IT202000024295A1 - MACHINE TOOL - Google Patents

Description

Title: ?Machine Tool?

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention refers to a machine tool for mechanical workings, in particular for chip removal, suitable for maximizing the capacity? productive.

Moreover, ? object of the present invention is a method for making said machine tool work, suitable for maximizing the number of pieces machined in a given time interval, i.e. the capacity? machine productivity.

State of the art

One of the fundamental parameters to consider when choosing a machine tool? capacity? productive, huh? the number of finished pieces that the machine tool can produce in a given time interval.

This ability? productive ? inversely proportional to the cycle time, the cio? the average time the machine takes to turn a workpiece into a machined part. To maximize the capacity productivity of a machine tool? therefore it is essential to reduce as much as possible possible cycle time.

The cycle time? given by the sum of the duration of active phases, in which the machine tool removes material from the workpiece, and of passive phases in which, for example, the finished piece? unloaded from the machine and the workpiece ? placed on the machine.

In the state of the art, machine tools are known which are able to automate the piece loading and unloading procedures, so as to minimize the duration of the passive phases, and therefore reduce the cycle time.

Disadvantageously, in such known machines the active and passive steps are performed in distinct time instants, in fact, the piece to be machined must first be loaded into the machine tool, then machined, and finally unloaded from the machine.

The purpose of the present invention ? to provide a machine tool, and a method for operating such a machine, capable of maximizing the capacity? production overlapping, at least in part, the passive phases to the active ones.

In other words, the purpose of the present invention is that of providing a machine tool, and a method for making this machine work, capable of making the cycle time tend to the actual time necessary to carry out the chip removal operations, i.e.? make the cycle time tend to the duration of the active phase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical task specified and the aims specified are substantially achieved by a machine tool for machining comprising a unit? loading-unloading, a processing area and a unit? of handling.

The unit of loading-unloading includes devices suitable for moving pieces to be machined / worked from and towards the unit? handling, to load and unload them from the machine tool.

The machining area includes machining devices configured to perform one or more mechanical workings to transform the pieces to be worked into the machined pieces.

The unit? of handling? interposed between the? unit? loading-unloading area and the machining area, and comprises a pair of mandrels configured to grip a respective workpiece.

The unit? of handling? configured to move each spindle between the unit? of loading-unloading and the machining area, to bring a worked piece from the machining area to the unit? of loading-unloading, and a piece to work from the unit? of loading-unloading to the processing area.

The method for operating the machine tool object of the present invention comprises a loading-unloading phase, in which a machined piece is downloaded from the unit? of handling and a piece to work ? loaded on the unit? handling; and a machining step in which machining fixtures transform a work piece into a finished part.

The method further comprises a step for operating the unit? handling, to bring a piece worked from the machining area to? unit? of loading-unloading, and a piece to work from the unit? of loading-unloading to the processing area.

Advantageously, the machine object of the present invention and the method for making it work allow the working devices to carry out a series of mechanical workings on a piece to be worked, while the loading-unloading devices unload a finished piece from the unit. handling, and load a new piece to work on the unit? of handling.

Advantageously therefore, the machine object of the present invention allows to carry out the processing steps simultaneously with the loading/unloading steps.

The present invention ? therefore able to maximize the capacity? production overlapping, at least in part, the passive and active phases of the manufacturing process.

LIST OF FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the machine tool, as illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the machine tool object of the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows the loading-unloading area of the machine tool of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 shows the machining area of the machine tool of Figure 1; - Figure 4 shows the unit? movement of the machine tool of Figure 1;

- Figure 5 shows a block diagram with the phases of the method object of the present invention;

- Figure 6 shows a block diagram with the phases of the method object of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Even if not explicitly highlighted, the individual characteristics described with reference to the specific embodiments must be understood as accessory and/or interchangeable with other characteristics, described with reference to other embodiments.

With reference to the attached figures, the present invention relates to a machine tool 1 for mechanical machining, in particular for chip removal.

In alternate embodiments, isn't it? excluding that the machine 1 object of the present invention can be used for other mechanical operations, such as for example assembly operations of one or more? components.

The machine 1 object of the present invention comprises a unit? loading-unloading point 2 at which the workpieces 100 are loaded, and the workpieces 101 are unloaded.

The unit loading-unloading device 2 comprises loading-unloading devices 20 configured to automate the handling of the workpieces/workpieces 100, 101. In detail, the loading-unloading devices 20 are configured to load the workpieces 100 onto a unit ? handling 4, and unload the machined pieces 101 from the unit? handling 4.

In a preferred embodiment, the loading-unloading devices 20 comprise a robotic arm 21 programmed to move the workpieces to and from the unit. handling 4.

In detail, the robotic arm 21, or more? in general, the loading/unloading devices 20 are programmed to pick up a workpiece 100 from a first container (not shown in the figure) to load it onto the unit? handling 4 of the machine 1, and for storing the machined pieces 101, previously taken from the unit? handling device 4, in a second container (not shown in the figure).

Preferably, the first and second containers are placed outside the machine tool, consequently the loading-unloading devices 20 must be able to exit from the machine tool 1 to have access to the containers.

The machine tool 1 also comprises working devices 30 adapted to carry out one or more machining on the workpieces 100 to transform them into the machined pieces 101.

The processing devices 30 comprise a first processing unit 30a arranged on a first movable support 31, and a second processing unit 30b arranged on a second movable support 32. The first and second movable support 31, 32 are configured to respectively handle the first and second processing group 30a, 30b for performing one or more? mechanical processing. The spatial position of the first and second movable supports 31, 32? controlled by a numerical control.

The first and second machining group 30a, 30b are configured to be able to synergistically work the piece to be machined to carry out more? simultaneous machining, such as double turning.

In the context of the present invention, by machining device 30 is meant any device suitable for carrying out mechanical operations by chip removal. Preferably, these working devices 30 comprise a cutting insert which, by acting on the piece to be worked, removes the material thereof. By way of example, the working devices 30 can be cutters, boring bars, drills for making holes, or turning tools.

The machine tool 1 further comprises a unit? handling 4 interposed between the? unit? loading-unloading area 2 and processing area 3.

The unit? handling device 4 comprises a pair of mandrels 40 configured to grip a respective workpiece 100.

With reference to Figure 3, each mandrel 40 comprises gripping members 40a capable of gripping a workpiece 100. The gripping members 40a can be, for example, a plurality of of self-centering jaws, a pair of jaws, or any other mechanical member known in the state of the art for gripping a piece to be machined.

Each spindle ? configured to rotate the gripping members 40a, and therefore the workpiece 100, around a relative axis of rotation of the spindle B-B if one or more? mechanical processes require it.

The unit? of handling 4 ? configured to move each spindle 40 between the loading-unloading area 2 and the machining area 3.

In a preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 and detailed in Figure 4, the unit? handling system 4 comprises a table 41 mounted for rotation around a table rotation axis A-A.

On plate 41 ? arranged the pair of spindles 40 so that? the table 41, rotating around the table rotation axis A-A, moves each mandrel 40 between the unit? of loading-unloading 2 and the machining area 3. In detail, the table, completing a rotation step, simultaneously carries the spindle which is located in correspondence with the unit? of loading-unloading 2 in correspondence of the working zone 3, and the mandrel that is found in correspondence of the working zone 3 in correspondence of the unit? loading-unloading 2.

In detail, the table 41, performing a rotation step, exchanges the position of the two spindles 40, so as to bring the workpiece 100 from the unit? of loading-unloading 2 to the machining area 3, and the worked piece 101 from the machining area 3 to the unit? loading-unloading 2.

The machine tool 1 object of the present invention ? configured to rest on a flat surface, typically defined by the floor.

Preferably, the axis of rotation of the table ? inclined at 45? with respect to the support surface of the machine 1.

Furthermore, preferably, the pair of spindles 40 ? arranged on the table 41 so that the spindle rotation axes B-B are mutually perpendicular, and each of them is inclined by 45? with respect to the axis of rotation of the table, as shown in figure 4.

In this preferred geometric configuration, the table 40, performing a rotation step around the table rotation axis A-A, brings the spindle initially arranged in correspondence with the machining area 3 from a direction orthogonal to the support plane to a direction parallel to it , and simultaneously carries the mandrel initially arranged in correspondence with the loading-unloading area from the direction parallel to the direction orthogonal to the support plane.

This particular geometric arrangement? one of the possible dispositions of the machine tool 1. It ? preferable as it allows to reduce the overall dimensions of the machine 1.

Preferably, as shown in figure 4, the unit? handling unit 4 comprises a pair of gripper devices 5 configured to grip the machined pieces 101 to take them from the machining area 3 to the unit? of loading-unloading 2, following the actuation of the handling means 4.

Each gripper device 5 ? fixed to the table 41, and arranged in correspondence with a respective mandrel 40. In greater detail, preferably to facilitate and speed up the unloading operation of the machined pieces 101, each gripper device 5 is configured to arrange the machined piece 101 along a direction parallel to the spindle rotation axis B-B to which ? associated.

The loading-unloading devices 20 are programmed to pick up the machined piece 101 from the gripper devices 5 to unload it from the machine tool 1. More? specifically, the robotic arm 21 of the loading-unloading devices 20 ? programmed to grip the worked piece 101 disposed in the gripper means 5 in the vicinity? of? unit? of loading-unloading, and then place it in the second container.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 and detailed in Figure 3, the machining area 3 comprises a counter spindle 42 configured to perform a further mechanical machining on the workpiece 100.

Such counter spindle ? arranged on a third mobile support 43 able to move it between the processing devices 30 and the unit? handling 4.

In detail, the counter-spindle 42, in order to carry out the further mechanical machining, takes a piece to be further worked from the spindle arranged in correspondence with the machining area 3, and then brings it close to the machining area 3. of the processing devices 30 to carry out the further processing thus transforming it? in the machined piece 101. Once the further machining has been carried out, the counter spindle 42 is configured to place the worked piece 101 in the gripper means 5 associated with the spindle 40 arranged in correspondence with the machining area 3

Preferably, the counter spindle 42, similarly to the pair of spindles 40, comprises further gripping members capable of gripping a workpiece 100 to carry out further machining.

The counter spindle 42 ? configured to rotate the further gripping members, and therefore the workpiece 100, around a relative spindle rotation axis of the third spindle C-C if the further mechanical machining requires it.

? further object of the present invention is a method for operating the machine tool 1 described above.

The method object of the present invention ? summarized in the block diagram of figure 5.

Starting from an initial condition in which a workpiece 100 ? arranged by the movement means 4 in correspondence with the machining area 3, and a machined piece 101 ? disposed by the handling means 4 at the unit? of loading-unloading 2, the method object of the present invention comprises the phases of:

- unload the worked piece 101 of the unit? of handling 4, and to load a piece to work 100 on the unit? handling 4;

- simultaneously with the loading-unloading phase just above, carry out one or more? mechanical workings on the workpiece 100 arranged by the movement means 4 in correspondence with the working area 3; - once the loading-unloading and mechanical processing stages have been completed, operate the unit? movement 4, to bring the worked piece 101 from the machining area 3 to the unit? of loading-unloading 2, and the piece to work from? unit? of loading-unloading 2 to the processing area 3.

The unloading operations of a machined piece 101 from the unit? of handling 4 and loading of a piece to work 100 on the unit? of handling 4 are carried out by the loading-unloading devices 20 of the machine tool 1.

Preferably, these loading and unloading operations are performed by the mechanical arm 21 of the loading-unloading devices 20, which is programmed to carry out the following sub-phases of the loading-unloading phase in succession:

- take the worked piece 101 from the unit? handling 4;

- storing the worked piece 101 in the second container, preferably located outside the machine 1;

- withdrawing a new workpiece 100 from the first container, preferably located outside the machine 1;

- load the piece to work 100 on the unit? movement 4 of the machine tool 1, in detail the workpiece 100 ? loaded in the mandrel 40 disposed on the unit? of movement 4 in correspondence of the? unit? loading-unloading 2.

While the loading-unloading devices 20 perform the operations just described, the processing devices 30 are configured to perform one or more predetermined mechanical workings on the piece to be worked 100 loaded in the spindle arranged in correspondence with the working area 3.

In detail, during the processing phase, the numerical control ? programmed to move the first mobile support 31, and possibly also the second mobile support 32, to cause the first machining unit 30a, and possibly also the second machining unit 30b, to act on the piece to be machined so as to perform the predetermined mechanical machining .

In the subsequent phase of operation of the unit? movement 4 each spindle 40 and the relative gripper device 5 are moved between the unit? of loading-unloading 2 and the working area 3, so as to carry the worked piece 101 from the working area 3 to the unit? of loading-unloading 2, and the piece to work 100 from the unit? of loading-unloading 2 to the processing area 3.

Preferably, in the activation phase of the unit? handling 4, table 41 ? placed in rotation around the axis of rotation of the table A-A so as to simultaneously carry the worked piece 101 from the machining area 3 to the unit? of loading-unloading 2, and the piece to work 100 from the unit? of loading-unloading 2 to the processing area 3.

Preferably, as shown in the block diagram of Figure 6, the method which is the object of the present invention comprises a step for moving the counter spindle 42, carried out prior to actuation of the unit. handling 4.

Before detailing the movement phase of the counter spindle 42 ? necessary to specify that the gripping members of the counter spindle 42 can grip both a semi-finished piece to be further processed to transform it into a finished piece 101, and a finished piece 101. Reference is made below to the initial condition in which the gripping members of the counter spindle 42 grip a finished piece 101.

In the phase of movement of the counter spindle 42, the counter spindle 42 is configured to perform the substeps of:

- depositing the finished piece 101 in the gripper device 5 in correspondence with the working area 3;

- withdrawing the previously machined piece from the mandrel 40 arranged in correspondence with the machining area 3;

- bring the piece previously worked in correspondence with the working devices 30 to carry out a further mechanical working and thus obtain? the finished piece 101.

Preferably, as shown in figure 6, the further mechanical working is performed simultaneously with the processing and loading-unloading phases described above.

In the event that further mechanical processing is carried out, when the worked piece 101 reaches the unit? of loading-unloading 2 following the actuation of the handling means 4, is located in the gripper means 5. Consequently, in the loading-unloading phase the loading-unloading devices 20 are configured to pick up the finished piece from the gripper means 5 arranged in correspondence of? unit? loading-unloading 2.

Claims (12)

1. Machine tool (1) for mechanical machining comprising a unit? loading-unloading (2), a processing area (3), and a unit? movement (4) interposed between the?unit? loading-unloading area (2) and the processing area (3), where: - the unit? loading-unloading devices (2) includes loading-unloading devices (20) configured to load workpieces (100) on the unit? handling (4), and unload worked pieces (101) from the unit? handling (4); - the machining area (3) comprises machining devices (30) configured to perform mechanical machining on the workpieces (100) to transform the workpieces (100) into machined pieces (101); characterized by the fact that: - the unit? handling (4) comprises a pair of mandrels (40) configured to grip a respective workpiece (100); - the unit? handling (4) ? configured to move each spindle (40) between the unit? loading-unloading area (2) and the processing area (3). 2. Machine tool (1) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the unit? (4) comprises a table (41) mounted for rotation around a table rotation axis (A-A), said spindles (40) being arranged on said table (41), the table (41) being configured to rotate around the ?table rotation axis (A-A) to move each spindle (40) between the unit? loading-unloading area (2) and the processing area (3). 3. Machine tool (1) according to claim 2, wherein: - the machine tool (1) rests on a plane; - the table rotation axis (A-A) ? inclined at 45? with respect to the surface on which the machine tool rests (1). 4. Machine tool (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each spindle (40) comprises gripping members (40a) capable of gripping a respective workpiece (100), the gripping members (40a) of each spindle (40) being configured to rotate about a relative spindle rotation axis (B-B). 5. Machine tool (1) according to claim 4, wherein the pair of spindles (40) ? arranged on the table (41) so that the spindle rotation axes (B-B) of the gripping members (40a) are perpendicular to each other. 6. Machine tool (1) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the unit? (4) comprises a pair of gripper devices (5), each gripper device (5) being fixed to the table (41) and arranged in correspondence with a respective spindle (40), each gripper device (5) being configured to grip a machined piece (101); 7. Machine tool (1) according to claim 6, wherein the machining area (3) comprises a counter spindle (42), the counter spindle (42) being movable between the machining devices (30) and the unit ? movement (4) to load a finished piece into the gripper device (5) in correspondence with the machining area (3), and withdraw a previously machined piece from the spindle (40) arranged in correspondence with the machining area (3). 8. Method for operating the machine tool (1) of claims 1 to 7 comprising the steps of: - unload a worked piece (101) from? unit? handling (4) and load a piece to work (100) on? unit? handling (4), these piece loading-unloading operations being carried out by the loading-unloading devices (20) of the machine tool (1); - carry out one or more mechanical workings on a workpiece (100) previously loaded into the spindle (40) arranged in correspondence with the working area (3), this working step being carried out simultaneously with the previous piece loading-unloading step; - operate the unit? movement (4) to move each spindle (40) and the relative gripper device (5) between the unit? loading-unloading (2) and the machining area (3), so as to bring the worked piece (101) from the machining area (3) to the unit? of loading-unloading (2), and the workpiece (100) from the unit? of loading-unloading (2) to the processing area (3). 9. Method in accordance with claim 8, wherein in the actuation step of the unit? of handling (4) the table (41) of the handling means (4) ? placed in rotation around the table rotation axis (A-A) to simultaneously bring the worked piece (101) from the machining area (3) to the unit? of loading-unloading (2) and the workpiece (100) from the unit? of loading-unloading (2) to the processing area (3). 10. A method in accordance with claim 9, comprising a movement step of the counter spindle (42) prior to the step of actuating the unit? movement (4), in which the counter spindle (42) deposits a finished piece (101) in the gripper device (5) in correspondence with the machining area (3), and picks up the previously machined piece from the spindle (40) arranged in correspondence of the machining area (3). 11. Method according to claim 10, wherein, in the loading-unloading phase, the loading-unloading devices (20) load a workpiece (100) into the chuck (40) arranged at the unit? loading-unloading devices (2) and pick up a finished piece (101) from the relative gripper device (5). 12. Method according to claim 10, comprising a further machining step carried out simultaneously with the machining and piece loading-unloading step, in which the counter spindle (42) arranges the previously machined piece in correspondence with the machining devices ( 30), so that the machining devices (30) can carry out further mechanical machining to obtain the finished piece (101).