A plug and socket assembly full-automatic assembling and on-line detecting production line and method

Abstract

The application discloses a plug and socket assembly full-automatic assembling and online detecting production line and method, and belongs to the technical field of automatic assembling equipment. The production line comprises a synchronous conveying line and a first feeding mechanism, a second feeding mechanism, a pre-pressing and detecting mechanism, a sealing detecting mechanism, a cap assembling mechanism and a discharging mechanism which are sequentially arranged along the preset direction of the synchronous conveying line. The control system binds the identity information of the socket and the plug as an assembly identity mark, generates an assembling quality mark according to the pre-pressing process quality data, generates a sealing mark according to the sealing detection result, records the two marks as a full-process quality mark, and controls the operation of the cap assembling mechanism and the discharging mechanism on the current workpiece according to the full-process quality mark. The application realizes online quality cooperation, active interception of preceding defective products and lossless sleeving of the cap through the quality closed-loop control driven by the full-process mark.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automated assembly equipment technology, specifically relating to a fully automated assembly and online testing production line and method for plug and socket assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid popularization of liquid cooling technology in AI data centers, the demand for liquid cooling quick connectors has increased significantly. Liquid cooling quick connectors typically consist of a plug and a socket. Before leaving the factory, the plug and socket are pre-pressed together to form an assembly, and protective caps are fitted to their ends to prevent issues such as thread damage, dust ingress into the sealing surface, and valve core damage. Protective caps can be categorized by material into flexible caps and rigid plastic caps. Flexible caps are made of elastic materials such as silicone or EPDM rubber, relying on their elasticity to conform to and protect the thread profile.

[0003] Currently, the assembly of plug and socket assemblies is mostly completed using a combination of manual labor and semi-automatic equipment. A typical process involves: manually inspecting the plug and socket for visual appeal and identity verification; using simple tooling to press the plug into the socket; performing a random airtightness check; and finally, manually attaching the protective cap to each end. This method has the following drawbacks: First, data is isolated between different processes. The identification information of plugs and sockets, the mechanical data of the pressing process, the airtightness test results, and the assembly data of the rubber caps are recorded in different workstations or on paper forms, making it impossible to establish a full-process quality archive at the individual product level. When quality problems occur in the end product, it is difficult to trace back to the specific assembly process or material batch.

[0004] Secondly, online quality inspection methods for the feeding and pressing processes are limited. Conventional pressing equipment only checks whether the position or pressure at the pressing endpoint meets the standard, and cannot detect hidden defects such as seal ring flipping or jamming that occur during assembly. These defects may appear to be acceptable at the endpoint inspection because the seal ring is forcibly flattened, but they will become potential leakage hazards in subsequent use.

[0005] Third, automating the insertion of flexible caps is challenging. Due to the softness and low modulus of elasticity of the flexible cap material, conventional hard-press structures, when using position control mode, can cause cap misalignment, thread scratches, or even cap cracking if the preset pressing position is slightly off. Furthermore, using pure force control mode, the differences in hardness and friction between batches of caps make it difficult to simultaneously ensure proper insertion and damage-free assembly. Therefore, most factories still rely on manual insertion of flexible caps, resulting in yield and efficiency that cannot match production capacity demands. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a fully automated assembly and online testing production line and method for plug and socket assemblies that can coordinate quality data of each process online, actively intercept defective products in the previous process before the cap is assembled, and protect the cap from damage during insertion.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies includes: a synchronous conveyor line running through a frame base for conveying a carrier along a preset direction, the carrier carrying a plug and a socket; a first feeding mechanism located at the front end of the synchronous conveyor line for feeding the socket onto the carrier, the first feeding mechanism including a first identification device for identifying the socket's identity information; and a second feeding mechanism located downstream of the first feeding mechanism along the preset direction for feeding the plug onto the carrier already carrying the socket, the second feeding mechanism including a second identification device for identifying the plug's identity information. An identification device; a pre-pressing detection mechanism, disposed downstream of the second feeding mechanism along the preset direction, for performing pre-pressing on the plug and socket, the pre-pressing detection mechanism being configured to collect process quality data in real time during the pre-pressing process; a sealing detection mechanism, disposed downstream of the pre-pressing detection mechanism along the preset direction, for performing sealing detection on the pre-pressed plug and socket assembly; a cap assembly mechanism, disposed downstream of the sealing detection mechanism along the preset direction, including a first cap assembly module, the first cap assembly module including a Z-axis press-fit module and a pressure sensor connected to the Z-axis press-fit module. The detection element, the Z-axis press-fit module, is used to fit the protective cap onto the cap-to-cap end of the plug-socket assembly. The Z-axis press-fit module is configured to perform closed-loop control during the fitting process based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module to limit the press-fitting force. The unloading mechanism, located downstream of the cap assembly mechanism along the preset direction, is used to remove the assembled plug-socket assembly from the carrier and unload qualified and defective products separately according to the full-process quality marking. The control system is integrated with the first identification device, the second identification device, the pre-pressing detection mechanism, the sealing detection mechanism, and the pressure... The force detection element, the Z-axis press-fit module, and the unloading mechanism are communicatively connected; the control system is configured to: bind the socket identity information obtained by the first identity recognition device and the plug identity information obtained by the second identity recognition device as an assembly identity identifier; generate an assembly quality mark based on the process quality data; generate a sealing mark based on the detection result of the sealing detection mechanism; record the assembly quality mark and the sealing mark together as a full-process quality mark corresponding to the assembly identity identifier; and control the operation of the cap assembly mechanism and / or the unloading mechanism on the current workpiece based on the full-process quality mark.

[0008] In this technical solution, the preset direction refers to the main direction in which the synchronous conveyor line transports the workpiece. Downstream refers to the subsequent position along the preset direction, indicating the sequential relationship of the workpieces in the process sequence, without requiring that the mechanisms be arranged strictly in a straight line in physical space.

[0009] The process quality data refers to parameters collected during the pre-compression process that reflect assembly quality. In a preferred embodiment, the process quality data is pressure-displacement curve data, i.e., a sequence of data pairs consisting of pressure and displacement values ​​collected in real time during the pre-compression process. The control system generates the assembly quality mark based on the comparison result between the pressure-displacement curve data and a preset standard template. In an alternative embodiment, the process quality data may also be peak pressure data, pressure-time curve data, or a combination of the above.

[0010] The control system is further configured to: generate an identity recognition failure flag when the first identity recognition device or the second identity recognition device fails to recognize an identity, and incorporate the identity recognition failure flag into the full-process quality flag.

[0011] As a further limitation of the force-position dual closed-loop control for the assembly of the protective cap, the control system is further configured to: perform a dual-window determination based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module; when the downward position of the Z-axis press-fit module enters the preset position window and the pressure value detected by the pressure detection element enters the preset pressure window, it is determined that the protective cap is properly fitted; if the conditions are not met simultaneously after a preset time, an alarm is triggered.

[0012] As a further definition of the sealing detection mechanism, the sealing detection mechanism includes an independent sealed chamber, a vacuum chamber disposed within the independent sealed chamber, and a helium mass spectrometer leak detector connected to the vacuum chamber. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing detection mechanism may also employ a vacuum attenuation leak detector or a halogen leak detector.

[0013] To ensure positioning accuracy during the pre-pressing process, the pre-pressing detection mechanism also includes a carrier locking mechanism, which is used to lock the carrier in a preset position during the pre-pressing process.

[0014] To enable fully automated cyclic use of the carriers, a carrier return channel is provided below the synchronous conveyor line. The carrier return channel is used to transport the empty carriers after unloading by the unloading mechanism back to the first loading mechanism.

[0015] To accommodate different types of protective caps, the cap assembly mechanism also includes a second cap assembly module for assembling hard plastic caps. The first and second cap assembly modules are arranged in parallel and can be switched online. Online switching means that the control system can select to activate one of the modules according to production instructions, or complete the module replacement within a short downtime via a quick-change interface.

[0016] To enhance the specific execution logic of closed-loop control, the control system is further configured to: when the assembly quality mark or the sealing mark indicates non-compliance, control the cap assembly mechanism not to perform cap assembly action on the workpiece, and control the unloading mechanism to divert the workpiece to the defective product collection area.

[0017] In an enhanced embodiment, the control system is further configured to cross-validate the assembly quality mark and the sealing mark, and trigger a quality anomaly warning when there is a statistical correlation between the direction of the pressure peak deviation indicated by the assembly quality mark and the leakage rate detected by the sealing mark.

[0018] In an enhanced embodiment, the control system is further configured to: continuously collect process quality data or sealing test results of multiple consecutive workpieces, and trigger a quality anomaly warning when a trend drift in the data distribution is detected.

[0019] In an enhanced embodiment, the control system is further configured to dynamically adjust the judgment thresholds for generating the assembly quality mark and / or the sealing mark based on the distribution of process quality data and / or the detection results of the sealing test on historical qualified workpieces.

[0020] This invention also provides a fully automated assembly and online testing method for plug and socket assemblies, using the production line described in any of the above claims. The method includes the following steps: Step S1: The first feeding mechanism feeds the socket onto the carrier, and the first identification device identifies the socket's identification information; Step S2: The carrier moves along the synchronous conveyor line to the second feeding mechanism, and the second feeding mechanism feeds the plug onto the carrier already carrying the socket, and the second identification device identifies the plug's identification information; Step S3: The control system binds the successfully identified socket identification information and plug identification information as an assembly identification identifier; Step S4: The carrier moves to the pre-compression testing mechanism, and the pre-compression testing mechanism performs pre-compression and collects process quality data in real time, and the control system generates an assembly quality mark based on the process quality data; Step S5: The carrier moves to the sealing testing mechanism, and the sealing testing mechanism... A sealing test is performed, and the control system generates a sealing mark based on the test result; Step S5a: The control system records the assembly quality mark and the sealing mark together as a full-process quality mark corresponding to the assembly identification; Step S6: The control system determines whether the cap assembly mechanism is allowed to perform cap assembly on the current workpiece based on the full-process quality mark; Step S7: For workpieces that are allowed to perform cap assembly, the Z-axis press-fit module performs closed-loop control based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module, and puts the protective cap into the end of the workpiece to be capped. The control system generates a cap assembly mark based on the fitting determination result and adds the cap assembly mark to the full-process quality mark; Step S8: The carrier moves to the unloading mechanism, and the unloading mechanism diverts the workpiece to the qualified product area or the defective product area based on the full-process quality mark.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the process quality data in step S4 includes pressure-displacement curve data, and the control system generates the assembly quality mark based on the comparison result between the pressure-displacement curve data and the preset standard template.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the closed-loop control in step S7 includes: the Z-axis press-fitting module approaches the workpiece at a low speed, and when a pressure value is detected, it switches to a constant force slow-pressure mode. When the downward position of the Z-axis press-fitting module enters a preset position window and the pressure value enters a preset pressure window, it is determined that the workpiece is properly fitted, and after performing pressure holding, it quickly resets.

[0023] Beneficial effects

[0024] 1. Through a closed-loop configuration of the control system—the real-time process quality data from the pre-compression testing mechanism and the test results from the sealing testing mechanism are used to generate assembly quality marks and sealing marks respectively, and these two marks are recorded together as a full-process quality mark. Based on this mark, the operation of the cap assembly mechanism and the unloading mechanism on the current workpiece is controlled—each testing section is no longer an independent information silo, but rather an online quality closed loop of testing-decision-execution is achieved through mark transmission. This closed loop helps to proactively intercept workpieces with failed previous assembly or poor sealing before cap assembly, avoiding high-value subsequent processing of defective products, thereby improving the overall yield of the production line and reducing material waste.

[0025] 2. The Z-axis pressing module in the cap assembly mechanism is configured for closed-loop control based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element and its own position value to limit the pressing force. Unlike conventional pure position control or pure force control, the force-position dual closed-loop control can sense the contact state between the protective cap and the end to be fitted in real time during the insertion process. When the pressing force increases abnormally, it can promptly reduce or stop pressing, which helps to reduce the cracking of the protective cap or scratching of the threads caused by overpressure, and achieves non-destructive assembly of the flexible cap.

[0026] 3. The pre-compression testing mechanism is configured to collect process quality data in real time during the pre-compression process, rather than only detecting the final state of pre-compression. Process quality data—such as pressure-displacement curves—can reflect the changes in the mechanical characteristics of the plug and socket throughout the entire mating process, helping to detect hidden assembly defects that may be missed in the final inspection, such as seal ring flipping or jamming, thus providing a more reliable incoming material basis for subsequent sealing tests.

[0027] 4. The first and second feeding mechanisms independently complete the feeding and identification of sockets and plugs, respectively. The control system binds the successfully identified socket and plug identification information as an assembly identification identifier. This binding action ensures that subsequent quality data generated in each stage—assembly quality markings, sealing markings, and cap assembly data—can be traced back to a unique assembly, facilitating end-to-end quality traceability for individual products. When a batch exhibits quality anomalies, the assembly identification identifier can be used to reverse-engineer the parameters of each process the assembly has undergone, quickly pinpointing the root cause of the problem.

[0028] 5. The sealing performance testing mechanism is positioned between the pre-pressing testing mechanism and the cap assembly mechanism in a predetermined direction. This arrangement ensures that only workpieces that pass the quality inspection and sealing performance testing during the pre-pressing process will proceed to the cap assembly stage. Cap assembly is a high-value process in the production line; placing the sealing performance test earlier helps reduce the ineffective consumption of protective caps and the waste of assembly resources.

[0029] 6. The carrier return channel below the synchronous conveyor line transports the empty carriers unloaded by the unloading mechanism back to the first loading mechanism, realizing fully automatic recycling of the carriers without manual intervention or offline retrieval. This not only reduces auxiliary manpower but also ensures that the carriers maintain a uniform positioning benchmark throughout their entire life cycle, helping to maintain the consistency of workpiece positioning accuracy between different work sections. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a plan view of the front half of the production line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a plan view of the rear half of the production line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall layout of the production line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the overall structure of the first cap assembly module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a partial structural disassembly perspective view of the first cap assembly module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a partial structural disassembly perspective view of the first cap assembly module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] In the diagram, 100 is the first feeding mechanism, 110 is the first identification device, 200 is the second feeding mechanism, 210 is the second identification device, 300 is the pre-pressing detection mechanism, 310 is the first servo pressing module, 320 is the first pressure sensor, 400 is the sealing detection mechanism, 500 is the synchronous conveyor line, 600 is the carrier, 700 is the first cap assembly module, 710 is the flipping feeding unit, 711 is the feeding gripper, 712 is the rotary spindle, 713 is the slider, 714 is the lifting cylinder, 720 is the positioning and clamping unit, and 721 is the positioning gripper. 722 Reinforced support stand, 730 Cap feeding unit, 731 Vibration source, 732 Vibrating material channel, 733 Tilting spindle, 734 Feeding gripper, 735 Cap positioning sensor, 740 Cap fitting execution unit, 741 Lateral movement mechanism, 742 Z-axis pressing module, 743 Cap fitting gripper, 744 Pressure detection element, 750 Adjustable frame base, 800 Second cap assembly module, 810 Servo pressing module, 820 Pressure sensor, 900 Unloading mechanism, 910 First robot arm, 920 Second robot arm. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Example 1: Overall Plan for the Entire Production Line and Detailed Implementation Methods for Each Section This embodiment describes the overall scheme and specific implementation methods of the fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies.

[0039] like Figure 1As shown, the production line adopts a linear serial modular layout. A synchronous conveyor line 500 runs through the frame base, which is a welded steel frame structure, providing a unified installation benchmark for the entire line. The synchronous conveyor line 500 conveys carriers 600 along a preset direction from left to right as shown in the figure. The carrier 600 is a metal or engineering plastic support plate with a workpiece positioning cavity, and each carrier 600 can carry a pair of plugs and sockets. In one specific embodiment, the synchronous conveyor line 500 is a ring guide rail conveyor line, driven by a precision cam divider, to achieve intermittent stepping conveying with a repeatability accuracy ≤ ±0.02mm. In another embodiment, the synchronous conveyor line 500 can also use a linear motor module, with the mover serving as the carrier 600, offering higher speed and flexibility. In yet another embodiment, the synchronous conveyor line 500 adopts a synchronous belt traction structure, including an active synchronous pulley, a driven synchronous pulley, and a synchronous belt. Carrier mounting seats are fixed at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the synchronous belt. A servo motor drives the active synchronous pulley to rotate intermittently to achieve stepping conveying, resulting in lower cost, simpler structure, and easier maintenance. Along a preset direction, the synchronous conveyor line 500 is sequentially connected in series with a first feeding mechanism 100, a second feeding mechanism 200, a pre-compression detection mechanism 300, a sealing detection mechanism 400, a cap assembly mechanism, and a discharge mechanism 900. After unloading, the empty carrier 600 enters the carrier return channel below the synchronous conveyor line 500, returning to the first feeding mechanism 100 to complete the cycle. The carrier return channel can be a gravity slide, a belt conveyor, or a chain conveyor, and its conveying direction is opposite to that of the synchronous conveyor line 500. The sealing detection mechanism 400 is only located in... Figure 1 The location is indicated in the diagram, and it could be a standard helium detection device, so the actual object is not shown.

[0040] The first loading mechanism 100 includes multiple stacked hoppers, a multi-axis servo transfer robot, and a first identification device 110. Sockets awaiting loading are stacked in layers within the hoppers. The robot picks up the sockets one by one from the hoppers and places them into the corresponding positioning cavities of the empty carrier 600 on the synchronous conveyor line 500. After placement, the first identification device 110 at this station identifies the socket. The first identification device 110 is a QR code scanner; a unique QR code is pre-laser-engraved on the socket's outer shell. The scanner reads the QR code information and uploads it to the control system, which compares and verifies it against the production work order of the manufacturing execution system. If the QR code is identifiable and matches the production work order, a successful identification mark is generated; if the QR code is unidentifiable or does not match the production work order, a failed identification mark is generated. In an alternative embodiment, the first identification device 110 can also be an RFID reader / writer, with an RFID tag on the socket. In another embodiment, the first identification device 110 is a visual character recognition device, including an industrial camera and an image processor, which extracts the serial number from the plain text characters on the surface of the socket through an optical character recognition algorithm and uploads it to the control system for verification.

[0041] The second loading mechanism 200 is symmetrical to the first loading mechanism 100, including a plug stacking bin, a multi-axis servo transfer robot, and a second identification device 210. The robot picks up plugs from the bin and places them into the corresponding positioning cavity of the carrier 600, which already carries sockets. At this time, the plugs and sockets are not yet connected. The second identification device 210 is also a QR code scanning camera, which identifies the plugs and uploads the information to the control system. When both the first identification device 110 and the second identification device 210 successfully identify the corresponding identification information, the control system binds the socket identification information and the plug identification information into an assembly identification identifier. All quality data in subsequent stages are associated with this assembly identification identifier. If any identification device fails to identify the plug, the control system generates an identification failure mark and includes this identification failure mark in the overall process quality mark. Sockets or plugs that fail identification are not immediately rejected but continue to circulate with the carrier 600 and are eventually rejected by the unloading mechanism 900 according to the overall process quality mark.

[0042] The carrier 600, carrying the identified plug and socket, moves to the pre-pressing detection mechanism 300. The pre-pressing detection mechanism 300 includes a first servo pressing module 310, a first pressure sensor 320, and a carrier locking mechanism. The carrier locking mechanism is a pneumatically or electromagnetically driven positioning pin mechanism that locks the carrier 600 in a preset position before the pre-pressing action begins. The first servo pressing module 310 employs a servo motor and ball screw lifting drive structure, with a gripper at its end for holding the plug. The first pressure sensor 320 is a piezoelectric pressure sensor installed on the force transmission path between the ball screw nut and the slide. At the start of pre-pressing, the first servo pressing module 310 slowly advances the plug axially, pressing it into the fixed socket. Throughout the pressing stroke, the first pressure sensor 320 collects pressure data in real time, and the servo motor encoder of the first servo pressing module 310 synchronously feeds back position data, forming a pressure-displacement data sequence, which is sent to the control system as process quality data. The control system compares the real-time collected pressure-displacement curve data with a pre-stored standard template. The standard template is obtained by pre-pressing a certain number of qualified plug and socket assemblies, taking the average value of their pressure-displacement curves, and setting upper and lower deviation bands. If the real-time curve exceeds the deviation band or the peak pressure exceeds the preset window, an assembly quality mark indicating assembly failure is generated; otherwise, an assembly quality mark indicating assembly success is generated. In an alternative embodiment, the process quality data may only be the pressure peak data. In another alternative embodiment, the process quality data may also be acoustic emission signal data. An acoustic emission sensor is provided on the pre-pressing detection mechanism 300 to determine the assembly quality by detecting the acoustic emission signals generated by abnormal friction or compression of the sealing ring during the pre-pressing process.

[0043] The plug and socket assembly, having passed the pre-compression process quality inspection, enters the sealing inspection mechanism 400 along with the carrier 600. The sealing inspection mechanism 400 includes an independent sealing chamber, a vacuum chamber housed within the independent sealing chamber, and a helium mass spectrometer leak detector connected to the vacuum chamber. The independent sealing chamber is equipped with an automatic opening and closing gate. The sealing inspection process is as follows: a vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum chamber to below 10 Pa, then helium is introduced into the vacuum chamber to a gauge pressure of 100 kPa to 500 kPa, and the pressure is maintained for a preset time. The helium mass spectrometer leak detector detects the amount of helium leaking from the sealing interface of the plug and socket assembly and outputs a leakage rate value. The control system reads this leakage rate value and compares it with a preset acceptable threshold. If the leakage rate is lower than or equal to the acceptable threshold, a sealing pass mark is generated; if the leakage rate is higher than the acceptable threshold, a sealing fail mark is generated. The control system records the generated assembly quality mark and sealing mark together as a full-process quality mark corresponding to the current assembly's identity. In one alternative embodiment, the sealing detection mechanism 400 uses a vacuum attenuation leak detector instead of a helium mass spectrometer leak detector. In another alternative embodiment, the sealing detection mechanism 400 uses a halogen leak detector.

[0044] The cap assembly mechanism is the core assembly section of the entire production line. Its function is to automatically insert protective caps onto qualified workpieces that have passed previous inspections. The cap assembly mechanism includes a first cap assembly module 700 and a second cap assembly module 800, both mounted in parallel on the same frame. The first cap assembly module 700 is used to assemble flexible caps, and the second cap assembly module 800 is used to assemble rigid plastic caps. The control system activates the corresponding module based on the cap type specified in the production work order.

[0045] The first cap assembly module 700 adopts a vertical modular layout, including a flip-loading unit 710, a positioning and clamping unit 720, a cap feeding unit 730, a cap-fitting execution unit 740, and an adjustable frame base 750. All units are mounted on the adjustable frame base 750, and the device is equipped with a pneumatic system and a control system. The flip-loading unit 710 includes a loading gripper 711, a rotary spindle 712, a slider 713, and a lifting cylinder 714. The loading gripper 711 is slidably mounted on the slider 713, and the lifting cylinder 714 is connected between the loading gripper 711 and the slider 713 to drive the loading gripper 711 to move up and down vertically. The rotary spindle 712 is driven by a rotary power source and can rotate precisely within a 180-degree range. The loading gripper 711 uses parallel opening and closing pneumatic fingers with a concave arc-shaped structure for clamping the non-working cylindrical section of the workpiece. The positioning and clamping unit 720 is disposed adjacent to the flipping and feeding unit 710, and includes a positioning gripper 721 and a reinforcing support stand 722. The positioning gripper 721 is fixedly installed on the reinforcing support stand 722, which is a thickened vertical support plate structure. The bottom of the reinforcing support stand 722 is rigidly connected to the main base plate of the equipment, and its back is provided with triangular reinforcing ribs. There is no cantilever structure in the entire force transmission path from the bottom support surface to the mounting surface of the positioning gripper 721, forming a closed force flow loop. The positioning gripper 721 adopts parallel opening and closing pneumatic fingers, and its gripping finger working surface adopts a V-shaped structure with a self-centering function. When the positioning gripper 721 clamps the reference cylindrical surface of the workpiece, the two inclined surfaces on both sides of the V-shaped working surface will automatically guide the axis of the workpiece to the same spatial position. In a variant embodiment, the gripping finger working surface of the positioning gripper 721 can also adopt an arc-shaped working surface, and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped working surface matches the radius of the reference cylindrical surface of the workpiece. In one extended embodiment of the flipping loading unit 710, the loading gripper 711 is mounted on the cantilever end of the rotary spindle 712 via a cantilever mounting base. An elastic buffer assembly is connected in series between the loading gripper 711 and the cantilever mounting base. The elastic buffer assembly includes an elastic element and a guide pin. The guide pin passes through a mounting hole on the cantilever mounting base and is clearance-fitted. The elastic element is sleeved outside the guide pin and acts between the loading gripper 711 and the cantilever mounting base, providing axial preload. When the loading gripper 711 flips the workpiece to the handover position, if there is a slight axial or radial deviation between the workpiece and the V-shaped working surface of the positioning gripper 721, the elastic buffer assembly can adaptively compensate for the position error.

[0046] The cap feeding unit 730 is located beside the positioning and clamping unit 720 and includes a vibration source 731, a vibrating feed channel 732, a tilting spindle 733, a feeding gripper 734, and a cap positioning sensor 735. The vibration source 731 is an electromagnetic or piezoelectric vibration generator, installed below the vibrating feed channel 732. Driven by the vibration source 731, the protective caps within the vibrating feed channel 732 are conveyed sequentially forward along the channel direction to the end of the channel. The tilting spindle 733 is installed near the end of the vibrating feed channel 732 and is driven by a rotary cylinder or servo motor, allowing for a 90-degree fixed-point rotation in a vertical plane. The feeding gripper 734 is fixedly installed on the rotating arm of the tilting spindle 733, with its clamping opening initially facing horizontally, directly opposite the end outlet of the vibrating feed channel 732. A cap positioning sensor 735 is located at the clamping position of the feeding gripper 734. When the feeding gripper 734 clamps the protective cap, the cap positioning sensor 735 outputs a detection signal to the control system. The control system then instructs the rotating spindle 733 to drive the feeding gripper 734 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the opening of the protective cap faces upward and reaches the pickup station. In an alternative embodiment, the cap feeding unit 730 can also adopt a linear stepping slide with a carrier plate. The carrier plate has multiple cap positioning cavities evenly spaced, and the linear stepping slide transports the protective caps to the pickup station one by one in a stepping manner. In another alternative embodiment, the cap feeding unit 730 can also adopt a rotary table feeding scheme. The rotary table has multiple cap positioning cavities evenly distributed around its circumference, and is driven by a divider to rotate intermittently, transporting the protective caps to the pickup station one by one.

[0047] The cap-fitting execution unit 740 is positioned above the positioning and clamping unit 720 and the cap feeding unit 730, and includes a transverse movement mechanism 741, a Z-axis pressing module 742, and cap-fitting grippers 743. The transverse movement mechanism 741 includes a crossbeam support, double linear guides, and a transverse drive component. The crossbeam support spans above the positioning and clamping unit 720 and the cap feeding unit 730. The Z-axis pressing module 742 is mounted on the double linear guides via a slide block and is driven by the transverse drive component to reciprocate between the pick-up station and the cap-fitting station. The Z-axis pressing module 742 employs a servo motor combined with a ball screw lifting drive structure. A pressure detection element 744 is installed on the force transmission path between the ball screw nut and the Z-axis slide block. The signal from the pressure detection element 744 and the position signal fed back by the servo motor encoder are input to the control system, forming a dual closed-loop control loop for stroke position and pressing force. The cap clamp 743 is installed at the lower end of the Z-axis slide of the Z-axis pressing module 742, integrating the functions of clamping and pressing the protective cap.

[0048] A complete work cycle of the first cap assembly module 700 is as follows: The lifting cylinder 714 pre-adjusts the height of the loading jaw 711 according to the current length of the workpiece, and the loading jaw 711 clamps the non-working end of the workpiece. The rotary spindle 712 drives the loading jaw 711 to rotate 180 degrees with the workpiece, transferring the workpiece with the cap-to-be-capped end facing upwards to the clamping area of ​​the positioning jaw 721. The V-shaped working surface of the positioning jaw 721 clamps the reference cylindrical surface of the workpiece, forming a fixed rigid cap-to-be-capped reference. The loading jaw 711 then releases and resets with the rotary spindle 712. At the same time, the vibration source 731 drives the vibrating material channel 732 to orderly convey the protective caps to the end. The feeding jaw 734 clamps the single protective cap that has reached the end. After the cap positioning sensor 735 detects the protective cap, the rotating spindle 733 drives the feeding jaw 734 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the opening of the protective cap faces upwards and reaches the pickup station. The traversing mechanism 741 drives the Z-axis pressing module 742 to move laterally above the pickup station. The cap clamping jaws 743 grip the upper half of the protective cap from top to bottom. Then, the Z-axis pressing module 742 moves laterally to the cap-fitting station above the positioning and clamping unit 720, aligning the protective cap with the end of the workpiece to be capped. The Z-axis pressing module 742 descends, driving the cap clamping jaws 743 to approach the workpiece at a low speed. When the pressure detection element 744 detects that the pressure value is rising from zero, it indicates that the protective cap has contacted the end of the workpiece. The control system switches the Z-axis pressing module 742 to a constant force slow-pressure mode, pressing down slowly by limiting the maximum pressing force.

[0049] The proper insertion is determined using a dual-window method: when the Z-axis press-fit module 742 enters the preset position window and the pressure value detected by the pressure detection element 744 enters the preset pressure window, the protective cap is determined to be properly inserted. The control system then controls the Z-axis press-fit module 742 to perform a pressure holding and rapid reset after insertion, and generates a cap assembly mark based on the insertion determination result, adding this mark to the overall process quality mark. If the conditions are not met simultaneously after a preset time, an alarm is triggered and the machine stops. In an alternative embodiment, the proper insertion is determined using a force-displacement curve matching method. The control system pre-stores a standard reference curve of force versus displacement changes during normal insertion of the protective cap. The real-time force-displacement data points are dynamically matched with the standard reference curve. When the real-time force-displacement curve coincides with the standard reference curve within a preset tolerance zone and enters the end platform section, it is determined to be properly inserted. In another embodiment, the determination of proper insertion is based on a displacement-time curve. After the Z-axis press-fit module 742 enters the constant force and slow pressure mode, the control system continuously records the position value changes over time. When the displacement change rate decreases below a preset rate threshold and remains stable for a preset duration, it is determined that the protective cap has been properly inserted. After insertion, the Z-axis press-fit module 742 and the transverse movement mechanism 741 reset, the positioning gripper 721 releases, and the assembled workpiece is removed.

[0050] The second cap assembly module 800 is used to assemble hard plastic caps. Its structure is relatively simplified, including a servo press-fit module 810 and a pressure sensor 820, performing conventional press-fit actions. In one embodiment, the first cap assembly module 700 and the second cap assembly module 800 are simultaneously operational, and the control system selects the module matching the current workpiece for assembly. In another embodiment, the two modules are installed via a quick-change interface, allowing for module replacement during short downtime according to production plans. In yet another embodiment, the cap assembly mechanism is configured as a switchable tooling-type single module, including a common Z-axis press-fit module and a traverse mechanism, as well as multiple sets of replaceable tooling components. The common Z-axis press-fit module has a quick-change interface at its end, suitable for scenarios with low cap type switching frequency.

[0051] The assembled plug and socket assembly arrives at the unloading mechanism 900 along with the carrier 600. The unloading mechanism 900 includes two multi-axis robotic arms—a first robotic arm 910 and a second robotic arm 920. The first robotic arm 910 first performs the unloading of the plug: it removes the plug from the carrier 600 and reads the full-process quality mark associated with the assembly's identity by the control system. If all marks in the full-process quality mark are qualified, the plug is placed in the qualified product area of ​​the tiered finished product bin; if any mark indicates unqualified, the plug is placed in the defective product collection box. The carrier 600 then only has the socket remaining and continues to the second robotic arm 920, which uses the same logic to sort and unload the socket. In an alternative embodiment, the unloading mechanism 900 does not distinguish between plugs and sockets when sorting defective products; instead, it removes the plug and socket on the carrier 600 as a pair of assemblies. In another embodiment, the unloading mechanism 900 adopts a robot array partition unloading method, with multiple robotic arms arranged in parallel along the end area of ​​the synchronous conveyor line 500. Each robotic arm corresponds to one or more material bin partitions. The control system evaluates the comprehensive quality level of the workpiece based on the specific values ​​of each sub-marker in the whole process quality mark, and places the workpiece into the corresponding quality partition according to the comprehensive quality level instruction of the robotic arm.

[0052] Example 2: Control System and Quality Closed Loop This embodiment describes in detail the architecture of the control system and its working logic for implementing closed-loop quality control, as well as the enhanced implementation method based on this.

[0053] Each component communicates with the control system via fieldbus. The control system includes a central programmable logic controller (PLC) and independent PLCs for each work section. One architecture of the control system is a three-layer architecture: the top layer is the manufacturing execution system (MAS), responsible for production scheduling and full-process data archiving; the middle layer is the central PLC, coordinating the action logic of each work section and the movement of vehicles; the bottom layer consists of independent PLCs for each work section, responsible for the specific execution actions and sensor data acquisition for that work section. In an alternative implementation, a two-layer architecture can be used where the host industrial control computer communicates directly with the controllers of each work section. In another implementation, the control system adopts an architecture of edge computing gateway combined with cloud-based MAS. The edge computing gateway is responsible for executing real-time control logic, while the cloud-based MAS receives full-process quality tags and process quality data through a secure network channel, completing data archiving, quality trend analysis, and remote monitoring.

[0054] The central programmable logic controller (PLC) is communicatively connected to the first identification device 110, the second identification device 210, the first pressure sensor 320, the helium mass spectrometer leak detector, the pressure detection element 744, the Z-axis press-fit module 742, and each robotic arm. Each section's independent PLC is responsible for the execution logic within its section and reports the execution results to the central PLC. The core configuration of the control system is to achieve a quality closed loop of detection-decision-execution. During the identification binding and anomaly handling phase, after the second loading mechanism 200 completes the plug identification, the central PLC determines whether both the first identification device 110 and the second identification device 210 have successfully identified the corresponding identification information. If both are successfully identified, a unique assembly identification identifier is generated and stored in the data register. This identifier shifts synchronously with the position of the carrier 600 on the synchronous conveyor line 500. If any identification fails, an identification failure mark is generated and included in the overall process quality mark. The workpiece continues to flow and is uniformly rejected by the unloading mechanism 900 at the end. During the multi-source quality mark generation stage, the independent programmable logic controllers (PLCs) of each inspection section upload the inspection results to the central PLC. The central PLC then attaches a corresponding quality mark to the current assembly's identity: a success mark is generated for successful identity recognition, an assembly quality mark is generated from the process quality data of the pre-compression inspection mechanism 300, a sealing mark is generated from the inspection results of the sealing inspection mechanism 400, and a sealing mark is generated from the assembly results of the cap assembly mechanism. The assembly quality mark and the sealing mark are jointly recorded as the overall process quality mark, and all subsequently generated marks are added to this overall process quality mark. In the mark-based motion control stage, the central PLC reads the overall process quality mark of the current workpiece at the cap assembly mechanism's station. If any quality mark in the overall process quality mark indicates non-compliance, the central PLC sends a skip command to the cap assembly mechanism. The cap assembly mechanism remains stationary over the workpiece, and the workpiece passes directly through with the carrier 600 and flows to the feeding mechanism 900. If all marks are qualified, the cap assembly is performed normally, and a cap assembly mark is generated and added to the overall process quality mark. At the final unified sorting stage, at the unloading mechanism 900, the central programmable logic controller (PLC) sends the full-process quality marking of the current workpiece to the section-specific PLCs of the unloading mechanism 900. The robotic arm of the unloading mechanism 900 then sorts the workpiece to the qualified or defective product area according to the marking information. Through this closed-loop control, the production line achieves conditional processing of each workpiece: only workpieces that have passed all preceding quality checkpoints will proceed to subsequent higher-value processing steps.

[0055] In an enhanced embodiment, the control system is further configured to perform cross-checking of multi-source quality data. The control system performs cross-checking on the assembly quality marks and the sealing performance marks. When there is a statistical correlation between the pressure peak deviation direction indicated by the assembly quality mark and the leakage rate in the sealing performance detection, for example, workpieces with low pressure peaks generally have high leakage rates in the sealing performance detection, which indicates that the sealing ring may not be fully compressed. Even if the results of the two individual determinations are both within the qualified range, a quality abnormality early warning is triggered and a prompt is sent to the operator. In another enhanced embodiment, the control system continuously counts the same type of quality data of multiple consecutive workpieces. When a trending drift is detected in the data distribution, for example, the average value of the pressure peak gradually moves toward the upper limit or lower limit of the qualification window, an early warning is triggered even if no out-of-tolerance workpiece has appeared yet, prompting the operator to check whether there is a change in the upstream material batch or whether there is mechanical looseness in the equipment. In another enhanced embodiment, the control system dynamically calculates a more accurate statistical process control threshold based on the quality data distribution of historical qualified workpieces. For example, a wider qualification window is set at the initial stage of production. After a certain number of workpieces have been processed, if statistics show that the parameters of the vast majority of qualified workpieces are concentrated in a narrower range, the early warning threshold is automatically tightened, so that abnormal fluctuations can be captured more sensitively, while the qualification determination threshold remains unchanged. Through the above-mentioned multi-source data cross-checking, trend early warning and dynamic threshold adjustment, each detection section of the production line no longer has a simple series filtering relationship, but forms a quality control network with self-learning and association analysis capabilities.

[0056] In another embodiment, the sealing performance detection mechanism 400 and the rubber cap assembling mechanism are integrated into a detection and assembling workstation in physical space, and the two share the same parking position for the carrier 600. After the workpiece reaches the workstation, the carrier 600 is locked. First, the sealing performance detection module performs sealing performance detection, and the control system generates a sealing performance mark according to the detection result. If the sealing performance mark is qualified, the rubber cap assembling module immediately performs rubber cap assembling on the workpiece at the same parking position; if the sealing performance mark is unqualified, the rubber cap assembling module remains stationary, and the workpiece skips the rubber cap assembling step. This integrated layout combines two processes in physical space, but the internal process sequence—sealing detection first, conditional rubber cap assembly later—still strictly follows the process sequence defined by the claims that the sealing detection mechanism is arranged downstream of the pre-pressing detection mechanism and the rubber cap assembling mechanism is arranged downstream of the sealing detection mechanism. The term "downstream" in the claims shall be understood as downstream in the process sequence, and it is not limited that each mechanism must be strictly arranged separately along the synchronous conveyor line 500 in physical space.

[0057] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies, characterized in that, include: A synchronous conveyor line (500) runs through the frame base for conveying a carrier (600) in a preset direction, the carrier (600) being used to carry plugs and sockets; The first feeding mechanism (100) is located at the front end of the synchronous conveyor line (500) and is used to feed the socket to the carrier (600). The first feeding mechanism (100) includes a first identity recognition device (110) for recognizing the identity information of the socket. The second feeding mechanism (200) is disposed downstream of the first feeding mechanism (100) along the preset direction, and is used to feed the plug to the carrier (600) that already carries the socket. The second feeding mechanism (200) includes a second identity recognition device (210) for identifying the identity information of the plug. A pre-pressing detection mechanism (300) is disposed downstream of the second feeding mechanism (200) along the preset direction, and is used to perform pre-pressing on the plug and socket. The pre-pressing detection mechanism (300) is configured to collect process quality data in real time during the pre-pressing process. A sealing test mechanism (400) is disposed downstream of the pre-pressurization test mechanism (300) along the preset direction, and is used to perform a sealing test on the plug and socket assembly after pre-pressurization; A cap assembly mechanism, disposed downstream of the sealing detection mechanism (400) along the preset direction, includes a first cap assembly module (700). The first cap assembly module (700) includes a Z-axis press-fit module (742) and a pressure detection element (744) signal-connected to the Z-axis press-fit module (742). The Z-axis press-fit module (742) is used to fit the protective cap onto the cap-to-cap end of the plug-socket assembly. The Z-axis press-fit module (742) is configured to perform closed-loop control during the fitting process based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element (744) and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module (742) to limit the press-fitting force. The unloading mechanism (900) is located downstream of the cap assembly mechanism along the preset direction. It is used to remove the assembled plug and socket assembly from the carrier (600) and unload qualified products and defective products separately according to the full-process quality mark. The control system is communicatively connected to the first identification device (110), the second identification device (210), the pre-pressing detection mechanism (300), the sealing detection mechanism (400), the pressure detection element (744), the Z-axis press-fitting module (742), and the unloading mechanism (900); The control system is configured to bind the socket identity information obtained by the first identity recognition device (110) and the plug identity information obtained by the second identity recognition device (210) into an assembly identity identifier; Generate assembly quality marks based on the process quality data; A sealing mark is generated based on the test results of the sealing test mechanism (400); The assembly quality mark and the sealing mark are recorded together as a full-process quality mark corresponding to the identity of the assembly; and the operation of the cap assembly mechanism and / or the unloading mechanism (900) on the current workpiece is controlled according to the full-process quality mark.

2. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system is further configured to generate an identity recognition failure flag when the first identity recognition device (110) or the second identity recognition device (210) fails to recognize the identity, and to incorporate the identity recognition failure flag into the whole process quality flag.

3. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process quality data includes pressure-displacement curve data, and the control system generates the assembly quality mark based on the comparison result of the pressure-displacement curve data and the preset standard template.

4. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system is further configured to: perform a dual-window determination based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element (744) and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module (742); when the downward position of the Z-axis press-fit module (742) enters the preset position window and the pressure value detected by the pressure detection element (744) enters the preset pressure window, it is determined that the protective cap is in place.

5. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing detection mechanism (400) includes an independent sealed chamber, a vacuum chamber disposed within the independent sealed chamber, and a helium mass spectrometer leak detector connected to the vacuum chamber.

6. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pre-compression detection mechanism (300) also includes a carrier locking mechanism, which is used to lock the carrier (600) in a preset position during the pre-compression process.

7. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, Below the synchronous conveyor line (500) is a carrier return channel, which is used to transport the empty carrier after the unloading mechanism (900) unloads back to the first loading mechanism (100).

8. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cap assembly mechanism further includes a second cap assembly module (800) for assembling hard plastic caps. The first cap assembly module (700) and the second cap assembly module (800) are arranged in parallel and can be switched online.

9. The fully automated assembly and online testing production line for plug and socket assemblies according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system is further configured to: when the assembly quality mark or the sealing mark indicates non-compliance, control the cap assembly mechanism not to perform cap assembly action on the workpiece, and control the unloading mechanism (900) to divert the workpiece to the defective product collection area.

10. A method for fully automated assembly and online testing of a plug and socket assembly, characterized in that, Using the production line as described in any one of claims 1-9, the method includes the following steps: Step S1: The first feeding mechanism (100) feeds the socket onto the carrier (600), and the first identification device (110) identifies the socket's identity information; Step S2: The carrier (600) moves along the synchronous conveyor line (500) to the second feeding mechanism (200), the second feeding mechanism (200) feeds the plug to the carrier (600) that already carries the socket, and the second identification device (210) identifies the plug's identification information; Step S3: The control system binds the successfully identified socket identity information and plug identity information into an assembly identity identifier; Step S4: The carrier (600) moves to the pre-compression testing mechanism (300), the pre-compression testing mechanism (300) performs pre-compression and collects process quality data in real time, and the control system generates assembly quality marks based on the process quality data; Step S5: The vehicle (600) moves to the sealing detection mechanism (400), the sealing detection mechanism (400) performs sealing detection, and the control system generates a sealing mark based on the detection result; Step S5a: The control system records the assembly quality mark and the sealing mark together as a full-process quality mark corresponding to the identity of the assembly; Step S6: The control system determines whether to allow the cap assembly mechanism to perform cap assembly on the current workpiece based on the full-process quality mark; Step S7: For workpieces that are allowed to perform cap assembly, the Z-axis press-fit module (742) performs closed-loop control based on the pressure value fed back by the pressure detection element (744) and the position value of the Z-axis press-fit module (742) to put the protective cap into the end of the workpiece to be capped. The control system generates a cap assembly mark according to the fitting judgment result and adds the cap assembly mark to the full process quality mark. Step S8: The carrier (600) moves to the unloading mechanism (900), and the unloading mechanism (900) diverts the workpiece to the qualified product area or the defective product area according to the full-process quality mark.

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