EP1985425B1 - Device and method for machining a workpiece - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for processing a preferably plate-shaped workpiece. The invention relates in particular to a machine for underfloor machining of the plate-shaped workpieces, which is preferably in a production line a link in the process chain.

State of the art

In the following description of the prior art, all directions are given by means of a Cartesian coordinate system. The x-direction and the y-direction lie in the conveying plane of a conveying device, wherein the x-direction represents the conveying direction. The z-direction is perpendicular to the conveying plane.

In the prior art, the machining of workpieces on a processing machine with a processing area B, which extends over at least the entire length of a workpiece. The FIGS. 2 and 3 show two different embodiments of the prior art.

Both embodiments include a tool 211, 311, with which a workpiece 202B, 302B is processed and which is held by a holding device 204, 304. The workpieces are conveyed from a conveyor 206, 306 to the processing machine 210, 310. Since the tool 211, 311 continuously processes one workpiece 202B, 302B after another, and the machining of a workpiece 202B, 302B takes time, the subsequent workpiece is located 202A, 302A ready for processing while the tool 211, 311 is still processing the current workpiece 202B, 302B.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment in which the tool 211 in two directions perpendicular to the conveying direction x directions (y, z) and the holding device 204 parallel to the conveying direction x is movable.

The device 210 is divided into three zones A, B and C. Zone A is a buffer zone in which the subsequent workpiece 202A is turned off during processing of the current workpiece 202B, i. "parked" is. In zone B, the current workpiece 202B is machined and then deposited in zone C for removal. For this, the workpiece 202C located in zone C must already be transported away.

The holding device moves in the x direction over the buffer zone A and picks up the workpiece positioned in the buffer zone. For the machining, the holding device 204 moves the held workpiece in the x-direction over the tool 211, which is arranged in an interruption 208 of the conveying device 206. The tool 211 moves the required proportion in the y-direction itself, so that any arbitrary position of the workpiece 202B can be achieved.

However, since the workpiece 202B is machined over its entire length, the machining area B must be substantially twice the workpiece length to ensure that the workpiece 202B can be retracted again should multiple machining steps be necessary. During machining, no other workpieces 202A, 202C are allowed to enter this processing area B, as otherwise two workpieces could collide.

After processing, the workpiece is then conveyed by the conveyor 206 from the processing zone in zone C and then transported away.

Such a machine takes up a great deal of space, which is a major disadvantage for machines that are commonly used in a production line.

Another embodiment is in FIG. 3 shown. In this example, the tool 311 is movable in the three directions x, y, z. The zoning A, B, C remains the same, with the processing zone B only having to have the length of a workpiece 302B. For this, however, the interruption 308 is made substantially larger than in the first embodiment of the prior art. The interruption 308 here is essentially as large as the processing zone B. This is because during machining, only the tool 311 moves, the holding device 304 and the workpiece 302B in the processing zone B but stand still. The workpiece is first placed in the buffer zone A, where it is picked up by the holder 304 which is movable in the transport direction x and moved over the processing zone B. After machining, the holder deposits the workpiece in zone C and the workpiece is removed from the conveyor 306.

Also in this embodiment, the machine is still quite large and has the further disadvantage that in the processing zone, the conveyor device must be interrupted over a large area, since the tool requires this area for machining the workpieces. As a result, the holding device 304 is forced to transport each continuous workpiece itself over the interruption.

In a process chain, in which not every workpiece is processed by all devices of the process chain, leads this leads to a delay of the transport time due to lack of flexibility. In other words, even if the device is not to be used for certain workpieces, these workpieces can not simply pass through the device without loss of time, but must each be lifted from the holding device 304 via the interruption 308.

The DE 100 26 069 A1 . DE 201 15 390 U1 and the DE 298 07 071 U1 each show devices for processing plate-shaped workpieces in which several workpieces can be processed simultaneously. The processing and transport, however, take place in the same plane.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a device for machining a workpiece, in which a smaller dimensioning of the device is made possible.

According to the invention, this object is solved by the features of patent claim 1. Further, the invention ausgestaltende features are included in the subclaims.

The device for machining a workpiece, which preferably at least partially consists of wood, wood-based materials, plastics or the like, comprises a tool for carrying out the machining of the workpiece, a transport device with a feed side for feeding and a removal side for transporting the workpiece to or from the Tool,
wherein the workpiece is transported in a transport plane in at least one transport direction, and wherein the transport device has, at least in the feed side, a buffer zone in which a subsequent workpiece is positioned during processing of the workpiece. Further, a holding device for holding the workpiece during processing and for transporting the workpiece from the supply side to the discharge side is provided, wherein a processing plane in which the workpiece is processed, lies in a different plane to the transport plane. A buffer zone and / or a removal zone overlap with the processing zone at least in sections, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the transport plane or to the processing plane projection.

Such an embodiment of a device makes it possible to significantly reduce the expansion in the transport direction and thus the space requirement, since the buffer zone, in which the workpieces are waiting for processing, and the processing zone are superimposed. The space in the transport direction is thus used twice. Furthermore, there is no risk of a collision of the workpieces during processing, which reliably avoids damage to the workpieces and minimizes waste. The machine can also be easily decoupled from the factory and allow the workpieces to go through without processing.

Preferably, in the device, the tool can pass through the transport plane into the processing plane.

This is particularly advantageous for a device for underfloor processing, since the plates to be processed usually lie with the surface to be processed on the transport plane in order to protect the later visible surface. The workpieces do not have to be turned first for processing.

The holding device preferably holds the workpiece mechanically or with vacuum. Just a fixation of the workpiece by negative pressure is a particularly gentle on the surface type of holding.

Preferably, an automatic timing of the steps is provided, so that a continuous monitoring of the device is unnecessary.

Preferably, the holding device above the transport device and the tool and the tool is then preferably arranged below the transport device. In such an arrangement, the holder and the tool face each other, so that the surface to be machined is completely exposed and there is no danger that holder and tool interfere with each other. Thereby, a workpiece of any surface area can be processed, since the working plane is not limited by parts of the device in the lateral extent.

Furthermore, the workpieces can be held by gravity on the transport device, so that it is possible to avoid a complicated conveying device, which must fix the workpieces.

Furthermore, the invention comprises a method for machining a workpiece according to claim 11.

The advantages of such a method are consistent with those of the device, the method is particularly well suited for plate-shaped workpieces made of wood, wood materials, plastics or the like.

Description of the figures

Fig. 1

shows a side view in a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2

shows an embodiment of the prior art;

Fig. 3

shows a further embodiment of the prior art.

Description of the invention

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG FIG. 1 described.

For the directions of movement of the following description, the Cartesian coordinate system already given in the description of the prior art is used. The x-direction and the y-direction lie in the conveying plane of the conveying device, wherein the x-direction represents the conveying direction. The z-direction is perpendicular to the conveying plane. However, it is possible to use any other coordinate system as long as the directions of movement are linearly independent of each other.

Transport plane is the respective level of the conveyor meant. Thus, it is conceivable that the conveyor device itself first runs horizontally, undergoes a tilt in a next section and then again runs horizontally, so that mathematically two parallel, horizontal planes are present. The transport plane itself then comprises the first horizontal plane, the inclination plane and the second horizontal plane in which the workpiece is transported or stored and always lies on the conveyor device.

design features

In Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a device according to the invention shown. The device 10 according to the invention has at least one tool 11, a holding device 4 and a conveying device 6.

The tool 11 can be a simple tool, such as a drill, a milling cutter, a saw, a punch or a riveting / nailing machine. However, it may also be a more complex tool or aggregate with, for example, two different machining units for sequential machining, such as drills in two different ones Sizes or any combination of the previously mentioned simple tools.

The tool 11 can be permanently installed so that it is stationary and not movable. Preferably, however, the tool 11 is movable, and again it is necessary to distinguish between the different directions of movement.

Thus, it is possible that the tool 11 is movable only in one of the directions x, y or z (see Fig. 1 ), the y direction being preferred. Furthermore, a combination of two directions of movement can be selected, wherein preferably the xy directions are selected. It is also possible to make the tool movable or rotatable in three directions, so that up to six degrees of freedom can be achieved (three linear directions of movement, three directions of rotation). In principle, any combination of motions can be achieved.

The conveying device 6 may be any conveying device, as is commonly used in manufacturing plants. As examples for this conveyor belts, rollers, sliding surfaces or the like may be mentioned.

The conveying device 6 has a transport direction x, in which the workpiece is conveyed. This transport direction preferably consists of only one direction, but alternatively, the transport direction can also change, for example, by the workpiece arriving in the x-direction and being transported away in the y-direction.

The conveying device 6 has a feed side 6A, on which the workpiece is fed to the processing device 1, and a removal side 6C, on which the workpiece 2 is transported away from the device 10. The feed side 6A and the discharge side 6C of FIG Conveyor 6 need not be at a same height level.

The conveying device 6 thus represents the interface of the processing device with the environment and conveys the workpieces from any preceding device (not shown) to the processing device 10 according to the invention and from this to the subsequent device (not shown) in the process chain. Thus, the conveying device 6 can extend over several machines present in the process chain.

However, the conveying device 6 can also be provided exclusively on the device 10 according to the invention, so that the entire device 10 can be fitted in modular construction in any process chain. The feed side 6A and the discharge side 6C are then the interfaces to the environment.

In the following, the conveying device 6 is used to denote the device for transporting the workpieces in the immediate vicinity of the processing device 10, that is to say the feed side 6A and the removal side 6C.

The conveying device 6 has a buffer zone A, in which a workpiece 2, which is to be processed, is turned off in order to be picked up therefrom by the holding device 4 described below. The conveyor device can also be designed to be movable in order to lift or lower the workpieces in the z direction out of the transport plane and thus to transfer them to the holding device 4.

A processing zone B on the conveyor is not provided in the present invention. Preferably, there is also no significant interruption 14 of Conveyor 6, but only a narrow gap through which the tool 11, the workpiece 2 edited.

In some cases, an interruption 14 to the tool may also be omitted. For example, in an embodiment of the conveying device 6 as rollers, the construction-related design of the conveying device 6 can already provide sufficient gaps for machining with the tool 11 through the conveying device 6. Another possibility would be to attach the tool 11 on the opposite side of the conveying device 6. The interruption of the conveyor depends strongly on the choice of the tool, but in any case is smaller than the workpiece length and wider than the tool.

It is thus possible in principle to pass through the workpieces 2, in particular plate-shaped workpieces, without processing on the processing device 10 on the conveying device 6.

The holder 4 is preferably in the transport direction, i. in the x-direction, movable. At least its direction of movement has a component parallel to the conveying direction. The holder may also be movable in several directions of movement, wherein up to six degrees of freedom may also be included analogous to the directions of movement of the tool. Tool and holder together should have at least two directions of movement, preferably x and z direction, better at least three directions of movement, preferably x, y and z direction.

Of course, the directions of movement of holder 4 and tool 11 together may also be overdetermined, ie, for example, both may be movable in the x-direction in addition to other directions of movement.

The combination of the directions of movement of holder 4 and tool 11 becomes relevant to the respective structural arrangements. Should the tool 11 be permanently installed, the holder 4 must, for example, perform all movements itself. However, in such a construction, the tool 11 must protrude into the working plane, which may mean that the tool 11 then also has to protrude through the transport plane. Such an arrangement is therefore conceivable, although not preferred. A stationary tool 11 should preferably be arranged such that it does not reach through the transport plane.

The holder 4, the workpiece 2 mechanically, in particular friction and / or positive or pneumatic, such as by a vacuum hold.

The holding device 4 is preferably arranged with respect to the tool 11 on the other side of the conveying device 6 and holds the workpiece 2 such that the side to be machined is ideally completely exposed. The tool 11 operates, so to speak, preferably through the transport plane in the working plane in which the workpiece is kept for processing. The processing zone B lies in the working plane and thereby overlaps with the buffer zone A and / or the removal zone C in a projection perpendicular to the transport plane or to the processing plane. This is only possible because the holding device 4 is decoupled from the transport plane, ie, that the holder does not have to reach through the transport plane to hold the workpiece 2. A workpiece 2A positioned in the buffer zone can thus overlap the workpiece 2B to be processed without running the risk of colliding with it. It may also be possible to attach the holding device 4 laterally to the conveying device 6 in such a way that the holding device 4 does not have to work through the conveying device 6 but passes past it laterally. Then the holder 4 does not have to however, it is still decoupled from the conveyor 11.

The structural arrangement of the conveying device 6, holder 4 and tool 11 is in principle adapted by the skilled person to the respective circumstances. Thus, the tool 11 and the holder 4 may both be arranged above or below the conveying device 6, which then possibly also requires no interruption 8, or also opposite to the conveyor 6 between them.

The preferred embodiment is in FIG. 1 shown, in which the conveying device 6 is provided between the tool 11 and the holder 4. The tool moves in the y- and z-direction, the holder during machining only in the x-direction, wherein the holder 4 moves when picking up the workpiece 2 in the z-direction.

functionality

A workpiece 2A is conveyed on the feed side from the conveyor 6 to the processing apparatus 10. There it is positioned in the buffer zone C while the current workpiece 2B is still being processed.

Since the working plane is preferably farther away from the tool than the transport plane, the workpiece 2 can be arbitrarily rotated and moved, depending on how far the distance difference between the tool and transport plane or tool and working plane is. However, preferably in any desired x and y direction. Direction. After the processing of the preceding workpiece 2B is completed, the holding device is no longer occupied and engages the workpiece 2A positioned in the buffer zone A. For this purpose, the holding device moves over the workpiece 2 and moves itself in the z-direction to accommodate the workpiece 2 or the Conveyor can move in the buffer zone in the z-direction and brings the workpiece so in the working plane.

It should be noted that the working plane is outside the conveying plane of the feeding side 6A and the conveying side 6C of the conveying device 6 so that the workpiece 2B to be processed and the workpiece 2C positioned in the buffer zone can not collide. This removal of the machining and the transport plane is preferably workpiece-dependent, but may also be a fixed measure and in some cases also depend on the kinematics of the machining (possible rotations). The working plane can therefore also be oblique to the transport plane. In a plate-shaped workpiece, which is machined only in the three linear directions x, y, z and which has a thickness of a few cm, for example 2-3 cm, the working plane would have to be removed from the transport plane by the value of this thickness.

After the workpiece 2 has been brought into the working plane either from the holding device 4 or from the conveying device 6 and is held by the holding device 4 by means of mechanical or pneumatic force, the holding device 6 moves the held workpiece 2 to the tool 11.

Preferably, the tool is not stationary mounted, but may move in the y-direction and in the z-direction, so that the holder must be movable only in the x-direction to provide all linearly independent directions of movement. The workpiece 2B is now processed at all required locations, while the subsequent workpiece 2A is already in the buffer zone. It may also be possible that the preceding workpiece 2C is still in the removal zone, but this workpiece must be removed before settling the machined workpiece to allow the machined workpiece settle without collision. The holding device 4 moves after machining on the removal zone C and sets the workpiece 2, it is also possible here that the removal zone C is movable in the z direction and takes over the transport of the workpiece 2 from the working plane to the transport plane.

Industrial Applicability

The invention makes it possible to build the machine a substantial piece of compactness. As a result, the space required for this device is considerably shortened and additional process steps in the process chain can be installed. This increases the effectiveness or reduces the space requirement and thus the costs.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus (10) for working a work piece (2) which is preferably in at least one section made of wood, derived timber products, synthetic materials or the like, comprising:

   a tool (11) for carrying out working of the work piece (2);

   a transport device (6) having a delivery side (6A) for delivery of the work piece (2) to and a discharge side (6C) for discharge of the work piece (2) from the tool (11), the work piece (2) being transported in at least one direction of transport (x) in a plane of transport which is arranged on the transport device (6), the transport device (6) having at least in the delivery side (6A) a buffer zone (A) in which a subsequent work piece (2A) is positioned during working of the work piece (2B);

   a holding device (4) for holding of the work piece (2) during working by the tool (11) in a plane of working which lies in a working zone and in a plane different to the plane of transport, and for transport of the work piece from the delivery side (6A) to the discharge side (6C),

   characterised in that
   the buffer zone (A) and/or a discharge zone (C) overlap with the working zone (B) at least in one section, in particular in a projection perpendicular to the plane of transport or to the plane of working.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the tool (11) passes through the plane of transport into the plane of working.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which the directions of movement (x, y, z) of the tool (11) and holding device (4) are linearly independent, preferably perpendicular to each other.
4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the holding device (4) and/or the transport device (6) are movable in an additional direction of movement perpendicularly to the plane of transport.
5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the holding device (4) holds the work piece (2) mechanically or with a vacuum.
6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the timing of the work steps is carried out automatically.
7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the holding device (14) is arranged above the transport device (6) and the tool (11).
8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the tool (11) is provided below the transport device (6).
9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the work pieces (11) are held on the transport device (6) by force of gravity.
10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the tool (11) is a drill, a saw or a mortiser.
11. Method for working a work piece (2) which is preferably at least in one section made of wood, derived timber products, synthetic materials or the like, with the following steps:

    delivering a work piece (2A) on a transport device (6) in a plane of transport to a buffer zone (A);

    transferring the work piece to a holding device (4) which is movable in at least one direction;

    working the work piece (2B) by means of a tool (11) in a working zone (B) in a plane of working which is different to the plane of transport, and which overlaps with the buffer zone in a perpendicular projection to the plane of working or to the plane of transport;

    positioning the worked work piece (2B) on the transport device (6C) in the plane of transport on the discharge side (C); and

    discharging the work piece (2C).

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