Six-bin four-axis single-point bending machine

Abstract

This utility model discloses a six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine, belonging to the field of automated equipment technology for automotive parts production. It aims to solve the problems of unstable production capacity, unstable quality, and high human safety risks in the manual production of automotive mufflers. The frame serves as the main body, supporting all components. The hopper stores the automotive mufflers to be processed. The Z-axis can lift the workpieces in the hopper to adapt to the gripping height. The X and Z axes grip the workpieces and transfer them to the secondary positioning section, where the secondary positioning section precisely positions the workpieces. After four-axis gripping and positioning, the workpieces are transferred to the bending section for single-point bending processing. After bending, the four axes transfer the workpieces to the conveyor belt, which then transports the finished product out of the equipment. The power distribution box contains built-in electrical components to control the coordinated operation of all parts. This equipment achieves fully automated processing of automotive mufflers, replacing manual production, improving production capacity and quality stability, while eliminating human safety risks. It is suitable for large-scale production of automotive mufflers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated equipment for producing automotive parts, specifically a six-bin four-axis single-point bending machine. Background Technology

[0002] Bending is a key process in the production of automotive mufflers. Traditional automotive muffler production relies heavily on manual operation, requiring workers to manually grasp, position, and bend the workpieces. However, manual production presents several problems: firstly, the efficiency of manual operation is affected by factors such as worker skill level and physical condition, leading to unstable production capacity and difficulty in meeting the demands of large-scale production; secondly, the limited positioning accuracy of manual operation easily results in workpiece bending dimensional deviations, causing unstable quality and increasing the defect rate; furthermore, when operating bending equipment, workers' hands are prone to contact with the processed parts, posing a high safety risk and potentially causing workplace injuries.

[0003] To address the drawbacks of manual production, the industry has gradually explored automated production equipment. While some existing automated bending equipment can achieve basic automatic gripping and bending, it still falls short in terms of storage capacity, positioning accuracy, and multi-process coordination. For example, the storage structure can only hold a small number of workpieces, requiring frequent manual replenishment; the lack of an effective secondary positioning mechanism makes it difficult to guarantee bending accuracy; and the efficiency of workpiece transfer between processing stages is low, hindering the overall continuity of the production process. Therefore, there is a need for an automated bending machine that can achieve large-capacity storage, precise positioning, efficient transfer, and multi-part collaborative operation to replace manual production, improve the production quality and efficiency of automotive mufflers, and ensure production safety. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine, which solves the aforementioned problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a six-bin, four-axis, single-point bending machine, comprising a frame, a hopper, an XZ-axis, a lifting Z-axis, a secondary positioning section, a power distribution box, a bending section, four axes, and a conveyor belt. The frame serves as the main load-bearing structure, supporting all other parts of the equipment. The hopper is a storage device for storing automotive muffler sheet workpieces to be processed. The lifting Z-axis corresponds to the hopper and is used to lift the workpieces within the hopper to accommodate the gripping height. The XZ-axis grips the lifted workpieces from the hopper and transfers them to the secondary positioning section. The secondary positioning section precisely positions the workpieces. The four axes grip the workpieces after secondary positioning, transfer them to the bending section, and after bending, transfer them to the conveyor belt. The bending section performs single-point bending on the workpieces. The power distribution box contains electrical components for controlling the operation of the equipment, controlling the coordinated movement of each part. The conveyor belt transports the bent workpieces.

[0006] Furthermore, the hopper section is equipped with six independent storage hoppers, each with an internal space adapted to the external dimensions of automotive mufflers, allowing for the separate storage of workpieces and enabling simultaneous storage of multiple batches of workpieces.

[0007] Furthermore, the X and Y axes of the four-axis section are used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the horizontal plane, the Z axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the vertical direction, and the U axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to rotate. The coordinated action of the four axes can adjust the position and posture of the workpiece, ensuring that the workpiece is accurately aligned with the processing station of the bending section.

[0008] Furthermore, the secondary positioning part is equipped with a positioning reference component and a clamping assembly. The clamping assembly can fix the workpiece, and the positioning reference component is used to calibrate the position of the workpiece, eliminate the positional deviation of the workpiece during the gripping and transfer process, and ensure the bending processing accuracy.

[0009] Furthermore, the Z-axis lifting section includes a lifting platform and a drive assembly. The drive assembly can drive the lifting platform to move in the vertical direction. As the number of workpieces in the hopper decreases, the height of the lifting platform is gradually increased, so that the remaining workpieces in the hopper are always within the grasping range of the XZ-axis section.

[0010] Furthermore, the power distribution box is equipped with an operation interface, through which staff can start and stop the equipment, or set the equipment operating parameters, and at the same time view the operating status of each part in real time.

[0011] Beneficial effects

[0012] This utility model provides a six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine. Compared with the prior art, it has the following advantages:

[0013] Beneficial effects:

[0014] 1. This six-bin four-axis single-point bending machine uses a frame to support various functional modules, a hopper to store multiple batches of workpieces, and XZ-axis, Z-axis lifting, and four-axis components to automate workpiece gripping and transfer. A secondary positioning component ensures accurate workpiece positioning, and the bending component enables stable bending processing. It completely replaces traditional manual operation, effectively avoiding production capacity fluctuations caused by differences in skill and physical condition during manual operation. It also eliminates quality problems caused by manual positioning deviations, significantly improving the production capacity stability and processing quality consistency of automotive muffler production.

[0015] 2. This six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine addresses the safety risks associated with manual production of automotive mufflers, where workers directly contact the bending equipment and workpieces, posing a risk of hand injury from processed parts. This fully automated machine eliminates the need for workers to simply place the workpieces in the hoppers initially, and then control the equipment via the electrical control box. Workers are no longer required to participate in workpiece handling, positioning, or bending, completely avoiding direct contact between workers and the processing area. This eliminates human safety risks from the production process and significantly reduces safety hazards during automotive muffler production. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the external structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a structural front view of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model;

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Frame section; 2. Hopper section; 3. XZ axis section; 4. Lifting Z axis section; 5. Secondary positioning section; 6. Power distribution box section; 7. Bending section; 8. Four-axis section; 9. Conveyor belt section. Detailed Implementation

[0021] It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," "down," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. The terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] Reference Figures 1 to 4 This application provides a six-bin, four-axis, single-point bending machine, including a frame section 1, a bin section 2, an XZ-axis section 3, a lifting Z-axis section 4, a secondary positioning section 5, a power distribution box section 6, a bending section 7, a four-axis section 8, and a conveyor belt section 9. The frame section 1 is the main load-bearing structure of the equipment, used to support all other parts of the equipment. The bin section 2 is a storage device used to store automotive muffler sheet workpieces to be processed. The lifting Z-axis section 4 is set corresponding to the bin section 2 and is used to lift the workpieces in the bin to adapt to the gripping height. The XZ-axis section 3 is used to grip the lifted workpieces in the bin section 2 and transfer them to the secondary positioning section 5. The secondary positioning section 5 is used to accurately position the workpieces. The four-axis section 8 is used to grip the workpieces after secondary positioning, transfer them to the bending section 7, and after bending, transfer them to the conveyor belt section 9. The bending section 7 is used to perform single-point bending processing on the workpieces. The power distribution box section 6 contains electrical components for controlling the operation of the equipment and is used to control the coordinated action of each part. The conveyor belt section 9 is used to transfer the bent workpieces.

[0024] The material storage section 2 has six independent storage bins. The internal space of each storage bin is adapted to the external dimensions of the automotive muffler, and can store workpieces separately, realizing the simultaneous storage of multiple batches of workpieces.

[0025] The X and Y axes of the four-axis section 8 are used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the horizontal plane, the Z axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the vertical direction, and the U axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to rotate. The coordinated action of the four axes can adjust the position and posture of the workpiece to ensure that the workpiece is accurately aligned with the processing station of the bending section 7.

[0026] The secondary positioning section 5 is equipped with a positioning reference component and a clamping assembly. The clamping assembly can fix the workpiece, and the positioning reference component is used to calibrate the position of the workpiece, eliminate the positional deviation of the workpiece during the gripping and transfer process, and ensure the bending processing accuracy.

[0027] The Z-axis lifting section 4 includes a lifting platform and a drive assembly. The drive assembly can drive the lifting platform to move in the vertical direction. As the number of workpieces in the hopper section 2 decreases, the height of the lifting platform is gradually increased, so that the remaining workpieces in the hopper are always within the grasping range of the XZ-axis section 3.

[0028] The power distribution box section 6 is equipped with an operation interface, through which staff can start and stop the equipment, or set the equipment operating parameters, and at the same time, view the operating status of each part in real time.

[0029] Furthermore, all contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art, and all electrical components mentioned in this document are powered by external power supply lines.

[0030] Working Principle: Workers manually stack the automotive muffler sheet workpieces to be processed into the six independent bins of the hopper section 2. After loading, they click the equipment start command. This command is transmitted to the power distribution box section 6, where built-in electrical components such as a PLC controller send coordinated control signals to various functional sections. First, the Z-axis lifting section 4 receives the signal and starts. Its drive component drives the lifting platform vertically upward along the preset guide structure, gradually lifting the stacked workpieces in the hopper section 2, always keeping the top workpiece at a height that the XZ-axis section 3 can grasp. Subsequently, the X-axis drive component of the XZ-axis section 3 drives the gripping structure horizontally to the corresponding workpiece position in the hopper section 2. The Z-axis drive component then drives the gripping structure vertically downward, clamping the workpiece. Then, the X and Z axes work together to transfer the workpiece to the secondary positioning section 5 and release it. The secondary positioning section 5 immediately activates its positioning function, using a positioning base... The workpiece position is calibrated by a standard component, and the clamping assembly simultaneously fixes the workpiece, eliminating positional deviations during transport and ensuring accurate positioning. After positioning, the four-axis section 8, with its X and Y axis driven gripping structures, moves horizontally above the secondary positioning section 5. The Z-axis driven gripping structure descends vertically to clamp the workpiece, and the U-axis driven gripping structure rotates to adjust the workpiece's posture. Subsequently, the four axes work together to transport the workpiece to the processing station of the bending section 7 and place it there. The bending section 7 starts processing, and its drive mechanism drives the bending die to apply a preset pressure to the workpiece to complete the single-point bending process. After bending, the four-axis section 8 grips the workpiece again, transports it to the conveyor belt section 9, and releases it. The drive assembly of the conveyor belt section 9 drives the conveyor belt to transport the bent workpiece to the collection area outside the equipment. Thus, the processing cycle of a single workpiece is completed. The equipment repeats the above process under the control of the power distribution box section 6, realizing continuous automated processing of automotive mufflers.

[0031] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0032] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine, characterized in that, The equipment includes a frame section (1), a hopper section (2), an XZ axis section (3), a lifting Z axis section (4), a secondary positioning section (5), a power distribution box section (6), a bending section (7), a four-axis section (8), and a conveyor belt section (9). The frame section (1) is the main load-bearing structure of the equipment, used to support all other parts of the equipment. The hopper section (2) is a storage device used to store automotive muffler sheet workpieces to be processed. The lifting Z axis section (4) is set corresponding to the hopper section (2) and is used to lift the workpieces in the hopper to adapt to the gripping height. The XZ axis section (9) 3) Used to grab the workpiece lifted in the hopper section (2) and transfer it to the secondary positioning section (5); the secondary positioning section (5) is used to accurately position the workpiece; the four-axis section (8) is used to grab the workpiece after secondary positioning, transfer it to the bending section (7), and after bending the workpiece, transfer it to the conveyor belt section (9); the bending section (7) is used to perform single-point bending processing on the workpiece; the power distribution box section (6) has built-in electrical components for controlling the operation of the control equipment, and is used to control the coordinated action of each part; the conveyor belt section (9) is used to transfer the bent workpiece.

2. The six-hopper four-axis single-point bending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The silo section (2) is equipped with six independent storage silos. The internal space of each storage silo is adapted to the external dimensions of the automotive muffler, and can store workpieces separately, realizing the simultaneous storage of multiple batches of workpieces.

3. The six-hopper four-axis single-point bending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The X and Y axes of the four-axis section (8) are used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the horizontal plane, the Z axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to move in the vertical direction, and the U axis is used to drive the gripping mechanism to rotate. The coordinated action of the four axes can adjust the position and posture of the workpiece to ensure that the workpiece is accurately connected to the processing station of the bending part (7).

4. The six-hopper four-axis single-point bending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary positioning part (5) is provided with a positioning reference component and a clamping assembly. The clamping assembly can fix the workpiece, and the positioning reference component is used to calibrate the position of the workpiece, eliminate the positional deviation of the workpiece during the gripping and transfer process, and ensure the bending processing accuracy.

5. A six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The Z-axis lifting section (4) includes a lifting platform and a drive assembly. The drive assembly can drive the lifting platform to move in the vertical direction. As the number of workpieces in the hopper section (2) decreases, the height of the lifting platform is gradually increased, so that the remaining workpieces in the hopper are always within the grasping range of the XZ-axis section (3).

6. A six-hopper, four-axis, single-point bending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power distribution box (6) is equipped with an operation interface, through which staff can start and stop the equipment, or set the equipment operating parameters, and at the same time view the operating status of each part in real time.

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