Foam pasting equipment based on four-station suction gripper and three-axis module

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of based on four-station suction claw and three-axis module's foam taking and pasting equipment, including bottom plate, two flying dart feeding device, XYZ three-axis movement module, four-station suction claw component, visual component;XYZ three-axis movement module includes stand, X-axis linear module, Y-axis linear module, Z-axis linear module;Four-station suction claw component, visual component are installed in the bottom side of Z-axis linear module mobile end;The front end of flying dart feeding device is foam feeding end;Four-station suction claw component is used to be moved to the foam feeding end suction foam of one of two flying dart feeding device under the driving of XYZ three-axis movement module, also used to be moved to product place and carry out foam pasting under the driving of XYZ three-axis movement module.The utility model relates to a kind of based on four-station suction claw and three-axis module's foam taking and pasting equipment, and pasting efficiency is high, positioning accuracy is high, compatibility is strong, stability is high, satisfy the high efficiency, precision, intelligent demand of foam pasting operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of industrial automation equipment, and in particular to a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module. Background Technology

[0002] In automated production processes, foam is widely used in the assembly of electronic components, automotive interiors, medical devices, and consumer electronics products due to its properties such as cushioning, sealing, insulation, and shock absorption.

[0003] Currently, the industry mostly uses single-station suction claws combined with cylinder-driven equipment or manual assistance for foam placement operations, which has the following shortcomings:

[0004] 1. Low efficiency: A single-station suction gripper can only pick up and mount one piece of foam at a time, which cannot meet the capacity requirements of large-scale mass production scenarios; manual-assisted mounting is not only slow, but also easily affected by the subjective factors of operators, resulting in unstable production efficiency.

[0005] 2. Poor positioning accuracy: The positioning accuracy of cylinder-driven methods is usually above ±0.1mm, which is difficult to meet the requirements of high-precision placement (such as the foam placement error on PCB boards in the electronics industry needs to be controlled within ±0.03mm). Problems such as foam misalignment and loose bonding are likely to occur, affecting product quality.

[0006] 3. Weak compatibility: The suction claw structure and moving mechanism are mostly fixed designs. When it is necessary to mount foam of different sizes and thicknesses or change the mounting workpiece, it is necessary to replace the suction claw assembly or adjust the moving mechanism parameters. The operation is cumbersome and the replacement time is long, which cannot quickly adapt to the production needs of multiple varieties and small batches.

[0007] IV. Poor stability and maintainability: The cylinder-driven equipment is susceptible to air pressure fluctuations, which leads to unstable gripping and placement actions; moreover, the equipment lacks a sound fault detection and protection mechanism, making fault diagnosis difficult and maintenance costs high. In addition, the short service life of core components increases the production costs of enterprises.

[0008] To address the aforementioned issues, there is an urgent need to design a foam mounting equipment with multi-station parallel operation capabilities, high-precision positioning, strong compatibility, high stability, and low maintenance costs, in order to meet the industry's demands for efficient, precise, and intelligent foam mounting operations. Utility Model Content

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical issues, this utility model provides a foam placement device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module. It can complete the placement of four foam pieces in a single stroke. By combining the three-axis linear module with visual positioning, the placement positioning accuracy is significantly improved. It has strong compatibility and high stability, meeting the industry's demand for efficient, precise, and intelligent foam placement operations.

[0010] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, including a base plate, two feeder feeding devices, an XYZ three-axis motion module, a four-station suction claw assembly, and a vision assembly; the XYZ three-axis motion module includes a stand, an X-axis linear module mounted on the stand, a Y-axis linear module mounted on the moving end of the X-axis linear module, and a Z-axis linear module mounted on the Y-axis linear module; the four-station suction claw assembly and the vision assembly are mounted on the bottom side of the moving end of the Z-axis linear module; the two feeder feeding devices are distributed on the left and right, and the front end of the feeder feeding device is the foam feeding end; the four-station suction claw assembly is used to move to the foam feeding end of one of the two feeder feeding devices to pick up foam under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module, and is also used to move to the product to perform foam pasting under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module.

[0011] Furthermore, the foam taking and attaching equipment has a first foam taking station and a second foam taking station distributed left and right; two feeder feeding devices are installed on the base plate through their respective front and rear moving mechanisms; when the feeder feeding device moves to the front end of its stroke through the front and rear moving mechanisms, the foam feeding end of the feeder feeding device is located at the corresponding first foam taking station or second foam taking station.

[0012] Furthermore, the forward and backward moving mechanism includes a moving frame, a first slide rail fixed to the bottom side of the moving frame in a forward and backward direction, a second slide rail fixed to the top side of the moving frame in a forward and backward direction, a first slider mounted on the base plate and assembled with the first slide rail, and a second slider mounted on the bottom side of the feeder device and assembled with the second slide rail.

[0013] Furthermore, the four-station suction gripper assembly includes a mounting bracket fixed to the bottom side of the Z-axis linear module moving end; four grippers arranged in a 2-position configuration are mounted below the mounting bracket. 2. An array of suction claw mechanisms; each suction claw mechanism includes a lifting cylinder fixed to the mounting frame, a lifting frame fixed to the lifting end of the lifting cylinder, a stepper motor mounted on the lifting frame, and a vacuum suction claw mounted on the rotating end of the stepper motor; the four suction claw mechanisms have independent lifting action functions and independent vacuum suction functions.

[0014] Furthermore, the vision component includes a mounting plate fixed to the mounting bracket, an industrial camera mounted on the mounting plate, and a ring light source.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model provides a foam mounting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, which can complete the mounting of four foam pieces in one stroke. By combining the three-axis linear module with vision positioning, the mounting positioning accuracy is greatly improved. It has strong compatibility and high stability, meeting the industry's demand for efficient, precise and intelligent foam mounting operations. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, as an embodiment;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the assembly of an XYZ three-axis motion module, a four-station suction claw assembly, and a vision assembly for a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, as an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the assembly of a four-station suction claw component and a vision component in a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, as an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the suction claw mechanism of a foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, as an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the assembly of a feeder feeding device and a front-to-back moving mechanism for a foam picking and pasting equipment based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, as an embodiment.

[0021] Among them, 1-base plate, 2-feeder feeding device, 3-forward and backward moving mechanism, 4-XYZ three-axis motion module, 5-four-station suction claw assembly, 6-vision component, 31-moving frame, 32-first slide rail, 33-second slide rail, 34-first slider, 35-second slider, 41-upright frame, 42-X-axis linear module, 43-Y-axis linear module, 44-Z-axis linear module, 51-mounting frame, 52-lifting cylinder, 53-lifting frame, 54-stepper motor, 55-vacuum suction claw, 61-mounting vertical plate, 62-industrial camera, 63-ring light source. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enhance understanding of this utility model, it will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. These embodiments are only used to explain this utility model and do not limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0023] Example

[0024] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5As shown, this embodiment provides a foam feeding and attaching device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module, including a base plate 1, two feeder feeding devices 2, an XYZ three-axis motion module 4, a four-station suction claw assembly 5, and a vision assembly 6. The XYZ three-axis motion module 4 includes a frame 41, an X-axis linear module 42 mounted on the frame 41, a Y-axis linear module 43 mounted on the moving end of the X-axis linear module 42, and a Z-axis linear module 44 mounted on the Y-axis linear module 43. The four-station suction claw assembly 5 and the vision assembly 6 are mounted on the bottom side of the moving end of the Z-axis linear module 44. The two feeder feeding devices 2 are distributed on the left and right sides, with the front end of the feeder feeding device 2 serving as the foam feeding end. The four-station suction claw assembly 5 is used to move to the foam feeding end of one of the two feeder feeding devices 2 under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module 4 to pick up foam, and is also used to move to the product under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module 4 to perform foam attaching.

[0025] In this embodiment, the XYZ three-axis motion module adopts the KK module, which is a precision linear motion module that integrates a high-precision ball screw (or synchronous belt) and linear guide. The ball screw converts the rotational motion of the servo motor into precise linear motion, while the linear guide ensures high rigidity and stability during motion. A servo motor drive, with a built-in encoder, forms a closed-loop control system. The PLC or motion controller sends pulse commands (controlling position and speed) to the servo driver, which in turn drives the motor to rotate. The encoder provides real-time feedback of the motor's actual position and speed to the driver, which compares this with the command values ​​and continuously adjusts the output to eliminate errors, thereby achieving precise positioning and smooth motion.

[0026] In this embodiment, the feeder feeding device 2 is used to supply foam material strips, and it is also equipped with a material exhaust sensor (usually a photoelectric sensor) to determine the remaining material status by whether the infrared beam is blocked by the light shield on the material strip or the material itself.

[0027] In this embodiment, the foam taking and attaching equipment has a first foam taking station and a second foam taking station distributed from left to right; two feeder feeding devices 2 are installed on the base plate 1 through their respective front and rear moving mechanisms 3; when the feeder feeding device 2 moves to the front end of its stroke through the front and rear moving mechanisms 3, the foam feeding end of the feeder feeding device 2 is located at the corresponding first foam taking station or second foam taking station.

[0028] Please refer to the following: Figure 5 As shown, the forward and backward moving mechanism 3 includes a moving frame 31, a first slide rail 32 fixed to the bottom side of the moving frame 31 in a forward and backward direction, a second slide rail 33 fixed to the top side of the moving frame 31 in a forward and backward direction, a first slider 34 mounted on the base plate 1 and assembled with the first slide rail 32, and a second slider 35 mounted on the bottom side of the feeder device and assembled with the second slide rail 33.

[0029] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 As shown, the four-station suction gripper assembly 5 includes a mounting bracket 51 fixed to the bottom side of the moving end of the Z-axis linear module 44; four grippers arranged in a 2-position pattern are mounted below the mounting bracket 51. 2. An array of suction claw mechanisms; each suction claw mechanism includes a lifting cylinder 52 fixed to the mounting frame 51, a lifting frame 53 fixed to the lifting end of the lifting cylinder 52, a stepper motor 54 mounted on the lifting frame 53, and a vacuum suction claw 55 mounted on the rotating end of the stepper motor 54; the four suction claw mechanisms have independent lifting and lifting functions and independent vacuum suction functions. Specifically, in the four-station suction claw assembly, the working principle of the vacuum suction claw is as follows: when compressed air passes through the vacuum generator (Venturi tube), the flow rate increases in the narrow channel. According to Bernoulli's principle, the static pressure at this point decreases, thereby generating a vacuum (negative pressure) in the suction cup cavity; this pressure difference (vacuum inside the cavity vs. external atmospheric pressure) forms an adsorption force, firmly adhering to the foam; the vacuum suction claw has a built-in vacuum sensor (usually piezoelectric) that detects the pressure value inside the cavity to determine whether the suction is successful. Each vacuum gripper operates independently via its own lifting cylinder, a sealed cylinder containing a piston. When compressed air is supplied to one end of the cylinder via a PLC-controlled solenoid valve, the air pressure pushes the piston rod in a linear motion (extending or retracting), thus achieving independent lifting of each gripper. A speed control connector (throttle valve) is also installed on the pipeline supplying compressed air to the lifting cylinder, adjusting the airflow and controlling the cylinder's speed for a "soft landing" to prevent impact. Each vacuum gripper also rotates independently via a stepper motor, receiving pulse commands from the PLC to control its rotation to an absolute or relative angle. An encoder provides closed-loop feedback to ensure accurate angle measurement.

[0030] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 As shown, the vision component 6 includes a mounting plate 61 fixed to the mounting bracket 51, an industrial camera 62 mounted on the mounting plate 61, and a ring light source 63. Specifically, under the uniform illumination of the ring light source, the industrial camera (CCD / CMOS sensor) converts the optical image of the target object (foam / product) into a digital image signal, and then calculates the deviation of the target object from its theoretical position using a computing and analysis device.

[0031] The workflow of a foam picking and attaching device based on a four-station suction gripper and a three-axis module in this embodiment is as follows: The device is powered on and starts, and the XYZ three-axis motion module returns to its origin. By default, the feeder device on the left side provides feeding (moving to the front end of the stroke via a forward and backward moving mechanism), and a set of four foam pieces is precisely delivered to the foam feeding end along with the feeder belt. At this time, the material exhaustion sensor monitors the feeder belt status in real time. If the left feeder device is found to be out of material, the feeding is switched from the left feeder device to the right feeder device (the left feeder device moves to the rear end of the stroke via a forward and backward moving mechanism, and the right feeder device moves to the front end of the stroke via a forward and backward moving mechanism). The XYZ three-axis motion module moves, bringing the industrial camera directly above the foam feeding end of the feeder device. The camera captures images of four foam pieces, and the deviations (positional and angular deviations) from the theoretical positions are calculated and analyzed. Based on the visual compensation data, the PLC controls the XYZ three-axis motion module to precisely position the center of the four-station suction claw assembly to the compensated position. The Z-axis linear module lowers the four-station suction claw assembly to the preset suction height. Simultaneously, the corresponding lifting cylinders of the four suction claw mechanisms move, driving the vacuum suction claws to descend individually, contacting and slightly compressing the foam to ensure firm adhesion, thus activating the vacuum suction function of the vacuum suction claws. The vacuum grippers pick up the corresponding foam. Each gripper detects the corresponding vacuum level through its own vacuum sensor. Successful picking is determined only when all four vacuum sensors detect a successful pick-up signal. If any sensor fails, the Z-axis linear module raises the four-position gripper assembly, the equipment pauses, and an alarm sounds, indicating "picking failed." After successful picking, the corresponding lifting cylinders of the four gripper mechanisms simultaneously activate, driving each vacuum gripper to rise individually. The XYZ three-axis motion module moves, bringing the industrial camera directly above the product to capture and identify the actual positions of the four mounting targets on the product, calculating the deviations from the theoretical positions (positional and angular deviations). The PLC then calculates the deviations based on visual compensation data. Subsequently, the XYZ three-axis motion module and corresponding stepper motors are controlled to fine-tune the position and angle of the foam picked up by the vacuum gripper; the Z-axis linear module drives the four-position gripper assembly to descend to a pre-mounting height very close to the product surface; the corresponding lifting cylinders of the four gripper mechanisms act simultaneously, driving the vacuum gripper to descend individually and smoothly press the foam onto the product surface; the vacuum suction function of the vacuum gripper is turned off, the vacuum is broken, and the foam is released; the corresponding lifting cylinders of the four gripper mechanisms act simultaneously, and the stepper motors act, driving the vacuum gripper to return to its initial position; the XYZ three-axis motion module drives the four-position gripper assembly and vision component to return to their initial positions, preparing for the next foam picking action.

[0032] This embodiment adopts a four-station synchronous pick-and-place design, which can complete the placement of four foam pieces in one stroke, significantly improving production efficiency. It uses a high-rigidity, high-precision KK module with servo drive and combines vision positioning for real-time deviation compensation, achieving a placement positioning accuracy far exceeding that of cylinder-driven methods (up to ±0.05mm). Each suction cup unit is independently equipped with a vacuum sensor to monitor the material picking status in real time. If there is a missed pick-up or a failure to pick up the material, an alarm can be triggered immediately or an error correction program can be executed, which greatly reduces the defect rate. The introduction of the vision system enables the equipment to compensate for the placement error of the tray and the product, reducing the positioning accuracy requirements of the product.

[0033] The above embodiments should not limit the present invention in any way. All technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent conversion fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction gripper and a three-axis module, characterized in that: The system includes a base plate (1), two feeder feeding devices (2), an XYZ three-axis motion module (4), a four-station suction claw assembly (5), and a vision assembly (6); the XYZ three-axis motion module (4) includes a stand (41), an X-axis linear module (42) mounted on the stand (41), a Y-axis linear module (43) mounted on the moving end of the X-axis linear module (42), and a Z-axis linear module (44) mounted on the Y-axis linear module (43); the four-station suction claw... The component (5) and vision component (6) are installed on the bottom side of the moving end of the Z-axis linear module (44); two feeder feeding devices (2) are distributed on the left and right, and the front end of the feeder feeding device (2) is the foam feeding end; the four-station suction claw component (5) is used to move to the foam feeding end of one of the two feeder feeding devices (2) to pick up foam under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module (4), and is also used to move to the product to perform foam mounting under the drive of the XYZ three-axis motion module (4).

2. The foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foam taking and attaching equipment has a first foam taking station and a second foam taking station distributed from left to right; two feeder feeding devices (2) are installed on the base plate (1) through their respective front and rear moving mechanisms (3); when the feeder feeding device (2) moves to the front end of the stroke through the front and rear moving mechanisms (3), the foam feeding end of the feeder feeding device (2) is located at the corresponding first foam taking station or second foam taking station.

3. The foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The forward and backward moving mechanism (3) includes a moving frame (31), a first slide rail (32) fixed to the bottom side of the moving frame (31) in a forward and backward direction, a second slide rail (33) fixed to the top side of the moving frame (31) in a forward and backward direction, a first slider (34) mounted on the base plate (1) and assembled with the first slide rail (32), and a second slider (35) mounted on the bottom side of the feeder device and assembled with the second slide rail (33).

4. The foam picking and pasting device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four-station suction gripper assembly (5) includes a mounting bracket (51) fixed to the bottom side of the moving end of the Z-axis linear module (44); four grippers arranged in a 2-position pattern are mounted below the mounting bracket (51).

2. The suction claw mechanism is distributed in an array; each suction claw mechanism includes a lifting cylinder (52) fixed to the mounting frame (51), a lifting frame (53) fixed to the lifting end of the lifting cylinder (52), a stepper motor (54) mounted on the lifting frame (53), and a vacuum suction claw (55) mounted on the rotating end of the stepper motor (54); the four suction claw mechanisms have independent lifting action functions and independent vacuum suction functions.

5. A foam pick-and-place device based on a four-station suction claw and a three-axis module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vision component (6) includes a mounting plate (61) fixed to the mounting bracket (51), an industrial camera (62) mounted on the mounting plate (61), and a ring light source (63).

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