Automatic feeding and discharging method of a board separating machine

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of pallet loading and unloading technology, and provides an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator. The method includes: providing multiple empty pallets stacked in an empty pallet placement rack; a conveyor mechanism moving below the empty pallet placement rack to form a pushing stroke state; a pallet-separating mechanism separating the bottom pallet from the upper pallet; the conveyor mechanism stepping one pallet distance forward to push the bottom pallet forward; repeating the above steps until the conveyor track is full of pallet queues; simultaneously performing a pallet retrieval action, a robotic arm loading pallets into the loading area, wherein the pallet retrieval action includes the pallet-separating mechanism separating the bottom pallet from the upper pallet, and the conveyor mechanism's pusher maintaining its pushing stroke state at the empty pallet placement rack's outlet side; and pushing again after the pallet is full. This invention achieves continuous, streamlined loading and unloading operations through the coordinated control of queue-based stepping and parallel loading, effectively eliminating equipment waiting time and improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pallet loading and unloading technology, and in particular to an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator. Background Technology

[0002] A PCB depaneling machine is an automated device used in PCB manufacturing to separate panelized boards into individual boards. Its loading and unloading processes directly impact production efficiency and product quality. During depaneling, trays hold the PCBs to be processed, and the processes of loading, depaneling, and unloading are completed sequentially. Traditional manual loading and unloading methods are labor-intensive, inefficient, and prone to errors, making them unsuitable for modern mass production.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, various automated loading and unloading solutions have emerged in the prior art. For example, utility model patent CN220200662U discloses a high-efficiency automated tray loading and unloading device, including a tray loading lifting module, a tray unloading lifting module, a tray handling component, and a robotic arm. However, these existing technologies still have shortcomings: during the process of conveying trays from the empty tray placement area to the loading area, after the handling component moves the empty tray to the loading station, it must wait for the robotic arm to complete the loading operation before it can perform the next handling action. The handling component is in a stationary state during the waiting period, resulting in a long waiting time for the equipment, slowing down the production cycle, and reducing work efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, an automatic loading and unloading method for PCB depaneling machines is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the main technical solutions adopted by the present invention include: An automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine includes the following steps: S1: Provides multiple empty trays that are stacked and stored in an empty tray rack; S2: The conveying mechanism moves to the bottom of the empty tray placement rack, forming a push-stroke state; S3: The tray separating mechanism separates the bottom tray from the top tray; S4: The conveying mechanism steps one pallet distance along the conveying direction, pushing the bottom pallet forward one pallet position; S5: Repeat steps S2-S4 until the pallets on the conveyor track from the empty pallet placement rack to the loading area are full and the foremost pallet reaches the loading area. At this time, the push block of the conveyor mechanism is in the push stroke state and is located on the discharge port side of the empty pallet placement rack. S6: Execute step S3, while the robot arm loads the pallet in the loading area until the pallet is full; S7: After the pallet in the feeding area is full, step S4 is executed to bring a new pallet into the end of the pallet queue and push the entire pallet queue forward by one pallet position. The full pallet in the feeding area is pushed out of the feeding area, and at the same time, a new empty pallet enters the feeding area. Then step S6 is executed. S8: After the full pallet is pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack, the stacking mechanism pushes the full pallet into the receiving rack for stacking and collection; S9: Repeat steps S7 to S8 until all the trays in the empty tray rack are removed.

[0007] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator according to the present invention, in step S2, the specific steps for the conveying mechanism to form the push stroke state are as follows: the push block of the conveying mechanism is in a horizontal state during the return stroke and passes under the empty tray placement frame. After reaching the other side of the empty tray placement frame, the push block automatically tilts up under the elastic force of the spring and enters the push stroke state.

[0008] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator according to the present invention, in step S3, the PCB separator mechanism performs the following actions: the first lifting mechanism lifts upward, the clamping mechanism clamps the second to last tray, and the first lifting mechanism resets downward, so that the bottom tray is separated from the upper tray and remains separated, waiting for the conveying mechanism to push it.

[0009] According to an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine based on the present invention, the full queue is formed when there is a pallet at each pallet station from the discharge port of the empty pallet placement rack to the loading area.

[0010] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to the present invention, after the new pallet enters the tail of the pallet queue, the entire pallet queue moves forward synchronously by transmitting thrust through contact between adjacent pallets, and the single step stroke of the push block of the conveying mechanism is configured to be greater than or equal to the length of one pallet position to compensate for the energy attenuation during the thrust transmission process.

[0011] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator according to the present invention, in step S8, the stacking operation of the stacking mechanism is as follows: the second lifting mechanism lifts the full pallet upward, the full pallet pushes open the one-way support plate located at the lower end of the receiving rack and enters the receiving rack, the one-way support plate automatically returns to a horizontal state under its own gravity after the full pallet passes, and supports the full pallet in the receiving rack; the installation direction of the one-way support plate is such that the direction of its gravity reset torque points to the horizontal state.

[0012] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to the present invention, when a first material proximity sensor detects that the number of trays in the empty tray placement rack is lower than a preset threshold, a signal is sent to the controller, and the controller issues a material shortage alarm signal.

[0013] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to the present invention, when a second material proximity sensor detects that the tray in the receiving rack is full, a signal is sent to the controller. The controller controls the robot, the conveying mechanism, the depaneling mechanism and the stacking mechanism to stop operating and issues a full-bin alarm signal, waiting for the operator to empty the receiving rack.

[0014] In an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB separator according to the present invention, in step S5, when the third material proximity sensor detects that the empty pallet at the front has arrived at the loading area, the controller determines that the pallet queue is full, controls the conveying mechanism to stop picking up pallets and enters a standby state.

[0015] According to an automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine based on the present invention, the method further includes step S10: when the empty tray placement rack is exhausted, the conveying mechanism stops picking up materials and moves along the tray conveying direction, pushing the remaining trays on the conveying track one by one to the bottom of the receiving rack and being pushed into the receiving rack by the stacking mechanism to complete the stacking, and then the equipment stops.

[0016] This invention has at least the following beneficial effects: By establishing a full queue first, then feeding materials in parallel, and finally pushing new materials to fill the queue once it is full, a coordinated control strategy is adopted to achieve overall queue stepping. This connects the five stages of pallet retrieval, queue building, feeding, stepping, and stacking into a complete automated cycle, realizing continuous and parallel flow operation of pallet supply and feeding. This eliminates the waiting time between different mechanisms of the equipment and greatly improves the efficiency and production cycle of the PCB depaneling machine. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram from another perspective of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher block of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping unit of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 1A magnified structural diagram of part A in the diagram; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the unidirectional support plate of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the unidirectional support plate of the present invention from another perspective.

[0018] Explanation of icon numbers: 1. Feeding area; 2. Empty tray rack; 201. First material proximity sensor; 3. Receiving rack; 301. Second material proximity sensor; 4. Conveying mechanism; 401. First electric linear module; 4011. First slide table; 402. Push block; 4021. First clearance notch; 4022. V-groove; 4023. Limiting part; 4024. Spring; 403. First support base; 404. First pin; 5. Clamping mechanism; 501. Second support base; 502. Movable base; 503, First cylinder; 504, Clamping block; 6, First lifting mechanism; 601, Second electric linear module; 602, Second slide; 603, Push rod; 604, First top plate; 7, Second lifting mechanism; 701, Second cylinder; 702, Second top plate; 8, Third material proximity sensor; 9, One-way support plate; 901, Third support base; 9011, Second clearance notch; 9012, Mounting notch; 10, Guide slide body; 1001, Bending guide edge; 11, Base. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that the implementation process of how this application uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0020] Please refer to Figures 1 to 7As shown, the embodiment of the present invention is based on an automatic loading and unloading device for a PCB separator. This device includes a base 11, on which a conveyor rail is mounted. One end of the conveyor rail is equipped with an empty tray placement rack 2, and the other end with a receiving rack 3. A loading area 1 is provided on the conveyor rail. A conveying mechanism 4 is mounted on the base 11 and can reciprocate along the conveyor rail. A tray-splitting mechanism is located at the lower end of the empty tray placement rack 2, and a tray-stacking mechanism is located at the lower end of the receiving rack 3. A controller is electrically connected to the conveying mechanism 4, the tray-splitting mechanism, and the tray-stacking mechanism. The conveying mechanism 4 includes a first electric linear module 401, which is fixedly mounted on the base 11. First support seats 403 are fixedly mounted at both ends of the top of the first slide 4011 of the first electric linear module 401. Push blocks 402 are hinged to the first support seats 403 via first pins 404. The lower surface of the push block 402 has an inclined first clearance notch 4021, and the bottom of the end of the push block 402 near the first pin 404 has a limiting part 4023. A spring 4024 is provided between the bottom of the movable end of the push block 402 and the upper surface of the first slide 4011. The spring 4024 is a compression spring, which always applies an upward elastic force to the push block 402. When the first electric linear module 401 drives the first slide 4011 to move towards the empty disk placement rack 2, the push block 402 touches the stacked trays of the empty disk placement rack 2, the push block 402 rotates downward around the first pin 404 and compresses the spring 4024, and the movable end of the push block 402 descends to a horizontal state. At this time, the push block 402 can pass under the empty disk placement rack 2. After the push block 402 has completely passed through the empty tray placement rack 2, the push block 402 is no longer blocked by external force. The elastic force of the spring 4024 drives the push block 402 to rotate upward around the first pin 404 until the limiting part 4023 abuts against the upper surface of the first support base 403. The push block 402 is in the pushing stroke state. The movable end of the push block 402 is provided with a V-shaped groove 4022. The opening direction of the V-shaped groove 4022 faces the receiving rack 3, which is used to stably abut against the edge of the tray. The tray separating mechanism includes a clamping mechanism 5 and a first lifting mechanism 6. The clamping mechanism 5 includes two sets of clamping units, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the empty tray placement rack 2. Each set of clamping units includes a second support base 501. The second support base 501 is fixedly installed on the base 11. A movable base 502 is slidably installed on the top of the second support base 501. A first cylinder 503 is provided on the movable base 502. The cylinder body of the first cylinder 503 is fixedly connected to the movable base 502. The piston rod end of the first cylinder 503 is fixedly connected to the second support base 501. A clamping block 504 is fixedly connected to the side of the movable base 502 near the empty tray placement rack 2.The first lifting mechanism 6 includes a second electric linear module 601, which is fixedly installed at the bottom of the base 11. The top ends of the second slide 602 of the second electric linear module 601 are fixedly connected to push rods 603. The upper end of the push rods 603 slides through the base 11 and is fixedly connected to a first top plate 604, which is located directly below the empty tray placement rack 2. The stacking mechanism includes a second lifting mechanism 7 and a support member. The second lifting mechanism 7 is located directly below the receiving rack 3 and includes two second cylinders 701, both of which are fixedly installed on the base 11. The top of the piston rods of both second cylinders 701 are fixedly connected to the second top plate 702. The support includes two parallel one-way support plates 9. The one-way support plates 9 are rotatably mounted on the lower end of the receiving rack 3 via a third support base 901. The bottom of the third support base 901 has an installation notch 9012, and the end of the one-way support plate 9 is rotatably mounted in the installation notch 9012. The side of the third support base 901 closest to the receiving rack 3 has a second clearance notch 9011. The one-way support plate 9 can be flipped upwards. When the one-way support plate 9 is flipped downwards, its upper surface can abut against the top of the installation notch 9012, making the one-way support plate 9 horizontal. The installation direction of the one-way support plate 9 is such that its gravity-restoring torque direction points horizontally, that is, when no external force is applied, the one-way support plate 9 automatically maintains a horizontal support position under its own gravity. The conveying track includes two parallel guide chute bodies 10. Both the inlet and outlet of the guide chute body 10 are provided with bent guide edges 1001. A first material proximity sensor 201 is installed at the lower end of one side of the empty tray placement rack 2, a third material proximity sensor 8 is installed on the guide slide 10, and a second material proximity sensor 301 is installed at the upper end of one side of the receiving rack 3.

[0021] The following details the specific operation steps of the automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine provided by this invention: Step S1: Provide multiple empty pallets stacked in the empty pallet placement rack 2. At this time, the loading area 1 and the receiving rack 3 are both empty.

[0022] Step S2: The conveying mechanism 4 moves to the bottom of the empty tray placement rack 2, forming a push stroke state: The controller sends a drive command to the first electric linear module 401. The first electric linear module 401 drives the first slide table 4011 to move along the conveying track towards the empty tray placement rack 2. When the push block 402 touches the stacked pallets of the empty tray placement rack 2, the push block 402 rotates downward around the first pin 404 and compresses the spring 4024. The movable end of the push block 402 gradually descends to a horizontal state. The first slide table 4011 continues to move towards the empty tray placement rack 2. The horizontal push block 402 passes through the gap between the bottom of the stacked pallet and the base 11 until the push block 402 completely passes through the empty tray placement rack 2 and reaches the side away from the loading area 1. After the push block 402 passes through the empty tray rack 2, it is no longer blocked by external forces. The elastic force of the spring 4024 drives the push block 402 to rotate upward around the first pin 404 until the limiting part 4023 abuts against the upper surface of the first support base 403. The push block 402 switches to the push stroke state. At this time, the movable end of the push block 402 is raised and protrudes from the upper surface of the guide slide body 10, and the V-shaped groove 4022 faces the bottom edge of the empty tray rack 2.

[0023] Step S3: The tray separating mechanism separates the bottom tray from the upper tray: The controller sends an action command to the tray separating mechanism. The second electric linear module 601 of the first lifting mechanism 6 drives the second slide 602 to move upward. The second slide 602 drives the top rod 603 and the first top plate 604 to move upward. The first top plate 604 contacts and lifts the bottom tray and all the trays above it from below. The first cylinder 503 of the clamping mechanism 5 is activated, driving the moving seat 502 to slide towards the empty tray placement rack 2. This causes the clamping blocks 504 to clamp the edge of the second to last tray in the empty tray placement rack 2 from both sides. After clamping, the second electric linear module 601 drives the second slide 602 to reset downward, separating the bottom tray from the second to last tray, creating a gap between them, waiting for the conveying mechanism 4 to push.

[0024] Step S4: The conveying mechanism 4 advances one pallet distance along the conveying direction, pushing the bottom pallet forward one pallet position: The controller sends a drive command to the first electric linear module 401, which drives the first slide 4011 to move one pallet distance along the conveying direction towards the upper material area 1. During the movement, the V-groove 4022 of the push block 402 abuts against the edge of the bottom pallet, pushing the bottom pallet forward one pallet position along the guide slide body 10. When the first slide 4011 stops moving, the sliding friction between the pushed pallet and the guide slide body 10 causes it to stop immediately at the current position.

[0025] Step S5: Repeat steps S2 to S4 until the pallets on the conveyor track from the empty pallet placement rack 2 to the loading area 1 are in a full queue, and the foremost pallet reaches the loading area 1. When there is one pallet at each pallet station between the discharge port of the empty pallet placement rack 2 and the loading area 1, a full queue is formed. When the third material proximity sensor 8 detects that the foremost empty pallet has reached the loading area 1, the controller determines that the pallet queue is full, controls the conveyor mechanism 4 to stop picking up pallets and enters a standby state. At this time, the pusher block 402 of the conveyor mechanism 4 is in the push stroke state and is located on the discharge port side of the empty pallet placement rack 2 (i.e., the side closer to the loading area 1), waiting to perform the subsequent pallet picking and separation action.

[0026] Step S6: Execute step S3 to separate the bottommost pallet, while the robotic arm loads the pallets in loading area 1 until the pallet is full. The pusher block 402 of the conveying mechanism 4 remains in its pushing stroke state and is located on the discharge port side of the empty pallet placement rack 2. After step S3 is completed, the pallet separating mechanism keeps the bottommost pallet separated from the upper pallet. The robotic arm continues loading until the pallet is full. It should be noted that since the pusher block 402 is already in its pushing stroke state and located on the discharge port side of the empty pallet placement rack 2 when step S5 is completed, the "moving to below the empty pallet placement rack" action of step S2 is not executed in step S6, and the pallet separating action of step S3 is executed directly.

[0027] Step S7: After the pallets in loading area 1 are full, step S4 is executed, causing a new pallet to enter the rear of the pallet queue. This pushes the entire pallet queue forward by one pallet position, pushing the full pallets out of loading area 1. Simultaneously, a new empty pallet enters loading area 1, and then step S6 is executed. During the above stepping process, after a new pallet enters the rear of the pallet queue, the thrust is transmitted through contact between adjacent pallets, causing the entire pallet queue to move forward synchronously by one pallet distance. To avoid the pallets in front of the queue not reaching their designated positions due to the gradual attenuation of thrust when the queue is long, the single step stroke of the push block 402 of the conveying mechanism 4 is configured to be greater than or equal to the length of one pallet position to compensate for the energy attenuation during the thrust transmission process.

[0028] Step S8: After the full pallet is pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack 3, the stacking mechanism pushes the full pallet into the receiving rack 3 for stacking and collection. With the multiple steps of the conveying mechanism 4, the full pallet moves forward step by step on the conveying track. After the full pallet is pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack 3, the controller controls the stacking mechanism to move. The two second cylinders 701 of the second lifting mechanism 7 lift upwards simultaneously. The second top plate 702 contacts the full pallet from below and lifts it upwards. When the full pallet moves upwards, it pushes open the one-way support plate 9. The full pallet passes over the one-way support plate 9 and enters the receiving rack 3. Then the second lifting mechanism 7 resets downwards. The one-way support plate 9 flips down and resets to a horizontal state under its own gravity, supporting the full pallet in the receiving rack 3, completing the stacking and collection of one pallet. It should be noted that the triggering condition for step S8 is "the full pallet is pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack 3". This condition is independent of the number of times step S7 is executed - the pallet stacking mechanism only performs the lifting and stacking action when the full pallet gradually moves to the bottom of the receiving rack 3 on the conveyor track, rather than triggering step S8 every time step S7 is executed.

[0029] Step S9: Repeat steps S7 to S8 until all the trays in the empty tray rack 2 are removed.

[0030] Step S10: When the empty pallet rack 2 is depleted, the conveying mechanism 4 stops picking up materials and moves along the pallet conveying direction, pushing the remaining pallets on the conveying track one by one to the bottom of the receiving rack 3, where the stacking mechanism pushes them into the receiving rack 3 to complete the stacking. Then the equipment stops. When the empty pallet rack 2 is depleted, the first material proximity sensor 201 detects that the number of pallets in the empty pallet rack 2 is lower than a preset threshold and sends a signal to the controller, which issues a material shortage alarm signal. At this time, the conveying mechanism 4 stops picking up materials from the empty pallet rack 2 but continues to push them step by step along the conveying direction. After the pallets in the loading area 1 are loaded by the robot, the conveying mechanism 4 immediately performs a step-by-step push, pushing the full pallet forward one pallet distance along the conveying direction. The above actions are repeated until all pallets on the conveying track are pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack 3 and stacked one by one by the stacking mechanism. When there are no pallets remaining on the conveying track, the controller stops the equipment.

[0031] Full warehouse handling: When the second material proximity sensor 301 detects that the trays in the receiving rack 3 are full, it sends a signal to the controller. The controller controls the robot, conveyor 4, tray separating mechanism and tray stacking mechanism to stop operating and issues a full warehouse alarm signal, waiting for the operator to empty the receiving rack 3. After the receiving rack 3 is emptied, the equipment can resume operation.

[0032] Furthermore, in step S7, the single-step stroke compensation amount ΔL of the pusher block 402 of the conveying mechanism 4 is determined by the following piecewise function: ; in, The standard length for a single tray position, in mm; This represents the total number of pallets in the current pallet queue, in units of 1; The queue rigidity coefficient is dimensionless and ranges from 0.65 to 0.85. This is the thrust attenuation compensation coefficient, dimensionless, with a value range of 0.15 to 0.35; The energy decay factor is dimensionless and ranges from 0.05 to 0.15. The actual single-step process of push block 402 for: .

[0033] The derivation of the equation is as follows: Through long-term experimental research, this invention has discovered that when the pusher block 402 of the conveying mechanism 4 propels the entire pallet queue forward by transmitting thrust through contact between adjacent pallets, the thrust gradually decreases during transmission. The physical cause of this decrease is that there is sliding friction between the pallet and the guide chute 10. Each pallet in the queue, when pushed by the preceding pallet, must overcome the frictional resistance between itself and the track to move forward, resulting in a gradual decrease in the thrust transmitted to the pallets at the front of the queue. When the queue length... When the stroke of push block 402 is larger, it is exactly equal to the standard length of a single pallet position. If the pallet at the front of the queue is not pushed in enough, it may not be able to step into place completely, causing a positioning deviation in the loading area 1 and affecting the loading accuracy of the robot.

[0034] (1) Positioning deviation Let there be a total of One tray, the pusher 402 applies an initial push force to the first tray (the tail of the queue) of 1 tray. The sliding friction between each tray and the track is... Then it is passed to the first The thrust of each pallet is: ; To ensure that the first one at the front of the queue Each pallet must be able to move effectively and accurately to the next pallet position, and must meet the following requirements: ,Right now: ; However, even if the above thrust conditions are met, the displacement of the pallet at the front of the queue will decrease step by step due to energy loss during the transmission of thrust.

[0035] Let the first The actual displacement of each pallet is Based on extensive experimental data, the following recursive relationship exists: ; in The energy transfer efficiency coefficient. Let be the equivalent stiffness of the contact surface between the pallet and the track. Through mathematical induction and fitting of experimental data, the displacement loss of the pallet at the front of the queue (i.e., the pallet arriving at the loading area) is related to the queue length. The relationship between them can be expressed by an exponential decay function: ; in and The empirical parameters, calibrated through experiments, characterize the initial magnitude and decay rate of displacement loss, respectively.

[0036] Meanwhile, when the queue is long, the total friction force that the pusher 402 needs to overcome increases significantly, and relying solely on exponential decay compensation is insufficient to fully compensate for displacement loss. Therefore, this invention further introduces a queue stiffness coefficient. This is used to describe the overall rigidity response characteristics of a pallet queue under thrust. When the queue length... As the distance increases, the proportion of the push block's stroke used to overcome the overall friction of the queue exhibits a saturated growth trend, which can be mathematically expressed as: This item is in Time approaches ,exist At that time .

[0037] Considering the compensation needs from both of the above dimensions, for Under the following working conditions, the total compensation is: ; for In the special single-pallet operating condition, the pallet needs to be pushed out from a completely stationary state (located below the pallet separating mechanism). At this time, it needs to overcome the maximum static friction and establish initial momentum. At the same time, the pusher block 402 needs to complete an additional idle stroke to complete the starting catch-up from the discharge port side. After extensive experimental verification, the compensation amount is directly set to... That is, the actual journey is This ensures that a single pallet is reliably pushed to the loading area 1, and this setting covers both static friction margin and starting inertia requirements.

[0038] Parameter description table:

[0039] Example: Assuming a certain automatic loading and unloading system for a PCB depaneling machine has a standard pallet length... The total number of pallets in the current pallet queue One, calibrated by experiment , , .

[0040] because The compensation amount is calculated using the second equation in the piecewise function: ; ; The actual single-step process of push block 402 is as follows: ; When there are 5 pallets in the queue, the controller controls the pusher block 402 to advance by approximately 533mm. The first 300mm is used to advance the entire queue forward by one standard pallet position, and the additional 232.98mm of compensation stroke is used for: ① the extra pushing margin required to overcome the overall friction of the queue; ② to compensate for the displacement loss of the front pallet caused by the attenuation of the pushing force, ensuring that the 5th pallet (located in the loading area 1) accurately reaches the predetermined position.

[0041] when When the queue initially contains only one pallet, the first equation of the piecewise function is given directly: ; but: .

[0042] At this time, the single stroke of push block 402 is 600mm, of which the first 300mm is used to push the pallet out from under the tray separating mechanism and accelerate it, and the additional 300mm is used to overcome the maximum static friction and ensure that the pallet reliably reaches the loading area 1.

[0043] Beneficial effects: Precise displacement compensation: This is achieved through a piecewise function based on the current queue length. Automatically calculate compensation amount This effectively compensates for the insufficient displacement of the pallet at the front of the queue caused by the attenuation of thrust transmission, improving the pallet positioning accuracy of loading area 1 from the conventional ±5mm to within ±0.5mm, and significantly improving the repeatability of the robotic arm's loading accuracy.

[0044] Full-condition adaptive: This equation covers the entire range from... (In the early stages of team building) to All operating conditions with relatively large capacity (full queue steady-state operation) Special handling ensures reliability during the startup phase. The continuous function ensures smooth adjustment in steady-state operation, realizing full-process adaptive control.

[0045] Eliminating equipment impact: By precisely controlling the step stroke, the problem of the pallet hitting the end limit of the guide slide body 10 due to excessive stroke is avoided, reducing equipment vibration and mechanical wear, and extending the service life of the equipment.

[0046] Improved production cycle time: Eliminates unplanned downtime events such as failed robotic arm picking, secondary adjustments, or manual intervention caused by inaccurate pallet positioning, resulting in an increase in actual operating efficiency (OEE) of the equipment by approximately 12% to 18%.

[0047] Working principle and process: Step 1: Real-time queue length detection Whenever the conveyor mechanism 4 completes a pallet retrieval operation from the empty pallet placement rack 2 (steps S3-S4), or whenever a full pallet in the loading area 1 is pushed out and enters the receiving rack 3, the controller updates the total number of pallets in the current pallet queue in real time based on the counting signal from the third material proximity sensor 8. .

[0048] Step Two: Determining Operating Conditions and Calculating Compensation The controller determines the current value: like The controller is set directly. ; like The controller will and pre-stored calibration parameters , , Substitute into the equation Calculate the step progress compensation amount under the current queue length. .

[0049] Step 3: Setting up the actual itinerary and issuing instructions The controller calculates the actual step process. Based on this, precise displacement drive commands are sent to the first electric linear module (401).

[0050] Step 4: Step-by-step push execution The first electric linear module 401 drives the first slide table 4011 to move along the conveying direction. The distance is such that the V-shaped groove 4022 of the pusher block 402 abuts against the edge of the tray at the tail of the queue, pushing the entire tray queue forward. During the pushing process: forward The stroke is used to advance the entire queue forward by one standard tray position; additional During the journey, the pusher block 402 continues to move forward after the queue stops due to friction, forming a gap between the end of the queue and the pusher block 402 (this gap is used for contact and catch-up before the next push).

[0051] Step 5: Gap Utilization and the Next Cycle After pusher block 402 completes its stepping and stops, each pallet in the queue has moved forward one standard pallet position, and the pallet in loading area 1 has been accurately replaced by the next empty pallet. In the next pallet retrieval and separation action (step S6), the new pallet is separated and falls to the end of the queue. At this time, pusher block 402 remains stationary in its pushing state. After the next stepping instruction is issued, pusher block 402 first completes the previously formed stepping path. The pause is used to re-engage with the new pallet before continuing to push the entire queue forward. And so it goes on and on.

[0052] Step Six: Dynamic Updates whenever When the value changes due to the addition of a new pallet or the removal of a full pallet from the queue, the controller re-executes steps one through five to achieve real-time adaptive control throughout the process until all the pallets in the empty pallet rack 2 are exhausted.

[0053] The foregoing description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, as previously stated, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the inventive concept by means of the foregoing teachings or techniques or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Provide multiple empty pallets stacked and stored in the empty pallet rack (2); S2: The conveying mechanism (4) moves to below the empty tray placement rack (2) to form a push stroke state; S3: The tray separating mechanism separates the bottom tray from the top tray; S4: The conveying mechanism (4) moves one pallet distance along the conveying direction and pushes the bottom pallet forward one pallet position; S5: Repeat steps S2-S4 until the pallets on the conveying track from the empty pallet rack (2) to the loading area (1) are full and the first pallet reaches the loading area (1). At this time, the push block (402) of the conveying mechanism (4) is in the push stroke state and is located on the discharge port side of the empty pallet rack (2). S6: Execute step S3, while the robot arm loads the pallet in the loading area (1) until the pallet is full; S7: After the pallet in the loading area (1) is full, step S4 is executed to make the new pallet enter the end of the pallet queue and push the entire pallet queue forward by one pallet position. The full pallet in the loading area (1) is pushed out of the loading area (1), and at the same time, the new empty pallet enters the loading area (1). Then step S6 is executed. S8: When the full pallet is pushed to the bottom of the receiving rack (3), the stacking mechanism pushes the full pallet into the receiving rack (3) for stacking and collection; S9: Repeat steps S7 to S8 until all the trays in the empty tray rack (2) are removed.

2. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the specific steps for the conveying mechanism (4) to form the push stroke state are as follows: the push block (402) of the conveying mechanism (4) is in a horizontal state during the return stroke and passes under the empty tray placement rack (2). After reaching the other side of the empty tray placement rack (2), the push block (402) automatically tilts up under the elastic force of the spring (4024) and enters the push stroke state.

3. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, the tray-separating mechanism performs the following actions: the first lifting mechanism (6) lifts upward, the clamping mechanism (5) clamps the second to last tray, and the first lifting mechanism (6) resets downward, so that the bottom tray is separated from the upper tray and remains separated, waiting for the conveying mechanism (4) to push it.

4. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The full queue is formed when there is a pallet at each pallet station between the outlet of the empty pallet rack (2) and the loading area (1).

5. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the new pallet enters the tail of the pallet queue, the thrust is transmitted through the contact between adjacent pallets, so that the entire pallet queue moves forward synchronously by one pallet distance; the single step stroke of the push block (402) of the conveying mechanism (4) is configured to be greater than or equal to the length of one pallet position to compensate for the energy attenuation during the thrust transmission process.

6. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S8, the pallet stacking operation of the pallet stacking mechanism is as follows: the second lifting mechanism (7) lifts the full pallet upward, and the full pallet pushes the one-way support plate (9) placed at the lower end of the receiving rack (3) into the receiving rack (3). After the full pallet passes through, the one-way support plate (9) automatically resets to a horizontal state under its own gravity, supporting the full pallet in the receiving rack (3). The installation direction of the one-way support plate (9) is such that the direction of its gravity reset torque points to a horizontal state.

7. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the first material proximity sensor (201) detects that the number of trays in the empty tray rack (2) is lower than a preset threshold, it sends a signal to the controller, and the controller issues a material shortage alarm signal.

8. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the second material proximity sensor (301) detects that the trays in the receiving rack (3) are full, it sends a signal to the controller. The controller controls the robot, the conveying mechanism (4), the tray separating mechanism and the tray stacking mechanism to stop operating and issues a full warehouse alarm signal, waiting for the operator to empty the receiving rack (3).

9. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S5, when the third material proximity sensor (8) detects that the empty pallet at the front has arrived at the loading area (1), the controller determines that the pallet queue is full and controls the conveying mechanism (4) to stop picking up pallets and enter the standby state.

10. The automatic loading and unloading method for a PCB depaneling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes step S10: when the empty pallet placement rack (2) is exhausted, the conveying mechanism (4) stops picking up materials and moves along the pallet conveying direction, pushing the remaining pallets on the conveying track one by one to the bottom of the receiving rack (3) and being pushed into the receiving rack (3) by the stacking mechanism to complete the stacking, and then the equipment stops.

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