DEVICE FOR LASER STRUCTURING HUBS OF VALVE TRAIN COMPONENTS

• US 20160221119A1
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Rieger, Ralf, Unrath, Christoph
• Application Number:
  US15/011,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20160221119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/005 Camshafts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/02 Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/032 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0861 in at least in three axial directions
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/352 for surface treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/355 Texturing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/3584 Increasing rugosity, e.g. roughening
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0452 Orientable fixtures B23K37/0461 takes precedence

Abstract

A laser structuring device for a hub of a valve train component may include at least one load carrier for storing and providing at least two valve train components, at least one laser for laser structuring a hub of at least one valve train component, and at least one robot arm having a gripping device for gripping, positioning and holding the at least one valve train component during the laser structuring. The at least one robot arm may be movable to position the at least one valve train component into a machining position.

Claims

1. A device for laser structuring hubs of a valve train component, comprising:

at least one load carrier for storing and providing at least two valve train components,

at least one laser for laser structuring a hub of at least one of the valve train components,

at least one robot arm having at least one gripping device for gripping, positioning and holding the at least one valve train component during the laser structuring, wherein the at least one robot arm is configured to remove the at least one valve train component from the load carrier and feed the at least one valve train component to the laser.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least two lasers are provided for simultaneously lasering the at least one valve train component.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least two lasers are provided, wherein one of the lasers is arranged above the valve train component to be machined and another laser is arranged below the valve train component to be machined.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one robot arm is movable.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for detecting the position of the at least one valve train component, wherein the camera is arranged on the at least one robot arm.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a control device communicatively connected to the camera and configured to readjust the gripping device upon detection of a positional deviation.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the control device includes a monitoring device configured to transmit at least one of an optical monitoring signal and an acoustic monitoring signal in response to completing the laser structuring of the hub.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one laser includes a 3D laser.

11. The device according to claim 2, wherein one of the at least two lasers is arranged above the valve train component to be machined and another of the at least two lasers is arranged below the valve train component to be machined.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the at least two lasers are 3D lasers.

13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one robot arm is movable.

14. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a camera for detecting the position of the at least one valve train component, wherein the camera is arranged on the at least one robot arm.

15. The device according to claim 14, further comprising a control device in communication with the camera and configured to readjust the gripping device upon detection of a positional deviation.

16. The device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the lasers is a 3D laser.

17. The device according to claim 4, further comprising a camera for detecting the position of the at least one valve train component, wherein the camera is arranged on the at least one robot arm.

18. The device according to claim 17, further comprising a control device in communication with the camera and configured to readjust the gripping device upon detection of a positional deviation.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the control device includes a monitoring device configured to transmit at least one of an optical monitoring signal and an acoustic monitoring signal in response to completing the laser structuring of the hub.

8. A laser structuring method for a hub of a valve train component, comprising:

placing at least one valve train component to be lasered on at least one load carrier,

moving at least one robot arm including a gripping device to the at least one load carrier,

localizing via a camera operatively coupled to a control device the at least one valve train component to be gripped and aligning the gripping device accordingly,

gripping via the gripping device the at least one valve train component and positioning the at least one valve train component to a machining position,

laser-structuring via at least one laser the at least one valve train component,

positioning via the gripping device the at least one valve train component to a second or further machining position,

laser-structuring via the at least one laser the at least one valve train component in the further machining position, and

placing via the gripping device the at least one valve train component back into the at least one load carrier.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising transmitting at least one of an optical monitoring signal and an acoustic monitoring signal in response to completing the laser-structuring of the at least one valve train component.

20. A laser structuring device for a valve train component, comprising:

a load carrier configured to hold at least one valve train component;

at least one laser configured to laser structure a hub of the at least one valve train component;

a movable robot arm including at least one gripping device configured to grip, position and hold the at least one valve train component, wherein the robot arm is configured to move the at least one valve train component from the load carrier to a machining position relative to the at least one laser; and

a camera disposed on the robot arm for detecting a position of the at least one valve train component.