BE1019651A5 - MULTIFUNCTIONAL HEAD FOR AN AUTOMATIC WIRING MACHINE. - Google Patents

Abstract

In the multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine, the functions are integrated that allow you to automatically provide wires of different thicknesses (diameter 0.5 - 0.75 - 1 - 1.5 - 2.5 or 4 mm) with various types of wire end sleeves and to insert them into cable ducts. conduct and connect to the most common components in an electrical control cabinet. The necessary functions are integrated for wire cutting, wire stripping, automatic feeding and selection of various types of ferrules, crimping ferrules on the stripped wire, laying the wire in the cable trays and connecting this wire in terminals, both screw terminals and plug terminals.

Description

Description

Title

Multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine

Technical area

In electrical engineering, the wiring of electrical control cabinets and panels is still largely done manually: according to an electrical diagram, wires are laid that connect the various electrical components to each other.

With the new invention it is made possible to wire a switch panel without the intervention of an operator, starting from an electrical diagram and a mounting plate on which the elements to be cabled and cable ducts are arranged in the right place.

State of the art

There are separate tools and / or machines for a number of separate functions needed for wiring electrical panels, for example for wire cutting, wire stripping, wire marking, pinching of ferrules and screw terminals. Prepared wires can be added manually and mounted on the switch panels by an operator.

The company WAGO developed an automatic wiring machine CC-matic, for wiring electrical panels. However, this can only be used with components that are equipped with their Cage Clamp technology.

(see www.voutube.com/watch?v=riv9q4F1Dvo)

The invention

In the multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine all the necessary functions are brought together and integrated for wire cutting, wire stripping, the automatic supply of various types of ferrules, pinching ferrules on the stripped wire, and connecting this wire into terminals, both screw terminals and plug terminals, and checking the connection.

With the new invention it is made possible to cable a switch panel without the intervention of an operator, starting from an electrical diagram and a mounting plate on which the elements to be cabled and cable trays are arranged in the right place

It supplies the wire, mounts the selected ferrules and connects them to the desired component, guides the wire into the cable ducts and then connects the other end of the wire.

The multifunctional head for a wiring machine is mounted on an XY table on which the electrical panel is placed. Electrical wire (with a diameter of 0.5 - 0.75 -1 -1.5 - 2.5 or 4 mm) is supplied, automatically cut, stripped, (if necessary marked) with the appropriate ferrule, positioned in pre-positioned cable ducts, and screwed or clamped onto the correct placement of pre-installed electrical components (fuse / circuit breaker / relay / terminal / ...) in the electrical panel.

The whole can further be equipped with a supply station with wire in different colors and thicknesses, and a marking system.

Brief description of the drawings

Drawing 1 shows a total view of the multifunctional head mounted on an X-axis for a wiring machine. Drawing 2 shows a top view (TOP VIEW)

Drawing 3 shows a bottom view (BOTTOM VIEW).

Drawing 4 shows an open view (OPEN VIEW). Here the rotation axis has been removed to show some details

Preferred embodiment of the invention

The multifunctional head for a wiring machine as further described here can be mounted on an XY table. The electrical panel to be wired is placed on this X-Y table. A supply station with wire in different colors and thicknesses, and a marking system, can complete the whole into a machine that can carry out the wiring of the electrical panel without the intervention of an operator.

The multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine is a compact unit that is mounted on a bridge structure of an X-Y table, hanging on the X-axis. The head can be rotated through 360 degrees. The following functional units can be distinguished in the head: wire feed unit, cutting strip crimping unit, screwdriver unit, various grippers and clamps, wire reversing unit, and a mechanism for selection and supply of ferrules:

The following functions are integrated together in the multifunctional head:

The figures refer to the figures on the drawings 1: X-axis: drive unit for the horizontal X movement drive motor with rotating nut for spindle drive 2: rotation axis: integrated drive motor of the psi-axis motor with belt drive for a movement> 360 degrees 3 : wire feed unit

Servomotor and propulsion system with timing belt 4 + 5: CSC unit: shear strip - shrink unit spindle driven bearing carriage for positioning (4) plus servo driven symmetrical "scissors" with accurately adjustable opening and force (5) 6: Unit for the selection and supply of ferrules

This unit will be discussed in more detail later 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13: Screwdriver unit This consists of • The Gripper XYZ (7) is responsible for the positioning of the gripper fingers in the horizontal plane • The horizontal positioning (8) of the screwdriver in relation to the clamp in which the wire is placed • the vertical movement (9) of the screwdriver for tightening the screws • the Screwdriver rotation shaft (10) is a controlled Servomotor whose constant the torque is measured, before turning in and to determine the tightening torque • the Gripper Clamp (11) for gripping the wire to be able to bring and keep the wire in accurate position • the Gripper Rotation Axis (12) around the gripped wire from vertical to horizontal position and vice-versa • The Gripper-Z (13) determines the vertical position of the gripper to bring the gripped wire to the height of the wire entry of the clamp • The different b ts for the screwdriver are taken from a bit magazine - this is not further discussed here 15: Threaded tube

The required type of wire is fed in here and the wire is guided 16: Wire reversing unit to rotate the thread end direction by 180 degrees plus rotation axis (17-18) to bring the wire into the correct position for plug-in terminals - the wire must then be inserted vertically plus clamp (14) to grasp the wire when turning the wire for the vertical insertion of the wire at plug-in terminals

The following sections describe the different steps that the multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine mounted on an XY table automatically traverses for each wire to be laid (the numbers refer to the functional units as mentioned above), and in a final In this section, the unit for selecting and supplying ferrules is described: 1) Connecting the first wire end • The head is brought in its entirety to a certain Y position.

• The X axis (1) moves the head to the X position where the wire is to be connected, the Rotation axis (2) places the head in the correct rotation position.

• Wire marking can be applied before the wire is fed into the head via the Wire Feed Unit (3).

• The wire feed unit automatically adjusts to the selected wire thickness.

• The start of the wire is detected with a photocell. The wire is guided through the Wire Tube (15) to the height of the CSC unit (Cut-Strip-Crimp unit - 4-5).

• When wire is supplied, the CSC unit is brought into the cutting position. The wire is cut to size. The Gripper Clamp (11) grabs the wire. The stripping unit automatically adjusts to the programmed wire thickness, and the wire is stripped to the programmed length.

• After stripping, the stripped wire end remains clamped in a stripping clamp.

• The desired type of ferrule is automatically selected in the ferrule selection and supply unit and supplied in the shrink unit of the CSC unit.

• The shrink unit of the CSC is now placed under the strip clamp.

• The gripper inserts the stripped wire into the ferrule. The wire end sleeve is pressed onto the wire with the programmed force. The wire with wire end sleeve is removed from the crimping position by the gripper. The CSC unit is then brought to a safe parking position.

Vertical insertion of the wire (eg when connecting to plug-in terminals): • The gripper brings the wire to the gripper of the wire reversing unit (16) that takes over the wire • The wire reversing unit rotates the gripped wire by 90 ° • The wire becomes taken over again by the gripper who now holds the wire in horizontal position • The gripper rotates via the Gripper Rotation axis (12) from horizontal to vertical position • The screwdriver unit takes the appropriate bit from the bit magazine.

• The screwdriver is positioned at the correct distance from the gripper, is brought to the clamp and opens the clamp. The gripper goes vertically to the connection height with motor Gripper-Z (13), and places the wire in the clamp using this Gripper-Z.

• The screwdriver then rises.

• The gripper pulls the wire with a pre-programmed force to check the connection. After this the gripper releases the wire and goes to his parking position.

Horizontal insertion of the wire (eg connecting to screw terminals): • The gripper rotates via the Gripper Rotation axis (12) from vertical to horizontal position • The screwdriver takes the appropriate bit from the bit magazine. The gripper goes vertically to the connection height with Gripper-Z motor (13), and places the wire in the clamp using the movement driven by Gripper-XY (7).

• The screwdriver is positioned at the correct distance from the gripper. The turning movement of the screwdriver is started with Screwdriver Rotation axis (10) and is brought to the screw. The screwdriver keeps moving until the set torque is reached. Then the screwdriver motor stops and goes up.

• The gripper pulls the wire with a pre-programmed force to check the connection. After this the gripper releases the wire and goes to his parking position.

2) Placing wire in the cable channel • The Wire pipe (15) makes a vertical movement into the cable channel.

• The wire is placed in the cable tray using a combined and synchronized movement of the X-axis (1), the rotation axis, the Y-axis and the wire feed unit (3).

3) Connecting the second thread end • Arriving at a predetermined distance from the second connection position, the gripper moves to its thread grip position and grabs the thread.

• When wire is supplied, the CSC unit is brought into the cutting position. The wire is cut to size. The gripper grabs the thread. The stripping unit automatically adjusts to the programmed wire thickness, and the wire is stripped to the programmed length. After stripping, the stripped wire end remains clamped in a stripping clamp. The desired type of ferrule is selected and supplied in the shrink unit of the CSC unit and the shrink unit of the CSC is now placed under the strip clamp. The gripper brings the stripped wire into the ferrule. The wire end sleeve is pressed onto the wire with the programmed force. The wire with wire end sleeve is removed from the crimping position by the gripper. The CSC unit is brought to a safe parking position. The wire is grasped by the wire reversing unit (16). The grab opens and releases the thread. The wire reversing unit rotates 180 degrees. The thread is again grasped by the gripper.

Vertical insertion of the wire (eg when connecting to plug-in terminals): • The gripper brings the wire to a wire reversing unit clamp that takes over the wire and rotates it through 90 °. The wire is taken over again by the gripper who now holds the wire in the horizontal position. The gripper rotates via the GripperRotation axis (12) from horizontal to vertical position. The screwdriver takes the appropriate bit from the bit magazine. The screwdriver is positioned at the correct distance from the gripper, is brought to the clamp and opens the clamp. The gripper goes vertically to the connection height with Gripper-Z motor (13), and places the wire in the clamp using the movement of this Gripper-Z. Then the screwdriver goes up again. Now the gripper pulls the wire with a pre-programmed force to check the connection. After this the gripper releases the wire and goes to his parking position.

Horizontal insertion of the wire (eg connection to screw terminals): • The gripper rotates from vertical to horizontal position. The screwdriver takes the appropriate bit from the bit magazine. The gripper goes vertically to the connection height (13), and places the wire in the clamp using the movement driven by gripper XY (7). The screwdriver unit is positioned at the correct distance from the gripper and starts the turning movement of the screwdriver (10) and is brought to the screw. The screwdriver keeps moving until the set torque is reached. The screwdriver motor stops and goes up. Now the gripper pulls the wire with a pre-programmed force to check the connection. After this the gripper releases the wire and goes to his parking position.

4) Unit for the selection and supply of ferrules

This unit consists of two parts: 1. the ferrule sleeve selection unit, permanently mounted on the CSC unit 2. the ferrule sleeve distribution center 1. On the ferrule sleeve selection unit there is a trolley with vacuum piston, which in combination with the movement of the CSC unit can be positioned so that it can perform the following functions: selection of the desired ferrule supply box by pressing a selector on the desired box, enclosing the released ferrule and suctioning it through vacuum, and transferring the ferrule to the crimping position of the CSC unit.

2. The cable end sleeve distribution center consists of a number (for example 8) of cable end sleeve supply boxes that are specific per type of cable end sleeve and per diameter.

The ferrules come in the ferrules supply boxes from standard rolls that are for sale on the market.

By pressing the selector on a cord end sleeve supply box, a ratchet mechanism (via lever, pawls and gears) is set in motion whereby one cord end sleeve is advanced and presented to the cord end sleeve selection unit. A cutting mechanism is activated after the wire end sleeve is sucked in by the wire end sleeve selection unit to release the wire end sleeve.

Claims (2)

Conclusion Conclusion 1 The multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine is characterized in that it is a compact unit that can be mounted on a bridge structure of an X-Y table suspended on the X-axis. The head can be rotated through 360 degrees. The multifunctional head combines a wire feed unit, a shear-strip crimping unit, a screwdriver unit, various grippers and clamps, a wire reversing unit, and a unit for selection and supply of wire end sleeves, and a unit for guiding wires into cable trays. All these units are provided to handle different wire thicknesses. With this multifunctional head, electrical connections can be made in an automated manner between components of an electrical panel. The multifunctional head for an automatic wiring machine, if placed on a robot with at least a freely programmable X-Y movement, and controlled by specific software and a robot control unit, can independently wire electrical panels. Conclusion The ferrule selection and supply unit of Claim 1, characterized by a ferrule sleeve selection unit, and a ferrule sleeve distribution center, can accurately and quickly feed different types of ferrules for ferrules.