JP2000246579A - Work carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To substantially exhibit a same function as a triaxial control despite of an NC biaxial type by connecting a loader hand to the operation of the NC shaft. SOLUTION: After completing the engagement between an engagement plate 10 and an engagement guide groove, a pin 11 positioning the X-axial position of a work holding member 4 is drawn out, the tool holding member 4 is guided by a guide shaft 5 and the bottom end of a loader arm 1, and the X-axial direction is univocally decided by the engagement plate 10 of a turret tool rest 9. For example, when a slant cross slide of inclined angle α is moved to correct a core deviation quantity Lx between this device chuck center 12a and the center of the work holding member 4 to correct by Lx on the X axis of the loader, the engagement members are slid in the Y axial direction by Ly=Lxtanθ. In this state, a work 3 is delivered from the work holding member 4 to this device chuck, the engagement members are slid in the Z direction while holding the X-axial position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-machine type workpiece transfer device for a machine tool. More specifically, a workpiece is transported / removed to / from a plurality of machine tools having different distances between the center of the spindle chuck and the center of the loader arm using a two-axis type loading device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a loading device used for transporting a workpiece such as an NC lathe or an NC grinding machine or for attaching / detaching a workpiece, a gate-type direct-acting type is often used because of easiness of process connection and space saving. . Looking at this from the aspect of NC control,
Z axis for traveling conveyance and vertical axis for in-machine entry (hereinafter Y axis)
The NC two-axis type is mainly used because of cost performance. In the case of a loading device having three or more NC axes, centering between the chuck of the machine and the loader chuck can be performed only by teaching, but the device is large and the structure is complicated. In the case of the NC2 axis, the centering between the chuck and the loader chuck in the Y-axis direction can be performed by the teaching, but the horizontal axis (hereinafter referred to as the X-axis) direction has no operating axis in the loader. You need to move.

FIG. 5 shows a case where a plurality of machine tools A, B, and C are connected by a loader 102 on one traveling beam 101 by an on-board type work transfer device. The positions of the spindle chuck 103, the tool post 104, and the loader chuck 105 may not be constant for each machine base. For each machine base, the spindle chuck 103 is connected to the loader chuck 105 by the amount L of misalignment.
N when X is different like LXa, LXb, LXc
In the C2-axis loader, it is necessary to center the spindles of the machine tools A, B, and C so that the center of the spindle chuck 104 of each machine is aligned with the center of the loader chuck 105.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to transfer and detach workpieces to and from a plurality of units by the NC two-axis loader described in the prior art, it is necessary to align the center of the loader chuck with the center of the spindle chuck of all machine tools, which is often used for installation. Requires man-hours.
Further, there is a problem that the arrangement of machine tools tends to be irregular. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem associated with the use of an economical NC two-axis loader.
NC) by connecting the loader hand to the operation of
An object of the present invention is to provide a device which can easily perform centering between a loader hand and a spindle chuck of each machine tool, which can substantially achieve the same function as three-axis control even by a two-axis type, only by teaching.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a workpiece gripper capable of moving and positioning in a first direction parallel to a main axis and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A workpiece transfer device for a machine tool having a member,
The workpiece gripping member is provided on the loader so as to be movable in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and is provided in a direction other than a plane including the first direction and the second direction. The movable body of the machine and the workpiece gripping member are provided with an engaging member that is detachable by mutual movement, and the movable body is moved by engaging the workpiece with the workpiece gripping member. The positioning is to move and position the workpiece gripping member in the third direction. In consideration of the economy of the workpiece transfer device of the NC two-axis control, the positioning in the third direction is executed by utilizing one axis of the machine tool, and the center of the chuck center on the loader side and the chuck center on the machine side is controlled. This is to make it possible by teaching.

The engagement member is formed on the workpiece gripping member and has a first engagement member having an engagement portion movable in the third direction, and a first engagement member formed on the moving member and associated with the first engagement member. The second engaging body is adapted to engage by a disengagement operation by movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction. After the movable body is positioned at a predetermined position by the NC1 axis on the machine side, the movable body can be freely disengaged by moving at least one of the two NC axes on the loader side NC.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an on-machine type workpiece transfer device and a machine tool showing an engaging member for engaging a loader arm and a moving body according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the workpiece gripping portion in the third direction, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the amount of slip between the moving body and the engaging member of the loader arm.

FIG. 1 shows a loader arm 1
Moves on the traveling beam 2 so as to be positionable in the Z-axis direction which is the main axis direction of the machine, and the loader arm 1 is moved from the upper portion of the machine so as to be positionable in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the first direction. After entering the machine, the transfer and delivery of the workpiece 3 are performed between each machine tool. Further, a work gripping member 4 (for example, a hand unit) is provided at a lower end of the loader arm 1.

The workpiece gripping member 4 is movable in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.
A linear bearing 6 is supported on a shaft 5 fixed to the shaft 5. A guide plate 7 is fixed to the workpiece holding member 4, and an engagement guide groove 7a is formed at one end of the guide plate to form a first engagement body. The workpiece gripping member 4 and the guide plate 7 are guided by the lower part of the loader arm 1 about the shaft 5 and are supported by the linear bearing 6 only in the direction of the shaft 5 and are movable.

An engaging plate 10 provided on a turret 9 of a moving body 8 (for example, a tool rest) of the machine forms a second engaging body and engages with the first engaging body. The engagement plate 10 can be formed integrally with the tool holder. In this embodiment, the engagement surfaces of the first engagement body and the second engagement body are parallel to a plane including the first direction and the second direction.

The mutual positions of the workpiece gripping member 4 and the loader arm 1 in the third direction are determined by pins 11 which can be freely inserted and removed. Removal of the pin is instructed when the engaging members 10, 7a are engaged. After the removal of the pin, the moving body 8 advances or retreats in the center direction 12a of the spindle chuck 12 by the axis control (for example, the X axis) of the machine, thereby causing a slip in the second direction between the engaging members. The workpiece gripping member 4 is guided by the guide shaft 5 while the chuck center 12a and the gripping member center 4a move concentrically (Lx → 0). After the completion of the alignment, the workpiece is attached to and detached from the workpiece with the chuck by the movement of the loader in the first direction with the sliding between the engagement members in the first direction.

The engaging member is provided integrally with the tool holder of the turret tool post at a tip end of the holder, which is slidable in the Z-axis direction of the machine, and is provided on the member so as to protrude in the Y-axis direction of the machine. Alternatively, the shaft may be configured as a second engaging body, and the workpiece holding member may be configured to engage with a first engaging body provided with a hole in the Y-axis direction.

The operation of the workpiece transfer device according to the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dimension between the center of the spindle and the center of the chuck of the loader may not be equal, and the amount of misalignment Lx may differ from machine to machine. Adjusting the position of the machine so that Lx = 0 in all the relations between the machine tool and the loader requires a great deal of labor. Even if Lx = 0 is obtained, it may be difficult to say that the machine arrangement is aligned. In the present invention, the position adjustment in the third direction (for example, the X-axis direction) is achieved by linking the workpiece gripping member 4 of the loader arm 1 with the X-axis control of the moving body 8 of the machine tool to achieve the object of Lx = 0. What you want to do.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the loader 13 is waiting at the upper part of the machine, and when the processing of the machine is completed, the upper door 15 is closed.
Is released. The loader arm 1 is lowered by the loader Y-axis control, and an engagement guide groove 7a formed on the guide plate 7 is provided on the turret tool rest 9 of the movable body 8 controlled by the machine X-axis, which is waiting. With the engaging plate 10.
When the engagement plate 10 is provided on the turret tool post 9, a shape that can be attached to the tool holder 14 is convenient.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the workpiece gripping member 4 descends under the control of the Y-axis of the loader, the engaging plate 10 of the turret tool rest 9 is moved to a position where the engaging guide groove 7a can be engaged. It moves by X-axis control and stands by. After the engagement between the engagement plate 10 and the engagement guide groove 7a is completed, the third
The pin 11 which positions the direction of (1) is pulled out by a command.

When the pin 11 is removed, the workpiece gripping member 4 is guided by the guide shaft 5 and the lower end of the loader arm 1, and its position is uniquely determined in the X-axis direction by the engaging plate 10 of the turret tool post 9. Accordingly, if teaching is performed on the X-axis of the machine for each machine so that Lx = 0, the position of the workpiece holding member 4 is automatically corrected at the time of delivery of the workpiece of the machine tool, and the delivery of the workpiece is performed. Will be

In FIG. 4, the X axis of the machine is the center deviation amount Lx between the chuck center 12a of the machine and the center 4a of the workpiece gripping member 4.
For example, the slant traverse 16 having an inclination angle α
Is shifted by X, when the correction is made by Lx on the X axis of the loader, the engagement members slide by Ly = Lxtan α in the Y axis direction. In this state, when the workpiece 3 is transferred from the workpiece gripping member 4 to the machine chuck 12, the Z direction (first direction) is maintained between the engaging members while the X-axis position (third direction) is maintained. Slip into each other.

After the workpiece is attached and detached, the X-axis of the machine returns to the original standby position, the positioning pin 11 is inserted, and the workpiece gripping member 4 returns to the initial position of the loader arm 1 and returns to the initial position. It is the same as the relationship. Then, the loader arm 1 moves up by the Y-axis control, and shifts to the transport operation to the next process.

In the above, the machine tools A, B, C
Are described on behalf of the misalignment amounts LxA, LxB, and LxC of each machine base. When a guide hole is provided in a workpiece gripping member as a first engagement body as an engagement member, and only a projection shaft that fits into the guide hole is provided in a second engagement body, when a workpiece is attached to or detached from the main spindle of the machine. It is also possible to implement by synchronizing both the control of the Z axis of the loader and the control of the Z axis of the tool post. In addition, the axes are not necessarily limited to those orthogonal to each other, but may be applied to those that are mutually inclined.

[0022]

As described above, the present invention uses an NC 2-axis workpiece transfer apparatus, but uses the NC 1 axis of the machine, so that the actual NC 3 is inexpensive.
Cost performance is good because a shaft loader can be configured. Further, centering of the chuck of the machine and the center of the workpiece holding member of the loader arm can be easily performed only by teaching the Y axis of the loader and the X axis of the machine. Also, when there are a plurality of units, even if the units themselves are slightly shifted in the front-back (X-axis) direction, it is possible to cope by adjusting the X-axis standby position of each unit to the loader position. Having.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a state in which a workpiece transfer device of the present invention is mounted on a machine tool.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing movement of a workpiece gripping member according to the present invention in a third direction.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing sliding motions occurring in a second direction of an engagement portion between a moving body and a loader arm according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an arrangement view showing an arrangement of machine tools when one on-machine type workpiece transfer device is used as a conventional technique in a machine tool in which a dimension between a center of a spindle and a center of a chuck on a loader arm side is not the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Loader arm 2 Traveling beam 3 Workpiece 4 Workpiece gripping member 5 Guide shaft 6 Linear bearing 7 Guide plate 7a Engagement guide groove 8 Moving body (tool rest) 9 Turret tool rest 10 Engagement plate 11 Pin 12 This machine chuck 12a Center of the chuck of this machine 13 Loader 14 Tool holder 15 Upper door 16 Side feeder (X axis of this machine)

Claims (2)

[Claims] A first direction parallel to the main shaft axis and the first direction;
A workpiece gripping device for a machine tool having a workpiece gripping member that can be moved and positioned in a second direction perpendicular to the direction of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece gripping member is moved in the first direction and the second direction.
The loader is provided movably in a third direction perpendicular to the direction of the machine, and the main body moving body and the workpiece holding member movable in a direction other than a plane including the first direction and the second direction. An engaging member is provided which is detachable by mutual movement, and the movable body and the workpiece gripping member are engaged to move the workpiece gripping member in the third direction by moving and positioning the movable body. Work transfer device for positioning. A first engaging member formed on the workpiece holding member and having an engaging portion movable in the third direction;
An engaging body, and a second engaging body formed on the moving body and engaged with the first engaging body, and engaged by a disengagement operation by movement in at least one of the first direction and the second direction. 2. The workpiece transfer device according to claim 1, wherein