Multifunctional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of multifunctional integrated forming flexible production line suitable for pipe beam component, it is by located in the production line center of multiple process mixed forming main equipment and the immersion smelting furnace, soup machine, semi-solid pulping machine, spraying system, heating system, quenching system, gas inflation system, feeding system, air cooling system, remove handle slag ladle system, discharging system, mould temperature control system, vacuum system and electrical control system around it are set up.It is with the automatic feeding and discharging path of re-optimization design to the flexible production line, workpiece efficient transfer and accurate positioning can be realized, so that the automation level and production efficiency in pipe beam component manufacturing are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of vehicle body structure component processing and manufacturing equipment, specifically relating to a flexible production line for integrated hot gas expansion and die casting injection molding of multi-material tube beams. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of automotive manufacturing technology, composite tubular beam components made of multiple materials, including high-strength, lightweight metals and engineering plastics, are increasingly being used. However, current manufacturing methods and equipment for these tubular beams suffer from numerous problems. For example, the multiple independent and dispersed processes involved in production result in a huge floor space required for the entire production line; the disassembly, assembly, and positioning adjustments of molds, fixtures, and other equipment during process changes are extremely arduous and can affect the accuracy and consistency of batch processing; long waiting times can also lead to deterioration of workpiece surface quality; and specialized equipment such as die casting, injection molding, and thermal expansion equipment have limited functionality and cannot adequately meet the requirements of small-batch, flexible production for specific products. All these problems contribute to the low efficiency of tubular beam component manufacturing and the difficulty in reducing labor and material costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, and in response to the technical problems existing in this field, this utility model provides a multi-functional integrated flexible production line for pipe beam components, which consists of a multi-process mixed molding main equipment located at the center of the production line and an immersion melting furnace, a slurry feeder, a semi-solid pulping machine, a spraying system, a heating system, a quenching system, an air expansion system, a feeding system, an air cooling system, a slag removal system, a discharge system, a mold temperature control system, a vacuum system, and an electrical control system arranged around it;

[0004] The main equipment for multi-process hybrid molding includes four modules: a mold clamping system, a frame, an aluminum injection system, and a non-metallic injection molding system. The frame supports and fixes the various components of the production line. The mold clamping system is used to perform mold opening and closing, and works with the aluminum injection system to perform die casting to obtain a tube beam skeleton containing aluminum components. It also works with the non-metallic injection molding system to perform injection molding of plastics, carbon fibers, composite materials, etc., to obtain a hybrid material tube beam covered with non-metallic components. The mold clamping system is also used for the hot gas expansion forming process of high-strength tube blanks made of high-strength steel, aluminum alloys, and other materials.

[0005] Immersion furnaces are used to heat aluminum ingots to form aluminum slurry; slurry feeders are used to supply aluminum slurry to die-casting systems or to semi-solid slurry feeders for processing.

[0006] A semi-solid slurry mixer is used to form a semi-solid aluminum slurry with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure, which is then supplied to the mold-closing system by a slurry feeder.

[0007] The spraying system includes a robot and atomizing nozzles, which are used to spray atomized release agent onto the surface of the mold cavity according to a preset program, simultaneously achieving multiple functions including release agent coating, mold temperature control and cavity cleaning;

[0008] The heating system is used to heat the tube beam during the hot gas expansion process;

[0009] The quenching system is connected to the inside of the mold through a cooling medium channel to form a cooling circulation system, which is used to absorb the heat of the tube beam through the cooling medium after completing various forming processes, so as to achieve efficient cooling and quenching.

[0010] The air expansion system includes a tube beam sealing device and a high-pressure expansion medium supply system. The tube beam sealing device is used to seal the end of the tube beam to be expanded in the mold cavity, and the high-pressure expansion medium supply system is used to inject expansion fluid medium into the inner cavity of the tube beam. Together, they cause the tube beam to plastically deform and fit into the inner wall of the mold, thus obtaining the tube beam body with the predetermined structure.

[0011] The feeding system includes a feeding fixture and a robot; the feeding fixture is used to place the tube beam blank; the robot is used to automatically identify and grab the tube beam blank from the fixture, accurately position the blank to be placed in the mold, and feed the tube beam blank into the mold according to a predetermined trajectory.

[0012] The air-cooling system is used to cool the die-cast tubular beam skeleton;

[0013] The slag removal system is used to remove the tube beam skeleton from the mold and perform post-processing to remove the slag and slag formed during the die casting and injection molding processes.

[0014] The unloading system is used to automatically receive the pipe beam skeleton after it has been processed by the slag bag removal system, and convey it to the inspection table or unloading station for quality inspection or other subsequent processing steps.

[0015] Mold temperature control systems are used to heat or cool the mold to provide the temperature environment required for the die casting process;

[0016] Vacuum systems are used in the die-casting process to help remove gas from the mold cavity and reduce the back pressure of the cavity;

[0017] The electrical control system is used to provide power to the other modules in the flexible production line and to control the operation of each module.

[0018] Furthermore, the immersion melting furnace specifically includes a furnace body, an immersion heater, an intelligent temperature control system, and a degassing and purification unit; the furnace body is used to store aluminum slurry; the immersion heater is located at the bottom of the furnace body and is used to heat the metal in the furnace body under the control of the intelligent temperature control system, so as to generate strong convection while maintaining the aluminum slurry temperature stably, and remove hydrogen and slag from the aluminum slurry with the cooperation of the degassing and purification unit.

[0019] Furthermore, the molten ladle specifically includes a robotic arm, a molten ladle, and a control unit. The molten ladle is located at the end of the robotic arm, which, under the control of the control unit, can drive the molten ladle to scoop up aluminum slurry provided by an immersion melting furnace or a semi-solid slurry preparation machine, and deliver it to the mold-forming system directly for die casting according to a pre-planned path, or first send it to the semi-solid slurry preparation machine for processing before sending it to the mold-forming system for die casting.

[0020] Furthermore, the semi-solid pulping machine specifically includes a high-strength shearing unit and a rapid cooling module. The high-strength shearing unit is used to stir or vibrate the aluminum slurry, and the rapid cooling module is used to control the temperature of the aluminum slurry. Together with the high-strength shearing unit, they ultimately form a semi-solid aluminum slurry with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure.

[0021] Furthermore, the heating system specifically uses a low-voltage, high-current DC power supply to form a circuit with electrodes set at both ends of the tube beam, so that the tube beam can achieve self-resistance heating when energized.

[0022] Furthermore, the air-cooling system specifically includes a fan array and an air-cooling control unit; the fan array is used to perform forced convection cooling on the die-cast tube beam skeleton; the air-cooling control unit is used to adjust the fan array's wind speed, air volume, and cooling time.

[0023] Furthermore, the feeding system specifically consists of a conveying mechanism for automatically receiving and transferring the tube beams and a workpiece positioning and identification device.

[0024] Furthermore, the mold temperature control system specifically adopts a circulation system consisting of a heat exchanger, heater, pump set and medium pipeline, which can realize the heating and cooling of the mold through the circulation of heat transfer oil or water and other media. The medium temperature, flow rate and pressure are all controlled by PID closed loop.

[0025] Furthermore, the vacuum system specifically consists of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, and an exhaust duct that connects the vacuum pump to the mold.

[0026] The multifunctional integrated flexible production line for tubular beam components provided by this utility model integrates related process equipment such as hot gas expansion, metal die casting, and non-metal injection molding. It allows for flexible and rapid production line reconfiguration according to design goals, meeting the requirements of small-batch, flexible production of advanced tubular beam components. This flexible production line features a redesigned automatic loading and unloading path, enabling efficient workpiece transfer and precise positioning, thereby significantly improving the automation level and production efficiency in tubular beam component manufacturing. This flexible production line can be used to manufacture complex hybrid material tubular beam structures comprising a high-strength main body and lightweight metal and non-metal components, significantly reducing labor and material costs compared to existing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the system provided by this utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 Right view of the optional three-dimensional structure of the system provided by this utility model;

[0029] Figure 3 Left view of the optional three-dimensional structure of the system provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0031] The multifunctional integrated flexible production line for forming tubular beam components provided by this utility model, such as Figure 1-3 As shown, it consists of a multi-process hybrid molding main equipment 1 located at the center of the production line and an immersion melting furnace 2, a soup feeder 3, a semi-solid pulping machine 4, a spraying system 5, a heating system 6, a quenching system 7, an air expansion system 8, a feeding system 9, an air cooling system 10, a slag removal system 11, a discharge system 12, a mold temperature control system 13, a vacuum system 14, and an electrical control system 15.

[0032] The multi-process hybrid molding main equipment 1 includes four modules: a mold clamping system, a frame, an aluminum material injection system, and a non-metallic injection molding system. The frame is used to support and fix the various components of the production line. The mold clamping system is used to perform mold opening and closing, and works with the aluminum material injection system to perform die casting to obtain a metal component tube beam skeleton, and works with the non-metallic injection molding system to perform injection molding to obtain a hybrid material tube beam covered with non-metallic components. The mold clamping system is also used for the hot gas expansion forming process of high-structural-strength tube blanks made of high-strength steel, aluminum alloys, and other materials.

[0033] The immersion furnace 2 is used to heat the aluminum ingots for die casting, so that they melt into aluminum slurry; the slurry feeder 3 is used to supply the aluminum slurry to the die-casting system, or to the semi-solid slurry feeder 4 for processing.

[0034] The semi-solid pulping machine 4 is used to form a semi-solid aluminum paste with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure, which is then supplied to the mold-closing system by the slurry feeder 3. When there are no special requirements for the aluminum paste, it can also be supplied directly to the mold-closing system by the slurry feeder 3 without going through the semi-solid pulping machine 4.

[0035] The spraying system 5 includes a robot and atomizing nozzles, which are used to directionally spray atomized release agent onto the surface of the mold cavity according to a preset program, simultaneously achieving multiple functions including release agent coating, mold temperature control, and cavity cleaning; specifically, it forms an isolation film on the cavity surface to ensure smooth demolding of the casting; it uses the principle of droplet vaporization and heat absorption to periodically cool the mold to maintain thermal balance; and it removes the residue from the previous cycle through fluid impact. With precise control of spraying time, flow rate, trajectory, and atomization pressure, this system ensures the surface quality of the casting and the long-term use of the mold, while achieving efficient utilization of the release agent and optimization of production cycle.

[0036] Heating system 6 is used to heat the tube beam during the hot air expansion process;

[0037] The quenching system 7 is connected to the interior of the mold through a cooling medium channel to form a cooling circulation system, which is used to absorb the heat of the tube beam through the cooling medium after completing various forming processes to achieve efficient cooling and quenching.

[0038] The air expansion system 8 includes a tube beam sealing device and a high-pressure expansion medium supply system. The tube beam sealing device is used to seal the end of the tube beam to be expanded in the mold cavity, and the high-pressure expansion medium supply system is used to inject expansion fluid medium into the inner cavity of the tube beam. Together, they cause the tube beam to plastically deform and fit into the inner wall of the mold, thus obtaining the tube beam body with the predetermined structure.

[0039] The feeding system 9 includes a feeding fixture and a robot; the feeding fixture is used to place the tube beam blank; the robot is used to automatically identify and grab the tube beam blank from the fixture, accurately position the blank to be placed in the mold, and feed the tube beam blank into the mold according to a predetermined trajectory.

[0040] The air-cooling system 10 is used to cool the die-cast tube beam skeleton;

[0041] The slag bag removal system 11 is used to remove the tube beam skeleton from the mold and perform post-processing to remove the slag bag;

[0042] The unloading system 12 is used to automatically receive the pipe beam skeleton after it has been processed by the slag bag removal system 11, and convey it to the inspection table or unloading station for quality inspection or other subsequent processing steps.

[0043] The mold temperature control system 13 is used to heat or cool the mold to provide the temperature environment required for the die casting process;

[0044] The vacuum system 14 is used to assist in the discharge of air and water vapor from the coating in the die casting process, effectively reducing the back pressure of the cavity, thereby reducing porosity defects inside the casting, improving filling fluidity, and increasing the density and mechanical properties of the material.

[0045] The electrical control system 15 is used to provide power to the other modules in the flexible production line and to control the operation of each module.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the immersion melting furnace 2 specifically includes a furnace body, an immersion heater, an intelligent temperature control system, and a degassing and purification unit; the furnace body is used to store aluminum slurry; the immersion heater is located at the bottom of the furnace body and is used to heat the metal in the furnace body under the control of the intelligent temperature control system, so as to generate strong convection while maintaining the aluminum slurry temperature stably, and remove hydrogen and slag from the aluminum slurry with the cooperation of the degassing and purification unit.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the soup-feeding machine 3 specifically includes a robotic arm, a soup ladle, and a control unit; the soup ladle is located at the end of the robotic arm, and the robotic arm can drive the soup ladle to scoop up the aluminum slurry provided by the immersion melting furnace 2 or the semi-solid pulping machine 4 under the control of the control unit, and send it to the mold-closing system for direct die casting according to the pre-planned path, or send it to the semi-solid pulping machine 4 to process the aluminum slurry before sending it to the mold-closing system for die casting.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the semi-solid pulping machine 4 specifically includes a high-strength shearing unit and a rapid cooling module. The high-strength shearing unit is used to stir or vibrate the aluminum slurry, so that the received liquid aluminum liquid can quickly reach the solid-liquid two-phase region under precise temperature control, and break up the primary dendrites under shearing action, promoting the uniform formation of spherical or near-spherical non-dendritic α-Al phase. The rapid cooling module is used to control the temperature of the aluminum slurry, and together with the high-strength shearing unit, it ultimately forms a semi-solid aluminum slurry with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the heating system 6 specifically adopts a low-voltage, high-current DC power supply and electrodes set at both ends of the tube beam to form a circuit, so that the tube beam can achieve self-resistance heating when energized.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the air-cooling system 10 specifically includes a fan array and an air-cooling control unit; the fan array is used to perform forced convection cooling on the die-cast tube beam skeleton; the air-cooling control unit is used to adjust the fan speed, air volume and cooling time of the fan array.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the unloading system 12 is specifically composed of a conveying mechanism (conveyor belt, gantry robot, six-axis robot, etc.) for automatically receiving and transferring pipe beams and a workpiece positioning and identification device, which can ensure the continuous, efficient and unmanned operation of the production line.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the mold temperature control system 13 specifically adopts a circulation system composed of a heat exchanger, a heater, a pump group and a medium pipeline. It can achieve the heating and cooling of the mold through the circulation of media such as heat transfer oil or water. The medium temperature, flow rate and pressure are all controlled by PID closed loop, which can stabilize the surface temperature of the mold cavity within the set range required by the process (usually 150-300℃), realize the functions of balancing mold temperature, reducing thermal stress and stabilizing the filling process, thereby significantly improving the internal quality and surface integrity of the casting.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the vacuum system 14 specifically consists of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, and an exhaust duct that connects the vacuum pump to the mold.

[0054] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the embodiments of this utility model does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0055] 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 multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members, characterized in that: It consists of a multi-process hybrid molding main equipment located at the center of the production line, and surrounding it are an immersion melting furnace, a soup feeder, a semi-solid pulping machine, a spraying system, a heating system, a quenching system, an air expansion system, a feeding system, an air cooling system, a slag removal system, a material unloading system, a mold temperature control system, a vacuum system, and an electrical control system. The main equipment for multi-process hybrid molding includes four modules: a mold clamping system, a frame, an aluminum injection system, and a non-metallic injection molding system. The frame supports and fixes the various components of the production line. The mold clamping system is used to perform mold opening and closing, and works with the aluminum injection system to die-cast and form a tube beam skeleton containing aluminum components, and works with the non-metallic injection molding system to form a hybrid material tube beam covered with non-metallic components. The mold clamping system is also used for high-structural-strength tube blank hot gas expansion forming process. Immersion furnaces are used to heat aluminum ingots to form aluminum slurry; slurry feeders are used to supply aluminum slurry to die-casting systems or to semi-solid slurry feeders for processing. A semi-solid slurry mixer is used to form a semi-solid aluminum slurry with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure, which is then supplied to the mold-closing system by a slurry feeder. The spraying system includes a robot and atomizing nozzles, which are used to spray atomized release agent onto the surface of the mold cavity according to a preset program, simultaneously achieving multiple functions including release agent coating, mold temperature control and cavity cleaning; The heating system is used to heat the tube beam during the hot gas expansion process; The quenching system is connected to the inside of the mold through a cooling medium channel to form a cooling circulation system, which is used to absorb the heat of the tube beam through the cooling medium after completing various forming processes, so as to achieve efficient cooling and quenching. The air expansion system includes a tube beam sealing device and a high-pressure expansion medium supply system. The tube beam sealing device is used to seal the end of the tube beam to be expanded in the mold cavity, and the high-pressure expansion medium supply system is used to inject expansion fluid medium into the inner cavity of the tube beam. Together, they cause the tube beam to plastically deform and fit into the inner wall of the mold, thus obtaining the tube beam body with the predetermined structure. The feeding system includes a feeding fixture and a robot; the feeding fixture is used to place the tube beam blank; the robot is used to automatically identify and grab the tube beam blank from the fixture, accurately position the blank to be placed in the mold, and feed the tube beam blank into the mold according to a predetermined trajectory. The air-cooling system is used to cool the die-cast tubular beam skeleton; The slag bag removal system is used to remove the tube beam skeleton from the mold and perform post-processing to remove the slag bag; The unloading system is used to automatically receive the pipe beam skeleton after it has been processed by the slag bag removal system, and convey it to the inspection table or unloading station for quality inspection or other subsequent processing steps. Mold temperature control systems are used to heat or cool the mold to provide the temperature environment required for the die casting process; Vacuum systems are used in the die-casting process to help remove gas from the mold cavity and reduce the back pressure of the cavity; The electrical control system is used to provide power to the other modules in the flexible production line and to control the operation of each module.

2. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The immersion melting furnace specifically includes a furnace body, an immersion heater, an intelligent temperature control system, and a degassing and purification unit. The furnace body is used to store aluminum slurry. The immersion heater is located at the bottom of the furnace body and is used to heat the metal in the furnace body under the control of the intelligent temperature control system. While maintaining a stable temperature of the aluminum slurry, it generates strong convection and removes hydrogen and slag from the aluminum slurry with the help of the degassing and purification unit.

3. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The molten ladle specifically includes a robotic arm, a molten ladle, and a control unit. The molten ladle is located at the end of the robotic arm. Under the control of the control unit, the robotic arm can drive the molten ladle to scoop up aluminum slurry provided by an immersion melting furnace or a semi-solid slurry preparation machine, and send it to the mold-forming system directly for die casting according to a pre-planned path, or send it to the semi-solid slurry preparation machine to process the aluminum slurry before sending it to the mold-forming system for die casting.

4. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The semi-solid pulping machine specifically includes a high-strength shearing unit and a rapid cooling module. The high-strength shearing unit is used to stir or vibrate the aluminum slurry, and the rapid cooling module is used to control the temperature of the aluminum slurry. Together with the high-strength shearing unit, they ultimately form a semi-solid aluminum slurry with predetermined rheological properties and microstructure.

5. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating system specifically uses a low-voltage, high-current DC power supply to form a circuit with electrodes set at both ends of the tube beam, so that the tube beam can achieve self-resistance heating when energized.

6. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air-cooling system specifically includes a fan array and an air-cooling control unit; the fan array is used to provide forced convection cooling for the die-cast tube beam skeleton; the air-cooling control unit is used to adjust the fan array's wind speed, air volume, and cooling time.

7. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material feeding system consists of a conveying mechanism for automatically receiving and transferring the tube beams and a workpiece positioning and identification device.

8. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold temperature control system specifically adopts a circulation system consisting of a heat exchanger, heater, pump set and medium pipeline. It can achieve the heating and cooling of the mold through the circulation of heat transfer medium. The medium temperature, flow rate and pressure are all controlled by PID closed loop.

9. The multi-functional integrated forming flexible production line for tubular beam members according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum system consists of a vacuum pump, a vacuum valve, and an exhaust duct that connects the vacuum pump to the mold.

Images