VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling

Abstract

This application discloses a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, relating to the field of vehicle engraving equipment. The device includes an engraving head assembly and a quick-change tooling assembly. The engraving head assembly includes a frame and an engraving head body fixedly connected internally; positioning pin plates and quick-clamp mounting seats with hinged quick-clamps are fixedly connected to both sides of the bottom end of the frame. The quick-change tooling assembly includes a positioning plate, with two upward positioning pins vertically fixed to the top surface of the positioning plate, and clamping plates fixedly provided on both side edges; the upward positioning pins are inserted into holes in the positioning pin plates, and the movable end of the quick-clamp is engaged and locked with the clamping plates; an X-axis linear clamping cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate, and a crossbeam clamping block is fixedly connected to the end of its piston rod. This invention allows for compatibility with new vehicle models by replacing the entire quick-change tooling assembly without modifying the internal structure of the engraving head, reducing modification costs and improving engraving accuracy and replacement efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle marking equipment, and more particularly to a VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the automotive manufacturing and parts assembly industry, components such as floor beams require the marking of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). This operation is typically completed at a specific station on the production line using pneumatic marking equipment. Because the marking depth and character clarity affect vehicle quality traceability, the marking equipment needs to establish a relative positional reference with the workpiece during operation.

[0003] Regarding the aforementioned issues, existing engraving devices mostly employ an integrated design of the actuator and positioning frame. The equipment is typically suspended at the end of a robotic arm or mounted on a mobile trolley. During operation, the operator manually pushes the positioning frame into the vehicle body, utilizing the limiting structure on the support surface to abut against the floor beam. The clamping process is usually achieved by manually rotating the screw or fixing the pressure block, allowing the engraving head to complete a trajectory movement within a predetermined area.

[0004] Existing engraving equipment has limitations when handling multi-model co-production lines. When product shapes change, the edge features and positioning hole spacing of the floor beams also change. Since the positioning brackets and the engraving body are mostly fixedly connected, compatibility with new models requires disassembling bolts or modifying the engraving head, increasing production line downtime and modification costs. Furthermore, the universal clamping structure is difficult to fully adapt to beam sides with flanges or specific hole positions. The reaction force generated by the engraving needle during impact can easily cause slight displacement of the equipment, affecting engraving accuracy. Ordinary bracket structures lack rigidity under vibration, and the external air hoses lack a storage mechanism within the vehicle body space, making them prone to tangling and wear, reducing the maintainability of the equipment.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which aims to solve the problems of existing engraving devices when multiple models are produced on the same production line, such as cumbersome switching and adjustment, high modification costs, and displacement during the engraving process due to the fixed connection between the positioning frame and the engraving components, as well as the impact on engraving accuracy caused by the mismatch of the clamping structure.

[0007] This invention provides the following solution:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, including an engraving head assembly, the engraving head assembly including a frame, and the engraving head body being fixedly connected inside the frame by fasteners;

[0009] The frame is fixedly connected to positioning pin plates and quick clamp mounting bases on both sides of the bottom end facing the workpiece to be engraved by bolts. Quick clamps are hinged on the quick clamp mounting base.

[0010] The end of the engraving head assembly facing the workpiece to be engraved is detachably connected to a quick-change tooling assembly. The quick-change tooling assembly includes a positioning plate. Two upward positioning pins are vertically fixedly connected to the top surface of the positioning plate facing the engraving head assembly. Clamping plates are fixedly provided on both sides of the positioning plate. The upward positioning pins are inserted into the holes opened on the positioning pin plate, and the movable end of the quick clamp is engaged and locked with the clamping plates.

[0011] The positioning plate is fixedly connected to an X-axis linear clamping cylinder by fasteners away from the bottom surface of the engraving head assembly, and a crossbeam clamping block is fixedly connected to the piston rod end of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a base, the top surface of which is fixedly connected to a lifting and rotating mechanism, and the cantilever end of the lifting and rotating mechanism is hinged to the frame away from the top of the quick-change tooling assembly.

[0013] The base has a fixed anti-collision beam that extends vertically upward along the Z-axis on its front end face along the X-axis feed direction, and cable reels are fixedly connected symmetrically on both outer walls of the base.

[0014] Preferably, the lifting and rotating mechanism includes a lifting column, the bottom end of which is fixedly connected to the top surface of the base; an L-shaped arm is slidably connected to the side of the lifting column via a tank chain slide rail, and the end of the L-shaped arm is hinged to the top of the frame via a Z-axis rotating mechanism.

[0015] Preferably, the frame includes two side plates arranged symmetrically from left to right. A first rib, a second rib, and a third rib are sequentially clamped and fixedly connected between the two side plates along the Z-axis from top to bottom. The engraving head body is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the first rib by fasteners, and the positioning pin plate is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the third rib by fasteners.

[0016] Preferably, an installation plate is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the engraving head body, and a mechanical limiting block is fixedly abutting between the bottom surface of the first rib and the top surface of the installation plate; the cross-section of the second rib is I-shaped.

[0017] Preferably, in the two positioning pin plates located on both sides of the bottom end of the frame, one positioning pin plate has a through circular hole and the other positioning pin plate has an through oblong hole; one of the upward positioning pins is inserted into the circular hole and the other upward positioning pin is inserted into the oblong hole.

[0018] Preferably, the quick clamp includes a handle and a linkage mechanism, the handle being throttledly connected to the linkage mechanism; the movable end of the quick clamp is hinged with a connecting ring, the connecting ring being fastened to the clamping plate.

[0019] Preferably, the positioning plate has an inwardly penetrating opening for weight reduction, and both sides of the top surface of the positioning plate are fixedly connected with installation handles by bolts; the bottom surface of the positioning plate is symmetrically fixedly connected with two downwardly extending etched positioning pins, and the bottom surface of the positioning plate is fixedly connected with contour blocks on both sides along the X-axis.

[0020] Preferably, the end of the crossbeam clamping block facing the workpiece to be clamped is formed as an integral wedge structure or a segmented wedge structure; the air inlet sidewall of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder is connected and fixed with a speed regulating valve.

[0021] Secondly, the present invention provides a method of using a VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling, applied to the aforementioned VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling, comprising the following steps:

[0022] Drive the lifting and rotating mechanism to move the punching head assembly and quick-change tooling assembly vertically downward along the Z-axis to the area above the car floor crossbeam;

[0023] The positioning plate is moved horizontally and adjusted so that the etched positioning pin at the bottom is inserted into the positioning hole of the car floor crossbeam, and the bottom contour block fits against the outer wall of the car floor crossbeam.

[0024] The piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder is extended to push the crossbeam clamping block to abut against and clamp the side of the car floor crossbeam.

[0025] The engraving head body is started to perform the engraving operation. After the engraving is completed, the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder is controlled to retract and the entire device is driven to return to the initial standby position.

[0026] Release the quick clamp to disengage the connecting ring from the clamp plate, pull the quick-change tooling assembly downwards along the Z-axis, insert the upward positioning pin on the quick-change tooling assembly adapted to the new model upwards along the Z-axis into the hole of the corresponding positioning pin plate, and lock the quick clamp to complete the replacement.

[0027] The above solution achieves the following beneficial technical effects:

[0028] This invention detachably connects the quick-change tooling assembly to the engraving head assembly. When faced with changes in the floor beam shape of a new vehicle model, the operator can easily replace the entire quick-change tooling assembly with one compatible with the new model by reversing the operation of the quick-clamping mechanism and pulling out the upward positioning pin. No modifications to the core engraving execution structure within the engraving head assembly are required. Compatibility with new vehicle models can be achieved simply by adding or modifying the quick-change tooling, reducing equipment modification costs when multiple vehicle models are produced on the same line and improving equipment maintainability and tooling changeover efficiency.

[0029] This invention features a contour block and a marking positioning pin on the bottom surface of the positioning plate that match the outline of the car floor crossbeam, and utilizes an X-axis linear clamping cylinder to drive the crossbeam clamping block. To accommodate the different positioning hole spacing and boundary features of various car models, the positioning plate edge can be chamfered to avoid flanging interference, and the crossbeam clamping block can employ an integral or segmented wedge structure to press the sides, providing stable frictional reaction force for the marking head body during the marking action. This prevents the metal edge from scratching the workpiece surface while improving the marking accuracy of the VIN code.

[0030] The engraving head assembly of this invention employs a frame formed by the side uprights and the first, second, and third stiffening plates, with a mechanical limiting block abutting between the first stiffening plate and the mounting plate. This enhances the equipment's resistance to bending and torsional deformation when subjected to high-frequency impact loads from the engraving needle. Combined with the anti-collision beam at the front of the base and the cable reel for automatically retracting the air source cable, the overall assembly rigidity is improved while preventing structural collisions and cable entanglement during equipment movement and adjustment within the vehicle body area, ensuring safety during continuous operation. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the overall structure of the VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the external structure of the engraving head assembly of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a rear side view of the engraving head assembly of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the engraving head assembly of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the quick-change tooling assembly of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a top view of the quick-change tooling assembly of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a front view of the quick-change tooling assembly and the quick clamp locking engagement state of the present invention.

[0038] Among them, 100 is the base; 110 is the anti-collision beam; 120 is the cable reel; 200 is the lifting and rotating mechanism; 210 is the lifting column; 220 is the tank chain slide rail; 230 is the L-shaped boom; 240 is the Z-axis rotating mechanism; 300 is the engraving head assembly; 310 is the engraving head body; 311 is the mounting plate; 320 is the frame; 321 is the side plate; 323 is the quick clamp mounting base; 324 is the first rib plate; and 325 is the second rib plate. Plate; 326, Third Rib Plate; 330, Quick Clamp; 331, Connecting Ring; 340, Positioning Pin Plate; 341, Round Hole; 342, Oblong Hole; 350, Mechanical Limit Block; 400, Quick-Change Tooling Assembly; 410, Positioning Plate; 411, Clamping Plate; 412, Installation Handle; 420, Upward Positioning Pin; 430, X-Direction Linear Clamping Cylinder; 440, Crossbeam Clamping Block; 450, Engraved Positioning Pin; 460, Copying Block. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0040] See attached document Figure 1 This invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include a base 100, a lifting and rotating mechanism 200, an engraving head assembly 300, and a quick-change tooling assembly 400. The bottom end of the lifting and rotating mechanism 200 is connected to the top end of the base 100, and the engraving head assembly 300 is suspended from the cantilever end of the lifting and rotating mechanism 200. The end of the engraving head assembly 300 facing downwards towards the workpiece to be engraved is detachably connected to the quick-change tooling assembly 400.

[0041] The base 100 is equipped with a wheel assembly with locking function at its bottom, enabling it to move and maintain positional stability during operation. A collision-resistant beam 110 extending vertically upwards along the Z-axis is fixedly connected to the front face of the base 100 along the X-axis feed direction. The collision-resistant beam 110 absorbs impact loads when the equipment moves beyond a preset range or a collision occurs, preventing damage to the base 100 and its drive mechanism and surrounding components. Cable reels 120 are symmetrically fixedly connected to the outer walls on both sides of the base 100. The cable reels 120 automatically wind up and unwind the pneumatic power cable, ensuring that the cable extends and retracts synchronously with the lifting and moving motion, preventing tangling, dragging, and wear of the cable, and maintaining the continuity of pneumatic signal transmission.

[0042] A lifting and rotating mechanism 200 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the base 100. The lifting and rotating mechanism 200 includes a lifting column 210, a tank chain slide rail 220, an L-shaped boom 230, and a Z-axis rotating mechanism 240. The bottom end of the lifting column 210 is vertically fixedly connected to the top surface of the base 100. The tank chain slide rail 220 is installed on the side of the lifting column 210, and one end of the L-shaped boom 230 is slidably connected to the tank chain slide rail 220. Driven by the tank chain slide rail 220, the L-shaped boom 230 can be pneumatically lifted and lowered in the Z-direction along the lifting column 210, thereby providing the required height adjustment stroke after the equipment enters the vehicle body.

[0043] The L-shaped boom 230 extends horizontally outward and connects the lifting column 210 to the end effector, serving to extend horizontally and transfer load. A Z-axis rotation mechanism 240 is mounted at the end of the L-shaped boom 230. This Z-axis rotation mechanism 240 is hinged to the frame 320 of the punching head assembly 300, away from the top of the quick-change tooling assembly 400. Through the Z-axis rotation mechanism 240, the suspended punching head assembly 300 and the bottom quick-change tooling assembly 400 can rotate around the Z-axis, allowing adjustment of the deflection angle of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 during the assembly and docking stage to align with the automotive floor crossbeam.

[0044] See attached document Figure 2 Appendix Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 The present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling. The engraving head assembly 300 includes a frame 320, and the engraving head body 310 is fixedly connected to the inside of the frame 320 by fasteners. The engraving head body 310 integrates a pneumatic drive module and linear adjustment mechanisms for the X and Y axes. The pneumatic drive module has a pneumatic operating pressure adjustment range of 0.4 to 0.6 MPa, and its impact frequency is infinitely adjustable within the range of 10 to 30 Hz to output a physical engraving depth that matches the specific material of the automotive floor. The frame 320 has a semi-open structure and covers and connects to the outside of the engraving head body 310. The lower area of ​​the frame 320 provides unobstructed operating space for the extension of the internal engraving needle, preventing structural interference.

[0045] The frame 320 includes two symmetrically arranged side panels 321. The side panels 321 are made of 7075 aluminum alloy. The outer edges of the side panels 321 are chamfered and rounded to avoid localized stress concentration under load and reduce structural interference with external equipment during movement within the space. Standardized mounting holes are pre-drilled on the surface of the side panels 321 to provide mounting and positioning references for internal components and external expansion parts. A first stiffener 324, a second stiffener 325, and a third stiffener 326 are sequentially clamped and fixedly connected between the two side panels 321 along the Z-axis from top to bottom. The first stiffener 324, the second stiffener 325, and the third stiffener 326 are all made of 7075 aluminum alloy and are all fastened to the two side panels 321 with hexagonal head screws, forming a structurally rigid frame 320.

[0046] A mounting plate 311 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the engraving head body 310. A first stiffening plate 324 is laterally arranged in the top area of ​​the side plate 321, and the top surface of the mounting plate 311 on the engraving head body 310 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the first stiffening plate 324 by fasteners. This structure forms a rigid support node at the top to disperse the reverse load generated by the high-frequency impact of the engraving needle. The top edge of the mounting plate 311 is provided with a rounded transition and chamfer structure to reduce the risk of friction during hoisting operations or contact with pipelines. A mechanical limiting block 350 is fixedly abutted between the bottom surface of the first stiffening plate 324 and the top surface of the mounting plate 311. The mechanical limiting block 350 is used to physically limit the maximum limit stroke of the internal drive mechanism of the engraving head body 310 in the Z-axis direction to prevent over-interference of internal moving components.

[0047] The second stiffener 325 is located in the middle region of the side plate 321. The cross-section of the second stiffener 325 is I-shaped, which increases the moment of inertia of the frame 320 in the middle region, thus resisting bending and torsional deformation of the engraving head assembly 300 during loading and movement. The third stiffener 326 is located in the bottom region of the side plate 321. A quick-clamp mounting base 323 and a positioning pin plate 340 are symmetrically fixed to both sides of the bottom end of the frame 320 facing the workpiece to be engraved, respectively, by bolts. The top surface of the positioning pin plate 340 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the third stiffener 326 by fasteners. The third stiffener 326, together with the bottom positioning pin plate 340 and the quick-clamp mounting base 323, constitute the load-bearing and geometric positioning structure of the bottom mating end.

[0048] The two locating pin plates 340 located on either side of the bottom end of the frame 320 employ an asymmetrical design in their opening structure. One of the locating pin plates 340 has a circular hole 341 extending through it along the Z-axis, with an inner diameter of 10mm. The other locating pin plate 340 has an elongated hole 342 extending through it along the Z-axis, with a width of 8mm and a length extension of 3mm along the Y-axis. When subsequently docking with the lower quick-change tooling assembly 400, if the relative installation direction is rotated or reversed, the 10mm diameter upward locating pin 420 will be physically blocked by the width of the elongated hole 342 due to the conflict between the pin diameter and the corresponding hole diameter, thus preventing misalignment during docking.

[0049] See attached document Figure 5 Appendix Figure 6 and attached Figure 7 The present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include an engraving head assembly 300 and a quick-change tooling assembly 400. The quick-change tooling assembly 400 is detachably connected to the end of the engraving head assembly 300 facing the workpiece to be engraved. The quick-change tooling assembly 400 includes a positioning plate 410, which is made of aluminum alloy.

[0050] The positioning plate 410 has an inwardly penetrating opening for weight reduction. This opening is located in the relatively low-stress area of ​​the center of the positioning plate 410, reducing the overall weight of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 and lowering the load on personnel during assembly and disassembly. Mounting handles 412 are bolted to both sides of the top surface of the positioning plate 410. The mounting handles 412 are symmetrically arranged to provide gripping points during the transport and assembly of the quick-change tooling assembly 400. Two upward positioning pins 420 are vertically fixed to the top surface of the positioning plate 410 facing the engraving head assembly 300. Clamping plates 411 are fixed to the two side edges of the positioning plate 410. The upward positioning pins 420 are cylindrical and are inserted into corresponding holes in the positioning pin plate 340 at the bottom of the engraving head assembly 300 in the Z-axis direction to achieve assembly alignment. The clamping plate 411 has an inwardly recessed groove profile for receiving and locking the quick clamp 330 on the engraving head assembly 300.

[0051] The positioning plate 410, located away from the bottom surface of the punching head assembly 300, has structural components for aligning the workpiece to be punched. Two punching positioning pins 450 extending downwards along the Z-axis are symmetrically and fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410. The punching positioning pins 450 are arranged according to the spacing of reference holes on the floor beam of a specific car model. The punching positioning pins 450 are inserted into the positioning holes on the floor beam to determine the positional reference of the entire device relative to the area to be punched in the X and Y axis planes. Contouring blocks 460 are fixedly connected to both sides of the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410 along the X-axis. The lower contour of the contouring blocks 460 is machined according to the shape characteristics around the punching surface of the floor beam. The contouring blocks 460 are used to directly fit against the outer wall of the floor beam, providing positional interference limitation and initial positioning alignment in the X-axis direction during initial assembly.

[0052] An X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 is fixedly connected to the positioning plate 410 away from the bottom surface of the engraving head assembly 300 via fasteners. The axis of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 is arranged parallel to the X-axis, and its installation position is directly below the area where the mounting handle 412 is located. A crossbeam clamping block 440 is fixedly connected to the end of the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430. The end of the crossbeam clamping block 440 facing the workpiece to be clamped is formed as an integral wedge structure or a segmented wedge structure. After gas is introduced into the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430, it drives the piston rod to extend linearly along the X-axis, pushing the crossbeam clamping block 440 to move inward and abut against the side structure of the automotive floor crossbeam, generating static friction force to resist the engraving reaction force by applying pressure. A speed regulating valve is fixedly connected to the side wall of the air inlet of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430. By rotating the speed control valve, the cross-sectional area of ​​the airflow entering the internal chamber of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder 430 is adjusted, the gas flow rate is controlled, and thus the extension rate of the piston rod of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder 430 and the running speed of the closing clamping movement of the crossbeam clamping block 440 are adjusted.

[0053] See attached document Figure 7 The present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include an engraving head assembly 300 and a quick-change tooling assembly 400, and the two are connected and locked together by a plug-in and linkage mechanism to achieve spatial degree of freedom constraint and locking.

[0054] When assembling equipment or replacing parts to fit a new vehicle model, the operator lifts the quick-change tooling assembly 400 upwards along the Z-axis, causing the two upward positioning pins 420, vertically fixed to the top surface of the positioning plate 410 of the quick-change tooling assembly 400, to be inserted into the through holes in the positioning pin plates 340 on both sides of the bottom of the engraving head assembly 300. One upward positioning pin 420 is inserted into the circular hole 341 of the positioning pin plate 340, and the other upward positioning pin 420 is inserted into the oblong hole 342 of the other positioning pin plate 340. The outer diameter surface of the upward positioning pin 420 forms a mating contact with the inner wall surfaces of the circular hole 341 and the oblong hole 342. This mating structure restricts the translational freedom of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 relative to the engraving head assembly 300 in the X and Y axes, and also restricts the rotational freedom of the two around the Z-axis. Through the above-mentioned plug-in connection, the constraints of the relevant degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane are realized, ensuring the reference alignment accuracy between the engraving head body 310 and the engraving positioning pin 450 and the contour block 460 at the bottom of the positioning plate 410, and controlling the positioning reference error within the range of less than or equal to 0.05mm.

[0055] After initial horizontal positioning, a quick-release clamp 330 mounted on the engraving head assembly 300 is used to lock the quick-change tooling assembly 400 in the Z-axis direction. The quick-release clamp 330 includes a handle and a linkage mechanism that is driven through the handle. A closed connecting ring 331 is hinged to the movable end of the linkage mechanism. Clamping plates 411 are fixedly mounted on both sides of the positioning plate 410 of the quick-change tooling assembly 400. During operation, rotating the overall orientation of the quick-release clamp 330 flips the hinged connecting ring 331 downwards and inserts it into the outer contour formed by the clamping plates 411.

[0056] Subsequently, the handle of the quick clamp 330 is moved upwards towards the engraving head body 310. The rotation of the handle drives the internal linkage mechanism to produce displacement. When the handle rotates to the set limit position of the mechanism, the axes of the various force-bearing links inside the linkage mechanism become collinear, causing the entire quick clamp 330 to enter the dead position. During the process of entering the dead position, the connecting ring 331 pulls the clamping plate 411 upwards along the Z-axis, generating an interaction clamping force between the two. In the dead position, the connecting ring 331 is stably engaged with the clamping plate 411. This locking mechanism restricts the translational freedom of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 relative to the engraving head assembly 300 along the Z-axis, and also restricts the rotational freedom of rotation around the X and Y axes.

[0057] By combining the horizontal constraints of the upward positioning pin 420 and the positioning pin plate 340, and the vertical clamping constraints of the quick clamp 330 and the clamping plate 411, the quick-change tooling assembly 400 and the engraving head assembly 300 achieve all six spatial degrees of freedom constraints, completing a rigid connection. This assembly structure avoids the use of bolts or threaded fasteners for multi-point screw-in connections, allowing operators to complete the separation by simply pressing the handle in the opposite direction to release the dead point, disengaging the connecting ring 331, and pulling down the upward positioning pin 420 when performing vehicle model switching tasks. This reduces the overall replacement operation time of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 to less than 60 seconds, increasing the upper limit of the switching operation cycle when the production line is dealing with multiple vehicle models on the same line.

[0058] See attached document Figure 6 and attached Figure 7 The present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include an engraving head assembly 300 and a quick-change tooling assembly 400. When performing engraving operations on a car floor beam with a positioning hole spacing of 195mm and a low engraving surface height, the available surrounding space during the overall lowering and assembly of the device is insufficient due to the flanged structure on the outer protrusion of the car floor beam. To adapt to the shape of the car floor beam of this vehicle model, the positioning plate 410 in the quick-change tooling assembly 400 has chamfered structures on both sides of its sides corresponding to the positions adjacent to the car floor beam. During the downward movement of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 and its engagement with the car floor beam, this chamfered structure provides an 8mm assembly gap on the outer edge of the positioning plate 410. This assembly gap allows the positioning plate 410 to avoid the flanged structure of the car floor beam, preventing the metal edge of the positioning plate 410 from scratching the surface of the car floor beam.

[0059] In the initial stage of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 descending vertically along the Z-axis and contacting the automotive floor crossbeam, the contour block 460, fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410, descends synchronously. The bottom contour of the contour block 460 matches the engraved surface contour of the automotive floor crossbeam. When the bottom surface of the contour block 460 is fully in contact with the engraved surface of the automotive floor crossbeam, the initial translational positioning of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 relative to the automotive floor crossbeam in the X-axis direction is achieved. In this positioning state, the engraved positioning pin 450, fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410, is inserted vertically into the corresponding positioning hole on the surface of the automotive floor crossbeam.

[0060] After completing the initial translational positioning, the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 performs lateral locking of the vehicle floor crossbeam. An external air source is input into the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 through a speed control valve fixed to the side wall of the air inlet. The speed control valve regulates the airflow velocity entering the cylinder, thereby controlling the outward displacement speed of the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430. The end of the crossbeam clamping block 440 fixedly connected to the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 facing the vehicle floor crossbeam to be clamped is formed as an integral wedge structure.

[0061] As the piston rod extends along the X-axis, the crossbeam clamping blocks 440 on both sides move inwards relative to each other synchronously. The front surface of the integral wedge-shaped structure gradually abuts against and presses against the outer edge of the flange structure on both sides of the automotive floor crossbeam. The thrust output by the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 is converted into a clamping force of the crossbeam clamping blocks 440 on the sides of the automotive floor crossbeam. At this time, static friction is generated between the integral wedge-shaped surface of the crossbeam clamping blocks 440 and the metal edging surface of the automotive floor crossbeam. This static friction limits the relative displacement of the automotive floor crossbeam with respect to the quick-change tooling assembly 400 during the engraving process, providing the necessary stable frictional reaction force for the impact force generated by the engraving head body 310 when performing the engraving action.

[0062] See attached document Figure 6 and attached Figure 7 The present invention provides a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include an engraving head assembly 300 and a quick-change tooling assembly 400. When performing engraving operations on a car floor beam with a positioning hole spacing of 249mm and a relatively high engraving surface, there is no risk of interference or collision with the car floor beam in the Y-axis direction, and there is ample available space around the device during overall lowering and assembly. To adapt to the shape of the car floor beam of this vehicle model, the two sides of the positioning plate 410 in the quick-change tooling assembly 400 are integrally formed without the need for cutting and chamfering, thereby maintaining the structural strength of the positioning plate 410.

[0063] In the initial stage of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 descending vertically along the Z-axis and contacting the automotive floor crossbeam, the bottom contour of the contour block 460, fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410, fits into contact with the engraved contour of the automotive floor crossbeam, achieving initial translational positioning of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 relative to the automotive floor crossbeam in the X-axis direction. In the positioned state, the engraved positioning pin 450, fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410, is inserted vertically into the corresponding positioning hole on the surface of the automotive floor crossbeam. Since the side steel plate of the automotive floor crossbeam of this model does not have a discontinuous edge-sealing structure along the Z-axis, but instead has a side opening structure, correspondingly, the end of the crossbeam clamping block 440 located at the bottom of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 facing the automotive floor crossbeam to be clamped is formed into a segmented wedge-shaped structure.

[0064] After the initial translational positioning is completed, an external air source is input into the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 through a speed control valve fixed to the side wall of the air inlet, controlling the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 to extend outward. As the piston rod extends along the X-axis, the crossbeam clamping blocks 440 on both sides move inward relative to each other synchronously. The segmented wedge-shaped structure at the front end of the crossbeam clamping block 440 is inserted into the opening on the side of the automotive floor crossbeam and further abuts and presses against the upper edge of the side hole. The thrust output by the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 generates static friction between the surface of the segmented wedge-shaped structure of the crossbeam clamping block 440 and the edge surface of the hole in the automotive floor crossbeam. This static friction limits the relative displacement of the automotive floor crossbeam relative to the quick-change tooling assembly 400, providing a continuous and stable frictional reaction force for the engraving head body 310 to perform the engraving action.

[0065] See attached document Figure 1 The present invention provides a method for using a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, which may include the following work process.

[0066] Before performing the marking operation on the car floor beam, the operator confirms that the surface of the car floor beam to be marked is free of welding slag and other attached debris. Then, the external air supply line is connected to the equipment, and the power button is pressed to start the equipment. The operator pushes the base 100, allowing the entire equipment to pass through the doorway of the car body into the interior area and reach the designated marking station.

[0067] After the equipment is in place, the lifting and rotating mechanism 200 is driven to operate via the control button. The tank chain slide rail 220 on the side of the lifting and rotating mechanism 200 drives the L-shaped arm 230 to move vertically downward along the Z-axis. The end of the L-shaped arm 230 drives the engraving head assembly 300, which is hinged to it, and the quick-change tooling assembly 400, which is fixed to the bottom of the engraving head assembly 300, to descend vertically along the Z-axis until the engraving head assembly 300 and the quick-change tooling assembly 400 are lowered to the area directly above the car floor crossbeam.

[0068] After the quick-change tooling assembly 400 is lowered into position, the operator adjusts the positioning plate 410 of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 horizontally, so that the etched positioning pins 450 fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410 are aligned and vertically inserted into the positioning holes reserved on the surface of the automotive floor beam. At the same time, the surfaces of the contour blocks 460 fixedly connected to both sides of the bottom surface of the positioning plate 410 are in contact with the outer wall of the automotive floor beam, thereby completing the mechanical positioning of the entire equipment relative to the automotive floor beam.

[0069] After initial mechanical positioning is completed, the operator triggers the pneumatic clamping signal by pressing the clamping button. The X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 on the quick-change tooling assembly 400 receives the air supply and actuates, with the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430 extending outward along the X-axis. The extension of the piston rod drives the crossbeam clamping block 440, which is fixedly connected to the front end, to move towards the side of the vehicle floor crossbeam until the crossbeam clamping block 440 abuts against and clamps onto the side edge structure of the vehicle floor crossbeam.

[0070] After the crossbeam clamping block 440 provides a stable clamping force and the frictional reaction force required for engraving, the operator presses the engraving button to trigger the engraving signal. The engraving head body 310, installed inside the engraving head assembly 300, starts the pneumatic drive module and, driven by the X / Y axis adjustment mechanism, performs engraving operations at the designated position on the automotive floor crossbeam.

[0071] After the marking head body 310 completes all marking commands, the control system reverses the air supply to retract the piston rod of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430, causing the crossbeam clamping block 440 to disengage from the side of the car floor crossbeam, thus releasing the physical clamping state. Subsequently, the driving lifting and rotating mechanism 200 causes the marking head assembly 300 and the quick-change tooling assembly 400 to rise vertically along the Z-axis and reset. The operator then pushes the base 100 in the reverse direction along the vehicle entry path to remove the entire equipment from the vehicle body and return it to the initial standby position, completing the standard marking operation process for a single car floor crossbeam.

[0072] See attached document Figure 7 The present invention provides a method for using a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling. The quick-change operation process of the device includes the following detailed steps.

[0073] The operator first pulls the air pipe connected to the quick-change tooling assembly 400 out of the speed control valve fixed to the air inlet side wall of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder 430, thus disconnecting the working air source supply.

[0074] The operator then rotates the handle of the quick clamp 330 hinged on the quick clamp mounting base 323 on the outside of the engraving head assembly 300 in the opposite direction, causing the connecting ring 331 hinged at the movable end of the quick clamp 330 to move relative to the other end. This causes the connecting ring 331 to disengage from the clamping plates 411 fixedly installed on both sides of the positioning plate 410 of the quick change tooling assembly 400, thereby releasing the locking constraint between the engraving head assembly 300 and the original quick change tooling assembly 400 in the Z-axis direction.

[0075] Next, the operator holds the mounting handles 412, which are bolted to both sides of the top surface of the quick-change tooling assembly 400, and applies a pulling force downward along the Z-axis. This causes the positioning plate 410 of the quick-change tooling assembly 400, which is vertically fixed to the top surface of the engraving head assembly 300, to be pulled out from the circular hole 341 and the oblong hole 342 respectively on the corresponding positioning pin plate 340 at the bottom of the engraving head assembly 300. After the upward positioning pins 420 are disengaged from the internal space of the circular hole 341 and the oblong hole 342, the original quick-change tooling assembly 400 is removed, thus completing the disassembly operation of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 for the old vehicle model.

[0076] When installing the quick-change tooling assembly 400 corresponding to the new vehicle model, the operator holds the installation handle 412 on the top surface of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 adapted to the new vehicle model and moves the new quick-change tooling assembly 400 horizontally to the area directly below the bottom of the marking head assembly 300. The operator pushes the new quick-change tooling assembly 400 upward along the Z-axis, so that one of the upward positioning pins 420 on the new quick-change tooling assembly 400 is aligned and inserted into the circular hole 341 on a positioning pin plate 340 at the bottom of the marking head assembly 300, and at the same time, the other upward positioning pin 420 is aligned and inserted into the elongated hole 342 on another positioning pin plate 340. Through the clearance fit between the two upward positioning pins 420 and the circular hole 341 and the elongated hole 342, the marking head assembly 300 and the new quick-change tooling assembly 400 are constrained and aligned in the horizontal directions of the X and Y axes.

[0077] After inserting and positioning the upward positioning pin 420, the operator hooks and engages the connecting ring 331, which is hinged to the movable end of the quick clamp 330 on the engraving head assembly 300, onto the corresponding clamping plates 411 on both sides of the positioning plate 410 of the new quick-change tooling assembly 400. The operator rotates the handle of the quick clamp 330 upwards until it reaches its limit position, causing the quick clamp 330 to enter the dead point position. In this state, the connecting ring 331 and the clamping plate 411 maintain a stable and locked engagement, thereby achieving a fixed clamping connection between the engraving head assembly 300 and the new quick-change tooling assembly 400 in the Z-axis direction.

[0078] Finally, the operator reconnects the air supply hose to the air inlet of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder 430, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the new quick-change tooling assembly 400, restoring the pneumatic signal transmission and air supply connection of the bottom clamping actuator. This completes the vehicle model changeover operation for the VIN code engraving equipment with quick-change tooling.

[0079] This rapid tooling changeover process utilizes the interlocking mechanism of the positioning pin plate 340 and the upward positioning pin 420, along with the quick-change clamping structure of the quick-clamping clamp 330. This design allows for easy replacement of the entire quick-change tooling assembly 400 with a workpiece compatible with each model when product models change. No modifications to the internal striking mechanism of the striking head assembly 300 are required. This design reduces equipment modification costs and operator installation difficulty, allowing the overall replacement time of the quick-change tooling assembly 400 to be controlled within approximately 60 seconds. This improves the cycle time for multi-model co-production lines and enhances equipment maintainability.

[0080] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, characterized in that, It includes a punching head assembly (300), which includes a frame (320), and the punching head body (310) is fixedly connected inside the frame (320) by fasteners. The frame (320) is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the workpiece to be engraved on both sides by bolts with positioning pin plates (340) and quick clamp mounting bases (323), and quick clamps (330) are hinged on the quick clamp mounting bases (323). The engraving head assembly (300) is detachably connected to a quick-change tooling assembly (400) at one end facing the workpiece to be engraved. The quick-change tooling assembly (400) includes a positioning plate (410). Two upward positioning pins (420) are vertically fixedly connected to the top surface of the positioning plate (410) facing the engraving head assembly (300). Clamping plates (411) are fixedly provided on both sides of the positioning plate (410). The upward positioning pins (420) are inserted into the holes opened on the positioning pin plate (340), and the movable end of the quick clamp (330) is fastened and locked with the clamping plate (411). The positioning plate (410) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the engraving head assembly (300) by fasteners to an X-axis linear clamping cylinder (430), and the piston rod end of the X-axis linear clamping cylinder (430) is fixedly connected to a crossbeam clamping block (440).

2. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a base (100), on the top surface of which a lifting and rotating mechanism (200) is fixedly connected, and the cantilever end of the lifting and rotating mechanism (200) is hinged to the frame (320) away from the top of the quick-change tooling assembly (400). The base (100) has a front end face fixedly connected to a collision beam (110) extending vertically upward along the Z axis, and the outer walls on both sides of the base (100) are symmetrically fixedly connected to a cable reel (120).

3. The VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting and rotating mechanism (200) includes a lifting column (210), the bottom end of which is fixedly connected to the top surface of the base (100); the side of the lifting column (210) is slidably connected to an L-shaped arm (230) via a tank chain slide rail (220), and the end of the L-shaped arm (230) is hinged to the top of the frame (320) via a Z-axis rotating mechanism (240).

4. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (320) includes two side plates (321) arranged symmetrically on the left and right. A first rib plate (324), a second rib plate (325) and a third rib plate (326) are clamped and fixedly connected between the two side plates (321) along the Z-axis from top to bottom. The engraving head body (310) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the first rib plate (324) by fasteners, and the positioning pin plate (340) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the third rib plate (326) by fasteners.

5. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer wall of the engraving head body (310) is fixedly connected to an installation plate (311), and a mechanical limiting block (350) is fixedly abutted between the bottom surface of the first rib (324) and the top surface of the installation plate (311); the cross-section of the second rib (325) is I-shaped.

6. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the two positioning pin plates (340) located on both sides of the bottom end of the frame (320), one positioning pin plate (340) has a through circular hole (341) and the other positioning pin plate (340) has an through oblong hole (342); one of the upward positioning pins (420) is inserted into the circular hole (341) and the other upward positioning pin (420) is inserted into the oblong hole (342).

7. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quick clamp (330) includes a handle and a linkage mechanism, the handle being connected to the linkage mechanism in a transmission manner; the movable end of the quick clamp (330) is hinged with a connecting ring (331), the connecting ring (331) being fastened to the clamp plate (411).

8. The VIN code marking device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning plate (410) has a weight-reducing opening that extends inward through the plate surface. Both sides of the top surface of the positioning plate (410) are fixedly connected with mounting handles (412) by bolts. The bottom surface of the positioning plate (410) is symmetrically fixedly connected with two downwardly extending etched positioning pins (450). The bottom surface of the positioning plate (410) is fixedly connected with contour blocks (460) on both sides along the X-axis.

9. The VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the crossbeam clamping block (440) facing the workpiece to be clamped is formed as an integral wedge structure or a segmented wedge structure; the air inlet side wall of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder (430) is connected to and fixed with a speed regulating valve.

10. A method of using a VIN code engraving device with quick-change tooling, characterized in that, The VIN code marking equipment with quick-change tooling as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: Drive the lifting and rotating mechanism (200) to operate, so that the punching head assembly (300) and quick-change tooling assembly (400) move vertically downward along the Z-axis to the area above the car floor crossbeam; The positioning plate (410) is moved and adjusted so that the etched positioning pin (450) at the bottom is inserted into the positioning hole of the car floor beam, and the bottom contour block (460) fits against the outer wall of the car floor beam. The piston rod of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder (430) is extended to push the crossbeam clamping block (440) to abut against and clamp the side of the car floor crossbeam; The engraving head body (310) is started to perform the engraving operation. After the engraving is completed, the piston rod of the X-direction linear clamping cylinder (430) is controlled to retract and the entire device is driven to return to the initial standby position. Release the quick clamp (330) to disengage the connecting ring (331) from the clamp plate (411), pull out the quick-change tooling assembly (400) downward along the Z-axis, insert the upward positioning pin (420) on the quick-change tooling assembly (400) adapted to the new model upward along the Z-axis into the hole of the corresponding positioning pin plate (340), and lock the quick clamp (330) to complete the replacement.

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