Automatic feeding manipulator for die-bender

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic feeding manipulator of a walking heart machine, which comprises a feeding mechanism, a positioning mechanism, an identification mechanism, a feeding mechanism, a conveying mechanism and a discharging mechanism. The feeding mechanism is used for grabbing workpieces from the feeding mechanism and placing the workpieces on the positioning mechanism. The positioning mechanism adjusts the posture correction of the workpieces according to the detection result of the identification mechanism. The feeding mechanism grabs the posture-corrected workpieces to the conveying mechanism. The discharging mechanism grabs the workpieces of the conveying mechanism and places the workpieces on the walking heart machine. The application provides the automatic feeding manipulator of the walking heart machine. Through the cooperation of the six mechanisms of feeding, positioning, identification, feeding, conveying and discharging, a complete automatic closed loop from feeding to clamping is formed. The automatic identification and correction of the workpiece posture are realized. The clamping failure or machine collision caused by the incorrect workpiece posture is avoided. The automation degree of the walking heart machine feeding and the machining reliability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated machining technology for Swiss-type lathes, and more particularly to an automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes. Background Technology

[0002] Workpieces machined by Swiss-type lathes are typically asymmetrical, with notches to define their angular positions. In actual production, if workers were to align each workpiece with its notch before placing it into the positioning cavity of the feed tray, it would be time-consuming and reduce feeding efficiency. Therefore, workers usually only need to quickly place the workpiece into the positioning cavity, ensuring accurate centering, without requiring uniform notch orientation. This results in random notch orientations for each workpiece on the feed tray. If the robotic arm directly grabs workpieces with inconsistent notch orientations and feeds them into the Swiss-type lathe spindle, the mismatch between the workpiece's angular posture and the spindle chuck can easily lead to clamping failures, spindle collisions, or workpiece scrap due to machining position deviations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above problems, this technical solution provides an automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution is as follows: The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes includes a feeding mechanism, a positioning mechanism, an identification mechanism, a feeding mechanism, a transport mechanism, and an unloading mechanism; The loading mechanism is used to pick up the workpiece from the feeding mechanism and place it on the positioning mechanism. The positioning mechanism adjusts the workpiece to correct its posture according to the detection result of the identification mechanism. The loading mechanism picks up the workpiece after posture correction and places it on the transport mechanism. The unloading mechanism picks up the workpiece from the transport mechanism and places it on the Swiss-type lathe.

[0005] As described above, the automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes has a feeding mechanism located at a feeding station and an unloading station arranged side by side. The feeding mechanism includes a material rack, a lifting platform for stacking multiple material trays, and a lifting machine for driving the lifting platform. After the workpieces on the material trays are picked up, the feeding mechanism picks up the material trays from the feeding station and transports them to the unloading station.

[0006] The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes described above includes a feeding mechanism comprising a transverse component, a primary lifting component mounted on the transverse component, a secondary lifting component mounted on the primary lifting component, and a feeding gripper mounted on the secondary lifting component.

[0007] As described above, the automatic feeding robot for the Swiss-type lathe includes a positioning platform, a rotary cylinder mounted on the positioning platform, and a rotary table mounted on the output end of the rotary cylinder. The identification mechanism is mounted on the positioning platform and electrically connected to the rotary cylinder and the feeding mechanism. The identification mechanism is used to identify the missing corner on the workpiece on the rotary table. If the identification mechanism identifies the missing corner, the workpiece is in the correct position, triggering the feeding mechanism to pick up the workpiece from the rotary table. If the identification mechanism fails to identify the missing corner, it triggers the rotary cylinder to rotate 100° until the missing corner is identified, stops the rotary cylinder, and triggers the feeding mechanism to pick up the workpiece from the rotary table.

[0008] As described above, the automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes includes a transport platform, a reversing mechanism disposed on the transport platform, and a longitudinal component for driving the transport platform to move. After the feeding mechanism places the workpiece on the reversing mechanism, the reversing mechanism switches the workpiece from vertical to horizontal placement.

[0009] As described above, the automatic feeding robot for the Swiss-type lathe includes a reversing mechanism comprising a reversing cylinder mounted on the transport platform, a reversing platform mounted on the reversing cylinder, and a pneumatic inner support mounted on the reversing platform. The reversing cylinder is used to drive the reversing platform to rotate to a vertical or horizontal position.

[0010] The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes described above includes a feeding gripper and a drive assembly for driving the feeding gripper.

[0011] The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes, as described above, also includes the Swiss-type lathe itself.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this application are: This invention provides an automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes. Through the coordinated operation of six mechanisms—feeding, positioning, identification, loading, transportation, and unloading—a complete automated closed loop from feeding to clamping is formed. This enables automatic identification and correction of the workpiece posture, avoiding clamping failures or collisions caused by incorrect workpiece posture, and improving the automation level and processing reliability of Swiss-type lathes. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the technical problems solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0016] The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes includes a feeding mechanism 1, a positioning mechanism 2, an identification mechanism 3, a feeding mechanism 4, a transport mechanism 5, and a discharging mechanism 6. The loading mechanism 4 is used to grab the workpiece from the feeding mechanism 1 and place it on the positioning mechanism 2. The positioning mechanism 2 adjusts the posture correction of the workpiece according to the detection result of the identification mechanism 3. The loading mechanism 4 grabs the posture-corrected workpiece onto the transport mechanism 5. The unloading mechanism 6 grabs the workpiece from the transport mechanism 5 and places it on the Swiss-type lathe.

[0017] This invention provides an automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes. Through the coordinated operation of six mechanisms—feeding, positioning, identification, loading, transportation, and unloading—a complete automated closed loop from feeding to clamping is formed. This enables automatic identification and correction of the workpiece posture, avoiding clamping failures or collisions caused by incorrect workpiece posture, and improving the automation level and processing reliability of Swiss-type lathes.

[0018] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism 1 is located on the feeding station 11 and the unloading station 12 arranged side by side. The feeding mechanism 1 includes a material rack 13, a lifting platform 14 for stacking multiple material trays, and a lifting machine 15 for driving the lifting platform 14. After the workpieces on the material trays are picked up, the loading mechanism 4 picks up the material trays from the feeding station 11 and transports them to the unloading station 12. Through the side-by-side feeding station and unloading station, in conjunction with the lifting platform and the lifting machine, the automatic stacking and continuous feeding of multiple material trays are realized. Empty material trays are automatically transferred to the unloading station by the loading mechanism, eliminating the need for manual stopping to change trays. This enables long-term unmanned continuous production and improves equipment utilization.

[0019] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism 4 includes a transverse component 41, a primary lifting component 42 mounted on the transverse component 41, a secondary lifting component 43 mounted on the primary lifting component 42, and a feeding gripper 44 mounted on the secondary lifting component 43. Through the dual-stage lifting structure of the transverse component in conjunction with the primary and secondary lifting components, the feeding gripper has a larger lifting stroke and a more flexible range of motion, enabling it to adapt to the material handling needs of the feeding mechanism, positioning mechanism, and transport mechanism at different heights, thereby improving the versatility and positioning accuracy of the feeding mechanism.

[0020] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism 2 includes a positioning platform 21, a rotary cylinder 22 disposed on the positioning platform 21, and a rotary table 23 disposed on the output end of the rotary cylinder 22. The identification mechanism 3 is disposed on the positioning platform 21 and is electrically connected to the rotary cylinder 22 and the feeding mechanism 4. The identification mechanism 3 is used to identify the missing corner on the workpiece on the rotary table 23. If the identification mechanism 3 identifies the missing corner, the workpiece is in the correct position, triggering the loading mechanism 4 to pick up the workpiece from the rotary table 23. If the identification mechanism 3 fails to identify the missing corner, it triggers the rotary cylinder 22 to rotate 90° until the missing corner is identified, then stops the rotary cylinder 22 and triggers the loading mechanism 4 to pick up the workpiece from the rotary table 23. Through the automatic detection of the missing corner by the identification mechanism, combined with the rotary cylinder driving the rotary table to rotate stepwise, the closed-loop control logic of "identification-rotation-re-identification" automatically corrects the direction of the workpiece notch to a uniform standard position, ensuring that the angular orientation of the workpiece fed into the Swiss-type lathe is consistent each time. This effectively avoids clamping failure, machine collision, and processing misalignment caused by random notch direction, improving the clamping success rate and processing yield.

[0021] This embodiment also provides the identification control logic for the identification mechanism: The direction of the notch on the workpiece on the tray is random. Statistically, when the workpiece falls into the positioning cavity of the tray, the distribution of its notch direction is not completely uniform and random, but shows a certain probability preference. For example, influenced by factors such as worker's throwing habits, the direction of tray vibration, or the shape of the positioning cavity, the probability of the notch facing a certain direction (such as forward) may be significantly higher than other directions.

[0022] Based on this, a statistical unit is added to the identification mechanism 3 in this embodiment. The statistical unit is used to record the number of rotations required for each workpiece on the current tray to complete posture correction and the final correction direction. Its specific working logic is as follows: (1) Single-time positioning and correction process The feeding mechanism 4 picks up the workpiece from the tray of the feeding mechanism 1 and places it on the rotary table 23. The recognition mechanism 3 acquires images of the workpiece and detects whether the notch is located in the standard orientation.

[0023] If the notch is detected to be in the standard orientation, the required number of rotations is 0, and the feeding mechanism 4 directly grabs the workpiece.

[0024] If the notch is not identified as being in the standard orientation, the rotary cylinder 22 drives the rotary table 23 to rotate. The identification mechanism 3 re-identifies after each rotation until the notch reaches the standard orientation.

[0025] (2) Rotation direction selection strategy In the traditional design, the rotary cylinder 22 rotates in a fixed direction (e.g., always clockwise) in steps, each rotation being 90°, for a maximum of 3 rotations. In the worst case, this design requires a rotation of 270° (3 rotations).

[0026] In this embodiment, the rotation direction of the rotary cylinder 22 is dynamically determined by the statistical unit based on the historical data of the current material tray. Specifically: The statistics unit records the initial orientation of the notches of all workpieces that have completed correction in the current tray. For example, if the notch is actually located at 90° clockwise from the standard orientation, it will be in place after one clockwise rotation; if it is located at 90° counterclockwise, it will be in place after one counterclockwise rotation.

[0027] The statistical unit calculates the frequency of occurrence of each initial orientation and determines the probability of the distribution of the gap direction accordingly.

[0028] When gripping a new workpiece, the rotary cylinder 22 prioritizes the direction with the highest probability of detection. For example, if statistics show that 70% of workpiece notches are located in the standard orientation at 90° counterclockwise, the rotary cylinder 22 will prioritize rotating 90° counterclockwise, at which point there is a 70% probability that it only needs to rotate once to reach the desired position. If the notch is not detected after the first rotation, it will continue to rotate in the direction with the second highest probability.

[0029] (3) Comparison of strategy effects Suppose that the probability distribution of the four possible directions of the workpiece notch (relative to the standard orientation) is as follows: P0 (already in the standard orientation), P1 (clockwise 90°), P2 (180°), P3 (counterclockwise 90°).

[0030] Using the traditional fixed clockwise rotation strategy, the expected number of rotations is E = 0×P0 + 1×P1 + 2×P2 + 3×P3.

[0031] Using the statistical optimization strategy of this embodiment, the rotation direction with the minimum expected number of rotations is selected, and the expected number of rotations E_min = min(0×P0 + 1×P1 + 2×P2 + 3×P3, 0×P0 + 1×P3 + 2×P2 + 3×P1).

[0032] When P1 and P3 are unevenly distributed, the expected number of rotations in this scheme is significantly better than the fixed-direction strategy. For example, if statistics show that P0=10%, P1=10%, P2=10%, and P3=70%, then the expected number of rotations for the fixed clockwise strategy is 0×0.1 + 1×0.1 + 2×0.1 + 3×0.7 = 2.4 times; while this scheme prioritizes counterclockwise rotation (P3 direction), and the expected number of rotations is 0×0.1 + 1×0.7 + 2×0.1 + 3×0.1 = 1.2 times, reducing the number of rotations by 50%.

[0033] (4) Statistical update mechanism The statistical unit's statistical scope covers all workpieces in the current tray. When the tray is switched, the statistical unit resets the data and restarts the statistical analysis of the notch direction distribution of the workpieces on the new tray. Furthermore, the identification mechanism 3 includes a storage module for storing historical tray statistical distribution data as a reference for the initial rotation direction of the new tray, further improving system response speed.

[0034] This optimization scheme, without increasing any hardware costs, can significantly reduce the number of rotation cylinder movements and shorten the single-piece feeding cycle by optimizing the software algorithm—statistically distributing the notch direction and dynamically selecting the rotation direction—while also reducing cylinder wear. It has outstanding substantive features and significant progress.

[0035] In this embodiment, the workpiece is rectangular, so the single rotation angle is 90°. If the workpiece is polygonal, such as hexagonal, the single rotation angle is 60°. If a normal recognition strategy is used, it would take up to 5 rotations to identify the missing corner of the workpiece. The above recognition strategy can save more time when the workpiece shape is more complex.

[0036] If the distribution of the notch direction is completely uniform and random when the workpiece falls into the positioning cavity of the tray, the above recognition strategy will not reduce efficiency and will be comparable to that of ordinary recognition strategy.

[0037] Furthermore, the transport mechanism 5 includes a transport platform 51, a reversing mechanism 52 disposed on the transport platform 51, and a longitudinal component 53 for driving the transport platform 51 to move. After the loading mechanism 4 places the workpiece on the reversing mechanism 52, the reversing mechanism 52 switches the workpiece from vertical to horizontal placement. By switching the workpiece from a vertical to a horizontal posture through the reversing mechanism, the workpiece posture is matched with the feeding direction of the Swiss-type lathe spindle chuck, eliminating the need for an additional independent flipping device, reducing transfer links and floor space. At the same time, the longitudinal component drives the transport platform to move, achieving smooth and precise transport of the workpiece.

[0038] Furthermore, the reversing mechanism 52 includes a reversing cylinder 521 mounted on the transport platform 51, a reversing platform 522 mounted on the reversing cylinder 521, and a pneumatic inner support 523 mounted on the reversing platform 522. The reversing cylinder 521 is used to drive the reversing platform 522 to rotate to a vertical or horizontal position. By driving the reversing platform to switch between vertical and horizontal positions through the reversing cylinder, and cooperating with the pneumatic inner support to firmly fix it from the inside of the workpiece, it is ensured that the workpiece does not loosen or fall off during the flipping process. The flipping action is smooth and reliable, and the structure is simple and compact with a fast response speed.

[0039] Furthermore, the unloading mechanism 6 includes an unloading gripper 61 and a drive assembly 62 for driving the unloading gripper 61. The drive assembly drives the unloading gripper to move between the transport mechanism and the Swiss-type lathe, thereby achieving precise gripping and clamping of the workpiece and ensuring that the workpiece is smoothly and accurately fed into the main spindle chuck of the Swiss-type lathe, reducing manual intervention.

[0040] Furthermore, it also includes a Swiss-type lathe 7. By integrating the Swiss-type lathe with this robot arm into a single unit, the feeding, posture correction, transportation, and processing stages are seamlessly connected, further reducing intermediate transfer links and improving the overall integration and processing efficiency of the machine.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this application. Any other embodiments whose principles and basic structures are the same as or similar to those of this application are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A mechanical hand for automatic feeding of a die cutter, characterized in that: It includes a feeding mechanism (1), a positioning mechanism (2), an identification mechanism (3), a loading mechanism (4), a transportation mechanism (5), and a unloading mechanism (6). ​ The loading mechanism (4) is used to grab the workpiece from the feeding mechanism (1) and place it on the positioning mechanism (2). The positioning mechanism (2) adjusts the posture correction of the workpiece according to the detection result of the identification mechanism (3). The loading mechanism (4) grabs the posture-corrected workpiece onto the transport mechanism (5). The unloading mechanism (6) grabs the workpiece from the transport mechanism (5) and places it on the Swiss-type lathe.

2. The automatic feeding mechanical arm of the gear cutting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism (1) is located on the feeding station (11) and the unloading station (12) arranged side by side. The feeding mechanism (1) includes a material rack (13), a lifting platform (14) for stacking multiple material trays, and a lifting machine (15) for driving the lifting platform (14). After the workpieces on the material trays are picked up, the loading mechanism (4) picks up the material trays from the feeding station (11) and transports them to the unloading station (12).

3. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism (4) includes a transverse component (41), a primary lifting component (42) disposed on the transverse component (41), a secondary lifting component (43) disposed on the primary lifting component (42), and a feeding gripper (44) disposed on the secondary lifting component (43).

4. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning mechanism (2) includes a positioning platform (21), a rotary cylinder (22) disposed on the positioning platform (21), and a rotary table (23) disposed on the output end of the rotary cylinder (22). The identification mechanism (3) is disposed on the positioning platform (21) and electrically connected to the rotary cylinder (22) and the feeding mechanism (4). The identification mechanism (3) is used to identify the missing corner on the workpiece on the rotary table (23). If the identification mechanism (3) identifies the missing corner, the workpiece is in the correct position, and the feeding mechanism (4) is triggered to grab the workpiece from the rotary table (23). If the identification mechanism (3) fails to identify the missing corner, the rotary cylinder (22) is triggered to rotate 90° until the missing corner is identified, the rotary cylinder (22) is stopped, and the feeding mechanism (4) is triggered to grab the workpiece from the rotary table (23).

5. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport mechanism (5) includes a transport platform (51), a reversing mechanism (52) disposed on the transport platform (51), and a longitudinal component (53) for driving the transport platform (51) to move. After the loading mechanism (4) places the workpiece on the reversing mechanism (52), the reversing mechanism (52) switches the workpiece from vertical placement to horizontal placement.

6. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 5, characterized in that: The reversing mechanism (52) includes a reversing cylinder (521) disposed on the transport platform (51), a reversing platform (522) disposed on the reversing cylinder (521), and a pneumatic inner support (523) disposed on the reversing platform (522). The reversing cylinder (521) is used to drive the reversing platform (522) to rotate to a vertical position or a horizontal position.

7. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 6, characterized in that: The unloading mechanism (6) includes an unloading gripper (61) and a drive assembly (62) for driving the unloading gripper (61).

8. The automatic feeding robot for Swiss-type lathes according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes scheming (7).

Images