A graphite electrode joint plug mounting machine

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of graphite electrode production technology, specifically relating to a graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine. It includes a first conveyor and a connector bolt installation mechanism, located at the discharge end of the first conveyor. The mechanism comprises a track, a rotary positioning trolley, a platform, a first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm. The track is located below and to the right of the first conveyor. The rotary positioning trolley is slidably connected to the track, and the platform is located to the right of the track. Both the first and second robotic arms are located behind the track. The first robotic arm is used to pick up the graphite electrode connector from the first conveyor onto the rotary positioning trolley, and the second robotic arm is used to pick up the connector bolt and install it into the pre-installed hole of the graphite electrode connector. This invention achieves automated and precise installation of graphite electrode connector bolts, replacing manual hammering, avoiding damage to the connector threads, significantly reducing labor intensity, and improving installation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of graphite electrode production technology, and specifically relates to a graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine. Background Technology

[0002] Graphite electrodes are widely used in electric arc furnaces in steel smelting, playing a crucial role in electrical and thermal conductivity. They generate a high-temperature electric arc by introducing current to melt scrap steel and other furnace materials, accounting for 70% to 80% of the total consumption of graphite electrodes. In steel plant applications, multiple graphite electrodes need to be connected end-to-end using graphite electrode connectors. To prevent the electrodes from loosening or even detaching from the connectors due to vibrations during the smelting process, connector bolts are typically installed in the pre-installed holes of the graphite electrode connectors.

[0003] In existing technologies, after the graphite electrode connector is machined, the installation of the connector plug mainly relies on manual operation. Specifically, workers manually place and hammer the connector plug into the pre-installed hole. However, this traditional method has the following significant drawbacks: (1) Easily damages workpieces: The force and direction of manual hammering are difficult to control precisely, and the precision threads of the graphite electrode connector are easily damaged or scratched. Once the threads are damaged, the connection strength of the connector will be significantly reduced, increasing the risk of "disengagement" or "furnace hanging" during use in steel plants. Once a furnace hanging accident occurs, it will bring serious safety hazards and huge economic losses to the steel plant.

[0004] (2) High labor intensity: The weight of a single large-sized graphite electrode connector (such as a diameter of 700mm or more) can reach about 80 kg. It is difficult to handle and flip manually, and the workpiece is prone to collision during installation, which further increases the risk of damaging the threads.

[0005] (3) Low efficiency: The installation speed of purely manual operation is slow and it is difficult to match with the automated machining production lines in the upstream and downstream, which becomes a bottleneck restricting production efficiency.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an installation device that can replace manual labor, has a high degree of automation, and can adapt to different specifications of graphite electrode connectors and their connector plugs, in order to solve the problems of low installation efficiency, easy damage to workpieces, and high labor intensity in the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned deficiencies in the existing technology, this invention provides a graphite electrode connector installation machine, comprising a first conveyor and a connector installation mechanism. The first conveyor is used to transport graphite electrode connectors, and the connector installation mechanism is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor. The connector installation mechanism includes a track, a rotary positioning trolley, a platform, a first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm. The track is located below the right side of the first conveyor, and the rotary positioning trolley is slidably connected to the track. The platform is located on the right side of the track and is used to store graphite electrode connectors of different specifications. The first robotic arm and the second robotic arm are both located behind the track. The first robotic arm is used to pick up the graphite electrode connectors from the first conveyor and onto the rotary positioning trolley, and the second robotic arm is used to pick up the graphite electrode connectors on the platform and install them into the pre-installation holes of the graphite electrode connectors on the rotary positioning trolley.

[0008] Preferably, the second robotic arm is equipped with a gripping mechanism, which includes a disc connected to the second robotic arm, an electric push rod disposed inside the disc, and three synchronous cylinders. A push plate is disposed at the center of the disc, and three limiting grooves are opened on the bottom surface of the disc, which are evenly distributed on the outer side of the push plate. An arc-shaped adjusting plate is disposed in each limiting groove. The electric push rod and three synchronous cylinders are disposed inside the disc. The electric push rod is located at the center of the disc, and the free end of the electric push rod extends out of the bottom surface of the disc and is fixedly connected to the push plate. The three synchronous cylinders are respectively positioned corresponding to the three limiting grooves, and the piston rod of each synchronous cylinder is fixedly connected to the corresponding adjusting plate.

[0009] Preferably, the rotary positioning trolley includes a trolley body and a gripper cylinder. The bottom of the trolley body is provided with a moving wheel and a drive motor, and the drive motor is used to drive the moving wheel to rotate. The gripper cylinder is located above the trolley body and has two grippers. Each gripper has a clamping plate rotatably connected to its inner side, and the shaft of one of the clamping plates is driven by a servo motor.

[0010] Preferably, a material rack is detachably connected to the top of the platform. It should be noted that the material rack is fixed to the platform by bolts, and the top of the material rack is provided with multiple placement slots for placing graphite electrode connector bolts.

[0011] Specifically, since graphite electrode connectors come in various specifications, different specifications of graphite electrode connectors can be adapted by changing the material rack, thereby improving applicability.

[0012] Preferably, limiters are provided at both ends of the track to limit the movement of the rotary positioning trolley.

[0013] Preferably, two adjustable infrared rangefinders are provided above the track. The two adjustable infrared rangefinders are used to detect the distance from themselves to the surface of the graphite electrode connector, and the distance between the two adjustable infrared rangefinders is equal to the distance between the two pre-installed holes on one side of the graphite electrode connector.

[0014] Preferably, a position sensor is also provided on the rear side of the track to detect the positioning status of the rotary positioning trolley.

[0015] Preferably, the graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine is further equipped with a transfer mechanism and a material platform. The transfer mechanism includes a second conveyor, a third conveyor, and a fourth conveyor. The discharge end of the second conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the first conveyor, the discharge end of the third conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the second conveyor, the discharge end of the fourth conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the third conveyor, and the feed end of the fourth conveyor corresponds to the material platform. The material platform is used to store graphite electrode connectors of different models. A hydraulic pushing mechanism is provided above the material platform to push the graphite electrode connectors on the material platform to the feed end of the fourth conveyor.

[0016] Preferably, the hydraulic pushing mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder and a pushing plate, the cylinder seat of the hydraulic cylinder is mounted on the material platform, and the pushing plate is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder.

[0017] Preferably, baffles are provided on both sides of the first conveyor, the second conveyor, the third conveyor and the fourth conveyor.

[0018] Specifically, an adjustment assembly is provided at the discharge end of the first conveyor. The adjustment assembly includes an adjustment rod and a rotary motor. One end of the adjustment rod is rotatably connected to the baffle plate, and the rotary motor is used to drive the adjustment rod to rotate. The size of the discharge port can be adjusted by the adjustment assembly. It should be noted that since there are many specifications and sizes of graphite electrode connectors, the adjustment rod needs to be adjusted according to the connector size to prevent multiple connectors from appearing at the discharge port at the same time or blocking the discharge port, so as to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent processes.

[0019] This invention also includes other components that enable the normal operation of a graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine, all of which are conventional techniques in the art. Furthermore, any devices or components not specified in this invention employ conventional techniques in the art.

[0020] The working principle of this invention is: Feeding stage: The hydraulic pushing mechanism pushes the graphite electrode connector on the material platform onto the fourth conveyor. Then, the graphite electrode connector is conveyed by the fourth, third, and second conveyors to the first conveyor. At the same time, the rotary positioning trolley moves to the left until it reaches the discharge end of the first conveyor and stops moving under the action of the limiter on the left. The first robot arm grabs the graphite electrode connector from the first conveyor onto the rotary positioning trolley. The gripper cylinder retracts the two grippers to hold the graphite electrode connector laterally. Subsequently, the rotary positioning trolley moves to the right with the graphite electrode connector until it stops moving under the action of the limiter on the right. At this time, the position sensor detects that the rotary positioning trolley has reached its position, and the graphite electrode connector coincides with the center line of the two adjustable infrared rangefinders.

[0021] Installation Phase: The servo motor starts, driving the clamping plate to rotate, which in turn drives the graphite electrode connector to rotate. Two adjustable infrared rangefinders continuously monitor their distance from the surface of the graphite electrode connector. Since the distances from the adjustable infrared rangefinders to the surface of the graphite electrode connector and the pre-installation hole are different, the rotation stops when the distances fed back by the two infrared rangefinders are consistent and reach the set value (the distance value from the adjustable infrared rangefinder to the pre-installation hole). This indicates that the pre-installation hole now meets the position requirements for the installation of the graphite electrode connector. Afterward, the second robotic arm uses a gripping mechanism to grab the graphite electrode connector plug on the material rack and install it. The specific operation is as follows: The three synchronous cylinders in the disc simultaneously retract their piston rods, driving the three adjusting plates to open simultaneously. After gripping the graphite electrode connector plug, the robotic arm moves left and right and back and forth to align the connector plug with the pre-installation hole of the graphite electrode connector. Then, the electric push rod stretches the piston rod and pushes the connector plug into the pre-installation hole through the push plate. After the connector plugs are installed in the two pre-installation holes on one side of the graphite electrode connector, the above steps are repeated to install the connector plugs in the two pre-installation holes on the other side.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) Achieve fully automated installation and significantly improve production efficiency: By setting up a transfer mechanism consisting of the first conveyor and the second, third and fourth conveyors, and cooperating with the first robotic arm to automatically grab and feed materials, and the second robotic arm to automatically grab and install the connector bolts, the entire process of material feeding, positioning, rotation and alignment to final installation is fully automated, which greatly replaces manual operation, effectively improves the installation efficiency of the connector bolts, and can be well integrated into the automated production line.

[0023] (2) Avoiding workpiece damage and ensuring product quality: The installation is carried out by using a non-impact robotic arm to grip and push in the feed plate, which completely avoids the physical damage that may be caused to the threads of the graphite electrode connector by traditional manual hammering. At the same time, the electrode connector is flexibly clamped and stably rotated by the gripper cylinder and clamping plate on the rotary positioning trolley, and the infrared rangefinder is used for precise alignment, which ensures high precision and low risk of collision during the installation process, thereby ensuring the quality of the finished connector and reducing the risk of accidents during use in the steel plant.

[0024] (3) Reduce labor intensity and improve work safety: It replaces the manual handling, flipping and hammering installation of heavy graphite electrode connectors, greatly reducing the physical labor burden of workers, while avoiding the risk of personal injury caused by heavy handling and hammering operations.

[0025] (4) Precise positioning and high installation reliability: Through the coordinated control of dual adjustable infrared rangefinders and servo motors, the system can automatically and accurately identify and position the pre-installed hole on the side of the graphite electrode connector, ensuring that the connector bolts are correctly aligned during installation. The gripping mechanism on the second robotic arm can stably grip connector bolts of different diameters through arc-shaped adjusting plates driven by three synchronous cylinders, and provides stable propulsion force through electric push rods, ensuring the firmness and reliability of the installation.

[0026] (5) Strong adaptability and wide range of applications: The material rack on the platform is detachable and can be quickly replaced according to different specifications of graphite electrode connectors. With the adjustable infrared rangefinder and discharge port adjustment components, the whole equipment can flexibly adapt to graphite electrode connectors and their connectors of various sizes and specifications, which is highly versatile and reduces the equipment investment cost. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary positioning trolley of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stage of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the gripping mechanism of the present invention.

[0034] In the diagram: 1. First conveyor, 2. Material platform, 3. Connector bolt installation mechanism, 4. Second conveyor, 5. Third conveyor, 6. Fourth conveyor, 7. Hydraulic pushing mechanism, 8. Track, 9. Rotary positioning trolley, 10. Platform, 11. First robotic arm, 12. Second robotic arm, 13. Car body, 14. Gripper cylinder, 15. Clamping plate, 16. Servo motor, 17. Material rack, 18. Placement slot, 19. Disc, 20. Electric push rod, 21. Synchronous cylinder, 22. Push plate, 23. Limiting slot, 24. Adjusting plate, 25. Limiter, 26. Adjustable infrared rangefinder, 27. Graphite electrode connector, 28. Graphite electrode connector bolt. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will now be clearly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. This description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort to obtain all other embodiments should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Example like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine, including a first conveyor 1, a transfer mechanism, a material platform 2, and a connector bolt installation mechanism 3. The transfer mechanism includes a second conveyor 4, a third conveyor 5, and a fourth conveyor 6. The discharge end of the second conveyor 4 corresponds to the feed end of the first conveyor 1, the discharge end of the third conveyor 5 corresponds to the feed end of the second conveyor 4, the discharge end of the fourth conveyor 6 corresponds to the feed end of the third conveyor 5, and the feed end of the fourth conveyor 6 corresponds to the material platform 2. The material platform 2 is used to store graphite electrode connectors 27 of different models. A hydraulic pushing mechanism 7 is provided above the material platform 2 to push the graphite electrode connectors 27 on the material platform 2 to the feed end of the fourth conveyor 6. The hydraulic pushing mechanism 7 includes a hydraulic cylinder and a pushing plate. The cylinder seat of the hydraulic cylinder is installed on the material platform 2, and the pushing plate is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder.

[0037] In addition, baffles are provided on both sides of the first conveyor 1, the second conveyor 4, the third conveyor 5, and the fourth conveyor 6. An adjustment assembly is also provided at the discharge end of the first conveyor 1. The adjustment assembly includes an adjustment rod and a rotary motor. One end of the adjustment rod is rotatably connected to the baffle, and the rotary motor is used to drive the adjustment rod to rotate. The size of the discharge port can be adjusted by the adjustment assembly. It should be noted that since there are many specifications and sizes of graphite electrode connectors 27, the adjustment rod needs to be adjusted according to the size of the connector to prevent multiple connectors from appearing at the discharge port at the same time or blocking the discharge port, so as to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent processes.

[0038] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the connector bolt installation mechanism 3 is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor 1. The connector bolt installation mechanism 3 includes a track 8, a rotary positioning trolley 9, a platform 10, a first robotic arm 11, and a second robotic arm 12. The track 8 is located below the right side of the first conveyor 1. The rotary positioning trolley 9 is slidably connected to the track 8. The rotary positioning trolley 9 includes a body 13 and a gripper cylinder 14. The bottom of the body 13 is provided with a moving wheel and a drive motor, and the drive motor is used to drive the moving wheel to rotate. The gripper cylinder 14 is located above the body 13. The gripper cylinder 14 is provided with two grippers. The inner side of each gripper is rotatably connected to a clamping plate 15, and the shaft of one of the clamping plates 15 is driven to be connected to a servo motor 16.

[0039] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the platform 10 is located on the right side of the track 8 and is used to store graphite electrode connectors 28 of different specifications. A material rack 17 is detachably connected to the top of the platform 10. It should be noted that the material rack 17 is fixed to the platform 10 by bolts. The top of the material rack 17 is provided with multiple placement slots 18 for placing graphite electrode connectors 28. It should be noted that since the graphite electrode connectors 28 have various specifications, different specifications of graphite electrode connectors 28 can be adapted by changing the material rack 17 to improve applicability.

[0040] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, both the first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 are located behind the track 8. The first robotic arm 11 is used to pick up the graphite electrode connector 27 from the first conveyor 1 and place it onto the rotary positioning trolley 9. The second robotic arm 12 is used to pick up the graphite electrode connector pin 28 on the platform 10 and install it into the pre-installed hole of the graphite electrode connector 27 on the rotary positioning trolley 9. The second robotic arm 12 is equipped with a gripping mechanism, which includes a disk 19 connected to the second robotic arm 12, an electric push rod 20 disposed inside the disk 19, and three synchronous cylinders 21. A push rod is disposed at the center of the disk 19. The bottom surface of the feed plate 22 and the disc 19 has three limiting grooves 23, which are evenly distributed on the outside of the feed plate 22. Each limiting groove 23 is provided with an arc-shaped adjusting plate 24. The disc 19 is equipped with an electric push rod 20 and three synchronous cylinders 21. The electric push rod 20 is located at the center of the disc 19. The free end of the electric push rod 20 passes through the bottom surface of the disc 19 and is fixedly connected to the feed plate 22. The three synchronous cylinders 21 are respectively positioned corresponding to the three limiting grooves 23. The piston rod of each synchronous cylinder 21 is fixedly connected to the corresponding adjusting plate 24.

[0041] In addition, limiters 25 are provided at both ends of the track 8 to limit the movement of the rotary positioning trolley 9. Two adjustable infrared rangefinders 26 are installed above the track 8. These rangefinders detect the distance from themselves to the surface of the graphite electrode connector 27, and the distance between the two rangefinders 26 is equal to the distance between the two pre-installed holes on one side of the graphite electrode connector 27. A position sensor is also provided at the rear of the track 8 to detect the positioning status of the rotary positioning trolley 9.

[0042] The working principle of this invention is: Feeding stage: The hydraulic pushing mechanism 7 pushes the graphite electrode connector 27 on the material platform 2 onto the fourth conveyor 6. Then, the graphite electrode connector 27 is conveyed by the fourth conveyor 6, the third conveyor 5, and the second conveyor 4 to the first conveyor 1. At the same time, the rotary positioning trolley 9 moves to the left until it reaches the discharge end of the first conveyor 1 and stops moving under the action of the left limiter 25. The first robot arm picks up the graphite electrode connector 27 from the first conveyor 1 and puts it onto the rotary positioning trolley 9. The gripper cylinder 14 retracts the two grippers and holds the graphite electrode connector 27 laterally. Then, the rotary positioning trolley 9 moves to the right with the graphite electrode connector 27 until it stops moving under the action of the right limiter 25. At this time, the positioner detects that the rotary positioning trolley 9 has reached the position, and the graphite electrode connector 27 coincides with the center line of the two adjustable infrared rangefinders 26.

[0043] Installation Phase: Servo motor 16 starts, driving clamping plate 15 to rotate, which in turn drives graphite electrode connector 27 to rotate. Two adjustable infrared rangefinders 26 continuously monitor their distance from the surface of graphite electrode connector 27. Since the distances of the adjustable infrared rangefinders 26 to the surface of graphite electrode connector 27 and the pre-installation hole are different, rotation stops when the distances reported by the two infrared rangefinders are consistent and reach the set value (the distance value of the adjustable infrared rangefinders 26 to the pre-installation hole). This indicates that the pre-installation hole now meets the positional requirements for the installation of graphite electrode connector 27. Afterwards, the second robotic arm 12 uses a gripper... The grabbing mechanism picks up the graphite electrode connector 28 on the material rack 17 and installs it. The specific operation is as follows: the three synchronous cylinders 21 in the disc 19 simultaneously retract their piston rods, driving the three adjusting plates 24 to open simultaneously. After the graphite electrode connector 28 is picked up, the robotic arm moves left and right and back and forth to align the connector with the pre-installation hole of the graphite electrode connector 27. Then, the electric push rod 20 stretches the piston rod and pushes the connector into the pre-installation hole through the push plate 22. After the connectors are installed in the two pre-installation holes on one side of the graphite electrode connector 27, the above steps are repeated to install the connectors in the two pre-installation holes on the other side.

[0044] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Claims

1. A graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine, comprising a first conveyor and a connector bolt installation mechanism, wherein the first conveyor is used to convey graphite electrode connectors, characterized in that: The connector bolt installation mechanism is located at the discharge end of the first conveyor. The connector bolt installation mechanism includes a track, a rotary positioning trolley, a platform, a first robotic arm, and a second robotic arm. The track is located below the right side of the first conveyor. The rotary positioning trolley is slidably connected to the track. The platform is located on the right side of the track and is used to store graphite electrode connector bolts. The first robotic arm and the second robotic arm are both located behind the track. The first robotic arm is used to pick up the graphite electrode connector from the first conveyor and place it onto the rotary positioning trolley. The second robotic arm is used to pick up the graphite electrode connector bolt from the platform and install it into the pre-installation hole of the graphite electrode connector on the rotary positioning trolley.

2. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second robotic arm is equipped with a gripping mechanism, which includes a disc connected to the second robotic arm, an electric push rod located inside the disc, and three synchronous cylinders. A push plate is located at the center of the disc, and three limiting grooves are opened on the bottom surface of the disc, which are evenly distributed on the outer side of the push plate. An arc-shaped adjusting plate is installed in each limiting groove. The electric push rod and the three synchronous cylinders are located inside the disc. The electric push rod is located at the center of the disc, and its free end protrudes from the bottom surface of the disc and is fixedly connected to the push plate. The three synchronous cylinders are respectively positioned corresponding to the three limiting grooves, and the piston rod of each synchronous cylinder is fixedly connected to the corresponding adjusting plate.

3. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotary positioning trolley includes a trolley body and a gripper cylinder. The bottom of the trolley body is equipped with moving wheels and a drive motor, and the drive motor is used to drive the moving wheels to rotate. The gripper cylinder is located on the top of the trolley body and has two grippers. Each gripper has a clamping plate rotatably connected to its inner side, and the shaft of one of the clamping plates is driven by a servo motor.

4. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the stage is detachably connected to a material rack, and the top of the material rack has multiple placement slots for placing graphite electrode connector plugs.

5. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: Limiters are installed at both ends of the track to limit the movement of the rotary positioning trolley.

6. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: Two adjustable infrared rangefinders are installed above the track. These rangefinders are used to detect the distance between themselves and the surface of the graphite electrode connector.

7. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: A position sensor is also installed at the rear of the track to detect the positioning status of the rotary positioning trolley.

8. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: It is also equipped with a transfer mechanism and a material platform. The transfer mechanism includes a second conveyor, a third conveyor and a fourth conveyor. The discharge end of the second conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the first conveyor, the discharge end of the third conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the second conveyor, the discharge end of the fourth conveyor corresponds to the feed end of the third conveyor, and the feed end of the fourth conveyor corresponds to the material platform. The material platform is used to store graphite electrode connectors. A hydraulic pushing mechanism is set above the material platform to push the graphite electrode connectors on the material platform to the feed end of the fourth conveyor.

9. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The hydraulic pushing mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder and a pushing plate. The cylinder seat of the hydraulic cylinder is mounted on the material platform, and the pushing plate is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder.

10. The graphite electrode connector bolt installation machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: Baffles are installed on both sides of the first, second, third, and fourth conveyors.

Images