Automatic cleaning device for surface of gear blank

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of cleaning, and aims to solve the problem that in the prior art, the surface of a gear blank which has flaws but can still be die-cast into a good product is not cleaned thoroughly. Therefore, the automatic cleaning device for the surface of the gear blank is composed of the sorting system and the cleaning system and further provided with the machine vision ecological system, the machine vision ecological system is connected with the two movable sorting baffles, the cleaning system is installed at the cleaning position, the advanced machine vision ecological system is utilized, and the automatic cleaning device for the surface of the gear blank is achieved. And gear blanks needing to be specially cleaned are screened out and cleaned. Therefore, impurities in the gear blanks are prevented from affecting later machining.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of machining technology, specifically relating to an automatic cleaning device for the surface of a gear blank. Background Technology

[0002] Large gears play a wide role in modern machinery, and the demand for them is substantial. The production of large gears involves determining gear parameters and completing a detailed design based on usage requirements; then, materials are selected according to requirements, and gear blanks are prepared using forging or casting methods. After heat treatment, the tooth profile and related parts are machined; finally, heat treatment is performed to improve gear performance. Corresponding solutions have been developed in the existing technology to address this issue. For example, the invention patent with patent application number CN201410398954.2, entitled "A Forging Process for Cycloidal Bevel Gears for Automobiles," describes a forging process for cycloidal bevel gears for automobiles, including the following steps: Step 1, blanking, wherein the blank is heated in a high-frequency electric furnace and forged using a cold-pressing forging die; Step 2, quenching and phosphating treatment, using graded quenching or direct quenching; Step 3, cleaning the surface of the gear blank, preheating the blank to 200℃-300℃, machining the bevel gear teeth using a gear mold forming machine, and grinding the gear surface using a gear milling machine; Step 4, inspection and preheating treatment, wherein substandard gear blanks are screened out using inspection instruments and reprocessed in Step 1. This invention ensures the precision of forged cycloidal bevel gears, not only reducing energy consumption and increasing gear lifespan, but also reducing secondary finishing time, improving product production efficiency, thereby saving production materials and reducing enterprise production costs. Therefore, surface cleaning of gear blanks is an essential process. The process is further described as follows: using a metal cleaner, first dilute the metal cleaner with 20%-30% water, then heat the diluted metal cleaner solution to a temperature of 50℃-70℃, and finally immerse the gear blank in the metal cleaner solution for 4-7 minutes, then remove and dry it. If the cleaning does not meet the required standards in one go, multiple cleaning treatments can be performed as needed. KR-125 or KR-103 are preferred metal cleaners.

[0003] This technical solution comprehensively describes the entire gear manufacturing process, including surface cleaning. This cleaning process is suitable for gear blanks with flawless surfaces. However, if the gear surface has defects, metal debris may remain in the defective areas, and this debris is difficult to remove even after soaking in a cleaning agent. It should be noted that since the gear blank requires further processing, even surface defects can be removed during subsequent processing. However, these metal debris residues in the defects can detach during the drying process, scratching the surface of the finished gear, damaging the paint film during painting, and in severe cases, even damaging the processing equipment, negatively impacting the gear manufacturing process. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of incomplete surface cleaning of gear blanks with defects that can still be die-cast into good products in the prior art. To address this, this invention provides an automatic surface cleaning device for gear blanks, comprising a sorting system and a cleaning system. The sorting system includes a first movable sorting baffle located at a first sorting position and a second movable sorting baffle located at a second sorting position. The first sorting position is located on the inclined surface of the gear blank's outlet, and the second sorting position is located in the defective product channel. A machine vision ecosystem is also included, connecting the two movable sorting baffles. A cleaning position is also included, with the cleaning system installed at the cleaning position. The cleaning system includes a spray wall and hot air ducts mounted on a multi-functional robotic arm, which works in conjunction with the cleaning system.

[0005] Preferably, both movable sorting baffles include a movable plate body connected to an electromagnetic drive device, which is connected to a control system.

[0006] Preferably, the first movable sorting baffle is used to distinguish gear blanks with surface defects; the second movable sorting baffle is used to distinguish gear blanks with surface defects that can still be processed. Guided by the machine vision ecosystem, the movable sorting baffles place gear blanks with different properties into their proper positions.

[0007] Preferably, the machine vision ecosystem includes a high-resolution industrial camera and an intelligent image processing unit connected to the high-resolution industrial camera. In existing technologies, machine vision ecosystems are typically integrated to quickly detect defective products. This invention simply reuses such a system.

[0008] Preferably, the multi-functional robotic arm is a multi-degree-of-freedom articulated robotic arm, with a replaceable vacuum suction cup clamp at the end of the arm. The replaceable vacuum suction cup clamp is used to match gear blanks of different models and sizes.

[0009] Preferably, the cleaning station is equipped with a stainless steel tank, and a spray wall with multiple nozzles is provided on one side wall of the tank. This allows for efficient cleaning and enables the recovery of cleaning solution through the stainless steel tank, resulting in a low actual amount of cleaning agent used.

[0010] Preferably, the spray wall has three sides, with spray nozzles evenly distributed on each side, and adjacent sides forming an angle of 130-150 degrees. This ensures thorough cleaning without any blind spots.

[0011] Preferably, the robotic arm is equipped with a heating duct connected to a fan, and multiple sets of heating elements are arranged in the heating duct. The heating elements are PTC ceramic heating elements. This allows for rapid drying of the gear blank when the robotic arm handles it.

[0012] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention due to the adoption of the aforementioned technical solution are as follows: Utilizing an advanced machine vision ecosystem, gear blanks requiring special cleaning are identified. The multi-angle, high-pressure spray wall cleaning method combined with a specially formulated cleaning fluid effectively removes oil, iron filings, dust, and other impurities from the imperfect areas of the gear blank surface. Subsequent hot air drying ensures no residual water stains, guaranteeing stable surface quality of the gear blank and facilitating subsequent processing such as painting and assembly, thereby improving the overall performance and appearance of the product. The multi-degree-of-freedom design of the multi-functional robotic arm and the replaceable vacuum suction cup grippers allow the device to adapt to gear blanks of different sizes and shapes, achieving automated and precise gripping, cleaning, and drying operations without frequent manual intervention. This improves production efficiency while reducing the uncertainty risks associated with manual operation, ensuring that each gear blank receives standardized processing, thus preventing impurities in these blanks from affecting subsequent processing.

[0013] The above description of the utility model is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this utility model are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view of the overall structure of an automatic cleaning device for the surface of a gear blank according to this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning position of an automatic cleaning device for the surface of a gear blank according to this utility model.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. First active sorting baffle, 2. Second active sorting baffle, 3. Machine vision ecosystem, 4. Multifunctional robotic arm, 5. Spray wall, 6. Hot air duct, 7. Stainless steel tank, 8. Vacuum suction cup clamp, 9. Fan, 10. Water outlet, 11. Good product area, 12. Scrap product area, 13. Spray nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only one preferred embodiment of this utility model and are only used to explain this utility model. They do not limit the scope of protection of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0019] Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be mentioned that some exemplary embodiments are described as processes or methods depicted as flowcharts. Although the flowcharts describe the operations (or steps) as sequential processes, many of the operations (or steps) can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of the operations can be rearranged. A process can be terminated when its operation is completed, but may also have additional steps not included in the figures; a process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subroutine, etc. The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification and the aforementioned figures are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present invention, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] It should be understood that in this utility model, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" is merely a description of the variable relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. It should be understood that in this utility model, "B corresponding to A," "B corresponding to A," "A and B corresponding," or "B and A corresponding" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. Determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. Matching A and B is defined as a similarity between A and B that is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0021] First, it should be noted that this utility model is used to clean gear blanks with surface defects, but which are still determined to be suitable for producing good gears.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, during operation, the gear blank slides out from the inclined surface of the discharge port and first enters the first sorting station. At this time, the machine vision ecosystem 3 located at the first sorting station immediately starts working. A high-resolution industrial camera captures surface images of the gear blank at the moment of discharge at a high frame rate, and these images are transmitted to the intelligent image processing unit in real time. The intelligent image processing unit, relying on a pre-trained deep learning model, quickly and accurately analyzes the surface of the gear blank, identifies whether there are defects such as cracks, sand holes, and dents, and can also detect the adhesion of impurities such as oil stains, iron filings, and dust. The entire detection process is completed in a very short time, with almost no interruption to the production process. The machine vision ecosystem 3 in this utility model uses Hikvision's customized services for enterprises. These technologies are existing and widely used in the workshop. This utility model only applies these technologies and does not protect the working principle of the machine vision ecosystem 3. Under normal circumstances, good gear blanks fall directly to the good product area 11. Once the machine vision ecosystem 3 determines that the gear blank has defects or that the surface impurities are seriously excessive, it sends a signal to the control system. The control system then activates the electromagnetic drive device, and the first movable sorting baffle 1 connected to the electromagnetic drive device responds quickly. The path of the defective gear blanks is altered, directing them into the defective product channel. When these defective blanks enter the second sorting position within the defective product channel, the machine vision ecosystem 3 again comes into play, further identifying these defective products and determining which, despite their flaws, can still be processed. Once confirmed, the control system activates the second active sorting baffle 2, guiding these gear blanks to the subsequent corresponding processing stage, i.e., into the cleaning area. Unusable gear blanks fall directly into the scrap area 12.

[0023] The multi-functional robotic arm 4 uses a multi-degree-of-freedom articulated robotic arm, typically an industrial robotic arm from FANUC (Japan) or KUKA (Germany). For example... Figure 2As shown, the multi-functional robotic arm 4 holds the gear blank that has entered the cleaning area. The replaceable vacuum suction cup gripper 8 at the end of the robotic arm precisely adjusts its gripping posture according to the size and shape of the gear blank, steadily lifting the gear blank and moving it to a predetermined position above the stainless steel tank 7. At this time, the spray wall 5 on one side wall of the tank is activated. The spray wall 5 has three surfaces, and the nozzles 13 evenly arranged on each surface begin to spray a special cleaning solution. The angle between adjacent surfaces is 130-150 degrees. This multi-angle spray design ensures that the cleaning solution can cover the surface of the gear blank in all directions, effectively rinsing the tooth surface, tooth root, and hub. Under high pressure, the cleaning solution impacts the gear blank, powerfully removing oil, cutting fluid residue, dust, iron filings, and other impurities. The waste liquid generated during the cleaning process flows into the outlet 10 at the bottom of the tank and is treated through a special waste liquid recovery system.

[0024] After the spray cleaning is completed, the hot air duct 6 installed on the multi-functional robotic arm 4 is turned on. The hot air blown out by the hot air duct 6 comes from the fan 9 and is circulated by the hot air generated by multiple sets of PTC ceramic heating elements inside the hot air duct. The hot air accelerates the evaporation of the cleaning solution, causing the stains to be removed from the surface of the gear blank more quickly; on the other hand, it can quickly dry the gear blank after cleaning, avoiding water stains that may cause rust. The multi-functional robotic arm 4 flexibly adjusts the position and posture of the gear blank according to the preset program to ensure that all its surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and dried. After cleaning, the gear blank is placed by the robotic arm into the subsequent production line, ready to enter the next processing stage, where these imperfect but still usable gear blanks will be processed into gears.

[0025] The above-described specific embodiments are preferred embodiments of the automatic cleaning device for the surface of a gear blank according to the present invention, and are not intended to limit the specific scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention includes but is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. All equivalent changes made in accordance with the shape and structure of the present invention are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gear blank surface automatic cleaning apparatus, consisting of a sorting system and a cleaning system, characterized in that, The sorting system comprises a first movable sorting baffle arranged at a first sorting position and a second movable sorting baffle arranged at a second sorting position; wherein the first sorting position is located at the outlet slope of the gear blank, and the second sorting position is located at the channel for defective products; further comprising a machine vision ecological system connected to the two movable sorting baffles, and a cleaning position; the cleaning system is arranged at the cleaning position, and comprises a spraying wall and a hot air pipe arranged on a multifunctional mechanical arm; and the multifunctional mechanical arm is arranged to work with the cleaning system.

2. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank according to claim 1, characterized in that The two movable sorting baffles each comprise a movable plate body connected to an electromagnetic driving device, and the electromagnetic driving device is connected to a control system.

3. A device for automatic cleaning of surfaces of gear blanks according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first movable sorting baffle is used to distinguish gear blanks with surface defects; and the second movable sorting baffle is used to distinguish gear blanks with surface defects that can continue to be processed.

4. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank as set forth in claim 1, wherein The machine vision ecological system comprises a high-resolution industrial camera and a smart image processing unit connected to the high-resolution industrial camera.

5. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank as set forth in claim 1, wherein The multifunctional mechanical arm is a joint type mechanical arm with multiple degrees of freedom, and the end of the mechanical arm is provided with a replaceable vacuum suction clamp.

6. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank according to claim 1, characterized in that The cleaning position is provided with a stainless steel tank body, a spraying wall is arranged on the side wall of one side of the tank body, and a plurality of spray heads are arranged on the spraying wall.

7. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank according to claim 6, characterized in that The spraying wall has three surfaces, and the spray heads are uniformly arranged on each surface, and the included angle between adjacent two surfaces is 130-150 degrees.

8. A device for automatically cleaning the surface of a gear blank according to claim 1, characterized in that The mechanical arm is provided with a heating air pipe connected to a fan, and a plurality of groups of heating elements are arranged in the heating air pipe, and the heating elements are PTC ceramic heating bodies.

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