JPH0513744B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a hot processing apparatus that allows a series of steps to be performed automatically and appropriately.

B. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a hot processing apparatus comprising a heating means, a processing means, and a transport means for transporting a heated workpiece from the heating means to the processing means, in which the transport means can start transport. By providing a discharge timing control means that prevents the workpiece from being discharged from the induction heating furnace (heating means) to the discharge table until it reaches the standby position, the time that the workpiece is left on the discharge table becomes longer and the temperature decreases. This prevents the workpiece from being transported to the processing means.

C. Prior Art In processing a member, there is hot processing in which the member is heated to soften it and then processed.

For example, when hot working a workpiece such as a billet or a pipe material, an induction heating furnace is employed as a heating means, and conventionally, a hot working apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has been used.

As shown in the figure, the hot working device is composed of heating means 2 and forging means 3 as processing means.

First, the heating means 2 will be explained. When the workpiece 1 is fed from the notch 5 at the tip of the supply chute 4 onto the two rails 6, the rod 8 of the cylinder 7 transports the workpiece 1 to the induction heating furnace on the left in FIG. Push towards 9. A positioning plate 10 for positioning the end of the workpiece 7 is attached to a position adjuster 11 on the side of the rail 6, and the workpiece 1 is positioned by the positioning plate 10. Afterwards, it is pushed out toward the induction heating furnace 9. The induction heating furnace 9 has a U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 2c, and is connected to a high frequency or medium frequency power source 13 via a cable 12. At the front of the induction heating furnace 9, a pair of upper and lower conveyor belts 14a and 14b are connected to rollers 15.
The upper and lower rollers 15 are connected to a motor 16. The workpiece 1 pushed by the rod 8 has one end inserted into the groove 17 of the induction heating furnace 9, and the other end is sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyor belts 14a, 14b. transported to. In other words, the workpiece 1
Only about half of one end is heated during transportation, and when it reaches the end of the furnace it reaches a predetermined temperature, e.g.
Raise the temperature to 1200℃. The workpiece 1 heated in this manner slides down along the discharge chute 18, falls from its lower end onto the transport chute 19, and is moved to the forging means 3. Then, the workpiece 1
is manually set in the forging means 3,
Processed. Note that heating means 2 is controlled in case 2.
This is performed by a control device (not shown) housed in the 0.

D. Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, there are problems in that a worker is required to set the workpiece on the forging means, and the workpiece is handled at a high temperature, which is highly dangerous.

For this reason, some systems have been automated by installing handling devices (robots), but these have the following problems. In other words, the heating means, the handling device, and the forging means are operated at synchronized processing speeds, but if, for example, trouble occurs with the handling device or the forging means, synchronization may be lost and the workpiece may be heated unnecessarily. The workpieces accumulate on the discharge table, and the workpieces whose temperature has decreased due to natural cooling are processed. Therefore, it is necessary to have a worker assigned to deal with the problem immediately when it occurs.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hot processing apparatus that solves such problems.

F Means for solving the problem The structure of the present invention to achieve the above object is as follows:
A heating means comprising an induction heating furnace equipped with a conveyor;
a discharge stand that is provided near the heating means and discharges the workpiece heated by the heating means;
processing means for hot processing the heated workpiece;
A hot processing apparatus comprising a conveying means for transporting a workpiece from a discharge table to a processing means, comprising a position sensor near a terminal end of the conveyor, and a stopping means for stopping the conveyor,
The present invention is characterized by being provided with a discharge timing control means for stopping the conveyor by means of a stop means unless the conveyance means is in a standby position and the processing means is in a receptive state when the workpiece passes the position sensor. do.

F Effect The conveying means transports the workpiece from the discharge table of the heating means to the processing means in synchronization with the heating means and the processing means, and waits at a predetermined position when the transport is finished. However, when the position sensor provided near the end of the conveyor detects the workpiece, if the conveyance means is not in the standby position due to a conveyance delay or trouble, the conveyor is stopped by the stop means and the workpiece is heating continues. When the conveyance means comes to the standby position, the conveyor starts operating, so that the workpiece is discharged onto the discharge table, and then immediately transported to the processing means by the conveyance means. Since the workpiece remains heated without waiting on the discharge table until the conveyance means reaches the standby position, the temperature of the workpiece does not drop during processing by the processing means, and the workpiece is always heated. Appropriate hot working is performed.

G. Embodiments Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be noted that this embodiment is a partial improvement of the conventional hot processing apparatus, so the same parts are given the same reference numerals, the explanation thereof will be omitted, and only the different parts will be explained.

An embodiment of the hot processing apparatus according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1a.
Shown in ~d.

In the present invention, a discharge chute 25 having a discharge platform 24 is provided in place of the conventional discharge chute 18, and the angle between the discharge platform 24 and the forging means 3 is approximately
A handling device (robot) 26 serving as a conveying means is arranged at a 90° position.

The handling device 26 includes a base 27, a support 28 that is attached to the base 27 in a vertical direction, is rotatable by at least 90° about a vertical axis, and is extendable and retractable;
The arm 29 is attached to the tip of the arm 29 and can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction, and the hand 30 is attached to the tip of the arm 29 and can be rotated around the axis of the arm 29 and can be grasped. .

In order to properly control the above-mentioned devices, etc., the following configuration is adopted.

The cylinder 7 is set so that the rod 8 makes one reciprocation of the expansion and contraction at regular intervals, and the workpiece 1 is moved by the rod 8 to the conveyor belts 14a, 1.
It is pushed between 4b. The workpiece 1 is sandwiched between conveyor belts 14a and 14b and conveyed to the left in the figure. When the conveyor belts 14a, 14b are stopped due to a failure or when the workpiece 1 cannot be heated due to a failure of the induction heating furnace 9, a push control means is provided to prevent the operation of the cylinder 7. When the rod 8 completes one reciprocating movement of expansion and contraction,
In conjunction with this, the next workpiece 1 is fed from the supply chute 4 onto the rail 6. In other words, if the conveyor belts 14a, 14b break down or the induction heating furnace 9 breaks down, the conveyor belt 14
Not only is the workpiece 1 not pushed between a and 14b, but also the supply of the workpiece 1 from the supply chute 4 onto the rail 6 is stopped. In addition, Rod 8
Instead of having a timer perform this operation at regular intervals, a position sensor such as a touch sensor or a proximity sensor (position sensor 21 shown by a chain line in the figure) is provided near the starting end of the conveyor belt 14b, and the workpiece 1 is By detecting that this position has been passed, the rod 8 may be actuated to feed the next workpiece 1 between the conveyor belts 14a, 14b.

Heating is performed only when the workpiece 1 has been transferred from the discharge table 24 to the forging means 3 by the handle ring device 26, the hand 30 of the handling device 26 is in the standby position, and the forging means 3 is in a receptive state. Discharge timing control means for discharging the heated workpiece 1 from the means 2 onto the discharging table 24 is provided. That is, a position sensor 23 for detecting passage of the workpiece 1 is provided near the rear end of the conveyor belt 14b, and the position sensor 23 is connected to a control device in the case 20 below the heating means 2. The device 26 and the forging means 3 are also connected to the control device. Then, a signal from the position sensor 23, a signal indicating that the hand 30 is in the standby position P shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. When a signal is input to the control device, a command to continue operation is sent from the control device to an ON-OFF switch 33 as a stopping means that can stop the rotation of the motor 16.
given to. If at least one of the two requirements, ie, the handling device 26 is in the standby position and the forging means 3 is in an acceptable state, is not ready, the ON-
The rotation of the motor 16 is stopped by the OFF switch 33.

Note that the delay in the process that normally occurs is generally short, and is not large enough to cause the temperature of the workpiece 1 to rise excessively due to the stoppage of the conveyor belts 14a, 14b. However, when it is necessary to cope with cases where the induction heating furnace 9 is stopped for a long time, or when it is necessary to accurately set the temperature during hot processing of the workpiece, it is necessary to detect the temperature of the workpiece. A thermometer may be provided near the outlet of the induction heating furnace 9, and an output regulator may be provided to adjust the output supplied to the induction heating furnace 9 according to the detected temperature.

In addition, it is preferable to include a power control means that lowers the heating power of the induction heating furnace when the rotation of the motor 16 is stopped and the workpiece 1 is stopped in the induction heating furnace 9. That is, the output supplied from the power supply 13 to the induction heating furnace 9 is set in advance in two stages, and an output setting switch (Fig. 1a) is used to switch the output between the two stages.
) 34 operates in conjunction with the ON-OFF switch 33. The larger output is set to a power value that can raise the temperature of the workpiece to a predetermined temperature while passing through the induction heating furnace 9, and the smaller output is set to a power value that allows the workpiece to be heated to a predetermined temperature while passing through the induction heating furnace 9. The electric power value is set to a value that can maintain the temperature of the workpiece 1 so that it does not drop.

Next, the operation of such a hot working device will be explained.

Heating in induction heating furnace 9 and handling device 2
The conveyance by 6 and the processing by forging means 3 are set to be synchronized, and the heated workpiece 1 passes through the position of the position sensor 23, slides down the ejection chute 25, and lands on the ejection table 24. Once placed, the hand 30 of the handling device 26, which has been waiting at the standby position P, operates in response to a signal from the position sensor 23, grabs it and carries it to the forging means 3, and then machining of the workpiece 1 begins. After the processing is completed, the workpiece 1 is transported to another location by means not shown. Alternatively, it may be carried by the handling device 26. The handling device 26 includes the arm 2
9 to move the hand 30 to the standby position P.
approach the workpiece 1 on the discharge table 24 and grab it, and move the hand 30 around the support 28 about
After turning the workpiece 1 by 90 degrees and twisting it by 90 degrees around the axis of the arm 29 to place the workpiece 1 vertically into the forging means 3, the hand 30 is turned about 90 degrees in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned direction and is placed in the standby position P. Return to , and the process will end.

If a problem occurs in the handling device 26 and the hand 30 has not returned to the standby position P, discharging the workpiece 1 to the discharging table 24 is suspended. That is, when the position sensor 23 detects the workpiece 1 being conveyed by the conveyor belts 14a and 14b, it is recognized that the hand 30 has not returned to the standby position P due to the operating state of the handling device 26. If so, the ON-OFF switch 33 operates to stop the movement of the conveyor belts 14a, 14b. Therefore, the workpiece 1 is stopped in the induction heating furnace 9 without being discharged onto the discharge table 24, and the heated state continues. After that, the handling device 26
When it is confirmed that the hand 30 has returned to the standby position P, the ON-OFF switch 33 is activated to rotate the motor 16, and the conveyors 14a, 1
4b, the workpiece 1 is discharged onto the discharge stage 24. The workpiece 1 discharged from the induction heating furnace 9 onto the discharge table 24 is transported by the handling device 26 as described above, and returns to the normal operating state. Therefore, the workpiece 1 is wasted on the discharge table 2.
There are no problems such as discharge onto the discharge table 24 or a drop in temperature on the discharge stage 24, and processing is always performed at an appropriate temperature. Note that if the heating power of the induction heating furnace 9 is set in two stages and switched as described above, the conveyor belt 14
Simultaneously with the stoppage of the workpieces 1 and 14b, the output setting switch 34 is activated, and the electric power supplied to the induction heating furnace 9 is switched to the smaller electric power value necessary for heat retention of the workpiece 1, and the workpiece 1 is heated. Conveyor belt 14a, 1
When 4b starts moving again, it returns to the high power value for normal heating.

Further, even if the hand 30 of the handling device 26 returns to the standby position P, if forging of the workpiece 1 is not completed due to trouble etc. within the forging means 3, the forging of the workpiece 1 is not completed depending on the operating state of the forging means 3. This is recognized and the ejection of the workpiece 1 is also suspended. Therefore, wasteful discharge and natural cooling of the workpiece 1 can be avoided.

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which the processing means is forging means, but the present invention is not limited to this.

H. Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, since the discharge timing control means is provided, even if a processing delay or trouble occurs in the processing means or handling means, the workpiece is not transferred from the induction heating means to the discharge table. It is possible to delay the discharge timing of workpieces, so that workpieces that have been left on the discharge table for a long time and whose temperature has dropped are not processed by the processing means, and many workpieces do not accumulate on the discharge table. . Therefore, the workpiece can always be supplied to the processing means in a timely manner, and the problem of producing defective products due to processing the workpiece at a low temperature does not occur.

In addition, the induction heating furnace can be automatically operated while always maintaining synchronization in response to delays and troubles that occur in the processing means and transport means, and the transport of high-temperature workpieces can be automated.

Furthermore, by setting the power value supplied to the induction heating furnace in two levels (large and small) and automatically switching, it is even easier to maintain the temperature of the workpiece at a constant level when the discharge of the workpiece is suspended. It is reliable and wasteful consumption of power is avoided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1A to 1D relate to an embodiment of the hot processing apparatus according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a plan view, and FIG. , FIG. 1 d is a view taken along the - arrow in FIG. 1 a, FIGS. 2 a to c relate to a conventional hot processing apparatus, FIG. Figure c is a left side view. 1... Workpiece member, 2... Heating means, 3... Forging means, 9... Induction heating furnace, 14a, 14b...
Conveyor belt, 16...Motor, 23...Position sensor, 24...Discharge table, 26...Handling device, 33...ON-OFF switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A heating means comprising an induction heating furnace equipped with a conveyor, a discharge stand provided near the heating means and for discharging the workpiece heated by the heating means, and a workpiece after heating. A hot processing device comprising a processing means for hot processing a workpiece, and a conveyance means for transporting the workpiece from a discharge table to the processing means, wherein a position sensor is provided near an end of the conveyor; Discharging timing control is provided with a stopping means for stopping the conveyor, and the conveyor is stopped by the stopping means unless the conveying means is in a standby position and the processing means is in an acceptable state when the workpiece passes the position sensor. A hot processing device characterized by being provided with means.