A polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste handling mechanism and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste processing mechanism and method, mechanism includes workbench transport component, double-side cutting component, waste guiding component, waste anti-falling component and waste grabbing and placing component;Workbench transport component is used to support and transport blank;Double-side cutting component is set to workbench transport component both sides, for carrying out double-side synchronous cutting to blank;Waste guiding component is set to workbench transport component, for moving guiding to waste in cutting process;Waste anti-falling component is set to workbench transport component, for preventing waste from falling or stopping moving in cutting process;Waste grabbing and placing component is set to workbench transport component, for fixing and grabbing position adjustment after cutting to waste is completed.The application can realize blank continuous feeding, multi-size adaptation, waste anti-falling protection and waste automatic processing purposes, improve production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of liquefied natural gas and relates to the processing technology of polyurethane foam blanks, specifically to a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism and method. Background Technology

[0002] As the core carrier for the ocean transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG), LNG carriers require their cargo containment systems to withstand ultra-low temperatures of -163°C for extended periods. Therefore, thermal insulation and cold preservation have become crucial technical aspects. Super+ type insulation boxes, L03+ type insulation boxes, and MARK Ⅲ type insulation boxes are the main low-temperature insulation materials, and the cold preservation material for these three types of insulation boxes generally uses reinforced polyurethane foam.

[0003] Due to the special properties of liquefied natural gas, the insulation box must have extremely high sealing and fire resistance, so the polyurethane foam blocks used as splicing units need to have very high dimensional accuracy.

[0004] During the foaming and molding process of polyurethane foam preforms, due to factors such as molding technology, material reaction rate, and cooling shrinkage, a high-density, rough, and unevenly thick side skin structure forms on the surface of the preform. This structure, due to its uneven density distribution, poor surface smoothness, and low dimensional consistency, cannot adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction characteristics under ultra-low temperature environments. If foam preforms with side skins are directly used for the processing and assembly of insulation boxes, problems such as misalignment of cutting positioning references, loss of control over the dimensional accuracy of finished products, and excessive splicing gaps (difficult to meet the assembly requirement of ≤0.5mm) will occur, failing to meet the high-precision assembly requirements of LNG containment systems and severely affecting thermal insulation performance. Therefore, before the polyurethane foam preforms enter subsequent pressing and CNC processes, the side skins around the preforms must be removed efficiently and with high precision.

[0005] In the existing insulation box manufacturing industry, the cutting of polyurethane foam blanks and the removal of blank waste after cutting are mainly divided into two types: (1) Manual removal of polyurethane foam blank waste: mainly relies on manual grinding and cutting, which has problems such as extremely low efficiency, uncontrollable dimensional accuracy, and easy damage to foam workpieces. The large amount of dust generated during the cutting process also seriously endangers occupational health; (2) Most of the existing equipment is based on general cutting machine tools, and circular saws or simple milling devices are commonly used. Such cutting devices have problems such as low cutting accuracy, large cutting volume, and large energy consumption, which are difficult to meet the high precision, low damage and high efficiency processing requirements of Super+, L03+ and MARK Ⅲ type insulation boxes for foam blanks. Secondly, a large amount of foam blank waste will be generated during the cutting process. Traditional cutting mechanisms lack systematic and automated collection and processing devices, resulting in waste scattering, poor on-site environment and low material utilization, making it difficult to achieve large-scale continuous production.

[0006] The existing polyurethane foam blank side skin removal equipment has the following shortcomings in practical applications: The existing worktable only serves the function of transporting foam blanks. In terms of blank positioning and feeding, most equipment uses ordinary mechanical limiters, which easily cause positional deviations during feeding and cutting, making continuous, stable, and precise feeding impossible and affecting cutting accuracy. Regarding blank size adaptability, the cutting mechanism is mostly fixed-interval or single-sided cutting, unable to flexibly adjust the cutting interval according to blank specifications, resulting in poor adaptability to different sized foam blanks and low processing efficiency. In terms of cutting process stability, side skin waste that is not completely separated easily deviates from the processing path, leading to discontinuous cutting. Regarding workpiece protection, there is a lack of support structures to prevent waste from falling, allowing side skin waste to easily fall and impact the finished workpiece due to its own weight, causing damage and reducing the finished product qualification rate. Regarding waste disposal, the cut side skin waste cannot be automatically separated from the workpiece and collected in an orderly manner, requiring manual intervention for cleaning, resulting in low overall production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Purpose of the invention: In order to solve the problems of poor adaptability of existing foam cutting equipment, easy falling of waste material after cutting and damage to workpieces, and low processing efficiency due to the need for manual intervention in waste material handling, this invention provides a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste material handling mechanism and method, which realizes continuous blank feeding, multi-size adaptation, waste material anti-fall protection and automated waste material handling, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0008] Technical solution: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism, including a workbench transport component, a double-sided cutting component, a waste guiding component, a waste anti-fall component, and a waste gripping and placing component. The workbench transport assembly is used to support and transport the billet; The dual-sided cutting components are arranged on both sides of the workbench transport component and are used to perform simultaneous dual-sided cutting of the billet. The waste guiding component is mounted on the workbench transport component and is used to move and guide the waste during the cutting process. The waste material anti-fall component is installed on the workbench transport component to prevent waste material from falling or to stop moving during the cutting process; The waste material grabbing and placing component is mounted on the workbench transport component and is used to fix the waste material after cutting and adjust the grabbing position.

[0009] Furthermore, the workbench transport assembly includes a workbench, a vacuum suction plate disposed on the workbench, a density board attached to the vacuum suction plate, and a moving transmission device disposed on the workbench. The vacuum suction plate is used to adsorb and fix the billet, the density board is used to improve the stability of the billet under load, and the moving transmission device is used to realize the horizontal linear movement of the workbench surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the dual-sided cutting assembly includes a slide rail, two cutting frames that fit on the slide rail, and cutting devices mounted on the cutting frames, with the two cutting devices located on opposite sides of the worktable.

[0011] Furthermore, the cutting device includes a cutting drive device and a cutting saw blade disposed on the cutting drive device.

[0012] Furthermore, the cutting drive device is provided with a drive gear, which is engaged with the cutting saw blade to drive the cutting saw blade to perform the cutting operation.

[0013] Furthermore, the waste guiding assembly includes a guide baffle, which is fixedly installed at the cutting and discharge end of the workbench. The guide baffle adopts a bent plate structure, and its bending direction is towards the cutting and discharge end.

[0014] Furthermore, the waste material anti-fall component includes a first cylinder and a roller connected to the first cylinder, wherein the first cylinder is used to press the roller toward the waste material during the cutting process.

[0015] Furthermore, the waste gripping and placing assembly includes a second cylinder and a pin connected to the second cylinder. The second cylinder is used to insert the pin into the waste, fix the waste, and adjust the gripping position.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for operating a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism, comprising the following steps: S1: Place the blank on the worktable and use a vacuum suction plate to adsorb, position, and fix the blank; S2: Adjust the position and relative distance of the two cutting frames according to the specifications of the blank and the cutting requirements, so that the two cutting saw blades are in the corresponding cutting positions; S3: The blank is moved towards the cutting saw blade via the moving transmission device on the worktable; S4: The cutting saw blades move at a constant speed under the drive of the drive gear, and the two cutting saw blades cut the two ends of the blank respectively. The waste generated by cutting is kept moving in the same direction as the blank under the action of the guide baffle. During the movement of the waste material, the rollers, under the action of the first cylinder, press and squeeze the waste material, keeping the waste material and the blank material in close contact. S5: After the waste material is cut, the second cylinder controls the ejector pin to insert into the waste material and fix it. Then the second cylinder controls the ejector pin to retract a certain distance, so that the waste material is separated from the blank and a gripping space is left. S6: With sufficient gripping space, the waste material is removed using a mechanical gripper.

[0017] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. From the perspective of billet positioning: Existing technologies use conventional worktables, and billet positioning relies on mechanical limits. Positional shifts are prone to occur during feeding and cutting, making it difficult to guarantee processing accuracy and achieve continuous, precise feeding. This invention uses a vacuum suction plate in the worktable transport assembly to achieve billet adsorption and positioning, combined with a density board to improve load-bearing stability, thus achieving stable billet positioning. Furthermore, a moving transport device is installed under the worktable to complete continuous billet feeding, avoiding billet shifting during processing and ensuring processing accuracy.

[0018] 2. From the perspective of adaptability and processing efficiency: Existing cutting components are mostly single-sided cutting or double-sided fixed spacing layouts, lacking independent moving slide rail adjustment mechanisms. This makes it impossible to flexibly adjust the cutting spacing according to different specifications of polyurethane foam blanks, requiring frequent adjustments and resulting in low adaptability. Furthermore, single-sided cutting efficiency is low, failing to meet high-efficiency production demands. Existing technologies use a single cutting wire (heating wire) as the cutting component, relying on the heating temperature of the heating wire to melt and cut the foam. The resulting charred residue requires manual cleaning, affecting processing efficiency. This invention sets independent cutting components on both sides of the machine tool, equipped with independent moving slide mechanisms below. This allows for individual adjustment of the horizontal spacing of the cutting saw blades on both sides, precisely adapting to the cutting needs of different blank specifications. This satisfies the differences in foam size for Super+ type, as well as the precise cutting requirements of MARK Ⅲ and L03+ type. Simultaneous double-sided cutting significantly improves processing efficiency.

[0019] 3. From the perspective of workpiece protection and waste disposal: The existing technology adopts a simple positioning mechanism, which cannot effectively prevent the blank from separating and falling off the machine tool during the cutting process due to the characteristics of polyurethane foam cutting. Moreover, after the foam blank is cut, the waste is prone to fall directly due to its own weight without an anti-fall device, which can easily cause damage to the workpiece. It is difficult to meet the stringent requirements of the three types of insulation boxes for foam. This invention adds a guide baffle device to guide the uncut blank scrap and workpiece together into the rear end of the machine tool, preventing the blank from separating and leaving the machine tool. A cylinder is provided on the left and right sides of the rear end of the worktable, and a roller is provided at the front end of the cylinder. When the sensor detects that the blank has been transported to the current position, the cylinder automatically extends so that the roller holds the scrap and rolls synchronously with the continuous feed of the worktable, effectively preventing the scrap from falling and damaging the workpiece. Four cylinders are also provided on each side of the rear end of the machine tool. The front end of the cylinder is provided with a wear-resistant top block and two ejector pins. After the blank is completely cut, the ejector pins will be inserted into the scrap under the lifting action of the cylinder. Then the cylinder will retract slightly, so that the scrap is completely separated from the finished workpiece, making it easy for the mechanical gripper to pick up the remaining scrap. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A side view of the polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism in the initial cutting state. Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism in the cutting completed state; Figure 3 A 3D view of the polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism in the waste grabbing state. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structural connections of the workbench transport assembly; Figure 5 A bottom view of the polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the structural connection between the drive gear and the cutting saw blade; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the structural connection of the waste guiding component and the waste fall prevention component. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. After reading this invention, any modifications of the invention in various equivalent forms by those skilled in the art will fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0022] Example 1:

[0023] like Figures 1-7As shown, this embodiment provides a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism, including a workbench transport component 1, a double-sided cutting component 2, a waste guiding component, a waste anti-fall component, and a waste gripping and placing component; The workbench transport assembly 1 includes a workbench 11, a vacuum suction plate 12 disposed on the workbench 11, a density board 13 attached to the vacuum suction plate 12, and a moving transmission device 14 disposed on the workbench 11. The vacuum suction plate 12 is used to adsorb and fix the blank 100, the density board 13 is used to improve the stability of the blank bearing, and the moving transmission device 14 is used to realize the horizontal linear movement of the conveyor belt on the workbench 11. The double-sided cutting assembly 2 includes a slide rail 21, two cutting frames 22 that are fitted on the slide rail 21, and a cutting device mounted on the cutting frame 22. The two cutting devices are located on both sides of the workbench 1. The cutting device includes a cutting drive device 25 and a cutting saw blade 23 set on the cutting drive device 25. A drive gear 24 is set on the cutting drive device 25 and the drive gear 24 is fitted on the cutting saw blade 23 to drive the cutting saw blade 23 to perform the cutting operation. The waste guiding assembly includes a guide baffle 3, which is fixedly installed at the cutting and discharge end on the workbench 11. The guide baffle 3 adopts a bent plate structure, and its bending direction is towards the cutting and discharge end. In this embodiment, there are two guide baffles 3, which are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the cutting and discharge end on the workbench 11. The waste anti-fall component includes a first cylinder 4 and a roller 5 connected to the first cylinder 4. The first cylinder 4 is used to press the roller 5 toward the waste 101 during the cutting process. In this embodiment, there are 8 waste anti-fall components, which are symmetrically arranged in pairs on both sides of the rear end of the workbench 11. The waste gripping and placement assembly includes a second cylinder 6 and a pin 7 connected to the second cylinder 6. The second cylinder 6 is used to insert the pin 7 into the waste 101 to fix the waste 101 and adjust the gripping position. In this embodiment, there are 8 waste gripping and placement assemblies, which are symmetrically arranged in pairs on both sides of the rear end of the worktable 11.

[0024] Example 2:

[0025] In this embodiment, the polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism of Example 1 is used for waste cutting and processing of foam blank 100 in MARK Ⅲ type insulation box, referring to... Figures 1-7 The specific process is as follows: 1) Place the blank 100 on the workbench 11, and use the vacuum suction plate 12 to adsorb, position and fix the blank 100. With the support of the density plate 13, the blank 100 has good stability. 2) According to the specifications of the blank 100 and the cutting requirements, adjust the position and relative distance of the two cutting frames 22 respectively so that the two cutting saw blades 23 are in the corresponding cutting positions; 3) The blank 100 is moved toward the cutting saw blade 23 by the moving transmission device 14 on the worktable 11; 4) The cutting drive device 25 drives the drive gear 24 to rotate. The cutting saw blade 23 moves at a constant speed under the drive of the drive gear 24. The two cutting saw blades 23 cut the two ends of the blank 100 respectively. The waste material 101 generated by cutting is kept moving in the same direction as the blank 100 under the action of the guide baffle 3. Under the action of the guide baffle 3, the waste material 101 that has not been completely separated moves towards the discharge end synchronously with the blank 100, effectively avoiding the situation where the waste material 101 separates and falls off the worktable 11, ensuring the stability of the cutting process, and preventing the processing interruption or workpiece damage caused by the detachment of the waste material 101. During the movement of the waste material 101, the roller 5 presses against the waste material 101 under the action of the first cylinder 4, so that the waste material 101 and the blank 100 are kept in close contact. Under the pressing action of the roller 5, the waste material 101 cut off during the cutting process enters the non-powered mode. The friction between the waste material 101 and the blank 100 is used to ensure that the waste material 101 and the blank 100 move synchronously throughout the entire process without separation. This can effectively prevent the waste material 101 from falling due to its own weight and damaging the finished workpiece. 5) After the waste material 101 is cut, the second cylinder 6 controls the ejector pin 7 to insert into the waste material 101 to fix the waste material 101. Then the second cylinder 6 controls the ejector pin 7 to retract a certain distance, so that the waste material 101 is separated from the blank 100, leaving a gripping space. 6) For example Figure 3 As shown, with sufficient gripping space, the mechanical gripper 10 moves above the blank 100 according to a pre-set operating trajectory. When the mechanical gripper 10 completely clamps both sides of the waste 101, the second cylinder 6 retracts to the initial position, causing the ejector pin 7 to disengage from the waste 101. Subsequently, the mechanical gripper 10 moves the waste 101 and places it in the waste storage area, completing the entire process of blank cutting and waste processing. The entire gripping process requires no manual intervention, solving the technical problems of excessive manual intervention and low efficiency in waste processing of traditional equipment.

[0026] Based on the above process, it can be seen that the present invention has the following advantages: 1. The present invention uses a vacuum suction plate 12 and a density board 13 for composite positioning and a continuous feeding mechanism, which makes the blank 100 more stable in positioning and more accurate in feeding, thereby improving the cutting accuracy.

[0027] 2. The present invention adopts a dual-sided cutting component with an independently adjustable distance mechanism, which can adapt to different specifications of blanks, eliminating the need for frequent tooling changes and improving the versatility of the equipment.

[0028] 3. The present invention adopts a waste guiding and anti-fall component, which can prevent waste from falling off and damaging the workpiece, and effectively improve the processing stability and finished product qualification rate.

[0029] 4. This invention uses a cylinder lifting mechanism to automatically separate waste materials, and works in conjunction with a mechanical gripper 10 to automatically grab and place the waste materials, thereby achieving automated waste material processing, reducing manual intervention, and significantly improving overall processing efficiency.

Claims

1. A polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism, characterized in that, Includes workbench transport components, dual-sided cutting components, waste guiding components, waste anti-fall components, and waste gripping and placement components; The workbench transport assembly is used to support and transport the billet; The dual-sided cutting components are arranged on both sides of the workbench transport component and are used to perform simultaneous dual-sided cutting of the billet. The waste guiding component is mounted on the workbench transport component and is used to move and guide the waste during the cutting process. The waste material anti-fall component is installed on the workbench transport component to prevent waste material from falling or to stop moving during the cutting process; The waste material grabbing and placing component is mounted on the workbench transport component and is used to fix the waste material after cutting and adjust the grabbing position.

2. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The workbench transport assembly includes a workbench, a vacuum suction plate disposed on the workbench, a density board attached to the vacuum suction plate, and a moving transmission device disposed on the workbench. The vacuum suction plate is used to adsorb and fix the billet, the density board is used to improve the stability of the billet under load, and the moving transmission device is used to realize the horizontal linear movement of the workbench surface.

3. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dual-sided cutting assembly includes a slide rail, two cutting frames fitted on the slide rail, and cutting devices mounted on the cutting frames, with the two cutting devices located on opposite sides of the worktable.

4. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cutting device includes a cutting drive device and a cutting saw blade mounted on the cutting drive device.

5. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cutting drive device is equipped with a drive gear, which is engaged with the cutting saw blade to drive the cutting saw blade to perform the cutting operation.

6. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The waste guiding assembly includes a guide baffle, which is fixedly installed at the cutting and discharge end of the workbench. The guide baffle adopts a bent plate structure, and its bending direction is towards the cutting and discharge end.

7. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The waste material anti-fall component includes a first cylinder and a roller connected to the first cylinder. The first cylinder is used to press the roller toward the waste material during the cutting process.

8. The polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste treatment mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The waste gripping and placing assembly includes a second cylinder and a pin connected to the second cylinder. The second cylinder is used to insert the pin into the waste, fix the waste, and adjust the gripping position.

9. A method for operating a polyurethane foam blank cutting and waste disposal mechanism, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Place the blank on the worktable and use a vacuum suction plate to adsorb, position, and fix the blank; S2: Adjust the position and relative distance of the two cutting frames according to the specifications of the blank and the cutting requirements, so that the two cutting saw blades are in the corresponding cutting positions; S3: The blank is moved towards the cutting saw blade via the moving transmission device on the worktable; S4: The cutting saw blades move at a constant speed under the drive of the drive gear, and the two cutting saw blades cut the two ends of the blank respectively. The waste generated by cutting is kept moving in the same direction as the blank under the action of the guide baffle. During the movement of the waste material, the rollers, under the action of the first cylinder, press and squeeze the waste material, keeping the waste material and the blank material in close contact. S5: After the waste material is cut, the second cylinder controls the ejector pin to insert into the waste material and fix it. Then the second cylinder controls the ejector pin to retract a certain distance, so that the waste material is separated from the blank and a gripping space is left. S6: With sufficient gripping space, the waste material is removed using a mechanical gripper.

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