A weld inspection machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of welding detection machines, including assembly line body and the fixture flowing on assembly line body, welding station, detection station and sorting station are sequentially provided along the conveying direction of the assembly line body, and the welding station, detection station and sorting station are integrated on the same assembly line body, constitute a continuous automated production unit;Welding station is provided with at least two independent soldering mechanisms, for the product on the fixture flowing here is completed PIN pin welding step by step;Detection station is sequentially set after welding station, and is equipped with visual detection device driven by three-axis motion platform and moved, for the welding spot after welding is detected by photographing;Sorting station is provided with sorting execution mechanism and NG shunt line different from the flow direction of qualified product, and sorting execution mechanism moves unqualified product to NG shunt line according to the detection result of visual detection device.The utility model provides a kind of welding detection machines, to improve welding efficiency and quality consistency while enhancing the degree of automation and flexibility of production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automated manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a welding inspection machine for electronic component production. Background Technology

[0002] In the electronics manufacturing industry, particularly in the production of precision connectors, automotive electronic control units, and smart lock core modules, the precise and reliable soldering of multiple tiny metal pins to printed circuit boards (PCBs) is a fundamental and critical process. The quality of this process directly affects the electrical connectivity, mechanical strength, and long-term reliability of the product. Currently, common production models and equipment configurations for the automated soldering and inspection of such multi-pin components still face some common challenges. For example, some automated solutions may use a single soldering head, sequentially completing the soldering of all pins through complex motion path planning. This sequential operation method sometimes struggles to meet the high-efficiency output requirements when soldering components with multiple pins, and the sequential application of soldering heat may affect the consistency of solder joints soldered earlier and later. In the quality inspection stage, although machine vision technology has been applied, many production lines still suffer from highly independent inspection stations with insufficient integration with soldering stations, or the separation of defective products after inspection still requires manual operation, failing to form a complete closed-loop automated process. Furthermore, when production lines need to handle the production of different product models, the corresponding tooling and fixture changes and adjustments are often cumbersome and time-consuming, affecting the production line's rapid response capability and overall equipment utilization. If the treatment of fumes generated during welding is not effectively addressed, it may impact the workshop environment. Therefore, the industry has a demand for automated equipment that highly integrates functions such as efficient welding, precise online inspection, automatic sorting, and flexible changeover, aiming to further improve production efficiency and the intelligence level of production lines while ensuring consistent quality. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a welding inspection machine, which aims to improve welding efficiency and quality consistency while enhancing the automation and flexibility of the production line.

[0004] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A welding inspection machine includes an assembly line and fixtures flowing on the assembly line. Welding stations, inspection stations, and sorting stations are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction of the assembly line, and these stations are integrated on the same assembly line to form a continuous automated production unit. The welding station is equipped with at least two independent soldering mechanisms for step-by-step PIN soldering of products on the fixtures flowing there. The inspection station is located immediately after the welding station and is equipped with a vision inspection device driven by a three-axis motion platform for photographing and inspecting the solder joints after welding. The sorting station is equipped with a sorting execution mechanism and an NG (non-conforming) diversion line that flows in a different direction than qualified products. The sorting execution mechanism moves non-conforming products to the NG diversion line based on the inspection results of the vision inspection device.

[0005] By sequentially arranging the three core functional stations of welding, inspection, and sorting on the same production line, uninterrupted product flow from welding to sorting is achieved. This effectively reduces time losses caused by inter-process transfers and waiting in traditional production methods, laying the foundation for improved overall production efficiency. The welding station employs a design with at least two independent soldering mechanisms for step-by-step welding, rationally decomposing the welding tasks of multiple pins. This task allocation method allows each soldering mechanism to focus on completing a smaller number of solder joints, helping to shorten the operation time of a single welding cycle and thus compressing the overall work rhythm of the welding station. Step-by-step welding also helps to disperse the input of welding heat, reducing the heat accumulation effect that may be caused by continuous concentrated welding, which has a positive effect on improving the consistency of solder joint quality. The inspection station is set up immediately after the welding station, enabling online real-time inspection of solder joints, quickly detecting welding defects and preventing defective products from flowing into subsequent stages.

[0006] Preferably, the fixture includes a base tray and a replaceable fixture tray, the fixture tray being detachably connected to the base tray via a quick-locking knob; an RFID tag is provided on the bottom of the base tray.

[0007] This fixture design, featuring a separate structure of a base tray and replaceable fixture trays connected by quick-locking knobs, significantly improves the adaptability of the production line. When switching to produce different product models, operators do not need to replace the entire fixture; they simply need to install the fixture tray suitable for the current product onto the universal base tray using the quick-locking knobs. An RFID tag on the bottom of the base tray provides a unique identifier for each fixture.

[0008] Preferably, the fixture tray has a motherboard placement cavity for positioning and accommodating the motherboard, a PCBA and FPC placement cavity for positioning and accommodating the PCBA and FPC, and is provided with positioning pins and wire harness plug reserved positions.

[0009] The specially designed motherboard placement slots, PCBA placement slots, and FPC placement slots provide these core electronic components with shape-matched and precisely positioned housing space, ensuring that they can be stably supported during dynamic processes such as soldering and testing. This effectively prevents component damage or positional deviation caused by displacement, vibration, or improper force, providing a reliable benchmark for high-precision operations.

[0010] Preferably, the number of soldering mechanisms is three sets, and each set of soldering mechanisms includes a soldering component, a controller, and a cleaning component.

[0011] The three mechanisms work together to efficiently distribute the soldering tasks, which is more conducive to balancing the load and improving overall soldering efficiency compared to a single mechanism or a small number of mechanisms. Each soldering mechanism constitutes a fully functional independent unit, integrating a soldering component, a controller, and a cleaning component. The soldering component is the core component that performs the soldering operation, responsible for heating and melting the solder. The integration of the cleaning component aims to maintain the long-term stability of the soldering process.

[0012] Preferably, the soldering mechanism includes an execution module, a solder supply module, and an auxiliary module; the execution module includes a soldering iron tip and a rotating shaft that drives its rotation; the solder supply module includes a solder wire feeding assembly and a solder wire breaking assembly that processes the solder wire; the auxiliary module includes a Z-axis lifting assembly that drives the soldering iron tip to move up and down along the Z-axis, and a smoke extraction tube that is matched with the soldering iron tip; the execution module, the solder supply module, and the Z-axis lifting assembly are all controlled and coordinated by the controller.

[0013] The soldering iron tip in the execution module acts as the final actuator. Its additional rotary axis drive function gives the tip angle adjustment capability, allowing it to contact the solder joint at a better angle and adapt to complex soldering space structures, thus improving the adaptability of soldering quality. The solder supply module includes a solder wire feeding assembly and a solder wire breaking assembly, which together ensure the accuracy and reliability of solder supply.

[0014] Preferably, each of the soldering mechanisms is independently equipped with a three-axis motion module. In addition to the Z-axis lifting component, the three-axis motion module also includes an X-axis traverse component and a Y-axis forward and backward component. Under the control of the controller, the three-axis motion module is used to drive the soldering iron tip to the soldering position to perform soldering operations, and intermittently move to the cleaning component for cleaning.

[0015] The three-axis motion module integrates X-axis lateral movement, Y-axis forward / backward movement, and Z-axis lifting functions, allowing the soldering tip to move freely to any specified coordinate point within the workspace. This design allows a single mechanism to flexibly handle soldering tasks for multiple solder joints, making it particularly suitable for production scenarios with irregular solder joint layouts or diverse product models.

[0016] Preferably, the movement of the X-axis lateral movement component, the Y-axis forward / backward movement component, and the Z-axis lifting component is driven by a servo motor or a stepper motor.

[0017] Both servo motors and stepper motors are types of motors capable of precise position control. They can receive pulse signals from a controller to precisely control the rotation angle or movement distance, thereby driving each motion axis to achieve high positioning accuracy and smooth motion characteristics.

[0018] Preferably, the controller is configured to control the three-axis motion module to move along a preset path, so that the soldering iron tip moves sequentially between different PIN solder joints, and moves to the cleaning component to complete a cleaning operation after soldering a predetermined number of solder joints.

[0019] The controller is pre-programmed to plan the optimal movement path and sequence of operations for the soldering iron tip. This preset path control guides the soldering iron tip to sequentially access each PIN solder joint that needs to be soldered along the most efficient trajectory, avoiding unnecessary idle travel and helping to maximize soldering efficiency.

[0020] Preferably, the operating temperature of the soldering iron tip is controlled in a closed-loop manner by the controller.

[0021] In closed-loop control mode, the temperature sensor monitors the actual temperature of the soldering iron tip in real time and feeds this signal back to the controller. The controller compares the measured temperature with the preset target temperature value. If a deviation occurs, it immediately adjusts the output power of the heating circuit to quickly bring the temperature of the soldering iron tip back to and stabilize it near the set value.

[0022] Preferably, the cleaning component is fixedly installed within the working area of ​​the soldering mechanism, and its position is set to a coordinate point reachable by the three-axis motion module.

[0023] The cleaning component is fixedly installed within the working area of ​​the soldering mechanism, making it a permanent part of the equipment rather than an external device requiring additional operation. Its installation location is carefully planned and set at a specific coordinate point that the three-axis motion module of the soldering mechanism can accurately and reliably reach.

[0024] Preferably, the solder wire feeding assembly includes a servo drive mechanism that can control the solder feeding length.

[0025] The servo drive mechanism can precisely control the length and speed of the solder wire according to the controller's instructions, achieving quantitative solder feeding. This precise control helps ensure that each solder joint receives a basically consistent amount of solder, avoiding quality problems such as excessive solder content leading to bridging due to excessive solder feeding, or insufficient solder content leading to insufficient strength due to insufficient solder feeding.

[0026] Preferably, the tin-breaking blade of the tin-breaking assembly is made of a wear-resistant material.

[0027] The solder stripper tip needs to be in continuous contact with the solder wire surface to scrape off its oxide layer, which is a process involving mechanical friction. Wear-resistant materials can effectively resist this frictional wear, extend the life of the tip, and reduce the maintenance needs of decreased solder stripping efficiency or frequent component replacement due to tip wear.

[0028] Preferably, the visual inspection device includes a camera and a light source that provides illumination to the camera; the camera is a zoom camera with AI recognition capabilities.

[0029] The combination of camera and light source is fundamental to machine vision systems. Stable lighting provides the camera with clear, moderately contrasted, and shadow-free images of the solder joints, which is a prerequisite for accurate image analysis. Employing a zoom camera with AI recognition capabilities significantly enhances the inspection system's capabilities.

[0030] Preferably, the sorting execution mechanism is a gripper mechanism that can be driven by a three-axis motion platform, and the NG diversion line is a belt conveyor line.

[0031] The three-axis motion platform drives the gripper mechanism to quickly and accurately position defective products on the fixture. The gripper mechanism then simulates human hand movements, stably grasping and releasing products. This design ensures accurate and reliable sorting, adapting to changes in product position on the production line and achieving non-destructive gripping and transfer. The NG sorting line uses a belt conveyor, a mature and efficient continuous conveying method.

[0032] Preferably, the production line further includes a conveying component for jig buffering and lifting.

[0033] The caching function allows for the temporary storage of a certain number of jigs when there is a brief mismatch in the production cycle time between adjacent workstations, thus acting as a buffer and balancing mechanism. This helps prevent the entire production line from becoming blocked or waiting due to a temporary delay or acceleration at a certain workstation, thereby improving the overall operating efficiency and stability of the line and reducing efficiency losses caused by cycle time mismatch.

[0034] Preferably, the welding station, inspection station and sorting station are integrated on the same production line to form a continuous automated production unit.

[0035] This integrated design enables materials—the fixtures that carry the products—to complete all key processes from processing to inspection to sorting and output on a unified conveying platform, with a direct and continuous material flow path. It eliminates non-value-adding steps such as material transfers between processes, multiple loading and unloading, and repositioning common in traditional decentralized layouts, greatly reducing auxiliary time in the production process.

[0036] The advantages of this utility model compared to the prior art are: The beneficial effects of the welding inspection machine of this utility model mainly stem from its systematic design that highly integrates welding, inspection and sorting functional modules into a continuous production line, as well as the specific structural improvements within each module.

[0037] First, the system constructs a coherent automated processing flow by sequentially setting up welding stations, inspection stations, and sorting stations on the production line. From the moment a product enters the welding station to its completion of sorting, the entire process is completed sequentially on a unified assembly line, reducing material transfer, waiting, and repositioning time between processes, thus helping to improve the continuity and efficiency of the overall production process. This close process integration provides the infrastructure for achieving high-efficiency production.

[0038] Secondly, the design of employing at least two independent soldering mechanisms for step-by-step soldering at the soldering station is a crucial aspect of improving the system's efficiency and quality consistency. By assigning the soldering tasks of multiple pins to different soldering mechanisms to complete collaboratively, the time required for a single soldering cycle can be shortened, thereby helping to increase the overall production cycle time of the soldering station. Simultaneously, step-by-step soldering helps to distribute heat input, potentially reducing the impact of concentrated heat accumulation on the quality of components or solder joints, thus positively contributing to improved soldering quality consistency.

[0039] Third, the inspection station is located immediately after the welding station and employs a vision inspection device driven by a three-axis motion platform, enabling online, real-time, and automated inspection of weld joint quality. This immediate placement reduces the waiting time for weld joints to be exposed to air, lowering the risk of contamination. The three-axis motion platform provides the vision inspection system with flexible positioning capabilities in three-dimensional space, allowing it to adapt to variations in weld joint layouts across different product models and ensuring accurate imaging of each weld joint. Automated vision inspection replaces manual visual inspection, helping to reduce judgment bias introduced by human factors and improving the objectivity and stability of quality control.

[0040] Fourth, the sorting station automatically performs sorting actions based on the test results, realizing a physical closed loop in the quality control process. The sorting mechanism automatically removes non-conforming products from the main production line and sends them to a dedicated NG (Not From Good) diversion line. This process effectively prevents the mixing of non-conforming and conforming products, ensuring the overall quality level of the output products. At the same time, automated sorting reduces reliance on manual intervention, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the main production process.

[0041] Finally, the entire system, through the integration and coordination of welding, inspection, and sorting functions, embodies end-to-end automation from key process processing to quality judgment and classification output. This integrated and continuous production model helps reduce over-reliance on operator skills, minimizes manual interventions, and improves the standardization and controllability of the production process, providing system-level assurance for the stable production of high-quality products. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a welding inspection machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a welding inspection machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a welding station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the detection station and sorting station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Labeling Explanation: 1. Assembly Line Body; 2. Fixture; 21. Basic Tray; 22. Fixture Tray; 23. Mainboard Placement Hole; 24. PCBA and FPC Placement Hole; 25. Positioning Pin; 26. Wire Harness Plug Reserved Position; 3. Soldering Station; 31. Soldering Mechanism; 311. Soldering Assembly; 3111. Soldering Iron Tip; 3112. Rotary Axis; 3113. Solder Wire Feeding Assembly; 3114. Solder Wire Breaking Assembly; 3115. Z-Axis Lifting Assembly; 3116. Smoke Extraction Pipe; 312. Controller; 313. Cleaning Assembly; 32. Three-Axis Motion Module; 321. X-Axis Lateral Movement Assembly; 322. Y-Axis Front and Rear Assembly; 4. Inspection Station; 41. Vision Inspection Device; 42. Three-Axis Motion Platform; 43. Camera; 44. Light Source; 5. Sorting Station; 51. NG Diversion Line; 52. Sorting Execution Mechanism; 6. Conveying Assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0050] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the figures, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this application is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0052] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0053] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] This embodiment provides a PIN pin to circuit board soldering and solder joint inspection system, including a production line 1 and a fixture 2 flowing on the production line 1. A soldering station 3, an inspection station 4, and a sorting station 5 are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction of the production line 1, and these stations are integrated on the same production line 1 to form a continuous automated production unit. The soldering station 3 is equipped with at least two independent soldering mechanisms 31 for step-by-step soldering of the products on the fixture 2. The inspection station 4 is located immediately after the soldering station 3 and is equipped with a vision inspection device 41 driven by a three-axis motion platform 42 for photographing and inspecting the solder joints after soldering. The sorting station 5 is equipped with a sorting execution mechanism 52 and an NG diversion line 51 that flows in a different direction from the qualified products. The sorting execution mechanism 52 moves the unqualified products to the NG diversion line 51 according to the inspection results of the vision inspection device 41.

[0055] This solution constructs a highly integrated and continuously automated production unit. By sequentially arranging the three core functional stations of welding, inspection, and sorting on the same production line 1, it achieves uninterrupted product flow from the start of welding to the end of sorting, effectively reducing the time loss caused by inter-process transfers and waiting in traditional production methods, laying the foundation for improving overall production efficiency. Welding station 3 employs at least two independent soldering mechanisms 31 for step-by-step welding, rationally decomposing the welding tasks of multiple pins. This task allocation method allows each soldering mechanism 31 to focus on completing a smaller number of solder joints, helping to shorten the operation time of a single welding cycle, thereby compressing the overall operating rhythm of welding station 3. Step-by-step welding also helps to disperse the input of welding heat, reducing the heat accumulation effect that may be caused by continuous concentrated welding, which has a positive effect on improving the consistency of solder joint quality. Inspection station 4 is set up immediately after welding station 3, realizing online real-time inspection of solder joints, enabling rapid detection of welding defects and preventing defective products from flowing into subsequent stages. The system employs a vision inspection device 41 driven by a three-axis motion platform 42, enabling spatial flexibility and precision. This allows the system to adapt to variations in weld point positions across different product models, ensuring accurate capture and evaluation of each weld point. The sorting station 5 establishes an automated closed-loop system for quality assessment and physical sorting. The sorting actuator 52 performs sorting actions based on the objective results from the vision inspection device 41, automatically moving non-conforming products into a dedicated NG (Not From Good) sorting line 51. This process effectively prevents the mixing of non-conforming and conforming products, ensuring the quality level of each batch of products leaving the factory. Simultaneously, it reduces reliance on manual intervention, guaranteeing the continuity and stability of the main production process. The entire system embodies fully automated integration from processing and inspection to classification and output, helping to reduce the intensity of manual operations and skill dependence, and improving the standardization and controllability of the production process.

[0056] In this embodiment, the fixture 2 includes a base tray 21 and a replaceable fixture tray 22. The fixture tray 22 is detachably connected to the base tray 21 via a quick-locking knob. An RFID tag is provided on the bottom of the base tray 21.

[0057] The fixture 2 design features a separate structure of a base tray 21 and a replaceable fixture tray 22, connected by a quick-locking knob, significantly improving the adaptability of the production line. When switching to produce different product models, operators do not need to replace the entire fixture 2; they only need to install the fixture tray 22 suitable for the current product onto the universal base tray 21 using the quick-locking knob. This greatly shortens the time required for production line changeover adjustments, improves equipment utilization, and better adapts to the flexible production needs of multiple varieties and small batches. An RFID tag at the bottom of the base tray 21 provides a unique identification for each fixture 2. As the fixture 2 flows along the assembly line, each workstation can accurately identify the fixture 2 and the product it carries by reading the RFID tag information. This design facilitates real-time collection and binding of production data. For example, welding parameters, test results, and other information can be associated with specific fixture 2 or product serial numbers to establish a complete production history, providing a solid data foundation for product quality traceability. Simultaneously, RFID-based identification can also be used for error prevention control in the production process, ensuring that the fixture 2 enters the correct workstation and executes the correct processing procedure.

[0058] In this embodiment, the jig plate 22 is provided with a motherboard placement cavity 23, a PCBA and an FPC placement cavity 24 for positioning and accommodating the motherboard, and is provided with a positioning pin 25 and a wire harness plug reserved position 26.

[0059] The specific structural design of the fixture tray 22 focuses on achieving precise positioning and stable housing of precision components, as well as reserving space for future functional expansion. Dedicated motherboard placement slots 23, PCBA placement slots 24, and FPC placement slots 24 provide form-matched and precisely positioned housing space for these core electronic components, ensuring they are stably supported during dynamic processes such as welding and testing. This effectively prevents component damage or positional deviations caused by displacement, vibration, or improper stress, providing a reliable benchmark for high-precision operations. The positioning pins 25 ensure repeatability of positioning accuracy between the fixture tray 22 and the base tray 21, and between the product and the fixture tray 22, eliminating assembly gaps and ensuring the product is in a consistent processing position after each clamping. This is crucial for ensuring the repeatability and consistency of welding and testing processes. The design of the wire harness plug reservation slot 26 reflects consideration of the entire production process, reserving necessary interface space for subsequent online electrical testing. This avoids problems where test probes or cables cannot be connected due to fixture design limitations, enhancing the completeness of fixture functionality and adaptability to the overall process.

[0060] In this embodiment, there are three sets of soldering mechanisms 31, each set of soldering mechanism 31 including a soldering component 311, a controller 312 and a cleaning component 313.

[0061] Specifying three sets of soldering mechanisms 31 is a typical optimized configuration for products requiring multiple PIN soldering. The three mechanisms work together to efficiently distribute the soldering task, which is more conducive to balancing the load and improving overall soldering efficiency compared to a single mechanism or a small number of mechanisms. Each soldering mechanism 31 constitutes a fully functional independent unit, integrating a soldering component 311, a controller 312, and a cleaning component 313. The soldering component 311 is the core component performing the soldering operation, responsible for heating and melting the solder. The independent configuration of the controller 312 allows for independent and precise setting and adjustment of the operating parameters of each soldering unit, such as temperature, time, and movement trajectory, according to the specific characteristics of the solder joint it is responsible for soldering. This helps to meet the differentiated process requirements that may exist for solder joints at different locations, thereby improving the precise control level of soldering quality. The integration of the cleaning component 313 focuses on maintaining the long-term stability of the soldering process. This component can automatically remove accumulated oxides and residual solder from the surface of the soldering tip 3111 on a regular basis, keeping the soldering tip 3111 clean and ensuring stable heat conduction efficiency and soldering performance. This helps reduce soldering defects caused by soldering tip 3111 contamination, while also extending the service life of the soldering tip 3111 and reducing the frequency of equipment maintenance.

[0062] In this embodiment, the soldering component 311 in the soldering mechanism 31 includes an execution module, a solder supply module, and an auxiliary module; the execution module includes a soldering iron tip 3111 and a rotating shaft 3112 that drives its rotation; the solder supply module includes a solder wire feeding component 3113 and a solder wire breaking component 3114 that processes the solder wire; the auxiliary module includes a Z-axis lifting component 3115 that drives the soldering iron tip 3111 to move up and down along the Z-axis, and a smoke extraction pipe 3116 that is provided for the soldering iron tip 3111; the execution module, the solder supply module, and the Z-axis lifting component 3115 are all controlled and coordinated by the controller 312.

[0063] This solution further refines the soldering component 311 into three major functional modules: execution, solder supply, and auxiliary, and coordinates them uniformly through the controller 312, demonstrating a high degree of system integration and action synergy. The soldering tip 3111 in the execution module acts as the final actuator, and its additional rotating axis 3112 drive function gives the soldering tip 3111 angle adjustment capability, allowing it to contact the solder joint at a better angle, adapting to complex soldering spatial structures, and contributing to improved soldering quality adaptability. The solder supply module includes the solder wire feeding component 3113 and the solder wire breaking component 3114, which together ensure the accuracy and reliability of solder supply. The solder wire feeding component 3113 is responsible for quantitatively and stably delivering solder wire, while the solder wire breaking component 3114 effectively breaks the oxide layer on the surface of the solder wire, ensuring the purity of the solder flowing into the solder joint. Together, they provide a foundation for forming a consistent solder joint. The Z-axis lifting assembly 3115 in the auxiliary module enables precise vertical control of the soldering iron tip 3111, allowing it to contact and disengage from the solder joint with appropriate pressure and stroke, avoiding damage to components from excessive pressure or cold solder joints from insufficient pressure. The accompanying fume extraction pipe 3116 promptly removes soldering fumes near the point of generation, helping to improve working conditions. All these modules work collaboratively under the unified command of the controller 312, ensuring precise and sequential actions throughout the entire soldering cycle, from solder feeding, preheating, soldering to lifting and cleaning, greatly improving the automation and reliability of the soldering process.

[0064] In this embodiment, each soldering mechanism 31 is independently equipped with a three-axis motion module 32. In addition to the Z-axis lifting component 3115, the three-axis motion module 32 also includes the X-axis lateral movement component 321 and the Y-axis forward and backward movement component 322. Under the control of the controller 312, the three-axis motion module 32 is used to drive the soldering iron tip 3111 to move to the soldering position to perform soldering operations, and intermittently move to the cleaning component 313 for cleaning.

[0065] This design equips each soldering mechanism 31 with an independent and complete three-dimensional motion system, greatly expanding the flexibility of soldering operations and the ability to automate maintenance. The three-axis motion module 32 integrates X-axis horizontal movement 321, Y-axis forward and backward movement 322, and Z-axis lifting 3115, allowing the soldering tip 3111 to move freely to any specified coordinate point within the workspace. This design allows one mechanism to flexibly handle soldering tasks for multiple solder joints, making it particularly suitable for production scenarios with irregular solder joint layouts or varied product models. More importantly, the three-axis motion capability enables the soldering tip 3111 to not only complete soldering actions but also, under the program control of the controller 312, automatically and precisely move to the fixed position of the cleaning component 313 for periodic or on-demand cleaning operations. This automated cleaning function integrates soldering tip 3111 maintenance into the production cycle, achieving non-stop maintenance and helping to maintain the soldering tip 3111 in optimal working condition over the long term. It avoids the degradation of soldering quality caused by oxide accumulation, thereby ensuring a continuous and stable high-quality output in the soldering process and reducing the need for production interruptions and manual maintenance.

[0066] In this embodiment, the movement of the X-axis transverse component 321, the Y-axis forward and backward component 322, and the Z-axis lifting component 3115 is driven by a servo motor or a stepper motor.

[0067] The use of servo motors or stepper motors as the drive source for the three-axis motion module 32 is based on considerations of motion accuracy, control performance, and reliability requirements. Both servo motors and stepper motors are types of motors capable of precise position control. They can receive pulse signals from the controller 312 to precisely control the rotation angle or movement distance, thereby driving each motion axis to achieve high positioning accuracy and smooth motion characteristics. This precise control capability is crucial for ensuring that the soldering tip 3111 can repeatedly and accurately position itself at the tiny PIN solder joint, forming the basis for consistent soldering quality. Simultaneously, these motors typically have high response speeds and good dynamic performance, meeting the needs of rapid point-to-point movement, helping to shorten non-soldering time and improve soldering cycle time. Furthermore, servo motors and stepper motors are mature technologies, easy to control, and highly reliable, contributing to ensuring long-term stable operation of the equipment.

[0068] In this embodiment, the controller 312 is configured to control the three-axis motion module 32 to move along a preset path, so that the soldering tip 3111 moves sequentially between different PIN solder joints, and moves to the cleaning component 313 to complete a cleaning operation after soldering a predetermined number of solder joints.

[0069] This feature embodies the intelligent and process-oriented control strategy of the control system. The controller 312 is pre-programmed to plan the optimal movement path and operation sequence of the soldering tip 3111. This preset path control guides the soldering tip 3111 to sequentially access each PIN solder joint requiring soldering along the most efficient trajectory, avoiding unnecessary idle travel and maximizing soldering efficiency. Simultaneously, the cleaning operation is incorporated into the preset process, stipulating that cleaning be automatically performed after a predetermined number of solder joints are soldered—a preventative maintenance strategy. Through periodic, intermittent, automated cleaning, oxides and residues gradually accumulated on the soldering tip 3111 during soldering can be promptly removed, preventing them from affecting subsequent soldering quality. This triggering mechanism based on the number of solder joints links the cleaning frequency to the actual workload, making it more scientific and reasonable than simple time interval control. It ensures the cleanliness of the soldering tip 3111 while avoiding over-cleaning that could impact production efficiency, achieving a balance between production and maintenance.

[0070] In this embodiment, the operating temperature of the soldering tip 3111 is controlled in a closed loop by the controller 312.

[0071] Implementing closed-loop control of the soldering tip 3111's operating temperature, led by the controller 312, is a key measure to ensure the stability of core process parameters for soldering quality. In closed-loop control mode, a temperature sensor monitors the actual temperature of the soldering tip 3111 in real time and feeds this signal back to the controller 312. The controller 312 compares the measured temperature with the preset target temperature value. If a deviation occurs, it immediately adjusts the output power of the heating circuit, allowing the temperature of the soldering tip 3111 to quickly return to and stabilize near the set value. This dynamic adjustment mechanism effectively counteracts interference from factors such as ambient temperature changes, heat dissipation due to contact with the workpiece, and fluctuations in mains voltage on the soldering temperature. A stable soldering temperature plays a decisive role in the melting, flow, wetting of solder, and the final quality of the solder joint. Precise temperature control helps avoid damage to electronic components or excessive smoke due to overheating, and also prevents defects such as cold soldering and incomplete soldering due to underheating, thereby significantly improving the consistency and reliability of the soldering process and providing a fundamental guarantee for obtaining excellent solder joint quality.

[0072] In this embodiment, the cleaning component 313 is fixedly installed in the working area of ​​the soldering mechanism 31, and its position is set to a coordinate point that can be reached by the three-axis motion module 32.

[0073] This design clearly defines the fixed installation method of the cleaning component 313 within the soldering station 3 and its spatial relationship with the motion system. The cleaning component 313 is fixedly installed within the working area of ​​the soldering mechanism 31, making it a permanent component of the equipment rather than an external device requiring additional operation. Its installation position is carefully planned and set as a specific coordinate point that the three-axis motion module 32 of the soldering mechanism 31 can accurately and reliably reach. This layout allows the cleaning action of the soldering tip 3111 to be achieved through program-controlled coordinate movement, just like the soldering action, without any manual intervention or additional positioning mechanisms. The fixed and known position simplifies the motion control program and improves the reliability and repeatability of the automated cleaning action. This integrated design ensures the always-on availability of the cleaning function, seamlessly embedding equipment maintenance actions into the automated production process, supporting continuous and efficient automated operations.

[0074] In this embodiment, the solder wire feeding assembly 3113 includes a servo drive mechanism that can control the solder feeding length.

[0075] The solder wire feeding assembly 3113 employs a servo drive mechanism for solder feeding length control, significantly improving the accuracy and consistency of solder supply. The servo drive mechanism can precisely control the length and speed of the solder wire feeding according to the instructions of the controller 312, achieving quantitative solder feeding. This precise control helps ensure that each solder joint receives a basically consistent amount of solder, avoiding quality problems such as excessive solder content leading to bridging, or insufficient solder content leading to inadequate strength. Consistent solder supply is an important prerequisite for forming solder joints with uniform appearance, high reliability, and stable electrical connection performance. Simultaneously, the servo drive's fast response speed and precise control allow for good coordination with the soldering heating cycle, further optimizing the stability and repeatability of the soldering process, which is of positive significance for achieving high-quality automated soldering.

[0076] In this embodiment, the solder-breaking blade of the solder-breaking assembly 3114 is made of a wear-resistant material.

[0077] The solder wire breaking assembly 3114 uses a wear-resistant material for its solder wire breaking tip. This choice directly addresses its operating characteristics, aiming to improve the assembly's durability and long-term reliability. The solder wire breaking tip needs to continuously contact the solder wire surface and scrape off its oxide layer, a process involving mechanical friction. Wear-resistant materials effectively resist this frictional wear, extending the tip's lifespan and reducing maintenance needs such as decreased solder breaking performance or frequent component replacement due to tip wear. Stable solder breaking performance is crucial for ensuring soldering quality, ensuring a clean solder wire surface entering the soldering zone, which is beneficial for good solder wetting and the formation of reliable solder joints. Therefore, using wear-resistant materials helps maintain the stability of the solder wire breaking assembly's performance, thereby indirectly ensuring the continuity of the soldering process and the reliability of the solder joint quality.

[0078] In this embodiment, the visual inspection device 41 includes a camera 43 and a light source 44 that provides illumination for the camera 43; the camera 43 is a zoom camera with AI recognition function.

[0079] The configuration of this visual inspection device 41 combines the advantages of hardware and software, aiming to achieve efficient, flexible, and intelligent solder joint quality assessment. The combination of camera 43 and light source 44 forms the foundation of the machine vision system. Stable illumination from the light source 44 provides camera 43 with clear, moderately contrasted, and shadow-free solder joint images, a prerequisite for accurate image analysis. The use of a zoom camera 43 with AI recognition capabilities significantly enhances the inspection system's capabilities. The zoom function allows camera 43 to adjust its focal length and field of view as needed, adapting to the inspection requirements of solder joints of different sizes. It also allows switching between rapid positioning (wide-angle) and detailed observation (telephoto) when inspecting multiple solder joints on the same product, improving the system's adaptability and inspection accuracy. The AI ​​recognition function, through pre-trained deep learning algorithms, can intelligently analyze solder joint image features and automatically identify various complex welding defects, such as insufficient solder, excessive solder, cold solder joints, and bridging. Compared to traditional image processing based on fixed rules, this AI-based detection method has stronger learning capabilities and adaptability, can handle more complex defect patterns, and is expected to continuously optimize detection performance as data accumulates, thereby improving the automation level, accuracy, and reliability of detection.

[0080] In this embodiment, the sorting execution mechanism 52 is a gripper mechanism that can be driven by a three-axis motion platform 42, and the NG diversion line 51 is a belt conveyor line.

[0081] The sorting actuator 52 employs a gripper mechanism driven by a three-axis motion platform 42. This combination provides flexibility and precision in performing sorting actions in three-dimensional space. The three-axis motion platform 42 can drive the gripper mechanism to quickly and accurately position the non-conforming products on the fixture 2. The gripper mechanism can simulate human hand movements, stably grasping and releasing products. This design makes the sorting action accurate and reliable, adaptable to changes in product position on the production line, and achieves non-destructive grasping and transfer. The NG diversion line 51 uses a belt conveyor, a mature and efficient continuous conveying method. The belt conveyor operates smoothly with low noise, continuously and orderly transporting sorted non-conforming products to the designated collection area, and is easy to interface with other material handling systems. This combination of sorting and conveying methods achieves automatic and physical separation of non-conforming products from the main production line, ensuring the smooth flow of the main production flow and facilitating centralized management of non-conforming products.

[0082] In this embodiment, the production line 1 also includes a conveying component 6 for buffering and lifting the fixture 2.

[0083] The addition of a conveyor assembly 6 for buffering and lifting fixtures 2 in production line 1 enhances the flexibility and buffering capacity of material flow management. The buffering function allows for the temporary storage of a certain number of fixtures 2 when there is a brief mismatch in production cycles between adjacent workstations, acting as a buffer and balancing mechanism. This helps prevent blockages or waiting times on the entire production line due to temporary delays or accelerations at a particular workstation, thereby improving the overall operating efficiency and stability of the line and reducing efficiency losses caused by cycle time mismatches. The lifting assembly is used to achieve vertical transfer of fixtures 2 between different height levels, for example, lifting fixtures 2 returning to the beginning of the line from a lower position to a higher processing line. This function optimizes the spatial layout of the production line, allowing the material return line to be spatially separated from the main processing line, forming a more compact or three-dimensional logistics loop that conforms to actual site conditions. This helps save equipment floor space and avoids potential line crossing and interference problems in a planar layout.

[0084] In this embodiment, welding station 3, inspection station 4 and sorting station 5 are integrated on the same production line 1 to form a continuous automated production unit.

[0085] This feature emphasizes the system's high degree of integration, tightly integrating the three core functional modules of welding, quality inspection, and product sorting onto a continuous production line 1. This integrated design allows materials, namely the jigs 2 carrying the products, to complete all key processes from processing to inspection to sorting and output on a unified conveyor platform, with a direct and continuous material flow path. It eliminates non-value-adding steps such as material transfers between processes, multiple loading and unloading, and repositioning common in traditional decentralized layouts, greatly reducing auxiliary time in the production process. This compact, unitized layout not only helps save production space but also simplifies the complexity of overall line control and the difficulty of communication interfaces between equipment. All processes are completed sequentially in a coherent system, which helps maintain the stability of the production rhythm and the controllability of the production process. Ultimately, this integration constitutes a highly efficient and smooth automated production unit, significantly improving the overall efficiency, automation level, and process continuity from raw materials to qualified product output.

[0086] 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 welding inspection machine comprising a flow line body (1) and a jig (2) which flows on the flow line body (1), characterized in that, Welding station (3), inspection station (4) and sorting station (5) are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the production line (1), and the welding station (3), inspection station (4) and sorting station (5) are integrated on the same production line (1) to form a continuous automated production unit. The welding station (3) is equipped with at least two independent soldering mechanisms (31) for step-by-step PIN soldering of products transferred to the fixture (2); The inspection station (4) is set up immediately after the welding station (3) and is equipped with a vision inspection device (41) driven by a three-axis motion platform (42) for photographing and inspecting the weld points after welding. The sorting station (5) is equipped with a sorting execution mechanism (52) and an NG diversion line (51) that flows in a different direction from the qualified products. The sorting execution mechanism (52) moves the unqualified products to the NG diversion line (51) according to the detection result of the visual inspection device (41).

2. The weld inspection machine of claim 1, wherein, The fixture (2) includes a base tray (21) and a replaceable fixture tray (22), the fixture tray (22) being detachably connected to the base tray (21) via a quick-locking knob; the bottom of the base tray (21) is provided with an RFID tag.

3. The weld inspection machine of claim 2, wherein, The fixture plate (22) is provided with a motherboard placement cavity (23) for positioning and accommodating the motherboard, a PCBA and FPC placement cavity (24) for positioning and accommodating the PCBA and FPC, and is provided with a positioning pin (25) and a wire harness plug reserved position (26).

4. The weld inspection machine of claim 1, wherein, The number of soldering mechanisms (31) is three sets, and each set of soldering mechanisms (31) includes a soldering component (311), a controller (312) and a cleaning component (313).

5. The weld inspection machine of claim 4, wherein, The soldering mechanism (31) includes an execution module, a solder supply module, and an auxiliary module; The execution module includes a soldering iron tip (3111) and a rotating shaft (3112) that drives it to rotate. The solder supply module includes a solder wire feeding assembly (3113) and a solder wire breaking assembly (3114) for processing the solder wire. The auxiliary module includes a Z-axis lifting assembly (3115) that drives the soldering tip (3111) to rise and fall along the Z-axis, and a smoke extraction tube (3116) that is matched with the soldering tip (3111). The execution module, the solder supply module, and the Z-axis lifting assembly (3115) are all controlled and coordinated by the controller (312).

6. The weld inspection machine of claim 5, wherein, Each of the soldering mechanisms (31) is independently equipped with a three-axis motion module (32). In addition to the Z-axis lifting component (3115), the three-axis motion module (32) also includes an X-axis transverse component (321) and a Y-axis forward and backward component (322). The three-axis motion module (32), under the control of the controller (312), is used to drive the soldering iron tip (3111) to move to the soldering position to perform soldering operations, and intermittently move to the cleaning component (313) for cleaning.

7. The welding inspection machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The movement of the X-axis transverse component (321), the Y-axis forward and backward component (322), and the Z-axis lifting component (3115) is driven by a servo motor or a stepper motor. The controller (312) is configured to control the three-axis motion module (32) to move along a preset path, so that the soldering tip (3111) moves sequentially between different PIN solder joints and moves to the cleaning component (313) to complete a cleaning operation after soldering a predetermined number of solder joints.

8. The weld inspection machine of claim 5, wherein, The working temperature of the soldering tip (3111) is controlled in a closed loop by the controller (312). The cleaning component (313) is fixedly installed in the working area of ​​the soldering mechanism (31), and its position is set to a coordinate point that can be reached by the three-axis motion module (32).

9. The solder inspection machine of claim 1, wherein, The visual inspection device (41) includes a camera (43) and a light source (44) that provides illumination for the camera; the camera (43) is a zoom camera with AI recognition function.

10. The weld inspection machine of claim 1, wherein, The sorting execution mechanism (52) is a gripper mechanism that can be driven by a three-axis motion platform (42), and the NG diversion line (51) is a belt conveyor line.

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