Method for controlling a transport system and transport system

Abstract

The application discloses a transfer system control method and a transfer system, and relates to the technical field of pump source processing, wherein the transfer system control method is applied to the transfer system, and the transfer system control method comprises the following steps: when receiving a plurality of machine table issued processed completion signals, controlling the automatic material changing equipment according to the sequence, and sequentially replacing the materials of the corresponding plurality of machine tables. The technical scheme provided by the application can automatically change the materials through the equipment, can be operated for a long time, and can avoid the problem of efficiency reduction caused by long-term labor. In addition, through signal transmission and instruction sending, the problem of response lag can be avoided. The work completion signals are queued and dispatched according to the sequence, the task logic is clear, the AGV processes the material changing requests one by one according to the sequence, the invalid back-and-forth movement of the trolley is reduced, the idle waiting time of the machine table is shortened, the rhythm is reduced, and the technical effect of improving the production efficiency is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pump source processing technology, and in particular to a transfer system control method and a transfer system. Background Technology

[0002] As the market demand for high-power lasers continues to expand, the requirements for on-site production cycle time and efficiency are constantly increasing. Therefore, the efficiency of each stage of pump source production needs to be steadily improved. In the pump production process, several key and challenging steps involve the loading and unloading of pump sources, especially lens bonding in the FAC coupling process. The efficiency of the loading and unloading of coupling equipment has a significant impact on the overall production line capacity. Therefore, improving the loading and unloading cycle time of the FAC coupling process is an unavoidable step in improving pump source production efficiency.

[0003] Currently, material handling involves manual switching between multiple machines (unloading processed materials and placing unprocessed materials). Manual material switching suffers from slow response times and difficulty in meeting the demands of long hours of high-intensity work, resulting in decreased work efficiency and making it difficult to break through production cycle limits. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to propose a transfer system control method and a transfer system, which aims to improve the cycle time of the production pump source process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a transfer system control method, which is applied to a transfer system comprising: an automatic material changing device, multiple machine tools, and a control device. The control device is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing device and the multiple machine tools. The automatic material changing device includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV), a robotic arm mounted on the AAV, and a carrier pallet. The carrier pallet is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials, and the robotic arm is used for loading or unloading materials. The machine tools are used to process the materials to be processed. The control method for the transfer system includes: Upon receiving a processing completion signal from multiple machines, the automatic material changing equipment is controlled in sequence to change the materials for the corresponding machines.

[0006] In one embodiment, upon receiving a completed processing signal from multiple machines, the automatic material changing device is controlled sequentially to change materials for the corresponding machines. This process includes: The automated guided vehicle moves to a preset material changing area for material changing; The automatic material changing device is controlled to move to the machine that first issued the "processing completed" signal and has not yet changed the material, and then the material is changed. Return to step "Move to the preset material changing area by the automated guided vehicle for material changing".

[0007] In one embodiment, the carrier pallet is provided with multiple placement areas, each placement area being used to place one of the materials to be processed or one of the processed materials, wherein the number of materials to be processed is less than the number of placement areas, and the areas where no materials to be processed or processed materials are placed are empty areas; the machine base has multiple processing stations for placing the materials to be processed or processed materials; The step of controlling the automatic material changing equipment to move to the machine that first issued the "processed" signal and has not yet changed materials, and changing the materials, includes: Control the automatic material changing equipment to move to the machine that first issued the signal that processing is complete and has not yet been replaced; The robotic arm places the processed material on the machine table into the empty area; The robotic arm places the material to be processed at the processing station corresponding to the previous processed material; Return to the step "Place the processed material on the machine table into the empty area using the robotic arm" until all the materials to be processed on the tray have been transferred to the machine table, then end the step.

[0008] The present invention also proposes a transfer system, comprising: An automatic material changing device includes an automated guided vehicle and a robotic arm and a carrier pallet mounted on the automated guided vehicle. The carrier pallet is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials, and the robotic arm is used to load or unload materials. Multiple machines are used to process the material to be processed; A control device is provided, which is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing equipment and the multiple machine stations. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a transfer system control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The transfer system control program is configured as the transfer system control method.

[0009] In one embodiment, the robotic arm includes: A six-axis robotic arm with an end-mounting device; The fixture assembly includes a mounting plate, a clamp, and a camera. The mounting plate is mounted on the mounting end, the clamp is mounted on the mounting plate for gripping the material to be processed and the processed material, and the camera is used to photograph the tray. The transfer system also includes the barcode scanner, which is installed on the automated guided vehicle and used to scan the material to be processed.

[0010] In one embodiment, the clamp includes: The slide cylinder has two first moving parts that move relative to or away from each other in a first horizontal direction; Two clamping blocks are respectively fixedly installed on the two first movable parts.

[0011] In one embodiment, the clamp further includes: Two cylinders are fixedly disposed on both sides of the slide cylinder in the first horizontal direction, and the cylinder has a second movable part that moves in the vertical direction; Two motors are respectively installed in the two second movable parts; Two trays are respectively mounted on the motor shafts of the two motors; The pallet has a vertical travel stroke driven by the cylinder, and during the travel stroke, it has a first clearance position higher than the clamping block and a first working position lower than the clamping block. The pallet also has a rotational travel stroke along the vertical axis driven by the motor, and during the rotational travel stroke, the pallet has a second clearance position that is vertically misaligned with the clamping block and a second working position that corresponds to the clamping block in the vertical direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, the fixture further includes a detection device mounted on the mounting plate and disposed facing the fixture; and / or, The detection device includes a camera.

[0013] In one embodiment, the vehicle pallet is slidably mounted on the automated guided vehicle (AGV), which is provided with multiple limiting blocks that restrict the installation position of the vehicle pallet; and / or, The carrier tray has multiple placement areas, and each placement area is provided with a positioning hole.

[0014] In one embodiment, the transfer system further includes a bellows cover, which is movably disposed along a second horizontal direction: the bellows cover has a first side end and a second side end opposite to each other in the second horizontal direction, the first side end is fixedly installed on one side of the carrier tray in the second horizontal direction, and the second side end is movably disposed along the second horizontal direction, having an open position on the same side of the carrier tray as the first side end and a closed position on opposite sides of the carrier tray as the first side end.

[0015] The technical solution of this invention automates material changing, allowing for long-term operation and avoiding efficiency decline caused by prolonged labor. Furthermore, it uses signal transmission to send instructions, avoiding response delays. Queuing scheduling based on the order of completion signals ensures clear task logic; the AGV processes material changing requests sequentially, reducing unnecessary trips by the trolley, shortening machine idle time, and lowering cycle time, thus achieving the technical effect of improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the transfer system control method provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the transfer system control method provided by the present invention. Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the transfer system control method provided by the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic material changing device in the transfer system provided by the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial structural diagram of the automatic material changing equipment in China; Figure 6 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the middle clamp assembly.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 1000. Transfer system; 100. Automatic material changing equipment; 1. Automatic guided vehicle; 11. Limit block; 2. Robotic arm; 21. Six-axis robot arm; 22. Fixture assembly; 221. Mounting plate; 222. Fixture; 2221. Slide cylinder; 2222. Clamping block; 2223. Cylinder; 2224. Motor; 2225. Pallet; 223. Camera; 3. Carrier pallet; 4. Barcode scanner; 5. Bellows cover; 51. First side end; 52. Second side end.

[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 if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0022] 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. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "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.

[0023] In the pump production process, several critical and challenging steps involve the loading and unloading of pump sources, especially lens bonding in the FAC coupling process. The efficiency of the loading and unloading process on the coupling equipment significantly impacts the overall production line capacity. Therefore, improving the loading and unloading cycle time of the FAC coupling process is an unavoidable step in improving pump source production efficiency. Currently, loading and unloading involves manually changing materials on multiple machines (unloading processed materials and placing unprocessed materials). Manual material changing suffers from slow response times and is difficult to sustain for long periods of high-intensity work, leading to decreased work efficiency and making it difficult to achieve a breakthrough in production cycle time.

[0024] This invention proposes a control method for a transfer system.

[0025] Please see Figures 4 to 5In one embodiment of the present invention, the transfer system control method is applied to a transfer system 1000, which includes an automatic material changing device 100, multiple machine tools, and a control device. The control device is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing device 100 and the multiple machine tools. The automatic material changing device 100 includes an automatic guide vehicle 1, a robotic arm 2 mounted on the automatic guide vehicle 1, and a carrier pallet 3. The carrier pallet 3 is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials. The robotic arm 2 is used for loading or unloading materials. The machine tools are used to process the materials to be processed. The multiple machine tools are responsible for processing the materials. After all the materials on the machine tools have been processed, a signal indicating that processing is complete can be sent to the control device. The control device can further drive the automatic material changing device 100 to change materials. The automatic material changing equipment 100 is responsible for the unified loading and unloading of materials and the transfer of materials between all machines. Within the automatic material changing equipment 100, the automated guided vehicle 1 (AGV) is a mobile carrier that can autonomously move between processing machines and pre-set loading areas (unloading processed materials and loading unprocessed materials at these locations). The carrier pallet 3 is a material-carrying fixture mounted on the AGV, with designated independent placement positions for storing unprocessed pumps (materials awaiting processing) and processed pumps (processed materials). The robotic arm 2, mounted on the AGV, performs gripping, unloading, and loading actions, completing the material transfer between machine stations and carrier pallets 3. The control device serves as the system's central scheduling unit (with a built-in processor, memory, and control program for the transfer system 1000). For communication, all equipment uses wireless communication, eliminating the need for wiring, allowing for flexible workshop layout. Machines, loading trolleys, and controllers exchange signals in real time regarding processing completion, material changing requests, and action execution. Automated material changing allows for long-term operation, avoiding efficiency decline caused by prolonged labor. In addition, commands are sent via signal transmission, avoiding the problem of response lag.

[0026] The control method steps for the transfer system are as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of a transfer system control method according to the present invention.

[0027] The control method for the transfer system includes: Step S1: After receiving the processing completion signal from multiple machines, control the automatic material changing equipment 100 in sequence to change the materials of the corresponding multiple machines.

[0028] Multiple machines in the workshop will complete at different times. Disorderly scheduling can easily lead to AGVs shuttling back and forth and machines waiting for materials for extended periods. This solution uses a queuing scheduling system based on the order of completion signals, providing a clear task logic. AGVs process material change requests sequentially, reducing unnecessary trips, shortening machine idle waiting time, lowering cycle time, and increasing the overall capacity of the pump source line. Processing is done in order of completion, with machines that finish processing first receiving priority for material change services, avoiding prolonged idle downtime for some machines and ensuring balanced utilization of all machines. Each material changer is ready to take on the next task immediately after processing a machine, eliminating idle periods and maximizing the operational capacity of the automatic material changer. However, a one-to-one material change between the automatic material changer 100 and a machine can result in the automatic material changer 100 being idle for a significant amount of time, leading to low equipment utilization. Conversely, matching one automatic material changer 100 with a large number of machines can result in longer waiting times for material change. The number of automatic material changers 100 and multiple machines is determined based on production, transfer, and material change times. While ensuring that machine waiting time is kept at a low level, the utilization rate of automatic feeding equipment is kept at a high level.

[0029] Before changing materials on the machine, the automatic material changing equipment 100 needs to load the material to be processed. After changing materials on the machine, it needs to unload the processed material and then load the material to be processed.

[0030] The control method steps for the transfer system are as follows: Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a transfer system control method according to the present invention.

[0031] Step S1 includes: Step S11 includes: moving the automated guided vehicle 1 to a preset material changing area for material changing; Step S12 includes: controlling the automatic material changing device 100 to move to the machine that first issued the signal that processing is complete and has not yet changed the material, and changing the material; Step S13 includes: returning to step "moving to the preset material changing area by the automated guided vehicle 1 for material changing".

[0032] The preset material change area is a designated point in the workshop for standby, loading of materials to be processed, and unloading of processed materials, serving as a task transfer buffer. Loading or unloading materials in the preset material change area can be done manually or automatically by the equipment; there are no restrictions. The overall system is a cyclical scheduling logic, executed repeatedly by S11-S12-S13, processing machines waiting in the queue for material change one by one. After a single machine completes its material change, the AGV returns to the preset material change area and rereads the queued task list in the control device. If there are still unprocessed machines in the queue, S12 is executed again immediately to proceed to the next target machine. If there are no pending tasks, the equipment remains in the standby area waiting for a new machine completion signal.

[0033] Generally, changing materials on a machine involves two steps: first, removing the processed material from the machine and returning it to the preset material changing area; then, retrieving the material to be processed from the preset material changing area and loading it onto the machine. This requires two round trips, reducing the cycle time of the automatic material changing equipment 100. To enable the automatic material changing equipment 100 to complete material changing in a single round trip...

[0034] The control method steps for the transfer system are as follows: Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a third embodiment of a transfer system control method according to the present invention.

[0035] The carrier pallet 3 is provided with multiple placement areas, each for placing one of the materials to be processed or one of the processed materials. The number of materials to be processed is less than the number of placement areas, and any area without materials to be processed or processed materials is an empty area. The machine base has multiple processing stations for placing the materials to be processed or processed materials. Step S12 includes: Step S121: Control the automatic material changing device 100 to move to the machine that first issued the signal that processing is complete and has not yet changed the material; Step S122: The processed material on the machine table is placed into the empty area by the robotic arm 2; Step S123: The robotic arm 2 places the material to be processed at the processing station corresponding to the previous processed material; Step S124: Return to step S122 until all the materials to be processed on the tray have been transferred to the machine, and end the step.

[0036] The carrier pallet 3 is divided into multiple independent placement areas, each capable of holding only one material. The carrier pallet 3 is pre-loaded with a number of materials to be processed, with the total number of materials to be processed less than the number of placement areas. Several empty areas are reserved specifically for temporarily storing finished products just removed from the machine. The machine is equipped with multiple processing stations, each corresponding to a material. Each station independently processes one pump source, requiring the unloading of finished products and the loading of new materials at each station.

[0037] The control device selects the machine that first reports completion but not yet material change in the queue, and drives the automatic material changer 100, carrying all the materials to be processed, to that machine in one go. The entire process is a single trip without needing to return to the material change area. The robotic arm aligns with one of the machine's processing stations, picks up the processed material, and places it directly into a pre-reserved empty area on the pallet, completing the finished product recovery on-site without needing to transport it back to the preset material change area. Since the station where the finished product was just picked up is now empty, the robotic arm immediately grabs the material to be processed from the area of ​​the carrier pallet 3 containing the material to be processed and directly loads it into the same processing station where the finished product was just picked up, achieving a "replace one, unload one" operation. The S122 and S123 cycle is repeated: each processing station of the machine is processed sequentially, and a new material is immediately added after each finished product is unloaded, until all the materials to be processed on the pallet are loaded into the machine's stations, completing the single-machine material change process. The carrier tray 3 has empty areas where no material is placed, allowing processed materials to temporarily reside on the machine. This ensures that there are openings at the processing stations on the machine, enabling the replacement of materials to be processed with those already processed. By relying on a cyclical process, material replacement at all stations of the entire machine can be completed in one go, without multiple round trips. This is suitable for high-volume parallel processing scenarios, and the improvement in material changing efficiency is particularly significant for multi-station machines.

[0038] This invention also proposes a transfer system 1000, which includes an automatic material changing device 100, multiple machine tools, and a control device. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a transfer system 1000 control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The transfer system 1000 control program is configured such that the specific steps of the transfer system control method are as described in the above embodiments. Since this transfer system control method adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here. The automatic material changing device 100 includes an automatic guide vehicle 1, a robotic arm 2 mounted on the automatic guide vehicle 1, and a carrier pallet 3. The carrier pallet 3 is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials, and the robotic arm 2 is used for loading or unloading materials. Multiple machine tools are used to process the materials to be processed. The control device is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing device 100 and the multiple machine tools.

[0039] To enable the robotic arm 2 to accurately grasp materials from the carrier pallet 3, the robotic arm 2 includes a six-axis robotic arm 21 and a gripper assembly 22. The six-axis structure of the six-axis robotic arm 21 has multi-degree-of-freedom spatial motion capabilities, enabling multi-angle posture adjustments in up and down, left and right, forward and backward, and rotation. It can flexibly align with various placement areas on the carrier pallet 3, adapt to pallet height and material placement angle deviations, has a large motion coverage range, and flexible posture adjustment, providing a motion basis for accurate grasping. The six-axis robot arm 21 has an installation end that serves as a support base for the clamping assembly 22. The clamping assembly 22 includes a mounting plate 221, a clamp 222, and a camera 223. The mounting plate 221 is installed at the installation end, and the clamp 222 is installed on the mounting plate 221 to grip the material to be processed and the processed material. The camera 223 is used to photograph the pallet. The camera 223 collects images of the carrier pallet 3 in real time for visual correction, which compensates for errors such as AGV docking deviation, pallet assembly gap, and slight material placement offset, avoiding misalignment, gapping, and collision of materials, meeting the material gripping accuracy requirements, and reducing the product defect rate.

[0040] Since the material signals used by each machine may differ, the transfer system 1000 also includes a barcode scanner 4, which is installed on the automated guided vehicle 1 and used to scan the material to be processed. Only after the material type is confirmed by scanning the barcode can the robotic arm 2 perform subsequent material changing operations.

[0041] For the specific structure of the clamp 222, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 The clamp 222 includes: a slide cylinder 2221 and two clamping blocks 2222; the slide cylinder 2221 has two first movable parts that move relative to or away from each other in a first horizontal direction; the two clamping blocks 2222 are respectively fixedly installed on the two first movable parts. When a gripping signal is sent, the slide cylinder 2221 is air-intaken, and the two first movable parts on both sides move towards each other; the two clamping blocks 2222 synchronously close inward, adhering to the outer wall of the material on both sides, and fixing the material to be processed or already processed by relying on the clamping force; the six-axis robot arm drives the material to complete the transfer; after reaching the target station, the cylinder 2223 reverses the exhaust direction, the first movable parts separate in the opposite direction, the clamping blocks 2222 are released, and the material is unloaded.

[0042] To prevent materials from falling out of the two clamping blocks 2222, breaking, or colliding with other materials, the clamp 222 further includes: two cylinders 2223, two motors 2224, and two support plates 2225; the two cylinders 2223 are fixedly disposed on both sides of the slide cylinder 2221 in the first horizontal direction, and each cylinder 2223 has a second movable part that moves in the vertical direction; the two motors 2224 are respectively mounted on the two second movable parts; the two support plates 2225 are respectively mounted on the motor shafts of the two motors 2224; wherein, the support plates 2225 are driven by the cylinders 2223. The motor 2224 drives the pallet 2225 to rotate along its vertical axis. During this rotation, the pallet 2225 has a first clearance position that is vertically higher than the clamping block 2222 and a first working position that is lower than the clamping block 2222.

[0043] The output end of cylinder 2223 is a second movable part that can be raised and lowered vertically. It is used to drive motor 2224 and pallet 2225 to move up and down as a whole, control the vertical height of pallet 2225, and switch between two positions: First avoidance position: pallet 2225 is raised to above the vertical height of clamping block 2222; at this time, pallet 2225 does not interfere with the opening and closing of clamping block 2222 or the picking and placing of materials. This position is used when grabbing or releasing materials; First working position: cylinder 2223 lowers the second movable part, and pallet 2225 is lowered to below clamping block 2222, at the bottom of the material, to provide support. Motor 2224 rotates around a vertical axis, driving pallet 2225 to rotate and switch horizontal positions. Two rotation positions are set: Second avoidance position: Pallet 2225 rotates to be offset from the vertical projection of clamping block 2222, with no obstruction at the bottom, making it convenient for the robot to reach into the pallet or machine to pick up and put down materials; Second working position: Motor 2224 rotates pallet 2225 so that pallet 2225 is aligned with the bottom of clamping block 2222, and the two pallets 2225 extend to the bottom of the material to form a complete support table.

[0044] Before gripping the material: the vertical cylinder 2223 lifts the pallet 2225 to the first clearance position (higher than the clamping block 2222), and the motor 2224 drives the pallet 2225 to rotate to the second clearance position (displaced from the clamping block 2222); the slide cylinder 2221 drives the clamping block 2222 to open, the robot moves into place, and the clamping block 2222 retracts inward to clamp the two sides of the material.

[0045] Material transfer: The vertical cylinder 2223 drives the pallet 2225 to descend to the first working position, with the two pallets 2225 positioned below the material; the motor 2224 starts, and the pallet 2225 rotates to the second working position, aligning with the bottom of the material; the material is limited by clamping blocks 2222 on the top and sides, and supported by the pallet 2225 at the bottom, forming a wrapping and limiting structure; this prevents the material from shaking or shifting, and from colliding or scratching with surrounding materials.

[0046] Before feeding: Motor 2224 rotates pallet 2225 to the second clearance position to avoid the space below the material; vertical cylinder 2223 can smoothly lift pallet 2225 to the first clearance position; slide cylinder 2221 controls clamp 2222 to open, and the material falls smoothly onto the pallet or machine station to complete feeding.

[0047] While relying solely on the clamping block 2222 and the support plate 2225 can significantly reduce the risk of material falling off or shifting, there are still potential risks of material slippage and tilting due to equipment start-up and shutdown vibrations, material size deviations, and air pressure fluctuations in the cylinder 2223. To promptly detect and handle abnormalities, the clamp 222 also includes a detection device mounted on the mounting plate 221 and facing the clamp 222. This detection device includes a camera. The addition of a camera-type detection device facing the clamping area on the clamp 222 allows for real-time acquisition of images of the material clamping status. If material falls off, shifts, or tilts, the system can quickly identify and trigger an alarm, prompting manual intervention and adjustment to prevent the processing of abnormal materials, which could lead to scrap or machine jamming.

[0048] The carrier pallet 3 is slidably mounted on the automated guided vehicle 1. The carrier pallet 3 adopts a sliding structure and is mounted on the body of the automated guided vehicle 1, allowing for easy pushing, pulling, and disassembly for loading and unloading of entire trays of materials and pallet replacement and maintenance. The automated guided vehicle 1 is equipped with multiple limiting blocks 11, which restrict the installation position of the carrier pallet 3; these blocks clearly define the placement area for the carrier pallet 3, preventing it from shifting and facilitating precise material gripping by the clamp 222. The carrier pallet 3 has multiple placement areas, each with a positioning hole. When material is placed into the positioning hole (square), the pin restricts horizontal displacement and rotational tilt of the material; this facilitates clear identification and precise positioning by the camera 223.

[0049] Material handling during transport presents multiple risks: workshop dust and debris falling on the surface of objects can cause processing defects; airflow and foreign objects can scratch the materials; cutting fluid and moisture from adjacent workstations can contaminate the workpieces. Therefore, a retractable bellows cover 5 is used to enclose the pallet during transport and automatically open when loading or unloading materials, balancing protection needs with automated loading and unloading operations. Specifically, the transport system 1000 also includes a bellows cover 5, which is a retractable and foldable protective cover that extends and retracts along a second horizontal direction. The bellows cover 5 is movably configured along the second horizontal direction: it has a first side end 51 and a second side end 52 opposite each other in the second horizontal direction. The first side end 51 is fixedly installed on one side of the carrier pallet 3 in the second horizontal direction, and the second side end 52 is movably configured along the second horizontal direction, having an open position on the same side of the carrier pallet 3 as the first side end 51, and a closed position on opposite sides of the carrier pallet 3. The first side end 51 of the accordion cover 5 is permanently fixed to the side of the carrier pallet 3 and cannot be moved. The second side end 52 is the free movable end of the accordion cover 5, which can be stretched and retracted along the second horizontal direction, with two extreme positions: when the second side end 52 is folded up to be on the same side of the pallet as the first side end 51, the accordion cover 5 is completely folded and retracted, and the entire placement area of ​​the pallet is completely open and unobstructed; when the second side end 52 is pulled to the other side of the pallet, the first and second side ends 52 are placed on the left and right sides of the pallet respectively, and the accordion cover 5 is fully unfolded, covering the entire pallet and enclosing all the materials on the pallet. When the robot needs to grab or place materials, manually change the entire pallet, or scan and identify materials, the accordion cover 5 retracts. The entire placement area of ​​the pallet is exposed, and the camera 223 and clamp 222 are unobstructed, allowing for normal visual photography, material grabbing, and material replenishment operations. When the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) 1 carries the pallet and moves between machines in the workshop, the accordion cover 5 stretches to close the pallet. The materials are completely covered by the accordion cover 5, forming an independent protective space. The opening and closing of the bellows cover 5 can be achieved by a cylinder 2223 driving the second side end 52 to move, or by a slider connected to the second side end 52, a motor 2224 driving a lead screw, and the lead screw driving the slider to move, thereby adjusting the second side end 52.

[0050] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a transfer system, applied to a transfer system, characterized in that, The transfer system includes: an automatic material changing device, multiple machine stations, and a control device. The control device is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing device and the multiple machine stations. The automatic material changing device includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV), a robotic arm mounted on the AAV, and a carrier pallet. The carrier pallet is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials. The robotic arm is used for loading or unloading materials. The machine stations are used to process the materials to be processed. The control method for the transfer system includes: Upon receiving a processing completion signal from multiple machines, the automatic material changing equipment is controlled in sequence to change the materials for the corresponding machines.

2. The transfer system control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Upon receiving processing completion signals from multiple machines, the automatic material changing equipment is controlled sequentially to change materials for the corresponding machines, including: The automated guided vehicle moves to a preset material changing area for material changing; The automatic material changing device is controlled to move to the machine that first issued the "processing completed" signal and has not yet changed the material, and then the material is changed. The return step is to move the automated guided vehicle to the preset material changing area for material changing.

3. The transfer system control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier pallet is provided with multiple placement areas, each for placing one of the materials to be processed or one of the processed materials. The number of materials to be processed is less than the number of placement areas, and any area without materials to be processed or processed materials is an empty area. The machine base has multiple processing stations for placing the materials to be processed or processed materials. The step of controlling the automatic material changing equipment to move to the machine that first issued the "processed" signal and has not yet changed materials, and changing the materials, includes: Control the automatic material changing equipment to move to the machine that first issued the signal that processing is complete and has not yet been replaced; The robotic arm places the processed material on the machine table into the empty area; The robotic arm places the material to be processed at the processing station corresponding to the previous processed material; Return to step "Place the processed material on the machine platform into the empty area using the robotic arm" until all the materials to be processed on the tray have been transferred to the machine platform, then end the step.

4. A transfer system, characterized in that, include: An automatic material changing device includes an automated guided vehicle and a robotic arm and a carrier pallet mounted on the automated guided vehicle. The carrier pallet is used to position and place materials to be processed or processed materials, and the robotic arm is used to load or unload materials. Multiple machines are used to process the material to be processed; A control device is wirelessly connected to the automatic material changing equipment and the plurality of machine stations. The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a transfer system control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The transfer system control program is configured to implement the transfer system control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The transfer system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes: A six-axis robotic arm with an end-mounting device; The fixture assembly includes a mounting plate, a clamp, and a camera. The mounting plate is mounted on the mounting end, the clamp is mounted on the mounting plate for gripping the material to be processed and the processed material, and the camera is used to photograph the tray. The transfer system also includes the barcode scanner, which is installed on the automated guided vehicle and used to scan the material to be processed.

6. The transfer system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The clamp includes: The slide cylinder has two first moving parts that move relative to or away from each other in a first horizontal direction; Two clamping blocks are respectively fixedly installed on the two first movable parts.

7. The transfer system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The clamp also includes: Two cylinders are fixedly disposed on both sides of the slide cylinder in the first horizontal direction, and the cylinder has a second movable part that moves in the vertical direction; Two motors are respectively installed in the two second movable parts; Two trays are respectively mounted on the motor shafts of the two motors; The pallet has a vertical travel stroke driven by the cylinder, and during the travel stroke, it has a first clearance position higher than the clamping block and a first working position lower than the clamping block. The pallet also has a rotational travel stroke along the vertical axis driven by the motor, and during the rotational travel stroke, the pallet has a second clearance position that is vertically misaligned with the clamping block and a second working position that corresponds to the clamping block in the vertical direction.

8. The transfer system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The fixture further includes a detection device mounted on the mounting plate and oriented towards the fixture; and / or The detection device includes a camera.

9. The transfer system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The vehicle pallet is slidably mounted on the automated guided vehicle (AGV), which is equipped with multiple limiting blocks that restrict the installation position of the vehicle pallet; and / or, The carrier tray has multiple placement areas, and each placement area is provided with a positioning hole.

10. The transfer system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The transfer system also includes a bellows cover, which is movably disposed along a second horizontal direction. The bellows cover has a first side end and a second side end opposite to each other in the second horizontal direction. The first side end is fixedly installed on one side of the carrier tray in the second horizontal direction, and the second side end is movably disposed along the second horizontal direction. In its movement stroke, the second side end has an open position located on the same side of the carrier tray as the first side end, and a closed position located on both sides of the carrier tray, respectively, as the first side end.

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