JP7546631B2 - Cable tie recovery device and cable tie recovery method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting and recovering cable ties wrapped around stacked or coiled plate material.

Cable ties are wrapped around the coiled steel sheet to prevent springback and loosening of the coil. Before the coiled steel sheet is loaded into the next line, the cable ties must be removed and collected.

For example, in the equipment layout shown in Figure 2, there is a line that has equipment that automatically cuts cable ties and collects the cut cable ties. The cable ties are processed online before being loaded into the uncoiler 14.

When the time until the next coil is loaded is short, the cable tie recovery device is an important piece of equipment because the time from cutting to recovery is directly related to production capacity.

As shown in Figure 3, there is equipment that has two cutter heads 15 to cut and collect double-stranded cable ties in one operation in order to reduce production loss.

However, there are cases where the cable tie recovery device fails to recover the cable ties, causing the cable ties to fall down the line and resulting in damage to the Cablebear (registered trademark) 12.

The main cause of poor collection is, as shown in Figure 4, poor progress of the cable tie, which causes the cable tie after cutting to get stuck on the induction guide 3. Measures have been taken to reduce the risk of getting stuck, but they have not been eradicated.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that can process cable ties with one set of equipment regardless of the number of cable ties, with the aim of improving inlet capacity. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that changes the blade drive configuration to prevent scratches on the plate material when cutting cable ties. Patent Document 3 discloses a technology that improves the scrapback volume occupancy rate after the cable ties are collected.

JP 2016-033063 A JP 2013-147291 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-327316

However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following problems.
In other words, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have a problem in that they do not improve the problem of poor recovery of cable ties in the flow from cutting the cable ties to recovery.

It has been found that the frequency with which cable ties get caught in the guide varies greatly between equipment with one cutter head and equipment with two cutter heads.

Therefore, we investigated the positional relationship between the induction guide and the cutter head as shown in Figure 5. As a result, we estimated that when there are two cutter heads, the cutter heads come into contact with the side of the induction guide, indicated by the collision position IP, during band feeding, resulting in poor collection due to collision.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a cable tie recovery device and method that can reduce the failure of the band to advance.

The inventors discovered that positioning the cable tie in the center of the induction guide reduces the chance of failure to collect the cable tie, and that providing a means to move the tie improves the collection rate of the cable tie, leading to the completion of the invention.

The cable tie recovery device of the present invention, which advantageously solves the above problems, comprises a plurality of band cutting means for cutting a plurality of cable ties wound around stacked plate materials or coiled plate materials, a band processing means for recovering the cut cable ties, a pinch roll and an induction guide for sending the cut cable ties toward the band processing means, and a band position detection means and a band position adjustment means installed upstream of the entrance of the induction guide with respect to the feeding of the cable tie, and is characterized in that, based on the position of the cable tie detected by the band position detection means, the band position adjustment means is configured to grip the cable tie, move the cable tie to a predetermined position, and hand it over to the pinch roll.

In addition, the cable tie recovery device according to the present invention is
(a) further comprising a control means, the control means being configured to determine, upon recognizing that the band position detection means is functioning normally, that an abnormality has occurred when either or both of 1) the band position detection means is unable to detect the cable tie and 2) the band position adjustment means is unable to grip the cable tie;
(b) the control means has a function of automatically stopping the line and outputting an alarm when it determines that an abnormality has occurred;
This is thought to be a more preferable solution.

The cable tie recovery method of the present invention, which advantageously solves the above problem, includes a band cutting process in which multiple cable ties wrapped around stacked plate material or coiled plate material are cut by multiple band cutting means, a band delivery process in which the cut cable ties are delivered by a pinch roll and an induction guide, and a band processing process in which the delivered cable ties are recovered, and is characterized in that the position of the cable tie is detected after the band cutting process and before it is delivered to the induction guide, the cable tie is gripped by a band position adjustment means, and the cable tie is moved to a predetermined position and handed over to the pinch roll.

The method for recovering cable ties according to the present invention is as follows:
(c) after confirming that the device for detecting the position of the cable tie is functioning normally, determining that an abnormality has occurred when either or both of 1) the position of the cable tie is not detected and 2) the band position adjustment means does not grip the cable tie;
(d) when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, the control means automatically stops the line and issues an alarm;
This is thought to be a more preferable solution.

The cable tie recovery device and method of the present invention can prevent the band from moving improperly and improve the band recovery rate. This is industrially useful as it is expected to prevent line stoppages due to cable bear (registered trademark) damage, reduce the cost of outsourcing work associated with band recovery, and increase production volume by reducing the frequency of regular repairs.

1 is a schematic diagram of a cable tie recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a schematic side view and (b) shows a schematic view taken along the line A-A' of (a). 1 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of equipment in a coiled plate processing line to which the cable tie recovery device according to the embodiment is applied. FIG. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a cable tie cutting means having two cutter heads, in which (a) shows a schematic plan view and (b) shows a schematic side view. 1 is a graph showing the percentage of cable tie collection failures (collection failures) and a breakdown of the causes thereof. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the causes of poor progress of a cable tie depending on the number of cutter heads, where (a) shows the case where there are two cutter heads, and (b) shows the case where there is one cutter head. 4A to 4D are schematic diagrams illustrating a flow from cutting to retrieval of a cable tie using the cable tie retrieval device according to the embodiment. 5A to 5F are schematic diagrams showing the operation flow of the clamp device according to the embodiment. 13 is a graph showing the success rate of cable tie recovery after application of this embodiment.

The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are merely examples of equipment and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the configuration to those described below. In other words, the technical ideas of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims.

Figure 1(a) is an enlarged schematic diagram of a cable tie recovery device according to one embodiment. Figure 1(b) is a schematic diagram of the cable tie feed in Figure 1(a) as seen from the upstream side of the pinch roll along the A-A' line. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the equipment within a processing line for coiled sheet material.

The cable tie recovery device 13 of this embodiment includes a band cutting means, a band processing means, a pinch roll 2, an induction guide 3, a band position detection means, and a band position adjustment means. In the example of FIG. 2, the cutter head 15 as the band cutting means has a function of cutting the cable tie 1 wound around the coil 8. The pinch roll 2 has a function of sending the cable tie cut by the cutter head 15 via the induction guide 3 toward the winding machine 4 as the band processing means. It may have a stocker (not shown) that accumulates the cable tie 1 that has passed through the winding machine 4 as the band processing means. Also, instead of the winding machine 4, a cutter may be used as the band processing means. It is preferable that the band processing means has a function of reducing the volume when disposing of the band.

In this embodiment, a band position detection means and a band position adjustment means are provided to adjust the position of the cable tie 1 entering the pinch roll 2. In the example of FIG. 1, a laser distance meter 6 and a clamp device 5 are provided on the pinch roll inlet guide provided between the carter head 1 and the pinch roll 2. The laser distance meter 6 as the band position detection means has a function of detecting the tip of the cable tie 1 on the pinch roll inlet guide. The clamp device 5 as the band position adjustment means has a function of gripping the cable tie 1 and moving it in the axial direction of the pinch roll 2. As the band position detection means, a photoelectric sensor combining a light emitter and a light receiver may be used to detect that the cable tie blocks the light path. The cable tie 1 may also be photographed by a high-resolution imaging means. The position where the clamp device 5 is installed may be anywhere upstream of the entrance of the guide 3 with respect to the feeding of the cable tie. It is preferable that the clamp device 5 be installed close to the upstream or downstream of the pinch roll 2. The band position detection means and the band position adjustment means may be installed separately. As shown in Figure 1, it is preferable to install a laser range finder 6 on the clamping device 5 so that they move simultaneously.

2 shows an example of a suitable facility to which the cable tie recovery device 13 of this embodiment can be applied. This facility is, for example, the inlet side of a facility for rolling a coiled steel strip. The coil 8 is placed on the coil conveyor 9 and carried in. The coil 8 on the coil conveyor 9 is transferred to the coil car 11 by the transfer machine 10. On the coil car 11, the cable tie recovery device cuts and recovers the cable tie 1 wound around the coil 8. The coil 8 from which the cable tie 1 has been removed is carried to the uncoiler 14 while still on the coil car 11 by the cable bear (registered trademark) 12 and installed. The coil 8 is unwound by the uncoiler 14 and sent to a rolling machine or the like for processing. In the example of FIG. 2, the cable tie 1 wound around the coil 8 is described as an example, but the cable tie recovery device 13 of this embodiment can also be applied to the cable tie 1 that packs stacked plate-like members. As shown in FIG. 3, multiple cable ties 1 are wound around the coil 8, and each cable tyre 1 is cut by multiple cutter heads.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1(b), it is preferable to further include a control device 16 that inputs detection values from the band position detection means and commands the band position adjustment means to operate. It is preferable that the control device 16 has a function of self-diagnosing whether the band position detection means is functioning normally. For example, in the standby position, the laser rangefinder 6 can detect the distance of an object at a predetermined position that has been determined in advance, and determine that the obtained distance value is normal if it is within the desired value range. If the laser rangefinder 6 does not send a predetermined distance value to the control device 16 within a predetermined time, or if the obtained distance value is far from the desired value, the control device 16 determines that the laser rangefinder 6 is broken. In that case, it is possible to cancel subsequent automatic processing.

The control device 16 preferably determines that an abnormality has occurred when the laser distance meter 6, which moves together with the clamp device 5, is unable to detect the cable tie within a predetermined range of movement. The control device 16 also preferably determines that an abnormality has occurred when the clamp device 5 is unable to grip the cable tie 1. The grip of the cable tie 1 by the clamp 51 can be detected, for example, when the cable tie 1, pressed down by the upper clamp 51a, comes into contact with a limiter.

When the control device 16 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the cable tie collection operation as described above, it is preferable that the control device 16 outputs an alarm and outputs a signal to stop the automated line of the related equipment.

The control device 16 can be configured with a timer, a changeover switch (relay), a sequencer (PLC) including a logic circuit, and a computer including a central processing unit (CPU). It is also preferable that the output of the control device 16 is sent to a higher-level process computer, etc.

A cable tie recovery method according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow diagrams of Figures 6 and 7. Figures 6(a) to 6(d) are partially enlarged schematic diagrams of the cable tie recovery device 13 illustrated in Figure 2. Each diagram shows the flow from cutting the cable tie 1 to recovery. Figures 7(a) to 7(f) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the clamp device 5 in a flow diagram.

(1) Cutting the cable tie (FIG. 6(a))
The wound cable tie 1 is cut from the coil 8 placed on the coil car 11 by a band cutter 15, which is a band cutting means. At this time, the lower pinch roll 2b is in a lower standby position.
(2) Leading the cable tie (FIG. 6(b))
The leading end of the cut cable tie 1 is held by a cutter head 15, and the cable tie 1 is pulled out and pulled to an end where it can be clamped by pinch rolls 2.
(3) Clamping the cable tie with a pinch roll (FIG. 6(c))
The lower pinch roll 2b is flipped up, and the leading portion of the cable tie 1 is clamped between the lower pinch roll 2b and the upper pinch roll 2a. The cable tie 1 is moved back and forth by the pinch rolls 2, and further moved by a clamp device, and the position of the cable tie 1 is adjusted before being sent to the induction guide 3. The leading portion of the cable tie 1 passes through the induction guide 3 and is sent to the winding machine 4.
(4) Rolling and retrieving the cable tie (FIG. 6(d))
The cable tie 1 is crimped by the crimping machine 4. The crimped band 1a is sent to a band bag, a stocker, or the like via a chute 17. At this time, the lower pinch roll 2b is retreated to the standby position.

In this embodiment, when the tip portion of the cable tie 1 described above is sent to the winding machine 4 by the pinch rolls 2, the tip of the cable tie 1 is moved to the center in the axial direction of the pinch rolls 2 by the clamp device 5. The flow will be described below with reference to FIG.
(A) Standby position (FIG. 7(a))
The clamp device 5 is located at the clamp retraction limit position BL. The upper clamp 51a is located at the upper limit by the lifting device 52. At this point, it is preferable for the control device 16 to check whether the laser distance meter 6 functions normally. The cable tie 1 is cut and pulled by the cutter head 15 to a position where it can be clamped by the pinch roll 2. The cut cable tie 1 is clamped by the pinch roll 2 and sent back. Then, the clamp device 5 is started. It is also preferable to send the cable tie 1 back so that its tip is located upstream of the entrance of the induction guide. It is preferable that the clamp retraction limit position BL is outside the range where the pinch roll 2 can clamp the cable tie in the axial direction of the pinch roll 2.
(a) Activation of the clamping device and detection of the cable tie (FIG. 7(b))
The clamp device 5 advances FW in the axial direction of the pinch roll 2 toward the guide center CL. The laser distance meter 6 detects the reflection of the laser light LE from the cable tie 1 and sends the distance value to the control device 16. After receiving the detection of the cable tie 1, the control device 16 stops the movement of the clamp device 5 at a predetermined position. It is preferable to select the stopping position at which the clamp 51 can securely grip the cable tie 1.
(c) Lowering the upper clamp and releasing the pinch roll (Figure 7(c))
The upper clamp 51a is lowered DW by the lifting device 52. The upper clamp 51a presses down on the cable tie 1, and it is clamped and gripped between the upper clamp 51a and the lower clamp 51b. Completion of gripping can be detected by the pressed-down cable tie 1 contacting a limiter or by detecting the position of the cable tie 1 with the laser distance meter 6. When the upper clamp 51a has completed lowering, the pinch roll 2 is released. In the above example, this is done by lowering the lower pinch roll 2b.
(D) Re-advancement of the clamp device and pressing down of the pinch roll (FIG. 7(d))
The clamp device 5 is again moved forward FW while the clamp 51 is holding the cable tie 1. The forward FW continues until the clamp device 5 reaches the clamp forward limit position FL and the end of the clamp 51 comes into contact with the guide center position CL. When the clamp device 5 stops, the pinch roll 2 again clamps and presses down the cable tie 1.
(E) Upper clamp rises (Figure 7(e))
The upper clamp 51a is raised (UW) by the lifting device 52, and the cable tie 1 is released.
(F) Retraction of the clamp device (FIG. 7(f))
When the upward movement UW is completed, the clamp device 5 is moved backward BW to the clamp backward limit position BL.
(G) Processing of Cable Ties The cable tie 1 is clamped by the pinch rolls 2 and sent out toward the induction guide. When the cable tie 1 is sent out for a predetermined time and the winding machine 4 has wound the cable tie to a predetermined length, the pinch rolls 2 are opened slightly to release the clamping of the cable tie 1.
In the example of FIG. 7, only one side in the axial direction of the pinch roll 2 with respect to the induction guide center position CL is illustrated, but it is preferable to arrange a similar device on the opposite side and perform a similar operation.

The success rate of cable tie recovery was compared between an inventive example in which the cable tie recovery work was performed using the band position detection means and band position adjustment means of this embodiment, and a conventional example in which the cable tie recovery work was performed without using them. The results are shown in Figure 8. The conventional example had a success rate of 87% for 89,391 band recovery opportunities, while the inventive example had a success rate of 97% for 18,819 band recovery opportunities, exceeding the target value of 95%.

The cable tie recovery device and method of the present invention can reduce the failure of the band to advance and recover the cable tie with a high success rate, improving productivity in processing plate materials and making it industrially useful.

1 Band (cable tie)
Reference Signs List 1a: crimped band 2: pinch roll 2a: upper pinch roll 2b: lower pinch roll 3: induction guide 4: crimper 5: clamp device 51: clamp 51a: upper clamp 51b: lower clamp 52: lifting device 6: laser distance meter 7: pinch roll inlet guide 8: coil 9: coil conveyor 10: transfer machine 11: coil car 12: Cableveyor (registered trademark)
13 Cable tie recovery device 14 Uncoiler 15 Cutter head 16 Control device 17 Chute FL Clamp forward limit position BL Clamp backward limit position FW Forward BW Backward DW Down UW Up CL Guiding guide center LE Laser light IP Collision position

Claims (6)

A plurality of band cutting means for cutting a plurality of cable ties wound around a stacked plate material or a coiled plate material and gripping the cut bands;
A band processing means for recovering the cut binding band;
A pinch roll and an induction guide for sending the cut cable tie toward the band processing means;
a band position detection means and a band position adjustment means, which are installed upstream of an inlet of the guide with respect to the feeding of the cable tie;
Equipped with
The cable tie recovery device is configured such that, based on the position of the cable tie detected by the band position detection means, the band position adjustment means grasps the cable tie, moves the cable tie in a direction parallel to the axis of the pinch roll to a predetermined position toward the center of the induction guide, and hands it over to the pinch roll. Further, a control means is provided,
The control means, upon recognizing that the band position detection means is functioning normally,
1) when the band position detection means cannot detect the cable tie; and
2) The cable tie recovery device according to claim 1, which is configured to determine that an abnormality has occurred when the band position adjustment means is unable to grip the cable tie, or when both of these are the cases. The cable tie recovery device according to claim 2, wherein the control means has a function of automatically stopping the line and outputting an alarm when an abnormality is detected. a band cutting step of cutting and gripping a plurality of cable ties wound around a stacked plate material or a coiled plate material by a plurality of band cutting means;
a band delivery step of delivering the cut cable tie using a pinch roll and an induction guide;
A band processing step of recovering the sent-out binding band;
Including,
A cable tie recovery method comprising the steps of: detecting the position of the cable tie after the band cutting process and before it is sent out to the induction guide; gripping the cable tie with a band position adjustment means; moving the cable tie in a direction parallel to the axis of the pinch roll and to a predetermined position toward the center of the induction guide, and handing it over to the pinch roll. After confirming that the device for detecting the position of the cable tie is functioning normally,
1) when the position of the cable tie is not detected; and
2) The cable tie recovery method according to claim 4, further comprising determining that an abnormality has occurred when the band position adjustment means does not grip the cable tie, or when both of the above-mentioned abnormalities have occurred. The cable tie recovery method according to claim 5, in which, when the abnormality is determined, the control means automatically stops the line and outputs an alarm.

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