discloses a tray-free stacking device which comprises a conveying unit, a robot stacking unit, a top covering and film sleeving protection unit, a bag pressing and overturning unit and a central control system unit. The top covering and film sleeving protection unit is arranged on the outer side of the middle section of the conveying unit and comprises a top film covering machine, a film sleeving machine, a film material supply mechanism and a tension sensor, the bag pressing and overturning unit is arranged on the outer side of the conveying unit and located on the side, away from the top film covering machine, of the film sleeving machine, and the central control system unit takes a PLC as a core. And the integrated operation panel, the signal acquisition and linkage control module and the central control system unit are in signal interconnection with the other four units. The problems that in the traditional building material industry, bagged material stacking depends on a standard tray to achieve material bag stacking and conveying, and adaptation and overturning protection processes of multiple kinds of materials are not involved are solved.

Description

A palletless palletizing device Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of palletizing equipment technology, specifically to a palletless palletizing device. Background Technology

[0002] Palletizing refers to the process of stacking goods into a pile according to certain rules or methods, and it is widely used in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and other fields.

[0003] Based on existing industrial automated palletizing technology, film protection technology, and material conveying technology, the closest existing technologies for palletizing bagged materials in the building materials industry can be mainly divided into two categories:

[0004] One is pallet palletizing technology: In existing technologies, bagged materials such as cement and dry-mixed mortar are mostly stacked using wooden pallets or plastic pallets as the supporting base. Industrial robots or palletizers stack the bags on the pallets, then wrap them with a film wrapping machine for protection, and finally a forklift removes the pallets to complete the process.

[0005] Second, single-category palletless palletizing technology: Some existing palletless palletizing technologies are mainly used in single-specification bagged materials in industries such as food and light industry. Robots directly stack the bags and use single-layer film to complete the protection.

[0006] Existing palletizing technology has the following drawbacks in the application of multi-category bagged materials in the building materials industry:

[0007] 1. Pallet dependence leads to prominent compatibility and cost issues: Existing palletized technology relies on pallets of uniform specifications, but the building materials industry has a variety of pallet styles and sizes, making it difficult for conveying equipment to be compatible. In addition, pallets are prone to deformation and wear, affecting system stability. At the same time, pallet procurement and maintenance require additional costs, and long-term use will increase the operational burden on enterprises.

[0008] 2. Poor adaptability to multiple material categories: Existing palletless palletizing technology can only adapt to materials of a single specification and weight, and cannot take into account the differentiated palletizing needs of cement, tile adhesive and dry mortar. In particular, small-sized material bags are prone to shifting and scattering after being stacked without pallets, and the stability of conveying cannot be guaranteed.

[0009] 3. Conflict between protection and operational adaptability: Existing technology uses single-use film protection. If space is reserved for forklift teeth, the protection is incomplete. If it is fully enclosed, it will affect the forklift's exit from the production line. Although ton bag stacking can reduce packaging costs, bag laying and bag lifting require manual assistance, which is highly dependent on manual labor and inefficient.

[0010] 4. Insufficient equipment coordination efficiency: Existing palletizing, wrapping, and conveying equipment are mostly independently controlled, with delays in action coordination, making it difficult to meet the dual requirements of "high-efficiency palletizing + complete protection" and unsuitable for large-scale industrial production. Therefore, a palletless palletizing device is needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a palletless palletizing device that solves the problems mentioned in the background.

[0012] This invention provides the following technical solution: a palletless palletizing device, comprising:

[0013] The conveying unit includes a belt conveyor, a film-coating area idler conveyor belt, an adjustable lateral guide and alignment device, and a workstation positioning baffle. It runs through each core workstation along the work process. The workstation positioning baffle cooperates with the drive components to ensure the smooth conveying and precise positioning of materials in each process.

[0014] A robotic palletizing unit is fixedly installed on the side of the feeding end of the conveying unit, including a six-axis industrial robot and a gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping mechanism is adjustablely installed at the end of the six-axis industrial robot;

[0015] The top-covering protective unit is located on the outer side of the middle section of the conveying unit. It includes a top-covering machine, a wrapping machine, a film supply mechanism, and a tension sensor. Two stations share one wrapping machine. The tension sensor is installed on the film supply mechanism to adjust the wrapping force in real time.

[0016] The pressing and turning unit is located outside the conveying unit and on the side of the film-making machine away from the top film-covering machine. It includes a pressing and turning machine, a top pressing mechanism, a pressure sensor and a turning and positioning buckle. The pressure sensor and the positioning buckle work together to ensure the smooth turning of the material and the posture calibration.

[0017] The central control system unit, with a PLC controller at its core, integrates an operation panel, signal acquisition and linkage control module. The central control system unit is interconnected with the other four major units to coordinate command issuance and data feedback.

[0018] Preferably, the belt conveyor includes:

[0019] The palletizing area conveyor belt is located at the feed end of the conveying unit.

[0020] A buffer zone belt conveyor is located on one side of the belt conveyor in the palletizing area.

[0021] The conveyor belt for the top film area is located at the end of the buffer zone conveyor belt that is away from the palletizing area conveyor belt.

[0022] The turning zone conveyor belt is located at the lower end of the inside of the pressing and turning machine;

[0023] The material handling area conveyor belt is located on one side of the tipping area conveyor belt.

[0024] Preferably, the robot palletizing unit is provided with a feeding conveyor belt for conveying materials to be palletized on one side, and the feeding conveyor belt is provided with a gripping area at its front end.

[0025] Preferably, the film covering area idler conveyor belt is located between the top film covering area belt conveyor belt and the turning area belt conveyor belt, and a number of elastic buffer idlers are evenly arranged at the upper end of the film covering area idler conveyor belt.

[0026] Preferably, the top film covering machine is located outside the conveyor belt of the top film covering area.

[0027] Preferably, the film-coating machine is located outside the idler conveyor belt of the film-coating area, and the film-coating machine is located between the top-coating machine and the pressing and turning machine.

[0028] Preferably, the conveying unit, the robot palletizing unit, the film protection unit, and the pressing and flipping unit are provided with an outer cover, and the outer cover has openings at both ends.

[0029] Preferably, the central control system unit is located on the outer surface of the outer cover near the robot palletizing unit, and the outer surface of the outer cover near the top film covering machine is provided with a top film covering machine operation screen.

[0030] Preferably, the outer surface of the outer cover near the film-making machine is provided with a film-making machine operation screen, and the outer surface of the outer cover near the flipping machine is provided with a flipping machine operation screen.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] 1. This palletless palletizing device, equipped with a robotic palletizing unit and a feeding conveyor belt, transports the material to be palletized to a gripping position at its end. The robotic palletizing unit then operates, and the gripping mechanism adaptively adjusts its force according to the weight of the material package. Combined with a preset palletizing path and positioning signals from the conveyor unit, it can accurately place the material onto the palletizing area conveyor belt without a pallet, achieving:

[0033] Significant cost advantages: Completely eliminates the use of pallets, reducing pallet consumable costs; replaces manual assistance with ton bags, streamlining labor and reducing overall operational burden;

[0034] High adaptability and stability: It is compatible with a variety of materials such as cement, tile adhesive, and dry-mixed mortar, solving the problem of stable conveying of small-sized material bags and improving the stability of system operation.

[0035] 2. This palletless palletizing device, equipped with a protective wrapping unit and a pressing and turning unit, transports materials to the wrapping station. The wrapping machine completes the basic wrapping of the material bag to prevent it from tipping over and shifting. The turning unit lightly presses the material bag and completes a 180-degree flip, adjusting the fork tines to the outside to accommodate forklift operations. The wrapping machine then fully encloses the flipped material. After completion, the conveyor unit delivers the material to the off-line station for the next batch cycle, achieving:

[0036] Unified protection and operation adaptation: Double-layer membrane achieves full-enclosed protection, and the flipping process optimizes the forklift's operating posture, resolving the conflict between protection and operation;

[0037] Wide industry applicability: The technical solution can be replicated and promoted to similar bagged material palletizing scenarios, driving the industry's green and intelligent transformation. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 is a top view of the overall structure of the palletless palletizing device of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 is a front view of the palletless palletizing device of the present invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 1. Conveying unit; 101. Palletizing area conveyor belt; 102. Buffer zone conveyor belt; 103. Top film covering area conveyor belt; 104. Film covering area idler conveyor belt; 105. Turning area conveyor belt; 106. Picking area conveyor belt; 2. Robotic palletizing unit; 201. Six-axis industrial robot; 202. Gripping mechanism; 3. Top film covering machine; 301. Top film covering machine control panel; 4. Film covering machine; 401. Film covering machine control panel; 5. Pressing and turning unit; 501. Turning machine control panel; 6. Feeding conveyor belt; 7. Outer cover; 8. Central control system unit. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 1-2. A palletless palletizing device includes a conveying unit 1, a robotic palletizing unit 2, a top-covering protective unit, a pressing and flipping unit 5, and a central control system unit 8. The conveying unit 1 includes a belt conveyor, a film-covering area idler conveyor belt 104, an adjustable lateral guiding device, and a station positioning baffle. The station positioning baffle cooperates with the drive components to ensure stable conveying and precise positioning of materials in each process. The adjustable lateral guiding device can adaptively adjust according to the width of the material, improving the adaptability of materials of various specifications. The robotic palletizing unit 2 is fixedly set on the side of the feeding end of the conveying unit 1, including a six-axis industrial robot 201 and a gripping mechanism 202. The gripping mechanism 202 is adjustablely set at the end of the six-axis industrial robot 201. The top-covering protective unit is set on the outer side of the middle section of the conveying unit 1, including a top-covering machine 3, a film-covering machine 4, a film supply mechanism, and a tension sensor. It has two stations (a primary film-covering station and a secondary film-covering station). Each workstation shares a single film-wrapping machine 4. A tension sensor is installed on the film supply mechanism to adjust the wrapping force in real time. The pressing and turning unit 5 is located outside the conveying unit 1 and on the side of the film-wrapping machine 4 away from the top film-covering machine 3. It includes a pressing and turning machine, a top pressing mechanism, a pressure sensor, and a turning positioning buckle. The top pressing mechanism is installed on the upper crossbeam of the pressing and turning machine. The pressure sensor is embedded in the lower end face of the pressing mechanism to detect the pressing force in real time. The turning positioning buckles are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the turning frame of the pressing and turning machine to fix the posture of the material during the turning process. The pressure sensor and the positioning buckle work together to ensure the smooth turning of the material and the posture calibration. The central control system unit 8 is based on a PLC controller and integrates an operation panel, signal acquisition and linkage control module. The central control system unit 8 is interconnected with the other four major units to coordinate the issuance of instructions and data feedback, optimize the timing of the action connection of each unit, and ensure the coordinated and efficient operation of the system.

[0043] The belt conveyor includes a palletizing area belt conveyor 101, a buffer zone belt conveyor 102, a top film covering area belt conveyor 103, a turning area belt conveyor 105, and a material taking area belt conveyor 106. The palletizing area belt conveyor 101 is located at the feeding end of the conveyor unit 1; the buffer zone belt conveyor 102 is located on one side of the palletizing area belt conveyor 101; the top film covering area belt conveyor 103 is located at the end of the buffer zone belt conveyor 102 away from the palletizing area belt conveyor 101; the turning area belt conveyor 105 is located at the lower end inside the pressing and turning machine; and the material taking area belt conveyor 106 is located on one side of the turning area belt conveyor 105.

[0044] Specifically, the palletizing area conveyor belt 101, the buffer zone conveyor belt 102, the top film covering area conveyor belt 103, the film covering area idler conveyor belt 104, the turning area conveyor belt 105, and the material picking area conveyor belt 106, which are connected in sequence, serve as the core of the system for material carrying and transmission, and run through each core workstation along the operation process.

[0045] Among them, the robot palletizing unit 2 is provided with a feeding conveyor belt 6 for conveying materials to be palletized on one side. The feeding conveyor belt 6 has a gripping area at the front end. The film covering area idler conveyor belt 104 is located between the top film covering area belt conveyor belt 103 and the turning area belt conveyor belt 105. Several elastic buffer idlers are evenly arranged at the upper end of the film covering area idler conveyor belt 104.

[0046] Specifically, the six-axis industrial robot 201 can accurately grab the material packages to be stacked from the gripping area, and combine the preset stacking path with the positioning signal of the conveying unit 1 to achieve palletless layered stacking.

[0047] Among them, the top film covering machine 3 is located outside the belt conveyor 103 of the top film covering area, and the film wrapping machine 4 is located outside the idler conveyor 104 of the film wrapping area. The film wrapping machine 4 is located between the top film covering machine 3 and the pressing and turning machine. The outer cover 7 is provided outside the conveying unit 1, the robot palletizing unit 2, the film wrapping protection unit and the pressing and turning unit 5. Both ends of the outer cover 7 are opened.

[0048] Specifically, the top-coating machine 3 is fixed outside the conveyor belt 103 in the top-coating area and is used for top-coating protection of the material package. The wrapping machine 4 is fixed outside the idler conveyor belt 104 in the wrapping area and is located between the top-coating machine 3 and the pressing and turning unit 5. The two stations (the primary wrapping station and the secondary wrapping station) share one wrapping machine 4. The two wrappings are achieved by switching the station of the conveyor unit 1. The tension sensor is installed on the end of the film roller shaft of the film supply mechanism. It can detect the tension of the film in real time and feed it back to the central control system, thereby adjusting the wrapping force to meet the dual requirements of basic protection and full enclosure protection. The outer cover 7 can effectively play a protective role.

[0049] The central control system unit 8 is located on the outer surface of the outer cover 7 near the robot palletizing unit 2. The outer surface of the outer cover 7 near the top film covering machine 3 is provided with a top film covering machine operation screen 301, the outer surface of the outer cover 7 near the film covering machine 4 is provided with a film covering machine operation screen 401, and the outer surface of the outer cover 7 near the flipping machine is provided with a flipping machine operation screen 501.

[0050] Specifically, the outer cover 7 is equipped with a top film covering machine operation screen 301, a film covering machine operation screen 401, and a turning machine operation screen 501 at the positions corresponding to the top film covering machine 3, the film covering machine 4, and the pressing and turning unit 5, respectively, which can realize independent parameter adjustment and status monitoring of each unit.

[0051] Detailed implementation process and principle explanation:

[0052] The entire system is coordinated and integrated through a central control system to achieve full automation from palletless palletizing to finished product delivery. First, the system is initialized: the operator selects the material type (cement / tile adhesive / dry mortar) and specifications (weight, size) through the operation panel of the central control system unit 8. The system automatically calls the preset parameter library (including parameters such as palletizing path, gripping force, film tension, and flipping speed), and each unit enters standby mode.

[0053] Secondly, palletless palletizing is performed: The robot palletizing unit 2 is fixedly installed on the side of the feeding end of the conveying unit 1, including a six-axis industrial robot 201 and an adjustable end gripping mechanism 202. The gripping mechanism 202 is connected to the end flange of the six-axis industrial robot 201 by bolts, and can adaptively adjust the gripping force according to the weight of the material package. A feeding conveyor belt 6 is provided on one side of the robot palletizing unit 2. The front end of the feeding conveyor belt 6 is provided with a gripping area. The six-axis industrial robot 201 can accurately grip the material package to be palletized from the gripping area, and combined with the preset palletizing path and the positioning signal of the conveying unit 1, palletless layered stacking is achieved.

[0054] Next, a second film covering process is performed: After the material stacking is completed, it is conveyed from the palletizing area conveyor belt 101 to the buffer zone conveyor belt 102 to the top film covering area conveyor belt 103, where the top film covering machine 3 starts to complete the top layer film covering; then the material stack continues to be conveyed to the film covering area roller conveyor belt 104, where the film covering machine 4 wraps the main body of the material stack according to the preset tension to achieve basic protection and prevent the material stack from shifting or scattering during the flipping process; the elastic buffer rollers play a supporting and buffering role during the film covering process to prevent the material stack from deforming.

[0055] Further, the pressing and flipping process: After the material pile is wrapped once, it is conveyed to the turning zone conveyor belt 105. The pressing mechanism at the top of the pressing and flipping unit 5 applies a preset pressure downward (adaptively adjusted according to the weight of the material). The pressure sensor detects the pressure value in real time and feeds it back to the central control system to ensure that the pressing force is appropriate. Then, the flipping positioning buckle locks the material pile in place, and the pressing and flipping machine drives the material pile to complete a 180-degree flip, adjusting the space reserved for the forklift teeth at the top layer to the outside to adapt to forklift operation.

[0056] Further, the secondary wrapping and unloading process: After the material pile is flipped, it returns to the wrapping area roller conveyor belt 104. The wrapping machine 4 switches to the fully enclosed protection mode and wraps the material pile a second time according to the preset tension to achieve full-enclosed protection. After the secondary wrapping is completed, the material pile is transported to the material picking area belt conveyor belt 106 via the flipping area belt conveyor belt 105. The station positioning baffle triggers the unloading signal, and the forklift picks up the material pile from the reserved fork tooth space to complete the unloading. The system automatically enters the next batch cycle.

[0057] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A palletless palletizing device, characterized in that, include: The conveying unit (1) includes a belt conveyor, a film-coating area idler conveyor belt (104), an adjustable lateral guiding device, and a workstation positioning baffle. It runs through each core workstation along the work process. The workstation positioning baffle cooperates with the drive components to ensure the smooth conveying and precise positioning of materials in each process. The robot palletizing unit (2) is fixedly set on the side of the feeding end of the conveying unit (1). It includes a six-axis industrial robot (201) and a gripping mechanism (202). The gripping mechanism (202) is adjustablely set at the end of the six-axis industrial robot (201). The top film covering and protection unit is set on the outer side of the middle section of the conveying unit (1). It includes a top film covering machine (3), a film covering machine (4), and a film material supply mechanism. Along with the tension sensor, the two stations share a single film-coating machine (4). The tension sensor is installed on the film material supply mechanism and is used to adjust the wrapping force in real time. The pressing and turning unit (5) is located outside the conveying unit (1) and on the side of the film-coating machine (4) away from the top film-coating machine (3). It includes a pressing and turning machine, a top pressing mechanism, a pressure sensor and a turning positioning buckle. The pressure sensor and the positioning buckle work together to ensure the smooth turning of the material and the calibration of its posture. The central control system unit (8) is based on a PLC controller and integrates an operation panel, signal acquisition and linkage control module. The central control system unit (8) is interconnected with the other four major units to coordinate the issuance of instructions and data feedback.

2. The palletless palletizing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The belt conveyor includes: a palletizing area belt conveyor (101), which is located at the feeding end of the conveying unit (1); a buffer zone belt conveyor (102), which is located on one side of the palletizing area belt conveyor (101); a top film area belt conveyor (103), which is located at the end of the buffer zone belt conveyor (102) away from the palletizing area belt conveyor (101); a turning area belt conveyor (105), which is located at the lower end inside the pressing and turning machine; and a material taking area belt conveyor (106), which is located on one side of the turning area belt conveyor (105).

3. The palletless palletizing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robot palletizing unit (2) is provided with a feeding conveyor belt (6) on one side for conveying materials to be palletized, and the front end of the feeding conveyor belt (6) is provided with a gripping area.

4. The palletless palletizing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The film covering area idler conveyor belt (104) is located between the top film covering area belt conveyor belt (103) and the turning area belt conveyor belt (105), and a number of elastic buffer idlers are evenly arranged at the upper end of the film covering area idler conveyor belt (104).

5. A palletless palletizing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top film covering machine (3) is located outside the belt conveyor (103) of the top film covering area.

6. A palletless palletizing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film covering machine (4) is located outside the roller conveyor belt (104) in the film covering area, and the film covering machine (4) is located between the top film covering machine (3) and the pressing and turning machine.

7. A palletless palletizing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying unit (1), robot palletizing unit (2), film protection unit and pressing and flipping unit (5) are provided with an outer cover (7), and the outer cover (7) has openings at both ends.

8. A palletless palletizing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The central control system unit (8) is located on the outer surface of the outer cover (7) near the robot palletizing unit (2), and the outer surface of the outer cover (7) near the top film covering machine (3) is provided with a top film covering machine operation screen (301).

9. A palletless palletizing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The outer surface of the outer cover (7) near the film-making machine (4) is provided with a film-making machine operation screen (401), and the outer surface of the outer cover (7) near the flipping machine is provided with a flipping machine operation screen (501).

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