A board detection processing system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent equipment, and especially relates to a plate detection and processing system, which comprises a feeding module, a detection module and a cutting module; the detection module comprises a detection unit and a transfer unit, the detection unit is in communication with the feeding module, the feeding module is used for conveying the plate to the detection unit, and the transfer unit is arranged at the discharging end of the detection unit; the cutting module comprises a plurality of cutting units, and the cutting units are arranged at the output end of the transfer unit; through the above arrangement, the plate can sequentially complete feeding, detection, transfer and cutting processing, the repeated handling and repositioning of the plate between different devices are reduced, a plurality of cutting units jointly undertake the plate to be processed, the limitation of a single cutting station on the front-end detection rhythm is reduced, and the connection efficiency between detection and cutting, the plate shunting capacity and the continuous processing stability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent device technology, and in particular to a board material inspection and processing system. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and post-processing of sheet materials such as pulp board, it is usually necessary to conduct online inspection of the board surface and to carry out subsequent processing on boards with local defects based on the inspection results. For boards with high surface quality requirements, it is difficult to meet the requirements of inspection, diversion and processing cycle in continuous production by relying solely on separate conveying equipment or separate inspection equipment.

[0003] Traditional processing methods typically involve first identifying the sheet material using inspection equipment. Once local defects are detected, manual intervention is often required to remove them, or the materials are collected and transported to separate offline equipment for targeted impurity removal. This segmented operation mode not only increases the material turnover process but also makes it difficult for the overall processing efficiency to meet the needs of modern large-scale continuous manufacturing. With the improvement of automation, the industry has tried to integrate surface inspection with the impurity removal process. However, under normal circumstances, visual scanning inspection runs extremely fast, while physical hole cutting based on defect coordinates takes a relatively long time. If conventional processing systems are used in a series layout, the slow cutting action will directly slow down the front-end online inspection process.

[0004] Furthermore, after the detection process is completed, the existing system lacks a conveyor structure that can perform physical coordination and multi-path diversion, making it impossible to efficiently allocate the boards to be processed to different processing terminals, which severely limits the overall continuous processing capacity of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a board material inspection and processing system, which aims to solve the problem that existing processing systems have difficulty in coordinating and scheduling and diverting boards after inspection.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sheet metal inspection and processing system, the system comprising: Material feeding module; The detection module includes a detection unit and a transfer unit. The detection unit is connected to the feeding module, and the feeding module is used to transport the board to the detection unit. The transfer unit is located at the discharge end of the detection unit. A cutting module, comprising several cutting units, wherein the cutting units are disposed at the output end of the transfer unit.

[0007] Optionally, the feeding module includes a feeding frame, a moving subunit, and a fixed subunit. The moving subunit is disposed on the feeding frame, and the fixed subunit is disposed on the moving subunit. The fixed subunit is used to clamp the sheet metal.

[0008] Optionally, the detection unit includes a first detection subunit and a second detection subunit disposed on the upper and lower end faces of the board. The first detection subunit is provided with a first detection interval, and the second detection subunit is provided with a second detection interval. A first light source is disposed in the first detection interval, and a second light source is disposed in the second detection interval.

[0009] Optionally, the transfer unit includes a first transfer subunit, a second transfer subunit, a third transfer subunit, and a receiving subunit. The first transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the detection unit, the second transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the first transfer subunit, the third transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the second transfer subunit, and the receiving subunit is located on one side of the third transfer subunit.

[0010] Optionally, the moving subunit includes a three-axis moving module, and the fixed subunit includes a suction cup module disposed at the output end of the three-axis moving module.

[0011] Optionally, several of the cutting units are disposed on both sides of the third transfer subunit.

[0012] Optionally, the system further includes a material feeding module, which is disposed on the side of the cutting unit.

[0013] Optionally, the first light source and the second light source are arranged in pairs, and the first detection subunit and the second detection subunit are both located on the center line of the corresponding light source.

[0014] Optionally, the transfer unit further includes a connecting subunit, which is disposed between the third transfer subunit and the cutting unit.

[0015] Optionally, the cutting unit includes a cutting frame, a laser subunit, a calibration subunit, and a clamping subunit. The laser subunit is disposed on the cutting frame, the calibration subunit is disposed inside the cutting frame and positioned above the sheet material, and the clamping subunit is disposed inside the cutting frame and abuts against the sheet material.

[0016] The beneficial effects that this invention can achieve are as follows: This invention establishes a continuous operational path for sheet metal from feeding, inspection, and transportation to cutting by sequentially configuring a feeding module, an inspection module, and a cutting module. The inspection unit within the inspection module is connected to the feeding module, and a transfer unit is located at the output end of the inspection unit. Several cutting units are also positioned at the output end of the transfer unit. This creates a continuous operational path for sheet metal from feeding, inspection, transportation to cutting. The sheet metal is fed from the feeding module to the inspection unit, and after inspection, it directly enters the transfer unit and is then transported to the corresponding cutting unit. This reduces the time spent on re-handling, repositioning, and relocation after inspection. Multiple cutting units can collectively receive the sheet metal output from the transfer unit, preventing subsequent cutting capacity from being concentrated at a single station. This reduces the impact of continuous occupation of a single cutting station on the front-end inspection cycle. Therefore, the entire system can maintain continuous sheet metal flow while achieving smooth connection between the inspection and subsequent cutting processes, improving the efficiency of receiving and diverting sheet metal after inspection, and providing a structural foundation for stable operation under continuous production conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the processing system in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding module in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the detection module in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the detection unit in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cut section in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure label: 1-Feeding frame, 2-Moving sub-unit, 3-Fixed sub-unit, 4-Detection unit, 5-Transfer unit, 6-Cutting unit, 7-First detection sub-unit, 8-Second detection sub-unit, 9-First transfer sub-unit, 10-Second transfer sub-unit, 11-Third transfer sub-unit, 12-Receiving sub-unit, 13-Cutting frame, 14-Laser sub-unit, 15-Clamping sub-unit, 16-Unloading module, 17-Connecting sub-unit.

[0019] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0022] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0024] Example: Please refer to the attached document as well. Figures 1 to 5 This embodiment provides a board material inspection and processing system, the system comprising: Material feeding module; The detection module includes a detection unit 4 and a transfer unit 5. The detection unit 4 is connected to the feeding module, and the feeding module is used to transport the board to the detection unit 4. The transfer unit 5 is located at the discharge end of the detection unit 4. The cutting module includes several cutting units 6, which are located at the output end of the transfer unit 5.

[0025] It should be noted that the system in this embodiment can be used for feeding, surface inspection, post-inspection transfer, and partial cutting of sheet materials. The sheet materials are preferably sheet materials that can be transferred along a predetermined conveying direction. In this embodiment, the sheet material can specifically be a pulp board. The system includes a feeding module, an inspection module, and a cutting module. The feeding module is located on the feeding side of the inspection module and is used to receive the sheet material conveyed in the previous process and feed the sheet material into the inspection module in a predetermined direction. The inspection module is used to inspect the surface of the sheet material as it continues to move forward and to receive and transfer the sheet material after the inspection is completed. The cutting module is located at the subsequent conveying position of the inspection module and is used to cut the sheet material that needs to be partially removed according to the inspection results. By setting the above modules sequentially along the sheet material conveying direction, the input, inspection, transfer, and cutting of the sheet material can be continuously completed in the same set of equipment, reducing the need for manual handling and repositioning of the sheet material between different devices.

[0026] The connection between the feeding module and the detection unit 4 means that the output position of the board formed by the feeding module corresponds to the input position of the board formed by the detection unit 4, allowing the board to enter the detection unit 4 directly from the feeding module or via an adjacent transition position. This connection includes not only the two modules being structurally adjacent but also the formation of a continuous or interconnected board movement path between them. For example, the feeding module can use a conveyor belt, conveyor rollers, or a linear motion structure capable of moving the board. After the board is placed on the corresponding bearing surface, it moves towards the detection unit 4 by the conveying structure; alternatively, a moving mechanism can drive a suction cup, gripper, or other fixed structure to grab the board and move it to the feeding position of the detection unit 4.

[0027] When using suction cups to fix the board, the suction cups can contact the flat surface of the board and use negative pressure to adsorb the board, keeping the board relatively stable during movement. For lightweight boards such as pulp boards with a large surface area, the suction cups can be distributed in multiple positions on the board to reduce the possibility of the board tilting, sagging or shifting during transportation. After completing one board conveying, the feeding module can return to the initial position to continue to receive the next board, thus forming a continuous feeding process.

[0028] The detection module includes a detection unit 4 and a transfer unit 5. The detection unit 4 is used to establish the detection position of the board, and the transfer unit 5 is used to receive and continue transporting the board after it leaves the detection position. The detection unit 4 may include a support structure for supporting or transporting the board and detection structures located on one side or the top and bottom sides of the board. When the board enters the detection unit 4 from the feeding module, it passes through the detection area along the transport path defined by the detection unit 4. The detection structures acquire images of the board surface to identify impurities, stains, damage, or other localized areas that need to be removed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the detection unit 4 can use an industrial camera and an illumination source to form a detection area. The industrial camera is positioned facing the surface of the sheet, and the light source is within the camera's field of view, providing illumination to the sheet surface. Based on the requirement that both sides of the sheet need to be inspected, the detection structures can be positioned above and below the sheet, respectively, allowing the sheet to complete the inspection of both the front and back sides in a single pass through the detection unit 4. The detection unit 4 can also form different detection zones along the sheet conveying direction, such as detection zones using white light illumination and detection zones using fluorescent illumination, to obtain image information of the sheet surface under different lighting conditions. The detection here is mainly used to determine whether there are areas on the sheet that require processing, and can further obtain the relative position of these areas on the sheet, providing a positional basis for subsequent cutting.

[0030] The transfer unit 5 is located at the discharge end of the detection unit 4. The discharge end of the detection unit 4 refers to the side of the board that leaves the detection area after the board has completed detection. The feed position of the transfer unit 5 is connected to this discharge end. After the board has completed surface detection, it continues to move forward and enters the transfer unit 5. The transfer unit 5 receives the board, preventing it from falling without support or being interrupted in the conveying process between the detection unit 4 and the cutting module. The transfer unit 5 can be a conveyor belt, rollers, chain plates, or a conveying structure formed by multiple conveying sections connected in sequence. The conveying surfaces of the multiple conveying sections can be in an interconnected position, allowing the board to be smoothly transferred from one conveying section to the next.

[0031] The transfer unit 5 can also form a straight conveying section, a turning conveying section, or a connecting conveying section according to the on-site layout of the equipment, so as to change the direction of movement of the board or send the board to the corresponding processing position. In the specific operation process, the board that has been inspected first enters the transfer unit 5. The transfer unit 5 sends the board to the receiving position of the cutting module according to the subsequent processing needs of the board. For boards that do not need to be cut, the transfer unit 5 can also retain the conveying path to the subsequent discharge position; for boards that are not suitable for further processing, they can be collected centrally through the corresponding receiving position. The above different conveying paths are all based on the continuous reception at the discharge end of the inspection unit 4 and do not affect the main connection relationship between the transfer unit 5 and the cutting module.

[0032] The cutting module includes several cutting units 6. Each cutting unit 6 has two or more processing stations capable of receiving and cutting the sheet material. In this embodiment, the cutting units 6 can be configured as four groups, arranged sequentially along the output area of ​​the transfer unit 5 or distributed on both sides of the output direction of the transfer unit 5. Each cutting unit 6 is located at the output end of the transfer unit 5, meaning the sheet material receiving position of the cutting unit 6 corresponds to one of the output positions of the transfer unit 5. The transfer unit 5 can transport the inspected and cut sheet material to one of the cutting units 6. The cutting unit 6 may include a workbench or fixture for supporting the sheet material, a clamping structure for restricting the movement of the sheet material, and a cutting structure located above the sheet material. After the sheet material enters the cutting unit 6, it is first supported by the workbench or fixture, and then the clamping structure fixes the edges or corners of the sheet material, keeping it flat during the cutting process. The cutting structure can use a laser cutting head, which is installed on a moving structure that can move in different directions. Based on the defect location obtained by the detection unit 4, the laser cutting head moves to the corresponding area and cuts holes or partially removes the defect from the area. After the cutting is completed, the clamping structure releases the restriction on the plate, and the processed plate is removed from the cutting unit 6 by the ejection structure, the transfer structure, or the unloading structure.

[0033] Based on the above structure, during system operation, the feeding module first transports the sheet material to be inspected to the inspection unit 4. The inspection unit 4 collects surface information of the sheet material as it passes through the inspection area. Subsequently, the sheet material enters the transfer unit 5 from the discharge end of the inspection unit 4. Sheets requiring partial cutting are then transported by the transfer unit 5 to the corresponding cutting unit 6. The cutting unit 6 supports and fixes the sheet material and removes defects based on the detected locations. Since the cutting module has several cutting units 6, when one cutting unit 6 is clamping or cutting, subsequent sheets can be transported by the transfer unit 5 to other cutting units 6 that are ready to receive materials, thus avoiding all sheets waiting for a single cutting station. Therefore, the feeding module, inspection unit 4, transfer unit 5, and several cutting units 6 form an interconnected mechanical processing path in the direction of sheet material movement. This ensures that inspected sheets are continuously received and that the inspection process coordinates with subsequent cutting processes, reducing processing interruptions caused by repeated handling, repositioning, and relocation of sheets. This allows sheet material inspection and partial cutting to adapt to the operational needs of continuous production conditions.

[0034] In this embodiment, the feeding module includes a feeding frame 1, a moving subunit 2, and a fixed subunit 3. The moving subunit 2 is disposed on the feeding frame 1, and the fixed subunit 3 is disposed on the moving subunit 2. The fixed subunit 3 is used to clamp the board.

[0035] In this embodiment, the moving subunit 2 includes a three-axis moving module, and the fixed subunit 3 includes a suction cup module disposed at the output end of the three-axis moving module.

[0036] Understandably, the loading frame 1 serves as the mounting base for the moving subunit 2 and the fixed subunit 3. It is positioned between the material receiving position and the feeding position of the detection unit 4, enabling the moving subunit 2 to drive the fixed subunit 3 to reciprocate between the material gripping position and the feeding position of the detection unit 4. The loading frame 1 can be formed by connecting profiles, square tubes, or plates, and it is equipped with a crossbeam or mounting surface for mounting the moving subunit 2. The specific shape of the loading frame 1 can be adjusted according to the material receiving direction, the setting height of the detection unit 4, and the on-site installation space, as long as it can provide stable support for the moving subunit 2 and ensure that the movement range of the fixed subunit 3 covers the material gripping position and the material release position.

[0037] The moving subunit 2 is mounted on the loading frame 1 and has an output end connected to the fixed subunit 3. The moving subunit 2 is used to change the position of the fixed subunit 3 relative to the loading frame 1, so that the fixed subunit 3 can move above the board to be loaded, pick up the board, and then move the fixed board to the feeding side of the detection unit 4. In one specific embodiment, the moving subunit 2 can adopt a structure combining a linear movement mechanism and a lifting movement mechanism. The linear movement mechanism is set along the direction from the board's feeding position to the detection unit 4, the lifting movement mechanism is connected to the moving end of the linear movement mechanism, and the fixed subunit 3 is connected to the output end of the lifting movement mechanism. The linear movement mechanism may include a rodless cylinder and a carrier connected to the moving end of the rodless cylinder. The lifting movement mechanism may include a guide rod cylinder, which is mounted on the carrier, and its piston rod or guide rod extends toward the position of the board. When the rodless cylinder is activated, it can drive the guide rod cylinder and the fixed subunit 3 as a whole to move along the loading frame 1; when the guide rod cylinder is activated, it can drive the fixed subunit 3 to move closer to or away from the board.

[0038] In another specific embodiment, the moving subunit 2 can be a three-axis moving module, which includes a first linear module arranged along a first horizontal direction, a second linear module arranged along a second horizontal direction, and a third linear module arranged along a vertical direction. The first linear module is mounted on the loading frame 1, the second linear module is located at the moving end of the first linear module, the third linear module is located at the moving end of the second linear module, and the fixed subunit 3 is mounted at the output end of the third linear module. The first and second linear modules are used to adjust the position of the fixed subunit 3 in the plane direction of the sheet material, and the third linear module is used to drive the fixed subunit 3 to rise and fall. Each linear module can be a lead screw linear module, a synchronous belt linear module, a cylinder driven module, or a moving mechanism formed by a combination of linear guide rails and driving components. When a three-axis moving module is used, the fixed subunit 3 can not only move between the gripping position and the detection unit 4, but also make lateral adjustments according to the actual placement position of the sheet material at the incoming material position, so that the fixed subunit 3 corresponds to the predetermined fixed area of ​​the sheet material.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fixed subunit 3 can be a suction cup module, which includes a suction cup mounting plate and multiple vacuum suction cups mounted on the suction cup mounting plate. The suction cup mounting plate is connected to the output end of the moving subunit 2, and the suction end of each vacuum suction cup faces the material. The suction chamber inside the vacuum suction cup is connected to a vacuum negative pressure source. When the vacuum suction cup is against the surface of the material, a negative pressure is formed in the suction chamber, which causes an adsorption effect between the vacuum suction cup and the surface of the material, thereby holding the material on the suction cup module. When the material reaches the feeding position of the detection unit 4, the negative pressure is released, the vacuum suction cup separates from the material, and the material is placed on the carrying position or conveying position of the detection unit 4.

[0040] For boards with large surface areas, light weight, and a certain degree of flexibility, such as pulp boards, multiple vacuum suction cups can be distributed at different positions on the suction cup mounting plate. For example, the vacuum suction cups can correspond to multiple corner areas of the board, allowing the fixing subunit 3 to form multi-point adsorption on the board. Multi-point adsorption can avoid the sagging of the board edges when only a single adsorption position is set in the middle of the board, and can also reduce the possibility of the board swinging or rotating during movement and stopping. The number and distribution of vacuum suction cups can be set according to the shape, surface area, and rigidity of the board. For rectangular boards, vacuum suction cups can be distributed at the four corners of the suction cup mounting plate; for boards with a large length, adsorption positions can also be added in the middle of the suction cup mounting plate or along the length of the board, so that all adsorption positions can share the weight of the board.

[0041] A floating connection structure can also be provided between the fixed subunit 3 and the moving subunit 2. Specifically, the suction cup mounting plate can be connected to the output end of the guide rod cylinder or the third linear module through a floating joint. The floating joint allows the suction cup mounting plate to make a small range of positional adjustments when subjected to the reaction force of the plate surface. When the moving subunit 2 drives the suction cup module to descend, even if there are slight undulations on the plate surface or a small parallelism deviation between the suction cup mounting plate and the plate surface, the floating connection structure can still allow each vacuum suction cup to gradually adhere to the plate surface, avoiding the downward pressure of the moving subunit 2 from being directly concentrated on the plate and the suction cups. This can reduce the possibility of the plate surface being crushed, excessive local force on the suction cups, or some suction cups failing to adhere, and improve the stability of multiple suction cups establishing adsorption simultaneously.

[0042] Based on the above structure, the feeding module forms a continuous feeding structure consisting of frame support, a moving mechanism for transport, and a fixing mechanism for holding the sheet metal. The moving subunit 2 is responsible for changing the position of the sheet metal between different workstations, while the fixing subunit 3 is responsible for restricting the displacement of the sheet metal relative to the moving subunit 2 during the movement. The two work together to allow the sheet metal to be transferred from the receiving position to the detection unit 4 without manual handling. When the suction cup module is used to fix the sheet metal, the sheet metal does not need to be subjected to lateral clamping force, which can reduce indentations, warping, or edge damage caused by direct contact between the grippers and the edge of the sheet metal. The multi-point adsorption and floating connection structure can also keep the sheet metal relatively flat during lifting and translation. This feeding module thus provides the subsequent detection unit 4 with a relatively stable position and a relatively complete sheet metal surface for inspection, and enables the feeding process of the sheet metal inspection and processing system to be continuously connected with the inspection process.

[0043] In this embodiment, the detection unit 4 includes a first detection subunit 7 and a second detection subunit 8 disposed on the upper and lower end faces of the board. The first detection subunit 7 is provided with a first detection interval, and the second detection subunit 8 is provided with a second detection interval. A first light source is disposed in the first detection interval, and a second light source is disposed in the second detection interval.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first light source and the second light source are arranged in pairs, and the first detection subunit 7 and the second detection subunit 8 are both arranged on the center line of the corresponding light source.

[0045] Understandably, for a sheet material moving along a horizontal conveying path, the first detection subunit 7 can be positioned above the sheet material to detect its upper surface; the second detection subunit 8 can be positioned below the sheet material to detect its lower surface. By arranging the two detection subunits on the upper and lower sides of the sheet material respectively, double-sided detection can be completed without flipping the sheet material when passing through detection unit 4. This reduces conveying interruptions caused by manual flipping or the use of a separate flipping mechanism, and also avoids bending, shifting, or surface contact damage to the sheet material during the flipping process.

[0046] It can also be understood that the detection zone refers to the effective detection area of ​​the board material during the conveying process, which is illuminated by the light source and captured by the image acquisition component. This area can be defined by the illumination range of the light source, the shooting range of the image acquisition component, and the passage position of the board material. The first detection zone is located on one side of the upper surface of the board material. When the board material enters the first detection zone, the first detection subunit 7 collects data on stains, impurities, damage, color differences, or other surface abnormalities on the upper surface of the board material. The second detection zone is located on one side of the lower surface of the board material. When the board material passes through the second detection zone, the second detection subunit 8 collects data on the corresponding surface condition of the lower surface of the board material. The first and second detection zones can correspond to each other in the board material conveying direction or be staggered along the conveying direction. When staggered, more assembly space can be reserved for the cameras, light sources, and mounting brackets on both sides. When corresponding, the overall length of the detection unit 4 in the conveying direction can be shortened. The specific arrangement can be determined based on the internal space of the detection frame, the board material conveying path, and the working distance of the cameras.

[0047] It is also understandable that the first and second light sources can be strip light sources, area light sources, line light sources, or other industrial vision light sources suitable for illuminating the surface of the board. Considering the actual needs of cotton pulp board surface inspection, the first and second light sources can be white light sources, fluorescent light sources, or separate white light and fluorescent light detection zones within the same inspection path. White light sources facilitate the acquisition of general appearance images of the board surface and are suitable for identifying stains, damage, and foreign objects with significant color differences; fluorescent light sources can make some minor defects, fiber abnormalities, or surface impurities easier to image and identify under specific lighting conditions. By using different light sources in combination within their corresponding detection zones, the completeness of the board surface inspection information can be improved.

[0048] In a more specific structure, the first detection subunit 7 includes a first industrial camera, a first lens, a first camera mounting base, and a first light source. The first industrial camera is fixed to the detection frame via the first camera mounting base, the first lens faces the upper surface of the material, and the first light source is positioned on both sides of the first industrial camera's imaging area. The second detection subunit 8 includes a second industrial camera, a second lens, a second camera mounting base, and a second light source. The second industrial camera is fixed to the detection frame via the second camera mounting base, the second lens faces the lower surface of the material, and the second light source is positioned on both sides of the second industrial camera's imaging area. The first and second camera mounting bases can employ mounting structures with elongated holes, sliding grooves, or adjusting blocks to allow for fine-tuning of the camera's height, angle, and lateral position during equipment debugging, ensuring the camera's field of view matches the area through which the material passes. The light source mounting base can also be an adjustable bracket, allowing the illumination angle and distance of the light source to be adjusted according to the surface condition of the material.

[0049] Both the first detection subunit 7 and the second detection subunit 8 are positioned on the centerline of their respective light sources. Structurally, this can be understood as the image acquisition center of the first detection subunit 7 being located in the centerline region between the paired first light sources, and the image acquisition center of the second detection subunit 8 being located in the centerline region between the paired second light sources. In other words, the paired light sources form a left-right or obliquely opposite illumination arrangement within the corresponding detection interval. The lens center or shooting centerline of the industrial camera is located between the illumination areas of the two light sources, enabling the camera to capture images of the board surface illuminated by both light sources. This centerline arrangement does not require each component to be geometrically perfectly aligned, but rather requires that the main shooting direction of the detection subunit corresponds to the main illumination area formed by the paired light sources, so that when the board passes through the detection interval, the surface to be inspected is within the overlapping area of ​​the camera's field of view and the effective illumination range of the light source.

[0050] After the board material enters the detection unit 4, the conveying structure or load-bearing structure causes the board material to pass through the first and second detection zones along a predetermined direction. The first and second light sources illuminate the upper and lower end faces of the board material, respectively. The first detection subunit 7 and the second detection subunit 8 take pictures of the corresponding end faces during the movement of the board material. When paired light sources provide illumination from both sides of the detection area, the obvious shadows caused by unilateral lighting can be reduced, which is especially suitable for boards such as pulp boards with fiber textures, local undulations, or slight color differences. Since the industrial camera is set in the center line area of ​​the corresponding light source, the shooting area can obtain relatively uniform lighting conditions, thereby reducing image quality fluctuations caused by dark edges, local reflections, or uneven lighting. For scenarios that need to identify tiny black spots, light-colored impurities, fiber clumps, hole edges, or surface damage, a more stable lighting and shooting relationship helps to improve the reliability of subsequent image processing results.

[0051] In this embodiment, the transfer unit 5 includes a first transfer subunit 9, a second transfer subunit 10, a third transfer subunit 11, and a receiving subunit 12. The first transfer subunit 9 is disposed at the discharge end of the detection unit 4, the second transfer subunit 10 is disposed at the discharge end of the first transfer subunit 9, the third transfer subunit 11 is disposed at the discharge end of the second transfer subunit 10, and the receiving subunit 12 is disposed on one side of the third transfer subunit 11.

[0052] In this embodiment, several of the cutting units 6 are disposed on both sides of the third transfer subunit 11.

[0053] In this embodiment, the transfer unit 5 further includes a connecting subunit 17, which is disposed between the third transfer subunit 11 and the cutting unit 6.

[0054] In this embodiment, the cutting unit 6 includes a cutting frame 13, a laser subunit 14, a calibration subunit, and a clamping subunit 15. The laser subunit 14 is disposed on the cutting frame 13, the calibration subunit is disposed inside the cutting frame 13 and positioned above the board, and the clamping subunit 15 is disposed inside the cutting frame 13 and abuts against the board.

[0055] It should be noted that, considering the need to maintain the original conveying posture when the board leaves the detection area, the conveying surface of the first transfer subunit 9 can be at the same or similar height as the discharge conveying surface of the detection unit 4, and set along the discharge direction of the detection unit 4. In one specific embodiment, the first transfer subunit 9 can adopt a belt conveyor mechanism, which includes a transfer frame, a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveyor belt wound between the drive roller and the driven roller. After the drive component drives the drive roller to rotate, the conveyor belt carries the board to move towards the second transfer subunit 10. The first transfer subunit 9 can also adopt parallel rollers to form a bearing surface, and the board can be moved forward by the synchronous rotation of multiple rollers. For lightweight boards with a relatively large area, such as cotton pulp boards, baffles or guides can also be set on both sides of the first transfer subunit 9 to limit the lateral displacement of the board during the conveying process. The baffles can be strip plates extending along the conveying direction, guide wheel sets, or limiting profiles set on both sides of the transfer frame, with a spacing that allows the board to pass normally without excessively squeezing the edges of the board.

[0056] The second transfer subunit 10 is preferably arranged in the same direction as the first transfer subunit 9, but it can also be connected in a different direction or at a different angle relative to the first transfer subunit 9. When the discharge direction of the detection unit 4 is consistent with the arrangement direction of the third transfer subunit 11, the second transfer subunit 10 can adopt a linear conveying structure; when there is a positional deviation between the detection unit 4 and the third transfer subunit 11, the second transfer subunit 10 can adopt an arc-shaped conveying structure, a corner conveying structure, or a transfer structure that can change the lateral position of the board. Taking a linear conveying structure as an example, it can be composed of multiple rollers or conveyor belts distributed along a straight line, so that the board gradually changes its direction of movement under continuous support. In addition, the second transfer subunit 10 also has a speed adjustment function to facilitate the receiving operation of boards that do not need to be cut in the receiving subunit 12.

[0057] It should also be noted that the third transfer subunit 11 can extend along the arrangement direction of the multiple cutting units 6, forming board output positions on both sides corresponding to the cutting units 6. The third transfer subunit 11 can be a continuous conveyor belt, or it can be composed of multiple conveyor sections that can be started and stopped separately connected in sequence. When multiple conveyor sections are used, each conveyor section can correspond to one or a group of cutting units 6. When a board needs to enter one of the cutting units 6, the conveyor section corresponding to that cutting unit 6 will transport the board to the corresponding connection position; other conveyor sections are used to continue to transfer boards or temporarily support subsequent boards. The third transfer subunit 11 can also be equipped with blocking components at each board output position. The blocking components can be composed of a cylinder-driven baffle, a lifting baffle, or a limiting block that can extend into the board's movement path. When the board reaches the predetermined output position, the blocking component enters the board's movement path to temporarily limit the board, so that the board stops at the position that matches the corresponding connection subunit 17.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, the cutting units 6 can be arranged opposite each other on both sides of the third transfer subunit 11, or they can be staggered along the extension direction of the third transfer subunit 11. The opposite arrangement helps to shorten the length of the entire equipment in the conveying direction. In practical applications, four cutting units 6 can be set according to the production line's processing cycle time, with two cutting units 6 set on each side of the third transfer subunit 11. Multiple cutting units 6 are connected together in the output area of ​​the third transfer subunit 11. When one cutting unit 6 is clamping or cutting the sheet metal, the sheet metal to be processed can continue to be conveyed to other cutting units 6 that are ready to receive materials, thereby reducing the situation where the inspection process waits for a single cutting station to complete its work.

[0059] In one specific embodiment, the receiving subunit 12 may include a receiving bin and a discharge guide disposed between the third transfer subunit 11 and the receiving bin. The discharge guide may be an inclined slide, a short-distance conveyor belt, or a pushing mechanism capable of pushing the sheet material away from the third transfer subunit 11. When the sheet material needs to be collected centrally, it is conveyed from the third transfer subunit 11 to the receiving position and then enters the receiving bin through the discharge guide. The receiving bin may be a box with an open top, the opening of which corresponds to the sheet material discharge position, so that the sheet material falls into the box for centralized collection. For sheet materials with a large area or unsuitable for free fall, the receiving subunit 12 may also use a receiving conveyor table to keep the sheet material flat as it is moved out of the third transfer subunit 11 for subsequent manual removal.

[0060] In this embodiment, the transfer unit 5 further includes a connecting subunit 17, which is disposed between the third transfer subunit 11 and the corresponding cutting unit 6, and is used to bridge the sheet metal output position of the third transfer subunit 11 and the feeding position of the cutting unit 6. Since the cutting unit 6 is disposed on both sides of the third transfer subunit 11, the connecting subunit 17 can extend from the third transfer subunit 11 to its side and connect to the cutting unit 6 located on that side respectively. The connecting subunit 17 can be a short-range belt conveyor mechanism, a roller conveyor mechanism, a sliding pallet, or a transfer platform driven by a linear drive. When using a short-range belt conveyor mechanism, the feeding end of the connecting sub-unit 17 is close to the output side of the third transfer sub-unit 11, and its discharge end is close to the board bearing position inside the cutting unit 6. After the conveyor belt starts, it sends the board that is stopped at the output position of the third transfer sub-unit 11 into the cutting unit 6. When using a transfer platform, the board first moves to the transfer platform, and then the transfer platform moves along the direction of the third transfer sub-unit 11 pointing to the cutting unit 6 to send the board into the cutting unit 6, and then returns to the initial receiving position.

[0061] It should also be noted that the cutting frame 13 can be formed by connecting aluminum profiles, square tubes, or plate-like components, and can be equipped with protective plates, observation doors, or maintenance doors on its outer periphery. The side of the cutting frame 13 near the connecting sub-unit 17 forms a feeding area. After the sheet metal enters the cutting frame 13 through the connecting sub-unit 17, it is sent to the working position corresponding to the clamping sub-unit 15. The laser sub-unit 14 and the calibration sub-unit are installed above the working position of the sheet metal, and the clamping sub-unit 15 is set around or below the working position of the sheet metal, so that after the sheet metal is positioned, the laser sub-unit 14 can cut the area to be processed from above the sheet metal.

[0062] In one specific embodiment, the laser subunit 14 includes a laser head and a three-axis motion assembly for moving the laser head. The three-axis motion assembly may include a first linear module arranged along the width direction of the cutting frame 13, a second linear module arranged along the length direction of the cutting frame 13, and a third linear module arranged in the vertical direction. The laser head is mounted on the moving end of the third linear module. The first and second linear modules jointly adjust the position of the laser head in the plane of the sheet material, and the third linear module adjusts the distance between the laser head and the surface of the sheet material. The linear modules may be ball screw modules, synchronous belt modules, or linear movement mechanisms formed by a combination of guide rails and driving components. After the laser head reaches the area to be processed, the laser beam acts on the sheet material, causing local material to be cut, thereby separating the area containing defects or impurities from the main body of the sheet material.

[0063] The laser subunit 14 may also include an air blowing structure disposed adjacent to the laser head. The air outlet of the air blowing structure faces the laser cutting area. When the laser head cuts the plate, the air blowing structure sprays gas toward the cutting position to blow away the debris generated during the cutting process or the local material that has separated from the plate body from the plate surface. After the cutting is completed, the cutting area can be blown again by an independent air blowing component to reduce the situation where the cut part remains in the hole or adheres to the plate surface.

[0064] In one specific embodiment, the calibration subunit may include an industrial camera, a lens, and a camera mounting bracket for fixing the industrial camera. The industrial camera's shooting direction is towards the sheet metal on the clamping subunit 15. After the sheet metal enters the cutting unit 6 and is clamped, the calibration subunit acquires an image of the sheet metal surface, identifies the sheet metal edges, predetermined marks, defect areas, or the actual position of the sheet metal after clamping, to determine the correspondence between the defect position obtained by the detection unit 4 and the actual clamping position of the sheet metal in the cutting unit 6. When there is a translational or rotational difference between the conveying position of the sheet metal in the detection unit 4 and its clamping position in the cutting unit 6, the cutting position can be adjusted accordingly based on the sheet metal image acquired by the calibration subunit, so that the movement position of the laser head matches the actual area to be processed on the sheet metal.

[0065] The calibration subunit is positioned above the sheet metal, allowing image acquisition without direct contact and preventing changes to the sheet metal's clamping state during calibration. The calibration subunit can also cover part of the laser head's moving area to observe the relative position of the laser head and the sheet metal. In practical applications, the industrial camera can be mounted on the crossbeam at the top of the cutting frame 13, or on a fixed bracket outside the three-axis motion assembly. The camera mounting bracket can be equipped with adjustment slots, adjustment holes, or rotatable connections to adjust the height and shooting angle of the industrial camera, ensuring that the main cutting area of ​​the sheet metal is within the camera's field of view.

[0066] In addition, the system also includes a feeding module 16, which is disposed on the side of the cutting unit 6.

[0067] In one specific embodiment, the unloading module 16 can be a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and includes an unloading frame and a conveying assembly mounted on the unloading frame. After cutting, the clamping subunit 15 releases the restriction on the sheet material, and the sheet material is pushed to the unloading module 16 by the pusher component located in the cutting unit 6. Subsequently, the unloading module 16 sends the sheet material away from the cutting station. By placing the unloading module 16 on the side of the cutting unit 6, the transfer path of the sheet material from the cutting position to the discharge position can be shortened, avoiding the processed sheet material from continuing to occupy the clamping subunit 15 and the cutting space, and enabling the cutting unit 6 to quickly return to the receiving state of the next sheet material.

[0068] To make the technical solution in this embodiment clearer, it should also be noted that in this embodiment, a processing method applied to the aforementioned board material detection and processing system is also provided. The processing method can be executed by a control unit. The control unit is communicatively connected to the detection unit 4, the first transfer subunit 9, the second transfer subunit 10, the third transfer subunit 11, each connecting subunit 17, each cutting unit 6, the receiving subunit 12, and the unloading module 16, respectively, to receive board material detection data, board material arrival data, conveying position occupancy data, and the execution status of the cutting unit 6, and to control the board material to move between the detection unit 4, the transfer unit 5, and each cutting unit 6 according to the above data.

[0069] The processing method includes the following steps: forming a cutting task chain corresponding to the board based on the double-sided detection results of the board; mapping the cutting task chain to each cutting unit 6 to form a processing matching result for the current board in each cutting unit 6; forming a workstation path matching result corresponding to the current board based on the processing matching result of each cutting unit 6 and the transfer path the board takes to reach each cutting unit 6; correcting the order of the workstation path matching results corresponding to multiple boards according to the actual arrangement order of multiple boards on the transfer unit 5 to obtain a board diversion scheme; controlling the boards to enter the corresponding cutting unit 6 according to the board diversion scheme, and updating the board diversion scheme for boards that have not yet entered the third transfer subunit 11 according to the actual execution progress of the cutting unit 6.

[0070] It should also be noted that the cutting task chain is not only used to indicate the presence or number of defects in the board, but also to indicate the multiple cutting actions that need to be performed on the current board and the sequential relationship between the multiple cutting actions. By converting the detection results into a cutting task chain that can be executed item by item by the laser subunit 14, the actual occupancy of the board in the cutting unit 6 can be determined before the board enters the cutting unit 6, so that the allocation basis of the cutting unit 6 corresponds to the actual cutting content of the current board.

[0071] Specifically, when forming the cutting task chain, the board material detection data output by the first detection subunit 7 and the second detection subunit 8 can be obtained first. The board material detection data can include a white light detection image of the upper end face of the board material, a fluorescence detection image of the upper end face of the board material, a white light detection image of the lower end face of the board material, and a fluorescence detection image of the lower end face of the board material. It can also include defect candidate regions identified from each detection image.

[0072] The control unit establishes a plate coordinate reference based on the front edge and side edge of the plate, and maps the defect candidate areas in different detection images to the same plate plane coordinate. For the first detection subunit 7 located above the plate, its detection coordinates can be directly mapped to the plate plane coordinate according to the front direction of the plate. For the second detection subunit 8 located below the plate, the detection coordinates of the lower end face can be flipped or oriented according to the relative relationship between the second detection subunit 8 and the plate conveying direction, so that the defect positions of the upper and lower end faces of the plate can be compared within the same plate contour range.

[0073] For candidate defect regions identified by white light image and fluorescence image on the same end face, they can be merged according to the overlap relationship of the candidate regions in the plane coordinate of the plate. When the overlap of two candidate defect regions meets the preset conditions, they can be identified as the same defect region, and the outer envelope of the two candidate defect regions is used as the basic outline of the defect region. When the two candidate defect regions are separated, they are retained as different defect regions.

[0074] The reason is that there are differences in the surface information reflected by white light detection and fluorescence detection. If the two detection results are counted separately, it is easy to repeat the same defect and form two cutting tasks. By first converting the white light detection results and fluorescence detection results to the same board coordinates, and then merging them according to the spatial overlap relationship, the cutting task can be made to correspond to the actual defect area on the board.

[0075] Furthermore, for defect areas located on the upper and lower surfaces of the board, their projection positions on the board plane can be compared. When the projections of the upper and lower defect areas on the board plane overlap, and both defect areas are suitable for removal by cutting through the board, the two defect areas can be merged into one through-cutting area. In this way, when the defects on the upper and lower surfaces of the board are located in the same or similar positions, the defects on both surfaces can be removed simultaneously by one laser cutting, without the need to perform two repeated cutting operations for the same plane position.

[0076] For multiple non-overlapping defect areas, the control unit can expand the basic outline of each defect area to form a corresponding cutting envelope. The expansion process is used to retain a cutting allowance outside the defect area so that the defect body can be completely surrounded inside the cutting path. The expansion amount of the cutting envelope can be pre-configured according to the type of board, the defect type and the width of the laser cut.

[0077] After obtaining multiple trimming envelopes, it can be further determined whether adjacent trimming envelopes are suitable for merging. When two trimming envelopes overlap or the interval between two trimming envelopes is less than the minimum distance allowed to form an independent retention area, the two trimming envelopes can be merged into a combined trimming envelope. The combined trimming envelope forms a closed trimming path along the outside of the two defect areas. Through the above processing, the multiple laser start-stop and repetitive positioning actions generated when trimming multiple defects that are close to each other can be reduced.

[0078] In one alternative implementation, the decision to merge is not based solely on the distance between the center points of the two defect areas, but rather on whether there is an overlap between the expanded cutting envelopes and whether the remaining board area between the two cutting envelopes can remain intact. This avoids the formation of an excessively large cutting area simply because the center points of the defects are close together, and also avoids leaving an excessively narrow and easily detachable portion of board between the two cutting holes.

[0079] After each cutting envelope is formed, the control unit can establish a cutting task node for each cutting envelope. Each cutting task node includes at least the position of the cutting envelope, the outline of the cutting envelope, the outline length, the laser cutting position, and the moving distance between the cutting task node and other cutting task nodes. The laser cutting position can be selected from the cutting envelope and is preferably set at a position away from the edge of the board and the clamping area.

[0080] The control unit arranges multiple cutting task nodes into a cutting task chain based on the movement distance between each cutting task node. After the previous cutting task node in the cutting task chain is completed, the laser head moves to the next cutting task node according to the movement path between the end position of the previous cutting task node and the cutting position of the next cutting task node.

[0081] The cutting task chain can be arranged according to the principle of reducing the non-cutting movement distance of the laser head. Specifically, the cutting task node closest to the initial position of the laser head can be selected as the first node, and then the node closest to the current node can be selected from the unarranged cutting task nodes as the next node. After the initial arrangement is completed, the order of some adjacent nodes can be swapped, and the swap result can be retained when the non-cutting movement distance is reduced after the swap, so as to obtain a cutting task chain that is adapted to the current defect distribution of the board.

[0082] Based on the above, the cutting task chain includes not only the spatial location of the defects to be removed, but also the laser cutting contour, the number of laser start and stop times, and the non-cutting movement relationship between multiple cutting contours. Therefore, compared with estimating the cutting time based solely on the number of defects, the cutting task chain can more accurately reflect the actual amount of action that the laser head needs to complete after the sheet enters the cutting unit 6.

[0083] After obtaining the cutting task chain of the current board material, the cutting task chain can be mapped to each cutting unit 6 to form the processing matching result of each cutting unit 6 for the current board material.

[0084] Each cutting unit 6 is provided with corresponding station constraint data, which includes at least the reachable area of ​​the laser subunit 14, the prohibited cutting area of ​​the clamping subunit 15, the avoidance area of ​​the tooling plate support structure, the initial position of the laser head, and the coordinate transformation parameters of the calibration subunit.

[0085] The reachable area of ​​the laser subunit 14 is used to indicate the plane range that the laser head can reach within the cutting frame 13; the prohibited cutting area corresponding to the clamping subunit 15 is used to indicate the position where the rotating clamping cylinder, pressure block or other clamping components contact the sheet metal; the avoidance area corresponding to the tooling plate support structure is used to indicate the position where through-cutting is not suitable. Although different cutting units 6 have basically the same mechanical structure, due to the possible differences in actual assembly position, clamping component adjustment position and calibration parameters, each cutting unit 6 saves its own work position constraint data.

[0086] When mapping the cutting task chain to a cutting unit 6, the coordinate transformation parameters formed by the most recent valid calibration of the cutting unit 6 can be used to transform each cutting envelope in the cutting task chain from the plate plane coordinates to the working coordinates of the cutting unit 6. Then, it is determined whether each cutting envelope is completely located within the reachable area of ​​the laser subunit 14, and whether each cutting envelope intersects with the prohibited cutting area or the avoidance area.

[0087] When any trimming envelope in the trimming task chain exceeds the reachable area, or intersects with the prohibited trimming area or the avoidance area, the trimming unit 6 can be identified as a mismatched station; when all trimming envelopes in the trimming task chain can be executed in the trimming unit 6, the trimming unit 6 can be identified as a matched station.

[0088] Therefore, whether each cutting unit 6 can accept the current sheet material is no longer determined solely by whether the cutting unit 6 is idle, but rather by first judging the feasibility of processing based on the specific defect location of the current sheet material and the actual structural constraints of the cutting unit 6. This avoids the situation where the sheet material has already been transported to a cutting unit 6 before it is discovered that the defect location coincides with the clamping position or exceeds the working range of the laser head.

[0089] For the cutting unit 6 identified as a matching workstation, the cutting task chain can be further rearranged based on the transformed cutting task nodes. It should be noted that the initial position of the laser head in different cutting units 6 may be different. Therefore, the optimal cutting sequence for the same sheet material may also be different in different cutting units 6. The control unit can use the initial position of the laser head of each cutting unit 6 as the starting point for the arrangement, redetermine the cutting task chain corresponding to that cutting unit 6, and form the expected execution process of that cutting unit 6 for the current sheet material accordingly.

[0090] The expected execution process may include a material receiving process, a clamping process, a calibration process, a non-cutting laser head movement process, a laser cutting process, a purging process, and a material unloading process. The control unit determines the expected duration of each of the above processes and connects them in the execution sequence to form the expected occupancy time of the current sheet material in the cutting unit 6.

[0091] The estimated duration of the laser cutting process can be determined based on the contour length of each cutting envelope. The estimated duration of the non-cutting movement of the laser head can be determined based on the movement distance between the cutting task nodes. The estimated duration of the laser start / stop and cutting actions can be determined based on the number of cutting task nodes. Therefore, even if two plates have the same number of defects, different estimated occupancy times can result from differences in defect contour length, defect dispersion, and the number of laser start / stop cycles.

[0092] After obtaining the estimated time occupied for each matching station, the control unit further determines the transfer path that the board material takes to reach each matching station.

[0093] In this embodiment, the board-bearing positions on the first transfer subunit 9, the second transfer subunit 10, and the third transfer subunit 11, the feeding positions on each connecting subunit 17, and the feeding positions on each cutting unit 6 can be defined as transfer nodes, and the connection relationship between adjacent transfer nodes can be established according to the direction in which the board can move. Thus, the process of the board moving from the detection unit 4 to any cutting unit 6 can be represented as a transfer path that passes through multiple transfer nodes in sequence.

[0094] Each transfer node has four states: idle, reserved, occupied, and abnormal. Idle indicates that there are no boards currently available and the node has not been reserved by other boards; reserved indicates that the transfer node has been reserved by a board that has not yet arrived; occupied indicates that the board is currently located at the transfer node; and abnormal indicates that the transfer node cannot perform board transfer.

[0095] For a given board material and a matching station, the control unit can determine the sequence of transfer nodes that the board material needs to pass through based on the current location of the board material and the corresponding connection subunit 17 of the matching station. Then, based on the current occupancy and reservation status of each transfer node, the control unit can determine the earliest time when the board material can enter and leave each transfer node, thus forming the path occupancy sequence corresponding to the matching station.

[0096] When the estimated time period for the current board to enter a transfer node overlaps with the time period for another board to occupy the same transfer node, the time when the current board enters the transfer node can be postponed until after the previous board leaves. After the entry time of the current transfer node is postponed, the entry and exit times of the subsequent transfer nodes are also postponed accordingly, thus forming a waiting time for transmission along the board conveying direction.

[0097] It should be noted that the aforementioned waiting time does not only affect the current board material. Since the boards on the first transfer subunit 9, the second transfer subunit 10, and the third transfer subunit 11 are arranged in sequence and cannot cross over each other, when the current board material is temporarily stuck at a transfer node because the target cutting unit 6 cannot receive the material, it may also prevent subsequent boards material from entering that transfer node.

[0098] Therefore, after forming a path occupancy sequence corresponding to a matching workstation, the control unit can also insert the current board's path occupancy sequence into the existing transfer node occupancy record, and determine whether the path occupancy sequence reduces the number of movable nodes for subsequent boards according to the board arrangement order on transfer unit 5. When the transfer node that the subsequent board was originally scheduled to enter is continuously occupied by the current board, the entry time of the subsequent board is postponed, and it is further determined whether this postponement is transmitted to the first transfer subunit 9 or the detection unit 4.

[0099] The sum of the waiting times of all subsequent boards caused by the current board selecting a matching station can be used as the path obstruction data corresponding to that matching station. The larger the path obstruction data, the greater the impact of the current board selecting that matching station on the main conveying path and subsequent boards.

[0100] Based on this, the path matching result for each matching station can simultaneously include the estimated time the current board is occupied in the cutting unit 6, the estimated time the current board arrives at the cutting unit 6, and the path obstruction data generated after the current board selects the cutting unit 6.

[0101] It also avoids selecting only the earliest expected idle cutting unit 6. For example, although a cutting unit 6 can complete the cutting of the current board earlier, its connection position is located downstream of the third transfer subunit 11. The current board may need to pass through multiple occupied transfer nodes during its movement to the connection position, and may occupy the third transfer subunit 11 for a long time. Although another cutting unit 6 is released at a slightly later time, its connection position is close to the current board and will not block the subsequent board. In this case, by correcting through path obstruction data, the board can be assigned to the cutting unit 6 that has a smaller impact on the entire conveying path.

[0102] Furthermore, since there are multiple boards that have been inspected but have not yet entered the cutting unit 6 in the system, the control unit does not allocate each board to the cutting unit 6 independently, but forms a sequence of boards to be allocated, including multiple consecutive boards, according to the actual arrangement order of the boards on the transfer unit 5.

[0103] The sequence of plates to be allocated may include plates located on the first transfer subunit 9, plates located on the second transfer subunit 10, and plates that have been detected but have not yet entered the first transfer subunit 9. The order of each plate in the sequence of plates to be allocated is consistent with its front-to-back arrangement along the plate conveying direction.

[0104] The control unit first temporarily allocates the first board in the sequence of boards to be allocated. Specifically, it can select the cutting unit 6 with the earlier expected completion time and smaller path obstruction data from the multiple matching stations corresponding to the first board as the temporary target station for the first board, and write the path occupancy sequence corresponding to the first board and the expected occupancy time of the cutting unit 6 into the temporary occupancy record.

[0105] Subsequently, based on the updated temporary occupancy record, the workstation path is matched for the next board in the board sequence to be allocated. Thus, when allocating the next board, the cutting unit 6 and transfer node that the previous board has temporarily occupied can be taken into account.

[0106] When the next board can still obtain at least one valid workstation path matching result, the next board can continue to be temporarily allocated. When the next board does not have a valid workstation path matching result, or all its workstation path matching results will cause the waiting time of the third transfer subunit 11 to exceed the preset condition, it indicates that the previous temporary allocation result of the previous board or several boards has caused path occupation that is not suitable for the subsequent board to pass through.

[0107] In this case, the control unit can perform sequential backtracking correction on the temporary allocation results that have not yet been fixed. Specifically, it can first cancel the temporary target station and the corresponding temporary occupancy record of the previous board that is adjacent to the current board, then select another station from the matching stations of the previous board other than the original temporary target station, and re-form the transfer node occupancy record. After that, the station path matching result of the current board is recalculated.

[0108] If the current board can form a valid workstation path matching result after the previous board is reassigned, the reassignment result is retained; if the current board still does not have a valid workstation path matching result, it can continue to backtrack to the previous board sequence, cancel the temporary assignment result of the previous board, and reselect.

[0109] Sequential backtracking correction is only performed on the boards that are still at the discharge position of the first transfer subunit 9, the second transfer subunit 10, or the detection unit 4 and have not yet entered the third transfer subunit 11. For boards that have entered the third transfer subunit 11 and have begun to move toward the corresponding connecting subunit 17, their target cutting unit 6 will no longer be changed due to regular scheduling, so as to avoid requiring the boards to move in the opposite direction or to cross over other boards.

[0110] Through the above-described sequential backtracking correction, when there are multiple executable cutting units 6 for the preceding material, the target station for the preceding material can be adjusted according to the actual defect task and available workstations of the subsequent material. For example, the preceding material can be processed by either the first cutting unit 6 or the second cutting unit 6, but the following material can only be processed by the first cutting unit 6 because its defect location conflicts with the clamping area of ​​the second cutting unit 6. In this case, if the allocation is based solely on the current idle state, the preceding material may be assigned to the first cutting unit 6 first, resulting in the following material not being able to obtain an executable workstation. Through sequential backtracking correction, the preceding material can be reassigned to the second cutting unit 6, while the first cutting unit 6 is reserved for the following material.

[0111] Therefore, sequential backtracking correction does not deal with task sequencing in the general sense, but rather with the mutual constraints between the workstations corresponding to each board under the condition that the boards cannot be bypassed during transport. This reduces transport interruptions caused by a board in front occupying the only available workstation for a board behind it.

[0112] After completing the temporary allocation of the sequence of boards to be allocated, the control unit can confirm the allocation result in stages according to the position of the boards moving along the transfer unit 5. When the board is located in the first transfer subunit 9 or the second transfer subunit 10, its target cutting unit 6 is in an adjustable state; when the board is about to enter the third transfer subunit 11 from the second transfer subunit 10, the control unit rereads the actual state of the corresponding cutting unit 6, connecting subunit 17 and third transfer unit 11.

[0113] If the temporary target workstation is still in an executable state, and all transfer nodes from the current position of the board to the temporary target workstation can be released in the predetermined order, then the temporary target workstation will be determined as the final target workstation, and the corresponding transfer nodes will be fixedly reserved. If the temporary target workstation is abnormal or its actual release time changes, then the workstation path matching and sequence backtracking correction will be re-executed before the board enters the third transfer subunit 11.

[0114] It should be noted that the fixed reservation does not require all transfer nodes between the current board position and the cutting unit 6 to remain empty at the same time. Instead, it saves the permissions of each transfer node for the current board to use in sequence according to the time. After the current board leaves a transfer node, the transfer node can be released and made available for subsequent boards. In this way, the utilization rate of each transfer sub-unit can be improved while preventing two boards from being sent to the same connection position at the same time.

[0115] After the sheet material enters the final target station, the clamping subunit 15 presses the sheet material onto the tooling plate, and the calibration subunit acquires the actual position image of the sheet material within the cutting unit 6. Based on the position of the sheet material's edge or corner in the actual position image, the control unit forms an actual conversion relationship between the sheet material coordinates and the working coordinates of the cutting unit 6, and uses this actual conversion relationship to perform secondary conversion on each cutting envelope in the cutting task chain.

[0116] After the secondary conversion is completed, the control unit re-determines the relationship between each cutting envelope and the reachable area, the prohibited cutting area, and the avoidance area. When all cutting envelopes still meet the cutting conditions, the laser head movement command is generated according to the cutting task chain after the secondary conversion. When any cutting envelope enters the prohibited cutting area due to the actual clamping offset of the board, the laser subunit 14 is not started, and the current board is identified as an abnormal board.

[0117] After the laser subunit 14 starts executing the cutting task chain, the control unit removes the node from the unfinished tasks after each cutting task node is completed. Based on the outline length of the remaining cutting task nodes, the non-cutting movement distance, and the number of laser start and stop times, the control unit re-determines the remaining occupancy time of the current cutting unit 6. The re-determined remaining occupancy time is fed back to the station path matching process of the board sequence to be assigned.

[0118] Therefore, the expected release time of the cutting unit 6 is not determined once when the board enters the cutting unit 6 and remains unchanged, but is updated as each cutting task node is completed. When the actual execution time of a certain cutting task node is longer than the expected time, the remaining occupancy time of the cutting unit 6 increases accordingly, and the board that has not yet entered the third transfer subunit 11 can reselect other cutting units 6; when the actual execution time is shorter than the expected time, the cutting unit 6 can be reserved in advance for subsequent boards.

[0119] Furthermore, the control unit can record the actual duration of the clamping process, calibration process, laser cutting process, contour cutting process, non-cutting movement process, blowing process, and unloading process respectively. For the contour cutting process, the actual duration can be correlated with the contour length of the completed cutting envelope; for the non-cutting movement process, the actual duration can be correlated with the actual moving distance of the laser head; and for the laser cutting process, the actual duration can be correlated with the number of laser start and stop times.

[0120] When the estimated time for subsequent sheet material formation is reached, the actual duration corresponding to multiple tasks recently completed by the same cutting unit 6 can be called to modify the time required for clamping, calibration, contour cutting and non-cutting movement of the cutting unit 6. Different cutting units 6 can form different processing times according to their current mechanical state, instead of using the same fixed processing time for all cutting units 6 for a long time.

[0121] In summary, based on the above, firstly, by mapping and merging the double-sided white light detection results and fluorescence detection results to further form a cutting task chain, the detection data can directly characterize the actual cutting action that the laser subunit 14 needs to complete; secondly, by mapping the cutting task chain to the reachable area, clamping prohibition area, and support avoidance area of ​​each cutting unit 6, it can be determined whether each cutting unit 6 can completely execute the current plate processing task before the plate is diverted; then, by combining the expected occupancy time of the cutting unit 6 with the path occupancy sequence formed when the plate passes through the first transfer subunit 9, the second transfer subunit 10, the third transfer subunit 11, and the connecting subunit 17, it can be determined that the actual obstruction to the main conveying path caused by the plate selecting different cutting units 6 can be determined; finally, by temporarily allocating continuous plates according to the actual arrangement order of the plates, and performing sequential backtracking correction on the preceding plates when there is no effective path for the subsequent plates, it can be avoided that the preceding plates occupy the only available cutting unit 6 for the subsequent plates.

[0122] Therefore, this embodiment does not simply send the board to the idle cutting unit 6 after the inspection is completed. Instead, it determines the board distribution path based on the actual cutting action of the board, the structural constraints of each cutting unit 6, the sequential positions of multiple boards on the transfer unit 5, and the occupancy relationship of each transfer node. This allows boards with relatively fast inspection speeds and cutting times that vary with defect distribution to be allocated among multiple cutting units 6 in accordance with actual processing conditions, reducing the situation where boards wait for the target station on the third transfer subunit 11 and block subsequent boards.

[0123] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A board material inspection and processing system, characterized in that, The system includes: Material feeding module; The detection module includes a detection unit and a transfer unit. The detection unit is connected to the feeding module, and the feeding module is used to transport the board to the detection unit. The transfer unit is located at the discharge end of the detection unit. A cutting module, comprising several cutting units, wherein the cutting units are disposed at the output end of the transfer unit.

2. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding module includes a feeding frame, a moving subunit, and a fixed subunit. The moving subunit is mounted on the feeding frame, and the fixed subunit is mounted on the moving subunit. The fixed subunit is used to clamp the sheet metal.

3. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The detection unit includes a first detection subunit and a second detection subunit disposed on the upper and lower ends of the plate. The first detection subunit is provided with a first detection interval, and the second detection subunit is provided with a second detection interval. A first light source is disposed in the first detection interval, and a second light source is disposed in the second detection interval.

4. The plate inspection and processing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer unit includes a first transfer subunit, a second transfer subunit, a third transfer subunit, and a receiving subunit. The first transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the detection unit, the second transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the first transfer subunit, the third transfer subunit is located at the discharge end of the second transfer subunit, and the receiving subunit is located on one side of the third transfer subunit.

5. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The moving subunit includes a three-axis moving module, and the fixed subunit includes a suction cup module disposed at the output end of the three-axis moving module.

6. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Several of the cutting units are disposed on both sides of the third transfer subunit.

7. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a material feeding module, which is located on the side of the cutting unit.

8. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first light source and the second light source are arranged in pairs, and the first detection subunit and the second detection subunit are both located on the center line of the corresponding light source.

9. The board material inspection and processing system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The transfer unit also includes a connecting subunit, which is located between the third transfer subunit and the cutting unit.

10. The sheet metal inspection and processing system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The cutting unit includes a cutting frame, a laser subunit, a calibration subunit, and a clamping subunit. The laser subunit is disposed on the cutting frame, the calibration subunit is disposed inside the cutting frame and positioned above the sheet material, and the clamping subunit is disposed inside the cutting frame and abuts against the sheet material.

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