DE102021130499A1 - Testing device, manufacturing plant and manufacturing process - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a testing device (15) for detecting contamination on at least one stripped conductor section (12) of an electrical conductor (5) coated with an insulating lacquer material (7), with a UV light source (16) with which the stripped conductor section ( 12) is irradiated with UV light (17), and with a camera arrangement (20), with which radiation reflected from the stripped conductor section (12) is detected in order to detect fluorescent radiation components of lacquer residues on the stripped conductor section (12). The camera arrangement (20) includes a microscope lens (21) which enables a quantitative statement to be made about the contamination with paint residues on the stripped conductor section (12).

Description

The invention relates to a testing device for detecting contamination on at least one stripped conductor section of an electrical conductor coated with an insulating lacquer material, with a UV light source with which the stripped conductor section is irradiated with UV light, and with a camera arrangement with which stripped conductor section reflected radiation is detected in order to detect fluorescence radiation components of paint residues on the stripped conductor section. The invention also relates to a production plant with a conveyor device for the electrical conductor. The invention also relates to a manufacturing method for manufacturing flat conductor elements with such a manufacturing system.

The German Offenlegungsschrift DE 10 2011 121 424 A1 discloses a connecting element, in particular a wire, a conductor track or the like, for electrically connecting two circuit and/or machine components, with an electrical conductor which is electrically insulated by means of a lacquer coating, the lacquer coating comprising at least one optically detectable component, the at least an optically detectable component shows fluorescence, the at least one optically detectable component being introduced into the paint coating in the form of particles, in particular nanoparticles. The German patent DE 10 2019 216 245 B3 discloses a method for detecting lacquer residues on a surface of a wire, in particular on a stripped end of the wire, with the following method steps: coating a wire with a lacquer material which has optical properties; preparing a stripped wire end of the coated wire; irradiating the stripped wire end with a radiation source; Detection of radiation reflected from the stripped end of the wire with a detection system, a first lacquer material having fluorescent properties being applied to the wire, a second lacquer material being applied to the wire, which absorbs light of a first wavelength and reflects light of a second wavelength, wherein upon irradiation Lacquer residues of the first lacquer material that remain on the stripped end of the wire emit reflected fluorescence radiation, which is received by the detection system.

The object of the invention is to simplify the production of flat conductor elements, in particular hairpins.

The task is a test device for detecting contamination on at least one stripped conductor section of an electrical conductor coated with an insulating lacquer material, with a UV light source with which the stripped conductor section is irradiated with UV light, and with a camera arrangement with which radiation reflected from the stripped conductor section is detected in order to detect fluorescence radiation components from paint residues on the stripped conductor section, solved in that the camera arrangement comprises a microscope objective which, preferably by means of an evaluation in image processing, provides quantitative information about the contamination with paint residues on the stripped Conductor section allows. The image evaluation is carried out using at least one camera with a microscope lens. With the aid of the claimed testing device, a complete microscopic photograph is taken of the stripped conductor section irradiated with UV light. The microscopic recording is particularly advantageously created automatically in a series process. With the help of suitable software, insulation residues in the stripped conductor sections can be identified and quantified. The microscopic camera recording can be used to distinguish particularly effectively between radiant areas and non-fluorescent areas.

A preferred exemplary embodiment of the testing device is characterized in that the camera arrangement comprises four cameras, each with a microscope lens, which are assigned to four sides of the stripped conductor section. The stripped conductor section is preferably a flat copper wire with an essentially rectangular cross section. With the four cameras, all surfaces of the electrical conductor in the stripped conductor section can be checked for paint residues.

A further preferred exemplary embodiment of the testing device is characterized in that the stripped conductor section is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor between two conductor sections coated with the insulating lacquer material. The test device described can be carried out particularly advantageously in a production plant on an endless material of the coated electrical conductor with a large number of stripped conductor sections. The electrical conductor is advantageously only cut to length after it has passed through the testing device, for example in a suitable punching device.

The object specified above is also achieved by a production plant with a conveyor device for the electrical conductor with a test station that includes a test device as described above, to which the electrical conductor with the stripped conductor section is fed. the elec ric conductor is preferably supplied as a continuous material, for example from an appropriate roll. The endless material is only cut to length after it has passed through the test station.

A preferred exemplary embodiment of the production plant is characterized in that the test station is preceded by a stripping station at which the electrical conductor is stripped before the stripped electrical conductor is fed to the test station. By checking the stripped conductor sections for paint residues immediately after stripping, contamination caused by storage or transport is effectively prevented.

A further preferred exemplary embodiment of the production plant is characterized in that a stamping station is connected downstream of the test station. The punching station can be combined with a forming station. In the stamping station, the stripped electrical conductor is cut to the required length. If necessary, the stripped electrical conductor is brought into a desired shape in the stamping station or in a subsequent forming station.

In a production method for producing flat conductor elements with a production facility as described above, the above-mentioned object is alternatively or additionally achieved in that quantitative information about the degree of contamination in the stripped conductor section is made by the camera arrangement in connection with image processing. The flat conductor elements are preferably so-called hairpins. In image processing, both the degree of contamination and the position of contamination are advantageously defined.

A preferred exemplary embodiment of the production method is characterized in that a wavelength of the UV light emitted by the UV light source is coordinated with the insulating lacquer material, so that maximum fluorescence occurs. The wavelength of the UV light source is determined depending on the insulation material used. This is a simple way of ensuring that maximum fluorescence occurs. For this purpose, for example, a bandpass filter of the selected wavelength range is arranged between the UV light source and the stripped conductor section.

Another preferred exemplary embodiment of the production method is characterized in that an insulating lacquer material containing fluorescent particles is used. This provides the advantage, among other things, that no fluorescent particles have to be added.

A further preferred exemplary embodiment of the production method is characterized in that the production plant with the test station is operated in cycles. This enables large-scale production with the highest quality.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the following description, in which various exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawing.

In the only accompanying figure, a production plant with a stripping station, a testing station and a punching station is shown in a highly simplified and schematic manner.

In 1 a production plant 10 with a stripping station 1, a test station 2, a stamping station 3 and a conveyor 4 is shown schematically in a highly simplified manner. A lacquered flat copper wire 8 in the form of an endless material, for example from a roll (not shown), is fed to the stripping station 1, which is only indicated by a rectangle.

The enameled copper flat wire 8 comprises a copper material 6 coated with an insulating enamel material 7 . The insulating lacquer material 7 is removed in sections in the stripping station 1 in order to produce stripped conductor sections 11, 12, 13 on the lacquered copper flat wire 8.

The stripping process in the stripping station 1 can take place mechanically, for example by milling or punching, and thermally, for example by laser stripping. It can happen that when the insulation is stripped in the stripping station 1, paint residues remain in the stripped conductor section 11, 12, 13, which is undesirable. In 1 one sees that between two stripped conductor sections 11, 12 an insulated conductor section 14 is arranged.

The test station 2 includes a test device 15 with a UV light source 16. The UV light source 16 emits UV light 17 via a bandpass filter 18, with which the electrical conductor 5 in the stripped conductor section 12 is irradiated.

A camera arrangement 20 comprises a total of four cameras, each with a microscope lens 21. The camera arrangement 20 is used to take microscopic images of the surface of the electrical conductor 5 in the stripped conductor section 12 that has been irradiated with the UV light 17.

Dirty areas glow due to the fluorescence properties of the insulating varnish materials 7 on. The degree of contamination and the position of the contamination can thus be precisely recorded and quantified in associated image processing.

An area of contamination can be calculated directly using a number of pixels determined with image processing. Furthermore, the intensity of the emitted radiation and the wavelength of the emitted radiation can be used to make a statement about the type and amount of contamination. Pollution is also understood to mean insulation or other pollution, such as dust. The position of the contamination can be measured relative to the edges in the x-direction and in the y-direction from the images.

In the testing station 2 , the stripped conductor section 12 is irradiated with the UV light source 16 after it has been stripped in the stripping station 1 . A microscopic image is taken. Contaminated areas light up due to the fluorescence properties of the insulation material.

The wavelength of the UV light source 16 is determined depending on the insulation material. Typically, the excitation wavelength is between three hundred and sixty and five hundred and sixty nanometers. According to initial findings, the best results can be achieved in the range from four hundred and fifty to four hundred and ninety nanometers.

In the testing station 2, the entire surface of the electrical conductor 5 in the stripped conductor section 12 is particularly advantageously checked for undesirable residues. In this way, a hundred percent control can be realized in a series production. In addition, the test device 15 described allows a statement to be made about the type and area of the contamination.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102011121424 A1 [0002]
• DE 102019216245 B3 [0002]

Claims (10)

Testing device (15) for detecting contamination on at least one stripped conductor section (12) of an electrical conductor (5) coated with an insulating lacquer material (7), with a UV light source (16) with which the stripped conductor section (12) is exposed to UV - Light (17) is irradiated, and with a camera arrangement (20), with which radiation reflected by the stripped conductor section (12) is detected in order to detect fluorescent radiation components of paint residues on the stripped conductor section (12), characterized in that the camera arrangement (20) comprises a microscope lens (21) which enables a quantitative statement to be made about the contamination with paint residues on the stripped conductor section (12). test device claim 1 , characterized in that the camera arrangement (20) comprises four cameras, each with a microscope lens (21), which are assigned to four sides of the stripped conductor section (12). Testing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stripped conductor section (12) is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the electrical conductor (5) between two conductor sections coated with the insulating lacquer material (7). Manufacturing plant (10) with a conveying device (4) for the electrical conductor (5) and with a test station (2) which comprises a test device (15) according to one of the preceding claims, which comprises the electrical conductor (5) with the stripped conductor section ( 12) is supplied. manufacturing plant claim 4 , characterized in that the test station (2) is preceded by a stripping station (1) at which the electrical conductor (5) is stripped before the stripped electrical conductor (5) is fed to the test station (2). manufacturing plant claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the testing station (2) is followed by a stamping station (3). Production method for producing flat conductor elements with a production system (10) according to one of Claims 4 until 6 , characterized in that the camera arrangement (20) in conjunction with image processing provides quantitative information about the degree of contamination in the stripped conductor section (12). manufacturing process claim 7 , characterized in that a wavelength of the UV light source (16) emitted UV light (17) with the insulating lacquer material (7) is tuned so that maximum fluorescence occurs. manufacturing process claim 7 or 8th , characterized in that an insulating paint material (7) is used, which contains fluorescent particles. Manufacturing process according to one of Claims 7 until 9 , characterized in that the production plant (10) with the test station (2) is operated intermittently.

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