Product removal device for die-cast products

Abstract

This invention simplifies the mechanism for separating and removing the product portion from the runner after the overflow portion of a die-cast product has been broken off, thereby facilitating maintenance. [Solution] This is a product removal device for a die-cast product M, comprising a robot arm 1 that grasps the biscuit portion B of the die-cast product M and moves and transports the die-cast product M, and a product removal device 20 that removes the product portion G from the die-cast product M from which the overflow portion has been broken off. The product removal device 20 includes a clamping jig 25 that supports the die-cast product M by clamping the runner portion R of the die-cast product M when the die-cast product M from which the overflow portion has been broken off has been brought by the robot arm 1 and the product portion G is positioned at the position of the removal hammer 31, and a removal hammer 31 that strikes and drops the positioned suspended product portion G.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a product removal device for die-cast castings, which separates and removes the product part after breaking off the overflow part in the die-cast casting from the runner part.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in castings by die-casting, since they are manufactured by pressing molten metal into a mold, they are cast by providing a biscuit part at the press-fitting location, a runner part connected to the product part, and an overflow part outside the product part. After casting, it is necessary to separate and remove the biscuit part, the runner part, and the overflow part, which are parts other than the product part, from the product part and take out only the product part.

[0003] Therefore, conventionally, a die-cutting device for a die-casting machine shown in Patent Document 1, an automatic breaking device shown in Patent Document 2, an automatic breaking machine for a die-cast product runner part shown in Patent Document 3, etc. have been proposed. The die-cutting device of Patent Document 1 fixes the biscuit part of the die-cast casting with a casting clamp, and by positioning and controlling the hammers for folding the inflow part and the hammers for folding the overflow in a planar manner with two motors respectively, it is assumed that the inflow part and the overflow are each folded off. The automatic breaking device of Patent Document 2 fixes the die-cast product with a product fixing mechanism, and by hitting down the hammer part of the breaking mechanism that is moved and controlled in the XY directions, it knocks off the unnecessary part and absorbs the vibration when hitting down the hammer part. The automatic breaking machine of Patent Document 3 hits and folds the runner part by vertically moving a die-cutting runner unit arranged on a traveling frame that travels back and forth and left and right through another vibration damping device with respect to the die-cast product fixed and supported through a vibration damping device while attenuating mechanical vibration and noise.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] In the conventional fracture devices described above, the die-cast product is fixed in place, and the unwanted portion is struck to break and separate the product from the unwanted portion. However, during the striking process, vibrations and other forces associated with the strike are transmitted as impact to both the clamp mechanism that fixes the casting and the cylinder for the hammer mechanism that strikes, potentially damaging both the clamp mechanism and the cylinder. Therefore, it was necessary to provide a shock absorption mechanism to absorb this impact, which inevitably made the device itself complex.

[0006] Furthermore, by fixing the die-cast product in place, the hammer mechanism that strikes the unwanted parts is positioned and controlled in the XY direction on a plane, corresponding to each unwanted part. This means that adjustments and changes must be made to accommodate the various unwanted parts on different die-cast products, which is extremely cumbersome.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention was created in view of the conventional circumstances described above, and aims to provide a product removal device for die-cast products that can be provided in a simplified and inexpensive manner without the need to attach a position control mechanism for the removal hammer or a vibration damping mechanism. This is achieved by holding the die-cast product after casting with a robot arm that operates in three dimensions, fixing and supporting it with a clamping jig, and then striking and dropping the product portion with a removal hammer while it is in this supported state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a product removal device for a die-cast product that removes a product part G from a cast die-cast product M, comprising a robot arm 1 that grasps the biscuit part B of the die-cast product M and moves and transports the die-cast product M, and a product removal device 20 that removes the product part G from the die-cast product M from which the overflow part F has been broken off, wherein the product removal device 20 is characterized by comprising a clamping jig 25 that supports the die-cast product M by clamping the runner part R of the die-cast product M, thereby suspending the product part G in mid-air, when the die-cast product M from which the overflow part F has been broken off is brought by the robot arm 1 and the product part G is positioned at the position of the removal hammer 31, and a removal hammer 31 that strikes and drops the positioned product part G. In the product removal device 20, the clamping jig 25 is fixed on a support base 23 provided on the framed machine frame 21 so as to be adjustable in position, and the removal hammer 31 can be configured to be vertically movable by a cylinder 32 provided on the machine frame 21. The clamping jig 25 is formed in a groove shape with a cross section in which the runner portion R is forcibly clamped, and can be configured to be positioned and adjusted on the support base 23 in accordance with the removal position of the product portion G. An overflow breaking device 10 is provided for breaking and removing the overflow portion F. This overflow breaking device 10 is located within a framed machine frame 11 and can be configured to include a breaking hammer 13 that breaks the overflow portion F of the die-cast product M, which is supported in a state where the overflow portion F of the die-cast product M, which is moved and conveyed by a robot arm 1, is positioned in three dimensions.

[0009] In the die-cast product removal device according to the present invention, configured as described above, the three-dimensionally operating robot arm 1 holds the biscuit portion B of the die-cast product M, while the runner portion R is fixed and supported within the clamping jig 25, thereby suspending the product portion G in mid-air. The suspended product portion G is then struck and dropped by the removal hammer 31. All that is required is to position the product portion G at the location of the removal hammer 31, and the impact of the strike by the removal hammer 31 is received by the clamping jig 25, so the impact is not transmitted to the robot arm 1. The robot arm 1, while gripping the die-cast product M removed from the product removal section of the die-casting machine D, causes the overflow breaking device 10 to break and remove the overflow section F with the breaking hammer 13, and the product removal device 20 positions the product section G at the position of the removal hammer 31, then clamps the runner section R in the clamping jig 25 and causes the product section G to fall by impact. In this way, the robot arm 1 continuously processes the series of operations of removing the die-cast product M from the die-casting machine M and then removing the product section G. In the product removal device 20, the clamping jig 25 is fixed on the support base 23 so as to be able to adjust its position, and when it is brought up by the robot arm 1, the position of the product portion G of the die-cast product M is adjusted to match the position of the removal hammer 31. Therefore, there is no need to control the movement of the removal hammer 31 to correspond to the position of the product portion G, which simplifies the device and eliminates the need for maintenance. The clamping jig 25 is moved and transported by the robot arm 1, and the die-cast product M, from which the overflow section F has been broken off, is clamped by the runner section R, thereby suspending the product section G and fixing and supporting the die-cast product M. When the removal hammer 31 strikes and drops the product section G, the impact on the suspended product section G is small, and the clamping jig 25 receives the impact via the runner section R, so that vibrations are not transmitted to the robot arm 1 even via the biscuit section B. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the present invention is configured such that the die-cast product M after casting is held by a three-dimensionally operating robot arm 1 and fixed and supported by a clamping jig 25. In this supported state, the product portion G positioned at the location of the extraction hammer 31 is struck and dropped by the extraction hammer 31. In this way, the extraction hammer 31 does not require a position control mechanism for movement along the XY direction as in the conventional invention, and furthermore, it does not require a vibration damping mechanism to absorb the impact on the cylinder 32 for the extraction hammer 31 when the suspended product portion G is struck and dropped, thus allowing it to be provided in a simplified and inexpensive form.

[0011] Furthermore, the clamping jig 25 in the product removal device 20 firmly holds and supports the die-cast product M without any wobbling by forcibly clamping the runner portion R of the die-cast product M that is gripped by the robot arm 1. Therefore, even if an impact is applied to the suspended product portion G connected to the runner portion R, the clamping jig 25 absorbs the impact and prevents the impact from being transmitted to the robot arm 1, even via the biscuit portion B, and the robot arm 1 gripping the die-cast product M is not damaged.

[0012] Moreover, since the clamping jig 25 is positioned on the support base 23, even if the position of the product portion G in the die-cast product M, which is gripped and brought up by the robot arm 1, is different, it is sufficient to adjust the position on the support base 23, in conjunction with the adjustment of the position in which the robot arm 1 brings it up, so that the product portion G is positioned at the position of the extraction hammer 31.

[0013] Since the product portion G of the die-cast product M is positioned at the position of the extraction hammer 31, there is no need to position the extraction hammer 31 by, for example, controlling its movement in the planar XY direction, and there is no need to provide a two-dimensional movement control mechanism, which significantly simplifies the entire apparatus.

[0014] In addition, in the attached overflow breaking device 10, since the overflow portion F of the product portion G in the die-cast casting M held by the robot arm 1 is broken off in advance, the pre-treatment of the impact drop of the product portion G in the product take-out device 20 can be promptly carried out.

[0015] In addition, the reference signs appended to each of the sections of means for solving the above problems and effects of the invention are provided to facilitate reference to the parts of the configurations described in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the structures, shapes, etc. shown by these descriptions, reference signs in the drawings, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a schematic plan view showing one form for carrying out the present invention. [Figure 2] It is also a side view of the overflow breaking device. [Figure 3] It is also a side view of the product take-out device. [Figure 4] It is also a perspective view of the main part of the product take-out device. [Figure 5] It is also a front view of the product take-out device. [Figure 6] It is also a plan view of the product take-out device. [Figure 7] It is also a perspective view of the receiving base and the clamping jig.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings, one form for carrying out the present invention will be described. In the figure, reference sign 1 indicates a robot arm in which the hand portion 3 is three-dimensionally operationally controlled, and it is installed on a machine base 2 provided at a location accessible to, for example, a product take-out portion in a die-cast casting machine D, an overflow breaking device 10 for breaking the overflow portion F of a die-cast casting M, and a product take-out device 20 for breaking the product portion G from the runner portion R and knocking it down.

[0018] As shown in the figure, a robot arm 1 is positioned next to the product removal section, an overflow breaking device 10 is positioned next to the robot arm 1, and a product removal device 20 is positioned in front of the robot arm 1. From the perspective of where the robot arm 1 is positioned, these devices are arranged in concentric circles, so to speak, with the machine base 2 as the center. Of course, these devices (1, 10, 20) are arranged to correspond to a series of work processes, and are not limited to the arrangement shown in the figure.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, an example of this configuration is shown where an overflow breaking device 10 is positioned via a robot arm 1 located to the side of the die-casting machine D, and a product removal device 20 is positioned in front of the robot arm 1 at the side of the die-casting machine D. The robot arm 1 then carries the die-cast product M removed from the die-casting machine D past the product removal device 20 to the overflow breaking device 10 (see arrow (1)), then moves and transports it to the product removal device 20 (see arrow (2)), and after product removal, returns to the product removal section of the die-casting machine D (see arrow (3)) to wait for the next die-cast product M to be cast. Note that in Figure 1, all states are simply shown with solid lines.

[0020] Generally, a die-cast product M consists of a biscuit section B, which solidifies at the point where molten metal flows into the die-casting machine D; a runner section R, which connects the product section G to the biscuit section B; the product section G connected to the runner section R; and an overflow section F, which solidifies after overflowing from the product section G. After removing the overflow section F by folding it, the product section G is removed by breaking and separating it from the runner section R.

[0021] The robot arm 1 is equipped with a multi-axis hand section 3, which is used to grasp the biscuit section B of the die-cast product M from the product removal section of the die-casting machine D, thereby removing the die-cast product M. The robot arm 1 is then operated under three-dimensional control to position the die-cast product M at predetermined locations in the overflow breaking device 10 and the product removal device 20, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the overflow breaking device 10 includes a recovery box 12 located at the bottom of a machine frame 11, which is constructed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and a breaking hammer 13 that breaks the overflow portion F of the die-cast product M that is brought up and supported on the recovery box 12. The breaking hammer 13 is moved up and down by a cylinder 14 fixed to the machine frame 11. After the robot arm 1 sequentially moves and transports the overflow portion F in three dimensions to the position of the breaking hammer 13, the breaking hammer 13, which moves up and down, knocks off the overflow portion F from the die-cast product M that is still being held by the robot arm 1.

[0023] The product removal device 20 separates and removes the product portion G from the die-cast product M, which has been brought in by the robot arm 1 after the overflow portion F has been broken off and removed by the overflow breaking device 10, by striking it.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the product removal device 20 includes a support base 23 arranged within a machine frame 21 that is, for example, constructed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, a clamping jig 25 provided on the support base 23, and a removal hammer 31 that strikes the suspended product portion G of the die-cast product M that is clamped in the clamping jig 25. The device is designed to allow the separated product portion G to be discharged to a predetermined location, thereby making it possible to remove it as a product.

[0025] As shown in the illustrated example, the support base 23 is fixed to the machine frame 21 in a manner that spans across the machine frame 21, with its upper surface being almost horizontal, on the product chute 22 which is positioned at an inclined height approximately in the middle of the machine frame 21, and is formed from a strip-shaped material having a predetermined width and thickness.

[0026] The product chute 22 is positioned on the extension of the hand portion 3 of the robot arm 1 when the hand portion 3 is facing the product removal device 20, and its downward inclination is directed, for example, outward from the machine frame 21. The product portion G, removed by a pair of removal hammers 31 positioned on either side of a centrally located support base 23, is discharged to the outside of the machine frame 21 via the product chute 22. The removal hammers 31 are positioned on the left and right sides, corresponding to the fact that the product portion G in the die-cast product M is located on the left and right sides of the runner portion R that is continuous with the biscuit portion B, and unlike conventional designs, they are fixed in specific positions without being moved.

[0027] In the figure, reference numeral 24 denotes a partition plate that separates the product portions G that fall onto the product chute 22 at their left and right positions. When viewed from the side, it is formed in a roughly triangular shape and is positioned on the product chute 22 below the support base 23.

[0028] The clamping jig 25 is positioned on the support base 23, and the runner portion R of the die-cast product M, which the robot arm 1 is gripping via the biscuit portion B, is somewhat forcibly clamped into the jig, thereby firmly fixing and supporting the die-cast product M in a suspended state. If necessary, the clamping jig 25 may be prepared in advance in multiple different configurations to correspond to the thickness, shape, and other characteristics of the runner portion R. Since the runner portion R of the die-cast product M is clamped into the clamping jig 25, the product portion G itself is not directly placed on any part or component, and is held in a suspended state.

[0029] Furthermore, the clamping jig 25 is designed so that its fixed position on the support base 23 can be adjusted, and the suspended product portion G when the die-cast product M is fixedly supported is adjusted and fixed so that it corresponds to the position of the removal hammer 31. The clamping jig 25 is fixedly supported on the support base 23, for example as shown in Figure 7, and includes a fixing means consisting of fixing legs 26 protruding from the bottom surface of the clamping jig 25, fixing holes 27 formed in the support base 23 at appropriate intervals to position and fix the fixing legs 26 on the support base 23, and a support rod 28 that is inserted between the fixing legs 26 inserted into the fixing holes 27 and the support base 23.

[0030] In this way, the clamping jig 25 is adjusted and positioned in one of the fixing holes 27 arranged in the support base 23 to correspond to the position of the removal hammer 31 relative to the product portion G of the die-cast product M being brought in, and is firmly fixed and supported by the fixing means described above.

[0031] The extraction hammer 31 is moved up and down by a cylinder 32 provided on the upper cover portion that covers the upper part of the machine frame 21, for example, and strikes the suspended product portion G of the die-cast product M which is fixedly supported by the clamping jig 25, separating only the product portion G and dropping it onto the product chute 22. Furthermore, by striking the suspended product portion G, the impact is small and does not cause a large impact on the cylinder 32.

[0032] The runner portion R, supported by the clamping jig 25, is removed by the robot arm 1 along with the biscuit portion B, which is held by the robot arm 1, processed as appropriate, and then the robot arm 1 waits in the product removal section of the die-casting machine D to pick up the next die-cast product M. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] B...Biscuit Department D... Die-casting machine F...Overflow section G…Product part M... Die-cast product R...Runners Club 1…Robot arm 2…Machine stand 3…Handball Club 10... Overflow breaker 11...Aircraft frame 12... Collection box 13... Seki-breaking hammer 14...Cylinder 20…Product removal device 21...Aircraft frame 22…Product Chute 23... Receiving stand 24... Partition plate 25… Clamping jig 26…Fixed leg part 27…Fixing hole 28…Support rod 31... Removal Hammer 32... Cylinder

Claims

1. A die-cast product removal device for removing a product portion from a cast die-cast product, comprising a robotic arm that grasps the biscuit portion of the die-cast product and moves and transports the die-cast product, and a product removal device for removing the product portion from a die-cast product from which the overflow portion has been broken off, wherein the product removal device comprises a clamping jig that supports the die-cast product by clamping the runner portion of the die-cast product so that the product portion is suspended in mid-air when the die-cast product from which the overflow portion has been broken off is brought by the robotic arm and the product portion is positioned at the position of the removal hammer, and a removal hammer that strikes and drops the positioned product portion.

2. Product removal device for die-cast products according to claim 1, wherein the clamping jig is fixed in a position that can be adjusted on a support provided on a framed machine frame, and the removal hammer is made vertically movable by a cylinder provided on the machine frame.

3. The clamping jig is formed in a groove shape in the cross section in which the biscuit portion is forcibly clamped, and is positioned and adjusted on a support base in accordance with the removal position of the product portion, as described in claim 1, for the product removal device for die-cast products.

4. A die-cast product removal device according to claim 1, comprising an overflow breaking device for breaking and removing the overflow portion, the overflow breaking device being arranged within a framed machine frame, and a breaking hammer for breaking the overflow portion of a die-cast product that is supported in a state where the overflow portion of the die-cast product, which is moved and transported by a robot arm, is positioned three-dimensionally.

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