Aluminum alloy inner container cup-shaped body picking tool

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of pressure vessel manufacturing, and discloses an aluminum alloy inner container cup-shaped body picking tool which comprises an arc-shaped suction cup. One surface, contacted with the cup-shaped body, of the arc-shaped sucker is an inner side surface, and one surface opposite to the inner side surface is an outer side surface; a sealing strip is arranged on the edge of the inner side face of the arc-shaped sucker and used for sealing the edge of the contact area of the inner side face of the arc-shaped sucker and the cup-shaped body so that a sealed space can be formed between the arc-shaped sucker and the cup-shaped body after the arc-shaped sucker and the cup-shaped body make contact. At least one vacuum assembly communicated with the sealed space is installed on the outer side face of the arc-shaped suction cup. A connecting disc is further installed on the outer side face of the arc-shaped suction cup. A supporting piece used for supporting the cup-shaped body upwards is installed at the bottom of the arc-shaped suction cup. According to the tool, the adaptive structure is optimized according to the special characteristics of the aluminum alloy inner container workpiece, a composite adsorption mode is adopted, the grabbing capacity is enhanced, stable and reliable picking of the workpiece is achieved, and the machining efficiency can be improved while the forming quality of the workpiece can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of pressure vessel manufacturing, in particular to a tool for picking up a cup-shaped body of an aluminum alloy liner. Background Art

[0002] As a readily available, green, low-carbon, and widely applicable secondary energy source, hydrogen is not only a crucial component of the future energy system but also a crucial vehicle for achieving a green and low-carbon transition for end-users. Currently, the most widely used hydrogen cylinders in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the domestic market are Type III hydrogen storage cylinders with aluminum alloy liner. The molding quality of the aluminum alloy liner is directly related to the safe use, overall performance, and service life of the hydrogen storage cylinder.

[0003] Currently, aluminum alloy liners can be formed by cold drawing of aluminum sheets or by strong spinning and thinning of aluminum tubes. The cold drawing process of aluminum sheets uses aluminum sheets as raw materials, and through the action of molds and presses, the aluminum sheets are plastically deformed to form a hollow rotating body. Finally, the wall thickness is thinned through one or more cold drawing passes to reach the designed size of the aluminum alloy liners. The entire plastic deformation process is formed by stamping, and strong spinning and thinning are no longer required. Compared with the strong spinning and thinning process, it can greatly improve the processing efficiency, the product surface finish is good, and the surface can achieve a mirror effect. It can effectively solve the technical problem of low production efficiency of large-volume hydrogen storage bottle aluminum alloy liners using strong spinning and thinning of aluminum tubes in the existing technology.

[0004] During the cold drawing process of aluminum sheet, each workpiece needs to be grasped and transferred during the drawing process. Since the workpiece is cup-shaped, the surface is smooth and oily, and the diameter and length of the workpiece are constantly changing each time it is grasped (such as Figure 1 (The figure shown here only illustrates a limited number of passes; actual details are subject to change.) During the deep drawing process, the first few passes typically result in a larger diameter change and a smaller wall thickness change. The subsequent passes typically result in a larger wall thickness change and a smaller diameter change. Therefore, the rationality of the gripping method and the stability of the transfer process are crucial to the quality of the aluminum alloy liner.

[0005] The traditional picking method mainly relies on mechanical grasping and clamping devices, that is, conventional general-purpose grasping clamps are used to pick up workpieces in a wrapping and clamping manner. This method can ensure good grasping stability for conventional workpieces, but it is problematic when applied to aluminum alloy liner workpieces. The diameter, length, and wall thickness of the cup-shaped body of the aluminum alloy liner workpiece are constantly changing during the forming process. The force and clamping position of the conventional grasping device need to be dynamically matched to ensure that the deformation of the workpiece is within the allowable error range. It is very difficult to control the dynamic adaptation. In addition, the workpiece surface is smooth and oily, which increases the risk of slipping during the grasping and transfer process. Therefore, the operator needs to be extra careful when operating, which will result in long operation time and affect processing efficiency.

[0006] Therefore, in the face of the processing of aluminum alloy liner workpieces with higher precision and more stringent quality requirements, special tooling is urgently needed to pick up the workpieces between each drawing pass. Utility Model Content

[0007] The utility model aims to provide a tool for picking up a cup-shaped body of an aluminum alloy liner, which can realize stable grasping and reliable transfer of the aluminum alloy liner workpiece, improve production efficiency and ensure workpiece quality.

[0008] The basic solution provided by the utility model is: an aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool, including an arc-shaped suction cup; the side of the arc-shaped suction cup used to contact the cup-shaped body is the inner side, and the side opposite to the inner side is the outer side; the edge of the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup is provided with a sealing strip, which is used to seal the edge of the contact area between the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup and the cup-shaped body, so that a sealed space is formed between the arc-shaped suction cup and the cup-shaped body after the two are in contact; at least one vacuum component connected to the sealed space is installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup; a connecting disk is also installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup; and a support member for holding the cup-shaped body upward is installed on the bottom of the arc-shaped suction cup.

[0009] The working principle and advantages of the utility model are as follows: the operating equipment is connected through the connecting disk, and under the action of the operating equipment, the arc-shaped suction cup is close to the appropriate position of the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped workpiece, and under the action of the sealing strip, a closed space is formed between the arc-shaped suction cup and the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body, and the air in the sealed space is extracted through the vacuum nozzle, so that the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body is adsorbed on the arc-shaped suction cup, and then under the action of the operating equipment, the transfer of the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body is realized.

[0010] Compared with the existing technology, the advantages of this tooling are: this solution optimizes the tooling structure and determines and matches the adsorption method in view of the fact that the aluminum alloy inner liner workpiece is cup-shaped with a smooth and oily surface, and the diameter, length and wall thickness of the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped workpiece constantly change during each picking process.

[0011] Since the workpiece is formed by the aluminum plate cold drawing process, although the length, diameter and thickness of the workpiece are constantly changing, the weight of the whole forming process does not change. Therefore, different from the traditional mechanical grasping method, a composite adsorption method is proposed based on a specially designed structure. First, as long as the corresponding parameters are set once and a stable and appropriate adsorption force is provided, no matter how the length, diameter and thickness of the workpiece change, as long as the weight remains unchanged, the workpiece can be stably adsorbed, and it will not be affected by the changes of the workpiece during multiple picking processes. There is no need for complex control and the operation is convenient, which overcomes the problem that the mechanical grasping method is difficult to control when the length, diameter and thickness of the workpiece with a hollow part are constantly changing; then, different from the traditional mechanical grasping method, a composite adsorption method is adopted based on a specially designed structure. The specially designed arc suction cup uses the arc structure to form a method similar to mechanical grasping, which retains the traditional mechanical grasping. The method has the stability advantage of the method, but abandons its conventional direct contact workpiece grasping function. Instead, it forms a sealed space of reasonable size between the tooling and the workpiece based on the arc structure and sealing strip, and uses this sealed space to achieve vacuum adsorption. While vacuum adsorption grasps the workpiece, the arc structure plays the stability advantage of mechanical clamping, coupled with the bottoming effect of the support rod, to form a composite adsorption method, which acts together on the workpiece surface to improve the overall adsorption stability and achieve the function of stably grasping the workpiece. Even if there is oil on the surface of the aluminum alloy inner cup, the workpiece will not slip or fall off during the workpiece transfer process, and the workpiece can be kept stable during the picking process. It not only overcomes the defect of easy slipping caused by smooth and oily workpiece surface, but also can use the oil to form a protective effect between the tooling and the workpiece during the adsorption process, avoid damage to the workpiece surface, and ensure processing quality; at the same time, the size of the arc suction cup is reasonably set, which can enable the workpiece in any forming state to achieve adsorption function.

[0012] Based on the changing characteristics of the workpiece during the forming process, the appropriate position for the arc-shaped suction cup to be close to the aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped workpiece is determined to be, with the workpiece opening facing upward, adsorbed on the center position on either side of the straight cylindrical section of the workpiece. Even if the adsorption position changes with the workpiece, combined with the structure of this solution, it can be adjusted to the correct position in actual operation through only the minimum path (left and right and up and down), which improves the convenience and speed of operation. At the same time, during the alignment process of the workpiece and the tooling, even if there is a certain error from the center position, the workpiece will actively approach the tooling and be adsorbed under the action of the adsorption force. This can also avoid very precise positioning adjustments of the tooling, which can further reduce the control difficulty of dynamic adaptation.

[0013] The application of the tooling structure and composite adsorption method of this solution can achieve stable and reliable picking of workpieces. The stable process has strong continuity and repeatability, simple control method and convenient operation of the picking process. It can ensure the forming quality of the workpiece while improving the processing efficiency in the batch aluminum alloy liner stamping process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation of the aluminum alloy inner cup during the cold drawing process of the aluminum plate;

[0015] Figure 2 A front view of a tool for picking up a cup-shaped aluminum alloy liner provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0016] Figure 3 A top view of a tool for picking up a cup-shaped aluminum alloy liner provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0017] Figure 4 A right side view of a tool for picking up an aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a left view of a tool for picking up an aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an aluminum alloy inner liner cup-shaped body picking tool provided in an embodiment of the present utility model picking up a workpiece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following is a further detailed description through specific implementation methods:

[0021] The symbols in the drawings of the specification include: arc-shaped suction cup 1, sealing strip 2, vacuum suction nozzle 3, connecting plate 4, support member 5, and workpiece 6.

[0022] The embodiment is basically as shown in the attached Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown: A tool for picking up an aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body, comprising an arc-shaped suction cup 1; the side of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 used to contact the cup-shaped workpiece 6 is the inner side, and the side opposite to the inner side is the outer side; a sealing strip 2 is provided on the outer edge of the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup 1, which is used to seal the edge of the contact area between the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 and the aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body, so that a sealed space is formed between the arc-shaped suction cup 1 and the cup-shaped workpiece 6 after contact; at least one vacuum component connected to the sealed space is installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup 1.

[0023] Specifically, the material of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is 45 steel or other ordinary carbon steel, and the curved shape of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is adapted to the cup-shaped body, that is, after the sealing strip is affixed to the curved shape of the arc-shaped suction cup 1, for different diameters of the same workpiece in different passes, the arc-shaped suction cup 1 can be close to the workpiece and form an effective sealing space through the sealing strip to achieve adsorption. Specifically, the adaptation can be that if the cross-sectional shape of the conventional aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body is circular, the bending shape of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is an arc with a radius slightly larger than the radius of the cross-sectional circle, and the radius difference is 2-10mm. The outer cross-sectional diameter of the conventional aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body is 300-800mm. In this embodiment, the outer cross-sectional diameter of the formed aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body is 340mm, and the radius of the bending arc of the adapted arc-shaped suction cup 1 is 350mm. The arc length of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is 1 / 8-1 / 4 of the circumference of the cup-shaped body cross-sectional area. The design of the above dimensions can enable the target forming size workpiece to achieve the adsorption function in each deep drawing diameter state, and at the same time ensure that the size of the enclosed space is reasonable. On the basis of the vacuum pump, suitable adsorption force is provided for the aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body to ensure stable adsorption during the picking process. Generally, the radius difference can be set according to the thickness of the sealing strip on the suction cup. In this way, the sealing strip will fit tightly against the workpiece during adsorption. A radius difference of a few mm is also acceptable because the sealing strip is soft. When the suction cup is against the workpiece, the sealing strip can be compressed and will fit tightly against the workpiece after compression.

[0024] like Figure 5 As shown, the sealing strip 2 is integrated to ensure good sealing. It can be glued to the outer edge of the inner side surface with a sealant. The sealant has strong viscosity and is oil-proof, so that the sealing strip 2 does not fall off for a long time, ensuring long-term and stable sealing during the adsorption process of the aluminum alloy inner liner cup.

[0025] The vacuum assembly includes a vacuum nozzle 3 installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup. When there is one vacuum nozzle 3, it can be set at the center of the outer side, or two vacuum nozzles can be symmetrically installed on the outer side (such as Figure 5 (as shown) to ensure the balance of the aluminum alloy inner cup during the vacuuming process, and use multiple suction nozzles to act simultaneously on different positions on the surface of the workpiece 6 to disperse the load and improve the adsorption effect. In order to adjust and control the negative pressure environment, the vacuum suction nozzle 3 is equipped with an air release valve. The function of the air release valve is to control the release speed and amount of negative pressure by adjusting the degree of opening of the valve when the internal negative pressure needs to be released, thereby adjusting the adsorption force. This design not only ensures that the suction nozzle can be flexibly adjusted according to different adsorption requirements, but also improves the safety and convenience of use.

[0026] The vacuum assembly also includes piping and a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum nozzle 3 via the piping. During operation, the vacuum pump extracts gas from the sealed space, creating a negative pressure within the sealed space. This allows the nozzle to firmly adhere to the surface of the object, gripping the aluminum alloy inner cup by vacuum suction. A higher-performance vacuum pump is used to increase the system's vacuum level, thereby enhancing suction. A multi-stage vacuum system can be employed to gradually increase the vacuum level and ensure a tight seal between the nozzle and the surface. The vacuum pump also includes an oil filter assembly. This filter effectively prevents impurities and contaminants from entering the vacuum pump, preventing these substances from damaging and corroding the pump's components, thereby extending the life of the equipment.

[0027] A connecting plate 4 is mounted on the outer surface of the curved suction cup 1. The bolts are located away from the components, preventing contact with and damaging the workpiece 6. This connecting plate 4 connects the entire fixture to an operating device (such as a robot). The robot controls the fixture's movement, and the vacuum pump picks up the aluminum alloy liner cup. The size and structure of the connecting plate 4 are compatible with the operating device and do not affect the suction of the workpiece 6.

[0028] The bottom of the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is equipped with an L-shaped bottom support rod, which is used to support the aluminum alloy inner liner cup from the bottom during the pickup and transfer process, further improving stability. The support rod is actually subjected to relatively little force during the suction and pickup process, mainly because the workpiece 6 basically does not move after vacuum suction. Even without the bottom support rod, most workpieces 6 will not slide, and the support rod serves as an auxiliary support. The side of the support rod that contacts the aluminum alloy inner liner cup is installed with a soft material to prevent the workpiece 6 from being damaged by bumps and ensure the quality of the workpiece 6.

[0029] The specific use process is as follows:

[0030] like Figure 6 As shown, the entire tooling is installed as described above. The tooling is connected to the robot via the connecting plate 4, and the vacuum pump and the vacuum nozzle are connected via a pipeline. The relevant control programs and parameters need to be set in advance to ensure that the robot's moving position, speed, etc., as well as the vacuum pump's exhaust parameters are compatible with the requirements for picking up the aluminum alloy liner cup.

[0031] After drawing, the workpiece 6 is in a cup-shaped body and is in a state to be transferred. After the robot receives the signal that the drawing of the workpiece 6 is completed, it places the arc-shaped suction cup 1 on the cup-shaped body according to the preset program. The close position is generally the center position of any side determined on the straight cylindrical section of the current aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped workpiece 6 to keep the two ends balanced during the transfer process; under the action of the sealing strip 2, a sealed space is left between the arc-shaped suction cup 1 and the cup-shaped body, and the vacuum pump is started to suck away the air in the sealed space through the vacuum suction nozzle 3, so that the arc-shaped suction cup 1 is tightly adsorbed on the surface of the workpiece 6. The robot then lifts and transfers the workpiece 6 according to the preset program. After the transfer is in place, the solenoid valve of the vacuum suction nozzle 3 is controlled to deflate, and the workpiece 6 is placed in the preset workstation to complete the transfer of the workpiece 6. During this process, a high-performance vacuum pump is used to increase the system's vacuum level, providing strong suction even with oil on the surface. The long-lasting sealing effect of sealing strip 2 ensures the cup-shaped body remains stably and long-lastingly attached to arc-shaped suction cup 1. Furthermore, the support rods support the bottom of workpiece 6, preventing it from slipping and ensuring stable suction throughout the entire process. Furthermore, since the surface of workpiece 6 is oily, vacuum suction also creates a protective film between the suction cup and the workpiece 6, protecting the surface.

[0032] The present embodiment provides a tool for picking up an aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body. Through structural optimization and the use of a composite adsorption method, it is possible to stably and reliably pick up the aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body when the surface of the aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body is smooth, oily and constantly changing. Through the special design of the structure, a sealed space of a reasonable size is formed between the tool and the workpiece. The vacuum adsorption and clamping are combined to enhance the adsorption capacity. In addition, the bottom support method can keep the workpiece stable during the picking process to prevent it from slipping even if there is oil on the surface of the aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body. The composite adsorption method of this scheme is not affected by the dynamic changes of the workpiece during multiple picking processes, does not require precise positioning, and reduces the control difficulty. The entire picking process is easy to operate, and can improve processing efficiency and ensure processing quality during batch aluminum alloy liner stamping processing.

[0033] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention. Common knowledge such as the known specific structures and characteristics in the scheme is not described in detail here. A person of ordinary skill in the art is aware of all common technical knowledge in the technical field to which the utility model belongs before the application date or priority date, is able to obtain all existing technologies in the field, and has the ability to apply conventional experimental means before that date. A person of ordinary skill in the art can, under the guidance of this application, improve and implement the present scheme in combination with his or her own abilities. Some typical known structures or methods should not become an obstacle for a person of ordinary skill in the art to implement the present application. It should be pointed out that a person of ordinary skill in the art can make several variations and improvements without departing from the structure of the present invention. These should also be considered as the scope of protection of the present invention. These will not affect the effect of the implementation of the present invention and the practicality of the patent.

Claims

1. A tool for picking up aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped bodies, characterized in that: It includes an arc-shaped suction cup; the side of the arc-shaped suction cup used to contact the cup-shaped body is the inner side, and the side opposite to the inner side is the outer side; the edge of the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup is provided with a sealing strip, which is used to seal the edge of the contact area between the inner side of the arc-shaped suction cup and the cup-shaped body, so that a sealed space is formed between the arc-shaped suction cup and the cup-shaped body after the two are in contact; at least one vacuum component connected to the sealed space is installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup; a connecting disk is also installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup; a support member for holding the cup-shaped body upward is installed on the bottom of the arc-shaped suction cup.

2. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum assembly comprises a vacuum nozzle installed on the outer side of the arc-shaped suction cup, and the vacuum nozzle is equipped with an air release valve.

3. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are two vacuum suction nozzles, which are symmetrically installed on the outer side.

4. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vacuum assembly further includes a pipeline and a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum nozzle through the pipeline.

5. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The curved shape of the arc-shaped suction cup is adapted to the cup-shaped body.

6. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealing strip is adhered to the outer edge of the inner side surface by means of sealing glue.

7. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member is an L-shaped support rod.

8. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: A soft material piece is installed on the side of the support piece that contacts the cup-shaped body.

9. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection disk is connected to an operating device.

10. The aluminum alloy liner cup-shaped body picking tool according to claim 9, characterized in that: The operating device is a robot.

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