Steel Pipe Bending with Articulated Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing bending apparatus faces challenges such as increased cycle time, decreased productivity, poor dimensional accuracy, space constraints, and maintenance difficulties due to the use of ball screw feed devices and complex synchronization requirements, especially when handling steel pipes with varying path lines and shapes.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs vertically articulated industrial robots as feed, support, heating, cooling, and deformation prevention mechanisms to streamline the bending process, allowing for efficient feeding, heating, cooling, and shaping of steel pipes with reduced space requirements and improved maintainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a ball screw feed device is used to feed steel pipes, then the steel pipes can be fed in the axial direction, but the cycle time increases and productivity decreases due to setup requirements and synchronization needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the ball screw mechanical feed device with a robotic arm system that uses servo motors and control algorithms to feed steel pipes. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical setups and synchronization mechanisms, thereby reducing cycle time and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameters from fixed mechanical positioning (ball screw) to dynamic robotic positioning with real-time feedback. The robotic system adjusts feed speed, position, and timing parameters dynamically based on process requirements, eliminating setup time and synchronization delays.
2Ease of manufacture
If a ball screw feed device and movable roller die are used, then bending can be performed, but the installation space required becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the feed device, support device, and roller die into an integrated robotic system. The robotic arm performs multiple functions (feeding, supporting, and bending) in sequence, eliminating the need for separate ball screw feed devices and movable roller dies, thereby reducing installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform feeding, support, and bending operations. This universal device replaces multiple specialized components (ball screw feed device, support device, roller die), significantly reducing the overall installation space required for the bending apparatus.
3Manufacturing precision
If ball screw feed devices and movable roller dies are used with precise operation requirements, then bending accuracy can be maintained, but maintenance difficulty increases and repair time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces precision mechanical components (ball screws, roller dies) with robotic arms equipped with sensors and control systems. The robotic system maintains bending accuracy through software control and real-time feedback, while the replaced mechanical components would require periodic cleaning and repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system incorporates self-diagnosis and self-adjustment capabilities through sensors and control algorithms. The system can detect and compensate for positioning errors automatically, reducing the need for manual maintenance and repair while maintaining high bending accuracy.
4Productivity
If ball screw feed devices are used for welded steel pipes, then feeding can be performed, but additional operations (rotation, offset adjustment, feed path adjustment) cannot be performed, decreasing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is designed as a universal device capable of performing multiple operations including feeding, rotation, offset adjustment, and feed path adjustment. This multi-functional capability allows the system to handle welded steel pipes with various orientations and positions, improving productivity by eliminating the need for separate adjustment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system uses dynamic control to adjust feed path, rotation speed, and positioning in real-time based on the steel pipe characteristics and process requirements. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to perform multiple operations that would require separate fixed devices, thereby improving productivity and versatility.
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
This configuration enhances productivity, reduces installation space, improves dimensional accuracy, and simplifies maintenance, enabling the efficient manufacture of metal bent members with high precision and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
rapidly heating a portion of the steel pipe 1 with a high frequency heating coil 5 located downstream of the support means 2 to a temperature range in which quench-hardening is possible
Implementation Method 2
rapidly cooling the steel pipe 1 with a water cooling device 6 disposed downstream of the high frequency heating coil 5
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Provided is a bending apparatus (10) for manufacturing a bent member (35) from a steel pipe (17) with high dimensional accuracy and high productivity, the apparatus being installed in a reduced space and having good maintainability. The bending apparatus has a feed mechanism (11) for feeding a steel pipe (17) in its lengthwise direction, a first support mechanism (12) for supporting the steel pipe (17) while feeding it, a heating mechanism (13) for heating a part or all of the steel pipe (17) being fed, a cooling mechanism (14) for cooling the portion of the steel pipe (17) being fed which was heated by the heating mechanism (13), a second support mechanism (25) for imparting a bending moment to the heated portion of the steel pipe (17) and thereby bending the steel pipe 17 into a desired shape by moving two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally while supporting the steel pipe (17) being fed in at least one location, and a deformation preventing mechanism (16) for preventing deformation of the steel pipe (17). The feed mechanism (11) is constituted by a first industrial robot (18) which is a vertically articulated robot having seven axes.