EP2621671A1 - Method for rearranging tools in the tool magazine of a machine tool - Google Patents

Method for rearranging tools in the tool magazine of a machine tool

Info

Publication number
EP2621671A1
EP2621671A1 EP11761581.5A EP11761581A EP2621671A1 EP 2621671 A1 EP2621671 A1 EP 2621671A1 EP 11761581 A EP11761581 A EP 11761581A EP 2621671 A1 EP2621671 A1 EP 2621671A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tool
machining
magazine
location
spindle
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP11761581.5A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Achim Feinauer
Matthias Schwarz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Stama Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Original Assignee
Stama Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stama Maschinenfabrik GmbH filed Critical Stama Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Publication of EP2621671A1 publication Critical patent/EP2621671A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
    • B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
    • B23Q3/1552—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling parts of devices for automatically inserting or removing tools
    • B23Q3/15526—Storage devices; Drive mechanisms therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
    • B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
    • B23Q3/15503—Processes characterized by special sequencing of operations or the like, e.g. for optimizing tool changing time or capacity in tool storage
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23Q—DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING; MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
    • B23Q3/00—Devices holding, supporting, or positioning work or tools, of a kind normally removable from the machine
    • B23Q3/155—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling
    • B23Q3/157—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling of rotary tools
    • B23Q3/15706—Arrangements for automatic insertion or removal of tools, e.g. combined with manual handling of rotary tools a single tool being inserted in a spindle directly from a storage device, i.e. without using transfer devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for machining a workpiece, in particular a method for the cutting machining of a metallic workpiece, on a machine tool, which has at least one tool spindle for mounting a machining tool and at least one tool magazine with a multiplicity of magazine locations, which magazine locations are loaded with a multiplicity of machining tools arranged in a spatial sequence in relation to one another, the workpiece being machined in a defined time sequence of machining tools which are removed one after the other by the tool spindle from the tool magazine and, after corresponding machining of the workpiece, are deposited again in the tool magazine, the machining tools being rearranged in the tool magazine in conjunction with the machining of a prescribed workpiece in such a way that the spatial sequence corresponds at least largely to the time sequence.
  • DE 43 11 469 CI describes a machine tool with a tool magazine which is formed as a chain magazine with a circulating chain. Arranged on the chain are storage locations, that is to say magazine locations, for the machining tools. The picking up and depositing of a machining tool is performed at a defined transfer position on the chain. Arranged at another transfer position is a sorting station, which is capable of removing a machining tool from a magazine location or depositing it into a magazine location. With the aid of this sorting station, the magazine location that lies directly next to a magazine location with the next- following tool in the time sequence of the machining tools is respectively made free during the operation of the machine tool. In this way, the tool change can be carried out very quickly, because the previous machine tool is deposited directly alongside the then-following machining tool.
  • the method and the device from DE 43 11 469 CI have proven to be successful in practice. They make very quick tool changes possible, and consequently short chip-to-chip times, because the next magazine location of the then-following machining tool is made free at the same time as the machining of the workpiece with the previous machine tool is being performed.
  • the known device is also of a simple and low-cost construction, and it offers the user the possibility of loading the tool magazine "chaotically", i.e. the user does not have to make the loading of the tool magazine match the sequence with which the workpiece is machined. In other words, the spatial sequence in which the machining tools are stored alongside one another in the tool magazine does not correspond to the time sequence in which they have to be mounted one after the other in the tool spindle for the machining.
  • EP 1 870 200 Bl proposes that, during the first complete machining of a new workpiece intended to be produced in series on the basis of a new machining program with a new time sequence of machining tools, the machining tools should be rearranged with the aid of the sorting station known from DE 43 11 469 CI in such a way that the (new) spatial sequence largely corresponds to the time sequence.
  • the magazine location required in the new spatial sequence for a specific machining tool is made free, if required, by a gripper provided at the sorting station while the workpiece is being machined with this machining tool. Also for this purpose, the gripper accessing the tool magazine at a different transfer location than the tool spindle removes the machine tool that has been deposited in the magazine location to be made free and stores it on an interim basis.
  • the tool magazine must first move the magazine location concerned to the transfer position at the sorting station, where the stored machining tool is removed, and then to the transfer position at the tool spindle, where the machining tool mounted in the tool spindle is deposited into this magazine location after it has been used on the workpiece.
  • the tool change at the tool spindle is in this case performed either by the pick-up process, in which the tool spindle moves into the transfer position, in which it can directly deposit machining tools into the tool magazine or remove them from the tool magazine, or with the aid of a transfer device, which transfers the machining tools between the tool spindle and the transfer position.
  • the known method consequently makes it possible for the user to load the magazine locations of the tool magazine "chaotically", that is to say initially in any desired spatial sequence in relation to one another. This is very convenient for the user and of advantage in particular whenever the machining program on the machine tool is changed, because for example it is intended to produce a different workpiece.
  • the new machining operation can follow on from the previous machining operation without the tool magazine first having to be rearranged. It goes without saying that the required machining tools for the new machining process must be present in the tool magazine or added. However, it is not necessary to optimize the loading of the tool magazine before the new machining operation is commenced.
  • the known method When machining a workpiece for the first time on the basis of a new machining program, the known method carries out an automatic sorting of the machining tools in the tool magazine by replacing a previously arbitrarily stored machining tool in the tool magazine at a magazine location that corresponds to the position of the corresponding machining tool in the machining time sequence.
  • the machining tools lie in a new spatial sequence in the tool magazine, which corresponds to the time sequence of the machining tools. Therefore, as from the second machining process at the latest, the machine tool can remove the machining tools very quickly from the tool magazine, since the machining tools are arranged in the magazine in accordance with the required sequence. A tool change is therefore possible with minimal displacements and can accordingly be executed quickly. The number of accesses to the magazine locations of the tool magazine and the number of chain advancements possibly required are reduced, and consequently the wear is also reduced.
  • this object is achieved by a method of the type mentioned at the outset in which at least one magazine location is provided in the tool magazine as an interim store, into which the tool spindle relocates a machining tool in order to create a free magazine location in the spatial sequence.
  • the "free magazine location in the spatial sequence" is intended to receive the machine tool that is the next in the time sequence to be used for machining the workpiece, whereby the magazine location directly neighbouring the created free magazine location contains the machine tool used in the time sequence directly before the said next machine tool.
  • the rearrangement is performed by the tool spindle itself, which for this purpose executes at least once during the machining of a prescribed workpiece a time sequence of steps in which it creates directly alongside the magazine location into which it has deposited the machining tool used directly before a free magazine location into which it then deposits a machining tool removed from a further magazine location and intended as the next for machining in the time sequence, once it has machined the workpiece with this machining tool.
  • the prescribed workpiece is generally the first workpiece that is produced on the basis of a new machining program with a new time sequence of machining tools.
  • the inventors of the present invention have found that the sorting function provided by the gripper of the sorting station can be performed by the tool spindle, even though at first glance this should also be rejected since the tool spindle cannot perform any productive work on the workpieces while it is carrying out the sorting work.
  • the new method can consequently not only be retrofitted advantageously on existing machine tools, but also has advantages in terms of structural design, production engineering and cost when used on new machine tools, in particular multi-spindle machine tools.
  • the spatial sequence of the machining tools it is not absolutely necessary in the case of the new method for the spatial sequence of the machining tools to correspond exactly to the time sequence of the machining tools.
  • a machining tool that is required very often in the sequence of the machining operation may be stored at a definitively defined storage location (fixed location coding), which then can be selected so as to minimize the required movements of the tool magazine.
  • a "fixed coded" machining tool would consequently be omitted from the spatial sequence actually provided.
  • an "overlarge" machining tool can only be deposited at certain storage locations within the tool magazine. In this case too, the overlarge machining tool would be omitted from the sequence actually provided.
  • the method step "the tool spindle deposits a machining tool in a magazine location” is understood as meaning both an operation in which, by using the pick-up process, the tool spindle directly deposits a machining tool into a magazine location which has been moved to a transfer position intended for this purpose and an operation in which a transfer device is provided between the tool spindle and the transfer position and removes a machining tool from the tool receptacle on the tool spindle, transports it to the transfer position and deposits it there into the respective magazine location.
  • the method step "the tool spindle removes a machining tool from a magazine location” is understood as meaning both an operation in which, by using the pick-up process, the tool spindle directly removes a machining tool from a magazine location which has been moved to a transfer position intended for this purpose and an operation in which a transfer device is provided between the tool spindle and the transfer position and removes a machining tool from the magazine location, transports it to the tool spindle and inserts it there into the tool receptacle on the tool spindle.
  • a "machining tool” is understood as meaning a tool such as that which, in the case of machine tools of the type in question, is mounted into the tool receptacle of the tool spindle with the aid of a so-called tool holder, which may be provided with a steep taper (ST) or a hollow shank taper (HST).
  • ST steep taper
  • HST hollow shank taper
  • machining tool covers both parts equally, provided that the machine tool works with tool holders. In the case of machine tools in which the machining tools are mounted directly into the tool receptacle of the work spindle, of course only the machining tool as such is meant.
  • a "tool magazine” is understood as meaning a device which has a number of magazine locations spatially fixed alongside one another, stored in which are machining tools which can, according to choice, be transferred into a tool spindle and mounted there.
  • the tool magazine has for this purpose a transfer position to which the magazine locations are moved in order to be inserted into and removed from the tool spindle there in the pick-up process or with the aid of a transfer device.
  • the chain magazine it is possible for the chain magazine to be formed as a stationary chain magazine and as a chain magazine that can travel along with some moving part of the machine tool, it also being possible to provide the chain magazine with a travel drive of its own, which merely moves or pivots it into the working space for making a tool change.
  • the machine tool may be formed as a travelling column machine with a vertical tool spindle, in which the three orthogonal axes of movement (x, y, z) are realized in the machining tool. It is also possible, however, to use other types of machine tool in which, for example, the tool spindle is horizontally arranged and/or the axes of movement are not realized in the machining tool at all or in part, but in the workpiece.
  • the tool magazine is formed as a chain magazine and the machine tool is a travelling column machine, in which the tool change is performed by the pick-up process, because then the advantages of the present invention are shown to advantage particularly effectively.
  • the tool spindle deposits the machining tool picked up from the third magazine location in a magazine location serving as an interim store.
  • the tool spindle uses the machining tool picked up from the third magazine location directly for the machining of the workpiece because - possibly coincidently - it is already the machining tool to be used next in the time sequence and can also be deposited again into the third magazine location.
  • the magazine location serving as an interim store may in this case be the old magazine location of the previously used machining tool, which now takes up the second magazine location.
  • the interim store then, as it were, "moves" along the magazine locations.
  • the magazine location intended as the interim store is definitively prescribed. This is advantageous in particular whenever overlarge machining tools that require more than one magazine location are also used.
  • the tool spindle removes the machining tool stored on an interim basis in the interim store and deposits it in the old magazine location of the previously used machining tool.
  • the interim store is fixed, it can in this way be cleared before a machining tool is removed from the machining location into which the next machining tool in the time sequence is then intended to be deposited and deposited in the interim store.
  • the interim store comprises three magazine locations, preferably lying alongside one another, and that, at least once in the course of the rearrangement, the following sequence of steps is carried out at five magazine locations lying alongside one another in the spatial sequence, of which the first is empty and the second to fifth are in each case loaded with a machining tool: a) the tool spindle deposits the previously used machining tool in the first magazine location, b) the tool spindle removes the machining tools one after the other from the second, third and fourth magazine locations and deposits them in the interim store, c) the tool spindle removes the overlarge machining tool intended as the next for machining in the time sequence from its three old magazine locations and carries out a machining of the workpiece with it, d) the tool spindle deposits the overlarge machining tool in the second, third and fourth magazine locations, and e) the tool spindle removes the
  • the tool spindle removes the three machining tools stored on an interim basis in the interim store one after the other and deposits them in the three old magazine locations of the overlarge processing tool.
  • Fig. 1 shows in a schematic side view a simplified representation of a machine tool on which the new method is carried out
  • Fig. 2 shows the machine tool from Fig. 1 when a tool change is being made
  • FIG. 1 show a schematic plan view of a tool magazine represented as a detail in various stages of the rearrangement of the machining tools with an alternating or moving interim store;
  • FIG. 1 show a further schematic plan view of a tool magazine represented as a detail in various stages of the rearrangement of the machining tools with a fixed interim store;
  • Fig. 5 shows in a representation like Fig. 4 the rearrangement for an overlarge machining tool.
  • a machine tool that is denoted overall by the reference numeral 10 is represented in a schematic side view not to scale.
  • the machine tool 10 has a travelling column 12, which is arranged by way of a first slide guide 14 on a cross part 16.
  • the travelling column 12 can be moved with the aid of the first slide guide 14 on the cross part 16 in the direction of an axis, which is usually referred to as the y axis and is symbolically represented here by an arrow 18. It goes without saying that the travelling column 12 is moved in a motorized manner on the first slide guide 14, a corresponding drive not being shown here for reasons of overall clarity.
  • the cross part 16 is mounted on a machine frame 22 by way of a second slide guide 20.
  • the second slide guide 20 permits a movement of the cross part 16 along a second axis, which is represented here at the reference numeral 24.
  • the reference numeral 24 denotes the so-called x axis. It goes without saying that the movement of the cross part 16 on the second slide guide 20 is performed with the aid of a suitable drive, which is not represented here for reasons of overall clarity.
  • a spindle head 25 with a tool spindle 26 rotatably mounted therein is mounted in a vertically suspended manner on the travelling column 12.
  • the tool spindle 26 has at its lower end a spindle receptacle 28, in which a tool holder 29 with a machining tool 30 attached thereto can be mounted in a known way.
  • the tool holder is typically standardized and is of the steep taper (ST) or hollow shank taper (HST) type.
  • ST steep taper
  • HST hollow shank taper
  • the tool spindle 26 is formed for the purpose of rotating the machine tool 30 about its spindle axis 32, which is represented by an arrow 34.
  • the tool spindle 26 is capable of rotating the machine tool 30 at several thousand revolutions per minute, in order in particular to permit a drilling and milling machining of metallic workpieces.
  • the tool spindle 26 can be moved on the travelling column 12 in the direction of an arrow 36, that is to say here in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the tool spindle 26 is mounted on the travelling column 12 by way of a third slide guide 38.
  • the movement of the tool spindle 26 in the direction of the arrow 36 is usually referred to as the z axis.
  • the three slide guides 14, 20 and 38 for the three axes of movement 18, 24, 36 extend orthogonally in relation to one another.
  • the machine tool 10 is therefore a travelling column machine with a vertical tool spindle 26 in which all three axes of movement 18, 24, 36 are realized in the machining tool 30.
  • the reference numeral 40 denotes a work table which is mounted on the machine frame and on which a workpiece 42 to be machined is mounted.
  • the reference numeral 44 denotes a housing, which encloses the components of the machine tool 10 described so far.
  • the reference numeral 46 denotes a control unit, with the aid of which all the movements of the machine tool 10 and auxiliary units (coolant supply, compressed air and the tool magazine described below) are controlled.
  • the machining tool 30 can be moved in a working space denoted by 48, in order to machine the workpiece 42 there.
  • Various machining tools 30 are used during this machining, stored in a tool magazine 50 that is only schematically represented in Fig. 1.
  • the tool magazine 50 can be seen more precisely in Fig. 2. It has a closed chain 52, which can be moved back and forth and in which a multiplicity of magazine locations 54 in the form of holders are located.
  • the holders are schematically represented here as tong-like elements, which serve for receiving in each case a tool holder 29 loaded with a machining tool 30.
  • the chain 52 is mounted on a closed, horizontally arranged chain running path 56.
  • the chain running path 56 is fixedly connected to the machine frame 22 by way of supports 58.
  • the chain magazine 50 is therefore a stationary chain magazine, which is arranged around the cross part 16 of the machine tool 10, and the chain 52 of which runs around in a horizontal plane, which is defined by the x and y axes 24, 18.
  • the travelling column moves rearward in the y direction 18, that is to say to the right in Fig. 1. This is the state shown in Fig. 2.
  • the tool spindle 26 is now located above a transfer position denoted by 59, in which there is in the state according to Fig. 2 an empty location, that is to say an empty or free magazine location 54, into which the tool spindle 26 then deposits the tool holder 29 with the machining tool 30 that has been in use until then.
  • the chain 52 then moves a loaded magazine location 54 into the transfer position 59 under the tool spindle 26, in which a tool holder 29 with a machining tool 30 now intended to be used is located.
  • This type of tool change is referred to as a pick-up process.
  • the machining tools are in this case deposited as far as possible in a spatial sequence alongside one another in the magazine locations 54 in the same way as they are used at times one after the other, because then the chain 52 only has to be moved slightly between the individual tool changes, by one magazine location 54, which decreases the time for making the tool change and extends the lifetime of the chain 52.
  • the spatial sequence therefore corresponds substantially to the time sequence.
  • the machining tools 30 are rearranged by the tool spindle 26 and the tool magazine 50 working together.
  • FIGs. 3 a) to 3 h) depict a sorting method in which an "alternating" interim store is used. In other words, different magazine locations are used at different points in time as interim store.
  • FIG. 3a shows a starting situation, in which the magazine locations are denoted by a to z, the machining tools being depicted as 1 to 7.
  • the time sequence in which the machining tools are intended to be used corresponds to their numbering, that is to say first machining tool 1, then machining tool 2, and so on.
  • the spatial sequence in which the machining tools have been deposited in the tool magazine 50 corresponds to the alphabetical notation, that is to say a, b, c etc.
  • the aim of the sorting method is that machining tool 1 is deposited into magazine location a, machining tool 2 is deposited into magazine location b, and so on, so that the time sequence corresponds to the spatial sequence.
  • Machining tool 5 is now deposited into the previously empty magazine location d, which consequently serves as the alternating or "temporary" interim store 62. After that, the tool magazine moves the magazine locations clockwise, until magazine location y with machining tool 2 goes into the transfer position 59, since machining tool 2 is the next machining tool in the time sequence that is intended to be used. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 d).
  • the tool spindle 26 now removes machining tool 2 from magazine location y and machines the workpiece, not shown Fig. 3, while at the same time the tool magazine moves the magazine locations counterclockwise in such a way that magazine location b comes to lie in the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 e).
  • the tool spindle 26 deposits it in magazine location b, whereupon the tool magazine moves the magazine locations one step further counterclockwise, so that magazine location c with machining tool 6 comes to lie in the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 f).
  • Machining tool 3 is now picked up by the tool spindle 26, in order to machine the workpiece further with it.
  • the tool magazine moves the magazine locations clockwise in such a way that magazine location c comes to lie in the transfer position 59.
  • the tool spindle 26 can consequently deposit it in magazine location c.
  • Fig. 4 a different representation of the tool magazine 50 than in Fig. 3 is chosen for the sake of simplification; here, the tool magazine 50 is "uncoiled", so that magazine locations a to z lie alongside one another.
  • the alphabetical sequence a to z corresponds in turn to the spatial sequence that is intended to be made to coincide with the time sequence of machining tools 1 to 7.
  • Magazine location e is intended as a permanent interim store 62.
  • machining tool 2 is removed from magazine location y. This is represented by the arrow (3).
  • machining tool 2 is used for machining the workpiece and then deposited into magazine location b, which is represented by the arrow (4).
  • the resultant situation is represented in Fig. 4 b), where machining tools 1 and 2 now lie alongside one another in magazine locations a and b, while machining tool 6 has been deposited into the interim store e, 62.
  • the interim store e, 62 is now emptied, by tool 6 being transferred into magazine location y, at which the machine tool previously used, that is to say machine tool 2, was previously located. This is represented by the arrow (5).
  • next machining tool to be used and then to be deposited is number 3; it must be deposited in the spatial sequence into magazine location c, which is currently still occupied by machine tool 7.
  • This machining tool 7 is now deposited with the aid of the tool spindle 26 into the interim store e, which is represented by an arrow (6).
  • machining tool 3 is then picked up from magazine location z into the tool spindle 26 and used for machining the workpiece; this is represented by an arrow (7).
  • machining tool 3 is deposited into magazine location c, which is represented by an arrow (8).
  • machining tool 4 The next machining tool to be used in the sequence, machining tool 4, is already located in magazine location d, so that it can now be mounted in the spindle 26 and, after machining of the workpiece has been performed, deposited again into magazine location d.
  • Fig. 5 shows a method which is represented and depicted in a way similar to the method according to Fig. 4.
  • Magazine locations g, h and i are reserved as the interim store 62, all other magazine locations b, c, d, e, f, w, x, y and z are occupied by machining tools.
  • the tool spindle 26 now deposits machining tool 1 into magazine location a, which is represented by an arrow (1).
  • machining tools 3, 7 and 8 are removed one after the other from magazine locations b, c and d and deposited into magazine locations i, h and g, which is represented by arrows (2), (3) and (4).
  • the overlarge machining tool 2' is deposited into magazine location c, also blocking magazine locations b and d. This is represented by the arrow (6).
  • magazine location e is emptied, by the machine tool stored there, machine tool 10, being transferred into one of locations t, u or v. This is represented by an arrow (7).
  • machining tool 10 can be transferred into one of magazine locations g, h and i.
  • the interim store must be emptied once again before machining tool 10 from magazine location e can be deposited there, in order to empty magazine location e for machining tool 4, such that it can be taken from its old magazine location w, used on the workpiece and then deposited there.
  • the interim store g, h and i always contains three magazine locations lying alongside one another, so that at any time an overlarge machining tool can be stored on an interim basis and can consequently also be arranged in the spatial sequence according to its position in the time sequence.

Abstract

On a machine tool which has a tool spindle (26) for mounting a machining tool (1-7) and a tool magazine (50) with a multiplicity of magazine locations (a - z), which are loaded with a multiplicity of machining tools (1 - 10) in a spatial sequence in relation to one another, the machining tools (1 - 10) are rearranged in conjunction with the machining of a specific workpiece in such a way that the spatial sequence (a - z) corresponds at least largely to the time sequence (1 - 10). In this case, the following steps are carried out: a) the tool spindle (26) deposits the previously used machining tool (1) in the first magazine location (a), b) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (5) from the second magazine location (b) and deposits it in a machine location (d) serving as an interim store, c) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (2) intended in the time sequence to be the next for machining from its old magazine location (y) and carries out a machining of the workpiece (42) with it, d) the tool spindle (26) deposits the machining tool (2) in the machine location (b), and e) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (6) from the third machine location (c).

Description

METHOD FOR REARRANGING TOOLS IN THE TOOL
MAGAZINE OF A MACHINE TOOL
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for machining a workpiece, in particular a method for the cutting machining of a metallic workpiece, on a machine tool, which has at least one tool spindle for mounting a machining tool and at least one tool magazine with a multiplicity of magazine locations, which magazine locations are loaded with a multiplicity of machining tools arranged in a spatial sequence in relation to one another, the workpiece being machined in a defined time sequence of machining tools which are removed one after the other by the tool spindle from the tool magazine and, after corresponding machining of the workpiece, are deposited again in the tool magazine, the machining tools being rearranged in the tool magazine in conjunction with the machining of a prescribed workpiece in such a way that the spatial sequence corresponds at least largely to the time sequence.
[0002] Such a method is known from EP 1 870 200 B. [0003] DE 43 11 469 CI describes a machine tool with a tool magazine which is formed as a chain magazine with a circulating chain. Arranged on the chain are storage locations, that is to say magazine locations, for the machining tools. The picking up and depositing of a machining tool is performed at a defined transfer position on the chain. Arranged at another transfer position is a sorting station, which is capable of removing a machining tool from a magazine location or depositing it into a magazine location. With the aid of this sorting station, the magazine location that lies directly next to a magazine location with the next- following tool in the time sequence of the machining tools is respectively made free during the operation of the machine tool. In this way, the tool change can be carried out very quickly, because the previous machine tool is deposited directly alongside the then-following machining tool.
[0004] The method and the device from DE 43 11 469 CI have proven to be successful in practice. They make very quick tool changes possible, and consequently short chip-to-chip times, because the next magazine location of the then-following machining tool is made free at the same time as the machining of the workpiece with the previous machine tool is being performed. The known device is also of a simple and low-cost construction, and it offers the user the possibility of loading the tool magazine "chaotically", i.e. the user does not have to make the loading of the tool magazine match the sequence with which the workpiece is machined. In other words, the spatial sequence in which the machining tools are stored alongside one another in the tool magazine does not correspond to the time sequence in which they have to be mounted one after the other in the tool spindle for the machining.
[0005] It goes without saying that the initial, as it were arbitrary, position of the individual machining tools in the tool magazine that is obtained during loading, that is to say their current spatial sequence, is stored in the machine control, which is performed by enquiring a machine-readable coding of each individual tool or by manual input. During the machining of the workpieces, the spatial sequence of the machining tools changes, which is likewise stored in the machine control. [0006] However, it has been found in the practical application of this known method and of the known device that the machining tools have to be rearranged relatively frequently in the tool magazine, which may lead to increased wear of the circulating chain and of the individual holders for the machining tools.
[0007] To solve this problem, EP 1 870 200 Bl, mentioned at the outset, proposes that, during the first complete machining of a new workpiece intended to be produced in series on the basis of a new machining program with a new time sequence of machining tools, the machining tools should be rearranged with the aid of the sorting station known from DE 43 11 469 CI in such a way that the (new) spatial sequence largely corresponds to the time sequence.
[0008] For this purpose, the magazine location required in the new spatial sequence for a specific machining tool is made free, if required, by a gripper provided at the sorting station while the workpiece is being machined with this machining tool. Also for this purpose, the gripper accessing the tool magazine at a different transfer location than the tool spindle removes the machine tool that has been deposited in the magazine location to be made free and stores it on an interim basis.
[0009] The new magazine location that is required for depositing the machining tool currently being used can then consequently be made free at the same time as the current machining operation, if so required. As a result, delay times caused by the process of rearrangement when a new machining program is executed for the first time are minimized.
[0010] For this purpose, the tool magazine must first move the magazine location concerned to the transfer position at the sorting station, where the stored machining tool is removed, and then to the transfer position at the tool spindle, where the machining tool mounted in the tool spindle is deposited into this magazine location after it has been used on the workpiece. [0011] The tool change at the tool spindle is in this case performed either by the pick-up process, in which the tool spindle moves into the transfer position, in which it can directly deposit machining tools into the tool magazine or remove them from the tool magazine, or with the aid of a transfer device, which transfers the machining tools between the tool spindle and the transfer position.
[0012] The known method consequently makes it possible for the user to load the magazine locations of the tool magazine "chaotically", that is to say initially in any desired spatial sequence in relation to one another. This is very convenient for the user and of advantage in particular whenever the machining program on the machine tool is changed, because for example it is intended to produce a different workpiece.
[0013] On the basis of a "chaotic" or arbitrary loading of the tool magazine, the new machining operation can follow on from the previous machining operation without the tool magazine first having to be rearranged. It goes without saying that the required machining tools for the new machining process must be present in the tool magazine or added. However, it is not necessary to optimize the loading of the tool magazine before the new machining operation is commenced.
[0014] When machining a workpiece for the first time on the basis of a new machining program, the known method carries out an automatic sorting of the machining tools in the tool magazine by replacing a previously arbitrarily stored machining tool in the tool magazine at a magazine location that corresponds to the position of the corresponding machining tool in the machining time sequence.
[0015] Consequently, after running through a machining operation for the first time, the machining tools lie in a new spatial sequence in the tool magazine, which corresponds to the time sequence of the machining tools. Therefore, as from the second machining process at the latest, the machine tool can remove the machining tools very quickly from the tool magazine, since the machining tools are arranged in the magazine in accordance with the required sequence. A tool change is therefore possible with minimal displacements and can accordingly be executed quickly. The number of accesses to the magazine locations of the tool magazine and the number of chain advancements possibly required are reduced, and consequently the wear is also reduced.
[0016] Although the known method works very reliably and has proven successful in practice, it can only be retrofitted on existing machine tools with great effort in terms of the structural design, because space for the sorting station to be subsequently fitted has to be created at the tool magazine.
[0017] It is known from DE 43 04 361 Al to leave free one magazine location in a tool magazine in order to exchange the machining tools one after the other between the tool magazine and a changing magazine with the aid of a separate transfer device, the free magazine location alternating back and forth between the two magazines.
[0018] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of the type mentioned at the outset that can be implemented in a structurally simple and low-cost way not only in the case of new machine tools but also on existing machine tools.
[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, this object is achieved by a method of the type mentioned at the outset in which at least one magazine location is provided in the tool magazine as an interim store, into which the tool spindle relocates a machining tool in order to create a free magazine location in the spatial sequence.
[0020] The "free magazine location in the spatial sequence" is intended to receive the machine tool that is the next in the time sequence to be used for machining the workpiece, whereby the magazine location directly neighbouring the created free magazine location contains the machine tool used in the time sequence directly before the said next machine tool.
[0021] In other words, the rearrangement is performed by the tool spindle itself, which for this purpose executes at least once during the machining of a prescribed workpiece a time sequence of steps in which it creates directly alongside the magazine location into which it has deposited the machining tool used directly before a free magazine location into which it then deposits a machining tool removed from a further magazine location and intended as the next for machining in the time sequence, once it has machined the workpiece with this machining tool.
[0022] The prescribed workpiece is generally the first workpiece that is produced on the basis of a new machining program with a new time sequence of machining tools.
[0023] This is so because the inventors of the present application have realized on the one hand that it is possible to dispense entirely with the sorting station used as an interim store in the prior art described at the outset if a magazine location of the tool magazine is "misappropriated" as an interim store, so that not all the magazine locations present in the tool magazine can be loaded with a machining tool, which at first glance appears to be undesirable.
[0024] On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention have found that the sorting function provided by the gripper of the sorting station can be performed by the tool spindle, even though at first glance this should also be rejected since the tool spindle cannot perform any productive work on the workpieces while it is carrying out the sorting work.
[0025] According to the invention, however, a particular advantage is achieved specifically by dispensing with the additional sorting station, which represents an additional component entailing additional costs, servicing work and space, without itself being involved in the machining of the workpieces, and which can reduce the availability of the machine.
[0026] For multi-spindle machining, the prior art even provides more than one sorting station, so that the solution according to the invention produces even greater advantages in the case of machine tools with two or more tool spindles than it does in the case of single-spindle machines.
[0027] The new method can consequently not only be retrofitted advantageously on existing machine tools, but also has advantages in terms of structural design, production engineering and cost when used on new machine tools, in particular multi-spindle machine tools.
[0028] The inventors have also realized that, all in all, the loss in productivity, which of course only concerns the first in time machining of one workpiece on the basis of a new machining program, is negligible.
[0029] The loss of a magazine location is also far less detrimental than imagined, since chain magazines in particular can be dimensioned such that at least one magazine location can be used as an interim store. This is all the more the case if the machining of the workpieces is performed with two or more tool spindles, each tool spindle being supplied by way of a tool magazine of its own or a common tool magazine of correspondingly large dimensions.
[0030] It is not absolutely necessary in the case of the new method for the spatial sequence of the machining tools to correspond exactly to the time sequence of the machining tools. For example, a machining tool that is required very often in the sequence of the machining operation may be stored at a definitively defined storage location (fixed location coding), which then can be selected so as to minimize the required movements of the tool magazine. Such a "fixed coded" machining tool would consequently be omitted from the spatial sequence actually provided.
[0031] Furthermore, it may be that, because of its dimensions, an "overlarge" machining tool can only be deposited at certain storage locations within the tool magazine. In this case too, the overlarge machining tool would be omitted from the sequence actually provided.
[0032] In view of this and other special cases, it is sufficient if, according to the invention, after the rearrangement the spatial sequence of the machine tools corresponds "at least largely" to the time sequence.
[0033] The object underlying the invention is therefore completely achieved.
[0034] It is particularly preferred if, at least once in the course of the rearrangement, three magazine locations are produced lying alongside one another in the spatial sequence, of which the first is empty and the second and third are in each case loaded with a machining tool, at least the machining tool in the second magazine location being different from the machining tool that is intended in the time sequence to be used directly after the machining tool that is currently mounted in the tool spindle and being used for the machining of the workpiece, the following sequence of steps being carried out at these three magazine locations: a) the tool spindle deposits the previously used machining tool in the first magazine location, b) the tool spindle removes the machining tool from the second magazine location and deposits it in a magazine location serving as an interim store, c) the tool spindle removes the machining tool intended in the time sequence to be the next for machining from its old magazine location and carries out a machining of the workpiece with it, d) the tool spindle deposits the machining tool in the second magazine location, and e) the tool spindle removes the machining tool from the third magazine location.
[0035] Within the scope of the present invention, the method step "the tool spindle deposits a machining tool in a magazine location" is understood as meaning both an operation in which, by using the pick-up process, the tool spindle directly deposits a machining tool into a magazine location which has been moved to a transfer position intended for this purpose and an operation in which a transfer device is provided between the tool spindle and the transfer position and removes a machining tool from the tool receptacle on the tool spindle, transports it to the transfer position and deposits it there into the respective magazine location.
[0036] Consequently, within the scope of the present invention, the method step "the tool spindle removes a machining tool from a magazine location" is understood as meaning both an operation in which, by using the pick-up process, the tool spindle directly removes a machining tool from a magazine location which has been moved to a transfer position intended for this purpose and an operation in which a transfer device is provided between the tool spindle and the transfer position and removes a machining tool from the magazine location, transports it to the tool spindle and inserts it there into the tool receptacle on the tool spindle.
[0037] Within the scope of the present invention, a "machining tool" is understood as meaning a tool such as that which, in the case of machine tools of the type in question, is mounted into the tool receptacle of the tool spindle with the aid of a so-called tool holder, which may be provided with a steep taper (ST) or a hollow shank taper (HST). For the sake of simplicity, no distinction is made in the present description between the actual machining tool, for example a milling cutter or a thread cutter, and the tool holder. The term machining tool covers both parts equally, provided that the machine tool works with tool holders. In the case of machine tools in which the machining tools are mounted directly into the tool receptacle of the work spindle, of course only the machining tool as such is meant.
[0038] Finally, within the scope of the present invention, a "tool magazine" is understood as meaning a device which has a number of magazine locations spatially fixed alongside one another, stored in which are machining tools which can, according to choice, be transferred into a tool spindle and mounted there. The tool magazine has for this purpose a transfer position to which the magazine locations are moved in order to be inserted into and removed from the tool spindle there in the pick-up process or with the aid of a transfer device.
[0039] In this case it is possible for the chain magazine to be formed as a stationary chain magazine and as a chain magazine that can travel along with some moving part of the machine tool, it also being possible to provide the chain magazine with a travel drive of its own, which merely moves or pivots it into the working space for making a tool change.
[0040] The machine tool may be formed as a travelling column machine with a vertical tool spindle, in which the three orthogonal axes of movement (x, y, z) are realized in the machining tool. It is also possible, however, to use other types of machine tool in which, for example, the tool spindle is horizontally arranged and/or the axes of movement are not realized in the machining tool at all or in part, but in the workpiece.
[0041] It is preferred, however, if the tool magazine is formed as a chain magazine and the machine tool is a travelling column machine, in which the tool change is performed by the pick-up process, because then the advantages of the present invention are shown to advantage particularly effectively.
[0042] In an improvement, it is then preferred if the tool spindle deposits the machining tool picked up from the third magazine location in a magazine location serving as an interim store.
[0043] This is the case whenever the machining tool in the third location is also not the machining tool to be used next in the time sequence, but it is necessary to create space in the third magazine location for a machining tool which has to be removed from another magazine location for the machining and after that deposited into the third magazine location according to the spatial sequence to be newly established as corresponding to the time sequence.
[0044] Alternatively, the tool spindle uses the machining tool picked up from the third magazine location directly for the machining of the workpiece because - possibly coincidently - it is already the machining tool to be used next in the time sequence and can also be deposited again into the third magazine location.
[0045] The magazine location serving as an interim store may in this case be the old magazine location of the previously used machining tool, which now takes up the second magazine location. The interim store then, as it were, "moves" along the magazine locations.
[0046] Alternatively, the magazine location intended as the interim store is definitively prescribed. This is advantageous in particular whenever overlarge machining tools that require more than one magazine location are also used.
[0047] In this connection, it is provided in an improvement that, between steps d) and e), the tool spindle removes the machining tool stored on an interim basis in the interim store and deposits it in the old magazine location of the previously used machining tool.
[0048] Because the interim store is fixed, it can in this way be cleared before a machining tool is removed from the machining location into which the next machining tool in the time sequence is then intended to be deposited and deposited in the interim store.
[0049] If at least one overlarge machining tool that occupies three magazine locations lying alongside one another has been deposited in the tool magazine, it is provided in an improvement that the interim store comprises three magazine locations, preferably lying alongside one another, and that, at least once in the course of the rearrangement, the following sequence of steps is carried out at five magazine locations lying alongside one another in the spatial sequence, of which the first is empty and the second to fifth are in each case loaded with a machining tool: a) the tool spindle deposits the previously used machining tool in the first magazine location, b) the tool spindle removes the machining tools one after the other from the second, third and fourth magazine locations and deposits them in the interim store, c) the tool spindle removes the overlarge machining tool intended as the next for machining in the time sequence from its three old magazine locations and carries out a machining of the workpiece with it, d) the tool spindle deposits the overlarge machining tool in the second, third and fourth magazine locations, and e) the tool spindle removes the machining tool from the fifth magazine location.
[0050] In this way, even an overlarge machining tool can be arranged in the time sequence, which is not possible with the known method.
[0051] Here, too, it is possible to use three magazine locations lying alongside one another, but alternating or moving, as an interim store, or to provide a fixed interim storage location which is cleared before the tool spindle, after depositing the overlarge machining tool, creates the next empty location at the fifth magazine location or uses the machining tool deposited there on the workpiece if it happens to be the next machining tool in the time sequence.
[0052] In this case, the tool spindle removes the three machining tools stored on an interim basis in the interim store one after the other and deposits them in the three old magazine locations of the overlarge processing tool.
[0053] Depending on how much the spatial sequence of the machining tools initially obtained when loading the tool magazine differs from the time sequence, some or all of the above steps are carried out a number of times during the first machining of a workpiece on the basis of a new machining program. In any event, it is ensured that, after the end of the first machining, all the machining tools lie in the tool magazine in a spatial sequence which corresponds to the time sequence, unless fixed magazine locations are provided for certain machining tools.
[0054] It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and still to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the scope of the present invention. [0055] Embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawing and are explained in more detail in the description which follows. In the drawing:
Fig. 1 shows in a schematic side view a simplified representation of a machine tool on which the new method is carried out;
Fig. 2 shows the machine tool from Fig. 1 when a tool change is being made;
Fig. 3 a) to Fig. 3 h)
show a schematic plan view of a tool magazine represented as a detail in various stages of the rearrangement of the machining tools with an alternating or moving interim store;
Fig. 4 a) to Fig. 4 b)
show a further schematic plan view of a tool magazine represented as a detail in various stages of the rearrangement of the machining tools with a fixed interim store; and
Fig. 5 shows in a representation like Fig. 4 the rearrangement for an overlarge machining tool.
[0056] In Fig. 1, a machine tool that is denoted overall by the reference numeral 10 is represented in a schematic side view not to scale.
[0057] The machine tool 10 has a travelling column 12, which is arranged by way of a first slide guide 14 on a cross part 16. The travelling column 12 can be moved with the aid of the first slide guide 14 on the cross part 16 in the direction of an axis, which is usually referred to as the y axis and is symbolically represented here by an arrow 18. It goes without saying that the travelling column 12 is moved in a motorized manner on the first slide guide 14, a corresponding drive not being shown here for reasons of overall clarity.
[0058] The cross part 16 is mounted on a machine frame 22 by way of a second slide guide 20. The second slide guide 20 permits a movement of the cross part 16 along a second axis, which is represented here at the reference numeral 24. The reference numeral 24 denotes the so-called x axis. It goes without saying that the movement of the cross part 16 on the second slide guide 20 is performed with the aid of a suitable drive, which is not represented here for reasons of overall clarity.
[0059] A spindle head 25 with a tool spindle 26 rotatably mounted therein is mounted in a vertically suspended manner on the travelling column 12. The tool spindle 26 has at its lower end a spindle receptacle 28, in which a tool holder 29 with a machining tool 30 attached thereto can be mounted in a known way. The tool holder is typically standardized and is of the steep taper (ST) or hollow shank taper (HST) type. The tool spindle 26 is formed for the purpose of rotating the machine tool 30 about its spindle axis 32, which is represented by an arrow 34. Typically, the tool spindle 26 is capable of rotating the machine tool 30 at several thousand revolutions per minute, in order in particular to permit a drilling and milling machining of metallic workpieces.
[0060] The tool spindle 26 can be moved on the travelling column 12 in the direction of an arrow 36, that is to say here in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the tool spindle 26 is mounted on the travelling column 12 by way of a third slide guide 38. The movement of the tool spindle 26 in the direction of the arrow 36 is usually referred to as the z axis. Typically, the three slide guides 14, 20 and 38 for the three axes of movement 18, 24, 36 extend orthogonally in relation to one another.
[0061] The machine tool 10 is therefore a travelling column machine with a vertical tool spindle 26 in which all three axes of movement 18, 24, 36 are realized in the machining tool 30. [0062] The reference numeral 40 denotes a work table which is mounted on the machine frame and on which a workpiece 42 to be machined is mounted. The reference numeral 44 denotes a housing, which encloses the components of the machine tool 10 described so far. Finally, the reference numeral 46 denotes a control unit, with the aid of which all the movements of the machine tool 10 and auxiliary units (coolant supply, compressed air and the tool magazine described below) are controlled.
[0063] In this way, the machining tool 30 can be moved in a working space denoted by 48, in order to machine the workpiece 42 there.
[0064] Various machining tools 30 are used during this machining, stored in a tool magazine 50 that is only schematically represented in Fig. 1.
[0065] The tool magazine 50 can be seen more precisely in Fig. 2. It has a closed chain 52, which can be moved back and forth and in which a multiplicity of magazine locations 54 in the form of holders are located. The holders are schematically represented here as tong-like elements, which serve for receiving in each case a tool holder 29 loaded with a machining tool 30.
[0066] The chain 52 is mounted on a closed, horizontally arranged chain running path 56. The chain running path 56 is fixedly connected to the machine frame 22 by way of supports 58. In the embodiment shown, the chain magazine 50 is therefore a stationary chain magazine, which is arranged around the cross part 16 of the machine tool 10, and the chain 52 of which runs around in a horizontal plane, which is defined by the x and y axes 24, 18.
[0067] For making a tool change, the travelling column moves rearward in the y direction 18, that is to say to the right in Fig. 1. This is the state shown in Fig. 2. The tool spindle 26 is now located above a transfer position denoted by 59, in which there is in the state according to Fig. 2 an empty location, that is to say an empty or free magazine location 54, into which the tool spindle 26 then deposits the tool holder 29 with the machining tool 30 that has been in use until then. The chain 52 then moves a loaded magazine location 54 into the transfer position 59 under the tool spindle 26, in which a tool holder 29 with a machining tool 30 now intended to be used is located. This type of tool change is referred to as a pick-up process.
[0068] The machining tools are in this case deposited as far as possible in a spatial sequence alongside one another in the magazine locations 54 in the same way as they are used at times one after the other, because then the chain 52 only has to be moved slightly between the individual tool changes, by one magazine location 54, which decreases the time for making the tool change and extends the lifetime of the chain 52. The spatial sequence therefore corresponds substantially to the time sequence.
[0069] If it is intended to machine a workpiece 42 on the machine tool on the basis of a new machining program stored in the control unit, for this purpose possibly new machining tools 30 are placed into the magazine locations 54 or exchanged for ones that are there. In most cases, the spatial sequence of the machining tools 30 then no longer coincides with the time sequence in which the machining tools 30 are used, so that the machining tools 30 have to be rearranged.
[0070] The same applies if the tool magazine 50 is completely reloaded with machining tools 30 and the machining tools 30 are thereby placed into the magazine locations in an arbitrary spatial sequence, because this is easier for the personnel and, in particular, can be carried out quickly. Furthermore, even if it is attempted to deposit the machining tools in the spatial sequence to coincide with the time sequence, errors occur.
[0071] Finally, there are also discrepancies between the spatial sequence and the time sequence whenever, during actual operation, a worn machining tool has to be exchanged for a new so-called sister tool, which is placed at any location in the tool magazine and is only intended to be automatically arranged correctly in the spatial sequence when it is later used.
[0072] In order to make the existing spatial sequence coincide at least substantially with the time sequence, when a workpiece 42 is machined for the first time on the basis of a new machining program, the machining tools 30 are rearranged by the tool spindle 26 and the tool magazine 50 working together.
[0073] The way in which this takes place is now described in conjunction with Figs. 3 to 5, in each of which a detail of the tool magazine 50 is shown in a schematic plan view. The tool spindle 26 is also schematically indicated.
[0074] Figs. 3 a) to 3 h) depict a sorting method in which an "alternating" interim store is used. In other words, different magazine locations are used at different points in time as interim store.
[0075] Fig. 3a shows a starting situation, in which the magazine locations are denoted by a to z, the machining tools being depicted as 1 to 7. The time sequence in which the machining tools are intended to be used corresponds to their numbering, that is to say first machining tool 1, then machining tool 2, and so on.
[0076] The spatial sequence in which the machining tools have been deposited in the tool magazine 50 corresponds to the alphabetical notation, that is to say a, b, c etc.
[0077] The aim of the sorting method is that machining tool 1 is deposited into magazine location a, machining tool 2 is deposited into magazine location b, and so on, so that the time sequence corresponds to the spatial sequence.
[0078] In the state of the method according to Fig. 3 a), the three magazine locations a, b and c, which lie spatially directly alongside one another, are loaded in such a way that magazine location a is empty and magazine locations b and c contain tools 5 and 6, that is to say specifically not the tools that are intended to be used after machining tool 1, which is mounted in the tool spindle 26. The machining tool required next in the time sequence, machining tool 2, is located in magazine location y. Magazine location d is empty and is the first to be used as the interim store 62.
[0079] In Fig. 3 a), the transfer position 59 is already occupied by magazine location a, so that the tool spindle 26 can now deposit tool 1 into magazine location a. After that, the tool magazine 15 moves the magazine locations one step counterclockwise, so that magazine location b goes into the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 b).
[0080] The tool spindle 26 now removes machining tool 5 from magazine location b, whereupon the tool magazine moves the magazine locations further counterclockwise, until magazine location d can be found in the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 c).
[0081] Machining tool 5 is now deposited into the previously empty magazine location d, which consequently serves as the alternating or "temporary" interim store 62. After that, the tool magazine moves the magazine locations clockwise, until magazine location y with machining tool 2 goes into the transfer position 59, since machining tool 2 is the next machining tool in the time sequence that is intended to be used. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 d).
[0082] The tool spindle 26 now removes machining tool 2 from magazine location y and machines the workpiece, not shown Fig. 3, while at the same time the tool magazine moves the magazine locations counterclockwise in such a way that magazine location b comes to lie in the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 e). [0083] Once the use of machining tool 2 has been completed, the tool spindle 26 deposits it in magazine location b, whereupon the tool magazine moves the magazine locations one step further counterclockwise, so that magazine location c with machining tool 6 comes to lie in the transfer position 59. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 f).
[0084] The tool spindle 26 now removes machining tool 6, so that magazine location c becomes free for receiving machining tool 3.
[0085] Then the tool magazine moves the magazine locations counterclockwise, so that machining tool 6 can be deposited into magazine location y, which now serves as the interim store 62. This situation is represented in Fig. 3 g).
[0086] Now the tool magazine moves the magazine locations counterclockwise again, until magazine location e with machining tool 3 can be found in the transfer position 59. This situation is shown in Fig. 3 h).
[0087] Machining tool 3 is now picked up by the tool spindle 26, in order to machine the workpiece further with it. During this process, the tool magazine moves the magazine locations clockwise in such a way that magazine location c comes to lie in the transfer position 59.
[0088] When the machining with machining tool 3 has been completed, the tool spindle 26 can consequently deposit it in magazine location c.
[0089] In this way, during the machining of the workpiece with tools 1, 2 and 3, the latter have been rearranged in such a way that they now lie in magazine locations a, b and c, and to this extent the spatial sequence therefore now coincides with the time sequence. [0090] While an "alternating" interim store is used in Fig. 3, in the method according to Figs. 4 a) and 4 b) the use of a fixed interim store 62 is depicted.
[0091] In Fig. 4, a different representation of the tool magazine 50 than in Fig. 3 is chosen for the sake of simplification; here, the tool magazine 50 is "uncoiled", so that magazine locations a to z lie alongside one another. The alphabetical sequence a to z corresponds in turn to the spatial sequence that is intended to be made to coincide with the time sequence of machining tools 1 to 7.
[0092] Magazine location e is intended as a permanent interim store 62.
[0093] In the starting situation of Fig. 4 a), magazine location a has been cleared to make it empty; the interim store 62, e is likewise empty. Machining tool 1 is located in the tool spindle 26, which has already machined the workpiece with it.
[0094] In a first step, which is identified by the arrow (1), the tool spindle 26 now deposits machining tool 1 into magazine location a.
[0095] After that, it removes machining tool 6 from magazine location b and deposits it in the interim store e, which is represented overall by the arrow (2). This operation is performed in the same way as in the case of the operation according to Fig. 3 by the tool magazine moving the corresponding magazine locations into the transfer position, where the picking up or depositing of the respective tool is performed directly by the tool spindle using the pick-up process.
[0096] Next, machining tool 2 is removed from magazine location y. This is represented by the arrow (3).
[0097] After that, machining tool 2 is used for machining the workpiece and then deposited into magazine location b, which is represented by the arrow (4). [0098] The resultant situation is represented in Fig. 4 b), where machining tools 1 and 2 now lie alongside one another in magazine locations a and b, while machining tool 6 has been deposited into the interim store e, 62. Next, the interim store e, 62 is now emptied, by tool 6 being transferred into magazine location y, at which the machine tool previously used, that is to say machine tool 2, was previously located. This is represented by the arrow (5).
[0099] The next machining tool to be used and then to be deposited is number 3; it must be deposited in the spatial sequence into magazine location c, which is currently still occupied by machine tool 7. This machining tool 7 is now deposited with the aid of the tool spindle 26 into the interim store e, which is represented by an arrow (6).
[0100] Next, machining tool 3 is then picked up from magazine location z into the tool spindle 26 and used for machining the workpiece; this is represented by an arrow (7).
[0101] After that, machining tool 3 is deposited into magazine location c, which is represented by an arrow (8).
[0102] The next machining tool to be used in the sequence, machining tool 4, is already located in magazine location d, so that it can now be mounted in the spindle 26 and, after machining of the workpiece has been performed, deposited again into magazine location d.
[0103] Fig. 5 shows a method which is represented and depicted in a way similar to the method according to Fig. 4.
[0104] As a difference from Fig. 4, in Fig. 5 there is in magazine locations t, u and v an overlarge machining tool, which has been deposited in magazine location u but, by its width, also blocks magazine locations t and v. This is machining tool 2', which is intended to be used after machining tool 1, which is already mounted in the tool spindle 26.
[0105] Magazine locations g, h and i are reserved as the interim store 62, all other magazine locations b, c, d, e, f, w, x, y and z are occupied by machining tools.
[0106] In a first step, the tool spindle 26 now deposits machining tool 1 into magazine location a, which is represented by an arrow (1). After that, machining tools 3, 7 and 8 are removed one after the other from magazine locations b, c and d and deposited into magazine locations i, h and g, which is represented by arrows (2), (3) and (4).
[0107] Next, the overlarge machining tool 2' is removed from magazine location u and mounted in the tool spindle 26, whereby magazine locations t, u and v become free.
[0108] After the machining, the overlarge machining tool 2' is deposited into magazine location c, also blocking magazine locations b and d. This is represented by the arrow (6).
[0109] Then, magazine location e is emptied, by the machine tool stored there, machine tool 10, being transferred into one of locations t, u or v. This is represented by an arrow (7).
[0110] As long as magazine locations g, h and i are intended to be used here as a fixed interim store 62, it is necessary by analogy with the methods according to Fig. 4, however, for tools 3, 7 and 8 to be transferred from magazine locations g, h and i into the magazine locations that have become free, locations t, u and v.
[0111] After that, machining tool 10 can be transferred into one of magazine locations g, h and i. [0112] Once machining tool 3 from magazine location i has then been used and deposited in magazine location e, the interim store must be emptied once again before machining tool 10 from magazine location e can be deposited there, in order to empty magazine location e for machining tool 4, such that it can be taken from its old magazine location w, used on the workpiece and then deposited there.
[0113] In this way it is ensured that the interim store g, h and i always contains three magazine locations lying alongside one another, so that at any time an overlarge machining tool can be stored on an interim basis and can consequently also be arranged in the spatial sequence according to its position in the time sequence.

Claims

Claims
1. A method for machining a workpiece (42), in particular for the cutting machining of a metallic workpiece, on a machine tool (10), which has at least one tool spindle (26) for mounting a machining tool (1-10; 30) and at least one tool magazine (50) with a multiplicity of magazine locations (a - z; 54), which magazine locations are loaded with a multiplicity of machining tools (1 - 10) in a spatial sequence in relation to one another, the workpiece (42) being machined in a defined time sequence by machining tools (1 - 10) which are removed one after the other by the tool spindle (26) from the tool magazine (50) and, after corresponding machining of the workpiece (42), are deposited again in the tool magazine (50), the machining tools (1 - 10) being rearranged in the tool magazine (50) in conjunction with the machining of a prescribed workpiece (42) in such a way that the spatial sequence (a - z) corresponds at least largely to the time sequence (1 - 10), characterized in that at least one magazine location (d, y; e; g, h, i) is provided in the tool magazine (50) as an interim store (62), into which the tool spindle (26) relocates a machining tool (5, 6; 6, 7; 3, 7, 8) in order to create a free magazine location (b, c) in the spatial sequence.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, at least once in the course of the rearrangement, three magazine locations (a, b, c) are produced lying alongside one another in the spatial sequence, of which the first (a) is empty and the second (b) and third (c) are in each case loaded with a machining tool (5, 6), at least the machining tool (5) in the second magazine location (b) being different from the machining tool (2) that is intended in the time sequence to be used directly after the machining tool (1) that is currently mounted in the tool spindle (26) and being used for the machining of the workpiece (42), and in that, the following sequence of steps is carried out at these three magazine locations (a, b, c): a) the tool spindle (26) deposits the previously used machining tool (1) in the first magazine location (a), b) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (5) from the second magazine location (b) and deposits it in a magazine location (d) serving as an interim store, c) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (2) intended in the time sequence to be the next for machining from its old magazine location (y) and carries out a machining of the workpiece (42) with it, d) the tool spindle (26) deposits the machining tool (2) in the second magazine location (b), and e) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (6) from the third magazine location (c).
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, in conjunction with step e), the tool spindle (26) deposits the machining tool (6) picked up from the third magazine location (c) in a magazine location (y) serving as an interim store.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, in conjunction with step e), the tool spindle (26) uses the machining tool picked up from the third magazine location for the machining of the workpiece.
5. The method as claimed in anyone of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, after step d) and before step e), the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tool (6; 3) stored on an interim basis in the interim store (e; i) and deposits it in the old magazine location (y; u) of the previously used machining tool (2; 2').
6. The method as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one overlarge machine tool (2') that occupies three magazine locations (t, u, v) lying alongside one another has been deposited in the tool magazine (50), and in that the interim store (62) comprises three magazine locations (g, h, i), preferably lying alongside one another, wherein, at least once in the course of the rearrangement, the following sequence of steps is carried out at five magazine locations (a, b, c, d, e) lying alongside one another in the spatial sequence, of which the first (a) is empty and the second to fifth (b, c, d, e) are in each case loaded with a machining tool (3, 7, 8, 10): a) the tool spindle (26) deposits the previously used machining tool (1) in the first magazine location (a), b) the tool spindle (26) removes the machining tools (3, 7, 8) one after the other from the second, third and fourth magazine locations (b, c, d) and deposits them in the interim store (62), c) the tool spindle (26) removes the overlarge machining tool (2') intended as the next for machining in the time sequence from its three old magazine locations (t, u, v) and carries out a machining of the workpiece (42), d) the tool spindle (26) deposits the overlarge machining tool (2) in the second, third and fourth machine locations (b, c, d), e) the tool spindle removes the machining tool (10) from the fifth machine location (e).
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, after step d) and before step e), the tool spindle (26) removes one-by-one the three machining tools (3, 7, 8) stored on an interim basis in the interim store (62) and deposits them in the three old magazine locations (t, u, v) of the overlarge machining tool (2').
EP11761581.5A 2010-09-27 2011-09-26 Method for rearranging tools in the tool magazine of a machine tool Withdrawn EP2621671A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102010047287.5A DE102010047287B4 (en) 2010-09-27 2010-09-27 Method for processing a workpiece
PCT/EP2011/066643 WO2012041799A1 (en) 2010-09-27 2011-09-26 Method for rearranging tools in the tool magazine of a machine tool

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EP2621671A1 true EP2621671A1 (en) 2013-08-07

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WO2020177836A1 (en) * 2019-03-01 2020-09-10 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Assigning tools to spaces in a tool magazine
JP7422976B2 (en) 2020-02-07 2024-01-29 株式会社ニイガタマシンテクノ Tool change control system, tool change control method and program
JP7167090B2 (en) * 2020-06-01 2022-11-08 本田技研工業株式会社 Machining method in machine tools
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DE102010047287B4 (en) 2014-04-10
WO2012041799A1 (en) 2012-04-05

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