Multiple-speed chain production line with tooling buffer line body and method
By introducing tooling buffer lines and auxiliary conveyor lines into the double-speed chain production line, the automated storage and fully automatic changeover of tooling plates are achieved, solving the problems of low efficiency and poor continuity of existing double-speed chain production lines when switching between multiple product specifications, and improving the flexibility and stability of the production line.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XINCHANG KECHUANG AUTOMATION EQUIP
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
The existing double-speed chain production line is inefficient when changing products, relies on manual operation, cannot adapt to the rapid and flexible switching of multiple product specifications, and has poor tooling plate storage and management, resulting in poor production continuity, high equipment failure rate, and tooling plates are easily mixed, misused, or damaged by bumps.
The high-speed chain production line with tooling buffer line, including auxiliary conveyor line and tooling buffer line, realizes automated storage and fully automated changeover of tooling plates. The tooling buffer line and auxiliary conveyor line are connected to the main production line to realize automated storage and fully automated changeover of tooling plates.
It enables continuous and flexible production, reduces reliance on manual labor, improves production cycle and capacity utilization, avoids mixed placement and damage of tooling plates, and ensures production continuity and product qualification rate.
Smart Images
Figure CN122166497A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of production line technology, and particularly relates to a double-speed chain production line and method with tooling buffer line. Background Technology
[0002] With its advantages of high conveying efficiency, good operational stability, and ability to achieve free-cycle continuous production, the double-speed chain production line is widely used in automated assembly and welding operations in the fields of refrigeration components, home appliances, and automotive parts. Among them, the closed-loop ring structure double-speed chain production line can realize the circulation of tooling plates and is the core carrier for ring welding operations of core refrigeration components such as four-way valves.
[0003] With the refrigeration industry adopting a multi-variety, small-batch production model, the specifications and models of products such as four-way valves are becoming increasingly diverse. Different specifications of products require dedicated tooling plates for positioning, conveying, and welding, thus placing extremely high demands on the rapid product changeover capability of production lines. Existing conventional ring-type double-speed chain welding production lines mostly employ a single-line design to accommodate a single product specification. When switching product models, the entire line must be shut down, and operators must manually disassemble the existing tooling plates, transfer and store them, and then install the target specification tooling plates one by one onto the line. This changeover operation is highly dependent on manual labor, resulting in extremely low efficiency, long downtime, and severely impacting the production line's cycle time and capacity utilization. It is also unable to adapt to rapid changeovers of multiple product specifications. Furthermore, due to the lack of dedicated tooling buffers and transfer lines, tooling plates are prone to mixing, misuse, and damage from impacts, increasing the workload of operators and potentially leading to product positioning deviations and reduced welding yield. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the aforementioned technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a double-speed chain production line and method with a tooling buffer line. This invention addresses the technical problems of existing double-speed chain production lines, such as low product changeover efficiency, high reliance on manual labor, poor production continuity, inability to adapt to rapid and flexible switching of multiple product specifications, non-standard tooling plate storage and management, and high equipment failure rate. Through the matching auxiliary conveyor line and tooling buffer line, the invention achieves automated storage, closed-loop circulation, and fully automated changeover of tooling plates, ensuring continuous and flexible production of the production line.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0006] A double-speed chain production line with a tooling buffer line includes a production line assembly for conveying tooling plates and welding products; and a tooling buffer changing system connected to the production line assembly for storing and conveying tooling plates. The tooling buffer changing system includes an auxiliary conveyor line and a tooling buffer line, the auxiliary conveyor line connecting the production line assembly and the tooling buffer line, and the tooling buffer line for storing tooling plates.
[0007] Furthermore, during product changeover, the tooling plate is first transported from the tooling buffer line to the auxiliary conveyor line. After the original tooling plate on the production line assembly completes the welding operation, it is transported to the unloading station for unloading, and then transferred to the empty tooling buffer line for storage, realizing fully automatic changeover conveying of tooling for different specifications of products.
[0008] Furthermore, the production line assembly includes a first production line body, a second production line body, a third production line body, and a fourth production line body. The first and third production line bodies are used to connect the second and fourth production line bodies. Both the second and fourth production line bodies are connected to the auxiliary conveyor line. The first production line body is the loading and unloading station.
[0009] Furthermore, the auxiliary conveyor line includes a first auxiliary line, a second auxiliary line, and a third auxiliary line. The first and third auxiliary lines are connected to the production line assembly, and the second auxiliary line is used to connect the first auxiliary line and the tooling buffer line.
[0010] Furthermore, the tooling buffer line includes a first buffer line and a second buffer line. The first buffer line and the second buffer line are used to independently store tooling boards corresponding to products of different specifications to be soldered. The first buffer line and the second buffer line are used to connect the second auxiliary line and the third auxiliary line.
[0011] Furthermore, both the auxiliary conveyor line and the tooling buffer line are equipped with tooling positions, and the total number of tooling positions on the first auxiliary line and the second auxiliary line is greater than the number of tooling positions on the first buffer line or the second buffer line.
[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a conveyor table, which is movably positioned between the third auxiliary line and the production line assembly to connect or disconnect the third auxiliary line and the production line assembly.
[0013] Furthermore, the conveyor platform includes a fixed platform and a movable conveyor section. One end of the movable conveyor section is hinged to the fixed platform, and a telescopic support rod is hinged between the movable conveyor section and the fixed platform. The telescopic support rod is used to adjust and lock the pitch angle of the movable conveyor section relative to the fixed platform. A handle is installed on the conveyor line.
[0014] A production method for a high-speed chain production line with tooling buffer lines, characterized by the following steps: S1, Production Preparation: Tooling plates corresponding to different product specifications are pre-stored in independent tooling buffer lines, the parameters of the production line control system are configured and initialized, and the normal standby state of each actuator of the production line is verified; S2, Continuous Production Operation: The production line assembly is controlled to run continuously, and the tooling plates circulate within the production line assembly, sequentially completing the continuous production of loading and positioning of products to be welded, welding operations, and unloading of welded products; S3, Automatic Changeover Control: When it is necessary to switch the product specifications, under the premise of continuous operation of the production line assembly, the target tooling plate is automatically exported from the tooling buffer line corresponding to the pre-stored target specification product tooling plate and imported into the circulation path of the production line assembly; at the same time, the tooling plate corresponding to the original specification in the production line assembly is automatically recycled to the empty tooling buffer line for storage after completing the production operations and unloading of all products, completing the fully automatic flexible changeover without stopping the production line or human intervention.
[0015] Furthermore, the detailed steps of S1 production preparation are as follows: S1.1 Tooling pre-storage management: Dedicated tooling boards corresponding to different specifications of products to be welded are pre-stored in batches to independent production line assemblies, the first buffer line and the second buffer line, and the storage capacity of the tooling boards is not less than 24, completing the partitioning and positioning of the tooling boards; S1.2 Initialization verification: According to the initial production product specifications, the operating parameters of the production line are configured, each component is reset to the initial standby position, and each component is verified to be in normal working condition; S1.3 Welding assembly adaptation: According to the initial production product specifications, the corresponding welding assembly is matched, and the welding transfer mechanism is confirmed to be in the synchronous drive standby state of 10 stations entering and exiting simultaneously.
[0016] Furthermore, the detailed steps of S2 production preparation are as follows: S2.1, Loading and Positioning Control: When the tooling plate flows to the loading station of the first production line, the stopper moves to precisely limit the tooling plate, completing the loading and tooling positioning of the four-way valve product to be welded. After positioning, the stopper releases, and the tooling plate carries the product to be welded into the welding operation section; S2.2, Synchronous Welding Control: The tooling plate carries the product to be welded sequentially through the second and third production lines until it flows to the welding station of the fourth production line, controlling the welding transfer. The mechanism adopts a synchronous drive mode with 10 stations entering and exiting simultaneously. Each pair of stations corresponds to a welding assembly. The welding assembly simultaneously welds the same piping weld points of two identical products to be welded. For cabinet four-way valve products with different welding positions, the appropriate welding assembly is automatically switched to complete the full-point circular welding operation of the product. S2.3 Unloading and unloading control: The product that has completed all welding operations flows back to the unloading station of the first production line with the tooling plate. The stopper action accurately positions the tooling plate to complete the unloading and unloading of the finished product after welding.
[0017] Furthermore, the detailed steps of S3 production preparation are as follows: S3.1 Automatic unloading of target tooling plates: The electrical control system controls the start of the tooling buffer line corresponding to the target specification product, releasing the pre-stored target tooling plates in batches, which are then transported to the circulation path of the production line assembly via the auxiliary conveyor line; S3.2 Automatic recycling of existing tooling plates: After the existing tooling plates in the production line assembly have completed all welding operations with the products under construction, the products are unloaded at the unloading station. The empty existing tooling plates are automatically transferred to the empty tooling buffer line for batch storage via the auxiliary conveyor line; S3.3 Confirmation of changeover completion: After all the existing tooling plates have been recycled to the corresponding tooling buffer line and all the target tooling plates have entered the production line assembly, the production line switches to the continuous production mode of the new specification product, and the matching welding assembly is switched simultaneously.
[0018] The present invention, by adopting the above-described technical solution, has the following beneficial effects:
[0019] In this invention, a separately configured tooling buffer line can be used to store tooling plates corresponding to different product specifications in different areas. In conjunction with an auxiliary conveyor line, it connects to the main production line assembly, enabling the automatic release and transfer of the target tooling plate and the automatic recycling and storage of the original tooling plate when changing products. The entire process requires no manual intervention or downtime, significantly shortening product changeover time, ensuring continuous operation of the production line, perfectly adapting to the rapid and flexible switching production of multiple product specifications, and effectively improving the production line's cycle time and capacity utilization.
[0020] This invention achieves partitioned and automated storage management of tooling plates through a dedicated tooling buffer line, eliminating the need for manual transfer and loading / unloading of tooling plates, significantly reducing the labor intensity of operators, realizing the reduction of personnel and increase efficiency on the production line, while completely avoiding the problems of mixed storage, misuse, and damage from collisions of tooling plates, ensuring the positioning accuracy of tooling plates, and effectively improving the production qualification rate of product welding and assembly.
[0021] This invention adopts a layout structure of a ring-shaped main production line combined with modular auxiliary conveyor lines and tooling buffer lines, which can realize large-capacity closed-loop storage and circulation of tooling plates, with a simple and smooth conveying path and high tooling plate transfer efficiency.
[0022] This invention achieves fully automated changeover by simultaneously executing bidirectional parallel control logic of automatic unloading of the target tooling plate and automatic recycling of the original tooling plate, while the production line assembly continues to run and the normal production of work-in-process products is not interrupted. This completely solves the industry pain point that traditional production lines must shut down completely for changeover. There is no capacity loss during the changeover process, which greatly improves the effective operating time and overall capacity of the production line and perfectly adapts to the flexible production needs of the refrigeration industry for multiple varieties and small batches.
[0023] This invention achieves fully automated closed-loop management of the entire process, from production preparation and continuous production to automatic changeover. It enables seamless, unmanned control of tooling pre-storage, line operation, welding assembly adaptation, and changeover switching. This further reduces the reliance on manual labor in the production line, reducing the number of workers required per line and eliminating operational errors caused by manual changeover and parameter adjustment. It ensures the consistency of production for different product specifications and steadily improves the welding qualification rate.
[0024] This invention achieves full-dimensional initialization and safety verification of equipment before production through phased and refined parameter control and equipment status verification. During production, it controls the production cycle and welding quality in real time and manages the tooling plate flow path in a closed loop during changeover. This effectively avoids problems such as tooling plate congestion, jamming, and misuse, reduces the overall equipment failure rate, and significantly improves the operational stability and continuous production capacity of the production line. Attached Figure Description
[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the production line assembly in this invention.
[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tooling cache replacement system in this invention.
[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor platform in this invention.
[0030] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer body according to the present invention.
[0031] In the diagram: 1-Production line assembly; 2-Tooling buffer changeover system; 3-First production line body; 4-Second production line body; 5-Third production line body; 6-Fourth production line body; 7-First auxiliary line body; 8-Second auxiliary line body; 9-Third auxiliary line body; 10-First buffer line body; 11-Second buffer line body; 12-Tooling position; 13-Conveyor table; 14-Fixed table; 15-Moving conveyor section; 16-Handle; 17-Telescopic support rod. Detailed Implementation
[0032] Example 1
[0033] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this invention is a double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer, mainly used for the ring welding operation of four-way valve components. It is adapted to the automated welding and conveying of four-way valve products with copper-copper weld joints. It includes a production line assembly 1, a tooling buffer changing system 2, a welding assembly, and an electrical control system. The electrical control system is electrically connected to the production line assembly 1, the tooling buffer changing system 2, and the welding assembly, respectively, and is used to control the fully automated operation of the equipment.
[0034] Production line assembly 1 is a closed-loop, high-speed chain conveyor line used for the cyclic transport of tooling plates and product welding operations. Production line assembly 1 includes four sequentially connected production lines: a first production line body 3, a second production line body 4, a third production line body 5, and a fourth production line body 6, forming a counter-clockwise closed loop. The first production line body 3 serves as the loading and unloading station, used for loading and positioning products to be welded and unloading products after welding. The second production line body 4 and the third production line body 5 form a transitional conveying section, while the fourth production line body 6 is the welding operation section, equipped with welding stations. The welding assembly is installed at the welding stations. The first production line body 3 and the third production line body 5 connect the second production line body 4 and the fourth production line body 6, enabling the closed-loop circulation of the tooling plates.
[0035] Production line assembly 1 adopts a single-layer structure. The main body uses a 2.5x speed steel chain as the conveyor. The chain is equipped with wear-resistant strips. Steel plates or wear-resistant strips are added to the upper surface of the aluminum profiles on both sides of the upper layer of the production line to protect the upper surface of the aluminum profiles from wear. The chain is driven by a three-phase asynchronous motor and equipped with a frequency converter to achieve stepless speed regulation. The conveying speed is not less than 18 m / min (50Hz). The drive end is equipped with a torque limiter to achieve overload protection. Blockers are installed at intervals along the conveying direction on production line assembly 1. The blockers are used for workstation separation, positioning, buffering, stopping and release control, so that while the conveyor chain runs continuously, the tooling plates can stop at workstations with free rhythm. The rated load capacity of production line assembly 1 is ≤100kg / m, and the rated load weight of a single tooling plate is designed to be 20kg, which is suitable for the load requirements of four-way valve welding tooling.
[0036] The tooling buffer and changeover system 2 is connected to the production line assembly 1 and is used for the automated storage, transfer, and changeover conveying of tooling plates corresponding to different specifications of products. The tooling buffer and changeover system 2 includes an auxiliary conveyor line and a tooling buffer line. The auxiliary conveyor line connects the production line assembly 1 and the tooling buffer line. The tooling buffer line is used for partitioned storage of tooling plates corresponding to different specifications of products to be welded.
[0037] Specifically, the auxiliary conveyor line includes a first auxiliary line 7, a second auxiliary line 8, and a third auxiliary line 9. One end of the first auxiliary line 7 is connected to the fourth production line 6 of the production line assembly 1, and the other end of the first auxiliary line 7 is connected to the second auxiliary line 8. The second auxiliary line 8 is connected to two sets of tooling buffer lines and is used to export the target tooling plate from the tooling buffer lines or to import the recycled tooling plate into the corresponding tooling buffer lines. The third auxiliary line 9 is connected to two sets of tooling buffer lines and is connected to the first production line 3 of the production line assembly 1 through the conveyor table 13, forming a closed-loop flow path for tooling plate changing.
[0038] The tooling buffer line includes a first buffer line 10 and a second buffer line 11, which are independently set up to independently store tooling plates corresponding to two different specifications of products to be welded. In this invention, both the first buffer line 10 and the second buffer line 11 have two sets, with a tooling plate storage capacity of not less than 24, which can meet the batch storage requirements of tooling plates for two or more specifications of products. The auxiliary conveyor line and the tooling buffer line both adopt a double-speed chain structure of the same specification as the production line assembly 1, and the conveying speed is consistent with the production line assembly 1. Both can realize variable frequency stepless speed regulation to ensure the synchronicity of tooling plate transfer. Both the auxiliary conveyor line and the tooling buffer line are provided with tooling positions 12 for tooling plate positioning and stopping. The total number of tooling positions 12 on the first auxiliary line 7 and the second auxiliary line 8 is greater than the number of tooling positions 12 on the first buffer line 10 or the second buffer line 11, which ensures the transitional accommodation requirements when the entire warehouse of tooling plates is changed in batches and avoids tooling plate congestion during the changeover process.
[0039] A conveyor platform 13 is provided between the third auxiliary line 9 and the fourth production line 6 of the production line assembly 1. The conveyor platform 13 adopts roller conveyor and is used to flexibly connect or disconnect the third auxiliary line 9 and the production line assembly 1, so that personnel can enter one side of the first production line 3 from here to facilitate manual loading or unloading. The conveyor platform 13 includes a fixed platform 14 and a movable conveyor section 15. The fixed platform 14 is fixedly installed at one end of the third auxiliary line 9, and one end of the movable conveyor section 15 is hinged to the fixed platform 14. A telescopic support rod 17 is hinged between the movable conveyor section 15 and the fixed platform 14. The telescopic support rod 17 can be a servo electric push rod, which is used to adjust and lock the pitch angle of the movable conveyor section 15 relative to the fixed platform 14. An operating handle 16 is installed on the side of the movable conveyor section 15 to facilitate the operator to manually lift the movable conveyor section 15.
[0040] In this invention, the welding assembly adopts a synchronous drive structure with 10 stations entering and exiting simultaneously. Each pair of welding units is set up for every two stations of the welding transfer mechanism. The welding units are used to simultaneously weld the same piping weld points of two identical four-way valve products to be welded.
[0041] In this invention, a stopper is provided between each tooling position 12, and a reversing mechanism is provided between each turning point of the production line. The stopper and the reversing mechanism are prior art. For details, please refer to the authorization announcement number CN223903224U.
[0042] The specific working process of this invention is as follows:
[0043] During normal production, the movable conveyor section 15 of the conveyor platform 13 is leveled, connecting the third auxiliary line 9 with the production line assembly 1. The tooling plate circulates counterclockwise along the production line assembly 1. The operator completes the loading and positioning of the four-way valve product to be welded at the loading station of the first production line 3. The tooling plate drives the product into the second production line 4, the third production line 5, and finally to the welding station of the fourth production line 6. The welding assembly completes the ring welding operation of the product. After welding, the product returns to the unloading station of the first production line 3 with the tooling plate to complete the unloading and realize continuous production.
[0044] When changing products, the electrical control system executes a fully automatic changeover procedure: First, the tooling plates corresponding to the target specifications are released in batches from the first buffer line 10 or the second buffer line 11, and transported to the first production line 3 of the production line assembly 1 via the third auxiliary line 9 and the conveyor 13. At the same time, the original tooling plates on the production line assembly 1, after completing all welding operations with the products, return to the unloading station of the first production line 3 to complete unloading. The empty tooling plates enter the first auxiliary line 7 via the conveyor 13, and then are transferred to the empty second buffer line 11 or the first buffer line 10 for batch storage via the second auxiliary line 8. After all the original tooling plates are recovered and stored, and all the target tooling plates have entered the production line assembly 1, the fully automatic changeover is completed, and the production line can be switched to continuous production of the new specifications. The entire process requires no manual intervention and no complete line shutdown. Only the product loading procedure needs to be switched at a single station.
[0045] Example 2
[0046] like Figure 5 As shown, the production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer line disclosed in this embodiment is based on the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer line of Embodiment 1. The production line is also equipped with a welding assembly and an electrical control system. The electrical control system is electrically connected to the production line assembly, the tooling buffer changing system, and the welding assembly, respectively, for full-process automated control. Specifically, it includes the following steps:
[0047] S1. Production Preparation
[0048] S1.1 Tooling Pre-storage Management: Dedicated tooling plates corresponding to different specifications of four-way valve products to be welded are pre-stored in batches to independent production line assemblies, first buffer line and second buffer line, and the storage capacity of tooling plates is not less than 24. The tooling plates are partitioned and positioned, and the product specification information corresponding to each tooling plate is entered into the electrical control system to realize the traceable management of tooling information.
[0049] S1.2 Initialization Verification: Based on the initial product specifications, issue production instructions, configure the production line's operating parameters, set the conveying speed of the production line assembly, auxiliary conveyor lines, and tooling buffer lines to be no less than 18 meters / minute (50Hz), and achieve variable frequency stepless speed regulation of each line's conveying speed through a frequency converter; match the production cycle time of the corresponding product, configure the action logic of each station's stopper, and the overload protection threshold of the conveyor chain torque limiter; control the production line's electrical control system to power on and initialize, and verify that each component is in normal working condition;
[0050] S1.3 Welding Assembly Adaptation: Match the corresponding welding assembly according to the initial product specifications. Automatically switch the adapted welding assembly according to the differences in product welding positions. At the same time, confirm that the welding transfer mechanism is in the synchronous drive standby state of 10 stations entering and exiting at the same time, and complete all preparations before production.
[0051] S2, Continuous Production Operation
[0052] The control production line assembly operates continuously in a closed loop according to preset parameters. The tooling plate circulates counterclockwise along the closed loop path formed by the first, second, third, and fourth production lines, sequentially completing the entire production process, specifically including:
[0053] S2.1, Loading and Positioning Control: When the tooling plate is transferred to the loading station of the first production line, the stopper will precisely limit the tooling plate. The operator will complete the loading and tooling positioning of the four-way valve product to be welded. After the positioning is completed, the stopper will automatically release the product, and the tooling plate will carry the product to be welded into the welding operation section.
[0054] S2.2 Synchronous Welding Control: The tooling plate carries the products to be welded through the second and third production lines in sequence until they are transferred to the welding station of the fourth production line. The welding transfer mechanism adopts a synchronous drive mode with 10 stations entering and exiting simultaneously. Each pair of stations corresponds to a welding assembly. The welding assembly simultaneously welds the same piping weld points of two identical products to be welded. For cabinet four-way valve products with different welding positions, the appropriate welding assembly is automatically switched to complete the full-point circular welding operation of the product. During the production process, the welding operation status and product welding quality are monitored in real time to ensure the product welding production qualification rate.
[0055] S2.3 Unloading and feeding control: After all welding operations are completed, the product is transferred back to the unloading station of the first production line along with the tooling plate. The stopper action accurately positions the tooling plate, completing the unloading and feeding of the finished product after welding. The empty tooling plate can be manually loaded again. After being released by the stopper, it enters the next cycle of circulation, thereby realizing the continuous and automated production of products.
[0056] S3, Automatic Changeover Control
[0057] When it is necessary to switch the product specifications and models in production, a fully automated flexible changeover is performed under the premise that the production line assembly continues to run and the normal production of work-in-progress is not interrupted. This includes:
[0058] S3.1 Automatic unloading of target tooling plates: The electrical control system sends a type change command to control the tooling buffer line that stores the tooling plates corresponding to the target specification four-way valve to start, releasing the pre-stored target tooling plates in batches. The plates are then transported sequentially through the third auxiliary line and the leveled and connected conveyor to the first production line of the production line assembly, entering the circulation path of the production line.
[0059] S3.2 Automatic recycling of existing tooling plates: The tooling plates corresponding to the original specifications of the four-way valves in the production line assembly, after the products in production have completed all welding operations, are unloaded at the unloading station of the first production line. The unloaded original tooling plates are conveyed into the first auxiliary line via the conveyor table, and then automatically transferred to the empty tooling buffer line for batch storage via the second auxiliary line.
[0060] S3.3 Confirmation of Changeover Completion: After all the original tooling plates are recycled to the corresponding tooling buffer line and all the target tooling plates are put into the production line assembly, the production line switches to the continuous production mode of the new specification four-way valve, and the welding assembly is automatically switched to update the production cycle parameters to complete the fully automatic changeover without human intervention or machine stop.
[0061] The production control method in this embodiment achieves production line changeover without shutdown by synchronously and parallelizing the target tooling deployment and the original tooling recycling logic. The changeover process has no capacity loss, and a single production line can achieve cost reduction by reducing the number of operators. At the same time, through closed-loop automated management and control of the entire process, it avoids errors and deviations caused by manual operation, ensures the production consistency of products of different specifications, and perfectly adapts to the flexible production needs of the refrigeration industry for multiple varieties and small batches.
[0062] The above are merely specific inventions of this invention, but the technical features of this invention are not limited thereto. Any simple changes, equivalent substitutions, or modifications made based on this invention to solve essentially the same technical problems and achieve essentially the same technical effects are all covered within the protection scope of this invention.
Claims
1. A double-speed chain production line with a tooling buffer, comprising a production line assembly for conveying tooling plates and welding products; and a tooling buffer changing system connected to the production line assembly for storing and conveying tooling plates; characterized in that: The tooling buffer changeover system includes an auxiliary conveyor line and a tooling buffer line. The auxiliary conveyor line connects the production line assembly and the tooling buffer line, and the tooling buffer line is used to store tooling plates.
2. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 1, characterized in that: When changing products, the tooling plate is first transported from the tooling buffer line to the auxiliary conveyor line. After the original tooling plate on the production line assembly completes the welding operation, it is transported to the unloading station for unloading and then transferred to the empty tooling buffer line for storage, realizing fully automatic changeover conveying of tooling for different specifications of products.
3. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The production line assembly includes a first production line body, a second production line body, a third production line body, and a fourth production line body. The first production line body and the third production line body are used to connect the second production line body and the fourth production line body. Both the second production line body and the fourth production line body are connected to the auxiliary conveyor line. The first production line body is a loading and unloading station.
4. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary conveyor line includes a first auxiliary line, a second auxiliary line, and a third auxiliary line. The first auxiliary line and the third auxiliary line are connected to the production line assembly. The second auxiliary line is used to connect the first auxiliary line and the tooling buffer line.
5. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The tooling buffer line includes a first buffer line and a second buffer line. The first buffer line and the second buffer line are used to independently store tooling boards corresponding to products of different specifications to be soldered. The first buffer line and the second buffer line are used to connect the second auxiliary line and the third auxiliary line.
6. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 5, characterized in that: Both the auxiliary conveyor line and the tooling buffer line are provided with tooling positions, and the total number of tooling positions on the first auxiliary line and the second auxiliary line is greater than the number of tooling positions on the first buffer line or the second buffer line.
7. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a conveyor table, which is movably disposed between the third auxiliary line and the production line assembly, for connecting or disconnecting the third auxiliary line and the production line assembly.
8. The double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The conveyor platform includes a fixed platform and a movable conveyor section. One end of the movable conveyor section is hinged to the fixed platform. A telescopic support rod is hinged between the movable conveyor section and the fixed platform. The telescopic support rod is used to adjust and lock the pitch angle of the movable conveyor section relative to the fixed platform. A handle is installed on the conveyor line.
9. The production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: S1. Production Preparation: Pre-store the tooling plates corresponding to different product specifications in independent tooling buffer lines, complete the parameter configuration and initialization of the production line control system, and verify that each actuator of the production line is in normal standby state. S2. Continuous Production Operation: Control the production line assembly to run continuously, and the tooling plates circulate within the production line assembly to complete the continuous production of loading and positioning of products to be welded, welding operations, and unloading of welded products. S3. Automatic Changeover Control: When it is necessary to switch the product specifications and models, under the premise of continuous operation of the production line assembly, the target tooling plate is automatically exported from the tooling buffer line corresponding to the pre-stored target specification product and imported into the circulation path of the production line assembly. At the same time, the tooling plates corresponding to the original specifications in the production line assembly are automatically recycled to the empty tooling buffer line for storage after completing the production operations and unloading of all products, completing the fully automatic flexible changeover without stopping the production line or human intervention.
10. The production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 9, characterized in that... The detailed steps for S1 production preparation are as follows: S1.1 Tooling pre-storage management: Dedicated tooling boards corresponding to different specifications of products to be welded are pre-stored in batches to independent production line assemblies, the first buffer line, and the second buffer line, with a storage capacity of no less than 24 tooling boards, completing the partitioning and positioning of tooling boards; S1.2 Initialization verification: According to the initial production product specifications, the operating parameters of the production line are configured, each component is reset to the initial standby position, and each component is verified to be in normal working condition; S1.3 Welding assembly adaptation: According to the initial production product specifications, the corresponding welding assembly is matched, and the welding transfer mechanism is confirmed to be in the synchronous drive standby state of 10 stations entering and exiting simultaneously.
11. The production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 9, characterized in that... The detailed steps of S2 production preparation are as follows: S2.1, Loading and Positioning Control: When the tooling plate flows to the loading station of the first production line, the stopper will precisely limit the tooling plate, completing the loading and tooling positioning of the four-way valve product to be welded. After positioning, the stopper will release, and the tooling plate will carry the product to be welded into the welding operation section; S2.2, Synchronous Welding Control: The tooling plate will carry the product to be welded through the second and third production lines in sequence, until it flows to the welding station of the fourth production line. The welding transfer mechanism will be controlled to adopt a synchronous drive mode of 10 stations entering and exiting at the same time. Every 2 stations correspond to a welding assembly. The welding assembly will simultaneously weld the same piping weld points of 2 identical products to be welded; For cabinet four-way valve products with different welding positions, the appropriate welding assembly will be automatically switched to complete the full weld point ring welding operation of the product; S2.3, Unloading and Discharging Control: The product that has completed all welding operations will flow back to the unloading station of the first production line with the tooling plate. The stopper will precisely position the tooling plate, completing the unloading and discharge of the finished product after welding.
12. The production method of the double-speed chain production line with tooling buffer as described in claim 9, characterized in that... The detailed steps of S3 production preparation are as follows: S3.1 Automatic unloading of target tooling plates: The electrical control system controls the start of the tooling buffer line corresponding to the target specification product, releasing the pre-stored target tooling plates in batches, which are then transported to the circulation path of the production line assembly via the auxiliary conveyor line; S3.2 Automatic recycling of existing tooling plates: After the existing tooling plates in the production line assembly have completed all welding operations with the products under construction, the products are unloaded at the unloading station. The empty existing tooling plates are automatically transferred to the empty tooling buffer line for batch storage via the auxiliary conveyor line; S3.3 Confirmation of changeover completion: After all the existing tooling plates have been recycled to the corresponding tooling buffer line and all the target tooling plates have entered the production line assembly, the production line switches to the continuous production mode of the new specification product, and the matching welding assembly is switched simultaneously.