Laser marking production process of an electric energy meter cover

Abstract

The application provides a laser marking production process of an electric energy meter cover, comprising the following steps: in a cover feeding area, according to different specifications of the cover, the interval between a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt is adjusted, and the interval between a first guardrail and a second guardrail is adjusted, then the covers are placed on the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt in batches for conveying; when the electric energy meter cover to be marked enters the end of the cover feeding area, the cover is sucked and transferred to a cover supporting mechanism; the cover is marked; the marked cover is sucked and transferred to a cover discharging area. By pre-adjusting the interval between the conveying belts and the interval between the guardrails, different widths and different models of the electric energy meter cover can be quickly adapted, the quick production change of multi-specification products is realized, the defect that the existing equipment can only mark a single product is solved, the application has the advantages of high flexibility and adaptation, and integrates feeding, transfer, marking and discharging, replacing manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electricity meter manufacturing technology, specifically to a laser marking process for electricity meter covers. Background Technology

[0002] During the production of electricity meters, one of the key components, the cover, needs to be laser-marked with product information such as the model, specifications, and barcode of the electricity meter. The marking content is then inspected to ensure that the information is accurate and the marking quality is up to standard.

[0003] Currently, the main marking method is manual marking. Operators manually place the covers to be marked under the laser marking equipment, complete the marking, and then manually inspect and place them into a transfer basket. Another method is to use a single-model marking equipment connected to the production line to mark covers of a fixed model, which cannot achieve flexible and rapid product changeover. The existing marking methods have the following problems: First, manual marking is inefficient and prone to errors, omissions, and quality risks; second, marking equipment embedded in the production line usually relies on special tooling or fixed guide rails, and can only mark a single product on the production line, making it difficult to achieve rapid changeover and flexible adaptation for multiple models and specifications. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of low marking efficiency and only being able to mark a single product in the prior art, thereby providing a laser marking production process for power meter covers with high production efficiency and strong versatility.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a laser marking production process for electricity meter covers, comprising the following steps: In the cover feeding area, the distance between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt is adjusted according to the different specifications of the covers, and the distance between the first guardrail and the second guardrail is also adjusted. Then, the covers are placed on the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt for conveying in batches. The first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt contact the bottom sides of the covers, and the first guardrail and the second guardrail limit the two sides of the covers respectively. When the electricity meter covers to be marked enter the end of the cover feeding area, the covers are picked up and transferred to the cover support mechanism. The covers are marked. The marked covers are picked up and transferred to the cover discharge area.

[0006] The first motor drives the first bearing plate to reciprocate in a straight line via the first ball screw assembly, and the first bearing plate drives the first conveyor belt to move toward or away from the second conveyor belt.

[0007] The power output shaft of the second motor drives the gear to rotate, and the gear meshes with the rack, thereby moving the first guardrail or the second guardrail through the first crossbar.

[0008] The first guardrail moves synchronously with the first conveyor belt and can also move relative to the first conveyor belt.

[0009] The cover feeding area is equipped with two sets of first conveyor belts and second conveyor belts, as well as two sets of first guardrails and second guardrails. The two first bearing plates under the two first conveyor belts are fixedly connected by a second crossbar, and the two first bearing plates are driven to move synchronously by a first motor.

[0010] The first suction cup assembly picks up the cover to be marked, moves upward under the drive of the first Z-axis slide rail, then enters the cover marking area under the drive of the first Y-axis slide rail, and finally reaches the top of the cover support mechanism under the drive of the first X-axis slide rail. At this time, the first Z-axis slide rail drives the first suction cup assembly to move downward, and the first suction cup assembly releases the cover and lowers it.

[0011] Before picking up the cover, depending on the size of the cover, the sixth motor drives the second storage bracket to move closer to or further away from the first storage bracket via the second ball screw assembly, so as to adjust the distance between the second storage bracket and the first storage bracket.

[0012] Driven by the second X-axis slide rail and the first cylinder, the laser marking component moves to the top of the cover support mechanism. Depending on the size of the cover, the vertical position of the laser marking component is adjusted by the focal length adjustment component.

[0013] In the marking process, the second suction cup assembly picks up the marked cover, moves it upward via the second Z-axis slide rail, and then moves the cover to the cover discharge area via the second X-axis slide rail.

[0014] During the marking process, the third conveyor belt transports the marked covers, and a second photoelectric sensor is installed on the frame-type third guardrail to detect the full material status.

[0015] The technical solution of this invention has the following advantages: 1. The laser marking production process for electricity meter covers provided by this invention can quickly adapt to electricity meter covers of different widths and models by pre-adjusting the conveyor belt spacing and guardrail spacing, realizing rapid production changeover for multiple specifications of products. It solves the defect of existing equipment that "can only mark a single product", has the advantage of high flexibility and adaptability, and integrates feeding, transfer, marking and unloading, replacing manual operation, significantly improving efficiency, reducing the risk of errors and omissions and occupational hazards.

[0016] 2. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover provided by this invention allows the first guardrail to move synchronously with the first conveyor belt when the position of the first conveyor belt is adjusted to accommodate covers of different widths. This quickly maintains the approximate alignment with the conveyor belt. In addition to the coarse adjustment of the conveyor belt, the first guardrail can also move independently within a small range relative to the first conveyor belt (i.e., make fine adjustments) to precisely control the guide gaps on both sides of the cover. This adjustment is quick and convenient, ensures conveying stability, and reduces malfunctions.

[0017] 3. The laser marking production process for the electricity meter cover provided by this invention uses two parallel conveyor belts sharing a single motor, with the two first bearing plates moving synchronously via a crossbar. This improves the material feeding capacity per unit time, ensures consistency in the width adjustment of the two channels, and reduces equipment costs and control system complexity.

[0018] 4. The laser marking production process for the electricity meter cover provided by this invention involves moving the second placement bracket via a sixth motor and a second ball screw before marking, thereby changing the distance between the bracket and the first placement bracket to accommodate covers of different lengths. This adjustment eliminates the need to change tooling, allowing for quick production changes, while ensuring stable support of the cover during marking and improving the consistency of marking quality.

[0019] 5. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover provided by the present invention allows the laser marking component to move along the X-axis and Y-axis, and the height to be adjusted along the Z-axis by the focus adjustment component. This three-way adjustable capability ensures that the cover of different sizes and surface heights can be accurately focused and positioned, ensuring clear marking and accurate positioning. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the laser marking equipment of the present invention; Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the cover feeding mechanism; Figure 3 This is a front view of the cover feeding mechanism; Figure 4 This is a side view of the cover feeding mechanism; Figure 5 A partially enlarged 3D view of the cover feeding mechanism; Figure 6 An enlarged 3D view of another part of the cover feeding mechanism; Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional view of the first transfer mechanism; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional view of the cover support mechanism; Figure 9 A 3D view of the cover marking mechanism; Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional view of the second transfer mechanism; Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional view of the cover-and-discharge mechanism.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Cover feeding mechanism; 2. Cover; 3. Conveyor belt assembly; 4. Guardrail assembly; 5. First adjusting assembly; 6. Second adjusting assembly; 7. First conveyor belt; 8. Second conveyor belt; 9. First guardrail; 10. Second guardrail; 11. First transfer mechanism; 12. Cover support mechanism; 13. Cover marking mechanism; 14. Second transfer mechanism; 15. Cover discharge mechanism; 16. Worktable; 17. Slider and slide rail assembly; 18. First motor; 19. First ball screw assembly; 21. First bearing plate; 22. Second bearing plate; 23. First slider; 24. First slide rail; 25. First crossbar; 26. Connecting block; 27. Rack; 28. Second motor; 29. ​​Power output shaft; 31. Gear; 32. Second crossbar; 33. First suction cup assembly; 34. First Z-axis slide rail; 35. Third motor; 36. First X-axis slide rail; 3 7. Fourth motor; 38. Third crossbar; 39. First mounting bracket; 41. First Y-axis slide rail; 42. Fifth motor; 43. Second mounting bracket; 44. First storage bracket; 45. Second storage bracket; 46. Sixth motor; 47. Second ball screw assembly; 48. Laser marking assembly; 49. First cylinder; 51. Focus adjustment assembly; 52. Laser module bracket; 53. Focus adjustment bracket; 54. Focus adjustment component; 57. Second X-axis slide rail; 58. Seventh motor; 59. Second suction cup assembly; 60. Second Z-axis slide rail; 61. Eighth motor; 62. Second X-axis slide rail; 63. Third mounting bracket; 64. Ninth motor; 65. Third conveyor belt; 66. Fourth mounting bracket; 67. Third guardrail; 68. Partition; 69. First photoelectric sensor; 70. Stop cylinder; 71. Second photoelectric sensor; 72. Belt drive motor. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0027] Example This embodiment provides a novel laser marking device for power meter covers, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a workbench 16, a cover feeding mechanism 1, a first transfer mechanism 11, a cover support mechanism 12, a cover marking mechanism 13, a second transfer mechanism 14, and a cover discharge mechanism 15.

[0028] Cover feeding mechanism 1 is used to convey cover 2, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes two sets of conveyor belt assemblies 3, guardrail assemblies 4, a first adjustment assembly 5, and a second adjustment assembly 6. The conveyor belt assembly 3 includes two parallel conveyor belts 7 and 8 for conveying the cover 2. The guardrail assembly 4 includes a first guardrail 9 and a second guardrail 10 located on both sides of the conveyor belt assembly 3 for limiting the edges of the cover 2. The first adjustment assembly 5 is used to adjust the distance between the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8, and the second adjustment assembly 6 is used to adjust the distance between the first guardrail 9 and the second guardrail 10.

[0029] The second conveyor belt 8 is fixedly installed on the workbench 16, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the first adjustment assembly 5 includes: a first support plate 21 for supporting the middle part of the first conveyor belt 7; a first motor 18 connected to a first ball screw assembly 19, the first ball screw assembly 19 driving the first support plate 21 to reciprocate in a straight line; two second support plates 22 installed on both sides of the first support plate 21 and for supporting the first conveyor belt 7; the slider and slide rail assembly 17 includes a first slider 23 fixed to the bottom of the second support plate 22, and a first slide rail 24 fixed to the worktable 16 and slidably connected to the first slider 23.

[0030] Second adjustment component 6, such as Figure 6 As shown, the system includes: a first crossbar 25, fixedly connected to the first guardrail 9 via multiple connecting blocks 26; a rack 27 fixedly mounted at the bottom of the first crossbar 25, the extending direction of the rack 27 being parallel to the moving direction of the first support plate 21; and a second motor 28, fixed to the side of the second support plate 22 or the first conveyor belt 7, the second motor 28 having a power output shaft 29, on which a gear 31 is sleeved and rotates in conjunction, the gear 31 meshing with the rack 27. It should be noted that in this embodiment, a second adjusting component 6 for driving the second guardrail 10 to move closer to or further away from the first guardrail 9 is also installed above the second conveyor belt 8.

[0031] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the cover loading mechanism 1 includes two sets of conveyor belt assemblies 3 and guardrail assemblies 4 arranged side by side. The two first bearing plates 21 below the two first conveyor belts 7 are fixedly connected by a second crossbar 32. A first motor 18 drives the two first bearing plates 21 to move synchronously. When the cover 2 is in position, the first photoelectric sensor 69 triggers a signal, and the stop cylinder 70 actuates to stop the cover 2.

[0032] First transfer mechanism 11, such as Figure 7As shown, the system includes: a first suction cup assembly 33, mounted on a first Z-axis slide rail 34, which, driven by a third motor 35, moves the first suction cup assembly 33 along the Z-axis; a first X-axis slide rail 36 and a fourth motor 37, mounted on a third crossbar 38, with the first Z-axis slide rail 34 and the third motor 35 mounted on the side of the first X-axis slide rail 36, which, driven by the fourth motor 37, moves the first suction cup assembly 33 along the X-axis; two sets of first mounting brackets 39, disposed on the worktable 16; a first Y-axis slide rail 41 and a fifth motor 42, mounted on the first mounting brackets 39, with the two sides of the third crossbar 38 mounted on two first Y-axis slide rails 41, which, driven by the fifth motor 42, move the first suction cup assembly 33 along the Y-axis.

[0033] Cover support mechanism 12, such as Figure 8 As shown, it includes: a second mounting bracket 43, disposed on the workbench 16; a first storage bracket 44, fixed on the second mounting bracket 43; a second storage bracket 45, slidably mounted on the second mounting bracket 43 in a direction closer to or further away from the first storage bracket 44, the first storage bracket 44 and the second storage bracket 45 being used to support the cover 2; a sixth motor 46, connected to a second ball screw assembly 47, the second ball screw assembly 47 driving the second storage bracket 45 to reciprocate in a straight line.

[0034] Cover marking mechanism 13, such as Figure 9 As shown, the system includes: a laser marking assembly 48 connected to a first cylinder 49, which moves along the Y-axis under the drive of the first cylinder 49; a focus adjustment assembly 51 mounted on a laser module bracket 52, comprising a focus adjustment bracket 53 and a focus adjustment element 54, wherein the first cylinder 49 is mounted on the side of the focus adjustment bracket 53, and the focus adjustment bracket 53 drives the laser marking assembly 48 to move along the Z-axis under the drive of the focus adjustment element 54; and a laser module bracket 52 mounted on a second X-axis slide rail 57, which drives the laser module bracket 52 to move along the X-axis under the drive of a seventh motor 58. In this embodiment, the focus adjustment element 54 is a rotating handle, which drives the focus adjustment bracket 53 to move up and down along the Z-axis via a ball screw assembly. As a possible implementation, a motor and linear guide rail can also be used to drive the laser marking assembly 48 to move up and down.

[0035] Second transfer mechanism 14, such as Figure 10As shown, it includes: a second suction cup assembly 59, mounted on a second Z-axis slide rail 60, which, driven by an eighth motor 61, moves the second suction cup assembly 59 along the Z-axis; a third mounting bracket 63, on which the second Z-axis slide rail 60 and the eighth motor 61 are mounted; a second X-axis slide rail 62 and a ninth motor 64, mounted on a worktable 16, with the third mounting bracket 63 mounted on the second X-axis slide rail 62, which, driven by the ninth motor 64, moves the second suction cup assembly 59 along the X-axis.

[0036] Cover discharge mechanism 15, such as Figure 11 As shown, it includes: a third conveyor belt 65, mounted on a fourth mounting bracket 66, for conveying marked covers 2; a frame-type third guardrail 67, disposed above the third conveyor belt 65, the middle of the third guardrail 67 is provided with a partition 68 for separating two adjacent rows of covers 2, and the frame-type third guardrail 67 is provided with a second photoelectric sensor 71 for detecting the full material status.

[0037] The laser marking process for the power meter cover of this invention is as follows: In the cover feeding area, according to the different specifications of the covers 2, first adjust the distance between the first conveyor belt 7 and the second conveyor belt 8, and then adjust the distance between the first guardrail 9 and the second guardrail 10: the first motor 18 drives the first bearing plate 21 to move in a straight line through the first ball screw assembly 19, and the first bearing plate 21 drives the first conveyor belt 7 to move closer to or further away from the second conveyor belt 8; then the power output shaft 29 of the second motor 28 drives the gear 31 to rotate, the gear 31 meshes with the rack 27, and then drives the first guardrail 9 to move horizontally through the first crossbar 25; after the distance adjustment is completed, the covers 2 of the energy meters to be marked are manually placed into the cover feeding area in batches, and the covers 2 are transported by the belt drive motor driving the conveyor belt; When the cover of the energy meter to be marked enters the end of the cover feeding area, the first suction cup assembly 33 picks up the cover 2 to be marked, moves it upward under the drive of the first Z-axis slide rail 34, then enters the cover marking area under the drive of the first Y-axis slide rail 41, and finally reaches the top of the cover support mechanism 12 under the drive of the first X-axis slide rail 36. At this time, the first Z-axis slide rail 34 drives the first suction cup assembly 33 to move downward, and the first suction cup assembly 33 releases the cover 2. Before the material of the energy meter cover to be marked enters the cover marking area, the distance between the second placement bracket 45 and the first placement bracket 44 needs to be adjusted according to the different specifications of the cover: the sixth motor 46 drives the second placement bracket 45 to move towards or away from the first placement bracket 44 through the second ball screw assembly 47. The seventh motor 58 drives the laser module bracket 52 to move along the X-axis direction via the second X-axis slide rail 57, and drives the laser marking component 48 to move above the cover 2 via the first cylinder 49 to mark the cover 2; before marking, the focus is adjusted by the focus adjustment component 54 via the focus adjustment bracket 53, which drives the laser marking component 48 to move along the Z-axis direction, so as to realize adaptive marking production of materials of different models and specifications; After the marking process is completed, the marked cover material is moved to the cover discharge area by the cover discharge mechanism 15: the marked cover 2 is picked up by the second suction cup assembly 59, moved upward by the second Z-axis slide rail 60, and then transferred to the cover discharge area by the second X-axis slide rail 62. After the second suction cup assembly 59 is released, the marked cover material falls into the cover discharge area. The third conveyor belt 65 transports the marked cover 2.

[0038] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A laser marking manufacturing process for an electricity meter cover, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: In the cover feeding area, according to the different specifications of the cover (2), the distance between the first conveyor belt (7) and the second conveyor belt (8) is adjusted, and the distance between the first guardrail (9) and the second guardrail (10) is adjusted. Then, the covers (2) are placed on the first conveyor belt (7) and the second conveyor belt (8) for conveying in batches. The first conveyor belt (7) and the second conveyor belt (8) contact the bottom sides of the cover (2), and the first guardrail (9) and the second guardrail (10) limit the two sides of the cover (2) respectively. When the cover of the electricity meter to be marked enters the end of the cover feeding area, the cover (2) is sucked up and transferred to the cover support mechanism (12); Mark the cover (2); The marked cover (2) is picked up and transferred to the cover discharge area.

2. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first motor (18) drives the first bearing plate (21) to move back and forth in a straight line through the first ball screw assembly (19), and the first bearing plate (21) drives the first conveyor belt (7) to move toward or away from the second conveyor belt (8).

3. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The power output shaft (29) of the second motor (28) drives the gear (31) to rotate. The gear (31) meshes with the rack (27) and then drives the first guardrail (9) or the second guardrail (10) to move through the first crossbar (25).

4. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first guardrail (9) moves synchronously with the first conveyor belt (7) and can move relative to the first conveyor belt (7).

5. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cover feeding area is equipped with two sets of first conveyor belts (7) and second conveyor belts (8), as well as two sets of first guardrails (9) and second guardrails (10). The two first bearing plates (21) under the two first conveyor belts (7) are fixedly connected by a second crossbar (32). The two first bearing plates (21) are driven to move synchronously by a first motor (18).

6. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first suction cup assembly (33) picks up the cover (2) to be marked, moves upward under the drive of the first Z-axis slide rail (34), enters the cover marking area under the drive of the first Y-axis slide rail (41), and finally reaches the top of the cover support mechanism (12) under the drive of the first X-axis slide rail (36). At this time, the first Z-axis slide rail (34) drives the first suction cup assembly (33) to move downward, and the first suction cup assembly (33) releases the cover (2) and lowers it.

7. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before absorbing the cover, depending on the size of the cover (2), the sixth motor (46) drives the second storage bracket (45) to move toward or away from the first storage bracket (44) via the second ball screw assembly (47) to adjust the distance between the second storage bracket (45) and the first storage bracket (44).

8. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, Driven by the second X-axis slide rail (57) and the first cylinder (49), the laser marking assembly (48) moves to the top of the cover support mechanism (12). The vertical position of the laser marking assembly (48) is adjusted by the focal length adjustment assembly (51) according to the different specifications of the cover (2).

9. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the marking step, the second suction cup assembly (59) picks up the marked cover (2), moves it upward via the second Z-axis slide rail (60), and then moves the cover (2) to the cover discharge area via the second X-axis slide rail (62).

10. The laser marking production process for the power meter cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the marking step, the third conveyor belt (65) transports the marked cover (2), and the frame-type third guardrail (67) is equipped with a second photoelectric sensor (71) for detecting the full material status.

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