Automated aero aluminum scrap sorting system based on laser induced breakdown (libs) technique

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022203406-A1
Application number	US-202217695977-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2022
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fully automatic online aero aluminum sorting and recovery system based on LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) technology, which belongs to the field of aero aluminum sorting and recovery technology, and is suitable for online sorting, detection and recovery of large batch of aero aluminum. The fully automatic online aero aluminum sorting system based on LIBS technology provided in the present invention consists of six portions: a sample feeding unit (1), a surface treatment unit (2), a material positioning unit (3), a LIBS analysis and detection unit (4), a transfer unit (5) and a sorting and recovery unit (6). The system according to the invention can be used to realize the automatic online detection, sorting and recovery of aero aluminum, and the system does not have requirements on the surface condition of the recovered aero aluminum samples. The sorting accuracy rate is greater than 90% and the sorting rate is not less than 1 block per second.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for sorting metal samples, the method comprising:
treating a surface of a metal sample; analyzing the surface of the metal sample for compositional data using a LIBS analysis and detection unit; and transferring the metal sample to a predetermined bin based upon the compositional data.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal samples comprise aluminum.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the metal samples comprise metal samples of 2XXX-series aluminum, metal samples of 7XXX-series aluminum, and metal samples of A356 aluminum.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring the metal sample to a predetermined bin comprises:
transferring the metal sample to a first bin designated for 2XXX-series aluminum when the compositional data indicates the metal sample is a metal sample of 2XXX-series aluminum,
transferring the metal sample to a second bin designated for 7XXX-series aluminum when the compositional data indicates the metal sample is a metal sample of 7XXX-series aluminum, and
transferring the metal sample to a third bin designated for A356 aluminum when the compositional data indicates the metal sample is a metal sample of A356 aluminum.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the treating comprises grinding the surface of the metal sample.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the grinding achieves a grinding thickness of at least 500 μm.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the grinding yields a grinding area of at least 1 mm 2 .

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising scanning the surface of the metal sample with a sensor.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the scanning comprises scanning the surface of the metal sample with a three-dimensional morphology scanning sensor.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing comprises exciting the surface of the metal sample with a laser.

11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising feeding the metal sample onto a transfer unit.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the feeding comprises positioning the metal sample on a conveyor belt of the transfer unit via a chute.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising sorting the metal samples based upon the detected compositional data.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the sorting comprises recording the detected compositional data into an electronic label on a tray carrying the metal sample.

15 . A method for sorting a plurality of metal samples, the method comprising:
treating a surface of a metal sample of the plurality of metal samples to yield a treated surface; exciting the treated surface of the metal sample with a pulse laser to yield a plasma cloud and to release a spectrum; analyzing the spectrum to obtain compositional data; and based on the compositional data, transferring the metal sample to one of at least a first bin and a second bin.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the treating comprises grinding the surface of the metal sample.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the grinding achieves a grinding thickness of at least 500 μm.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the grinding yields a grinding area of at least 1 mm 2 .

19 . The method of claim 15 further comprising ascertaining the three-dimensional morphology of the surface of the metal sample prior to the exciting.

20 . The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of metal samples comprising metal samples of 2XXX-series aluminum, metal samples of 7XXX-series aluminum, and metal samples of A356 aluminum.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shen Xuejing
• Lin Ying
• Liu Jia
• Shen Rui
• Xu Peng
• Hu Yanbin
• Wu Han
• Wang Hui
• Zeng Jiaqing
• Yang Libin
• Zhao Ge
• Yao Jun
• Shi Xiaoxia

Classifications

• G01N2021/845

  Objects on a conveyor · CPC title

• B07C5/34

  Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} · CPC title

• G01N21/718 Primary

  Laser microanalysis, i.e. with formation of sample plasma · CPC title

• B07C5/02

  Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating {(sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06)} · CPC title

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title