Centrifugal casting molds, centrifugal casting mold assembly equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a mold that is used for centrifugal casting and is provided with a mold body that is formed into a cylindrical shape and a lid member (40) that is detachably attached to an end of the mold body in the axial direction. The lid member is provided with a lid body (41) that is attached to an opening formed in the end of the mold body, a protruding part (450) that is fitted to the mold body, and a spring that provides the lid body with an elastic force in a direction to make the same closely contact with the mold body.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a centrifugal casting mold and an assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold. [Background technology]

[0002] Centrifugal casting is known as a method for forming cylindrical castings. In centrifugal casting, molten metal is poured into a cylindrical mold while rotating the mold, and centrifugal force is used to pressurize the molten metal and form a cylindrical casting on the inner circumference of the mold. For example, a mold described in Patent Document 1 below is used for such a centrifugal casting. The mold described in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical mold body and a lid member that is detachably attached to one end of the mold body. An annular screw ring having a male thread portion on its outer circumferential surface is fixed to one end surface of the mold body. The lid member is provided with a flange portion having a female thread portion on its inner circumferential surface. The female thread portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the flange portion of the lid member is screwed into the male thread portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the screw ring of the mold body, thereby fastening and assembling the lid member to one end of the mold body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4901281 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the mold body is assembled to the lid member by a fastening structure using a screw mechanism, as in the mold described in Patent Document 1, the process of fastening the lid member to the mold body is performed by an operator using a device or by hand. Therefore, the fastening force of the lid member to the mold body may vary depending on the operator. As a result, if the fastening force of the lid member to the mold body fluctuates in a direction that weakens, the lid member cannot be tightly attached to the mold body, and a gap may be formed between them. If a gap is formed between the mold body and the lid member, when molten metal is poured into the inside of the mold body, the molten metal may leak out from the gap formed between the mold body and the lid member, or the lid member may stick when poured, which is not preferable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a centrifugal casting mold and an assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold that can more reliably bring a mold body and a lid member into close contact with each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A centrifugal casting mold according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a mold used for centrifugal casting, having a cylindrical mold body and a lid member removably attached to an axial end of the mold body. The lid member has a lid body attached to an opening formed at an end of the mold body, a fitting portion that fits into the mold body, and an elastic force imparting portion that imparts an elastic force to the lid body in a direction to bring the lid body into close contact with the mold body.

[0007] According to this configuration, the lid body can be tightly attached to the mold body by the elastic force of the elastic force imparting part, so that the lid member can be more reliably attached to the mold body compared to the case where the lid member is attached to the mold body by utilizing a screw fastening structure as in conventional molds. In the above-mentioned centrifugal casting mold, a protrusion that protrudes outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cover member as a fitting portion, and a groove portion into which the protrusion of the cover member is inserted is formed at the end of the mold body, and the protrusion of the cover member may be fitted into the groove portion of the mold body.

[0008] According to this configuration, a fitting structure between the mold body and the lid member can be easily realized. In the above-mentioned centrifugal casting mold, the groove portion has a first extension portion having an opening on an end face of the mold body and formed to extend in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the mold body, and a second extension portion formed to extend in a circumferential direction of the mold body from an end opposite the opening of the first extension portion, the lid member further includes a movable member having a fitting portion, the movable member being separate from the lid body and capable of being displaced relatively in the axial direction of the mold body with respect to the lid body, the protrusion of the lid member fitting into the second extension portion of the groove portion of the mold, and the elastic force imparting portion imparts an elastic force to the lid body and the movable member in a direction that separates the lid body and the movable member in the axial direction of the mold body, and a mechanism may be provided in which the lid body is closely adhered to the mold body by the elastic force imparted to the lid body from the elastic force imparting portion, and the fitting portion is pressed against the inner wall surface of the second extension portion by the elastic force imparted to the movable member from the elastic force imparting portion.

[0009] According to this configuration, the elastic force applied to the movable member from the elastic force applying portion makes it difficult for the fitting portion to come out of the second extending portion of the groove, and as a result, the lid member is difficult to fall off from the mold body. In the centrifugal casting mold described above, a recess into which the protrusion of the movable member is inserted may be formed on an inner wall surface of the second extension portion with which the protrusion comes into contact.

[0010] According to this configuration, even if the protruding portion of the lid member is displaced in a direction to come out of the second extending portion of the groove, the protruding portion of the lid member is prevented from coming out of the recess, so that the protruding portion is prevented from coming out. Therefore, the lid member is further prevented from falling off the mold body. In the above-described centrifugal casting mold, a plurality of protrusions may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cover member, and a plurality of grooves may be formed at the end of the mold body, the number of grooves being greater than the number of the protrusions.

[0011] According to this configuration, the number of grooves into which the protrusions can be inserted is greater than in the case where the number of protrusions and the number of grooves are the same, which makes it easier to assemble the lid member to the mold body. The above-mentioned assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold includes a detachment device for attaching and detaching a lid member to and from an end of a mold body, and a control device for controlling the detachment device. The detachment device includes a gripping part for gripping the lid member, and an imaging part provided in the gripping part. When attaching the lid member to the mold body, the control device grips the lid member with the gripping part, and then images the end face of the mold body with the imaging part while detecting the relative position of the mold body with respect to the gripping part based on image data obtained by imaging, and displaces the gripping part based on the position of the mold body to fit the fitting part of the lid member into the mold body.

[0012] According to this configuration, the task of attaching the lid member to the mold body can be performed automatically by the attachment / detachment device, thereby improving convenience. In the above-mentioned centrifugal casting mold assembly device, the attachment / detachment device may further include a position detection unit that detects the relative position of the gripping portion with respect to the mold body in the axial direction of the mold body, and the control device may fit the fitting portion of the lid member into the mold body by further displacing the gripping portion based on the position of the gripping portion detected by the position detection unit.

[0013] According to this configuration, the gripping portion can be displaced more accurately, so that the lid member can be attached to the mold body with even greater precision. In the above-mentioned centrifugal casting mold assembly device, the control device may displace the gripping portion in a direction to fit the fitting portion of the lid member into the mold body, and then image the end face of the mold body with the imaging portion, and determine whether or not the fitting portion of the lid member is fitted into the mold body based on the image data obtained by imaging, and by determining that the fitting portion of the lid member is fitted into the mold body, determine that the lid member has been normally attached to the mold body.

[0014] According to this configuration, it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the step of attaching the lid member to the mold body has been performed normally. In the above-mentioned centrifugal casting mold assembly device, when removing the lid member from the mold body, the control device may image the end face of the mold body with the imaging unit, detect the relative position of the mold body with respect to the gripping portion based on image data obtained by imaging, and displace the gripping portion based on the position of the mold body to grip the lid member with the gripping portion, and then further displace the gripping portion to release the state in which the engaging portion of the lid member is engaged with the mold body.

[0015] According to this configuration, the operation of removing the lid member from the mold body can be performed automatically by the attachment / detachment device, thereby improving convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a side structure of the mold according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of a mold body according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an end view showing an end surface structure of the mold body according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of a cover member according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an end view showing an end structure of the cover member according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a side structure of the lid member of the embodiment. [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are side views showing an example of the operation of the lid member of the embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of a mold according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a side structure of the attachment / detachment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a side structure around the claw portion of the attachment / detachment device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an assembly device according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by the control device of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a side structure of the mold according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an end view showing an end surface structure of the mold according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an end view showing an end surface structure of the mold according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is an end view showing an end surface structure of the mold according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process executed by the control device of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a centrifugal casting mold and an assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. First, a mold 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the mold 10 includes a mold body 20 and cover members 30 and 40. The mold body 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on an axis m10. Hereinafter, the axis m10 will also be referred to as the "center axis m10," and a direction parallel to the axis m10 will be referred to as the "axial direction Ma." In addition, the circumferential direction of the mold body 20, in other words, the circumferential direction centered on the axis m10 will be referred to as the "circumferential direction Mc."

[0018] Both ends 200, 201 of the mold body 20 are open. One of the lid members 30 is attached to the opening of one end 200 of the mold body 20. The lid member 30 is fastened and fixed to one end 200 of the mold body 20 with a bolt 31. The other lid member 40 is attached to the opening of the other end 201 of the mold body 20. The lid member 40 is attached to the other end 201 of the mold body 20 in a detachable manner.

[0019] The mold 10 shown in FIG. 1 is used in a process for manufacturing a cylindrical casting by centrifugal casting. In this manufacturing process, after the cover member 40 is attached to the end 201 of the mold body 20, molten metal is poured into the mold 10 from a pouring furnace through the through hole of the cover member 30 while the mold 10 is rotated. As a result, the molten metal is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the mold body 20 by centrifugal force. Then, the mold 10 is cooled to solidify the molten metal and form a cylindrical casting inside the mold body 20. Next, the cover member 40 is removed from the end 201 of the mold body 20, and the casting is pulled out from the mold body 20, completing the production of the casting. After the pulling out process, a cleaning process is performed in which the mold body 20 and the cover member 40 are cleaned with a brush or the like, and a lining process is performed in which a lining is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the mold body 20, and the like, thereby preparing to mold the next casting with the mold 10.

[0020] Next, the structures of the mold body 20 and the cover member 40 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the die body 20 includes a cylindrical member 21 and a stopper ring 22 . The cylindrical member 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on an axis m10 and extending in an axial direction Ma. The cylindrical member 21 is a portion into which molten metal is poured, in other words, a portion into which a casting is formed. A tapered surface 211 is formed on the inner wall surface of one end portion 210 of the cylindrical member 21.

[0021] The stopper ring 22 is fixed integrally to one end 210 of the cylindrical member 21. The stopper ring 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the axis m10. The stopper ring 22 is provided as a part to which the cover member 40 is attached. More specifically, a groove 220 is formed in the stopper ring 22. The groove 220 has a first extension 221 formed to have an opening in the end face 202 of the stopper ring 22 and extend in the axial direction Ma, and a second extension 222 formed to extend in the circumferential direction Mc from the end of the first extension 221 opposite to the opening, and is formed in a J-shape as a whole. Of the inner wall surfaces 222a and 222b of the second extension 222 extending in the circumferential direction Mc, a recess 222c is formed in the inner wall surface 222b disposed near the end face 202 of the stopper ring 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper ring 22 has a plurality of grooves 220 formed at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction Mc.

[0022] In the mold 10 of this embodiment, the stopper ring 22 is one component of the mold body 20. Therefore, the end face 202 of the stopper ring 22 is also the end face of the mold body 20, and therefore, hereinafter, the end face 202 will also be referred to as the "end face 202 of the mold body 20." As shown in FIG. 4, the lid member 40 includes a lid main body 41, a flange portion 42, and a movable ring 43.

[0023] The lid body 41 is formed in a generally truncated cone shape centered on the axis m10 so as to taper from its base end 410 toward the opposite tip end 411. When the lid member 40 is attached to the mold body 20, the inclined surface 412 of the lid body 41 comes into close contact with the tapered surface 211 formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical member 21 of the mold body 20 shown in FIG.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the flange portion 42 is fastened and fixed to the base end portion 410 of the lid body 41 by shoulder bolts 44 and small bolts 47. A plurality of shoulder bolts 44 and small bolts 47 are provided in the circumferential direction Mc. The flange portion 42 has a cylindrical portion 421 that extends cylindrically along the axis m10 from an outer surface 420 opposite to the surface with which the lid body 41 is in close contact. A concave chuck groove 422 extending in the circumferential direction Mc is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion of the cylindrical portion 421.

[0025] The movable ring 43 is a member formed in an annular shape centered on the axis m10, and is fitted around the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 421 of the flange portion 42. The length of the movable ring 43 in the axial direction Ma is shorter than the length of the cylindrical portion 421 of the flange portion 42 in the axial direction Ma. The movable ring 43 is formed separately from the lid main body 41 and the flange portion 42, and is displaceable in the axial direction Ma relative to the lid main body 41 and the flange portion 42. In this embodiment, the movable ring 43 corresponds to the movable member. The movable ring 43 has an insertion hole 430 penetrating in a direction parallel to the axial direction Ma. A stepped bolt 44 is inserted into the insertion hole 430. A stepped portion 431 that engages with a head 440 of the stepped bolt 44 in the axial direction Ma is formed on the inner wall surface of the insertion hole 430. The head 440 of the stepped bolt 44 engages with the stepped portion 431 of the insertion hole 430 in the axial direction Ma, thereby preventing the movable ring 43 from coming off the flange portion 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable ring 43 is formed with a plurality of insertion holes 430, the number of which is the same as the number of shoulder bolts 44.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, when the head 440 of the stepped bolt 44 contacts the step portion 431 of the insertion hole 430 of the movable ring 43, a gap is formed between the outer surface 420 of the flange portion 42 and the end face 432 of the movable ring 43. Fig. 6 shows the side structure of the cover member 40 shown in Fig. 4. The movable ring 43 can be displaced from the position shown in Fig. 6 to a position in which it contacts the outer surface 420 of the flange portion 42 as shown in Fig. 7.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, a fitting bolt 45 is screwed into the outer circumferential surface of the movable ring 43. A head 450 of the fitting bolt 45 protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the movable ring 43. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of fitting bolts 45 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the movable ring 43. The head 450 of the fitting bolt 45 is fitted into the groove portion 220 of the stopper ring 22 shown in FIG. 2, thereby attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20. In this embodiment, the head 450 of the fitting bolt 45 corresponds to the fitting portion and the protruding portion. Hereinafter, the head 450 of the fitting bolt 45 is referred to as the "protruding portion 450". As shown in FIG. 1, the protruding portion 450 of the movable ring 43 is fitted into the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20, thereby attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20.

[0028] 3 and 5, the number of grooves 220 in the mold body 20 is greater than the number of protrusions 450 in the movable ring 43. Specifically, in the mold 10 of this embodiment, the number of protrusions 450 in the movable ring 43 is three, whereas the number of grooves 220 in the mold body 20 is six.

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional structure taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the cover member 40 further includes a spring 46 disposed in a compressed state between the flange portion 42 and the movable ring 43. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of springs 46 are provided in the circumferential direction Mc. As shown in FIG. 8, one end of the spring 46 is inserted into a concave groove 423 formed in the outer surface 420 of the flange portion 42. The other end of the spring 46 is inserted into a concave groove 433 formed in the end surface 432 of the movable ring 43. The spring 46 applies an elastic force to the movable ring 43 in a direction to move the movable ring 43 away from the flange portion 42. As a result, the movable ring 43 is held at the position shown in FIG. 6, that is, at a position spaced apart from the outer surface 420 of the flange portion 42. In this embodiment, the spring 46 corresponds to an elastic force applying portion.

[0030] Next, a method for attaching the cover member 40 to the mold body 20 of this embodiment will be described. When attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20, first, a pressing force is applied to the end face of the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40 opposite to the end face 432, and the movable ring 43 is pressed toward the flange portion 42 against the elastic force of the spring 46, so that the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40 is brought into close contact with the flange portion 42 as shown in FIG. 7. Then, while the pressing force is applied to the movable ring 43, the protruding portion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20. Specifically, the lid member 40 is displaced in the axial direction Ma relative to the mold body 20, so that the protruding portion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the first extension portion 221 of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20. Next, the lid member 40 is rotated in the circumferential direction Mc, so that the protruding portion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the second extension portion 222 of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20. After the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the groove 220 of the mold body 20 in this manner, the pressing force applied to the movable ring 43 is released. As a result, the elastic force of the spring 46 is applied as a force in a direction that separates the lid body 41 of the lid member 40 and the stopper ring 22 in the axial direction Ma. As shown in FIG. 9, the elastic force of the spring 46 causes the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 to be fitted into the groove 220 of the mold body 20, and the inclined surface 412 of the lid body 41 to be in close contact with the tapered surface 211 on the inner circumference of the mold body 20, and this state is maintained. At this time, the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the recess 222c formed on the inner wall surface 222b of the stopper ring 22. Through these steps, the lid member 40 is attached to the opening of the end 201 of the mold body 20.

[0031] The above-described process of attaching the lid member 40 can be performed, for example, by an operator. In this embodiment, in order to improve the work efficiency, the process of attaching the lid member 40 is automatically performed by an assembly device 50 as shown in FIG. Next, the configuration of the assembly device 50 will be specifically described.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 10, the assembling device 50 includes an attaching / detaching device 60 and a control device 70. The attachment / detachment device 60 is a robot arm type device, and attaches the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 and detaches the lid member 40 from the mold body 20. The attachment / detachment device 60 includes an arm unit 61 and a hand unit 62.

[0033] The arm unit 61 has a so-called six-axis vertical multi-joint structure having first to sixth joints 611 to 616 that can rotate around first to sixth axes L1 to L6, respectively, as shown in FIG. 10. Therefore, the arm unit 61 can displace the hand unit 62 in six axial directions. The first axis L1 is parallel to the vertical direction Z in the figure, the second axis L2 is perpendicular to the first axis L1, the third axis L3 is parallel to the second axis L2, the fourth axis L4 is perpendicular to the third axis L3, the fifth axis L5 is perpendicular to the fourth axis L4, and the sixth axis L6 is perpendicular to the fifth axis L5. Each of the joints 611 to 616 has an actuator that generates power based on the supply of electric power, a reducer that reduces the power of the actuator and outputs it, a rotation sensor that detects the rotation angle of the joint, and the like. Each of the joints 611 to 616 is driven based on the power output from the reducer. The arm portion 61 is placed on the base 51 .

[0034] The hand unit 62 is provided at the tip of the sixth joint unit 616. The hand unit 62 is a portion that grips the lid member 40. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the hand unit 62 has a first claw unit 621 and a second claw unit 622. The first claw unit 621 and the second claw unit 622 approach and move away from each other in the direction indicated by the arrow Hz. The Hz direction is a direction perpendicular to the sixth axis L6. The first claw unit 621 and the second claw unit 622 approach each other to grip the lid member 40. The first claw unit 621 and the second claw unit 622 move away from each other to release the gripped lid member 40. The hand unit 62 has an actuator that generates power based on the supply of electric power, a reducer that reduces the power of the actuator and outputs it, a position sensor that detects the open / closed positions of the first claw unit 621 and the second claw unit 622, and the like. The first claw portion 621 and the second claw portion 622 are driven by, for example, the power of compressed air. In this embodiment, the hand portion 62 corresponds to the gripping portion.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 11, the hand unit 62 is provided with a pressing mechanism 80, an imaging device 90, and a position sensor 100. The pressing mechanism 80 has a pressing unit 81 and a power generating unit 82 .

[0036] The pressing portion 81 is attached to the hand portion 62 so as to be relatively displaceable in the direction indicated by the arrow Hx. The Hx direction is a direction parallel to the sixth axis L6. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to both the Hx direction and the Hz direction will be referred to as the "Hy direction". Furthermore, within the Hx direction, the direction from the base end 623 of the hand unit 62 toward the tip end 624 will be referred to as the "Hx1 direction", and the direction from the tip end 624 of the hand unit 62 toward the base end 623 will be referred to as the "Hx2 direction".

[0037] The power generating unit 82 utilizes the force of compressed air or the like to apply a force in the Hx direction to the pressing unit 81. In the pressing mechanism 80, the pressing unit 81 is displaced in the Hx direction based on the force applied from the power generating unit 82 to the pressing unit 81, whereby the claws 621, 622 grip the chuck groove 422 of the cover member 40, and the pressing unit 81 can press the end face opposite to the end face 432 of the movable ring 43.

[0038] The imaging device 90 is fixedly attached to the outer periphery of the base end 623 of the hand part 62. The imaging device 90 is a camera or the like, and generates image data by capturing an image of an imaging area in front of the hand part 62. For example, when the lid member 40 is attached to the mold body 20, the imaging device 90 captures an image of the end face 202 of the stopper ring 22 of the mold body 20 and generates image data thereof.

[0039] The position sensor 100 is an air cylinder type position sensor and has a contact portion 101. When a force in the Hx2 direction is applied to the contact portion 101, the contact portion 101 is pushed in so as to be displaced relative to the hand portion 62 in the Hx2 direction. The position sensor 100 is a sensor that outputs an ON signal based on the displacement of the contact portion 101 in the Hx2 direction. Therefore, when the contact portion 101 contacts the mold body 20 while the hand portion 62 is displaced in the Hx1 direction, the output signal of the position sensor 100 switches from the OFF state to the ON state. After that, when the contact portion 101 is separated from the mold body 20 and the force applied to the contact portion 101 is released, the contact portion 101 returns to the initial position shown in FIG. 11. As a result, the output signal of the position sensor 100 switches from the ON state to the OFF state. In this embodiment, the position sensor 100 corresponds to a position detection portion.

[0040] 12 is mainly configured with a microcomputer having a processor, a storage unit, etc. The control device 70 controls the attachment / detachment device 60 by executing a program pre-stored in the storage unit. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the control device 70 is connected to a manufacturing management device 110 via a network line 111 such as a LAN (Local Area Network) so as to be able to communicate with the control device 70. The control device 110 is a device that comprehensively manages a production line for molding cylindrical castings such as cylinder liners. In the production line, cylindrical castings are successively molded by a plurality of molds 10 moving along the production line. In addition to a detachment device 60 for attaching and detaching the cover member 40 to the mold body 20, the production line is provided with various manufacturing devices such as a cart for transporting the mold 10, a pouring furnace for pouring molten metal into the mold 10, and a device for extracting the cylindrical casting from the mold 10. The production management device 110 controls the production line by transmitting command signals to various manufacturing devices in the production line while monitoring the states of the plurality of molds 10 moving along the production line. The manufacturing management device 110 transmits to the control device 70 command signals such as command signals to attach the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 and command signals to remove the lid member 40 from the mold body 20.

[0041] The control device 70 has functional elements realized by a processor executing a program stored in its memory unit, including an image data acquisition unit 71, a planar direction position detection unit 72, a depth direction position detection unit 73, a detachment control unit 74, an assembly determination unit 75, and an abnormality processing unit 76.

[0042] The image data acquisition unit 71 acquires image data by capturing an image of the area in front of the hand unit 62 using the imaging device 90, and performs appropriate image processing on the acquired image data. The planar direction position detection unit 72 detects the position of an object present in front of the hand unit 62, more specifically, the relative position of the object with respect to the hand unit 62, based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 71. The planar direction position detection unit 72 can accurately detect the position of an object in a plane including the Hy direction and the Hz direction shown in Fig. 11, in other words, in a plane perpendicular to the Hx direction.

[0043] 12 detects whether or not the contact portion 101 of the position sensor 100 has come into contact with an object in the Hx direction based on the output signal of the position sensor 100. Specifically, the depth direction position detection portion 73 determines that the hand portion 62 has come into contact with an object present in front of it based on the output signal of the position sensor 100 switching from an OFF state to an ON state.

[0044] The attachment / detachment control unit 74 detects the positions of the mold body 20 and the hand unit 62 using the planar direction position detection unit 72 and the depth direction position detection unit 73, and drives the attachment / detachment device 60 based on the detected positions to attach the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 and remove the lid member 40 from the mold body 20.

[0045] The assembly determination unit 75 uses the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 71 to determine whether or not the assembly of the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 has been performed normally. When the abnormality processing unit 76 determines that the lid member 40 has not been attached normally to the mold body 20, it executes various processes in response to the abnormality, such as issuing an alarm from the notification unit 63 provided in the attachment / detachment device 60.

[0046] Next, specific procedures for the process of attaching the lid member 40 and the process of removing the lid member 40 executed by the control device 70 will be described. First, the procedure of the process of attaching the lid member 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The control device 70 starts the process shown in Fig. 13 based on receiving an instruction to attach the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 transmitted from the manufacturing management device 110.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 13, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 of the control device 70 first drives the arm unit 61 of the attachment / detachment device 60 to move the hand unit 62 from the standby position to above the lid member 40 placed on a cooling table on the production line (step S10). In the production line, the lid member 40 removed from the mold body 20 is washed and cooled by a washing device, and then placed on a predetermined cooling table and cooled with cooling water. Therefore, one or more lid members 40 that have been washed and cooled are placed on the cooling table. The lid member 40 is placed on the cooling table with the end surface 424 of the cylindrical portion 421 of the flange portion 42 shown in Fig. 4 facing upward.

[0048] Following the processing of step S10, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm portion 61 of the attachment / detachment device 60 based on predetermined coordinate data, thereby bringing the hand portion 62 closer to the lid member 40 to a position where the lid member 40 can be grasped (step S11). Following the process of step S11, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the hand unit 62 so that the first claw unit 621 and the second claw unit 622 close, thereby gripping the lid member 40 with the hand unit 62 (step S12). Specifically, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 grips the chuck groove 422 shown in FIG. 6 with the hand unit 62. After gripping the lid member 40 with the hand unit 62, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the pressing mechanism 80 of the hand unit 62 to apply a pressing force to the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40, thereby pushing the movable ring 43 toward the flange portion 42 against the elastic force of the spring 46. As a result, the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40 comes into close contact with the flange portion 42, as shown in FIG. 7. Thereafter, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 continues to drive the pressing mechanism 80 until the lid member 40 is attached to the mold body 20, thereby maintaining the state in which the movable ring 43 is in close contact with the flange portion 42.

[0049] 13, following the process of step S12, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the attachment / detachment device 60 to move the hand unit 62 to a position facing the end surface 202 of the mold body 20 to which the lid member 40 is to be attached (step S13). Specifically, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 moves the hand unit 62 to the position shown in FIG.

[0050] 13, following the processing of step S13, the image data acquisition unit 71 images the end face 202 of the mold body 20 by the imaging device 90 (step S14). As a result, the image data acquisition unit 71 acquires image data of the end face 202 of the mold body 20. The planar direction position detection unit 72 detects the relative position of the mold body 20 with respect to the hand unit 62 based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 71.

[0051] Following step S14, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm unit 61 of the attachment / detachment device 60 based on the position of the mold body 20 detected by the planar direction position detection unit 72, more specifically, drives the first axis L1 to the fifth axis L5 excluding the sixth axis L6 of the arm unit 61 to bring the lid member 40 closer to the mold body 20 (step S15). At this time, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 detects the relative position of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20 to the hand unit 62 in the rotation direction about the sixth axis L6, in other words, the relative position of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20 to the lid member 40, based on the image data of the end face 202 of the mold body 20 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 71. The attachment / detachment control unit 74 rotates the hand unit 62 about the sixth axis L6 so that the relative rotation position of the end face 202 of the mold body 20 detected in this manner becomes a predetermined rotation position. The predetermined rotation position is a position where the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 faces the first extension 221 of the groove 220 of the mold body 20, as shown in Fig. 15. In the process of step S15, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 brings the lid member 40 closer to the mold body 20 while maintaining the state in which the lid member 40 has the positional relationship shown in Fig. 15 with respect to the mold body 20. As a result, the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted into the first extension 221 of the groove 220 of the mold body 20.

[0052] 13, following the processing of step S15, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm unit 61 to further advance the lid member 40 toward the mold body 20 at a low speed (step S16). The depth direction position detection unit 73 also determines whether the output signal of the position sensor 100 has switched to an ON state (step S17). The attachment / detachment control unit 74 continues to advance the lid member 40 toward the mold body 20 at a low speed while a negative determination is being made in the processing of step S17, i.e., while the output signal of the position sensor 100 is in an OFF state.

[0053] Thereafter, when the output signal of the position sensor 100 switches from the OFF state to the ON state, that is, when the contact portion 101 of the position sensor 100 moves to a position where it contacts the mold body 20, the depth direction position detection unit 73 makes an affirmative determination in the processing of step S17. In this case, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm portion 61 so that the hand portion 62 rotates about the sixth axis L6 (step S18), thereby inserting and fitting the protrusion portion 450 of the lid member 40 into the second extension portion 222 of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20.

[0054] Next, the assembly determination unit 75 determines whether the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is properly assembled to the groove 220 of the mold body 20 (step S19). The assembly determination unit 75 requests the image data acquisition unit 71 to acquire image data of the end face 202 of the mold body 20. The image data acquisition unit 71 captures an image of the end face 202 of the mold body 20 by the imaging device 90 based on a request from the detachment control unit 74, and transmits the image data to the assembly determination unit 75. As a result, the assembly determination unit 75 can obtain image data in which the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is assembled to the second extension portion 222 of the groove 220 of the mold body 20, for example, as shown in FIG. 16. The assembly determination unit 75 determines whether the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is properly assembled to the groove 220 of the mold body 20 based on this image data. The assembly judgment unit 75 acquires, for example, the position of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20 and the position of the shoulder bolt 44 of the lid member 40 from image data, and judges whether or not the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is properly assembled to the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20 based on their relative positional relationship.

[0055] When the positional relationship between the groove 220 of the mold body 20 and the shoulder bolt 44 of the lid member 40 is as shown in Fig. 16, the assembly determination unit 75 determines that the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is normally assembled to the groove 220 of the mold body 20. That is, when the assembly determination unit 75 can acquire image data as shown in Fig. 16, it makes a positive determination in the process of step S19 shown in Fig. 13. In this case, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 releases the grip of the lid member 40 by the hand unit 62 (step S20). At this time, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 releases the pressing force applied to the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40 by the pressing mechanism 80. As a result, the elastic force of the spring 46 is applied as a force in a direction separating the lid body 41 of the lid member 40 and the stopper ring 22 in the axial direction Ma, so that, as shown in Fig. 9, the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 fits into the groove 220 of the stopper ring 22 and the inclined surface 412 of the lid member 40 is in close contact with the tapered surface 211 on the inner circumference of the mold body 20, and this state is maintained. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 13, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm unit 61 so that the hand unit 62 retreats to a predetermined standby position (step S21), and then ends the series of processes shown in Fig. 13.

[0056] On the other hand, in the process of step S19, it is assumed that the assembly determination unit 75 acquires image data as shown in Fig. 17. The positional relationship between the groove 220 of the mold body 20 and the shoulder bolt 44 of the lid member 40 obtained from the image data shown in Fig. 17 is different from the positional relationship in the normal case shown in Fig. 16. Therefore, the assembly determination unit 75 determines that the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is not normally assembled to the groove 220 of the mold body 20, and makes a negative determination in the process of step S19 shown in Fig. 13. In this case, the abnormality processing unit 76 issues an alarm or the like from the notification unit 63 of the detachment device 60 (step S22), and stops the detachment device 60 at the origin of the arm unit 61 (step S23).

[0057] 13, the production line sequentially performs a process of pouring molten metal into the mold body 20 using a pouring furnace and a process of cooling the mold body 20 to solidify the molten metal and form a casting. Then, a process of removing the lid member 40 from the mold body 20 is performed in order to pull out the casting from the mold body 20.

[0058] Next, the procedure of the process of removing the lid member 40 executed by the control device 70 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. The control device 70 starts the process shown in Fig. 18 based on receiving an instruction to remove the lid member 40 from the mold body 20 transmitted from the manufacturing management device 110.

[0059] 18, the control device 70 first executes the processes of steps S30 to S34 to bring the hand unit 62 close to the mold body 20. Note that the processes of steps S30 to S34 are similar to the processes of steps S13 to S17 shown in Fig. 13, except that the lid member 40 is not gripped by the hand unit 62, and therefore detailed description of these processes will be omitted.

[0060] When the determination in step S34 is affirmative, that is, when the contact portion 101 of the position sensor 100 has moved to a position where it contacts the mold body 20, the attachment / detachment control portion 74 drives the hand portion 62 so that the first claw portion 621 and the second claw portion 622 close, thereby gripping the lid member 40 with the hand portion 62 (step S35). At this time, after gripping the lid member 40 with the hand portion 62, the attachment / detachment control portion 74 drives the pressing mechanism 80 of the hand portion 62 to apply a pressing force to the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40, thereby pushing the movable ring 43 toward the flange portion 42 against the elastic force of the spring 46. As a result, the movable ring 43 of the lid member 40 comes into close contact with the flange portion 42, and the engagement of the protrusion portion 450 of the lid member 40 with the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20 is released.

[0061] Following the processing of step S35, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm unit 61 so that the hand unit 62 rotates about the sixth axis L6 (step S36), thereby moving the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 to the first extension portion 221 of the groove portion 220 of the mold body 20. Thereafter, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 further drives the arm unit 61 so that the hand unit 62 moves in the Hx2 direction shown in FIG. 11, thereby removing the lid member 40 from the mold body 20 (step S37).

[0062] Following the process of step S37, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 drives the arm unit 61 based on the coordinate data to move the hand unit 62 to the cooling table (step S38). Then, the attachment / detachment control unit 74 releases the grip of the lid member 40 by the hand unit 62 (step S39), and then drives the arm unit 61 so that the hand unit 62 retreats to a predetermined standby position (step S40), thereby completing the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0063] According to the mold 10 and the assembly device 50 of this embodiment described above, the following actions and effects (1) to (9) can be obtained. (1) The lid member 40 has a lid body 41 attached to an opening formed in an end portion 201 of the mold body 20, a protrusion 450 as a fitting portion that fits into the mold body 20, and a spring 46 as an elastic force imparting portion that imparts an elastic force to the lid body 41 in a direction to bring the lid body 41 into close contact with the mold body 20. According to this configuration, the lid body 41 can be brought into close contact with the mold body 20 using the elastic force of the spring 46, so that the lid member 40 can be more reliably brought into close contact with the mold body 20 compared to a case in which the lid member is attached to the mold body by using a screw fastening structure as in a conventional mold.

[0064] (2) As shown in Fig. 9, a protrusion 450 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lid member 40 so as to protrude outward. A groove 220 into which the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is inserted is formed at the end 201 of the mold body 20. The protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 fits into the groove 220 of the mold body 20. With this configuration, a fitting structure between the mold body 20 and the lid member 40 can be easily realized.

[0065] (3) As shown in FIG. 2, the groove 220 has a first extension 221 formed to have an opening on the end face 202 of the mold body 20 and extend in the axial direction Ma of the mold body 20, and a second extension 222 formed to extend in the circumferential direction Mc of the mold body 20 from the end of the first extension 221 opposite to the opening. As shown in FIG. 9, the lid member 40 further includes a movable ring 43 having a protrusion 450. The movable ring 43 is formed separately from the lid body 41 and can be displaced relative to the lid body 41 in the axial direction Ma. The protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is fitted into the second extension 222 of the groove 220. The spring 46 shown in FIG. 8 applies an elastic force to the lid body 41 and the movable ring 43 in a direction that separates the lid body 41 and the movable ring 43 in the axial direction Ma. The mold 10 has a mechanism in which the lid body 41 is tightly attached to the mold body 20 by the elastic force applied from the spring 46 to the lid body 41, and the protrusion 450 is pressed against the inner wall surface 222b of the second extension portion 222 of the groove portion 220 by the elastic force applied from the spring 46 to the movable ring 43. According to this configuration, the elastic force applied from the spring 46 to the movable ring 43 makes it difficult for the protrusion 450 to come out of the second extension portion 222 of the groove portion 220. As a result, the lid member 40 is difficult to fall off from the mold body 20. It is preferable that the second extension portion 222 extends in a direction opposite to the direction in which the mold 10 rotates during centrifugal casting. This makes it difficult for the protrusion 450 to come out of the second extension portion 222 when the mold 10 rotates, and as a result, it becomes difficult for the lid member 40 to come off from the mold 10.

[0066] 2 and 9, the inner wall surface 222b with which the protrusion 450 of the movable ring 43 comes into contact in the second extension 222 of the groove 220 has a recess 222c into which the protrusion 450 is inserted. With this configuration, even if the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is displaced in a direction to come out of the second extension 222, the protrusion 450 is unlikely to come out of the recess 222c, so that the protrusion 450 is prevented from coming out. Therefore, the lid member 40 is even more unlikely to fall off from the mold body 20.

[0067] 3 and 5, the number of grooves 220 of the mold body 20 is greater than the number of protrusions 450 of the lid member 40. According to this configuration, the number of grooves 220 into which the protrusions 450 can be inserted is greater than the number of protrusions 450 and grooves 220 in the same number. As a result, it becomes easier to assemble the lid member 40 to the mold body 20.

[0068] (6) When attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20, the control device 70 grasps the lid member 40 with the hand unit 62 of the attachment / detachment device 60, and then detects the relative position of the mold body 20 with respect to the hand unit 62 based on image data obtained by imaging while capturing an image of the end face 202 of the mold body 20 with the imaging device 90. Then, the control device 70 displaces the hand unit 62 based on the detected position of the mold body 20 to fit the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 into the mold body 20. According to this configuration, the attachment / detachment device 60 can automatically perform the task of attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20, improving convenience.

[0069] (7) The attachment / detachment device 60 further includes a position sensor 100 that detects the relative position of the hand portion 62 with respect to the mold body 20 in the axial direction Ma. The control device 70 further displaces the hand portion 62 based on the position of the hand portion 62 detected by the position sensor 100, thereby fitting the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 into the mold body 20. With this configuration, the hand portion 62 can be displaced more accurately, and therefore the lid member 40 can be attached to the mold body 20 with even greater precision.

[0070] (8) After displacing the hand unit 62 in a direction to fit the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 into the mold body 20, the control device 70 images the end face 202 of the mold body 20 with the imaging device 90 and determines whether or not the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is fitted into the mold body 20 based on the image data obtained by imaging. Then, by determining that the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is fitted into the mold body 20, the control device 70 determines that the attachment of the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 has been performed normally. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the process of attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 has been performed normally.

[0071] (9) When removing the lid member 40 from the mold body 20, the control device 70 detects the relative position of the mold body 20 with respect to the hand unit 62 based on image data obtained by imaging while imaging the end face 202 of the mold body 20 with the imaging device 90. Then, the control device 70 displaces the hand unit 62 based on the detected position of the mold body 20 to grip the lid member 40 with the hand unit 62, and then further displaces the hand unit 62 to release the state in which the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 is engaged with the mold body 20. According to this configuration, the operation of removing the lid member 40 from the mold body 20 can be automatically performed by the attachment / detachment device 60, thereby improving convenience.

[0072] The above embodiment can also be implemented in the following manner. The shape of the groove 220 formed in the mold body 20 can be changed as appropriate to any shape, such as a square, as long as the protrusion 450 of the lid member 40 can be fitted into it. The groove 220 may also be in the form of a slit having a notch, a groove having a recess, or the like. Thus, the definition of the groove in this embodiment includes slits, recesses, and the like.

[0073] The number of the protrusions 450 of the cover member 40 and the number of the grooves 220 of the mold body 20 may be the same. The fitting structure for assembling the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 can be changed as appropriate. For example, a protrusion may be provided on the mold body 20, and a groove into which the protrusion is inserted may be provided on the lid member 40, and the lid member 40 may be assembled to the mold body 20 by fitting the protrusion of the mold body 20 into the groove of the lid member 40.

[0074] The step of attaching the lid member 40 to the mold body 20 may be performed manually by an operator without using the attachment / detachment device 60. The present disclosure is not limited to the above specific examples. Any design modifications made by a person skilled in the art to the above specific examples are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the features of the present disclosure. The elements of each of the above specific examples, as well as their arrangements, conditions, shapes, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of each of the above specific examples can be combined in different ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise.

Claims

1. A mold for use in centrifugal casting, comprising a cylindrical mold body and a cover member removably attached to an axial end of the mold body, The cover member is A lid body attached to an opening formed at an end of the mold body; a movable member that is separate from the lid body and has a fitting portion that fits into the mold body and an insertion hole that penetrates the mold body in a direction parallel to the axial direction; an assembly member that is inserted into the insertion hole and fixed to the lid body to assemble the movable member to be displaceable relative to the lid body in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the mold body; an elastic force applying portion that applies an elastic force to the lid body and the movable member in a direction separating them from each other, thereby closely contacting the lid body with the mold body; When the movable member is displaced in a direction away from the lid body, a step portion formed inside the insertion hole comes into contact with the mounting member, so that the movable member can be moved away from the lid body by a predetermined distance. Centrifugal casting mold.

2. The movable member has an outer circumferential surface on which a protrusion is formed, the protruding portion being the fitting portion and protruding outward. a groove portion into which the protrusion portion of the movable member is inserted is formed at an end portion of the mold body; The protrusion of the movable member is fitted into the groove of the mold body. The mold for centrifugal casting according to claim 1.

3. The groove portion has a first extension portion having an opening on an end surface of the mold body and extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the mold body, and a second extension portion formed to extend in a circumferential direction of the mold body from an end portion opposite to the opening of the first extension portion, the protrusion of the movable member is fitted into the second extension of the groove, The elastic force applied to the movable member from the elastic force applying portion presses the fitting portion against the inner wall surface of the second extending portion. The mold for centrifugal casting according to claim 2.

4. The second extending portion has an inner wall surface with which the protruding portion of the movable member comes into contact, the inner wall surface having a recess into which the protruding portion is inserted. The mold for centrifugal casting according to claim 3.

5. A plurality of the protrusions are formed on an outer circumferential surface of the movable member, A plurality of grooves are formed at the end of the mold body, the number of which is greater than the number of the protrusions. The mold for centrifugal casting according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. An assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a detachment device for attaching and detaching the lid member to and from the end portion of the mold body; A control device for controlling the attachment / detachment device, The detachment device is A gripping portion that grips the lid member; An imaging unit provided in the gripping unit, When attaching the lid member to the mold body, the control device grips the lid member with the gripping portion, and then captures an image of an end face of the mold body with the imaging portion, detects the relative position of the mold body with respect to the gripping portion based on image data obtained by imaging, and displaces the gripping portion based on the position of the mold body to fit the fitting portion of the lid member to the mold body. Assembly equipment for centrifugal casting dies.

7. The detachment device further includes a position detection unit that detects a relative position of the gripping portion with respect to the mold body in an axial direction of the mold body, The control device further displaces the gripping portion based on the position of the gripping portion detected by the position detection portion, thereby fitting the fitting portion of the lid member into the mold body.

7. An assembly device for a centrifugal casting die according to claim 6.

8. The control device displaces the gripping portion in a direction to fit the fitting portion of the lid member into the mold body, and then images an end face of the mold body with the imaging portion and determines whether or not the fitting portion of the lid member is fitted into the mold body based on image data obtained by imaging. By determining that the fitting portion of the lid member is fitted into the mold body, the control device determines that the lid member has been normally attached to the mold body.

8. An assembly device for a centrifugal casting die according to claim 6 or 7.

9. When removing the lid member from the mold body, the control device detects the relative position of the mold body with respect to the gripping portion based on image data obtained by imaging while capturing an image of the end face of the mold body with the imaging portion, and displaces the gripping portion based on the position of the mold body to grip the lid member with the gripping portion, and then further displaces the gripping portion to release the state in which the fitting portion of the lid member is fitted into the mold body. An assembly device for a centrifugal casting mold according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

Images