Tilting Ladle Pouring Control via 3D Trajectory Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic pouring devices with tilting-type ladles face issues where the lip of the ladle does not vertically approach the mold, leading to increased free-fall time of molten metal, temperature decrease, and scattering, and require new equipment to avoid striking mold or pedestals.
Innovation Solution
A method that controls the movement of the ladle in back-and-forth, up-and-down directions, and tilting, using an inverse model of the molten metal flow and tilting motor to generate a trajectory that reduces the height of the ladle's lip above the mold and avoids striking objects, ensuring accurate pouring and minimizing free-fall time and temperature loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the ladle is moved vertically to reduce the distance between the lip and sprue, then the free-fall time is reduced and temperature loss is minimized, but the ladle may strike the mold or pedestal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical-only movement to three-dimensional movement by adding horizontal (back-and-forth) motion. The ladle approaches the mold horizontally while maintaining a safe vertical distance, then pours by tilting. This dimensional change allows the system to reduce free-fall time without vertical collision risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic trajectory generation that adapts the ladle's movement path based on real-time position and orientation. The control system continuously adjusts the movement trajectory to optimize pouring conditions while avoiding obstacles, replacing static vertical positioning with dynamic 3D path planning.
2Measurement precision
If feed forward control is used to control the falling position, then the position can be controlled, but the lip does not vertically approach the sprue causing long free-fall time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds horizontal movement dimension to the traditional vertical positioning system. Instead of only adjusting vertical height to control falling position, the system uses horizontal approach combined with tilting, which reduces free-fall time while maintaining precise position control through multi-axis coordination.
3Temperature
If the ladle is moved horizontally to approach the mold, then the vertical distance can be reduced, but new equipment is needed and existing devices cannot ensure collision avoidance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing ladle positioning system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both vertical positioning and horizontal approach movements. The control system integrates 3D trajectory generation and execution into the existing pouring device, allowing it to achieve temperature optimization without requiring completely new equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own existing 3D movement capabilities (back-and-forth and up-and-down directions) to solve the collision avoidance problem. The ladle serves its dual function of both transporting molten metal and positioning itself optimally for pouring, eliminating the need for separate positioning equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method ensures accurate pouring of molten metal into the mold, reduces free-fall time and temperature loss, and minimizes the risk of scattering, while avoiding collisions with the mold or pedestals, and reduces the necessary electric power for ladle movement.
Implementation Method 1
generating a voltage to be input to a tilting motor so as to reach the target flow rate of the molten metal
Implementation Method 2
the free-fall time of the molten metal that runs out of the pouring ladle
Implementation Method 3
the velocity of the metal that runs out of the ladle can be high when the metal reaches the sprue
Data Source
AI summary
[Problem to Be Solved] A pouring control method for controlling an automatic pouring device with a tilting-type ladle is provided. By the method, a lip of a pouring ladle approaches a sprue of a mold without striking any object located within the range of its movement. Also, by the method, the molten metal that runs out of the ladle can accurately fill the mold. [Solution] The pouring control method comprises the steps of setting a target flow rate of molten metal to be poured, generating a voltage to input it to a motor that tilts the ladle (hereafter, the tilting motor) so as to reach the target flow rate of the molten metal based on an inverse model of a mathematical model of molten metal that runs out of a pouring ladle and an inverse model of the tilting motor, estimating the flow rate of the molten metal that runs out of the ladle, estimating the falling position and getting the estimated falling position to be a target position, and generating a trajectory for the movement of the pouring ladle wherein the trajectory causes the height of the lip of the pouring ladle above the level of a sprite of a mold to decrease.