JP2743688B2 - Cell controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cell controller, and more particularly, to a cell controller having a function of predicting a tool change time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Techniques for managing the life of a tool in a numerically controlled machine tool are disclosed in, for example, JP-A-61-249248 and JP-A-3-60954.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-249248 discloses that a machining completion value is calculated by adding a value proportional to the number of times of use and a use time every time machining is completed, and the machining completion value is set to a preset tool life setting value. Is reached, an alarm is issued for a tool change instruction. The technique disclosed in JP-A-3-60954 calculates a life value by integrating a cutting distance by a tool. When the life value reaches a preset tool life set value, a tool replacement instruction is issued. An alarm is issued.

[0003]

In the above prior art, an alarm is issued when it is time to change the tool, but it is not possible to notify in advance the time to change the tool. This is because the time when the tool is not used (for example, the time for waiting for the workpiece to be conveyed) cannot be taken into consideration, so that the tool replacement time cannot be predicted. For this reason, the replacement time of the tool is predicted based on the intuition of the operator, or the operator is always kept on standby by the numerically controlled machine tool to monitor whether a warning is issued.

However, estimating the tool change time based on the intuition of the operator has a problem that an error is too large. Also, keeping the operator always standing by the numerically controlled machine tool has a problem that the number of workers and the effective utilization of human resources are hindered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to provide a cell controller capable of notifying in advance of a time at which a tool should be replaced.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems] cell controller of the present invention is to provide a cell controller for controlling a machining cell composed of numerically controlled machine and the workpiece transfer apparatus, the workpiece using the time or number of uses and working schedule of the tool it is an aspect of the configuration further comprising a tool change time calculating means for calculating a time at which a tool change is performed based on the during during transport.

[0007]

According to the cell controller of the present invention, not only the use time or the number of use of the tool but also the machining schedule and
Taking into account the transport time over click to calculate the time at which the exchange of tools. Therefore, the tool change time can be accurately predicted. In addition, it is not necessary to keep the operator standing by the numerical control machine tool.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by this.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cell controller 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This cell controller 1
The operation management device 10 receives the product number information and the processing schedule from the storage device 9. Then, a transfer command is sent to the transfer control device 4. The transfer control device 4 controls the transfer device 5 and loads a work from the warehouse 6 to the machine tools 3a and 3b. Next, the operation management device 10 of the cell controller 1
The machining program is downloaded to the numerical controllers 2a and 2b and a machining start command is sent. Numerical device controller 2
When a and 2b receive the machining start command, they control the machine tool according to the machining program and perform machining.

When the numerical device controllers 2a and 2b complete the processing, they upload the processing result to the cell controller 1. The tool life management devices 7a and 7b of the numerical device control devices 2a and 2b count the use time of the tool,
The data is uploaded to the tool life management device 8 of the cell controller 1.

Tool life management device 8 of cell controller 1
Centrally manages the tool life of the machine tools 3a and 3b. Tool change time calculation device 11 of cell controller 1
Receives the tool usage time from the tool life management device 8. Further, it receives the product number information and the processing schedule from the storage device 9. Further, the transfer time is received from the operation management device 10. Then, a tool change time is predicted based on the use time of the tool, the product number information, the processing schedule, and the transport time, and output to the display device 12.

The display device 12 displays the predicted tool change times in chronological order. FIG. 2 is a display example of the tool change time on the display device 12.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a tool change time prediction process by the cell controller 1. Step 20
Then, the operator inputs the designated end time for ending the calculation of the tool change time on the screen. In step 21, it is checked whether or not the storage schedule is present in the storage device 9. If there is a processing schedule, the process proceeds to step 22; otherwise, the process ends. Figure 4 shows an example of the processing schedule
Shown in In step 22, it is checked whether the current time is the specified end time. If it is not the designated end time, the process proceeds to step 23, and if it is the designated end time, the process ends.

In step 23, it is checked whether the machining of the predetermined number of works has been completed. This check is for finishing the processing when the number of conforming products matches the planned number. If the machining of the planned number of works has been completed, the process proceeds to step 31. If the machining of the planned number of works has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S24.

In step 24, the product number is extracted from the processing schedule. In step 25, part number information is extracted from the part number. FIG. 5 shows an example of the part number information. Step 26
Then, the tool number and the cutting time to be used are extracted from the part number information. Then, to the use of the corresponding tool time, adding the cutting time.

In step 27, it is checked whether the use time of the tool has reached the life of each tool. If the life has expired, go to step 28. If the life is not reached,
Proceed to step 29. In step 28, the tool change time to time during the current. Then, the tool number of the tool whose life has expired and the tool replacement time are output.

[0017] In step 29, the current time, adding and cutting time, and the conveyance time. In step 30, a processing end process is performed. In the tool change time calculation function, since all processing is processed as a normal end, the number of non-defective products in the processing schedule is counted up. Then, the process returns to the step 22.

In step 31, the next processing schedule is taken out. Then, the process returns to step 21.

[0019]

According to the cell controller of the present invention,
Tool change time can be accurately predicted. For this reason, tool life management suitable for an automated line for high-mix low-volume production becomes possible. In addition, it is not necessary to keep the operator standing by the numerical control machine tool. Therefore, the number of workers can be reduced and human resources can be effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cell controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of display of a tool change time.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the cell controller of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a processing schedule.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of part number information.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cell controller 2 Numerical control device 3a Machine tool 3b Machine tool 4 Transport control device 5 Transport device 6 Warehouse 7 Tool life management device 8 Tool life management device 9 Storage device 10 Operation management device 11 Tool exchange time calculation device 12 Display device

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cell controller for controlling a machining cell comprising a numerically controlled machine tool and a workpiece transfer device, comprising: a use time or the number of times of use of a tool; a machining schedule;
Cell controller comprising the tool change time calculating means for calculating a <br/> time when to replace the tool is performed based on the during during transportation of the goods. 2. The cell controller according to claim 1, further comprising a tool change time display means for displaying a list of tool numbers and tool change times in order of time.