An automated thread cleaning device
The PLC-controlled wire wheel device enables automated cleaning of bolt threads, solving the problems of low efficiency and damage to the heat treatment layer caused by traditional cleaning methods, and providing an efficient and safe solution for cleaning bolt threads.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KETEK GROUP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, cleaning bolt threads is inefficient and can easily damage the heat treatment layer of the bolt. Traditional cleaning methods also make it difficult to control the cleaning force.
The PLC-controlled wire wheel device automatically feeds and unloads bolts through multiple motors, lead screws, and cylinders. Combined with the movement of guide rails and sliders, it precisely controls the speed and feed depth of the wire wheel to ensure thread cleaning effect while protecting the heat treatment layer of the bolts.
It achieves efficient and safe bolt thread cleaning, protects the surface heat treatment layer of the bolt, is suitable for various bolt specifications, and improves cleaning efficiency and the degree of automation of the equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN224274545U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to an automated thread cleaning device, which is used to clean the threads of bolts that were previously used on the equipment before reuse during equipment maintenance. It belongs to the field of equipment maintenance technology. Background Technology
[0002] Industrial equipment typically requires maintenance every 3-5 years. Since most components are bolted together, these bolts are prone to corrosion and sludge buildup during storage and service. Before reassembling the equipment, the bolt threads need to be cleaned, washed, and lubricated. For reusable bolts, the consistency of the thread surface condition is crucial for the tightening result. Traditional thread cleaning methods, such as manual brushing or angle grindering, are inefficient and ineffective. Shot peening and laser cleaning are also used, but the cleaning force is difficult to control, potentially damaging the heat-treated layer on the bolt surface. Summary of the Invention
[0003] This utility model addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing an automated thread cleaning device. It uses a PLC to control the rotation speed, left and right movement speed, and feed depth of a set of wire brush wheels during operation. Multiple motors, lead screws, and cylinders enable automatic feeding and unloading of bolts, achieving efficient thread cleaning of bolts and protecting the original surface heat treatment layer of the bolts.
[0004] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0005] An automated thread cleaning device includes a thread cleaning mechanism 03. The thread cleaning mechanism 03 includes a guide rail 312, a slider, and a wire wheel lifting device 306. The wire wheel lifting device 306 is fixed on the slider, which can slide along the guide rail 312 under the drive of a first servo motor 311. A lead screw device 309 is vertically fixed on the wire wheel lifting device 306, and a wire wheel 305 for cleaning threads is fixed at the lower end of the lead screw device 309. The lead screw device 309 is driven by a second servo motor 308, and its vertical height is adjusted according to the different bolt diameters of the threads being cleaned. Below the wire wheel 305 are parallel active rollers 303 and friction rollers 302 for supporting the threaded parts being cleaned. The active rollers 303 drive the threaded parts to rotate in the opposite direction through friction, and the threaded parts drive the friction rollers 302 to rotate in the opposite direction. The wire wheel 305 has the power to rotate actively.
[0006] Preferably, the system further includes a feeding structure 02, which includes a feeding hopper 201, a side plate 202, a multi-stage sorting step 203, a guide rod 205, and a lifting cylinder 206. The multi-stage sorting step 203 has multiple fixed steps 203a and multiple lifting steps 203b. The multi-stage lifting steps 203b are fixed and can move up and down as a whole, driven by the lifting cylinder 206. The multi-stage lifting steps 203b are adjacent to the multi-stage fixed steps 203a, and each step corresponds to the other. The top of each step of both the multi-stage fixed steps 203a and the multi-stage lifting steps 203b is inclined forward and downward. The bottom plate of the feeding structure 02 is inclined forward and downward. When the foremost step of the multi-stage lifting steps 203b falls to its lowest point, its top end connects with the lower end of the bottom plate.
[0007] Furthermore, a laser sensor 204 is provided on the side of the topmost step of the multi-level sorting steps 203; the laser sensor 204 is used to detect whether the topmost step has been successfully loaded and to detect the length of the threaded part; the slider slides along the guide rail 312 according to the length of the threaded part to the position where the wire wheel 305 corresponds to the threaded part.
[0008] Furthermore, the bottom of the feeding hopper 201 is inclined downward at 15 degrees, and the top of each of the multi-level fixed steps 203a and multi-level lifting steps 203b of the multi-level sorting steps 203 is inclined downward at 15 degrees; when the lifting cylinder 206 moves downward into position, the lowest level of the multi-level lifting steps 203b is flush with the lowest point of the feeding hopper 201.
[0009] Furthermore, the bottom step of the multi-level sorting step 203 has the largest width, and the width of the steps gradually decreases from bottom to top. The width of the top step can only accommodate one threaded component.
[0010] Furthermore, the lifting cylinder 206 restricts the direction of movement during lifting and retraction via guide rods 205 on both sides.
[0011] Furthermore, the lifting and retracting actions of the lifting cylinder 206 are controlled by a programmable controller. The programmable controller will trigger the lifting cylinder 206 to perform one or more actions to achieve continuous automatic feeding.
[0012] Preferably, a dust suction port 310 of a dust suction device is installed on the side of the wire wheel 304 to remove impurities generated during thread cleaning.
[0013] Preferably, it also includes a feeding mechanism 04, wherein the active roller 303 and its drive motor 301 are mounted on the slide rail 314. After the bolt cleaning is completed, the feeding cylinder 315 drags the bolts backward, so that the bolts with the threads cleaned fall from the gap between the active roller 303 and the friction roller 302 into the hopper of the feeding mechanism 04.
[0014] Preferably, the active roller 303 and the friction roller 302 have two freely rolling rollers 316 on their sides for manually placing single-headed threaded bolts LS1 with screw heads or nuts.
[0015] The most basic technical effect of this utility model is to provide a structure for cleaning the threads of threaded parts, and to adjust the height and lateral position of the wire wheel according to the length and thickness of the threaded parts, thereby controlling the feed amount of the wire brush to the thread, so as to ensure the cleaning effect without damaging the heat treatment coating of the bolt.
[0016] In addition, it has the following further beneficial effects:
[0017] 1) Continuous feeding and continuous cleaning improve cleaning efficiency.
[0018] 2) The material feeding adopts a cylinder lifting stepped sorting method, and the laser sensor detects whether the feeding is successful to ensure the safety of equipment operation. At the same time, the laser sensor detects the length of the bolt and automatically controls the distance of the wire brush to move left and right, reducing the idle stroke and improving the cleaning efficiency.
[0019] 3) For single-headed bolts with screw heads or nuts, manual feeding and program cleaning can be performed, which is suitable for various on-site application scenarios and has a wide range of applications.
[0020] 4) It comes with a built-in dust collection system to ensure that electrical components are not affected by dust generated by the wire brush.
[0021] 5) The equipment has a compact structure, small size, high degree of automation, and is easy to operate. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external shape of the automated bolt thread cleaning equipment of this utility model.
[0023] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the main components of the automated bolt thread cleaning device of this utility model.
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram from the perspective of the feeding mechanism.
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram from another perspective of the feeding mechanism.
[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the thread cleaning mechanism from one perspective.
[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the thread cleaning mechanism from another perspective.
[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the thread cleaning mechanism.
[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of using a pair of rollers 316 to hold the threaded part LS1 with a bolt head. LS2 is a threaded part without a bolt head.
[0030] In the diagram, 01 is the human-machine interface and protective frame, 02 is the feeding mechanism, 03 is the thread cleaning mechanism, 04 is the unloading mechanism, 05 is the electrical control box, 06 is the support frame, and 07 is the dust collection device.
[0031] 201 Feeding hopper, 202 Side plate, 203 Multi-stage sorting steps (three stages in the picture), 204 Laser sensor, 205 Guide rod, 206 Lifting cylinder;
[0032] 301 Motor, 302 Friction Roller, 303 Drive Roller, 304 Steel Wire Roller, 310 Dust Suction Port, 314 Slide Rail, 316 Roller. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0034] See Figure 1-2 An automated thread cleaning device consists of an operator human-machine interface and protective frame 01, a feeding mechanism 02, a thread cleaning mechanism 03, a discharging mechanism 04, an electrical control box 05, a support frame 06, a dust collection device 07, and other parts.
[0035] See also Figure 1-2 The human-machine interface and protective frame 01 include a programmable controller human-machine interface operation panel, a work warning light, and a protective panel.
[0036] See Figure 3-4 The feeding mechanism 02 includes a feeding hopper 201, a side plate 202, a three-stage sorting step 203, a laser sensor 204, a guide rod 205, and a lifting cylinder 206.
[0037] See Figure 3The feeding structure 02 includes a feeding hopper 201, a side plate 202, a multi-stage sorting step 203, a guide rod 205, and a lifting cylinder 206. The multi-stage sorting step 203 has multiple fixed steps 203a and multiple lifting steps 203b. The multi-stage lifting steps 203b are fixed and can move up and down as a whole by the lifting cylinder 206. The multi-stage lifting steps 203b are adjacent to the multi-stage fixed steps 203a and each step corresponds to the other. The top of each step of both the multi-stage fixed steps 203a and the multi-stage lifting steps 203b is inclined forward and downward. The bottom plate of the feeding structure 02 is inclined forward and downward. When the foremost step of the multi-stage lifting steps 203b falls to the lowest point, its top end connects with the lower end of the bottom plate.
[0038] The bottom of the feeding hopper 201 is inclined downward at a 15-degree angle, allowing the bolts stored in the hopper to roll at the bottom. Each step of the three-stage sorting steps 203 is inclined downward at a 15-degree angle, with the lowest step being flush with the bottom of the hopper 201.
[0039] The three-stage sorting steps 203 are lifted or pulled back by the lifting cylinder 206. Each time the lifting cylinder 206 lifts, it raises the bolt one step. When the bolt is raised to a higher step, because the step structure is inclined downwards at 15 degrees, the bolt will automatically roll to the bottom of each step of the three-stage sorting steps 203. The next time the lifting cylinder 206 lifts, it will raise the bolt to a new step, until it reaches the top step, where the bolt will roll into the cleaning and vacuuming mechanism 03.
[0040] The three-level sorting steps 203 meet the diameter requirements of bolts M20-M52. The bottom step of the three-level sorting has the largest width, and the width of the steps gradually decreases from bottom to top, which can separate multiple bolts. The width of the top step can only hold one bolt.
[0041] See Figure 4 A laser sensor 204 is located on the left side of the top step of the three-level sorting step 203. The laser sensor 204 detects whether the top step of the three-level sorting step 203 has been successfully loaded with materials and detects the length of the bolts.
[0042] See also Figure 4 The lifting cylinder 206 restricts the direction of movement by guide rods 205 on both sides when it lifts and retracts.
[0043] The lifting and retracting actions of the lifting cylinder 206 are controlled by a programmable controller. The programmable controller will trigger the lifting cylinder 206 to perform one or more actions to achieve continuous automatic feeding.
[0044] See Figure 5-6 The thread cleaning mechanism 03 includes multiple motors, lead screws, guide rails, cylinders, and a support frame, and is the most important mechanism in this utility model.
[0045] The thread cleaning mechanism 03 includes a guide rail 312, a slider, and a wire wheel lifting device 306. The wire wheel lifting device 306 is fixed on the slider, which can slide along the guide rail 312 under the drive of the first servo motor 311. A lead screw device 309 is vertically fixed on the wire wheel lifting device 306, and a wire wheel 305 for cleaning threads is fixed at the lower end of the lead screw device 309. The lead screw device 309 is driven by a second servo motor 308, and its vertical height is adjusted according to the different bolt diameters of the threads being cleaned. Below the wire wheel 305 are parallel active rollers 303 and friction rollers 302 for supporting the threaded parts being cleaned. The active rollers 303 drive the threaded parts to rotate in the opposite direction through friction, and the threaded parts drive the friction rollers 302 to rotate in the opposite direction. The wire wheel 305 has the power to rotate actively.
[0046] Specifically, after the bolts to be cleaned are sorted by the feeding mechanism 02, one bolt is rolled in at a time between the drive roller 302 and the friction roller 303. The friction roller is fixed at both ends, and the drive roller is fixed at both ends to the slide rail 314 by brackets.
[0047] The active roller 302 is driven to rotate by the motor 301. The surfaces of the active roller 302 and the friction roller 303 are made of engineering plastic to increase friction. The friction is large, so the friction roller is driven to rotate together by bolts.
[0048] The wire wheel 304 is driven to rotate by the motor 305. The rotation speed of the motor 305 can be adjusted and set by the programmable controller.
[0049] The rotation direction of the wire wheel is opposite to the rotation direction of the bolt driven by the drive roller, creating a cleaning effect on the bolt threads. The rotation directions of the friction roller 302, drive roller 303, bolt LS1 or LS2, and wire wheel 304 are as follows: Figure 7 As shown.
[0050] The wire wheel 304 and its drive motor 305 are fixed on the wire wheel lifting device 306, which is mounted on the slide rail 307. The wire wheel lifting device is connected to the lead screw device 309, which is driven by the servo motor 308, allowing the wire wheel lifting device to adjust its vertical position according to the diameter of the bolt being cleaned. The servo motor 308 is controlled by a programmable controller, which sets specific position parameters based on the diameter of the bolt being cleaned.
[0051] The wire wheel 304 has a dust suction port 310 installed on its right side to remove impurities generated during thread cleaning.
[0052] The wire wheel and its lifting device are mounted on a bracket and can slide left and right on the guide rail 312 by being dragged by a lead screw 313. The lead screw 313 is driven by a servo motor 311. The servo motor 311 is controlled by a programmable controller program, which controls the left and right sliding position of the wire wheel and its lifting device according to the length parameter of the cleaned thread transmitted by the laser sensor 204 of the feeding mechanism 02.
[0053] The active roller 303 and its drive motor 301 are mounted on the slide rail 314. After the bolt cleaning is completed, the unloading cylinder 315 can drag it backward so that the bolt with the thread cleaned can fall from the gap between the active roller 303 and the friction roller 302 into the hopper of the unloading mechanism 04.
[0054] See Figure 8 As an optional solution, the left side of the active roller 303 and the friction roller 302 has two freely rolling rollers 316, so that high-speed automatic thread cleaning can also be completed by manually placing the single-headed threaded bolt LS1 with screw head or nut.
[0055] See Figure 1 The electrical control box 05 houses a programmable controller and control components for drive motors, servo motors, and cylinders. Optionally, the programmable controller can achieve human-machine interaction through the aforementioned human-machine interface and the touchscreen of the protective frame 01. Users can select the appropriate program based on bolt specifications to input or edit parameters, and then start the equipment for fully automatic thread cleaning after program selection. It should be noted that the programmable controller and program settings are not essential means for realizing the functions of this utility model, nor does this utility model contribute to the prior art in this regard.
[0056] The above are preferred embodiments of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make their own modifications or improvements based on this. Without departing from the overall concept of the present utility model, these modifications or improvements should all fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present utility model.
Claims
1. An automated thread cleaning device, characterized in that: Includes a thread cleaning mechanism (03); The thread cleaning mechanism (03) includes a guide rail (312), a slider, and a wire wheel lifting device (306); The wire wheel lifting device (306) is fixed on the slider, and the slider can slide along the guide rail (312) under the drive of the first servo motor (311); The wire wheel lifting device (306) is vertically fixed with a screw device (309), and a wire wheel (304) for cleaning threads is fixed at the lower end of the screw device (309). The screw device (309) is driven by a second servo motor (308) and its vertical height is adjusted according to the different bolt diameters of the threads being cleaned. Below the wire wheel (304) are parallel drive rollers (303) and friction rollers (302) for carrying the threaded parts to be cleaned. The drive rollers (303) drive the threaded parts to rotate in the opposite direction through friction, and the threaded parts drive the friction rollers (302) to rotate in the opposite direction. The wire wheel (304) has the power to rotate actively.
2. The automated thread cleaning equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a feeding structure (02), which includes a feeding hopper (201), a side plate (202), a multi-stage sorting step (203), a guide rod (205), and a lifting cylinder (206); The multi-level tidying steps (203) have multiple fixed steps (203a) and multiple lifting steps (203b). The multi-level lifting steps (203b) are fixed and can be moved up and down as a whole by a lifting cylinder (206). The multi-level lifting steps (203b) are adjacent to the multi-level fixed steps (203a) and each step corresponds to the other. The top of each step of both the multi-level fixed steps (203a) and the multi-level lifting steps (203b) are inclined forward and downward. The bottom plate of the feeding structure (02) is inclined forward and downward. When the frontmost step of the multi-stage lifting steps (203b) falls to the lowest point, its top end connects with the lower end of the bottom plate.
3. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein: A laser sensor (204) is provided on the side of the top step of the multi-level sorting steps (203); the laser sensor (204) is used to detect whether the top step has been successfully loaded and to detect the length of the threaded part; the slider slides along the guide rail (312) according to the length of the threaded part to the position where the wire wheel (304) corresponds to the threaded part.
4. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The bottom of the feeding hopper (201) is inclined downward at 15 degrees, and the top of each of the multi-level fixed steps (203a) and multi-level lifting steps (203b) of the multi-level sorting steps (203) is inclined downward at 15 degrees; when the lifting cylinder (206) moves downward into place, the lowest level of the multi-level lifting steps (203b) is flush with the lowest point of the feeding hopper (201).
5. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The bottom step of the multi-level sorting steps (203) has the largest width, and the width of the steps gradually decreases from bottom to top. The width of the top step can only accommodate one threaded part.
6. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The lifting cylinder (206) restricts the direction of movement by guide rods (205) on both sides when it is lifted and retracted.
7. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The lifting and retraction actions of the lifting cylinder (206) are controlled by a programmable controller. The programmable controller will trigger the lifting cylinder (206) to perform one or more actions to achieve continuous automatic feeding.
8. The automated thread cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The suction port (310) of the dust collection device is installed on the side of the wire wheel (304) to remove impurities generated during thread cleaning.
9. The automated thread cleaning equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a feeding mechanism (04), wherein the active roller (303) and its drive motor (301) are mounted on the slide rail (314). After the bolt cleaning is completed, the feeding cylinder (315) drags the bolt that has completed thread cleaning backward, so that the bolt falls from the gap between the active roller (303) and the friction roller (302) into the hopper of the feeding mechanism (04).
10. The automated thread cleaning equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The active roller (303) and friction roller (302) have two freely rolling rollers (316) on their sides for manually placing single-headed threaded bolts LS1 with screw heads or nuts.