Robotized Sliding Gate Valve Plate Handling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for changing sliding gate valve plates in metallurgic casting installations are manual, labor-intensive, and prone to human error due to the heavy weight, precise positioning requirements, and challenging environmental conditions such as high temperatures and obscured visibility, with existing robotized systems failing to provide a satisfactory solution.
Innovation Solution
A robotized system equipped with gripping clamps and a handling interface that securely grips sliding gate valve plates by their peripheral edges or second surfaces, allowing for automated removal and installation, using L-shaped or gyrating clamps that adapt to varying geometries and temperatures, and a pneumatic or hydraulic coupling element for precise handling and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation is used to change sliding gate valve plates, then flexibility and adaptability to varying conditions are maintained, but labor intensity, human error risk, and physical strain increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system performs the plate changing operation autonomously without continuous human intervention. The gripping clamps automatically detect plate positions, adjust to temperature-induced dimensional changes, and execute removal and installation sequences independently, allowing the system to serve itself in the repetitive task while humans only initiate and monitor the process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated robotic system equipped with specialized gripping clamps. The robot uses sensor-based detection and controlled mechanical actuation to perform plate handling, substituting human physical labor with automated mechanical systems that can operate under high-temperature conditions without fatigue or error
2Reliability
If gripping clamps are designed to securely hold heavy plates, then handling reliability improves, but positioning precision and adaptability to varying plate geometries become more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping clamps are designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow them to adapt their geometry and gripping force in real-time. The clamps can modify their shape to match different plate geometries and adjust their position based on detected plate dimensions, enabling both secure handling of heavy plates and precise positioning accuracy across varying conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters such as gripping force magnitude, clamp geometry, and position coordinates based on detected plate characteristics. Sensors detect plate temperature and dimensions, and the control system adjusts gripping parameters accordingly - applying higher forces for heavier plates while maintaining positioning precision through real-time parameter modification
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot adapts to varying plate temperatures and dimensions, then operational versatility improves, but system complexity and detection difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system incorporates sensors that continuously detect plate temperature, position, and dimensional characteristics. This feedback information is fed back to the control system, which automatically adjusts gripping forces, clamp positions, and robot movement parameters to accommodate varying plate conditions, enabling versatility without requiring complex manual programming for each scenario
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping clamp design incorporates multiple functions within a single device: detection capabilities, adaptive gripping, positioning, and handling. This multi-functional approach allows the system to handle various plate types and conditions with one unified device rather than requiring separate specialized tools for each function, managing complexity through integration
4Productivity
If automated gripping clamps are used to handle plates, then productivity and consistency improve, but adaptability to obscured visibility and varying environmental conditions becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces visual detection with sensor-based detection that is not affected by obscured visibility conditions. Sensors detect plate position, temperature, and dimensions through means other than optical vision, allowing the automated gripping system to maintain high productivity and accurate detection even when visibility is compromised by environmental factors
Data Source
AI summary
A robotized system for fixing a sliding gate valve plate to a sliding gate valve or removing a sliding gate valve plate from a sliding gate valve comprises a sliding gate valve plate, a metallurgic vessel provided with a sliding gate valve comprising a plate support frame comprising a receiving cradle suitable for receiving and locking the sliding gate valve plate, and a robot comprising a handling interface provided with gripping clamps for gripping the sliding gate valve plate. The sliding gate valve plate comprises gripping holds mating the gripping clamps of the robot, such that the robot can securely hold and handle the sliding gate valve plate.