A fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation

Abstract

The utility model discloses a full -automatic cylinder laser welding workstation relates to laser welding technical field, including the sky track formula gantry system, welding system, electrical control system and laser tracking, molten pool monitoring system. Sky track formula gantry system contains both sides sky track, removes crossbeam mechanism and lifting beam, and lifting beam lower end upside -down six -axis robot, and high -power laser is installed in the free end of robot, and laser tracking system realizes the identification of weld joint, real -time tracking and track correction, and molten pool monitoring system monitors the molten pool state. Electrical control system coordinates the operation of multiple components, and the equipment can realize the complex weld joint welding of big workpiece, reduces the welding deformation and tooling cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of laser welding technology, specifically a fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation. Background Technology

[0002] In the petrochemical, energy, pressure vessel, and heavy equipment manufacturing sectors, large cylindrical components (such as storage tank bodies, reactor bodies, and wind turbine towers) are core components ensuring the load-bearing capacity, sealing performance, and service safety of equipment. As industrial equipment develops towards larger sizes and higher parameters, the market demands higher manufacturing precision, welding quality, and production efficiency for large cylindrical components. Laser welding technology, with its outstanding advantages such as high energy density, small heat-affected zone, high weld strength, and superior welding efficiency, has gradually replaced traditional arc welding, becoming the mainstream technology for welding large cylindrical components.

[0003] However, current large-scale cylindrical laser welding equipment and processes still face numerous technical bottlenecks, making it difficult to meet the demands for efficient and high-quality production. The main problems are as follows:

[0004] Controlling welding deformation is difficult and processing costs are high. Existing large-scale cylindrical laser welding equipment often suffers from unreasonable laser power matching or insufficient heat input control precision, resulting in significant residual stress and deformation in the workpiece during welding. To correct dimensional deviations, a large machining allowance must be reserved after welding, which not only wastes raw materials but also significantly extends the machining cycle—the machining time for some large cylinders even exceeds the welding time itself, severely restricting overall production efficiency and failing to meet the needs of large-scale manufacturing.

[0005] The welding stations of existing equipment are mostly fixed designs, and the working range of ordinary robots is limited (usually covering a length of ≤8m and a height of ≤3m), making it impossible to weld large cylinders as a whole. To complete the welding of different positions on the cylinder (such as inner welds, outer welds, and flange-to-cylinder butt welds), multiple stations need to be set up, and a large number of workpiece turning fixtures, lifting fixtures, and anti-deformation fixtures need to be equipped. Not only are the design and manufacturing costs of the fixtures high (accounting for 30%-50% of the total equipment investment), but they also occupy a lot of workshop space. Furthermore, frequent tooling changes will interrupt production continuity and further reduce efficiency.

[0006] In summary, the current shortcomings of large-scale cylindrical laser welding equipment in areas such as deformation control, tooling costs, and automation integration have become key factors restricting the upgrading of large-scale equipment manufacturing. Therefore, developing a fully automated cylindrical laser welding solution with low tooling dependence, high automation integration, and digital adaptability has become an urgent technological need for the industry. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a fully automatic cylindrical laser welding workstation, comprising a mechanical structure, a welding system, and an electrical control system; the mechanical structure is a ceiling-mounted gantry system, which includes two ceiling-mounted mechanisms, a moving crossbeam mechanism, and a lifting beam; a six-axis robot is invertedly mounted on the lower end of the lifting beam; the welding system includes a high-power laser, which is installed at the free end of the six-axis robot; the electrical control system is used to coordinate and control the operation of the ceiling-mounted gantry system, the six-axis robot, and the welding system.

[0009] Preferably, the system also includes a laser tracking system and a molten pool monitoring system. The laser tracking system is used for automatic visual recognition of weld seams, real-time welding tracking, and automatic correction of robot trajectories. The molten pool monitoring system is used to monitor the state of the molten pool during the welding process.

[0010] Preferably, the two-sided overhead rail mechanism includes a frame, a guide mechanism, and a drive mechanism. The frame is a welded component, the guide mechanism is a heavy-duty linear guide, and the drive mechanism includes an external shaft servo motor, a reducer, and a high-precision gear rack. Combined with a 65 heavy-duty linear guide and a DIN5-level high-precision gear mechanism, it meets the requirements of ±0.1mm positioning accuracy and ≤0.1mm / m parallelism error for long-distance operation.

[0011] Preferably, the effective travel of the overhead rail of the moving crossbeam mechanism is 12m, the moving crossbeam mechanism adopts a single crossbeam structure, the X-axis drive of the moving crossbeam mechanism adopts a gear and rack transmission, and the Y-axis of the overhead rail gantry system adopts a dual-drive form.

[0012] Preferably, the Z-axis column of the lifting beam moves vertically up and down along the moving crossbeam mechanism via a guide structure. An external axis servo motor is connected to the drive end of the Z-axis column, and this external axis servo motor, in conjunction with a precision planetary reducer, drives the Z-axis column. A 500kg balancing system is added to the Z-axis to distribute the weight of the Z-axis and the robot through the load of the balancing cylinder, protecting the Z-axis lead screw and motor, and reducing the load on the lead screw, motor, and reducer.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0014] Equipped with a high-power laser of up to 50kW, it is easier to control welding deformation, ensure workpiece quality, significantly reduce post-weld machining allowance, improve machining efficiency, shorten machining cycle, and meet the welding requirements of large components.

[0015] Compared with traditional electric arc welding equipment:

[0016] Roundness error: ≤3mm for high-power laser welding stations, ≤8mm for traditional equipment

[0017] Post-weld machining allowance: ≤2mm for high-power laser welding stations, ≤4mm for traditional equipment

[0018] 2. Equipped with a laser tracking system, it can achieve automatic visual recognition of 0.5mm weld seams. Through the correction system, it can adapt to ±10mm weld seam offset, track the welding process in real time, and respond with a speed of ≤10ms. When the weld seam deviation exceeds 0.1mm, the robot trajectory will start automatic correction, realizing flexible production.

[0019] 3. When paired with a gantry-type multi-axis robot system, the number of welding stations for the target product can be reduced, thereby reducing the number of workpiece turning fixtures, lifting fixtures, and anti-deformation fixtures used in the welding process, and reducing the cost of fixture design and manufacturing.

[0020] 4. The gantry-type multi-axis robot system can realize laser welding of large and irregularly shaped workpieces, improving the level of welding equipment and enhancing market competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the welding between the upper cylinder and the middle cylinder;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the welding between the flange and the upper cylinder.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the welding between the lower cylinder and the lower support plate;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the welding between the middle cylinder and the lower cylinder;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the welding of the outer weld seam;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the welding of the inner weld seam;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of welding with the components placed vertically.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of horizontally placed welding.

[0030] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the welding of the internal weld seam of the product;

[0031] Figure 11This is a welding process flow chart.

[0032] In the figure: 10, overhead gantry system; 100, frame; 110, guiding mechanism; 120, driving mechanism; 11, moving crossbeam mechanism; 12, lifting beam; 13, six-axis robot; 20, high-power laser. Specific implementation manners

[0033] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0034] As Figure 1 shown, the main body of the equipment mechanical structure is an overhead gantry system 10. The six-axis robot 13 is installed upside down at the lower end of the lifting beam 12 (Z-axis). The height working range of the robot is extended through the lifting stroke. The lifting beam 12 can move horizontally (X-axis) along the crossbeam, and the crossbeam can move longitudinally (Y-axis) along the overhead rail, meeting the welding work within the plane range.

[0035] The operating mechanisms of the gantry system all adopt external axis drives of the robot, which can achieve full working range linkage control with the robot to complete the welding of long welds with complex spatial trajectories. As Figure 2-10 shown, it is a schematic diagram of the welding of a cylindrical product by the six-axis robot 13 driving the high-power laser 20.

[0036] As Figure 11 shown, the technological process of laser welding includes the following steps:

[0037] 1) Manually hoist the product to the fixture by a crane.

[0038] 2) After the product is placed, manually operate the tooling fixture to position and clamp the product. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The overhead rail gantry system 10 mainly consists of overhead rails on both sides, a moving crossbeam mechanism 11, and a lifting beam 12. A six-axis robot 13 is mounted upside down below the lifting beam 12. The longitudinal movement of the crossbeam, the lateral movement of the lifting beam 12, and the lifting action are all driven by the robot's external axis, which can realize the follow-up welding of complex spatial welds in the full range.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the structure of the skyrail mechanism is as follows:

[0046] The overhead track mechanism is designed to support the longitudinal movement of the crossbeam. Its operational accuracy is higher than that of the ground track system. It includes the following structure:

[0047] 1) Frame 100: Welded structural components, shot blasting treatment of materials, stress relief after welding.

[0048] 2) Guide mechanism 110: heavy-duty linear guide.

[0049] 3) Drive mechanism 120: KUKA external shaft servo motor, RV reducer, high-precision gear rack

[0050] Moving beam mechanism 11

[0051] The gantry frame adopts a ceiling track design, enabling the robot to move longitudinally with high precision along the track via the movement of the crossbeam. The effective travel of the ceiling track reaches 12m. The gantry mechanism uses fixed columns, which are annealed at 600℃-650℃ after welding and held at that temperature for 2-3 hours. The upper track movement is designed with a single crossbeam structure (i.e., ceiling track single crossbeam).

[0052] The X-axis drive structure of the crossbeam adopts gear and rack transmission, which has higher driving force and stronger rigidity, and is suitable for long stroke drives of more than 3 meters.

[0053] The Z-axis column adopts a U-shaped box beam structure, which ensures rigidity while reducing weight by 30% compared to the traditional square tube structure, thus reducing the load on the Z-axis motor and extending the equipment's lifespan. The Z-axis can move vertically up and down along the crossbeam via a guide structure. An external axis servo motor, in conjunction with a precision planetary reducer, drives the Z-axis column movement.

[0054] The six-axis robot 13 is mounted on the Z-axis, enabling high-precision multi-axis linkage between the robot and the overhead rail and crossbeam. All movements of the gantry mechanism are driven by external axis motors of the robot. The Y-axis adopts a dual-drive configuration, which, together with the robot's dual-drive software package, achieves high-precision control with a synchronization error of ≤0.05mm. The X-axis and Z-axis adopt a single-drive configuration.

[0055] The gantry's Z-axis is equipped with a terminal electrical control box for pneumatic control and includes reserved I / O interfaces and a 24V power interface. Automatic lubrication systems connect to the guide rails and moving units such as gears and racks, automatically and periodically injecting grease to ensure motion accuracy and lifespan. The laser welding head is equipped with a water chiller to ensure cooling. A walkway and maintenance access are provided, allowing for easy access to the gantry walkway for maintenance and repair in case of unexpected shutdowns at any position.

[0056] The gantry structure uses welded structural components, and high-temperature annealing after welding removes welding stress, resulting in a novel structure with good rigidity and strength.

[0057] Combining the robot's own coverage area and XYZ axis travel, the overall coverage range is 12m in length and 8m in width; when the welding torch is in a horizontal position, the robot's Z-axis can weld workpieces with a height range of 450mm-4500mm. Due to its small size and high rigidity design, the Z-axis can cover the welding of the entire inner and outer seams of cylindrical workpieces.

[0058] The power cables, signal cables, water and gas pipelines, hydraulic oil pipes, etc. of the gantry mechanism are all arranged inside the drag chain or flexible corrugated pipe, which effectively ensures the life of the water, electricity and gas system.

[0059] Electrical control system

[0060] The overall equipment control system and the robot body control system exchange data via industrial Ethernet communication. A PLC programmable input / output isolation control system enables signal transmission between the host and each execution unit, thus achieving a coordinated control strategy among the welding system, robot body control system, and servo motion control system. The equipment features one-button start / stop (safe automatic interlocking operation) and remote monitoring of operating status.

[0061] The equipment has a complete self-diagnostic function, which can monitor and alarm for faults and operational errors in the electrical control system, protective gas, cooling system, etc., and display the cause of the fault and the solution, while performing system protection functions.

[0062] Each device within the system is equipped with an information interface module, ensuring that device data can be fully utilized for digital manufacturing. The equipment control system supports the following data acquisition capabilities:

[0063] Comprehensive data access: The equipment control system provides interface conditions to enable external systems to access and collect all the equipment operating parameters and log data required by users without any obstacles.

[0064] Standardized data interface: The control system has a standardized data interface to achieve compatibility with external management and monitoring systems.

[0065] Data Format and Documentation: Provides detailed data format documentation to ensure that the collected data can be correctly parsed and utilized.

[0066] The available device data types are as follows:

[0067] 1) Welding parameters: The actual values ​​of key parameters such as laser power, welding speed, defocusing amount, main / back / tail shielding gas flow rate, and purge plasma gas flow rate during the welding process can be provided to the welding data acquisition system via an interface for analysis and quality recording functions.

[0068] 2) Operating status: such as the on / off status of the equipment, operating mode, fault indication, etc.;

[0069] 3) Equipment operation log.

[0070] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation, characterized in that: The system includes a mechanical structure, a welding system, and an electrical control system. The mechanical structure is a ceiling-mounted gantry system (10). The ceiling-mounted gantry system (10) includes two ceiling-mounted mechanisms, a moving crossbeam mechanism (11), and a lifting beam (12). A six-axis robot (13) is mounted upside down at the lower end of the lifting beam (12). The welding system includes a high-power laser (20). The high-power laser (20) is installed at the free end of the six-axis robot (13). The electrical control system is used to coordinate and control the operation of the ceiling-mounted gantry system (10), the six-axis robot (13), and the welding system.

2. The fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a laser tracking system and a molten pool monitoring system. The laser tracking system is used for automatic visual recognition of weld seams, real-time welding tracking, and automatic correction of robot trajectories. The molten pool monitoring system is used to monitor the state of the molten pool during the welding process.

3. The fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two-sided overhead track mechanism includes a frame (100), a guide mechanism (110), and a drive mechanism (120). The frame (100) is a welded part, the guide mechanism (110) is a heavy-duty linear guide, and the drive mechanism (120) includes an external shaft servo motor, a reducer, and a high-precision gear rack.

4. The fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The effective travel of the overhead rail of the moving beam mechanism (11) is 12m. The moving beam mechanism (11) adopts a single beam structure. The X-axis drive of the moving beam mechanism (11) adopts a gear and rack transmission. The Y-axis of the overhead rail gantry system (10) adopts a dual-drive form.

5. The fully automatic cylinder laser welding workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Z-axis column of the lifting beam (12) moves vertically up and down along the moving beam mechanism (11) through the guide structure. The driving end of the Z-axis column is connected to an external axis servo motor, which, in conjunction with a precision planetary reducer, drives the Z-axis column to move.

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