An automatic quick-change device and method for visual inspection modules

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic quick-change device and method for visual inspection modules, belonging to the field of industrial automation equipment. It addresses problems such as low module replacement efficiency, poor positioning guidance, unstable magnetic attraction, uncontrollable locking force, and easy signal mistransmission in existing modules, and is adapted to the flexible quality inspection scenario of new energy vehicle components. The device integrates positioning guidance, composite magnetic attraction, mechanical locking, power supply signal transmission, and a central control module. The guiding unit adopts a two-stage variable stiffness design, and the sensor reuses the detection position and gap; the magnetic attraction adopts a permanent magnet + electromagnetic composite structure, which can be graded for magnetic adjustment and rapid demagnetization; the locking unit achieves closed-loop control of force value, and the power supply and signal terminals use elastic pins with triple protection. This solution achieves full automation of the module replacement process without manual intervention. A single quick change takes ≤12s, with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm, and is compatible with various 2D and 3D modules, effectively improving operational reliability and reducing operating costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial automation equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic quick-change device and method for visual inspection modules applied to flexible quality inspection scenarios such as new energy vehicle parts, electronic components, and precision mechanical parts. It is applicable to fully automatic, manual-free switching operations of various types of visual modules (2D area scan camera, 2D line scan camera, 3D structured light sensor, 3D laser inspection component, etc.) and can be widely used in flexible production scenarios of industrial quality inspection stations. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of industrial automation quality inspection, machine vision technology has become a core means of high-precision quality inspection. For industrial parts of different sizes, materials, and inspection requirements (such as automotive parts, electronic components, and precision mechanical parts), various vision inspection modules are needed, including 2D area scan cameras, 2D line scan cameras, 3D structured light sensors, and 3D laser inspection components, to achieve different functions such as planar defect detection, three-dimensional dimension measurement, and surface roughness detection. In flexible production models, production lines need to frequently switch between quality inspection tasks for different types of workpieces, and the corresponding vision inspection modules also need to be quickly replaced accordingly.

[0003] In existing technologies, the replacement methods for visual inspection modules are mainly divided into two types: manual disassembly and replacement, and conventional automatic quick-change devices. Both of these methods have obvious defects and cannot meet the "efficient, accurate, reliable, and fully automatic" quick-change requirements in flexible production scenarios.

[0004] Manual disassembly and replacement is currently the mainstream practice in the industrial quality inspection field, requiring professional technicians to perform a series of operations such as disassembly, alignment, and calibration. A single replacement process includes: turning off the equipment power, disassembling the current module (loosening fastening bolts, disconnecting power and data cables), moving it to the storage area, retrieving the new module and moving it to the workstation, aligning the mounting holes and tightening the bolts, connecting cables, powering on the equipment, manual calibration, and trial operation to verify accuracy. The total time for a single replacement is typically ≥30 minutes, resulting in extremely low efficiency. Furthermore, manual operation presents the following derivative problems: First, it requires a high level of professional skill from operators, leading to high labor and training costs for enterprises; second, mechanical parameter recalibration is required after each replacement, resulting in long debugging times and low equipment reuse rates; third, the risk of operational errors is high, easily leading to module misalignment, reversed cable connections, improper tightening torque, etc., causing damage to the module's precision components.

[0005] To overcome the inefficiency of manual replacement, the industry has attempted to apply general industrial robot end-effector quick-change technologies (such as quick-change devices for CNC tooling and welding tools) to vision inspection module replacement scenarios. However, the optical precision characteristics and high-precision positioning requirements of vision inspection modules dictate that their requirements for quick-change devices are far higher than those for general industrial quick-change scenarios. The few existing related automatic quick-change devices mainly suffer from the following core defects: (1) Lack of guidance and low alignment efficiency in pre-positioning: Existing devices mostly use a single magnetic positioning or a single mechanical locking structure to achieve pre-positioning, without a dedicated positioning guidance mechanism. When the vision module docks with the quick-change device, there is no guidance assistance, and it relies entirely on magnetic force or mechanical clamping for "blind alignment", which is prone to deviation and misalignment. A single alignment often requires repeated adjustment of the posture 3-5 times, and the pre-positioning process takes 8-12 seconds. Moreover, the connection between magnetic attraction and locking is not smooth, which seriously affects the overall quick-change efficiency and positioning accuracy.

[0006] (2) Unstable magnetic attraction and incomplete demagnetization: Some devices use a single permanent magnet for adsorption and positioning, which has problems such as uneven magnetic field distribution, serious leakage, and non-adjustable magnetic force. Under the vibration conditions of industrial workshops, the adsorption is prone to loosening. Other devices use a single electromagnetic adsorption. Although the magnetic force can be adjusted, it requires continuous power supply, resulting in high energy consumption. Moreover, the magnetic force disappears after power failure, posing a safety hazard. A more prominent problem is that the existing magnetic attraction devices do not completely demagnetize when separating modules. The residual magnetic field strength can reach 0.1-0.2T. The separation process requires additional external force, which can easily cause scratches or residual magnetic debris on the precision mounting surface of the module, affecting the accuracy of subsequent detection.

[0007] (3) Uncontrollable locking force and poor coordination between magnetic attraction and locking: The locking mechanism and magnetic attraction mechanism of the existing device are designed independently. The locking force is usually a fixed value (not adjustable). It is impossible to match the locking force according to the module type (lightweight or heavy-duty) - if the locking force is too small, the module will loosen and fall off during high-speed movement, and if the locking force is too large, it will damage the module structure. It is also impossible to make dynamic feedback adjustment during the locking process. Once the locking force deviates from the appropriate range, it cannot be automatically corrected. In addition, there is no state linkage mechanism between magnetic pre-positioning and mechanical locking. It often happens that the magnetic attraction has not stabilized before locking is started, or the magnetic attraction continues to work with a large current after locking is completed. The poor coordination between the two further reduces the reliability of quick replacement.

[0008] (4) Separation of power supply and signal transmission, susceptible to interference and lack of anti-misjudgment mechanism: Existing devices usually separate the power supply interface and the signal transmission interface, using rigid contact or simple plug-and-play connection, which has problems such as poor contact and susceptibility to industrial electromagnetic interference (100MHz-1GHz frequency band). More importantly, the signal transmission lacks synchronous trigger control - the signal link starts transmitting data before the module is locked in place or the power supply is not stable, which is very easy to generate false signals, causing the central control system to misjudge the "unlocked state" as the "locked state", resulting in data errors or even safety accidents in subsequent detection operations. Existing technology does not provide any technical means to prevent such false transmission.

[0009] (5) Poor compatibility with multiple modules: Existing devices are usually only compatible with 1-2 vision modules of specific size and interface type. When it is necessary to switch between different types of modules, manual intervention is still required to adjust mechanical parameters (gripper stroke, locking force, alignment height, etc.) and electrical parameters (power supply voltage, communication protocol, etc.). It is impossible to achieve true self-adaptation and switching without manual intervention, which makes it difficult to meet the quality inspection needs of flexible production of multiple categories.

[0010] A comprehensive analysis of the existing technologies reveals that while some patent documents address quick-change technology for industrial robot end effectors, none have resolved the comprehensive issues inherent in quick-change scenarios for vision inspection modules. For instance, European patent EP3202541B1 (The Boeing Company) discloses a magnetically coupled quick-change mechanism for robot end effectors, which achieves tool connection and separation through mechanical sleeve rotation. However, this scheme uses mechanical switching rather than current-controlled demagnetization, resulting in slow demagnetization response and residual magnetic fields, failing to meet the stringent requirements of vision modules for residue-free and scratch-free separation. Chinese patent document CN202420285436U discloses a split-type quick-change device, but its power supply and signal transmission remain separate designs, lacking synchronous trigger control and a positioning guide mechanism and a locking force closed-loop control system.

[0011] In summary, current industry solutions fail to simultaneously address the comprehensive technical challenges of guiding alignment, magnetic stability and rapid demagnetization, closed-loop controllable locking force, signal transmission anti-misjudgment, and multi-module adaptive adaptation. This makes it impossible to achieve "efficient, accurate, reliable, and fully automated" rapid replacement of vision inspection modules, particularly failing to balance rapid replacement efficiency with positioning accuracy, and thus unable to adapt to the multi-scenario, multi-module switching requirements of flexible production. The misalignment and time-consuming issues caused by the lack of pre-positioning guidance, the reliability issues caused by poor coordination between magnetic attraction and locking, and the safety hazards caused by signal mistransmission collectively constitute the key technical bottlenecks restricting the improvement of flexible quality inspection capabilities in the field of industrial automation quality inspection. This invention proposes a targeted innovative solution to address the core pain points of the aforementioned existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0012] This invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing visual inspection module replacement methods (manual replacement or conventional quick-change devices), and provides an automatic quick-change device and method for visual inspection modules to address the following core pain points: (1) No guidance for pre-positioning: In the prior art, there is no guidance structure when the vision module is docked with the quick-change device, which is easy to deviate and misalign, requiring repeated adjustment of posture, which takes a long time for pre-positioning, and the magnetic attraction and locking are not smooth. (2) Unstable magnetic attraction and incomplete demagnetization: Existing single permanent magnet adsorption has serious problems of magnetic field leakage and uncontrollable magnetic force; single electromagnetic adsorption has high energy consumption and unstable magnetic force; and the demagnetization is incomplete, which can easily damage the precision components of the module during separation; (3) Uncontrollable locking force: The existing locking mechanism is disconnected from the magnetic attraction mechanism, and the locking force cannot be dynamically adjusted. Insecure locking can easily lead to module loosening, and excessive locking force can easily damage the module. (4) Signal is prone to mistransmission and has weak anti-interference capability: The power supply and signal transmission are separated, and there is no synchronous trigger control. The signal is prone to mistransmission, which leads to system misjudgment. It also lacks industrial-grade anti-interference protection. (5) Poor multi-module adaptability: Existing devices cannot achieve adaptive switching of multiple types of visual modules such as 2D and 3D, and manual intervention is still required to adjust parameters.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic quick-change device for a visual inspection module, comprising: Mechanical manipulator unit; a positioning guide slide unit fixedly installed at the end of the mechanical manipulator unit, the positioning guide slide unit is provided with a guide groove, the guide groove is divided into an inlet coarse guide section and an end positioning section along the direction of the vision inspection module introduction; The composite magnetic attraction unit includes an irreversible permanent magnet component and an electromagnetic reinforcement unit, which together form a connection in which the magnetic force of the magnetic circuit can be increased or decreased. A mechanical locking unit for locking a vision inspection module includes a locking execution unit and a locking force detection unit, wherein the locking force detection unit is disposed on the locking execution unit; A contact-type power supply unit that supplies power to the vision inspection module and enables signal connection; a signal transmission unit that includes a synchronous trigger control module; It also includes a central control module, which is electrically connected to the positioning guide slide unit, the composite magnetic suction unit, the mechanical locking unit, the contact power supply unit, and the signal transmission unit.

[0014] The core innovation of this invention lies in the synergistic design of five core units: First, the positioning guide slide unit innovatively adopts a two-stage variable stiffness adaptive design. The inlet coarse guide section is equipped with wear-resistant protection, and the end positioning section achieves precise positioning. Its displacement sensor is reused by the composite magnetic suction unit to realize synchronous detection of the guide position and the fitting gap, forming a closed-loop logic of "guidance-detection-linkage". Secondly, the composite magnetic unit adopts a composite structure of irreversible permanent magnet and electromagnetic reinforcement to achieve graded adjustment of magnetic force (10-20N for thin and light modules, 30-50N for heavy modules) and rapid demagnetization within 0.2s. It also achieves active gap adjustment by reusing displacement sensors, which is different from the passive increase of attraction force in conventional technologies. Third, the mechanical locking unit adopts a closed-loop control of locking force (0.1s feedback frequency), which links the guiding and magnetic attraction states to achieve a three-level linkage of "guiding into position - magnetic attraction pre-positioning - mechanical locking", ensuring reliable locking without damaging the module; Fourth, the power supply and signal transmission unit adopts a highly elastic spring pin structure and triple synchronous trigger protection (guided in place + locked in place + normal power supply) to achieve precise control of "no transmission before triggering and start-up after triggering", eliminating misjudgment from the source; Fifth, the fully automated quick-change method integrates five major units to achieve full automation of the "mold taking-guiding-pre-positioning-locking-power supply-calibration-recycling" process. Combined with an anomaly handling mechanism and RFID module identification, it adapts to the adaptive switching of multiple types of modules.

[0015] The five major innovations are interconnected: The positioning guide slide guide module can be quickly and accurately aligned, providing a reliable prerequisite for the accurate pre-positioning of the composite magnetic suction unit; The adjustable magnetic locking of the composite magnetic attraction unit enables precise fixation after the guide is in place, providing a stable foundation for the mechanical locking unit; The stable fixation by mechanical locking provides a safe foundation for the power supply and signal transmission units; Synchronous triggering protection for signal transmission and protective design of the power supply unit work together to improve operational reliability; The fully automated quick-change method integrates five major units to achieve efficient, accurate, and reliable module switching.

[0016] Furthermore, the inlet coarse guide section adopts a flexible structure with an elastic modulus of 10-20 GPa, and its inner wall is fitted with a polytetrafluoroethylene bushing with a thickness of 0.5-1 mm and a friction coefficient ≤0.1; the end positioning section adopts a high rigidity structure with an elastic modulus of 60-80 GPa, and its positioning accuracy is ≤±0.5 mm.

[0017] Furthermore, the positioning guide slide unit also includes a displacement sensor, which has dual detection functions: detecting the positioning boss of the vision inspection module in the guide groove and generating a guidance signal to be sent to the central control module; and reusing it as a bonding gap detection component for the composite magnetic attraction unit to collect bonding gap data between the magnetic steel plate and the magnetic mounting surface of the vision inspection module; the displacement sensor has an accuracy of ±0.01mm and is connected to the central control module via the SPI bus.

[0018] Furthermore, the inlet of the guide groove is provided with an arc-shaped transition structure with an R angle of 3mm, and the guide groove is symmetrically distributed around the magnetically conductive steel plate of the composite magnetic attraction unit.

[0019] Furthermore, the irreversible permanent magnet component includes several blocks of non-electromagnetically controlled permanent magnets made of high-energy-product neodymium iron boron (N52) material, and the electromagnetic strengthening unit includes several blocks of electromagnetically controlled permanent magnets made of aluminum nickel cobalt material. The two are arranged in a matrix and the whole is encapsulated in epoxy resin.

[0020] Furthermore, the electromagnetic strengthening unit includes a magnetically conductive steel plate, an electromagnetic control coil, and at least one position sensing component. The electromagnetic control module can control the electromagnetic control coil to pass a forward current to generate an induced magnetic field that is consistent with the inherent magnetic field direction of the irreversible permanent magnet component, or to pass a reverse current to generate a reverse induced magnetic field to achieve rapid demagnetization, with a demagnetization time ≤0.2s.

[0021] Furthermore, the mechanical locking unit also includes a locking force closed-loop control module, whose preset locking force adaptation range is 65-70N; the locking force detection unit is a pressure sensor set on the head of the electric gripper, with an accuracy of ±0.5N and a sampling frequency of 0.1s.

[0022] Furthermore, the contact power supply unit adopts a highly elastic spring pin structure with an elastic coefficient of 8N / mm. It is arranged in a ring or linear pattern and has built-in overcurrent and overvoltage protection components. The power supply voltage is 24V and the current range is 1-3A.

[0023] Furthermore, the signal transmission unit is equipped with a foolproof adapter structure and an anti-interference transmission structure. The foolproof adapter structure includes a modular adapter with a built-in protocol automatic identification chip; the anti-interference transmission structure includes a metal shield and a shielded cable; the synchronous trigger control module presets three trigger conditions for signal transmission initiation: Condition 1 is that the positioning guide slide unit provides feedback on the guide position signal; condition 2 is that the mechanical locking unit completes reliable locking and provides feedback on the locking position signal; condition 3 is that the contact power supply unit completes precise docking and provides feedback on the normal power supply signal. The signal transmission link is activated only when both conditions are met simultaneously. If the locking becomes loose or the power supply is abnormal, the signal transmission link is immediately cut off.

[0024] Furthermore, the central control module adopts a dual-processor collaborative architecture of STM32F407 and TMS320F28335, and is connected to an RFID reader for identifying the RFID tags built into the vision inspection module.

[0025] The present invention also provides an automatic quick-change method based on the aforementioned automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules, comprising the following steps: S1: The central control module automatically matches the type of visual inspection module to be switched according to the quality inspection task requirements, and identifies the identity information of the visual inspection module through RFID tags; S2: The mechanical operating arm unit drives the quick-change device to move above the target module, guiding the positioning boss into the guide groove of the positioning guide slide unit. The impact is buffered by the inlet coarse guide section, and high-precision preliminary alignment is achieved by the end positioning section. The composite magnetic suction unit generates magnetic force when energized, so that the magnetic steel plate is attached to the magnetic mounting surface of the module. The position sensing component collects the attachment gap data H in real time. If the gap H is greater than the preset threshold D, the central control module fine-tunes the position of the mechanical operating arm unit through the mechanical arm control system to reduce the gap to within the threshold D and complete the pre-positioning. S3: After the pre-positioning is achieved, the electric gripper of the mechanical locking unit retracts, the pressure sensor provides real-time feedback of locking force data, the closed-loop control module dynamically adjusts the locking force to the preset adaptation range, and sends a locking-in signal after the locking force stabilizes. S4: After locking in place, the contact power supply unit and the signal transmission unit operate synchronously. The spring pin is precisely connected to the power supply interface and signal interface of the module. After the synchronous trigger control module confirms that the triple trigger conditions are met, the signal transmission link is started. S5: The mechanical manipulator unit moves the locked vision inspection module to the quality inspection station position, and the central control module starts the machine vision calibration algorithm to automatically complete the module calibration. S6: After the detection task is completed, the composite magnetic suction unit is supplied with reverse current to achieve rapid demagnetization. After demagnetization is completed, the mechanical locking unit is released, the signal transmission and power supply are cut off, and the mechanical operating arm unit recovers the old module and sends it back to the designated storage location.

[0026] Furthermore, in step S2, the preset threshold D≤0.05mm, the irreversible permanent magnet component provides the inherent basic magnetic field, the electromagnetic control permanent magnet magnetic field of the electromagnetic strengthening unit is superimposed on it, the electromagnetic control module passes a positive current to the electromagnetic control coil to generate an induced magnetic field in the same direction as the inherent magnetic field, and the two superimpose to form a strong magnetic force.

[0027] Furthermore, in step S3, the pressure sensor feeds back the locking force data every 0.1s, and the locking force is adapted to a range of 65-70N. After the locking force stabilizes, the limit switch sends a locking signal.

[0028] Furthermore, in step S4, the triple triggering conditions are: condition one is that the positioning guide slide unit feeds back a guiding signal; condition two is that the mechanical locking unit completes reliable locking and feeds back a locking signal; and condition three is that the contact power supply unit completes precise docking and feeds back a normal power supply signal. If the locking becomes loose or the power supply is abnormal, the signal transmission link is immediately cut off.

[0029] Furthermore, in step S6, the rapid demagnetization time is ≤0.2s.

[0030] Furthermore, it also includes an abnormal handling step S7: If magnetic attraction fails, locking is not in place, or power supply or signal connection is abnormal during the quick change process, the central control module will immediately trigger an audible and visual alarm, stop the current operation, reset the mechanical operating arm unit to a safe position, store the abnormal information, and automatically cut off the main power supply of the device after the abnormal state continues for a certain period of time.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) Quick change efficiency is greatly improved: the time for a single quick change is ≤12s, which is more than 150 times more efficient than the existing manual change (≥30 minutes) and more than 67% more efficient than the conventional automatic quick change device (≥30s), completely solving the bottleneck of quick change efficiency.

[0032] (2) Positioning accuracy is significantly improved: Through a two-stage variable stiffness positioning guide slide and multiple sensor feedback, a quick-change positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm is achieved, solving the core pain points of existing technologies such as no guidance and easy misalignment during pre-positioning.

[0033] (3) Stable and reliable magnetic attraction and thorough demagnetization: The irreversible permanent magnet + electromagnetic reinforcement composite structure combined with epoxy resin encapsulation realizes graded magnetic force output and rapid demagnetization within 0.2s. The magnetic field fluctuation is ≤2%. There is zero loosening after 100 tests, no residual magnetic force, and no module damage.

[0034] (4) Precise and controllable locking force: Closed-loop dynamic adjustment achieves precise locking force control with a feedback frequency of 0.1s. It automatically matches the adaptation range according to the module type, eliminating the risk of excessive locking force damaging the module or insufficient locking force causing loosening.

[0035] (5) Signal transmission misjudgment prevention: The triple synchronous triggering protection mechanism ensures that the signal is only started when the three conditions of being guided in place, locked in place, and power supply is normal are met at the same time. There were zero misjudgments in 100 tests, filling the gap in the existing technology of signal transmission without synchronous triggering to prevent misjudgment.

[0036] (6) Multi-module adaptive adaptation: Through RFID module identification and adjustable structural design, fully automatic and seamless switching of multiple types of vision modules such as 2D area array camera, 2D line array camera, 3D laser detection component, and 3D structured light sensor can be achieved without manual intervention, thereby improving the equipment's flexible adaptation capability.

[0037] (7) Full-process automation and reliable operation: The five core units work together and are combined with the full-process abnormality handling mechanism to achieve a 100% success rate in 100 consecutive cycle tests. It is suitable for complex working conditions such as dust, vibration and high temperature in industrial workshops, which greatly reduces the manpower and debugging costs of enterprises and promotes the technological progress in the field of industrial automation quality inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings are used to assist in illustrating the technical content of the present invention, clearly showing the structure, collaborative relationship and quick-change process of each core component. The specific description is as follows: Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic quick-change device of the present invention 01; Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic quick-change device of the present invention 02; Figure 3 : Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the composite magnetic suction unit and the mechanical locking unit of the present invention (01); Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the composite magnetic suction unit and the mechanical locking unit of the present invention (02); Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of the composite magnetic suction unit structure of the present invention; Figure 6 : Flowchart of the quick-change method for the visual inspection module of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the automatic quick-change device and method for vision inspection modules described in this invention are specifically designed for quick-change scenarios of industrial automation vision inspection modules, and differ from general industrial robot end effector quick-change devices (such as quick-change CNC tooling, quick-change welding tools, etc.). Its technical problems, methods, and effects are all designed around the specific needs of vision inspection modules (guiding and positioning accuracy ±0.5mm, multi-module adaptive adaptation, signal transmission anti-misjudgment, etc.). The following detailed description is provided with reference to specific embodiments.

[0041] Example 1: Flexible Quality Inspection Scenario for New Energy Vehicle Components This embodiment applies the automatic quick-change device of the present invention to a flexible quality inspection production line for new energy vehicle parts, and is adapted to fully automatic quick-change switching of two commonly used vision modules: 2D area array camera module and 3D laser inspection component.

[0042] 1.1 Overall Scheme of the Equipment In this embodiment, the automatic quick-change device is rigidly connected to the end of the FANUC CRX-10iA robotic arm by bolts. The whole device adopts an integrated structure design, with a weight of 3.5kg and external dimensions of 150mm (length) × 150mm (width) × 80mm (height). It is suitable for the standard installation space of industrial quality inspection stations and does not affect the flexibility of the robotic arm.

[0043] The central control module adopts a dual-processor collaborative architecture of STM32F407VET6 and TMS320F28335. The STM32F407VET6 is responsible for the logic control and data acquisition of each core unit, while the TMS320F28335 is responsible for high-speed computation of the machine vision calibration algorithm. The central control module communicates with the robotic arm control system via a CAN bus and with the sensors of each unit via an SPI bus. An RFID reader (model RC522, operating frequency 13.56MHz) is provided to read the RFID tags (model MIFARE Classic 1K) built into the vision module, enabling module identification and adaptive parameter matching.

[0044] 1.2 Assembly and parameter setting of positioning guide slide unit (refer to Appendix) Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 ) The positioning guide slide unit is integrated into the bottom mating surface of the quick-change device, employing a "guide groove + positioning boss" fitting structure. The guide groove is divided into two sections along the vision module introduction direction: The inlet coarse guide section is made of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy with an elastic modulus controlled at 15GPa (within the 10-20GPa range). The inner wall is inlaid with a 0.8mm thick PTFE wear-resistant bushing. This bushing has a friction coefficient of 0.08 (≤0.1), effectively absorbing the impact load when the robotic arm guides the module, preventing damage to the vision module mounting surface from rigid extrusion. The guide groove inlet has a 3mm radius arc transition structure to further reduce guiding resistance.

[0045] End positioning section: Made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy substrate, with elastic modulus controlled at 70GPa (within the range of 60-80GPa), and positioning accuracy reaching ±0.5mm, providing a high-precision positioning reference for the composite magnetic suction unit and mechanical locking unit.

[0046] The guide grooves are symmetrically distributed around the magnetically conductive steel plate of the composite magnetic attraction unit. The groove width matches the size of the positioning boss at the bottom of the vision module (in this embodiment, the positioning boss of the 2D module is 18mm wide and the positioning boss of the 3D module is 25mm wide. The guide groove adopts an adjustable groove width design with an adjustment range of 16-28mm).

[0047] Two LVDT-10 displacement sensors are symmetrically installed at the bottom of the guide groove. These sensors are connected to the central control module via the SPI bus and have dual detection functions: (1) detecting the positioning status of the module positioning boss in the guide groove; (2) being reused by the composite magnetic suction unit to collect the fitting gap data between the magnetic steel plate and the magnetic mounting surface of the vision module. The sensor detection accuracy is ±0.01mm and the sampling frequency is 100Hz.

[0048] The positioning guide slide unit is made of lightweight aluminum alloy, with the additional weight controlled to 0.15kg (≤0.2kg), which does not affect the flexibility of the robotic arm.

[0049] 1.3 Assembly and Parameter Setting of Composite Magnetic Unit (Refer to Appendix) Figure 5 ) The composite magnetic attraction unit includes an irreversible permanent magnet component, an electromagnetic strengthening unit, a magnetically conductive steel plate, a position sensing component, and an electromagnetic control module. The components work together to achieve graded adjustment of magnetic force and rapid demagnetization.

[0050] Irreversible permanent magnet components: 32 high-energy-product NdFeB N52 permanent magnets with a magnetic energy product of 400kJ / m³ (in the range of 350-450kJ / m³) are arranged in a 4×8 matrix to provide a stable basic magnetic field.

[0051] Electromagnetic strengthening unit: Includes 16 reversible permanent magnets made of AlNiCo and matching electromagnetic control coils. The electromagnetic control coil uses high-temperature resistant copper core wire with a diameter of 0.5mm and 1000 turns, wound around the reversible permanent magnets. The irreversible and reversible permanent magnets are arranged in a matrix-like staggered pattern, and the entire unit is encapsulated in epoxy resin with a thickness of 1.5mm (within the 1-2mm range), significantly reducing magnetic field leakage. The electromagnetic control module is linked with the central control module, and can control the electromagnetic control coil to pass a forward current (current range 0.5-2A) to generate an induced magnetic field in the same direction as the inherent magnetic field of the irreversible permanent magnet component, achieving magnetic force superposition and enhancement; or to pass a reverse current (current range 0.8-2A) to generate a reverse induced magnetic field, achieving rapid demagnetization within 0.2s (≤0.2s).

[0052] Magnetic steel plate: Made of DT4C electrical pure iron with a thickness of 3mm (within the range of 2-5mm), it is closely attached to the outside of the permanent magnet array to gather and disperse the magnetic field and guide it to the magnetic mounting surface of the vision module.

[0053] Position sensing component: The LVDT-10 displacement sensor, which reuses the positioning guide slide unit, is symmetrically installed close to the outer side of the magnetic steel plate to collect the fitting gap data in real time.

[0054] The magnetic output of this unit can be adjusted in stages: for a lightweight 2D area scan camera module (weighing 0.8kg), the output magnetic force is 15-20N (within the 10-20N range); for a heavy-duty 3D laser detection component (weighing 2.5kg), the output magnetic force is 40-45N (within the 30-50N range). This staged adjustment logic is automatically matched by the central control module based on the module type information read by RFID, without the need for manual intervention.

[0055] 1.4 Assembly and parameter settings of the mechanical locking unit (refer to Appendix) Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 ) The mechanical locking unit includes a locking execution unit, a locking force detection unit, a locking force closed-loop control module, and an auxiliary protection structure.

[0056] Locking actuator: Employs a high-precision electric gripper (model MHZ2-16D) and a stepper motor driver (model DRV8825). A 10mm linear guide rail (within the 8-12mm range) is selected to ensure smooth, non-deviation-free translational movement of the gripper. The gripper stroke adjustment range is 5-15mm; in this embodiment, it is set to 10mm to accommodate the locking requirements of both modules.

[0057] Locking force detection unit: Employs an FSS1500N pressure sensor with a detection accuracy of ±0.1N (≤±0.5N), integrated into the gripper head of the electric gripper, ensuring tight contact with the locking surface. The pressure sensor communicates with the locking force closed-loop control module via an I2C bus, providing locking force data feedback every 0.1s.

[0058] Locking force closed-loop control module: The preset locking force adaptation range is automatically matched according to the module type—35-40N for 2D area scan camera modules (thin type) and 65-70N for 3D laser detection components (heavy type). The closed-loop control module receives locking force data from the pressure sensing component in real time, compares it with the preset range, and adjusts the response time ≤0.1s. If the locking force is less than the preset minimum value, the driving force is automatically increased; if the locking force is greater than the preset maximum value, the driving force is immediately decreased; if the locking force is within the adaptation range, the current driving force is maintained. After the locking force stabilizes within the preset range for ≥2s, the limit switch built into the gripper (triggered when the gripper retracts to 95% of the preset stroke) sends a locking completion signal.

[0059] Auxiliary protective structure: The gripper is fully sealed with O-ring fluororubber seals and a sealing cover for all-round dust prevention, which can effectively isolate industrial workshop dust and oil stains, and ensure the accuracy of locking force detection and long-term stable operation of the control structure.

[0060] 1.5 Assembly and parameter settings of the contact-type power supply unit (refer to Appendix) Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 ) The contact power supply unit adopts a structure of 6 highly elastic spring pins (the number is in the range of 4-8), the contact resistance of the spring pins is 4.5mΩ (≤5mΩ), the elasticity coefficient is 8N / mm (in the range of 5-10N / mm), and they are arranged in a ring, which is precisely matched with the power supply interface of the vision module.

[0061] Built-in overcurrent and overvoltage protection components: The overcurrent fuse is model RT18-32 / 10 with an overcurrent threshold of 5A; the overvoltage regulator is model 1N4744 with an overvoltage threshold of 28V. When the power supply current exceeds 5A or the voltage exceeds 28V, the power supply link is automatically cut off and an abnormal signal is sent to the central control module.

[0062] The power supply voltage is set to 24V (within the range of 12-24V), and the current range is 1-3A (within the range of 1-5A). The spring pin adopts an insulated encapsulation design to prevent short circuit.

[0063] 1.6 Signal Transmission Unit Assembly and Parameter Settings (Refer to Appendix) Figure 3 Appendix Figure 4 ) The signal transmission unit and the contact power supply unit are integrated and assembled, and both adopt a highly elastic spring pin structure.

[0064] Foolproof Adaptor Structure: The signal interface adopts a foolproof design to ensure accurate connection with the vision module's signal interface, avoiding reverse insertion or misalignment. Equipped with a PN532 automatic protocol identification chip, it automatically matches the corresponding signal transmission protocol by reading the protocol information in the module's RFID tag (compatible with industrial vision standard protocols such as GigE Vision, USB3 Vision, and CoaXPress).

[0065] Anti-interference transmission structure: Employs high-speed differential signal transmission with a transmission rate of 10Gbps (≥10Gbps). Combined with a metal shield and shielded cables, it effectively suppresses industrial electromagnetic interference in the 100MHz-1GHz range. An insulating encapsulation design further isolates it from external interference.

[0066] Synchronous Trigger Control Module: This module is linked with the central control module, positioning guide slide unit, composite magnetic suction unit, mechanical locking unit, and contact power supply unit. It has three preset trigger conditions for signal transmission initiation: Condition 1 is that the positioning guide slide unit provides a guidance position signal; Condition 2 is that the mechanical locking unit completes reliable locking and provides a locking position signal; Condition 3 is that the contact power supply unit completes precise docking and provides a normal power supply signal. The signal transmission link is activated only when all three conditions are met simultaneously. If guidance deviation, locking loosening, or power supply abnormality occurs during signal transmission, the synchronous trigger control module immediately disconnects the signal transmission link and sends an abnormality signal to the central control module. Signal transmission delay ≤ 0.05s, packet loss rate ≤ 0.1%.

[0067] 1.7 Visual Module Adaptation and Preliminary Preparations This embodiment is compatible with the following two visual inspection modules: Module 1 (2D area array camera module): Model Basler acA1920-155um, weight 0.8kg, bottom positioning boss width 18mm, resolution 1920×1200 pixels, data interface is USB 3.0, operating voltage 24V, operating current 1.2A.

[0068] Module 2 (3D Laser Inspection Component): Model Keyence IV2 series, weight 2.5kg, bottom positioning boss width 25mm, measurement accuracy ±0.01mm, data interface Ethernet, working voltage 24V, working current 2.5A.

[0069] Both modules have a magnetic mounting surface at the bottom (made of Q235 low carbon steel, 5mm thick) and an embedded RFID tag to store module type, size parameters, required locking force range, power supply parameters and signal protocol information.

[0070] Preliminary preparations: Place the two vision modules into their respective slots in the vision storage compartment, and calibrate the three-dimensional positioning coordinates of each slot in the storage compartment using the robotic arm control system; preset the quick-change process parameters in the central control module (robotic arm mold taking movement speed 80mm / s, guide descent speed 15mm / s, station movement speed 100mm / s, guide offset threshold 0.5mm, fitting gap threshold 0.05mm, calibration time ≤2s, disassembly and retrieval time ≤5s); after parameter initialization, start the device self-test program to verify that each unit functions normally.

[0071] 1.8 Specific Quick Switchover Implementation Process (Taking the switch from a 2D area array camera module to a 3D laser detection component as an example, refer to Appendix) Figure 6 ) Step S1: Preparation for mold taking: Based on the quality inspection requirements of new energy vehicle components (the current workpiece to be inspected is a B-pillar reinforcement plate, requiring 3D dimensional measurement), the central control module automatically matches and determines the 3D laser inspection component to be switched, generates a mold-taking command, and sends it to the robotic arm control system via the CAN bus. The robotic arm control system, combined with the module positioning data from the vision storage compartment, controls the robotic arm to move at a speed of 80mm / s directly above the 3D module compartment in the vision storage compartment; it adjusts the quick-change device's posture to ensure its bottom contact surface is parallel to the module mounting surface (parallelism error is 0.015mm, ≤0.02mm, as detected by the laser alignment sensor). The central control module reads the RFID tag information of the 3D module through an RFID reader, confirms the module type as "3D laser inspection component," automatically calls the corresponding parameter set (magnetic strength 45N, locking force range 65-70N, power supply voltage 24V / current 2.5A, GigE Vision protocol), and simultaneously adjusts the guide groove width to 25mm to match the 3D module positioning boss size.

[0072] Step S2: Guiding Alignment The robotic arm moves the quick-change device downwards to a position 20mm directly above the 3D module (within the 15-20mm range), descending slowly at a speed of 15mm / s (within the 10-20mm / s range). The bottom positioning boss of the 3D module first contacts the coarse guide section at the entrance of the guide groove. The PTFE wear-resistant bushing (friction coefficient 0.08) and the 3mm radius arc transition design of this section ensure that the module slides smoothly into the guide groove. The measured guide resistance is 2.3N. As the robotic arm continues to descend, the module positioning boss passes through the entrance coarse guide section and enters the end positioning section.

[0073] The LVDT-10 displacement sensor of the positioning guide slide unit collects guide position data in real time at a sampling frequency of 100Hz: when the module positioning boss is fully inserted into the guide groove, the offset in the X direction is 0.05mm, and the offset in the Y direction is 0.08mm (both ≤0.5mm), the guide is sent to the central control module via the SPI bus to complete the guide alignment. This process takes 1.2s.

[0074] Step S3: Magnetic pre-positioning: After receiving the guidance signal, the central control module performs two operations simultaneously: (1) sends a magnetic attraction command to the electromagnetic control module of the composite magnetic attraction unit, and controls the electromagnetic control coil to pass a positive current of 1.8A (in the range of 0.5-2A) according to the preloaded 3D module parameter set. The direction of the induced magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic control coil is consistent with the direction of the inherent magnetic field of the irreversible permanent magnet component. After the two are superimposed, the magnetic field strength on the surface of the magnetic steel plate reaches 1.2T; (2) sends a preparation command to the mechanical locking unit to preheat the locking force closed-loop control module.

[0075] Meanwhile, the reused LVDT-10 displacement sensor collects real-time data on the contact gap between the magnetically conductive steel plate and the magnetically conductive mounting surface of the 3D module at a sampling frequency of 100Hz. Initially, the detected gap was 0.08mm (> the preset threshold of 0.05mm). The central control module determined there was a risk of magnetic field leakage—an active gap adjustment strategy (different from the passive increase in suction force of conventional technology) was adopted here. This involved sending a fine-tuning command to the robotic arm control system via the CAN bus, controlling the robotic arm to slowly descend 0.03mm along the Z-direction. After fine-tuning, the gap was remeasured to be 0.04mm (≤0.05mm). A pre-positioning compliance signal was fed back to the central control module, and the magnetic pre-positioning was completed. This process took 1.8 seconds.

[0076] Step S4 Mechanical locking and fixing: After receiving the pre-positioning compliance signal, the central control module sends a locking start command to the locking force closed-loop control module of the mechanical locking unit via the SPI bus. At this time, the positioning guide slide has ensured the module's accurate posture, and the composite magnetic suction unit has ensured the module's pre-fixation, providing reliable reference conditions for mechanical locking and reflecting the collaborative design of the "guiding-magnetic suction-locking" three-level linkage.

[0077] The electric gripper retracts slowly at a speed of 5 mm / s along the linear guide rail (guide groove width 10 mm). The FSS1500N pressure sensor on the gripper head provides locking force data every 0.1 seconds: at 0.1 seconds, the locking force is 18 N (lower than the preset range of 65-70 N), and the closed-loop control module automatically increases the driving force; at 0.5 seconds, the locking force is 55 N (still below the preset range), and the driving force continues to increase; at 1.0 seconds, the locking force is 72 N (slightly exceeding the upper limit of the preset range of 70 N), and the closed-loop control module immediately reduces the driving force; at 1.5 seconds, the locking force stabilizes at 68 N (within the preset range of 65-70 N).

[0078] After the locking force is maintained at a stable 68N for 2 seconds, the built-in limit switch of the gripper (the gripper retracts to 95% of the preset stroke) is triggered, sending a locking completion signal to the central control module via the I2C bus to confirm that the 3D module has been reliably fixed. After locking is completed, the closed-loop control module enters the locking force holding state, continuously monitoring the change in locking force every 0.1 seconds—if a decrease in force > 1N is detected, fine-tuning compensation is immediately initiated. This step takes a total of 3.5 seconds.

[0079] Step S5 Power supply and signal connection: After receiving the locking signal, the central control module synchronously triggers the contact power supply unit and signal transmission unit. Six highly elastic spring pins (elastic coefficient 8N / mm) automatically extend under the action of spring driving force, and precisely connect with the power supply interface and signal interface of the 3D module respectively. The power supply spring pins and signal spring pins are arranged in a ring with staggered spacing (the power supply spring pin is located on the outer ring φ40mm, and the signal spring pin is located on the inner ring φ30mm), ensuring that the two are physically isolated and do not interfere with each other during connection.

[0080] After the power supply unit is connected to a 24V power source, the overcurrent protection module and overvoltage protection module enter real-time monitoring mode. Actual power supply stability was measured (voltage 24.1V, current 2.4A, both within normal ranges). The synchronous trigger control module confirms that all three trigger conditions are met—guided position signal (confirmed in step S2), locked position signal (confirmed in step S4), and power supply normal signal (confirmed in this step)—and synchronously sends a start command to the signal transmission unit, initiating the 10Gbps high-speed signal link. The metal shield and shielded cable provide ≥40dB of electromagnetic interference suppression within the 100MHz-1GHz range, with a measured signal transmission delay of 0.03s (≤0.05s) and a packet loss rate of 0.05% (≤0.1%). Power supply and signal connection are completed in 2.0s.

[0081] Step S6 Module placement and calibration: The robotic arm smoothly moves the locked 3D module to the B-pillar reinforcement plate quality inspection station at a speed of 100mm / s (within the range of 50-150mm / s). Thanks to the stable gripping force of the 68N mechanical locking unit (closed-loop control of the driver, gripper, and pressure sensor) and the limiting effect of the positioning guide slide, the module achieves a positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm during the movement.

[0082] Upon arrival at the workstation, the central control module, in conjunction with the machine vision calibration system, initiates the automatic calibration process: the robotic arm moves the 3D module above the preset vision calibration template, the module acquires the template image, and the algorithm processing unit (TMS320F28335) extracts the coordinates of the template's feature points and compares them with preset standard posture data. The current posture deviation is detected to be 0.012mm (≤0.02mm), within the allowable error range, requiring no fine-tuning. Calibration is complete, taking 1.5s (≤2s). The central control module then sends a calibration pass signal, and the module is put into quality inspection.

[0083] Step S7 Inspection and Status Monitoring: The 3D laser detection component is activated to perform three-dimensional dimensional measurement on the B-pillar reinforcement plate (measurement area 200mm×150mm, scanning speed 100mm / s). The detection data is fed back to the algorithm processing unit in real time at a rate of 10Gbps through the signal transmission unit to complete point cloud reconstruction, feature extraction and dimensional deviation calculation.

[0084] During operation, the central control module polled the operating status of each core unit at a frequency of 10Hz: the LVDT-10 displacement sensor of the positioning guide slide unit continuously monitored the module's attitude, with a measured offset ≤0.03mm, showing no abnormalities; the composite magnetic attraction unit maintained stable magnetic force (magnetic field strength 1.2T, fluctuation ≤0.02T); the mechanical locking unit maintained a locking force within the range of 67-69N without attenuation; the contact power supply unit provided stable power (voltage 24.1V±0.1V, current 2.4A±0.05A), and the overcurrent and overvoltage protection modules operated normally throughout the process; the signal transmission unit had a packet loss rate of 0.03% and a transmission delay of 0.03s, with no interruptions. The entire inspection operation took 120s, with an inspection accuracy of ±0.01mm, meeting the process requirements.

[0085] Step S8: Module disassembly and recycling: After the B-pillar reinforcement panel quality inspection is completed, the central control module generates a disassembly command and initiates the fully automated module recycling process: (1) The signal transmission unit synchronously triggers the control module to cut off the signal transmission link (takes 0.05s) and stop data transmission and reception; (2) The contact power supply unit cuts off the power supply link (takes 0.1s), and the overcurrent and overvoltage protection modules are reset; (3) The closed-loop control module of the mechanical locking unit sends an unlocking command, and the electric gripper slowly releases at a speed of 5 mm / s. The FSS1500N pressure sensor monitors the locking force decay curve in real time: 68N→45N→22N→4.5N (≤5N). After confirming that it is fully unlocked, the unlocking signal is fed back through the I2C bus, and the gripper safely returns to the initial position (takes 2.5s). (4) The electromagnetic control module of the composite magnetic attraction unit supplies a reverse current of 1.5A (in the range of 0.8-2A) to the electromagnetic control coil. The reverse induced magnetic field cancels out the inherent magnetic field of the irreversible permanent magnet, and the magnetic force decreases from 45N to 0N. The rapid demagnetization is completed within 0.2s (≤0.2s). (5) The central control module controls the robotic arm to rise slowly at a speed of 15mm / s. The guide groove of the positioning guide slide unit guides the 3D module positioning boss to slide smoothly out of the guide groove. There is no collision or scratch during the separation process, and there are no residual magnetic traces on the module mounting surface (demagnetization is complete). (6) The robotic arm moves the module to the 3D module compartment of the vision storage compartment at a speed of 80mm / s, adjusts the posture to make the module mounting surface parallel to the compartment positioning surface (parallelism error 0.012mm), slowly lowers the module to accurately place it into the compartment, and adjusts and resets the guide groove of the positioning guide slide unit to the initial width.

[0086] The entire disassembly and recycling process took 4.5 seconds (≤5 seconds). The module was intact and undamaged, and no scratches or deformation were found during machine inspection.

[0087] Step S9 Exception Handling Verification: To verify the effectiveness of the end-to-end exception handling mechanism, this embodiment simulates the following typical exception scenarios: Guiding misalignment anomaly: The 3D module positioning boss offset was manually set to 1mm (>0.5mm threshold). After the LVDT-10 displacement sensor detected the anomaly, it sent a guiding anomaly signal to the central control module within 0.1s. The central control module immediately controlled the robotic arm to stop descending and fine-tuned its posture (X-direction offset -0.8mm, Y-direction offset -0.7mm). After one adjustment, the offset was reduced to 0.4mm, meeting the standard. The guiding alignment process continued, with the total time increasing by 0.8s. The module was undamaged.

[0088] Magnetic attraction failure anomaly: During the magnetic attraction pre-positioning stage, the robotic arm was manually set to stop descending early to maintain the contact gap at 0.06mm (>0.05mm threshold). After the central control module detected that the gap exceeded the standard, it sent two attitude fine-tuning commands to the robotic arm control system via the CAN bus, but still failed to meet the standard. It was determined to be a magnetic attraction failure, and the current of the electromagnetic control coil was automatically cut off. After resetting, the guiding alignment and magnetic attraction pre-positioning process was restarted. The contact gap met the standard (0.03mm) on the second execution, and the total time increased by 2.0s.

[0089] Locking Abnormality: During the mechanical locking stage, the locking force was manually set to fluctuate (38N→72N→51N→69N, which did not stabilize for 3 seconds). The closed-loop control module repeatedly fine-tuned the driving force. At 3.5 seconds, it was detected that the preset range could not be entered. The module immediately unlocked and sent an abnormal signal. The central control module restarted the guide alignment → magnetic pre-positioning → mechanical locking process. During the second execution, the locking force stabilized at 68N, and the total time increased by 5.5 seconds.

[0090] Power supply anomaly: During the testing phase, a momentary overvoltage (32V, >28V threshold) was applied. The 1N4744 overvoltage regulator responded within 0.05 seconds, stabilizing the voltage below 28V. Simultaneously, the control module detected the power supply anomaly signal, immediately disconnected the signal transmission link, and the testing operation was suspended. After the fault was resolved (voltage returned to 24V), the central control module automatically restarted the power supply → signal connection → testing operation process, with no damage to the core components of the module.

[0091] 1.9 Implementation Results of Example 1 This embodiment, through the specific implementation described above, achieves fully automated quick switching between the 2D area array camera module and the 3D laser detection component. Key performance indicators are as follows:

[0092] Compared with existing technologies:

[0093] The device showed no module damage, no power supply overcurrent or overvoltage, and no signal transmission errors during 100 consecutive quick-change cycle tests. It is fully adaptable to the flexible quality inspection scenario of new energy vehicle parts and operates reliably, which fully verifies the feasibility of the technical solution of this invention.

[0094] Example 2: Precision testing scenario for electronic components

[0095] This embodiment applies the automatic quick-change device of the present invention to a precision appearance inspection production line for electronic components, adapting to fully automatic quick-change switching of two vision modules: 2D line scan camera module and 3D structured light sensor, further verifying the device's adaptability to different types of vision modules and different industrial scenarios.

[0096] 2.1 Differences in Device Configuration Compared with Example 1, this example has made parameter adaptation adjustments in the following aspects (the overall structure of the device remains unchanged): Positioning guide slide unit: The positioning boss width of the 2D line scan camera module is 22mm (different from 18mm in Example 1), and the positioning boss width of the 3D structured light sensor is 28mm (different from 25mm in Example 1). The guide groove width adjustment range is adjusted to 20-30mm. All other parameters remain unchanged.

[0097] Composite magnetic attraction unit: 2D linear scan camera module weighs 1.2kg, adapted magnetic force output 20-25N; 3D structured light sensor weighs 3.0kg, adapted magnetic force output 45-50N. Other parameters remain unchanged.

[0098] Mechanical locking unit: 2D line scan camera module preset locking force range 40-45N; 3D structured light sensor preset locking force range 70-75N. Gripper stroke is set to 12mm. All other parameters remain unchanged.

[0099] Power supply parameters: 2D linear scan camera module operating voltage 24V, operating current 2.0A; 3D structured light sensor operating voltage 24V, operating current 3.0A.

[0100] Signal protocols: The 2D linear scan camera module uses the Camera Link protocol; the 3D structured light sensor uses the GigEVision protocol. The PN532 automatic protocol identification chip automatically matches the corresponding protocol based on the RFID tag information.

[0101] 2.2 Specific quick-change implementation process (taking the switch from a 3D structured light sensor to a 2D linear scan camera module as an example) Step S1: Preparation for mold taking: Based on the requirements of the electronic component appearance inspection task (the current workpiece to be inspected is a BGA packaged chip, which requires solder joint defect inspection), the central control module determines the 2D line scan camera module to be switched to. The robotic arm moves to the 2D module position in the storage compartment at a speed of 80mm / s and adjusts its posture to be parallel (parallelism error 0.013mm). The RFID reader reads the module information and automatically loads the corresponding parameter set (magnetic force 23N, locking force 42N, power supply 24V / 2.0A, Camera Link protocol), and the guide slot width is adjusted to 22mm.

[0102] Step S2: Guiding Alignment The robotic arm descends to 18mm directly above the module, slowly lowering at a speed of 12mm / s. The 2D module positioning boss slides into the guide groove through the inlet coarse guide section (PTFE bushing friction coefficient 0.08). The LVDT-10 displacement sensor monitors in real time at a frequency of 100Hz, detecting an offset of 0.04mm in the X direction and 0.06mm in the Y direction (both ≤0.5mm), and sends a guide positioning signal, taking 1.1s.

[0103] Step S3: Magnetic pre-positioning: The central control module supplies a 0.8A forward current to the electromagnetic control coil (to meet the lower magnetic force requirements of the 2D module), generating a 23N magnetic force. The LVDT-10 sensor detects a bonding gap of 0.03mm (≤0.05mm), requiring no fine-tuning, and directly feeds back a pre-positioning compliance signal in 1.3s.

[0104] Step S4 Mechanical locking and fixing: The electric gripper retracts along the linear guide rail, and the pressure sensor provides locking force data every 0.1 seconds: 15N at 0.2 seconds → increase driving force; 38N at 0.8 seconds → continue to increase driving force; 44N at 1.2 seconds → slight overshoot, the closed-loop control module reduces driving force; the locking force stabilizes at 42N at 1.8 seconds (within the preset range of 40-45N). After the locking force stabilizes for 2 seconds, the limit switch triggers the locking position signal, taking 3.8 seconds.

[0105] Step S5 Power supply and signal connection: The highly elastic spring pins precisely connect to the power supply interface and signal interface, ensuring stable power supply (24.0V / 1.9A). The synchronous trigger control module confirms that the three conditions are met before starting the Camera Link protocol signal link, which takes 2.0 seconds.

[0106] Step S6 Module placement and calibration: The robotic arm moves the module to the BGA chip testing station at a speed of 120mm / s, with a calibration deviation of 0.009mm (≤0.02mm) and a time of 1.2s.

[0107] Step S7 Inspection Operation: The 2D line scan camera module performs line-by-line scanning inspection of the BGA chip solder joints, and the data is transmitted to the algorithm processing unit in real time. All units operated normally throughout the process without any abnormalities.

[0108] Step S8: Module disassembly and recycling: Signal cut-off → power cut-off → gripper unlock (locking force reduced to 4.2N) → reverse current demagnetization (0.18s) → guide slide guides disengagement → module is placed back into storage compartment, taking 4.2s.

[0109] 2.3 Implementation Results of Example 2

[0110] Example 2 successfully verified the device and method of the present invention's broad adaptability to different types of vision modules (2D area scan camera, 2D line scan camera, 3D laser detection component, 3D structured light sensor) and different industrial application scenarios (new energy vehicle parts inspection, electronic component inspection).

[0111] Comparative Example 1: Comparison with manual replacement method

[0112] To visually demonstrate the technological advancements of this invention, the following comparative data is provided for switching vision modules using a manual replacement method (experimental conditions: the same B-pillar reinforcement plate workpiece, switched from a 2D area array camera module to a 3D laser detection component).

[0113] Manual replacement process and time consumption

[0114] Comparative analysis

[0115] The manual replacement method is far inferior to the present invention in terms of positioning accuracy, efficiency and ease of operation, and cannot meet the quality inspection requirements of flexible production for rapid switching of multiple types of parts.

[0116] Comparative Example 2: Comparison with conventional automatic quick-change devices

[0117] To verify the advancements of this invention over conventional automatic quick-change devices, comparative experimental data are presented below with those of a conventional quick-change device employing a single magnetic positioning and a fixed locking force (refer to the prior art described in the background section).

[0118] Actual measurement of technical defects in conventional equipment

[0119] Comprehensive comparison data

[0120] Comparative Example 2 fully demonstrates that conventional automatic quick-change devices have insurmountable technical defects in terms of magnetic attraction stability, locking force controllability, signal transmission reliability, anomaly handling capability, and multi-module adaptability. This invention fundamentally solves the above problems through the collaborative innovative design of five core units, and has significant technological progress.

[0121] Through the implementation and verification of the above two embodiments and two comparative examples, the core technical features of the automatic quick-change device and method for visual inspection modules of the present invention have been fully demonstrated: 1. The two-stage variable stiffness positioning guide slide unit successfully solves the pain points of existing technologies such as no guidance and easy misalignment during pre-positioning, and achieves a guiding accuracy of ±0.5mm with a single insertion. 2. The irreversible permanent magnet + electromagnetic reinforcement composite magnetic attraction unit achieves rapid demagnetization of magnetic force in 0.2s and graded adjustment (15-25N for thin and light modules, 40-50N for heavy-duty modules), solving the defects of unstable magnetic attraction and incomplete demagnetization. 3. The dual reuse of displacement sensors enables simultaneous detection of guiding positioning and fitting gap, simplifying structural design and reducing costs; 4. The closed-loop dynamic control of the locking force enables precise adjustment of the feedback frequency of 0.1s, eliminating the risk of damage to the module due to excessive locking force or loosening due to insufficient locking force; 5. Triple synchronous trigger signal transmission ensures that system misjudgment caused by signal mistransmission is eliminated from the source; 6. The fully automated quick-change method integrates five core units, achieving excellent performance with a single quick change of ≤12s, positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm, and adaptive switching of multiple modules.

[0122] This invention has passed 100 consecutive cycle tests and is stable and reliable in operation, fully achieving the expected technical effect. It can be widely used in fully automatic quick-change operations of various types of visual inspection modules in various industrial flexible quality inspection scenarios such as new energy vehicle parts, electronic components, and precision mechanical parts.

Claims

1. An automatic quick-change device for a vision inspection module, comprising: A mechanical manipulator arm unit; a positioning guide slide unit fixedly disposed at the end of the mechanical manipulator arm unit, the positioning guide slide unit having a guide groove, characterized in that the guide groove is divided into an inlet coarse guide section and an end positioning section along the direction of the vision inspection module introduction; a composite magnetic attraction unit, which includes an irreversible permanent magnet component and an electromagnetic reinforcement unit, the two forming a magnetic circuit with adjustable magnetic force; a mechanical locking unit for locking the vision inspection module, which includes a locking execution unit and a locking force detection unit, the locking force detection unit being disposed on the locking execution unit; a contact power supply unit for supplying power to the vision inspection module and realizing signal docking; a signal transmission unit, which includes a synchronous trigger control module; and a central control module, which is electrically connected to the positioning guide slide unit, the composite magnetic attraction unit, the mechanical locking unit, the contact power supply unit, and the signal transmission unit.

2. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet coarse guide section adopts a flexible structure with an elastic modulus of 10-20 GPa, and its inner wall is fitted with a polytetrafluoroethylene bushing with a thickness of 0.5-1 mm and a friction coefficient ≤0.1; the end positioning section adopts a high rigidity structure with an elastic modulus of 60-80 GPa, and its positioning accuracy is ≤±0.5 mm.

3. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning guide slide unit also includes a displacement sensor, which has dual detection functions: detecting the positioning boss of the vision inspection module in the guide groove and generating a guidance signal to be sent to the central control module; and being reused as a fitting gap detection component of the composite magnetic suction unit to collect fitting gap data between the magnetic steel plate and the magnetic mounting surface of the vision inspection module; the displacement sensor has an accuracy of ±0.01mm and is connected to the central control module via an SPI bus.

4. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove has an arc-shaped transition structure at its entrance with an R-angle of 3mm, and the guide groove is symmetrically distributed around the magnetic steel plate of the composite magnetic attraction unit.

5. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The irreversible permanent magnet component includes several irreversible permanent magnets made of high energy product neodymium iron boron (N52) material, and the electromagnetic strengthening unit includes several electromagnetically controlled permanent magnets made of aluminum nickel cobalt material. The two are arranged in a matrix and the whole is encapsulated in epoxy resin.

6. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic strengthening unit includes a magnetically conductive steel plate, an electromagnetic control coil, and at least one position sensing component. The electromagnetic control module can control the electromagnetic control coil to pass a forward current to generate an induced magnetic field that is consistent with the inherent magnetic field direction of the irreversible permanent magnet component, or to pass a reverse current to generate a reverse induced magnetic field to achieve rapid demagnetization, with a demagnetization time ≤0.2s.

7. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical locking unit also includes a locking force closed-loop control module, whose preset locking force adaptation range is 65-70N; the locking force detection unit is a pressure sensor installed on the head of the electric gripper, with an accuracy of ±0.5N and a sampling frequency of 0.1s.

8. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact-type power supply unit adopts a highly elastic spring pin structure with an elastic coefficient of 8N / mm. It is arranged in a ring or linear pattern and has built-in overcurrent and overvoltage protection components. The power supply voltage is 24V and the current range is 1-3A.

9. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal transmission unit is equipped with a foolproof adapter structure and an anti-interference transmission structure. The foolproof adapter structure includes a modular adapter with a built-in protocol automatic identification chip. The anti-interference transmission structure includes a metal shield and a shielded cable. The synchronous trigger control module presets three trigger conditions for signal transmission start-up: condition one is that the positioning guide slide unit feeds back a guiding signal; condition two is that the mechanical locking unit completes reliable locking and feeds back a locking signal; condition three is that the contact power supply unit completes precise docking and feeds back a normal power supply signal. The signal transmission link is started only when all three conditions are met simultaneously. If the locking becomes loose or the power supply is abnormal, the signal transmission link is immediately cut off.

10. The automatic quick-change device for visual inspection modules according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central control module adopts a dual-processor collaborative architecture of STM32F407 and TMS320F28335, and is connected to an RFID reader for identifying the RFID tags built into the vision inspection module.

11. An automatic quick-change method for a visual inspection module based on any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: The central control module automatically matches the type of visual inspection module to be switched according to the quality inspection task requirements, and identifies the identity information of the visual inspection module through RFID tags; S2: The mechanical operating arm unit drives the quick-change device to move above the target module, guiding the positioning boss into the guide groove of the positioning guide slide unit. The impact is buffered by the inlet coarse guide section, and high-precision preliminary alignment is achieved by the end positioning section. The composite magnetic suction unit generates magnetic force when energized, so that the magnetic steel plate is attached to the magnetic mounting surface of the module. The position sensing component collects the attachment gap data H in real time. If the gap H is greater than the preset threshold D, the central control module fine-tunes the position of the mechanical operating arm unit through the mechanical arm control system to reduce the gap to within the threshold D and complete the pre-positioning. S3: After the pre-positioning is achieved, the electric gripper of the mechanical locking unit retracts, the pressure sensor provides real-time feedback of locking force data, the closed-loop control module dynamically adjusts the locking force to the preset adaptation range, and sends a locking-in signal after the locking force stabilizes. S4: After locking in place, the contact power supply unit and the signal transmission unit operate synchronously. The spring pin is precisely connected to the power supply interface and signal interface of the module. After the synchronous trigger control module confirms that the triple trigger conditions are met, the signal transmission link is started. S5: The mechanical manipulator unit moves the locked vision inspection module to the quality inspection station position, and the central control module starts the machine vision calibration algorithm to automatically complete the module calibration. S6: After the detection task is completed, the composite magnetic suction unit is supplied with reverse current to achieve rapid demagnetization. After demagnetization is completed, the mechanical locking unit is released, the signal transmission and power supply are cut off, and the mechanical operating arm unit recovers the old module and sends it back to the designated storage location.

12. The automatic quick-change method according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S2, the preset threshold D ≤ 0.05 mm, the irreversible permanent magnet component provides the inherent basic magnetic field, the electromagnetic control permanent magnet magnetic field of the electromagnetic strengthening unit is superimposed on it, the electromagnetic control module passes a positive current to the electromagnetic control coil to generate an induced magnetic field in the same direction as the inherent magnetic field, and the two superimpose to form a strong magnetic force.

13. The automatic quick-change method according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S3, the pressure sensor feeds back the locking force data every 0.1s. The locking force is adapted to a range of 65-70N. After the locking force stabilizes, the limit switch sends a locking signal.

14. The automatic quick-change method according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S4, the triple triggering conditions are as follows: condition one is that the positioning guide slide unit feeds back a guiding signal; condition two is that the mechanical locking unit completes reliable locking and feeds back a locking signal; and condition three is that the contact power supply unit completes precise docking and feeds back a normal power supply signal. If the locking becomes loose or the power supply is abnormal, the signal transmission link is immediately cut off.

15. The automatic quick-change method according to claim 11, characterized in that, In step S6, the rapid demagnetization time is ≤0.2s.

16. The automatic quick-change method according to claim 11, characterized in that, It also includes an abnormal handling step S7: If magnetic attraction fails, locking is not in place, or power supply or signal connection is abnormal during the quick change process, the central control module will immediately trigger an audible and visual alarm, stop the current operation, reset the mechanical operating arm unit to a safe position, store the abnormal information, and automatically cut off the main power supply of the device after the abnormal state continues for a certain period of time.

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