Automatic casting production system

Abstract

The automatic casting production system comprises a piece taking robot, a carrying robot, a hydraulic breaking machine, a cooling water tank, a first oil press, a marking machine, a second oil press and a conveying line, the piece taking robot is movably arranged on a first track, and the carrying robot is movably arranged on a second track; the second rail and the first rail are arranged in a right-angle mode, the conveying line is located in the right-angle space of the first rail and the second rail, the conveying line extends from the first rail to the gantry lifting appliance in the direction parallel to the second rail, and the gantry lifting appliance is used for lifting die castings from the conveying line to be output. The conveying line is located in the right-angle space of the first track and the second track, the conveying line extends to the gantry lifting appliance from the first track in the direction parallel to the second track, and when equipment is maintained or damaged, a die casting can be directly placed on the conveying line through a casting taking robot; and due to the unified export, the labor and transportation cost is saved, and the utilization rate of the gantry lifting appliance is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of die-casting equipment, in particular to an automated production system for castings. Background Art

[0002] Pressure casting (hereinafter referred to as die casting) is a common metal casting process that involves injecting molten metal into a mold cavity under high pressure and then cooling it to form the final product. Compared to traditional casting methods, die castings offer advantages such as improved surface finish, better dimensional consistency, higher tensile strength, and the ability to manufacture complex parts.

[0003] In recent years, die-casting has been widely used in the manufacturing of new energy vehicles. Advances in die-casting processes and die-casting machine manufacturing have led to an increase in the size of parts that can be directly cast. For example, large new energy vehicle components such as the front engine compartment, rear floor, and battery housing can now be formed in a single step using die-casting, significantly improving overall part strength and reducing assembly costs. However, this increase in die-cast part size also presents challenges for the overall design and management of die-casting units.

[0004] Since die-cast parts inevitably have redundant parts such as runners and slag bags that need to be removed, the post-processing of the die-cast parts of the front engine compartment, rear floor and battery shell of the automobile is currently carried out on different production lines due to their differences in structure and die-casting process. However, different production lines actually have a lot of duplicate equipment, which causes redundancy in production equipment.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to effectively integrate its post-processing equipment and integrate the post-processing equipment of the car's front engine compartment, rear floor and battery shell into one production line to reduce equipment redundancy. As of now, there is no better processing solution. Utility Model Content

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present application provides an automated production system for castings, including a picking robot, a handling robot, a hydraulic breaking machine, a cooling water tank, a first hydraulic press, a marking machine, a second hydraulic press and a conveyor line.

[0007] The picking robot is movably arranged on a first track, and the handling robot is movably arranged on a second track. The second track is arranged at a right angle to the first track. The conveyor line is located in the right-angle space between the first track and the second track, and the conveyor line extends from the first track to the gantry crane in a direction parallel to the second track. The gantry crane is used to lift the die-castings from the conveyor line.

[0008] Among them, the die-casting machine's mold opening area, hydraulic breaking machine, cooling water tank, first hydraulic press, marking machine and conveyor line are all located within the picking and placing range of the picking robot, and the first hydraulic press, marking machine, second hydraulic press and conveyor line are all within the picking and placing range of the handling robot.

[0009] Optionally, the marking machine is arranged above the conveyor line.

[0010] Optionally, the transport robot picks up items in a direction opposite to that of the picking robot.

[0011] Optionally, a robot cutting device is further provided, and the robot cutting device is located on a side of the second track opposite to the first track, and the robot cutting device is located within the picking and placing range of the transport robot.

[0012] Optionally, if the number of die-casting models exceeds a set threshold, the handling robot moves the die-casting to a robot cutting device to remove runners and slag bags; if the number of die-casting models does not exceed a set threshold, the pickup robot moves the die-casting to a breaking machine to remove the slag bags, and transports the die-casting to the first hydraulic press to remove the runners. The threshold value can be determined based on the factory design experience, for example, the threshold value is 5 models. For example, if a factory has only two or three models within a certain period of time, the trimming die / breaking tooling can be customized according to the product, and the design and production costs will not be too high. If there are dozens or even hundreds of models, a robot cutting device can be used to remove runners and slag bags to reduce design and production costs.

[0013] Optionally, the hydraulic breaking machine and the first oil press are arranged on one side of the first track, and the cooling water tank and the marking machine are arranged on the other side of the first track.

[0014] Optionally, when the picking robot is at one end of the first track, the hydraulic breaking machine, cooling water tank and mold opening area of ​​the die-casting machine are all located within the rotating picking and placing circle of the picking robot; when the picking robot is at the other end of the first track, the first hydraulic press, marking machine and conveyor line are all located within the rotating picking and placing circle of the picking robot.

[0015] Optionally, when the transport robot is at one end of the second track, the first hydraulic press, marking machine, conveyor line and robotic cutting equipment are all within its rotating pick-up and placement circle; when the transport robot is at the other end of the second track, the second hydraulic press and conveyor line are within its rotating pick-up and placement circle.

[0016] Optionally, it also includes multiple waste frames, which are respectively connected to the hydraulic breaking machine, the first hydraulic press, the second hydraulic press, and the robot cutting equipment.

[0017] Through the reasonable layout of post-processing equipment, this application can be used for the post-processing of various die-cast parts such as the front cabin, rear floor, and battery shell, saving configuration costs and space costs.

[0018] The conveyor line is located in the right-angle space between the first and second tracks, and extends from the first track to the gantry crane in a direction parallel to the second track. When the equipment is under maintenance or damaged, a pickup robot can be used to directly place the die-cast parts on the conveyor line. The unified exit saves manpower and transportation costs and improves the utilization rate of the gantry crane.

[0019] The marking machine is placed above the conveyor line, which enables the handling robot to reliably flip the die-casting without hindrance. It saves space and also allows the die-casting to be flipped here to meet the special directional requirements of some die-castings for trimming, shaping, and robot cutting.

[0020] For situations where die castings are frequently replaced, robotic cutting equipment can be selected to replace the functions of breaking machines and hydraulic presses, which can greatly reduce the cost required to change the production of die castings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above features and technical advantages of the present invention will become clearer and easier to understand by describing the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the following drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of an automated production system for castings according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a horizontally flipped die casting according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of flipping a die-cast part in a vertical plane according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a post-processing flow chart of the front cabin, rear floor, and battery shell of an embodiment of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the described embodiments may be modified in various ways or combinations thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, throughout this specification, the drawings are not drawn to scale, and like reference numerals represent like parts.

[0027] After the die casting is formed through mold closing, molten metal feeding, injection molding, and molten metal solidification, the post-processing of the die casting can be performed using the automated casting production system of this embodiment. By utilizing a set of post-processing equipment, it can be applied to process die castings with different process characteristics. This embodiment uses the post-processing of automotive front engine compartments, rear floor panels, and battery housing die castings as examples. This embodiment adapts to different die casting flow processes and implements post-processing of three mainstream, ultra-large die castings: the front engine compartment, rear floor panels, and battery housings, significantly saving configuration and space costs.

[0028] The automated casting production system includes a pick-up robot 1, a hydraulic breaking machine 2, a cooling water tank 3, a first hydraulic press 4, a marking machine 5, a second hydraulic press 6, a handling robot 7, and a robot cutting device 8.

[0029] The retrieval robot 1 is mounted on a first track 10 and is movable on the track. The range of the retrieval robot 1 from one end of the track 10 to the other is defined as the retrieval range of the retrieval robot 1. The hydraulic breaking machine 2 and the first hydraulic press 4 are mounted on one side of the track 10, while the cooling water tank 3, the marking machine 5, and the conveyor line 30 are mounted on the other side.

[0030] The handling robot 7 is arranged on the second track 20, which is arranged at a certain angle to the first track 10 at the other end of the first track 10. The conveyor line 30 is located in a space where the first track 10 and the second track 20 are arranged at an angle of no more than 90 degrees. Preferably, the second track and the first track 10 can be arranged horizontally at 90 degrees. The conveyor line 30 extends from the other side of the first track 10 to the gantry crane in a direction perpendicular to the first track 10. Under normal circumstances, after the die-casting process is completed, the handling robot 7 places the die-casting on the conveyor line and outputs it to the gantry crane, and then uses the gantry crane to lift it away. When the equipment is under maintenance or damaged, the die-casting cannot be transported from the conveyor line to the gantry crane, and the retrieval robot 1 is required to place the die-casting on another mechanism for output, such as a die-casting trolley. However, due to the special layout of the conveyor line 30 in this embodiment, in special circumstances (when the equipment is under maintenance or damaged), the retrieval robot 1 can be used to directly place the die-casting on the conveyor line. The unified export saves manpower and transportation costs and improves the utilization rate of the gantry crane.

[0031] The marking machine 5 can be placed above the conveyor line 30, thereby providing a larger rotation space for the handling robot. This saves space and allows the die-cast parts to be flipped here. That is, the handling robot picks up the parts in the opposite direction of the picking robot 1, meeting the special directional requirements of some die-cast parts for trimming, shaping, and robot cutting.

[0032] For example, the length and width of different die castings may be different, but the processing station direction of the hydraulic press is the same. The die castings need to be flipped in the horizontal direction. Figure 2 The die casting in a needs to remove the slag 200, and it needs to be turned horizontally 90° to Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 2 , the slag bag 200 can be removed by the hydraulic press by the same processing station direction as that required by the hydraulic press.

[0033] For example Figure 3 In b, the slag bag 200 is located at the upper end of the die casting, and the support block below cannot support the bottom of the slag bag, so that the bottom of the slag bag 200 is too large to be reliably removed. It is necessary to flip it 180° in the vertical plane to Figure 3 As shown in a, the slag bag 200 can be reliably supported and thus the slag bag can be reliably removed.

[0034] Therefore, by placing the marking machine above the conveyor line 30, space is freed up for the handling robot on the second track to rotate, so that the handling robot can reliably flip the die-casting without hindrance, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the die-casting.

[0035] The hydraulic breaking machine 2, cooling water tank 3, and die-casting machine 100 mold opening area, as well as the first hydraulic press 4, marking machine 5, and conveyor line 30, are all located within the pickup and placement range of the retrieval robot 1. For example, when the retrieval robot 1 is at one end of the first track 10, the hydraulic breaking machine 2, cooling water tank 3, and die-casting machine 100 mold opening area are all located within the retrieval robot 1's rotary pickup and placement circle. Figure 1 The circular trajectory in the figure is the rotary pickup circle of the pickup robot at its current position. Therefore, the pickup robot 1 can remove the formed die-cast parts from the die-casting machine 100 and then place them in the hydraulic breaking machine 2 or the cooling water tank 3 according to process requirements. When the pickup robot 1 is at the other end of the first track 10, the first hydraulic press 4, the marking machine 5, and the conveyor line are all located within the rotary pickup circle of the pickup robot 1. Therefore, the pickup robot 1 can place the die-cast parts at any position among the first hydraulic press 4, the marking machine 5, and the conveyor line according to process requirements.

[0036] The handling robot 7 is arranged on the second track 20, and the range of its ability to pick up and place parts from one end to the other end of the second track 20 is the picking up and placing range of the handling robot 7. The first hydraulic press 4, the marking machine 5, the second hydraulic press 6, the robotic cutting device 8, and the conveyor line 30 are all within the picking up and placing range of the handling robot 7. For example, when the handling robot 7 is at one end of the second track 20, the first hydraulic press 4, the marking machine 5, the robotic cutting device 8, and the conveyor line 30 are all within its rotating picking up and placing circumference. When the handling robot 7 is at the other end of the second track 20, the marking machine 5, the second hydraulic press 6, and the conveyor line 30 are within its rotating picking up and placing circumference. The conveyor line extends into the lifting range of the gantry crane 40, thereby allowing the gantry crane to lift the die-castings from the conveyor line. There is also a manual operating table within the lifting range of the gantry crane to manually assist in the output of the die-castings.

[0037] Because hydraulic presses / breaking machines utilize trimming dies / breaking fixtures designed to mimic the die castings, they require custom-designed trimming dies / breaking fixtures, resulting in high design and production costs and making them unsuitable for customers who frequently change die castings. Robotic cutting equipment utilizes a multi-axis robot (typically six-axis) holding a laser cutting head, plasma cutting head, or circular saw to remove slag pockets and process runners on castings. For each die casting, simply select the appropriate cutting head and teach (debug) the robot to remove slag pockets and runners. Although costly, robotic cutting equipment can replace the functions of a breaking machine or hydraulic press individually or simultaneously for frequently changing die castings, significantly reducing the cost of changing die casting production.

[0038] In addition, the automated production system for castings further includes a plurality of waste frames 50 , which are respectively connected to the hydraulic breaking machine 2 , the first hydraulic press 4 , the second hydraulic press 6 , and the robotic cutting device 8 to transport the removed waste.

[0039] Through the above arrangement, the automated casting production system of this embodiment can handle the post-processing of battery shell die castings, front engine compartments, and rear floor panels. Detailed description is as follows.

[0040] 1. Post-processing process of battery shell die castings 1

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the picking robot 1 removes the die-casting from the die-casting machine 100, first passes the electric eye to detect the external dimensions of the die-casting, and then the picking robot 1 places it on the hydraulic breaking machine 2 to remove the slag bag. The slag bag is on the outside of the die-casting and is used to accommodate the oxide scale and slag inclusions that first enter the mold cavity. The picking robot then extracts the die-casting to the marking machine, which marks it. The handling robot then extracts the die-casting from the marking machine and places it on the first hydraulic press to remove the runner. The runner is a channel for the molten metal to flow into the mold cavity. Normally, the runner connects the material handle to the die-casting.

[0042] The handling robot then places the die-cast part on the second hydraulic press for thermal shaping and cooling. Because the battery case is flat and large in size, the uneven cooling distribution causes internal forces to pull and produce significant deformation during the cooling process. Therefore, it is necessary to use a shaping mold to apply pressure to fix the center and sides of the battery case before a significant temperature drop, and then cool it to reduce deformation of the die-cast part. For more details, please refer to the technical details in patent 202323249216.5. The handling robot then places the die-cast part on the conveyor line for output.

[0043] 2. Post-processing process of battery shell die castings 2

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, a retrieval robot 1 removes a die-cast part from the die-casting machine 100. The part's dimensions are first inspected by an electric eye, and then the robot places it on a marking machine, where it is marked. A handling robot then retrieves the part from the marking machine and places it on a robotic cutting device to remove slag pockets and runners. The handling robot then places the part on a second hydraulic press for thermal shaping and cooling, minimizing deformation.

[0045] Then the handling robot extracts the die-casting parts to the conveyor line, and the die-casting parts are output to the workbench through the conveyor line. Manual workers can lift the die-casting parts through the gantry crane for quality inspection, and then stack them in the die-casting frame after inspection, which facilitates operation and transportation.

[0046] 3. Post-processing process of front cabin die castings 1

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the picking robot 1 removes the die-casting from the die-casting machine 100, firstly detects the external dimensions of the die-casting through an electric eye, and then places the die-casting on a hydraulic breaking machine 2 to remove the slag bag, and then places the die-casting on a cooling water tank 3 for cooling, and then places it on the first hydraulic press 4 to remove the runner.

[0048] The transfer robot 7 removes the die-cast part from the first hydraulic press 4 and transfers it to the marking machine 5 for marking. After marking, it can be transferred to the second hydraulic press for reshaping if necessary. Of course, the front nacelle can also be reshaped, depending on the process characteristics.

[0049] Then the handling robot picks up the die-casting parts and takes them to the marking machine for marking. Then the handling robot picks up the die-casting parts and takes them to the conveyor line. The die-casting parts are output to the workbench through the conveyor line. Manual workers can lift the die-casting parts through the gantry crane for quality inspection. After inspection, they are stacked in the die-casting frame, which facilitates operation and transportation.

[0050] 4. Post-processing process of rear base plate die castings 1

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the picking robot 1 removes the die-casting from the die-casting machine 100, firstly detects the external dimensions of the die-casting through an electric eye, and then places the die-casting into the cooling water tank 3 for cooling, and then places it into the first hydraulic press 4 to remove the slag bag and runner.

[0052] The handling robot 7 picks up the die-casting at the first hydraulic press 4 and moves it to the second hydraulic press for shaping as needed. If shaping is not required, it moves it to the marking machine for marking.

[0053] Then the handling robot extracts the die-casting parts to the conveyor line, and the die-casting parts are output to the workbench through the conveyor line. Manual workers can lift the die-casting parts through the gantry crane for quality inspection, and then stack them in the die-casting frame after inspection, which facilitates operation and transportation.

[0054] 5. Post-processing process of die-casting parts such as front cabin and rear floor

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the pick-up robot 1 takes the die-casting from the die-casting machine 100, firstly detects the external dimensions of the die-casting through an electric eye, then places the die-casting into a cooling water tank 3 for cooling, and then transfers it to a marking machine for marking.

[0056] The handling robot 7 extracts the die-casting from the marking machine and places it on the robotic cutting device to remove slag and runners. The handling robot 7 extracts the die-casting from the robotic cutting device and can be moved to the second hydraulic press for shaping as needed. If shaping is not required, the die-casting is transferred to the conveyor line, where it is delivered to the workbench. A gantry crane can be used to manually lift the die-casting for quality inspection. After inspection, the die-casting is stacked in a die-casting frame, facilitating operation and transportation.

[0057] The above uses the front engine compartment, rear floor, and battery shell as examples to illustrate that the automated production system of the castings of this application can be applied to different process flows, but this application is not limited to the post-processing system used only for the front engine compartment, rear floor, and battery shell of the automobile. As long as the die-castings are consistent with the process flow of this application, the automated production system of the castings can be used.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated production system for castings, characterized in that: It includes a picking robot, a handling robot, a hydraulic breaking machine, a cooling water tank, a first hydraulic press, a marking machine, a second hydraulic press and a conveyor line. The picking robot is movably arranged on a first track, and the handling robot is movably arranged on a second track. The second track is arranged at a right angle to the first track. The conveyor line is located in the right-angle space between the first track and the second track, and the conveyor line extends from the first track to the gantry crane in a direction parallel to the second track. The gantry crane is used to lift the die-castings from the conveyor line. Among them, the die-casting machine's mold opening area, hydraulic breaking machine, cooling water tank, first hydraulic press, marking machine and conveyor line are all located within the picking and placing range of the picking robot, and the first hydraulic press, marking machine, second hydraulic press and conveyor line are all within the picking and placing range of the handling robot.

2. The automated production system for castings according to claim 1, characterized in that: The marking machine is arranged above the conveying line.

3. The automated production system for castings according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transport robot picks up items in the opposite direction to the item picking robot.

4. The automated production system for castings according to claim 2, characterized in that: A robot cutting device is also provided, and the robot cutting device is located on a side of the second track opposite to the first track, and the robot cutting device is located within the pick-and-place range of the transport robot.

5. The automated production system for castings according to claim 4, characterized in that: If the number of die-casting models exceeds the set threshold, the handling robot will move the die-castings to the robot cutting equipment to remove the runners and slag bags. If the number of die-casting models does not exceed the set threshold, the picking robot will move the die-castings to the breaking machine to remove the slag bags and transport the die-castings to the first hydraulic press to remove the runners.

6. The automated production system for castings according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hydraulic breaking machine and the first oil press are arranged on one side of the first track, and the cooling water tank and the marking machine are arranged on the other side of the first track.

7. The automated casting production system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the picking robot is at one end of the first track, the hydraulic breaking machine, cooling water tank and mold opening area of ​​the die-casting machine are all located within the rotating picking and placing circle of the picking robot; when the picking robot is at the other end of the first track, the first hydraulic press, marking machine and conveyor line are all located within the rotating picking and placing circle of the picking robot.

8. The automated casting production system according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the handling robot is at one end of the second track, the first hydraulic press, marking machine, conveyor line and robot cutting equipment are all within its rotary pick-up and placement circle; when the handling robot is at the other end of the second track, the second hydraulic press and conveyor line are within its rotary pick-up and placement circle.

9. The automated casting production system according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of waste frames which are respectively connected to the hydraulic breaking machine, the first hydraulic press, the second hydraulic press and the robot cutting device.

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