Robot system and method for fire refined bundling procedure in metal smelting processes

Abstract

At present, the ingots from the fire refined mold casting wheel are taken and arranged manually to make the fire refined bundles. The tasks associated to this procedure are characterized by the exposure to the personnel to harsh environmental conditions. In the medium and long term, this could generate serious occupational diseases to the operators in charge of developing this task. Due to the above, a robot system and method have been developed to automate fire refined bundling. The robotic system is composed mainly of a robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom ( 1 ) which is mounted on a fixed and/or mobile system ( 2 ) and provided with a gripping mechanism ( 3 ) to take, manipulate and release an ingot ( 4 ) for fire refined bundling ( 5 ). In this regard, most of the problems associated to the safety of the people and to the productivity of the current manual process are eliminated.

1 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, comprising two anthropomorphous robotic arms of at least 5 degrees of freedom, with their corresponding control, communication and programming units, gripper adapters, gripper mechanisms, gripper mechanism driving systems and electric supply systems wherein the first anthropomorphous robotic manipulator 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 metal ingots from the mold casting wheel to the water bath to cool it, so once the ingot cools off, it is taken, manipulated and released from the water bath to the fire refined bundling area, in a sequential and programmed way, by the second anthropomorphous robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom provided with a gripping mechanism, so the ingot is deposited on a mobile drawer rack containing them, located near the robotic manipulator.  
     
     
         2 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the first robotic manipulator could be mounted on a fixed and/or mobile system located between the mold casting wheel and the water bath, so it allows to approach and/or move away between the mold casting wheel and the cooling water bath according to the task to be performed.  
     
     
         3 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the second robotic manipulator could be mounted on a fixed and/or mobile system located between the fire refined bundling area and the water bath, so it may move to approach or move away between the fire refined bundling area and the cooling water bath according to the task to be performed.  
     
     
         4 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator could communicate by itself or through a PLC interface with the control system.  
     
     
         5 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to obtain and interpret the information from installed analogue and/or digital sensors.  
     
     
         6 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting 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.  
     
     
         7 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system has the capacity to move and manipulate the ingots, in a sequential and programmed way, in different paths within the work volume of the robotic manipulator.  
     
     
         8 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting 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.  
     
     
         9 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system uses a gripping mechanism to take, manipulate and release the fire refined ingots.  
     
     
         10 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system uses a gripping mechanism comprising at least 4 fingers, which allows to grasp and release the fire refined ingots.  
     
     
         11 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical system driven by cage induction motors (with no slip rings), with vectorial control.  
     
     
         12 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein productivity and efficiency in the fire refined bundling procedure in the smelting process of different metals such as copper, iron, zinc, lead etc increases.  
     
     
         13 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system could be integrated to fire refined bundling procedures of different metals of interest such as copper, iron, zinc, lead etc.  
     
     
         14 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system could be integrated to bundling processes in any type of mold casting wheels of smelting furnace, whether copper smelting processes and of other metals (iron, zinc, nickel, lead, gold, tin, lead, etc.).  
     
     
         15 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes, according to  claim 1 , wherein the system may operate automatically, or semiautomatically, and also allows solutions scalability.  
     
     
         16 . A robot system for fire refined bundling in metal smelting 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 robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the first 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 the metal ingots from the mold casting wheel to a water bath to cool it down and later taken, manipulated and released from the water bath to the fire refined bundling area in a sequential and programmed way by the anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom provided with a pneumatic gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential and programmed way to take, manipulate and release the ingot which is deposited in a mobile drawer rack containing them, located near the robotic manipulator.  
     
     
         18 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the first robotic manipulator could be mounted on a fixed and/or mobile system located between the mold casting wheel and the water bath so as it allows to approach and/or move away between the mold casting wheel and the cooling area according to the task to be carried out.  
     
     
         19 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the second robotic manipulator could be mounted on a fixed and/or mobile system located between the fire refined bundling area and the water bath so as it may move to approach or move away between the fire refined bundling area and the cooling water bath according to the task to be performed.  
     
     
         20 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator could communicate by itself or through a PLC interface with the control system.  
     
     
         21 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity to obtain and interpret the information from installed analogue and/or digital sensors.  
     
     
         22 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , 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 fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot system of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the system has the capacity to move and manipulate the ingots in a sequential and programmed way in different paths within the work volume of the robotic manipulator.  
     
     
         24 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical and/or hydraulic system driven by electric motors with vectorial control.  
     
     
         25 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the system uses a gripping mechanism to take, manipulate and release the fire refined ingots.  
     
     
         26 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the system uses a gripping mechanism comprising at least 4 fingers which allows to tight and release the fire refined ingots.  
     
     
         27 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical system driven by three-stage induction motors with vectorial and/or scalar control  
     
     
         28 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein productivity and efficiency in fire refined bundling processes in smelting processes of different metals such as copper, iron, zinc, lead, etc increases.  
     
     
         29 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the system could be integrated to fire refined bundling procedures of different metals of interest such as copper, iron, zinc, lead etc.  
     
     
         30 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein it could be integrated to fire refined bundling procedures in any type of mold casting wheel of the smelting furnace, whether in copper smelting processes or of other metals (iron, zinc, nickel, silver, golden, tin, lead, etc.).  
     
     
         31 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein the system may operate automatically or semi-automatically, and also allows solution scalability.  
     
     
         32 . A robotic method for fire refined bundling in metal smelting processes using the robot System of  claim 1  to  16 , wherein it prevents the plant personnel from being subjected to a high physical demand and harsh environmental conditions.