Automatic cutting device and cutting process for special-shaped ignition sheet for thermal battery

Abstract

The application discloses a cutting process of an automatic cutting equipment for special-shaped ignition sheets of thermal batteries, and comprises the following steps: automatic picking and placing of ignition paper, non-contact suction disc positioning and suction, automatic layout and path planning of the system, automatic cutting of the vibration knife with high-frequency and small-amplitude axial vibration, picking of finished products, and automatic collection of edge and corner materials. The vibration knife flexible cutting is adopted to replace the traditional impact punching, and the firework explosion risk caused by extrusion, impact and friction is eliminated in principle, and the intrinsic safety is greatly improved. Meanwhile, the cutting track is controlled by software, the special-shaped ignition sheets such as "cross" and "Y" shapes can be cut without replacing the mold, and the automatic layout optimization of the graphics is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thermal battery production technology, specifically to an automatic cutting device and cutting process for irregularly shaped ignition sheets used in thermal batteries. Background Technology

[0002] Thermal batteries, as high-performance storage batteries that rely on their own heat source to melt and activate the electrolyte, are widely used in cutting-edge fields such as weaponry and aerospace due to their significant advantages such as short activation time, long storage period, and strong environmental adaptability. Reliable activation is the primary prerequisite for the operation of a thermal battery, and the igniter is the core component in this activation chain. Igniters are typically made from sensitive pyrotechnic materials such as zirconium powder and barium chromate, along with fibers, using a wet papermaking process. They are fruit-green sheet-like materials. Their function is to rapidly undergo a thermochemical reaction upon receiving a weak ignition source from an igniter, generating high temperatures that ignite the heating element inside the battery, thus putting the battery into operation. To accommodate different internal structures and heat conduction paths of thermal batteries, igniters need to be cut into various complex irregular shapes such as "+", "Y", and "S" shapes.

[0003] Currently, the industry generally uses a manual punching process to cut ignition strips. This involves an operator moving the ignition paper, placing the corresponding punching die on the paper, applying pressure to the die by activating a cylinder, and punching the ignition strip off the paper. The operator then manually removes the punched ignition strip from the die and repeats the above operation.

[0004] The above methods have the following drawbacks: (1) Poor operational safety. Ignition paper is a pyrotechnic material. It will spontaneously combust when subjected to factors such as squeezing, impact, and static electricity. The combustion temperature can reach thousands of degrees Celsius instantly. Accidental combustion during cutting poses a serious threat to the personal safety of the operator. At the same time, there is also a risk of mechanical injury during the punching process. (2) Poor compatibility and high production cost. Different types of irregularly shaped ignition sheets require corresponding special punching dies to meet the punching requirements, resulting in the need to process a large number of dies and increase production costs. (3) Low efficiency. The traditional punching method requires manual movement of the ignition paper. After determining the position, punching is performed, and then the ignition sheet is demolded. (4) Low utilization rate. The traditional punching method mainly relies on the human eye to observe the punching distance to move the ignition paper. During the punching process, the ignition paper is easy to stick to the punching die, which increases the punching distance and causes a lot of waste of ignition paper, resulting in low utilization rate. (5) Low forming rate. Especially for irregularly shaped ignition pieces such as "+", "Y", "Z" and "S" shapes, the ignition pieces are prone to breakage and damage during manual punching, resulting in a low forming rate.

[0005] In summary, there is an urgent need for a safer, more efficient, more flexible, and higher-quality ignition piece production equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an automatic cutting device and cutting process for irregularly shaped ignition sheets used in thermal batteries. To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application provides the following technical solution: An automatic cutting device for irregularly shaped ignition sheets for thermal batteries includes: a frame; a feeding tray disposed on the frame for placing ignition paper; a conveyor belt disposed on the frame; a positioning system including a suction cup disposed below the conveyor belt; a material-picking robot mounted above the frame, with a suction device attached to its end; a cutting mechanism disposed on the frame and spanning above the conveyor belt, the cutting mechanism including a drive assembly having movement in the X, Y, and Z directions and a vibrating knife cutting unit mounted on the drive assembly; the vibrating knife cutting unit including a cutting blade and a vibrator for driving the cutting blade to vibrate; a scrap recycling device disposed at the end of the conveyor belt; and a control system electrically connected to the material-picking robot, the positioning system, the cutting mechanism, and the conveyor belt.

[0007] Furthermore, the suction cup is a Bernoulli suction cup, and the air supply is controlled by a solenoid valve.

[0008] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes an X-axis motion module, a Y-axis motion module, and a Z-axis motion module, all of which are driven by ball screws using linear guides and servo motors.

[0009] Furthermore, the conveyor belt is a felt conveyor belt.

[0010] Furthermore, the suction device is a vacuum suction cup.

[0011] Furthermore, the scrap recycling device is a receiving tray.

[0012] A cutting process of an automatic cutting device includes the following steps: S1. The ignition paper is picked up from the feeding tray by the suction device at the end of the picking robot and placed in the predetermined area of ​​the conveyor belt. S2. Automatic positioning and clamping of ignition paper: The suction cups located below the conveyor belt are activated to flatly and firmly attach the ignition paper to the conveyor belt. S3. Import the preset ignition sheet graphic into the control system. The system will automatically arrange the graphic on the entire ignition paper and plan the cutting path. S4. Drive the cutting motion mechanism to drive the vibrating knife cutting unit to move, and at the same time drive the cutter of the vibrating knife to perform high-frequency micro-amplitude axial vibration, so that the cutter penetrates the ignition paper and moves along the planned path to complete the cutting. S5. After cutting, the suction cup is turned off, and the material handling robot picks up the cut ignition piece and transfers it to the finished product receiving tray. S6. The conveyor belt moves toward the scrap collection device, causing the remaining scraps to fall into the collection tray.

[0013] The working principle and beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By designing a new automatic cutting equipment for irregularly shaped ignition sheets, the requirements for cutting irregularly shaped ignition sheets of different shapes and sizes are met, improving the equipment's versatility in cutting ignition sheets of different shapes. By changing the original stamping process and using a vibrating knife to cut instead of the original stamping method, the number of molds required by the original ignition sheet stamping method is reduced, cutting accuracy is improved, product quality and production efficiency are improved, and the intrinsic safety of cutting ignition paper for thermal batteries is enhanced. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 , Figure 2 For manual drafting; Figure 3 , Figure 4 Layout diagram of cross-shaped ignition plates; Figure 5 , Figure 6 Layout diagram of Y-shaped ignition plates; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting motion mechanism; Figure 8 This is a front view of the cutting blade rotating device; Figure 9 A top view of the automatic cutting equipment; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vibrating knife cutting unit; Figure 11 This is the front view of the vibrating knife cutting unit. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method: Figure reference numerals: 1. Feeding tray; 2. Finished product receiving tray; 3. Ignition paper; 4. Vibrating knife cutting unit; 5. Cutting motion mechanism; 6. Scrap material receiving tray; 7. Infrared projection; 8. Felt conveyor belt; 9. Material handling robot; 10. Suction device; 403. Cutting knife rotation device; 402. Cutting knife; 401. Vibrator; 501. X-axis motion module; 502. Y-axis motion module; 503. Z-axis motion module.

[0016] Example 1: Refer to Figures 3 to 11 In this embodiment 1, an automatic cutting device is used to cut "+" shaped ignition pieces. The device includes a frame, a feeding tray 1, a felt conveyor belt 8, a Bernoulli suction cup (located below the felt conveyor belt 8), a material handling robot 9 and its end suction device 10, a cutting motion mechanism 5, a vibrating knife cutting unit 4, a finished product receiving tray 2, a scrap material receiving tray 6, and a control system.

[0017] Process steps: S1, Automatic picking and placing of ignition paper 3: The control system issues a command, and the picking robot 9 drives the end suction device 10 (in this embodiment, a Bernoulli suction cup) to move above the feeding tray 1, lowers to pick up a piece of light green ignition paper 3, lifts it up and moves it above the felt conveyor belt 8 in the infrared projection area 7, puts the ignition paper 3 down, and automatically aligns the edge of the paper with the infrared projection line.

[0018] S2. Automatic positioning and clamping of ignition paper 3: The control system activates the Bernoulli suction cup installed below the felt conveyor belt 8 via a solenoid valve. The Bernoulli suction cup utilizes Bernoulli's principle to create a high-speed airflow area between the ignition paper 3 and the conveyor belt, generating negative pressure to firmly adhere the entire ignition paper 3 to the felt conveyor belt 8, ensuring a smooth paper surface and preventing relative slippage between the paper and the conveyor belt.

[0019] S3. Automatic Layout and Path Planning: The operator imports a pre-drawn "+" shaped ignition piece CAD drawing (dxf format) into the host computer software of the control system, inputs the paper size of 280×280mm and the cutting quantity of 1 sheet. The system automatically calls the layout algorithm to perform optimal layout on the entire sheet of ignition paper 3 (64 graphics are arranged in this example), and plans the shortest non-overlapping path for the cutter head to move, generating cutting instructions.

[0020] S4. Automatic Cutting: The control system sends cutting commands to the cutting motion mechanism 5 and the vibrating knife cutting unit 4. The XX-axis motion module 501 and YX-axis motion module 501 of the cutting motion mechanism 5 control the planar position of the vibrating knife cutting unit 4 according to the path, and the ZX-axis motion module 501 controls the lifting and lowering of the cutter 402. At the same time, the vibrator 401 inside the cutter rotation device 403 (see...) Figure 3 The specially designed cutter 402 is driven to perform axial high-frequency micro-vibration at a frequency of approximately 20,000 Hz and an amplitude of 0.5-1 mm. When the cutter 402 descends and contacts the ignited paper 3, the vibration energy causes the blade to penetrate the paper instantly. As it moves along the X / Y axis, it completes the cutting along the planned path. After penetrating the paper, the cutter 402 will slightly touch the felt conveyor belt 8. The elasticity of the felt absorbs the axial impact, protecting the blade and preventing hard friction.

[0021] S5. Picking and Placing Ignition Flakes: After cutting, the control system shuts off the air supply to the Bernoulli suction cup and releases the ignition paper 3. The picking robot 9 moves again, and its suction device 10 (a vacuum suction cup is used in this embodiment) sequentially picks up the cut ignition flakes and transfers them neatly to the finished product receiving tray 2. When the number in the receiving tray reaches a preset value (e.g., 200 flakes), the system issues an audible and visual reminder, prompting the operator to remove the finished product.

[0022] S6. Automatic Collection of Scrap Materials: After all finished products have been removed, the control system starts the drive motor of the felt conveyor belt 8, and the conveyor belt moves towards the scrap material collection tray 6. When the end of the conveyor belt reaches above the scrap material collection tray 6, the scrap materials automatically fall into the scrap material collection tray 6 by gravity. Then the conveyor belt resets, and the system automatically enters the next working cycle.

[0023] Example 2: Automatic cutting of "Y" shaped ignition sheet. The equipment and process steps are exactly the same as in Example 1. The only change is that the "Y" shaped CAD drawing is imported in step S3.

[0024] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solution of this invention. These modifications and improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention, and will not affect the effectiveness of the invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application shall be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic cutting device for irregularly shaped ignition sheets used in thermal batteries, characterized in that, include: frame; A feeding tray, located on the frame, is used to hold ignition paper; A conveyor belt is mounted on the frame; The positioning system includes suction cups disposed below the conveyor belt; A material handling robot is mounted above the frame, with a suction device installed at its end; a cutting mechanism is disposed on the frame and spans across the conveyor belt, the cutting mechanism including a drive assembly that moves in the X, Y, and Z directions and a vibrating knife cutting unit mounted on the drive assembly; the vibrating knife cutting unit includes a cutting blade and a vibrator that drives the cutting blade to vibrate; A scrap recycling device is located at the end of the conveyor belt; and a control system is electrically connected to the material handling robot, positioning system, cutting mechanism and conveyor belt.

2. The automatic cutting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup is a Bernoulli suction cup, and the air supply is controlled by a solenoid valve.

3. The automatic cutting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive components include an X-axis motion module, a Y-axis motion module, and a Z-axis motion module, all of which are driven by ball screws using linear guides and servo motors.

4. The automatic cutting equipment for irregularly shaped ignition sheets for thermal batteries according to claim 3, characterized in that, The conveyor belt is a felt conveyor belt.

5. The automatic cutting equipment for irregularly shaped ignition sheets for thermal batteries according to claim 4, characterized in that, The suction device is a vacuum suction cup.

6. The automatic cutting equipment for irregularly shaped ignition sheets for thermal batteries according to claim 5, characterized in that, The scrap recycling device is a receiving tray.

7. The cutting process of the automatic cutting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The ignition paper is picked up from the feeding tray by the suction device at the end of the picking robot and placed in the predetermined area of ​​the conveyor belt. S2. Automatic positioning and clamping of ignition paper: The suction cups located below the conveyor belt are activated to flatly and firmly attach the ignition paper to the conveyor belt. S3. Import the preset ignition sheet graphic into the control system. The system will automatically arrange the graphic on the entire ignition paper and plan the cutting path. S4. Drive the cutting motion mechanism to drive the vibrating knife cutting unit to move, and at the same time drive the cutter of the vibrating knife to perform high-frequency micro-amplitude axial vibration, so that the cutter penetrates the ignition paper and moves along the planned path to complete the cutting. S5. After cutting, the suction cup is turned off, and the material handling robot picks up the cut ignition piece and transfers it to the finished product receiving tray. S6. The conveyor belt moves toward the scrap collection device, causing the remaining scraps to fall into the collection tray.

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