Robot system and method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes

Abstract

At present, the cathode stripping process as it is carried out today presents the disadvantage of being carried out manually or through equipment specially designed for this task, but inevitably it requires human intervention whether for stripping or classification. Due to the above a robot system has been developed to automate the process of cathode stripping process. The robotic system is composed mainly of a robotic manipulator ( 1 ) of at least 5 degrees of freedom, and a gripping mechanism ( 2 ) which allows to take a cathode, ( 3 ) from a feeding rack ( 4 ) located at one of its sides, and which moves the cathodes through a defined path to the stripping station ( 5 ), where synchronized with the carousel the cathode ( 3 ) stripping method from the base plate will take place in a sequential and programmed way through different operations of hammering, bending and separation. Then, the robotic manipulator ( 1 ) takes the base plate and moves it to the unloading rack while the cathode ( 3 ) is stored in pallet for being later moved. Additionally, this robotic system comprises a station for the removal of rejected cathodes and a station for the reposition of plates.

1 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes, comprising an anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom, one control, communication and programming unit, one gripper adapter, one gripper mechanism, its fingers, one gripper pneumatic driving system, one electric supply system and one unloading rack wherein the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom is provided with a gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential and programmed way to take a cathode from a feeding rack located at one of its sides, and moves it through a defined path, to the stripping station, where synchronized with the carousel will carry out in a sequential and programmed way the cathode stripping process from the base plate through successive operations of hammering, bending and separation, in such a way that once this procedure is finished the robotic manipulator takes the base plate and moves it to the unloading rack, while the cathode is stored in pallet for the subsequent moving.  
     
     
         2 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom is provided with a gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential and programmed way to take, manipulate and release one base plate to move it from the stripping station to the unloading rack.  
     
     
         3 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator could communicate by itself or through a PLC interface with the control system both of the ISA process and the Kidd process.  
     
     
         4 . A robot system cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to obtain and interpret the information of analogue and/or digital sensors installed both in the ISA process and in the Kidd process.  
     
     
         5 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to generate analogue and/or digital signals to control analogue and/or digital input devices.  
     
     
         6 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom, with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows to take, manipulate and release a cathode and/or a base plate to move it in different paths, to the stripping station within the work volume of the robotic system in an automated way.  
     
     
         7 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein a pneumatic gripping mechanism is used comprising at least 4 fingers which allow to grasp and release the base plates.  
     
     
         8 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom is mounted on a fixed and/or mobile support located between the mobile drawer racks with rectangular base and the cathode stripping machine.  
     
     
         9 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein a cathode feeding rack is used which is on a mobile structure with rectangular base forming plane faces, so the inside part is hollow, and the racks moves outside or inside the work volume of the robot to be filled with cathodes.  
     
     
         10 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein a rack for unloading base plates is used which is has a rectangular base forming plane faces, so the inside is hollow and the racks move outside or inside the work volume of the robot to be filled with base plates.  
     
     
         11 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom, with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows to take, manipulate and release, one base plate to move it in different paths to the unloading rack within the work volume of the robotic system in an automated way.  
     
     
         12 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical system driven by three-stage induction motors, with vectorial and/or scalar control.  
     
     
         13 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the system could be integrated to ISA process and to Kidd process.  
     
     
         14 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein the system could be integrated not only to electro-winning processes of different metals such as copper, zinc, but also it could be used to carry out stripping procedures in a wide range of other industrial productive processes.  
     
     
         15 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein productivity and efficiency in the stripping process increases.  
     
     
         16 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein it prevents the plant personnel from being subjected to a high physical demand and harsh environmental conditions.  
     
     
         17 . A robot system for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes according to  claim 1 , wherein multiple sensing devices could be integrated such as artificial vision, weighing sensors, distance sensors, etc.  
     
     
         18 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom is provided with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential and programmed way to take, manipulate and release a base plate to move it from the stripping station to the unloading rack.  
     
     
         19 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom is provided with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows to take, manipulate and release, a cathode and/or base plate to move it in different paths within the work volume of the robot system in an automated way.  
     
     
         20 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator could communicate by itself or through a PLC interface with the control system both in ISA process and Kidd process.  
     
     
         21 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to obtain and interpret the information from analogue and/or digital sensors installed in ISA process and Kidd process.  
     
     
         22 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to generate analogue and/or digital signals to control the analogue and/or digital inputs devices.  
     
     
         23 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein a pneumatic gripping mechanism is used comprising at least 4 fingers which allows to grasp and release the base plates.  
     
     
         24 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom is mounted on a fixed and/or mobile support located between the mobile drawer racks with rectangular base and the cathode stripping machine.  
     
     
         25 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein a cathode feeding rack is used which is a mobile structure with a rectangular base forming plane faces, in such a way that the inside is hollow and the racks move outside or inside the work volume of the robot to be filled with cathodes.  
     
     
         26 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein a base plate unloading rack is used which is a structure with a rectangular base forming plane faces, in such a way that the inside is hollow and the racks move outside or inside the work volume of the robot to be filled with base plates.  
     
     
         27 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom, with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows to take, manipulate and release, one base plate and move it, in different paths to the unloading rack within the work volume of the robotic system in an automated way.  
     
     
         28 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical system driven by three-stage induction motors with vectorial and/or scalar control.  
     
     
         29 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes, using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein it could be integrated to the ISA process or to the Kidd process.  
     
     
         30 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein it could be integrated not only to electro-winning processes of different metals such as copper, zinc, but also it could be used in stripping processes in a wide range of other industrial productive processes.  
     
     
         31 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of claim N o   1  to N o   17 , wherein productivity and efficiency of the stripping process increases.  
     
     
         32 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein it prevents the plant personnel from being subjected to a high physical demand and harsh environmental conditions.  
     
     
         33 . A robotic method for cathode stripping in electrometallurgical and industrial processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  17 , wherein multiple sensing devices could be integrated such as artificial vision, weight sensors, distance sensors, etc.