Carbon Steel Alloy Steel Stainless Steel Fully Automatic Gantry Straightening Machine

The fully automatic gantry straightening machine operates on the principle of processing alloy steel, carbon steel, and stainless steel round bar blanks. Its core lies in a closed-loop process of "Precision Detection - Intelligent Analysis - Targeted Force Application - Stress Relief," combined with material-specific adjustments to achieve efficient and accurate straightening. This process can be broken down into four key stages:

1. Workpiece Positioning and Bend Detection: Establishing the Straightening Baseline

The equipment uses a fully automatic feeding mechanism (such as a gantry or robotic gripper) to transport the round bar blank to the detection station within the gantry frame. Then:

• Multi-Point Support: Employs 3-6 adjustable support points to hold the workpiece, ensuring stable placement of round bars of different diameters (e.g., Φ50-Φ300mm) made of alloy steel, carbon steel, or stainless steel, preventing additional bending due to self-weight.
• High-Precision Detection: Utilizes laser diameter gauges, displacement sensors, or dial indicators to perform multi-point scanning along the axial direction of the round bar, collecting real-time data on the degree of bending, bend location (e.g., center or end bending), and deviation values (e.g., 0.5-2mm bend amount). Data is directly transmitted to the PLC control system.
• Material-Specific Adjustments: The system automatically optimizes detection pressure based on preset material parameters (e.g., yield strength of alloy steel, elastic modulus of stainless steel). For instance, higher preload pressure is applied for rigid carbon steel to prevent displacement during detection, while polyurethane detection contacts are used for scratch-prone stainless steel to avoid surface damage.

2. Data Processing and Straightening Plan Generation: Customized Force Application Strategy

After receiving the detection data, the PLC control system, in conjunction with its built-in "Material - Bend Amount - Force Parameters" database, generates a targeted straightening plan:

• Stress Analysis: Addressing issues such as internal stress unevenness in alloy steel (e.g., 40CrNiMo), residual cold-bending stress in carbon steel (e.g., 45 steel), and machining stress in stainless steel (e.g., 304), the system uses algorithms to simulate the deformation trend under force, determining the sequence of "stress relief first, then precision straightening."
• Force Parameter Calculation: Automatically sets the pressure of the straightening cylinder (e.g., 10-30MPa for high-strength alloy steel, 8-25MPa for carbon steel, 5-20MPa for stainless steel), the force application point (corresponding to the maximum bend), and the pressure holding time (e.g., 2-5 seconds to ensure full deformation of ductile materials like stainless steel).
• Multi-Station Coordination: If the workpiece has multiple bends (e.g., center and end bends in long alloy steel bars), the system plans the action sequence for multiple force application stations to avoid excessive single-point force leading to fracture or excessive plastic deformation.

3. Targeted Pressurization Straightening: Correcting Bend Deviation

Based on the generated straightening plan, the hydraulic cylinders on the gantry frame (typically 2-4, distributed above/below or on both sides of the workpiece) perform targeted pressurization:

• Flexible Force Application: Precisely controls cylinder thrust via a servo hydraulic system to avoid impact damage to brittle materials like carbon steel. Meanwhile, considering the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, cylinder piston rods are chrome-plated or ceramic-coated to prevent hydraulic oil contamination.
• Reverse Bend Correction: Applies reverse pressure to the bent area according to the "overbend compensation" principle (e.g., if the workpiece bends downward by 1mm, apply upward pressure to achieve 1.2-1.5mm deformation), leveraging the metal's elastic recovery to meet straightness standards after straightening.
• Real-Time Feedback Adjustment: During pressurization, displacement sensors continuously monitor workpiece deformation data. If deviations from preset values are detected (e.g., insufficient deformation due to uneven hardness in alloy steel), the system fine-tunes cylinder pressure in real time to ensure straightening accuracy (typically with straightness error ≤0.3mm/m).

4. Stress Relief and Re-inspection: Ensuring Straightening Stability

After straightening, the equipment performs stress relief and secondary inspection to prevent subsequent springback:

• Pressure Holding and Release: The cylinder maintains pressure for 3-8 seconds (adjusted based on material, e.g., longer for alloy steel) to allow full internal stress relief, reducing post-straightening springback (typically with springback error ≤0.05mm).
• Fully Automatic Re-inspection: The workpiece is transported to a re-inspection station where the detection system scans straightness again. If不合格 (e.g., misjudgment due to surface oxide scale affecting detection accuracy in stainless steel), data is automatically sent back to the PLC to regenerate a straightening plan for a second round.
• Sorting and Output: Qualified workpieces are conveyed to the next process via the discharge mechanism, while不合格 ones are sent to the scrap area. The system also records reasons for failure (e.g., excessive material hardness, initial bend too large) for subsequent process optimization.