JP3592521B2 - Automatic surface quality inspection apparatus and method for cylindrical workpiece - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inspecting the roughness and irregularity of a surface of a cylindrical work over the entire surface by using mechanical means, optical means, electric means, and the like. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical work, wherein the cylindrical work is inspected while the cylindrical work is rotated and correctly supported in a vertical state.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are various known techniques for inspecting the appearance of a workpiece such as a cylindrical object, a defect of a surface layer, and the like, and examples thereof include Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-55762 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-140079.
Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 60-55762 discloses a "cylindrical object visual inspection apparatus" in which a cylindrical object to be inspected is placed on two rotating rollers, and the cylindrical object is subjected to frictional force by utilizing its own weight. The cylindrical object is rotated and the quality of the appearance of the cylindrical object is checked by optical inspection means.
On the other hand, the "surface layer defect detection device" of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-140079 discloses a method in which a cylindrical object is placed horizontally on four rotating rollers provided at both ends of two axes arranged in parallel, The surface of the cylindrical object is rotated by an inspection light irradiating device that irradiates the inspection light and a light-receiving sensor that detects the amount of scattered reflected light by rotating the cylindrical object by the frictional force using the own weight of the cylindrical object in the same manner as the known technology. This is to inspect the layer for defects.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The inspection apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-55762 also inspects the end face of a cylindrical object, and has an extremely complicated structure as a whole. Further, in the case of this inspection apparatus, there is a problem that the deflection of the cylindrical object is determined by the cylindricity of the outer shape of the cylindrical object.
In addition, dirt and irregularities on the surface of the cylindrical object may be transferred to the rotating roller, and if the inspection is continued in this state, the shape accuracy of the rotating roller deteriorates, and as a result, the rotating accuracy of the cylindrical object is reduced. There is a problem. In addition, since the rotating force from the motor is transmitted to the two rotating rollers via a friction wheel, the frictional wheel and the two rotating rollers need to maintain the cylindricity and the diameter of the rotating roller with high precision, such as slippage. This causes a problem that the cylindrical object itself is damaged.
[0004]
On the other hand, the detection device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-140079 has a problem that the deflection of the cylindrical object is determined by the cylindricity of the outer shape of the cylindrical object, as in the above-described known technology.
In addition, dirt and irregularities on the surface of the cylindrical object may be transferred to the rotating roller, and if the inspection is continued in this state, the shape accuracy of the rotating roller is deteriorated, and as a result, the rotating accuracy of the cylindrical object is reduced. There is a problem.
Further, the rotating roller uses a rubber material on the surface to protect the surface of the cylindrical object, but the cylindrical object rotates in an eccentric state due to the uneven thickness of the rubber material. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect defects with high accuracy. Further, it is possible to detect a defect of another cylindrical object having a different dimension in the radial direction, but it is difficult to detect a cylindrical object having a different dimension in the longitudinal direction.
[0005]
The present invention solves the above problems, and can support a cylindrical work with high precision, can rotate a cylindrical work without using frictional force with a rotating roller or the like, and can measure radial dimensions and length directions. Inspection of cylindrical workpieces with different dimensions can be performed, the surface quality of cylindrical workpieces can be inspected with high accuracy, and the surface quality of cylindrical workpieces can be compacted to save space and reduce equipment costs. It is an object to provide an inspection device and method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work according to claim 1 automatically checks the surface quality of the cylindrical work such as roughness, irregularity, scratches, dirt, etc. An inspection apparatus for inspecting, comprising: a transport pallet on which the cylindrical workpiece is vertically rotatably mounted; a conveyor for moving the transport pallet; and a detection head disposed at a predetermined position to detect a surface quality of the cylindrical workpiece. And an upper holding mechanism that engages with an upper end of the cylindrical work on the transport pallet at a position where the detection head is provided and holds the cylindrical work in a rotatable manner. I do.
[0007]
Further, in order to achieve the above object, the automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical work according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the transport pallet includes a pallet base mounted directly on the conveyor. A pedestal support cylinder mounted on the pallet base, a three-jaw chuck housed in the pedestal support cylinder and mounted on the pallet base, and pivotally detachably mounted on the pedestal support cylinder. A base for engaging the lower end of the cylindrical work and rotatably supporting the cylindrical work. The three-jaw chuck includes an inner surface of the cylindrical work supported by the base. Are provided with a sub-claw that is brought into contact with a rotary bearing via a rotary bearing, and an auto-coupler for expanding or reducing the diameter of the sub-claw by air pressure is provided.
[0008]
In order to achieve the above object, the surface quality automatic inspection device for a cylindrical work according to the third aspect is characterized in that, in the second aspect, a portion of the three-jaw chuck that does not interfere with the child nail is provided with a medium. A core support rod is erected and fixed, and a core for guiding an inner diameter of the cylindrical work is provided at an upper end of the core support rod.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical work, wherein the upper holding mechanism is supported on the upper base table so as to be vertically movable. A moving table, an operating means for operating the moving table, a center punch detachably pivotally supported on the moving table side and supporting a center of an upper end of the cylindrical work, and a center punch disposed on the moving table side. And a motor that rotationally drives the center punch.
[0010]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work, wherein the center punch is attached to and detached from the movable table via an automatic hand changer. It is characterized by being supported so as to be exchangeable and corresponding to the shape of a cylindrical work.
[0011]
In order to achieve the above object, an automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work according to claim 6 is provided, wherein the moving table and the upper base table are arranged between the moving table and the upper base table. A spring member for compensating for weight is interposed.
[0012]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work, wherein the upper base is movably suspended on an immovable side of a building or the like. It is characterized by being performed.
[0013]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic cylindrical surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work, wherein the detection head is configured to detect at least scratches, dirt, and physical damage on the surface of the cylindrical work. It is formed of a material capable of detecting surface quality such as periodic defects and surface roughness, and is formed so as to be capable of scanning over the entire length of the cylindrical work.
[0014]
In order to achieve the above object, a method for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to the ninth aspect automatically checks the surface quality of the surface of the cylindrical workpiece such as roughness, irregularity, scratches and dirt. A first procedure of rotatably mounting and holding a lower end of the cylindrical work on a transport pallet at a loading position of the cylindrical work, and a predetermined position where the cylindrical work is mounted. A second procedure of moving the conveyor to a position of a detection head at a position, engaging an upper pressing mechanism at an upper end of the cylindrical work at the position, and supporting the cylindrical work rotatably upright; and A third procedure of scanning the detection head while rotating the supported cylindrical work to inspect the surface quality thereof, and opening the upper holding mechanism from the upper end of the inspected cylindrical work. And performing a fourth step of discharging the next step side a cylindrical workpiece at the discharge position of the conveying and cylindrical workpiece by the conveyor.
[0015]
In order to achieve the above object, in the method for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 10, the conveyor according to claim 9, wherein the conveyor is continuous from a charging position to a discharging position of the cylindrical workpiece. And continuously inspecting the cylindrical workpieces which are formed and sequentially charged.
[0016]
The cylindrical work loaded on the conveyor side at the loading position is rotatably supported by the pedestal of the transport pallet on the conveyor and the triple-jaw chuck, and is stably supported by the child claw and the core. In this state, the cylindrical work transferred to the detection head is rotatably supported by an upper pressing mechanism engaged with the upper end thereof, and is rotated by the motor.
That is, the cylindrical work is rotated while the upper and lower ends are stably supported. By scanning the entire surface of the rotating cylindrical work with the detection head, the surface quality of the cylindrical work is inspected without touch.
As a result, highly accurate surface quality inspection can be performed. The inspected cylindrical work is transported by the conveyor with the upper holding mechanism released, and is discharged from the discharge position to the next process side.
A similar process is applied to a cylindrical work to be sequentially input. Also, even if the dimensions of the cylindrical work in the radial direction or the length direction change, the members engaged with the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical work can be easily replaced. Inspection is performed.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of an apparatus and method for automatically inspecting surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, referring to FIG. 1, an overall configuration of an automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical work according to the present invention will be described. An automatic surface quality inspection apparatus 2 for inspecting a cylindrical work 1 to be inspected includes a transport pallet 3, a conveyor 4, a detection head 5, an upper holding mechanism 6, and the like.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical work 1 is mounted on a conveyor pallet 3 on a conveyor 4 from a loading position 7 by a loading means such as a robot from a preceding step (not shown).
The cylindrical work 1 is fixed to the transport pallet 3 by the air supply unit 8 arranged at the charging position. The detection head 5 is arranged at a predetermined position, and an upper holding mechanism 6 is arranged at that position. The upper holding mechanism 6 rotatably holds the upper end of the cylindrical workpiece on the transport pallet 3 transported to this position, and rotates the cylindrical workpiece.
The cylindrical work 1 inspected by the detection head 5 is released from the upper holding mechanism 6 and transported on the conveyor 4 to reach the discharge position 9. The discharge position 9 is provided with an air discharge unit 10 for discharging air from the transport pallet 3. The cylindrical work 1 is released from the transport pallet 3 and is discharged from the discharge position 9 to the next process side.
[0019]
Next, the structure of each component of the automatic surface quality inspection apparatus will be described.
First, the conveyor 4 is formed of an endless conveyor, and has a shape on which a large number of transport pallets 3 can be mounted. The conveyor 4 is driven by driving means (not shown). In FIG. 1, the transport pallet 3 on the conveyor 4 is driven in a counterclockwise direction indicated by an arrow.
[0020]
Next, the structure of the transport pallet 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. The transport pallet 3 includes a pallet base 11, a pedestal support cylinder 12 mounted thereon, a three-jaw chuck 13, a pedestal 14, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 2, the pallet base 11 is made of a flat member that can be mounted on the conveyor 4. The pedestal support cylinder 12 is formed of a hollow cylindrical body capable of accommodating the three-jaw chuck 13 therein, and a pedestal 14 is mounted on an upper end thereof via a detachable plate 15 and a bearing 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the pedestal 14 supports the lower end 1a of the cylindrical work 1 on the upper end side.
Therefore, when the dimension of the cylindrical workpiece 1 in the radial direction changes, a pedestal 14 corresponding to this is adopted, and the dimensions of the bearing 16 and the detachable plate 15 are changed in accordance with this, so that the common pedestal support cylinder 12 is formed. Supported.
[0021]
The three-jaw chuck 13 has three claws, and each of the claws is provided with a sub-jaw 17. 2 and 3, a rotary bearing 18 is fitted to the child pawl 17. An auto-coupler 19 is connected to the tri-jaw chuck 13, and by introducing pressurized oil air into the tri-jaw chuck 13 via the auto-coupler 19, the child jaw 17 moves in a direction to expand the diameter, By removing the compressed air, the child pawl 17 moves in the direction of reducing the diameter.
Further, a core support rod 20 is erected and fixed at the center of the three-jaw chuck 13, and a core 21 is connected to an upper end thereof. The core 21 is inserted into the cylindrical work 1 and supports the cylindrical work. The outer diameter of the core support rod 20 is formed so as not to interfere even if the child pawl 17 moves in the diameter reducing direction.
[0022]
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the cylindrical work 1 is erected and supported by the transport pallet 3 having the above structure. The cylindrical work 1 is supported by engaging the lower end 1 a thereof with the upper end of the pedestal 14. The core 21 supports the inner surface of the cylindrical work 1. The introduction of compressed air from the auto-coupler 19 to the three-jaw chuck 13 causes the child pawl 17 to open in the diameter-expanding direction, so that the rotary bearing 18 comes into contact with the inner diameter of the cylindrical workpiece 1. As described above, the cylindrical work 1 is rotatably held on the transport pallet 3 and is accurately center-supported by the rotary bearing 18 and the core 21.
[0023]
Next, the upper holding mechanism 6 will be described with reference to FIG. First, an upper base stand 23 is supported by rails 22 disposed in a building or the like. The movable table 24 is supported by the upper base table 23 via a linear guide 25 so as to be vertically movable. A pneumatic cylinder 26, which is one of the operation means, is provided between the moving table 24 and the upper base table 23. Further, the movable base 24 is connected to the spring member 27 and functions to perform weight compensation on the movable base 24 side.
[0024]
A motor 28 and a bearing holder 29 are fixed to the moving table 24. The rotating shaft 30 pivotally supported by the bearing holder 29 is connected to the motor 28 via a belt 31 and the like. A center punch 33 is connected to the rotating shaft 30 via an automatic hand changer 32.
In addition, the tool of the center punch 33 of various shapes can be changed by the automatic hand changer 32.
As shown in FIG. 5, the center punch 33 has a tapered portion 34 formed on the lower end side. The lower end of the tapered portion 34 fits into the upper end 1b of the cylindrical work 1 as shown in FIG. And hold the cylindrical work 1. With the above structure, the center punch 33 is lowered toward the cylindrical work 1 by the operation of the pneumatic cylinder 26 and pressed against the upper end 1b thereof, and the center punch 33 is rotated by operating the motor 28. Accordingly, the cylindrical work 1 can be rotated.
[0025]
The detection head 5 is for inspecting the surface quality of the cylindrical workpiece 1, and is provided at a predetermined position as shown in FIGS. The structure is not particularly limited in this example, and mechanical, optical, and electrical means are employed. In addition, it is necessary to have at least a function of detecting scratches, irregularities, dirt, roughness, and the like on the surface of the cylindrical work 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cylindrical work 1 has a structure capable of scanning and inspecting the entire length of the cylindrical work 1.
[0026]
Next, an outline of an inspection method of the cylindrical workpiece 1 by the automatic surface quality inspection apparatus 2 of the present invention will be described. The cylindrical work 1 is mounted on the transport pallet 3 near the charging position 7 on the conveyor 4.
Specifically, since the child pawl 17 of the three-jaw chuck 13 in a state where compressed air is not supplied from the air supply unit 8 is moving to the diameter reducing side, the cylindrical workpiece 1 is guided by the core 21. It is mounted in contact with the upper end of the base 14.
In this state, compressed air is introduced from the air supply unit 8 into the three-jaw chuck 13 via the auto coupler 19.
As a result, the child pawl 17 opens, and the rotary bearing 18 comes into contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical work 1. Since there are at least three child claws 17 at equal intervals, the lower end of the cylindrical work 1 is centripetally supported by the transport pallet 3.
In this state, the cylindrical work 1 is supported by the tri-jaw chuck 13 via the rotary bearing 18, and the pedestal 14 is also pivotally supported by the bearing 16. Therefore, the cylindrical work 1 is rotatably supported by the transport pallet 3.
[0027]
The cylindrical work 1 is transported by the conveyor 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 while being held at the lower end by the transport pallet 3 and reaches a certain position of the detection head 5.
At this position, the upper holding mechanism 6 is positioned as shown in FIG. 6, and the center porch 33 is inserted into the upper end 1 b of the cylindrical work 1 by lowering the upper holding mechanism 6. As described above, the cylindrical work 1 is held at the upper and lower ends as shown in FIG. By rotating the motor 28 of the upper holding mechanism 6 in this state, the cylindrical work 1 rotates and the inspection head 5 inspects the surface quality.
[0028]
When the inspection by the detection head 5 is completed, the upper holding mechanism 6 is moved upward. As a result, the cylindrical work 1 is supported only by the transport pallet 3 and is transported along the conveyor 4. When the transport pallet 3 is transferred to the vicinity of the discharge position 9, the air discharging unit 10 is engaged with the auto coupler 19 of the tri-jaw chuck 13, and the compressed air in the tri-jaw chuck 13 is discharged. The cylindrical work 1 moves in the diameter reducing direction and is in a free state. Therefore, the sheet can be discharged from the discharge position to the next process side.
[0029]
FIG. 1 shows a case where a large number of cylindrical workpieces 1 are sequentially mounted on a conveyor 4 for inspection. These are also sequentially inspected based on the aforementioned inspection method. When the dimensions of the cylindrical work 1 change, the work can be easily performed by changing the pedestal 14 and the core 21 to the corresponding ones in principle and replacing the center punch 33 with the corresponding ones.
Further, the inspection apparatus of the present invention differs from the conventional apparatus in that the surface of the cylindrical work 1 does not come into contact with a rotating roller or the like, but is inspected as it is. Thereby, a highly accurate inspection result can be obtained. As one of the experimental examples, a cylindrical work 1 having a length of about 400 mm, an outer diameter of about 40 mm, and a wall thickness of about 1 mm has a runout accuracy of 0.1 mm or less at the upper end and can be rotated at a constant speed of 30 rpm. Has been demonstrated.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the cylindrical workpiece is correctly erected vertically and rotatably disposed without any contact with other rollers or the like and without any influence from these rollers. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately inspect the surface for scratches, dirt, roughness, irregularities or defects having a size of several tens μm or less without requiring special skills.
In addition, the shape of the cylindrical work is changed, so that it is possible to respond in a short time. In addition, the entire structure is compact and space saving is possible. In addition, the pneumatic cylinder or the like only needs to rotate the cylindrical work, and a small capacity is sufficient because the lower end of the cylindrical work is pivotally supported with respect to the transport pallet side. Thereby, the equipment cost can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an apparatus for automatically inspecting surface quality of a cylindrical work of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view showing a detailed structure of a transport pallet of the automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical work of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a partial axial sectional view showing a state in which a cylindrical work is supported on a transport pallet of the apparatus for automatically inspecting surface quality of a cylindrical work of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing a detailed structure of an upper holding mechanism in the automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical work according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view for explaining a method for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cylindrical workpiece 1a Lower end 1b Upper end 2 Automatic surface quality inspection device 3 Conveyor pallet 4 Conveyor 5 Detection head 6 Upper holding mechanism 7 Input position 8 Air supply unit 9 Discharge position 10 Air discharge unit 11 Pallet base 12 Base support cylinder 13 Three-jaw chuck 14 Pedestal 15 Removable plate 16 Bearing 17 Child jaw 18 Rotary bearing 19 Auto coupler 20 Core support rod 21 Core 22 Rail 23 Upper base stand 24 Moving stand 25 Linear guide 26 Pneumatic cylinder 27 Spring member 28 Motor 29 Bearing holder 30 Rotating shaft 31 Belt 32 Auto hand changer 33 Center punch 34 Taper portion

Claims (10)

What is claimed is: 1. An inspection apparatus for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical work such as surface roughness, irregularity, scratches, dirt, etc., comprising: a transfer pallet on which said cylindrical work is vertically rotatably mounted; A conveyor for moving the pallet, a detection head disposed at a predetermined position for detecting the surface quality of the cylindrical work, and engaging with an upper end of the cylindrical work on the transport pallet at a position where the detection head is disposed And an upper holding mechanism for rotatably holding the cylindrical work. An automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical work. The transport pallet is a pallet base mounted directly on the conveyor, a pedestal support cylinder mounted on the pallet base, and stored in the pedestal support cylinder and mounted on the pallet base. And a pedestal that is detachably pivotally supported by the pedestal support cylinder and engages with a lower end of the cylindrical work to rotatably support the cylindrical work. The claw chuck is provided with a child claw that is in contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical work supported by the pedestal via a rotary bearing, and an auto coupler for expanding or reducing the diameter of the child claw by air pressure. The apparatus for automatically inspecting surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 1, wherein: A core support rod is erected and fixed on a portion of the three-jaw chuck that does not interfere with the child claw, and a core that guides the inner diameter of the cylindrical work is provided at the upper end of the core support rod. 3. An automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 2, wherein the inspection is performed on the surface quality of the cylindrical workpiece. The upper holding mechanism portion includes a movable table supported on the upper base table side so as to be vertically movable, operating means for operating the movable table, and an upper end of the cylindrical work detachably pivotally supported on the movable table side. 2. An automatic surface quality inspection apparatus for a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 1, further comprising a center punch for supporting the center of the cylindrical work, and a motor provided on the movable table side for rotating the center punch. . 5. The center punch according to claim 4, wherein the center punch is detachably supported on the movable table side via an automatic hand changer and is exchangeably supported corresponding to a shape of a cylindrical work. 6. Automatic inspection system for surface quality of cylindrical workpieces. The surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 4, wherein a spring member for compensating for the weight of the moving table is interposed between the moving table and the upper base table. Inspection equipment. 5. The automatic inspection apparatus for surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 4, wherein the upper base is movably supported by a stationary side of a building or the like. The detection head is capable of detecting at least surface quality such as scratches and dirt on the surface of the cylindrical work, physical defects, surface roughness, etc., and is capable of scanning over the entire length of the cylindrical work. The apparatus for automatically inspecting surface quality of a cylindrical workpiece according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is formed. An inspection method for automatically inspecting the surface quality of a cylindrical work such as surface roughness, irregularity, scratches, dirt, etc., wherein a lower end of the cylindrical work is placed on a transfer pallet at a charging position of the cylindrical work. A first procedure of rotatably mounting and holding the cylindrical work, and moving the conveyor to a position of a detection head at a predetermined position where the cylindrical work is mounted, and engaging an upper holding mechanism with an upper end of the cylindrical work at the position. A second procedure for rotatably supporting the cylindrical work so as to be rotatably supported, and a third procedure for scanning the detection head while rotating the cylindrical work supported so as to inspect the surface quality thereof. Opening the upper holding mechanism from the upper end of the inspected cylindrical work, transporting the cylindrical work by the conveyor, and discharging the cylindrical work to a next process side at a discharge position of the cylindrical work. Surface quality automatic inspection method of a cylindrical workpiece to a procedure and performing. 10. The conveyor according to claim 9, wherein the conveyor is formed continuously from an input position to a discharge position of the cylindrical workpiece, and continuously transports and inspects the cylindrical workpieces sequentially input. Automatic inspection method for surface quality of cylindrical workpieces.

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