A guide rail type mechanical arm used in a rare earth production workshop

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of mechanical arm, concretely relates to a guide rail type mechanical arm for rare earth production workshop, including base main part, vertical lifting system, horizontal movement system, clamping execution mechanism and precision compensation system, vertical lifting system is located the top of base main part, horizontal movement system is worn in vertical lifting system, clamping execution mechanism sets up in the end of horizontal movement system, precision compensation system is separately arranged on base main part, vertical lifting system, horizontal movement system and clamping execution mechanism, and with corresponding component electric connection, in the utility model, realize mechanical arm along preset track accurate positioning through guide rail type mechanical arm, complete high temperature blank's transfer, end face milling and detect process etc, and can carry out dynamic compensation to the tiny displacement or attitude deviation of end effector, in addition, through guide rail type design, effectively promote the overall structure rigidity and stability of mechanical arm, solve the deficiency of prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of robotic arm technology, specifically to a guide rail type robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop. Background Technology

[0002] Rare earth materials, due to their unique electronic structure, exhibit outstanding electrical, magnetic, and optical physical properties, playing an irreplaceable role in strategic industries such as permanent magnets and hydrogen storage. In the molten salt electrolysis process for preparing rare earth metals, the high-temperature metal substrate after smelting and demolding requires key steps such as cooling and cleaning, end-face milling, spectral analysis, and component sorting. The quality control of these processes directly determines the performance stability of downstream high-end products such as permanent magnet materials and hydrogen storage alloys.

[0003] The current industry standard of manual transfer requires operators to frequently move rare earth metal blanks in high-temperature, dusty environments. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also poses safety hazards due to personnel contact with high-temperature workpieces, and human error can lead to inaccurate positioning. While existing traditional articulated robotic arms possess basic automation capabilities, they are limited by insufficient motion precision and structural rigidity, failing to meet the positioning stability and milling rigidity requirements of metal blanks during end-face milling. Furthermore, the harsh working conditions of high temperature and dust can easily cause thermal drift in traditional articulated robotic arms, severely affecting the reliability and stability of the robotic arm's gripping and positioning, making it difficult to meet the precision requirements of rare earth end-face processing, and further restricting the development of supporting production lines in the rare earth industry.

[0004] Existing technical solutions cannot simultaneously meet the accuracy requirements of the testing process and the needs of production safety. Manual operation mode has efficiency bottlenecks and safety hazards. End milling of rare earth metal ingots requires the robotic arm to have great rigidity, but traditional 6-DOF robotic arms cannot achieve such great rigidity. In order to meet the rigidity requirements, 6-DOF robotic arms have huge mass and soaring costs. Moreover, conventional automated equipment cannot adapt to the working conditions required for rare earth material testing. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a guide rail type robotic arm for use in rare earth production workshops, aiming to solve the technical problems that the existing 6-joint robotic arm cannot adapt to the special environment of rare earth production workshops, and that the existing joint robotic arm is difficult to meet the requirements of the robotic arm structure rigidity and positioning accuracy in the milling process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a guide rail type robotic arm for use in a rare earth production workshop, including a base body, a vertical lifting system, a horizontal moving system, a clamping actuator, and a precision compensation system. The vertical lifting system is fixedly connected to the base body and located above the base body. The horizontal moving system passes through the vertical lifting system. The clamping actuator is located at the end of the horizontal moving system. The precision compensation system is distributed on the base body, the vertical lifting system, the horizontal moving system, and the clamping actuator, and is electrically connected to the corresponding components.

[0007] The vertical lifting system includes a Z-axis frame structure and a Y-axis frame structure. The Z-axis frame structure is a rigid structure formed by four parallel uprights and a top plate. Lifting side plates are symmetrically installed on both sides of the uprights, and two parallel Z-axis guide rails are arranged on each set of lifting side plates. The Y-axis frame structure is a frame structure formed by side connecting plates, side moving plates, and Y-axis sliders. The Y-axis frame structure is symmetrically arranged in the left and right and up and down directions. Four large sliders are installed on the Y-axis frame structure, which respectively correspond to the four Z-axis guide rails to form a sliding engagement.

[0008] The horizontal movement system is arranged inside the Y-axis frame structure and includes a Y-axis guide rail, a Y-axis lead screw, a lead screw nut, a Y-axis motor, and a Y-axis reducer. The Y-axis guide rail has an internal hollow structure. The lead screw nut is installed at the front end of the Y-axis guide rail. The Y-axis motor and the Y-axis reducer are installed at the front end of the side connecting plates on both sides. The Y-axis lead screw is connected between the Y-axis reducer and the lead screw nut.

[0009] The base body is a hollow cylinder with four casters with self-locking devices integrated at the bottom and a table panel installed at the top. A Z-axis rotary motor and a Z-axis rotary reducer are installed inside the base body, and the Z-axis rotary motor is connected to the table panel through the Z-axis rotary reducer.

[0010] The vertical lifting system also includes a Z-axis lifting drive, which includes a lifting screw, a Z-axis lifting motor, a Z-axis lifting reducer, a lifting drive gear and a lifting driven gear. The lifting drive gear and the lifting driven gear mesh with each other, the lifting screw is connected to the lifting driven gear, and the Z-axis lifting motor and the Z-axis lifting reducer drive the lifting drive gear to rotate.

[0011] The clamping actuator includes a planetary reducer, a servo motor, a chuck housing, and chucks. The servo motor, planetary reducer, chuck housing, and chucks are connected in sequence, and the planetary reducer is connected to the chuck housing via a turntable.

[0012] The chuck housing has two bearing seats, and a chuck screw is installed between the bearing seats. A left-handed nut and a clamping nut are installed on the chuck screw. The left-handed nut and the clamping nut are connected to two movable plates arranged in parallel on both sides. The chuck is installed on the movable plate.

[0013] The precision compensation system includes a sensing unit, a control unit, and an execution unit. The sensing unit includes a high-precision displacement sensor and an inertial measurement unit installed on the gripper housing. The control unit is integrated into the main controller of the robotic arm. The execution unit receives compensation commands from the control unit and adjusts the position and attitude of the end effector.

[0014] This utility model provides a guide rail-type robotic arm for use in rare earth production workshops, including a base body, a vertical lifting system, a horizontal moving system, a clamping actuator, and a precision compensation system. The vertical lifting system is located above the base body, the horizontal moving system passes through the vertical lifting system, and the clamping actuator is located at the end of the horizontal moving system. The precision compensation system is distributed across the base body, the vertical lifting system, the horizontal moving system, and the clamping actuator, and is electrically connected to the corresponding components. This utility model uses a guide rail-type robotic arm to achieve precise positioning along a preset track, completing processes such as the transfer of high-temperature blanks, end milling, and inspection. It can also dynamically compensate for minor displacements or posture deviations caused by the end effector. Furthermore, the guide rail design effectively improves the overall structural rigidity and stability of the robotic arm. Simultaneously, automated transfer replaces manual operation, significantly reducing labor intensity and safety risks, and also significantly improving efficiency in the rare earth production process, overcoming the shortcomings of existing technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0015] 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 based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a guide rail robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front view and a partial cross-sectional view of a guide rail robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view and a partial cross-sectional view of a guide rail robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a bottom view and a partial cross-sectional view of a guide rail robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper housing structure of a guide rail robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the metal conveying process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the operation process of the robotic arm at the milling station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] 1-Lifting drive gear, 2-Lifting driven gear, 3-Top plate, 4-Upright pole, 5-Lifting side plate, 6-Y-guide rail, 7-Claw motor, 8-Bearing seat, 9-Support platform, 10-Z-guide rail, 11-Side connecting plate, 12-Y-axis motor, 13-Y-axis reducer, 14-Base body, 15-Universal caster, 16-Large bearing seat, 17-Lifting screw, 18-Claw housing, 19-Claw, 20-Z-axis lifting reducer, 21-Z-axis lifting motor 22-Connecting sleeve, 23-Y-axis slider, 24-Lead screw nut, 25-Side moving plate, 26-Table panel, 27-Z-axis rotary motor, 28-Z-axis rotary reducer, 29-Y-axis lead screw, 30-Claw lead screw, 31-Moving plate, 32-Left-hand nut, 33-Clamping nut, 34-Claw reducer, 35-Planetary reducer, 36-Servo motor, 37-Claw slider, 38-Claw guide rail, 39-Claw housing upper plate, 40-Claw housing side plate. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0025] This utility model provides a guide rail type robotic arm for use in a rare earth production workshop, including a base body, a vertical lifting system, a horizontal moving system, a clamping actuator, and a precision compensation system. The vertical lifting system is fixedly connected to the base body and located above the base body. The horizontal moving system passes through the vertical lifting system. The clamping actuator is located at the end of the horizontal moving system. The precision compensation system is distributed on the base body, the vertical lifting system, the horizontal moving system, and the clamping actuator, and is electrically connected to the corresponding components.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 4 The following is a further explanation with reference to specific embodiments and operating procedures:

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop described in this utility model consists of five main parts, including a base body, a vertical lifting system, a horizontal moving system, a clamping execution mechanism, and a precision compensation system, forming a comprehensive motion system.

[0028] The base body 14 is cylindrical in design, with four self-locking casters 15 integrated at the bottom for easy movement and positioning of the equipment. A platform 26 is mounted on the base body, and a Z-axis rotary motor 27 and a Z-axis rotary reducer 28 are installed inside. The Z-axis rotary motor 27 is connected to the platform 26 via the Z-axis rotary reducer 28, enabling the robotic arm to rotate 360° along the Z-axis.

[0029] The vertical lifting system is installed above the base body 14. A three-dimensional support frame is constructed on the platform 26 via four uprights 4, and the top is connected to the top plate 3 to form a rigid structure. Lifting side plates 5 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the uprights 4, and two parallel Z-axis guide rails 10 are arranged on each set of lifting side plates 5. The side connecting plate 11 connects to the side moving plate 25 and forms a frame structure with the Y-axis slider 23, symmetrically arranged left and right, and top and bottom. Four large sliders are installed on it, corresponding to the four Z-axis guide rails for sliding engagement. A large bearing seat 16 and a support platform 9 are installed on the top plate 3. The lifting screw 17 is vertically installed between the large bearing seat 16 and the connecting sleeve 22, with a lifting driven gear 2 at its top. The Z-axis lifting motor 21 drives the lifting drive gear 1 through the Z-axis lifting reducer 20, forming a gear transmission with the lifting driven gear 2 to achieve lifting in the Z-axis direction.

[0030] The horizontal movement system is arranged inside the frame structure formed by the side connecting plate 11, the side moving plate 25, and the Y-axis slider 23. The Y-axis guide rail 6 is hollow inside, reserving space for the extension and retraction of the Y-axis lead screw 29. A lead screw nut 24 is installed at the front end of the Y-axis guide rail 6. A Y-axis motor 12 and a Y-axis reducer 13 are installed at the front ends of the two side connecting plates 11 to provide power for the movement in the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis lead screw 29 is connected between the Y-axis reducer 13 and the lead screw nut 24 to form the movement in the Y-axis direction.

[0031] The clamping actuator, i.e., the end effector, is installed at the end of the Y-guide rail 6. A planetary reducer 35 and a servo motor 36 are mounted at the end of the Y-guide rail 6, providing power for the 360-degree rotation of the chuck housing 18. The planetary reducer 35 is connected to the chuck housing 18 via a turntable. Two bearing seats 8 are mounted on the chuck housing 18, and a chuck screw 30 is installed between the bearing seats 8. A left-hand nut 32 and a clamping nut 33 are respectively mounted on the chuck screw 30. The two nuts have different thread directions, thus enabling movement in different directions. The left-hand nut 32 and the clamping nut 33 are fixedly connected to two parallel movable plates 31. The chuck 19 and the chuck slider 37 are mounted on the movable plates, allowing the movable plates 31 to drive the chuck 19 to move smoothly on the chuck slide rail 38. The chuck motor 7 and the chuck reducer 34 are mounted on the chuck housing 18, providing power for the opening and closing of the chuck.

[0032] Furthermore, a precision compensation system is implemented to address the adverse effects of dynamic interference forces and vibrations during the end milling process on the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm's end effector. This system is activated at the milling station to ensure that the clamped metal ingot remains strictly within the set machining trajectory and posture under dynamic milling forces. The core functional units of this system include: a sensing unit, which uses high-precision displacement sensors and inertial measurement units mounted on the chuck housing 18 to monitor in real-time the minute displacements (X, Y, Z directions) and angular deviations of the end effector relative to the theoretical trajectory; a control unit integrated into the robotic arm's main controller, responsible for receiving real-time displacement / attitude deviation signals from the sensing unit and calculating the required compensation amount based on a preset error compensation algorithm; and an execution unit utilizing existing horizontal movement systems, vertical lifting systems, planetary reducers 35, servo motors 36, etc., to receive compensation commands from the control unit and perform rapid, minute, real-time dynamic adjustments to the position and attitude of the end effector to actively counteract detected deviations.

[0033] The following two specific examples from production illustrate the benefits of the guide rail robotic arm:

[0034] Transshipment Example:

[0035] In the demolding station of the rare earth production workshop, a guide rail robotic arm moves to a pre-set position, and the casters lock to provide stable support. The Z-axis rotary motor drives the platform to rotate horizontally. The horizontal movement system adjusts the gripper position so that the gripping mechanism faces the high-temperature metal core. The gripping actuator opens the gripper, and after adjusting the position and angle of the gripper, the motor in the vertical lifting system drives the lifting screw to rotate, causing the gripping mechanism to move down to a suitable position. The gripping actuator closes the gripper, grasping the high-temperature metal core. After grasping, the vertical lifting system moves the gripping mechanism up, and the Z-axis rotary motor and horizontal movement system work to transfer the high-temperature metal core to the cooling station. This transfer embodiment process is as follows. Figure 5 As shown.

[0036] Milling station implementation example and accuracy compensation process:

[0037] In the end-face milling station of the rare earth production workshop, the guide rail robotic arm moves to the set position, and the universal wheels lock to form a stable support. The Z-axis rotary motor drives the table panel to rotate horizontally. The horizontal movement system adjusts the position of the gripper so that the gripping mechanism faces the metal blank to be milled. The gripping execution mechanism opens the gripper. After adjustment, the motor in the vertical lifting system drives the lifting screw to rotate, causing the gripping mechanism to move down to the appropriate position. The gripping execution mechanism closes the gripper to grasp the metal blank. After completion, the robotic arm transfers the metal blank to the milling machine processing area. The precision compensation system is initialized and activated. During the end-face milling process, the servo motor adjusts the rotation angle of the chuck housing in real time to ensure that the end face of the blank remains perpendicular to the feed direction of the milling cutter. At the same time, the horizontal movement system and the vertical lifting system work together with the machine tool feed to perform reciprocating compensation motion, and the precision compensation system of the robotic arm cancels out milling vibrations.

[0038] Machining accuracy compensation process:

[0039] Before the milling process begins, the precision compensation system is initialized and activated.

[0040] During the milling process, the sensing unit continuously monitors in real time the three-dimensional displacement and three-dimensional angle deviations of the end effector holding the metal ingot relative to the predetermined machining path and posture, and performs end-effector pose deviation modeling. The coordinates of the measurement points on the chuck housing are obtained from the sensors: (x s ,y s ,z s ), angular velocity of the measuring point: ω=[ω x ,ω y ,ω z ] T Acceleration at the measurement point: a = [a x ,a y ,a z ] T

[0041] Position and angle deviations are calculated through coordinate transformation and attitude calculation.

[0042] Positional deviation:

[0043]

[0044] Angle deviation:

[0045]

[0046] In the formula: Let P be the homogeneous transformation matrix from sensor to base coordinate system. ref ,θ refLet be the theoretical trajectory position and Euler angle, g be the gravity vector, and K be the acceleration compensation coefficient.

[0047] Based on the above deviations, a compensation quantity generation algorithm is applied, namely the incremental PID discretization process:

[0048] Definition of position error:

[0049] e z (k)=Z ref (k)-Z actual (k) Continuous PID:

[0050]

[0051] Discretization (backward difference method):

[0052] Proportional term: K p e(k)

[0053] Integral term:

[0054] Differential term:

[0055] Wherein: T s S is the sampling period. prev This is the history of the integral.

[0056] Final incremental output:

[0057]

[0058] The actual output is:

[0059] u z (k)=u z (k-1)+Δu z (k)

[0060] Finally, multi-axis collaborative compensation is performed:

[0061] Rules for combining compensation amounts of each axis:

[0062] q cmd (k)=q ref (k)+G·u comp (k)G=diag(g y ,g z ,g θ ) is the decoupling matrix in the axis

[0063] The compensated trajectory must meet velocity / acceleration constraints:

[0064]

[0065] After the end face milling is completed, the robotic arm moves the workpiece to the spectral detection station for testing.

[0066] The milling station process is as follows: Figure 6 As shown.

[0067] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0068] First, its multi-axis linkage sliding rail structure combined with a high-rigidity support frame significantly improves the structural rigidity and positioning accuracy of the robotic arm, ensuring stable operation even in high-temperature and dusty environments, thus guaranteeing the smooth progress of rare earth metal end-face milling operations. Second, the portable design of the robotic arm base with universal wheels allows a single unit to complete tasks such as high-temperature billet transfer, milling, and inspection, improving the robotic arm's portability and applicability, and replacing the traditional distributed equipment layout. Furthermore, the robotic arm's precision compensation system dynamically compensates for minute displacements or posture deviations caused by the end effector, effectively improving the machining accuracy of metal ingots during end-face milling, ensuring the normal operation of subsequent processing and inspection stages. Finally, the robotic arm's automated design, compared to traditional manual operation, effectively improves transfer efficiency and eliminates occupational health risks such as high-temperature burns and dust inhalation, providing intelligent assurance for the high-quality production of rare earth metals.

[0069] The above description discloses only one or more preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can understand that implementing all or part of the above embodiments and making equivalent changes in accordance with the claims of the present utility model are still within the scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A guide rail type robotic arm used in a rare earth production workshop, characterized in that, The system includes a base body, a vertical lifting system, a horizontal moving system, a clamping actuator, and a precision compensation system. The vertical lifting system is fixedly connected to the base body and located above the base body. The horizontal moving system passes through the vertical lifting system. The clamping actuator is located at the end of the horizontal moving system. The precision compensation system is distributed on the base body, the vertical lifting system, the horizontal moving system, and the clamping actuator, and is electrically connected to the corresponding components. The vertical lifting system includes a Z-axis frame structure and a Y-axis frame structure. The Z-axis frame structure is a rigid structure formed by four parallel uprights and a top plate. Lifting side plates are symmetrically installed on both sides of the uprights, and two parallel Z-axis guide rails are arranged on each set of lifting side plates. The Y-axis frame structure is a frame structure formed by side connecting plates, side moving plates, and Y-axis sliders. The Y-axis frame structure is symmetrically arranged in the left and right and up and down directions. Four large sliders are installed on the Y-axis frame structure, which respectively correspond to the four Z-axis guide rails to form a sliding engagement. The horizontal movement system is arranged inside the Y-axis frame structure and includes a Y-axis guide rail, a Y-axis lead screw, a lead screw nut, a Y-axis motor, and a Y-axis reducer. The Y-axis guide rail has an internal hollow structure. The lead screw nut is installed at the front end of the Y-axis guide rail. The Y-axis motor and the Y-axis reducer are installed at the front end of the side connecting plates on both sides. The Y-axis lead screw is connected between the Y-axis reducer and the lead screw nut.

2. The guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base body is a hollow cylinder with four casters with self-locking devices integrated at the bottom and a platform on the top. The base body is equipped with a Z-axis rotary motor and a Z-axis rotary reducer, and the Z-axis rotary motor is connected to the platform through the Z-axis rotary reducer.

3. The guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The vertical lifting system also includes a Z-axis lifting drive, which includes a lifting screw, a Z-axis lifting motor, a Z-axis lifting reducer, a lifting drive gear, and a lifting driven gear. The lifting drive gear and the lifting driven gear mesh with each other, the lifting screw is connected to the lifting driven gear, and the Z-axis lifting motor and the Z-axis lifting reducer drive the lifting drive gear to rotate.

4. The guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The clamping actuator includes a planetary reducer, a servo motor, a chuck housing, and chucks. The servo motor, planetary reducer, chuck housing, and chucks are connected in sequence, and the planetary reducer is connected to the chuck housing via a turntable.

5. The guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The chuck housing is equipped with two bearing seats, and a chuck screw is installed between the bearing seats. A left-handed nut and a clamping nut are installed on the chuck screw. The left-handed nut and the clamping nut are respectively connected to two movable plates arranged in parallel on both sides. The chuck is installed on the movable plate.

6. The guide rail robotic arm used in the rare earth production workshop as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The precision compensation system includes a sensing unit, a control unit, and an execution unit. The sensing unit includes a high-precision displacement sensor and an inertial measurement unit installed on the gripper housing. The control unit is integrated into the main controller of the robotic arm. The execution unit receives compensation commands from the control unit and adjusts the position and attitude of the end effector.

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