Assembly line for valve seat assembly of shock absorber

Abstract

The utility model discloses an assembly line for a valve seat assembly of a shock absorber. The assembly line comprises a backflow conveying line and three assembly units, wherein the backflow conveying line is arranged on a working platform and used for conveying part carriers; the assembling unit comprises a robot with a material taking device and a camera above the robot, and a material disc is arranged beside the robot; the material taking device is a clamp or a magnetic suction cup. The backflow conveying line comprises an upper conveying belt and a lower conveying belt which are vertically arranged, the conveying directions of the upper conveying belt and the lower conveying belt are opposite, lifting supporting plates used for lifting the part carriers are arranged at the two ends of the upper conveying belt and the two ends of the lower conveying belt respectively, and limiting inserting blocks driven by transverse air cylinders to go in and out so as to be inserted into or pulled out of the part carriers are arranged on the two sides of each station of the upper conveying belt respectively. According to the utility model, the problems of low assembly efficiency and unstable assembly quality of the existing automobile accessory small parts such as a shock absorber valve seat assembly can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive parts manufacturing technology, and in particular to an automated assembly equipment for assembling automotive shock absorber valve seat assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] The valve seat assembly of a shock absorber includes a compression valve stem, a flow valve guide ring, a return valve plate, a throttle plate, a valve seat, and a flow valve plate (as well as a compensation valve spring and a limit switch; the latter two are assembled manually at the end). These eight parts are interlocked to form a single assembly. Because these eight parts have different shapes, especially five of them which are flat and very small (about the size of a penny), lightweight, and compact, with holes in the center and various locking positions around the perimeter, they must be interlocked sequentially and in a specific direction. Furthermore, the resulting valve seat assembly must be mounted onto the shock absorber cylinder for engagement. Therefore, the assembly precision requirements for the valve seat assembly are quite high. Currently, valve seat assembly is generally done manually. Besides being very inefficient, the assembly precision decreases with the fatigue level of the assemblers, resulting in poorly guaranteed assembly quality. Moreover, the consistency and stability of each assembly session by a large number of assemblers are low. Therefore, the assembly efficiency and quality of these small automotive parts have become a bottleneck in automotive parts production, consistently hindering the development of the automotive parts industry. Utility Model Content

[0003] The problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide an assembly line for shock absorber valve seat components, so as to solve the problems of low assembly efficiency and unstable assembly quality of existing small automotive parts such as shock absorber valve seat components.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the technical solution of this utility model is: the shock absorber valve seat assembly line includes a return conveyor line on the work platform for conveying parts carriers and three assembly units arranged sequentially along the return conveyor line.

[0005] The assembly unit includes a robot with a picker and a camera above the robot, with a material tray placed next to the robot; the picker is a clamp or a magnetic chuck.

[0006] The return conveyor line includes an upper conveyor belt and a lower conveyor belt arranged vertically. The upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt have opposite conveying directions. Both ends of the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are provided with lifting pallets for lifting the part carrier. The bottom of the lifting pallet is provided with a lifting cylinder. The upper conveyor belt is provided with limiting blocks on both sides of each station for inserting or pulling out the part carrier. The limiting blocks are connected to a transverse cylinder that drives them in and out.

[0007] The robot, the camera, the vibrator, the upper conveyor belt, the lower conveyor belt, the lifting cylinder, and the lateral cylinder are all connected to a control unit.

[0008] A more specific solution to the above technical solution could be that the robot is a six-degree-of-freedom robot and is mounted on the work platform via a mounting base.

[0009] Furthermore: a discharge hopper with an inclined discharge surface is provided next to the material tray of the assembly unit, and the oscillator is provided at the bottom of both the discharge hopper and the material tray.

[0010] Furthermore, both the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are belt conveyor belts.

[0011] Furthermore: the transverse cylinder on the side of the upper conveyor belt is mounted on a transversely arranged mounting plate; the limiting block has a downwardly bent end, which is connected to the power output end of the transverse cylinder; the part carrier has a groove in the middle for positioning and placing parts; the two sides of the part carrier have slots for inserting the limiting block; each limiting block is equipped with a laser sensor; and the lifting plate is equipped with a pushing cylinder for pushing the part carrier into the upper and lower conveyor belts. Both the laser sensor and the pushing cylinder are connected to the control unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are mounted on the working platform via multiple support seats.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the support bases includes a pair of L-shaped support plates on both sides of the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt. The support plates are provided with a vertical portion for mounting the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt and a horizontal portion for connecting to the working platform.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0015] This shock absorber valve seat assembly line automatically transports parts across three stations on the return conveyor line via a return conveyor line on the work platform and three assembly units equipped with robots arranged sequentially along the return conveyor line. The robots at each station automatically pick up parts and assemble them sequentially. The assembly units use oscillators at the bottom of the hopper and tray to disperse the stacked parts. The inclined discharge surfaces of the oscillators and hopper simultaneously disperse and transport the parts to the tray. A camera above captures the dispersed state of the parts and the position and direction of the robots picking up parts. The return conveyor line controls the rotation of the upper and lower conveyor belts based on the completion of part assembly by the robots on the parts carriers at the three stations. The lifting cylinders are activated and deactivated according to the position of the parts carriers on the upper and lower conveyor belts to control the return flow of the parts carriers. The entire material handling, picking, and installation process is fully automated. The entire assembly process is intelligent and automated, greatly reducing manual intervention and improving assembly consistency and stability. Precise control and monitoring ensure the assembly accuracy and quality of the shock absorber components. In addition, the high degree of automation of the production line can increase capacity, enable continuous and efficient production, greatly shorten the assembly cycle, and improve production efficiency and capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] The diagram shows: 1. Lifting cylinder; 2. Lifting support plate; 3. Motor; 4. Upper conveyor belt; 5. Lower conveyor belt; 6. Mounting base plate; 7. Lateral cylinder; 8. Limiting block; 9. Laser sensor; 10. Support base; 11. Part carrier; 12. Push-in cylinder; 21. Column; 22. Crossbar; 23. Camera; 31. Discharge hopper; 32. Material tray; 33. Vibrator; 34. Multi-slot material tray; 34-1 slot; 40. Robot; 41. Clamp; 42. Magnetic chuck; 43. Mounting base; 100. Work platform. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0021] like Figures 1 to 3The shock absorber valve seat assembly line shown includes a return conveyor line for transporting parts carrier 11 on the work platform 100 and three assembly units arranged sequentially along the return conveyor line. Through the return conveyor line for transporting parts carrier on the work platform and the three assembly units with robots arranged sequentially along the return conveyor line, the parts are automatically transported and transferred between three stations on the return conveyor line. The robots at the three stations automatically pick up the three parts and assemble them sequentially at the three stations.

[0022] The assembly unit includes a robot 40 with a picker and a camera 23 above the robot. The robot 40 is a six-degree-of-freedom robot and is mounted on the work platform 100 via a mounting base 43. The camera 23 is a hyperspectral camera and is mounted on a crossbar 22 on the upper part of the column 21 on one side of the robot. A discharge hopper 31 with an inclined discharge surface is provided next to the robot 40, and a material tray 32 is provided on one side of the bottom of the discharge hopper. The camera 23 is located above the robot and is mounted on the crossbar 22 on the upper part of the column on one side of the robot. It can accurately capture the gathering and dispersing status of the robot and all parts on the discharge hopper and material tray below it. The entire robot movement process includes the angle and direction of picking up parts and the position and direction of the assembled parts on the part carrier extending to the return conveyor line. Both the bottom of the hopper 31 and the tray 32 are equipped with vibrators 33. The vibrators 33 vibrate and disperse the parts stacked on the hopper 31 and the tray 32. The inclined discharge surface of the hopper allows the parts stacked on the hopper to fall into the tray by their own weight and the vibration force of the vibrator. Under the combined action of the two forces, the parts are further dispersed by vibration as they fall. The robots at the first and third stations are equipped with two pickers: a clamp 41 and a magnetic chuck 42. The two pickers can be rotated and switched. The robot at the second station is equipped with two magnetic chucks 42. The magnetic chucks are of different sizes and can pick up sheet parts of different diameters. They can also be rotated and switched. The third station has a material tray with multiple slots 34-1, which is a multi-slot material tray 34. Each slot holds a part. There is no discharge hopper next to the multi-slot material tray 34. The bottom of the multi-slot material tray 34 can also be equipped with a vibrator 33 to vibrate the parts that are not placed flat by hand into place.

[0023] The return conveyor line includes an upper conveyor belt 4 and a lower conveyor belt 5 arranged vertically. Both the upper and lower conveyor belts are driven by a motor 3. The upper and lower conveyor belts convey in opposite directions, so that after the parts carrier is transported along the workflow direction of the station on the upper conveyor belt, it can return to the front of the workstation in the opposite direction on the lower conveyor belt. The upper conveyor belt 4 and the lower conveyor belt 5 are mounted on the work platform 100 by multiple support seats 10. Each support seat 10 includes a pair of L-shaped support plates on both sides of the upper and lower conveyor belts. The support plates have a vertical part for mounting the upper and lower conveyor belts and a horizontal part for connecting to the work platform.

[0024] Each station on the upper conveyor belt 4 has a limiting block 8 on both sides for inserting or removing part carriers. The limiting block is connected to a transverse cylinder 7 that drives it in and out. The transverse cylinder 7 is mounted on a transversely positioned mounting plate 6, one end of which is bent and mounted on the side of the upper conveyor belt 4. The limiting block 8 has a downward-bent end connected to the power output end of the transverse cylinder 7. The part carrier 11 has a groove in the middle for positioning and placing parts, and slots on both sides for the limiting blocks 8 to be inserted. Each limiting block 8 is accompanied by a laser sensor 9 for detecting whether the part carrier is in position. After the part carrier is positioned on the upper conveyor belt, the power output ends of the transverse cylinders on both sides of the upper conveyor belt drive the limiting blocks to insert into the slots on both sides of the part carrier, preventing the part carrier from moving. After the robot assembles the part, the transverse cylinders drive the limiting blocks to be pulled out of the slots of the part carrier, and the part carrier continues to move on the upper conveyor belt.

[0025] Both ends of the upper conveyor belt 4 and the lower conveyor belt 5 are equipped with lifting pallets 2 for lifting the part carrier 11. A lifting cylinder 1 is located at the bottom of the lifting pallet 2, and a pushing cylinder 12 is located beside the lifting pallet 2 to push the part carrier 11 onto the upper and lower conveyor belts. After the part carrier 11 is transported along the work process direction on the upper conveyor belt, the operator can remove the assembled part components from the part carrier on the upper conveyor belt. The empty part carrier is squeezed onto the lifting pallet 2 at the rear end of the conveyor belt by the conveying force of the upper conveyor belt 4. The lifting cylinder under the lifting pallet 2 lowers until the lifting pallet 2 is level with the conveying surface of the lower conveyor belt 5. The empty part carrier is then pushed into the lower conveyor belt by the pushing cylinder 12. Alternatively, the operator can manually push the part carrier into the lower conveyor belt as needed. The lower conveyor belt allows for better adjustment and control of the assembly progress. A lifting cylinder raises the lifting pallet to the level of the upper conveyor belt. Empty parts carriers on the lower conveyor belt flow back in the opposite direction to the front of the workstation's workflow direction, i.e., the front end of the lower conveyor belt. The empty parts carriers are squeezed by the conveying force of the lower conveyor belt onto the lifting pallet at the front end of the conveyor belt. At this point, the lifting pallet is level with the conveying surface of the lower conveyor belt. Then, the front lifting cylinder raises the lifting pallet along with the empty parts carriers to the level of the conveying surface of the upper conveyor belt. A pushing cylinder pushes the empty parts carriers into the upper conveyor belt. The empty parts carriers circulate between three workstations on the upper conveyor belt. The front lifting cylinder lowers the lifting pallet back to its original position. In this way, the parts carriers rotate back and forth on the upper and lower conveyor belts.

[0026] The robot 40, camera 23, vibrator 33, drive motors 2 for the upper conveyor belt 4 and lower conveyor belt 5, lifting cylinder 1, and laser sensor 9 are all connected to a control unit. The control unit is connected to a data analysis unit, which collects and analyzes data captured by the camera to accurately determine the distribution and location of parts, as well as the status and position of the robot's material handler, in order to perform precise assembly. The control unit is connected to a control panel.

[0027] When in use, the staff only needs to place a certain number of parts in the discharge hoppers of the three workstations in sequence according to the assembly process, make the corresponding settings on the control panel, and the control program in the control unit will control the parts according to the parameters. The return conveyor line starts, and the parts carriers move between three stations on the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt. When the laser sensor at the first station detects a parts carrier, the camera at the first station captures the parts' scattered state. The robot at the first station then uses its gripper to pick up a single, independently scattered compression valve stem from the material tray at the first station, rotates it horizontally to a certain direction, and places it into the groove of an empty parts carrier. The gripper releases and rises, and the robot at the first station returns to the material tray to continue picking up flow valve guide rings and assembling them onto the compression valve stems of the parts carriers at the first station. The parts carrier with the compression valve stem and flow valve guide ring then moves to the second station. Simultaneously, another empty parts carrier is transported to the first station by the upper conveyor belt. When the laser sensor at the second station detects a parts carrier, the camera at the second station captures the parts' scattered state. The robot at the second station uses its magnetic suction head to pick up independently scattered parts from the material tray at the second station. The flat-laid recovery valve plate is assembled onto the flow valve guide ring inside the parts carrier. The magnetic suction head is disconnected, the electromagnetic release is lifted, and the robot at the second station returns to the material tray to continue picking up the throttling plate and assembling it onto the flow valve guide ring. The parts carrier continues to flow to the third station. While assembling at the second station, the empty parts carrier at the first station continues to be loaded with parts. Similarly, when the laser sensor at the third station senses the parts carrier, the camera at the third station captures the flat state of the parts. The gripper of the robot at the third station is controlled to pick up the valve seat that is flat and placed in the slot in the multi-slot material tray at the third station and assemble it onto the throttling plate. Then, the rotating pickup uses the magnetic suction head to pick up the flow valve plate for assembly. The assembly with the above six parts moves to the rear end with the parts carrier on the upper conveyor belt. The operator takes out the valve body assembly. The empty parts carrier is lowered to the lower conveyor belt by the lifting pallet and lifting cylinder and is transported back to the front end of the conveyor belt by the lower conveyor belt. The valve body components are automatically assembled repeatedly. Workers only need to turn the machine on and off and remove each valve body from the parts carrier on the upper conveyor belt after assembly, thus realizing the intelligent and automated assembly process.

[0028] This vibration damper valve seat assembly line is centered on intelligent technology, integrating advanced video monitoring, sensor, automation control, and data analysis technologies. The production line can sense various parameters during production in real time, such as pressure, speed, position, and angle, and automatically adjust according to preset programs to ensure production stability and high quality. Simultaneously, through big data analysis, the production line can continuously optimize production processes, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. This not only enhances a company's core competitiveness and increases market share, achieving sustainable development, but also deeply integrates with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, bringing more innovation and transformation to the industrial sector.

[0029] This shock absorber valve seat assembly line is highly flexible and adaptable, meeting the assembly needs of different types of shock absorber components. The equipment adopts a modular design, allowing for rapid assembly and adjustment according to production requirements, thus improving production efficiency and equipment utilization.

[0030] Adopting intelligent automated assembly technology can improve a company's production efficiency and product quality, reduce production costs, and enhance its competitiveness. In today's increasingly competitive market, possessing advanced production technology is crucial for a company's survival.

Claims

1. A vibration damper valve seat assembly line, characterized in that: It includes a return conveyor line on the work platform for transporting parts carriers and three assembly units arranged sequentially along the return conveyor line; The assembly unit includes a robot with a picker and a camera above the robot, with a material tray placed next to the robot; the picker is a clamp or a magnetic chuck. The return conveyor line includes an upper conveyor belt and a lower conveyor belt arranged vertically. The upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt have opposite conveying directions. Both ends of the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are provided with lifting pallets for lifting the part carrier. The bottom of the lifting pallet is provided with a lifting cylinder. The upper conveyor belt is provided with limiting blocks on both sides of each station for inserting or pulling out the part carrier. The limiting blocks are connected to a transverse cylinder that drives them in and out. The robot, the camera, the vibrator, the upper conveyor belt, the lower conveyor belt, the lifting cylinder, and the lateral cylinder are all connected to a control unit.

2. The shock absorber valve seat assembly line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot is a six-degree-of-freedom robot and is mounted on the working platform via a mounting base.

3. The vibration damper valve seat assembly line according to claim 2, characterized in that: The assembly unit has a discharge hopper with an inclined discharge surface next to the material tray, and the bottom of both the discharge hopper and the material tray is equipped with the vibrator.

4. The shock absorber valve seat assembly line according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are belt conveyors.

5. The shock absorber valve seat assembly line according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transverse cylinder on the side of the upper conveyor belt is mounted on a transversely arranged mounting plate. The limiting block has a downwardly bent end, which is connected to the power output end of the transverse cylinder. The part carrier has a groove in the middle for positioning and placing parts. The two sides of the part carrier have slots for inserting the limiting block. Each limiting block is equipped with a laser sensor. The lifting plate is equipped with a pushing cylinder for pushing the part carrier into the upper and lower conveyor belts. The laser sensor and the pushing cylinder are both connected to the control unit.

6. The shock absorber valve seat assembly line according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt are mounted on the working platform via multiple support bases.

7. The shock absorber valve seat assembly line according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the support bases includes a pair of L-shaped support plates on both sides of the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt. The support plates are provided with a vertical portion for mounting the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt and a horizontal portion for connecting to the working platform.

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