Rotary table, machining device and machining method thereof

Abstract

A rotary worktable, a processing device and a processing method thereof, the rotary worktable comprising a base, a pedestal pivotally connected to the base and a driving mechanism for driving the pedestal to rotate in a vertical plane, four mounting surfaces are arranged on the pedestal, clamping platforms are arranged on the mounting surfaces, and adjacent two clamping platforms are perpendicular to each other. The processing device comprises the rotary worktable, a feeding mechanical arm and a processing device. The workpiece is adsorbed and fixed on the pedestal by the clamping platform, and the pedestal drives the workpiece to switch between different stations when rotating, so that the workpiece is flipped without using a clamping mechanism to clamp the workpiece, thereby avoiding the safety hazard of the workpiece falling during the flipping process, and preventing the workpiece surface from being damaged by the clamp. The present application has the advantages of compact structure, accurate positioning, automatic continuous processing, and effective improvement of production efficiency and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of machining equipment technology, and in particular to a rotary worktable, machining equipment including the rotary worktable, and machining method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] In machining, workpieces often require multiple processes, such as top milling, bottom milling, side milling, edge chamfering, drilling, and grinding. Traditional machining methods typically require multiple machine tools to complete different processes. After each process, the workpiece needs to be manually transferred to the next machine tool using an overhead crane or other hoisting equipment, and it must be repositioned and clamped after each transfer. This machining method suffers from problems such as high workpiece turnover, long auxiliary time, low machining efficiency, and positioning errors caused by multiple clamping operations.

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, existing technologies have developed modular machine tools that integrate multiple processing devices onto a single bed. For example, CN121551676A discloses a modular machine tool and its processing method, which employs a flipping conveyor to transport and flip workpieces between workstations. For instance, the flipping conveyor in an existing modular machine tool includes an X-axis moving mechanism, a Y-axis moving mechanism, a Z-axis moving mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism holds the workpiece with two chucks, and the rotating mechanism drives the clamping mechanism to flip, thereby achieving the flipping and transport of the workpiece. However, this method of relying on clamping mechanisms to hold workpieces for flipping and transportation has the following drawbacks: First, during the clamping and flipping process, the workpiece is only clamped by the chuck. If the clamping force is insufficient or the workpiece surface is slippery, the workpiece is easy to fall out of the chuck, posing a significant safety hazard. Second, the chuck directly clamps the workpiece surface. If the clamping force is too large, it is easy to leave clamp marks on the workpiece surface, or even cause the workpiece to deform or be damaged, especially for machined surfaces or precision workpieces, affecting product quality. Third, clamping and flipping require additional clamping and rotating mechanisms, which are complex in structure, occupy a lot of space, and the workpiece needs to be removed from the worktable during the flipping process, making it difficult to guarantee positioning accuracy.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a rotary worktable and processing equipment that can achieve multi-station switching of workpieces without clamping and flipping, so as to overcome the defects of existing technology where workpieces are easy to fall off and clamps are easy to damage workpieces. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is a rotary worktable, processing equipment and processing method, which can realize multi-station switching and flipping of workpieces through a rotating base and clamping platform, without the need to clamp and flip the workpiece, thereby avoiding the problems of workpiece falling and fixture damage to the workpiece, and improving processing safety and product quality.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a rotary worktable, including a base, a base pivotally connected to the base, and a drive mechanism for driving the base to rotate in a vertical plane. The base is provided with four mounting surfaces, which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the base. The mounting surfaces are provided with clamping platforms, and two adjacent clamping platforms are perpendicular to each other.

[0007] As an improvement, the base includes brackets located on the left and right sides of the base, and the base has rotating shafts on both sides, which are rotatably connected to the brackets.

[0008] As an improvement, the rotating shaft is provided with a positioning plate, the positioning plate is provided with four circumferentially evenly distributed positioning holes, and the bracket is provided with a pin cylinder that mates with the positioning holes.

[0009] As an improvement, the top of the bracket is provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping the base or clamping platform, and the bottom of the base is provided with a support mechanism for pressing the base.

[0010] As an improvement, the clamping platform located at the top of the base is in the loading station, the clamping platform located at the bottom of the base is in the unloading station, the clamping platform located on one side of the base is in the processing station, and the clamping platform located on the other side of the base is in the transition station.

[0011] As an improvement, a pallet conveying mechanism is provided below the base. The pallet conveying mechanism includes a fixed pallet, a first power source that drives the fixed pallet to move horizontally on a slide rail, a movable pallet located on top of the fixed pallet, and a hydraulic cylinder that drives the movable pallet to lift and lower.

[0012] As an improvement, the fixed tray is provided with several through holes, and the bottom of the movable tray is provided with a pad corresponding to the through holes. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder can pass through the through holes of the fixed tray and abut against the pad.

[0013] As an improvement, an air blowing mechanism is provided below the base, facing the bottom clamping platform.

[0014] A processing device includes the aforementioned rotary worktable, loading robot, and processing device; the loading robot operates at a loading station on the top of the base, and the processing device operates at a processing station on one side of the base.

[0015] A processing method using a processing device includes the following steps: (1) The loading robot places the workpiece onto the clamping platform located at the loading station, and the clamping platform adsorbs and fixes the workpiece. (2) The drive mechanism drives the base to rotate 90 degrees, so that the clamping platform rotates to the processing station; (3) After the base is fixed, the processing device processes the top surface of the workpiece; (4) At the same time, the next clamping platform enters the loading station, and the loading robot places the new workpiece onto the clamping platform at the loading station; (5) After processing is completed, the drive mechanism continues to drive the base to rotate 90 degrees, so that the clamping platform rotates to the unloading station; (6) The clamping platform at the unloading station is unlocked, the workpiece is automatically unloaded and flipped; (7) The loading robot places the flipped workpiece back onto the clamping platform of the loading station and processes the bottom surface of the workpiece according to steps (1) to (6).

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention compared to the prior art are: Because the base has four mounting surfaces, each with a clamping platform, and adjacent clamping platforms are perpendicular to each other, the base can rotate in the vertical plane, allowing the four clamping platforms to switch between different workstations. The workpiece is held in place by the clamping platforms and rotates with the base, eliminating the need for clamping mechanisms to hold the workpiece for flipping. This completely avoids the safety hazard of the workpiece falling during flipping and prevents damage to the workpiece surface from clamping. The clamping platforms can quickly fix and release the workpiece, reducing clamping time. A positioning plate and a pin cylinder can precisely lock the base's rotation angle, ensuring machining accuracy. The clamping and supporting mechanisms further improve the base's stability during machining. The pallet conveying mechanism automatically transports the workpiece pallet to the unloading station for easy unloading. An air blowing mechanism blows air onto the bottom clamping platform, and combined with the weight of the waste, quickly removes debris or dust from the platform surface. This invention combines a rotating worktable, a loading robot, and a machining device, enabling automated loading, machining, unloading, and flipping, significantly improving machining efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the processing equipment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a side view of the rotary table (I).

[0019] Figure 3 Side view II of the rotary table.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the rotary table (I).

[0021] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the rotary table, II. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] like Figures 2 to 5As shown, a rotary worktable 2 includes a base 21, a base 22 pivotally connected to the base 21, and a drive mechanism 25 for rotating the base 22 in a vertical plane. The base 22 has four mounting surfaces, each equipped with a magnetic chuck 23. Adjacent magnetic chucks 23 are perpendicular to each other, and all four magnetic chucks 23 operate independently. In this embodiment, the base 22 is approximately cubic in shape, with its four sides forming four mounting surfaces. Magnetic chucks 23 are mounted on each of the four mounting surfaces; these chucks 23 can be electromagnetic chucks 23, used to attract and fix workpieces. Since adjacent mounting surfaces are perpendicular to each other, the attraction surfaces of adjacent magnetic chucks 23 are also perpendicular to each other. When the base 22 rotates around a horizontal axis, the four magnetic chucks 23 sequentially pass through a loading station, a processing station, a unloading station, and a transition station.

[0024] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, unlike existing technologies that use clamping mechanisms to hold and flip workpieces, this invention uses a magnetic chuck 23 to adhere and fix the workpiece to the mounting surface. The workpiece remains attached to the base 22 and rotates with it. The workpiece does not need to be held by the chuck or detach from the worktable, thus eliminating the risk of it falling out of the chuck and preventing damage to the workpiece surface due to excessive clamping force. The magnetic chuck 23 has a uniformly distributed adsorption force, causing no damage to the workpiece surface, making it particularly suitable for fixing machined surfaces or precision workpieces.

[0025] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the base 21 includes brackets 211 located on the left and right sides of the base 22. Rotating shafts are provided on both sides of the base 22, and these shafts are rotatably connected to the brackets 211. Specifically, the left and right sides of the base 22 extend outwards to form rotating shafts, and bearing seats are provided on the brackets. The rotating shafts are rotatably connected to the brackets via bearings. A drive mechanism 25 can be mounted on one of the brackets 211 and includes a servo motor and a reducer. The servo motor is connected to the rotating shaft via the reducer, thereby driving the base 22 to rotate in a vertical plane. The drive mechanism can also be a worm gear mechanism, a divider, or other mechanisms capable of achieving precise angular rotation.

[0026] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, to achieve precise locking of the base 22 after it has rotated to its designated position, a positioning plate is provided on the rotating shaft. The positioning plate has four evenly distributed positioning holes, and the bracket is equipped with a pin cylinder 26 that mates with these positioning holes. When the base 22 rotates 90 degrees, one positioning hole on the positioning plate aligns with the piston rod of the pin cylinder 26. The pin cylinder 26 actuates, inserting the piston rod into the positioning hole and locking the base 22, preventing it from rotating during processing. The four positioning holes correspond to the four rotational positions of the base 22, i.e., four workstations.

[0027] like Figures 2 to 5As shown, to improve the stability of the base 22 at the machining station, the top of the bracket is provided with a clamping mechanism 24 to clamp the base 22 or the magnetic chuck 23, and the bottom of the base 22 is provided with a support mechanism 27 to press the base 22. The clamping mechanism 24 can be a pressure plate driven by a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. When the base 22 is rotated into position, the clamping mechanism 24 presses down on the top of the base 22 or presses down on the magnetic chuck 23 located at the top. The support mechanism 27 can be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a mechanical push rod, which presses the base 22 from below, and cooperates with the clamping mechanism 24 to form an upper and lower clamping, reducing vibration during machining.

[0028] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, a pallet conveying mechanism 28 is provided below the base 22. The pallet conveying mechanism 28 includes a fixed pallet 281, a first power source for driving the fixed pallet 281 to move horizontally on a slide rail, a movable pallet 282 located on top of the fixed pallet 281, and a hydraulic cylinder 283 for driving the movable pallet 282 to rise and fall. The first power source can be a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a motor screw mechanism. The fixed pallet 281 can move horizontally on the slide rail, thereby sending the movable pallet 282 into or out of the unloading station below the base 22. The fixed pallet 281 is provided with several through holes, and the bottom of the movable pallet 282 is provided with a pad corresponding to the through holes. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 283 can pass through the through holes of the fixed pallet 281 and abut against the pad. When the movable pallet 282 needs to be lifted, the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 283 extends upward, passes through the through hole, and presses against the pad, thereby lifting the movable pallet 282 and bringing it close to the magnetic chuck 23 at the bottom of the base 22 for easy reception of workpieces released from the magnetic chuck 23. When lifting is not required, the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 283 retracts, the movable pallet 282 descends and falls onto the fixed pallet 281, and the pad extends into the through hole, realizing the engagement between the movable pallet 282 and the fixed pallet 281.

[0029] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, an air blowing mechanism is also provided below the base 22, facing the magnetic chuck 23 located at the bottom. The air blowing mechanism may include an air nozzle, an air pipe, and a valve, and is connected to an air source. During material feeding, the air blowing mechanism blows air onto the bottom magnetic chuck 23, and with the weight of the waste, it can quickly remove debris or dust from the surface of the magnetic chuck 23.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, the present invention also provides a processing device, including the aforementioned rotary worktable 2, loading robot 3, and processing device 1. The loading robot 3 operates at the loading station on the top of the base 22, and the processing device operates at the processing station on one side of the base 22. The loading robot 3 places the workpiece 4 to be processed onto the magnetic chuck 23 located at the loading station. The magnetic chuck 23 is energized or magnetized to attract and fix the workpiece 4. The drive mechanism drives the base 22 to rotate 90 degrees, causing the magnetic chuck 23 to rotate to the processing station, where the processing device 3 processes the workpiece 4. At the same time, another magnetic chuck 23 enters the loading station, realizing continuous cyclic operation. After processing is completed, the base 22 continues to rotate 90 degrees, and the magnetic chuck 23 rotates to the unloading station. The magnetic chuck 23 is demagnetized, and the workpiece 4 falls onto the pallet conveying mechanism 28, which then sends it out, simultaneously flipping the workpiece 4. The loading robot 3 places the flipped workpiece 4 back onto the magnetic chuck 23 at the loading station, awaiting the next round of processing. Throughout the process, the workpiece 4 remains firmly held in place by the magnetic chuck 23, eliminating the need for clamping and flipping, ensuring safety and reliability.

[0031] The processing device 1 can be a cutting processing device, a grinding processing device, or a drilling processing device. For example, the processing device can be a milling head, a grinding head, a drill bit, etc. Depending on the processing needs, one or more processing devices can be provided. In this embodiment, the processing device 1 is a side milling device provided at the processing station on one side of the base 22, which processes the workpiece 4 located on the magnetic chuck 23 at the processing station.

[0032] The loading robot 3 includes a slide rail, a slide block 31 that slides with the slide rail, a second power source for driving the slide block 31, a cantilever 33 located on top of the slide block 31, a rotary drive for driving the cantilever 33 to rotate, and a pick-and-place component located at the end of the cantilever 33 for picking up and placing workpieces 4. The slide block 31 can move horizontally along the slide rail, thereby driving the cantilever 33 to move closer to or away from the rotary worktable 2; the slide block 31 and the fixed tray 281 can share the slide rail, facilitating the loading robot 3 to operate on the workpieces 4 removed from the tray. The first power source and the second power source can be the same power source or two independent power sources. The rotary drive can be a rotary cylinder, a servo motor, or a stepper motor, used to drive the cantilever 33 to rotate around a vertical axis, thereby adjusting the angle of the pick-and-place component. The pick-and-place component can be a magnetic block 35 and an electric pusher cylinder 34, used to pick up or clamp the workpieces 4. After the loading robot 3 picks up the material from the feeding position, it moves to the loading station above the base 22, places the workpiece 4 on the magnetic chuck 23, and then the magnetic chuck 23 fixes the workpiece 4.

[0033] The processing equipment of this invention operates as follows: The loading robot 3 places the workpiece 4 onto the magnetic chuck 23 located at the loading station, and the magnetic chuck 23 adsorbs and fixes the workpiece 4. The driving mechanism 25 drives the base 22 to rotate 90 degrees, causing the magnetic chuck 23 to rotate to the processing station. The pin cylinder 26 is inserted into the positioning hole of the positioning plate to lock the base 22. The clamping mechanism 24 and the support mechanism 27 clamp and push the base 22 from above and below, respectively. The processing device 1 processes the top surface of the workpiece 4. At the same time, the next magnetic chuck 23 enters the loading station. After processing is completed, the clamping mechanism 24 and the support mechanism 27 are released, the pin cylinder 26 is pulled out, and the driving mechanism 25 continues to drive the base 22 to rotate 90 degrees, causing the magnetic chuck 23 to rotate to the unloading station. The magnetic chuck 23 is demagnetized, and the workpiece 4 falls onto the movable tray 282. Hydraulic cylinder 283 drives movable pallet 282 to descend, and fixed pallet 281 moves out along slide rail under the drive of the first power source, sending out workpiece 4. If necessary, the flipped workpiece 4 can be placed back onto magnetic chuck 23 at the processing station for processing of the bottom surface of workpiece 4.

[0034] In summary, this invention achieves multi-station switching of the workpiece 4 through the rotating base 22 and the magnetic chuck 23. The workpiece 4 is always held and fixed by the magnetic chuck 23 during processing, eliminating the need for clamping and flipping. This fundamentally avoids the shortcomings of existing flipping devices where the workpiece 4 easily falls off during flipping and the fixture easily damages the workpiece 4. Simultaneously, the rotating worktable of this invention has a compact structure and precise positioning. Combined with the loading robot 3 and processing device, it can achieve automated continuous processing, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality.

Claims

1. A rotary worktable, comprising a base, a pedestal pivotally connected to the base, and a drive mechanism for rotating the pedestal in a vertical plane, characterized in that: The base has four mounting surfaces, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the base. Each mounting surface has a clamping platform, and two adjacent clamping platforms are perpendicular to each other.

2. A rotary worktable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base includes brackets located on the left and right sides of the base, and the base has rotating shafts on both sides, which are rotatably connected to the brackets.

3. A rotary worktable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is provided with a positioning plate, which has four circumferentially distributed positioning holes. The bracket is provided with a pin cylinder that mates with the positioning holes.

4. A rotary worktable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the bracket is provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping the base or clamping platform, and the bottom of the base is provided with a support mechanism for pressing the base.

5. A rotary worktable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping platform located at the top of the base is in the loading station, the clamping platform located at the bottom of the base is in the unloading station, the clamping platform located on one side of the base is in the processing station, and the clamping platform located on the other side of the base is in the transition station.

6. A rotary worktable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is provided with a pallet conveying mechanism, which includes a fixed pallet, a first power source that drives the fixed pallet to move horizontally on a slide rail, a movable pallet located on top of the fixed pallet, and a hydraulic cylinder that drives the movable pallet to lift.

7. A rotary worktable according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixed tray has several through holes, and the bottom of the movable tray has a pad corresponding to the through holes. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder can pass through the through holes of the fixed tray and abut against the pad.

8. A rotary worktable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is provided with an air blowing mechanism facing the bottom clamping platform.

9. A processing device, characterized in that: It includes a rotary table, a loading robot, and a processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; the loading robot operates at a loading station on the top of the base, and the processing device operates at a processing station on one side of the base.

10. A processing method using the processing equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) The loading robot places the workpiece onto the clamping platform located at the loading station, and the clamping platform adsorbs and fixes the workpiece. (2) The drive mechanism drives the base to rotate 90 degrees, so that the clamping platform rotates to the processing station; (3) After the base is fixed, the processing device processes the top surface of the workpiece; (4) At the same time, the next clamping platform enters the loading station, and the loading robot places the new workpiece onto the clamping platform at the loading station; (5) After processing is completed, the drive mechanism continues to drive the base to rotate 90 degrees, so that the clamping platform rotates to the unloading station; (6) The clamping platform at the unloading station is unlocked, the workpiece is automatically unloaded and flipped; (7) The loading robot places the flipped workpiece back onto the clamping platform of the loading station and processes the bottom surface of the workpiece according to steps (1) to (6).

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