JPH1049211A - Method and device for displaying name of numerical control program for machining - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and its device for displaying the name of a numerical control program for machining which makes it possible to securely find the desired numerical control program in a short time. SOLUTION: Image data for displaying an image of a tool track actualized by the numeric control program for machining are stored on a storage medium 12 together with character data for displaying the file name of the program while related to the numerical control program for machining, and the image data and character data are read out of the storage medium 12 at a machining numerical control program call request and the tool track image and file name of each program are displayed on a display device 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for displaying a numerical program name for machining used in a numerical controller of a machine tool program-controlled by a numerical controller. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for displaying a name of a numerical control program for machining, which enables the user to easily know a machining shape to be executed by each numerical control program for machining when selecting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a machining numerical control program for a tool trajectory necessary for numerical control machining is created from a design drawing using a programming device such as an APT (automatic programming device) or CAD / CAM. The numerical control program is stored in a flexible disk, hard disk, or storage medium in the numerical control device, and the desired numerical control program for processing is called as required, and downloaded to the RAM in the numerical control device to perform contour shape processing. It is known to perform numerical control processing such as Conventionally, in order to store and manage the created numerical control program for machining, the drawing number, the serial number, and the parts are stored in various storage devices provided in a programming device or a numerical control device, or in a storage medium such as a flexible disk or a hard disk. A program file name using a number or the like is added to the machining numerical control program and stored.

[0003] Therefore, when it becomes necessary to perform the same or similar processing as the processing which has been performed before, the operator searches for the corresponding program from the storage medium which is stored and stores the program as it is. When using or editing, as shown in FIG. 8, a list of program file names of the numerical control programs for machining stored in the storage device is displayed on the display device. . In the present specification, a program file refers to a group of numerical control program information for machining (for example, information including machining conditions and machine control parameters) including at least tool path program information.

[0004]

However, the conventional program file names are numbers, alphabetic characters,
Since the number of the numerical control programs for machining stored in the storage medium increases because of the arrangement or combination of symbols, a desired numerical control program for machining is determined based on such a list of program file names. It takes a very long time to search, and there is a problem that it is extremely difficult to call a desired numerical control program for machining within a short time. For this reason, if the program file management is not always performed properly,
In particular, when the operator changes, the operator calls the possible machining numerical control programs sequentially and checks the contents, but the machining numerical control program is created by the program code and numerical values. Since the details of the machining cannot be known, this confirmation work uses the graphic drawing function of the numerical control device or the automatic programming device to graphically display the shape of the tool path of the machining numerical control program. However, this graphic display processing is performed by decoding the numerical control program for machining in the above device,
Since multiple processes such as drawing data creation and image data conversion are required and are time-consuming, displaying and confirming a large number of machining numerical control programs one by one requires a considerable amount of time. Become.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art by easily confirming the tool trajectory shape of the numerical control program for machining from its label and shortening the desired numerical control program for machining. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for displaying a name of a numerical control program for machining which can be searched out by time.

[0006]

A feature of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is that specific information of a numerical control program for machining is displayed for selectively calling a numerical control program for machining stored in a storage medium. In the method of displaying a numerical control program name for machining for displaying on a means, when storing the numerical control program for machining in the storage medium, an image of a tool path realized by the numerical control program for machining to be stored is displayed. When image data to be displayed and character data for specifying the processing numerical control program are stored in association with the processing numerical control program, and the processing numerical control program is selectively called from the storage medium. The image of the tool path based on the image data and the file name based on the character data are previously displayed on the display means. Lies in that to display as the specific information.

According to this configuration, in addition to the character information based on character data that is generally used as a program file name of the numerical control program for machining, an image of the tool trajectory according to the numerical control program for machining is also displayed. Therefore, the operator can immediately know the contents of each machining numerical control program from the image information indicating the tool trajectory, and anyone can easily call the desired machining numerical control program within a short time.

Another feature of the present invention is to selectively call a desired machining numerical control program from a storage medium in which a plurality of machining numerical control programs for realizing a required tool path by a numerical controller are stored. In a machining numerical control program name display device provided with a display means for displaying specific information of the machining numerical control program, image data for displaying an image of a tool path realized by the machining numerical control program is displayed. Image data creating means for creating, and data writing means for storing the image data in the storage medium together with character data for displaying a file name of the numerical processing program for association with the numerical control program for processing The image data and the character data in response to a processing numerical control program call request. A display control unit for reading out from a medium and displaying a tool path image based on the image data and a file name based on the character data on the display unit as the specific information in the display unit. is there.

According to this configuration, when there is a request to call the processing numerical control program, the display control means extracts the image data and the character data from the storage medium, and stores the processing numerical control program stored in the storage medium. Is displayed on the display means as a specific information for specifying each of the file names, and a file name according to the character data and an image of the tool path according to the image data corresponding to the file name. Therefore, the operator can instantly grasp the contents of the machining numerical control program stored in the storage medium from the image of the tool path, and anyone can call the required machining numerical control program in a short time. Can be easily and reliably performed.

[0010] A numerical control program name display device for machining according to the present invention is also provided in a man-machine interface device for controlling a numerical control device using the machining numerical control program and for holding a conversation between the numerical control device and an operator. A device that displays information necessary for operating the numerical control device, a storage device that stores the machining numerical control program and image data indicating the tool trajectory in association with each other, and stores the storage device in the storage device. An input device that instructs to call the processed numerical control program, and calls an over-processing numerical control program and image data stored in the storage device based on a command from the input device,
And display control means for displaying the information as program specific information.

Further, the machining numerical control program name display device can be provided not only in the main body of the numerical control device but also in a programming device. In this case, a programming device for creating a numerical control program for machining used to control the numerical controller, a display device for displaying information necessary for program creation, and the numerical control program for machining and its tool path A storage device that stores image data in association with each other, an input device that instructs the calling of the numerical processing control program stored in the storage device, and the storage device based on a command from the input device. And a display control means for calling a numerical control program for processing and image data stored in the memory and displaying the program data as program specific information.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a man-machine interface unit 1 of a numerical control device having a function of displaying the name of a numerical control program for processing. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a functional portion for displaying a program file name. The man-machine interface unit 1 is a part that performs communication between an operator and a numerical control device (not shown), and has a plurality of functions necessary for machine operation, such as program editing, machine state display, and drawing functions. However, the description is omitted here. In the man-machine interface unit 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a file management control unit for managing a numerical control program for machining, reference numeral 11 denotes an input device including a keyboard for inputting various data, and reference numeral 12 denotes a numerical control device (not shown). An internal storage device, 13 is a display device using a CRT or LCD, 14 is a RAM, and 15 is a reading / writing device for reading and writing data from / to a flexible disk FD (removable disk). The flexible disk FD stores a machining numerical control program created by a numerical control program creating device (not shown). The machining numerical control program is a control program including data relating to a required trajectory of a tool to be executed by a numerical control device (not shown), and the machining numerical control program is given a program file name indicating its contents in advance. .
The program file name is given as character data, and is stored in the flexible disk FD in association with the machining numerical control program. Reference numeral 16 denotes a label display unit that performs a reduction process on the shape image according to the present invention, displays the label together with the file name of the numerical control program for processing, and also displays the shape of the numerical control program for processing specified by the cursor in the size before reduction. It is a display control unit for displaying.

In order to add image data indicating the contents of the tool trajectory to a given numerical processing control program in addition to character data as a label, a label creating unit 20 is provided.
Is provided. The label creating unit 20 takes out a required numerical control program for machining read into the RAM 14 according to a command from the file management control unit 10 from the RAM 14 based on the label creating command, and performs label creating control for executing various controls for creating a label. Unit 21 and the machining numerical control program received from the label creation control unit 21 as decoded full-size machining trajectory data (X, Y, and Z-axis movement data) for creating an image of a tool trajectory to be labeled. Drawing scale calculation unit 22 for determining scale
A drawing data creation unit 23 for creating drawing data of a tool path to be labeled based on the drawing scale data determined by the drawing scale calculation unit 22; and a drawing data creation unit 23
And an image data conversion unit 24 for converting the drawing data created in step (1) into corresponding image data and a machining numerical control program written in a program code to create data indicated by an actual tool path movement amount. A program decoding unit 26; The image data to be a label obtained by the image data conversion unit 24 is temporarily stored in the RAM 14 via the label creation control unit 21.

On the other hand, the processing numerical control program read from the flexible disk FD by the read / write device 15 is also stored once in the RAM 14, and is stored in the file management control unit 10 by the worker's processing numerical control program storage command. In, the image data corresponding to the numerical control program for processing is added as a label. In this way, the machining numerical control program to which the image data indicating the tool path and the character data indicating the program file name are given as the specific information data for specifying the machining numerical control program is stored in the internal storage device 12. Is stored. Note that the processing numerical control program to which the image data indicating the tool trajectory and the character data indicating the program file name are given as specific information data for specifying the processing numerical control program is transmitted by an instruction from the input device 11. The data can be sent to the reading / writing device 15 and stored in the flexible disk FD.

Thus, the internal storage device 12 has
A large number of processing numerical control programs are stored with image data and character data for specifying their contents. However, in the case of selectively calling the machining numerical control program stored in the internal storage device 12, when a predetermined call command is input from the input device 11, the file management control unit 10 responds to the command by calling a predetermined call command. The image data and character data are read from the device 12 and sent to the label display unit 16. The label display unit 16 sends the image data to the thinning-out processing unit 25, converts the image data to an appropriate size to be displayed together with the character data, and converts the image information and the character information according to these data into the CRT display device 13.
Is displayed. Further, when the operator moves the cursor on a desired machining numerical control program file name, a more detailed image can be obtained by displaying the shape based on the label data before reduction (see FIG. 7). . If two types of image data are stored as label files for label display, reduction processing at the time of display becomes unnecessary, and display can be performed faster.

Therefore, the worker can use the internal storage device 12
Can be easily grasped from the character information indicating the program file name and the image information indicating the tool trajectory of the number of machining numerical control programs stored in the
The required numerical control program for machining can be easily selected using the input device 11.

In the above description, the image data for the numerical control program for processing is processed by the functions of the drawing scale calculation unit 22, the drawing data creation unit 23, the image data conversion unit 24, and the program decoding unit 26 in the label creation unit 20. Has been described, but the image data can also be created using information from a program decoding unit provided in a numerical controller (not shown). In other words, when the numerical control program for machining is sent to the main body of the numerical controller for the purpose of executing the numerical control based on the numerical control program for machining, the program is decoded in the program decoding unit, and the movement amount of each axis with respect to the machining tool path is calculated. Data is retrieved. Man-machine interface 1
Then, the above data relating to the machining tool trajectory may be sent to the label creation control unit 21 and similar processing may be performed to create image data. In addition, once graphic drawing is performed using the drawing function of the man-machine interface unit 1, since image data has already been created, the image data thinning processing unit 25 determines a predetermined size based on the data. The image data is reduced to the same image data. The image data created by the image data thinning processing unit 25 is sent to the label creation control unit 21 and stored in the RAM 14 as in the case described above.

Next, the man-machine interface 1 will be described in more detail with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the list display function executed in the file management control unit 10. When a list display request is received by a command from the input device 11, a program file list display command indicating the contents of the machining numerical control program is issued in step 30. In step 31, a program file is searched from the designated storage medium. In step 32, it is determined whether or not there is a label file having the same shape as the program file name. In this embodiment, the program file is NC
Is added to the name of the same character data in the shape label file, and the extension of BMP is added.
Search for files with a P extension. If the decision result in the step 32 is YES, a step 33 is entered, the image data is read from the label file, the labeling reduction processing of the image data is performed in a step 34, and the shape label is displayed in a step 35 in association with the same program file name. I do. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 36. If the reduced image data is used as a label file as described above, the processing in step 34 becomes unnecessary.

On the other hand, if the decision result in the step 32 is NO, the process advances to a step 33A, where a label creation command is issued, a program file name is displayed in a step 34A, and the process advances to a step 36.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a label creation function executed by the label creation section 20 when a label creation command is issued in step 33A. When the execution of the label creation function is started, the program file instructed in step 41 is read into the RAM, and the drawing of the tool trajectory shape based on the numerical control program for machining is drawn in the man-machine interface unit 1 in step 42. It is determined whether the operation has been performed using the function. If the decision result in the step 42 is NO, a process for creating and storing the image data is executed in the steps 43 to 47.

First, in step 43, the numerical control program for machining is decoded, and the program relating to the tool trajectory of the numerical control program for machining is converted into the machine control axes (X,
(Y, Z, U, V, W axes).
In step 44, the shape label drawing scale is calculated. Referring to FIG. 5, a detailed flowchart for calculating the shape label drawing scale is shown. In step 44A, the decoding data of the numerical control program for machining is first read, and in step 44B, the XY axes are obtained in order to determine the maximum moving areas of the X and Y axes from the decoded data indicating the moving amounts of the XY axes. The maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value are calculated to calculate the moving area of the tool path. Next, in step 44C, a scale, which is a reduction / enlargement ratio in the vertical and horizontal directions, is calculated based on the expression shown therein in order to match the drawing area of the shape label. In step 44D, the smaller value of the horizontal scale and the vertical scale obtained in step 44C is obtained as the drawing scale, and the reduction / enlargement ratio of the program shape is determined.

Returning to FIG. 3, in step 45, the actual movement amount data of each axis is converted into coordinate data on the drawing screen based on the drawing scale obtained in step 44, and in the next step 46, the coordinate data is converted to the coordinate data on the drawing screen. Each block is replaced with an OS command (a DOS display command) to create drawing data. Thereafter, in step 47, the drawing data is converted into image data of dot data, for example, and the extension of the file name is changed. Then, the image data is stored in the RAM 14 as a part of a program file or a label file. Here, the label file is stored in the form of a BMP (bitmap file).
It is also possible to save in AG, JPEG, PIC, etc.

In step 48, it is determined whether or not the next label creation command program file exists in the RAM 14. The next label creation command program file is RAM1
If it is 4, the determination result of step 48 is YES, and the process returns to step 41. On the other hand, if the next label creation command program file does not exist in the RAM 14, the determination result in step 48 is NO, and the execution of the label creation function ends. This label creation function is performed as a multitask process. Normally, image data is already created when a program is saved as described later, and is rarely performed during normal display processing. This processing is performed when an operator edits a program or creates a new program.

The processing in the case where the image data is created by the drawing scale calculation unit 22, the drawing data creation unit 23, the image data conversion unit 24, and the program decoding unit 26 to obtain the label file has been described above. However, if graphic drawing has already been performed using the drawing function of the man-machine interface unit 1, information on the drawing data is used,
It is also possible to obtain a label file using the function of the image data thinning processing unit 25. The image data thinning processing unit converts the image data of the drawing scale of the graphic drawing into the image data shown in FIG.
2 is a part for performing the process of reducing and enlarging to the size of the shape display shown in the right corner portion and the reduction labeling process performed in step 34 in the flowchart of the list display function of FIG. Next, data processing performed using graphic drawing data will be described in detail.

If the decision result in the step 42 is YES, a step 49 decides whether or not image data at the time of graphic drawing is left. If no image data is left for graphic drawing, the determination result in step 49 is NO, and the process proceeds to step 43. On the other hand, if the image data at the time of graphic drawing is left, the determination result in step 49 is YES, and in step 50, the extension is changed after the thinning processing of the image data for obtaining the label image is performed. It is stored in the RAM 14 as a label file. And step 4
Proceed to 8.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a detailed flowchart showing in detail the image data thinning-out process executed in step 50. In step 61, the number of image data thinning dots is determined based on the equation shown therein. That is, the area ratio between the area for graphic drawing and the area for shape label drawing is determined. Step 6
In step 2, the integer ratio A of the determined number of image data thinning dots is calculated, and in step 63, several horizontal and vertical data thinning dots of graphic image data are extracted. That is, in the case of reduction, in order to make the number of A dots of graphic drawing one dot of the shape label, the integer ratio A is sequentially extracted, for example, one block from the end of the graphic drawing area. In step 64, it is determined whether or not the extracted data includes a drawing dot on the drawing locus. If the drawing dot on the drawing locus is included, the determination result of step 64 is YES,
The one block extracted in step 65 is stored in the RAM 14 as one drawing trajectory dot. on the other hand,
If the determination dot on the drawing locus is not included, the determination result of step 64 is NO, and one dot extracted in step 66 is stored in the RAM 14 as one dot which is not a drawing locus.

After the execution of step 65 or 66, the process proceeds to step 67, where it is determined whether or not the shape label has been printed several times. If the shape label has been printed several times, the determination result is YES, and the thinning process of the image data ends. If the shape label has not been performed several times, the determination result is NO. And returns to step 63. Then, the next A dots in the graphic drawing area corresponding to one dot of the next shape label are extracted, and similarly, the presence / absence of a dot on the drawing trajectory is determined for all the dots of the shape label. This thinning-out process is performed in the same manner as the reduction labeling process. That is, in the process of reducing the size of the shape label 50 of FIG.
Since the drawing area ratio of 1 is predetermined, the processing of steps 63 to 67 is repeated.

Returning to FIG. 3, the creation of the label image data for the commanded program file is sequentially performed in this way, and the label creation ends when the determination result in step 48 becomes NO.

The numerical control program for machining is created by the automatic programming device as described above, is given a program name, is temporarily stored in a storage medium such as a flexible disk FD, and is read by the man-machine interface unit of the numerical control device and stored in the RAM. Or stored in RS
It is transferred from the automatic programming device by serial communication using 232C. Therefore, when storing the program in the RAM in the long-term storage memory in the apparatus, it is preferable to perform a label creation process, and the multitask process is automatically performed according to a program storage command of an operator and stored. With reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, a process for storing a label file in a required storage medium in association with a numerical control program for machining will be described. This saving process is executed by the file management control unit 10. When a program saving command is received from the input device 11 in step 51, the program file specified in step 52 is searched in the RAM 1.
In step 53, it is determined whether or not a shape label file exists in the RAM 14. If a shape label file exists in the RAM 14, the determination result in the step 53 becomes YES, and the process goes to a step 54 to execute a process of storing both the program file and the label file in the specified storage medium. . Here, the storage medium can be specified from the input device 11, for example, the internal storage device 12 and / or the flexible disk FD can be specified.

If the decision result in the step 53 is NO,
In Step 55, it is determined whether or not the shape label file exists at the reading source. If the shape label file exists at the reading source, the determination result of step 55 is YES
After performing the process of reading the shape label file from the reading source into the RAM 14 in step 56, step 54 is executed.

If the decision result in the step 55 is NO, a label producing process is executed in a step 57 in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, whereby a required label file is obtained. Thereafter, in step 54, a process of storing both the program file and the label file in the specified storage medium is executed.

Since the man-machine interface unit 1 is configured as described above, when the operator performs an operation of calling the numerical control program for machining with the input device 11, the display device 13 is displayed as shown in FIG. As described above, as the specific information for specifying the numerical processing program for machining stored in the internal storage device 12, the labels L1, L2,... Are displayed in the form of a list. Therefore, the worker can easily know the contents of each numerical control program for machining by looking at the label which is the image information indicating the tool trajectory, and can easily select the desired numerical control program for machining without fail. Can be called. Note that, in the display example shown in FIG. 7, the specific information indicated by the cursor is indicated by the shape label 50 in the lower right portion of the screen in an unreduced size. For this reason, even if the contents of the label are somewhat complicated, the details of the image can be easily confirmed, which is particularly advantageous when comparing and selecting similar images.

[0035]

According to the present invention, as described above, the label indicating the contents of the machining numerical control program is displayed as image information indicating the tool trajectory. However, it can be performed easily and reliably, and the efficiency of the operation can be significantly improved.
In the present embodiment, an example in which the label display function is added to the man-machine interface unit normally provided in the numerical control device has been described, but if the shape display function according to the present invention is applied to the automatic programming device, it can be applied to the automatic programming device. Work efficiency can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration in a case where the present invention is applied to a man-machine interface section of a numerical control device having a function of displaying a name of a numerical control program for machining.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a list display function in the man-machine interface shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining label creation in the man-machine interface shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing for saving a numerical control program for machining and a label file in the man-machine interface unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of a shape label drawing scale calculation step shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart for explaining details of image data thinning processing in the label creation processing shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a display example of labels and program names in the man-machine interface shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of display of a program name of a machining numerical control program in a conventional apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Man-machine interface unit 10 File management control unit 12 Internal storage device 13 Display device 14 RAM 15 Read / write device 20 Label creation unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method for displaying a numerical control program for machining for displaying specific information of a numerical control program for machining on a display means for selectively calling a numerical control program for machining stored in a storage medium, comprising: When storing the machining numerical control program in the storage medium, to specify image data for displaying an image of a tool path realized by the machining numerical control program to be stored and the machining numerical control program Is stored in association with the numerical control program for machining, and when selectively calling the numerical control program for machining from the storage medium, based on the image of the tool path based on the image data and the character data, Processing for displaying a file name and the specific information on the display means Numerical control program name display method. 2. A machining numerical control program for selectively calling a desired machining numerical control program from a storage medium storing a plurality of machining numerical control programs for realizing a required tool path by the numerical controller. In a machining numerical control program name display device provided with display means for displaying specific information, image data creating means for creating image data for displaying an image of a tool path realized by the machining numerical control program Data writing means for storing the image data in the storage medium together with character data for displaying a file name of the processing numerical control program in association with the processing numerical control program; and processing numerical control. Reading the image data and the character data from the storage medium in response to a program call request ,
A display control means for displaying, on the display means, a tool path image based on the image data and a file name based on the character data as the specific information on the display means. Numerical control program name display device. 3. A man-machine interface device for controlling a numerical control device using a machining numerical control program and controlling communication between the numerical control device and an operator, wherein information necessary for operating the numerical control device is provided. A display device; a storage device that stores the machining numerical control program and image data indicating the tool trajectory in association with each other; and instructs the calling of the machining numerical control program stored in the storage device. A manipulator for use in a numerical controller having an input device and a display control means for calling an overwork numerical control program and image data stored in the storage device based on a command from the input device and displaying the data as program specific information; Machine interface device. 4. A programming device for creating a numerical control program for machining used to control a numerical control device, comprising: a display device for displaying information necessary for creating the program; A storage device that stores image data indicating a tool trajectory in association with each other, an input device that instructs a call of the numerical processing program for machining stored in the storage device, and a command based on a command from the input device. A processing numerical control program programming device, comprising: a numerical control program for processing and image data stored in a storage device, and display control means for displaying the data as program specific information.