Automated mold cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to automatic mould cleaning device, include: dolly, set up on the ground of frame side, dolly is configured to on the ground around frame side movement;Mechanical arm, set up on the dolly, have the mobile end that can move along front and back, left and right, up and down direction, fixture set up on the mobile end, mechanical arm is configured as drive mobile end and fixture and enter and remove between upper die and lower die;Laser generator, set up on the dolly, through the cable connection laser cleaning gun, and laser cleaning gun is fixed on the fixture;Visual camera, fixed on the fixture, and located laser cleaning gun same side. When cleaning, dolly moves to the hydraulic press, and the fixture is moved to the upper die and lower die between by mechanical arm, and the visual camera on the fixture carries out scanning analysis to the mould, and the path trajectory of cleaning the mould is calculated, and the surface of upper die and lower die is cleaned by the laser cleaning gun according to the trajectory by mechanical arm, simple structure, convenient to use, cleaning efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of mold cleaning equipment technology, and in particular to an automated mold cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] In the process of pressing composite materials, after multiple production cycles, impurities such as release agent and resin remain on the mold surface of the hydraulic press. This affects the mold closing and pressing of subsequent products and the surface quality, resulting in increasingly poor product quality and a higher scrap rate.

[0003] To address this issue, manual cleaning of the mold surface is typically performed after a certain production run, involving workers using handheld grinders to polish the mold surface. However, due to the size limitations of the grinders, they cannot achieve a thorough cleaning of molds with complex shapes and numerous hard-to-reach areas. Furthermore, the upper mold is positioned high, requiring workers to look upwards to clean it, making the process time-consuming and labor-intensive, significantly impacting production efficiency.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model discloses an automated mold cleaning device to solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of manually cleaning mold surfaces.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows: An automated mold cleaning device is used for a hydraulic press. The hydraulic press includes a frame, a lower mold disposed at the lower inner end of the frame, and an upper mold disposed at the upper inner end of the frame. The automated mold cleaning device includes: a trolley disposed on the ground to the side of the frame, the trolley being configured to move around the side of the frame on the ground; a robotic arm disposed on the trolley, having a movable end that can move in the forward, backward, left, right, and up / down directions, a fixture disposed on the movable end, and the robotic arm being configured to drive the movable end and the fixture to extend into and move out between the upper and lower molds; a laser generator disposed on the trolley, connected to a laser cleaning gun via an optical cable, the laser cleaning gun being fixed to the fixture; and a vision camera fixed to the fixture and located on the same side as the laser cleaning gun.

[0007] A further technical solution is that the automated mold cleaning device also includes a vacuum tank, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum suction head. The vacuum tank is set on the ground, the vacuum suction head is connected to the vacuum tank through a pipe, the exhaust port of the vacuum tank is connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump through a pipe, the air outlet of the vacuum pump is connected to the outside air, and the vacuum suction head is set on the side of the robotic arm.

[0008] A further technical solution is that support feet are provided at the four corners of the lower end of the vacuum tank, and rollers are provided at the lower end of the support feet.

[0009] A further technical solution is that the trolley is a trackless mobile flatbed vehicle.

[0010] A further technical solution is that the fixture includes a frame fixed to the lower end of the moving end of the robotic arm and a crossbar fixed to the side of the frame, and the laser cleaning gun and the vision camera are fixed to the side of the crossbar away from the frame.

[0011] A further technical solution is that the hydraulic press has several units, which are arranged parallel to each other along the length of the frame.

[0012] A further technical solution is that the automated mold cleaning device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the vision camera, robotic arm, laser generator and vacuum pump.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model embodiment are as follows: (I) The automated mold cleaning device of this utility model, when the mold needs cleaning, is automatically moved by a trolley to the corresponding hydraulic press for cleaning. After the trolley is in position, a robotic arm moves a fixture between the upper and lower molds. A vision camera on the fixture scans and analyzes the mold to obtain its external dimensions, cavity structure, and mold center, thereby calculating the cleaning path. The robotic arm then moves a laser cleaning gun according to the path to clean the surfaces of the upper and lower molds. The automated mold cleaning device of this utility model has a simple structure, is easy to use, and has high cleaning efficiency, thus improving production efficiency.

[0014] (ii) Furthermore, the automated mold cleaning device also includes a vacuum tank, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum nozzle. The vacuum tank is placed on the ground, and the vacuum nozzle is connected to the vacuum tank via a pipe. The exhaust port of the vacuum tank is connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump via a pipe, and the air outlet of the vacuum pump is connected to external air. The vacuum nozzle is located on the side of the robotic arm. When there is a large amount of dirt and dust, the vacuum pump is started, and the dirt and dust removed by laser cleaning are sucked into the vacuum tank through the vacuum nozzle. Air enters the vacuum pump through the exhaust port on the vacuum tank and is discharged from the air outlet of the vacuum pump, improving the cleaning effect on the mold. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the working state of the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is an isometric view of the fixture, laser cleaning gun, and vision camera in the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is an isometric view of the vacuum tank and vacuum pump in the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a side view of the vacuum tank and vacuum pump in the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a connection diagram of the automated mold cleaning device of this utility model.

[0021] In the picture: 1. Cart; 2. Robotic arm; 3. Fixture; 31. Frame; 32. Crossbar; 4. Laser generator; 41. Laser cleaning gun; 5. Vision camera; 61. Vacuum tank; 611. Support leg; 612. Roller; 62. Vacuum pump; 7. Hydraulic press; 71. Frame; 72. Upper mold; 73. Lower mold; 8. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by this utility model in order to achieve the intended utility model purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structure, features and effects of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0023] Example: This embodiment discloses an automated mold cleaning device.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the automated mold cleaning device is used in the hydraulic press 7, which includes a frame 71, a lower mold 73 disposed at the lower inner side of the frame 71, and an upper mold 72 disposed at the upper inner side of the frame 71.

[0025] The automated mold cleaning device includes a trolley 1, a robotic arm 2, a laser generator 4, and a vision camera 5.

[0026] The trolley 1 is disposed on the ground on the side of the frame 71, and is configured to move around the side of the frame 71 on the ground. For example, the trolley 1 is a trackless flatbed cart.

[0027] Robotic arm 2 is mounted on trolley 1 and has a movable end that can move in the forward, backward, left, right, and up / down directions. Fixture 3 is mounted on the movable end. Robotic arm 2 is configured to drive the movable end and fixture 3 to extend into and out between upper mold 72 and lower mold 73. For example, robotic arm 2 is a BRTIRUS1820A six-axis robotic arm from Bertrand.

[0028] like Figure 3 As shown, the laser generator 4 is mounted on the trolley 1 and connected to the laser cleaning gun 41 via an optical cable. The laser cleaning gun 41 is fixed to the fixture 3. Exemplarily, the fixture 3 includes a frame 31 fixed to the lower end of the moving end of the robotic arm 2 and a crossbar 32 fixed to the side of the frame 31. The laser cleaning gun 41 and the vision camera 5 are fixed to the side of the crossbar 32 away from the frame 31. Laser cleaning uses a high-frequency laser as the working medium. The high-energy beam of a specific wavelength is absorbed by rust layers, paint layers, and contamination layers, forming a rapidly expanding plasma. Simultaneously, a shock wave is generated, which breaks the contaminants into fragments and removes them, thereby achieving a cleaning effect. The vision camera 5 is fixed to the fixture 3 and located on the same side as the laser cleaning gun 41.

[0029] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the automated mold cleaning device further includes a vacuum tank 61, a vacuum pump 62, and a vacuum nozzle. The vacuum tank 61 is placed on the ground, and the vacuum nozzle is connected to the vacuum tank 61 through a pipe. The exhaust port of the vacuum tank 61 is connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump 62 through a pipe, and the air outlet of the vacuum pump 62 is connected to the outside air. The vacuum nozzle is located on the side of the robotic arm 2. When there is a lot of dirt and dust, the vacuum pump 62 is started, and the dirt and dust removed by laser cleaning are sucked into the vacuum tank 61 through the vacuum nozzle. A filter bag is installed inside the vacuum tank 61. After the filter bag filters out the dust, the air enters the vacuum pump 62 through the exhaust port on the vacuum tank 61 and is discharged from the air outlet of the vacuum pump 62. Preferably, support feet 611 are provided at the four corners of the lower end of the vacuum tank 61, and rollers 612 are provided at the lower end of the support feet 611. If the trolley 1 moves a long distance and the pipe length is insufficient, the position of the vacuum tank 61 can be moved to ensure that the vacuuming can be carried out normally.

[0030] Furthermore, the hydraulic press 7 has several units, arranged parallel to each other along the length of the frame 71. The trackless trolley 1 can move the equipment to any of the machines for cleaning, allowing one cleaning device to simultaneously clean molds from multiple machines, thus improving the utilization rate of the equipment and reducing costs.

[0031] like Figure 6As shown, the automated mold cleaning device further includes a controller 8, which is electrically connected to the vision camera 5, the robotic arm 2, the laser generator 4, and the vacuum pump 62. In this application, electrical connection refers to the connection between different components in a circuit via physical lines capable of transmitting electrical signals, such as PCB copper foil or wires. The controller 8 receives the scanning results from the vision camera 5, calculates the movement path of the robotic arm 2, and controls the movement of the robotic arm 2, as well as the start and stop of the laser generator 4 and the vacuum pump 62. The controller 8 can be a commercially available PLC controller, and its control program is prior art.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the mold needs cleaning, the trolley 1 automatically moves the automated mold cleaning device to the corresponding hydraulic press 7 for cleaning. After the trolley 1 is in position, the robotic arm 2 moves the fixture 3 between the upper mold 72 and the lower mold 73. The vision camera 5 on the fixture 3 scans and analyzes the mold to obtain its external dimensions, cavity structure, and mold center, thereby calculating the path trajectory for cleaning the mold. The robotic arm 2 then moves the laser cleaning gun according to the trajectory to clean the surfaces of the upper mold 72 and the lower mold 73. When encountering difficult-to-clean steps, dead corners, or other areas, the robotic arm 2 can control the rotation angle of the laser cleaning gun 41, allowing the laser to clean dead corners that cannot be cleaned manually.

[0033] Meanwhile, the vision camera 5 can also detect the surface quality of the mold to determine whether the mold has been cleaned. After cleaning, the vision camera 5 scans and analyzes the surface of the mold. If it meets the standard, the cleaning is complete. If it does not meet the standard, the cleaning continues.

[0034] The automated mold cleaning device of this invention has a simple structure, is easy to use, has high cleaning efficiency, and improves production efficiency.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present utility model. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the scope of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automated mold cleaning device, characterized in that, For use in a hydraulic press, the hydraulic press includes a frame, a lower mold disposed at the lower inner end of the frame, and an upper mold disposed at the upper inner end of the frame; the automated mold cleaning device includes: A trolley is disposed on the ground on the side of the frame and is configured to move around the side of the frame on the ground; A robotic arm, mounted on the trolley, has a movable end that can move in the forward, backward, left, right, up, and down directions. A fixture is mounted on the movable end. The robotic arm is configured to drive the movable end and the fixture to extend into and move out between the upper and lower molds. A laser generator is mounted on the trolley and connected to a laser cleaning gun via an optical cable. The laser cleaning gun is fixed to the fixture. A vision camera is fixed to the fixture and located on the same side as the laser cleaning gun.

2. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automated mold cleaning device also includes a vacuum tank, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum suction head. The vacuum tank is placed on the ground, and the vacuum suction head is connected to the vacuum tank through a pipe. The exhaust port of the vacuum tank is connected to the air inlet of the vacuum pump through a pipe, and the air outlet of the vacuum pump is connected to the outside air. The vacuum suction head is located on the side of the robotic arm.

3. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vacuum tank is provided with support feet at the four corners of its lower end, and rollers are provided at the lower end of the support feet.

4. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trolley is a trackless moving flatcar.

5. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixture includes a frame fixed to the lower end of the moving end of the robotic arm and a crossbar fixed to the side of the frame. The laser cleaning gun and the vision camera are fixed to the side of the crossbar away from the frame.

6. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic press has several units, which are arranged parallel to each other along the length of the frame.

7. The automated mold cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The automated mold cleaning device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the vision camera, robotic arm, laser generator and vacuum pump.

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