JP2001277066A - Working device using robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that a work holding part is displaced by the working reaction force and that the accurate working is not performed due to a lack of the rigidity of a robot in the case of milling a work held by a work holding part provided in the robot. SOLUTION: When working a work W with a milling tool 21 supported by a milling unit 13 and provided with a slide table 31 to be slid in the vertical direction, an arm part 32 to be turned in a horizontal surface, and a work holding part 37 for holding the work W, the work holding part 37 of a robot 30 is connected to the slide table 31 so as to regulate the displacement of the work holding part 37 due to the working reaction force.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing a workpiece held by a robot, and more particularly to a processing apparatus using a robot that prevents an excessive processing reaction force applied to the workpiece from acting on the robot. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a workpiece held by an articulated robot is machined by a machining unit, the robot has a link structure and lacks rigidity. When a strong processing reaction force acts, the arm portion and the work holding portion are displaced, and there is a problem that the processing accuracy is adversely affected. In order to solve such a problem, conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,536,319, there has been known an apparatus which uses an auxiliary means to restrict the displacement of the arm tip of a robot due to a processing reaction force.

[0003]

In the prior art described above, the position of the tip end of the arm of the robot is fixedly held with respect to the fixed portion. At the time of operation of the robot such as work transfer, special means for releasing the fixed holding of the fixed portion is required, and the configuration becomes complicated, and the operation range of the robot is limited.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. Usually, the present invention enables a robot to freely move, and reduces the machining reaction force only when the machining reaction force becomes a problem. It does not act on the robot arm.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machining apparatus using a robot, wherein a workpiece held by the robot is machined by a tool supported by a machining unit. A robot arm rotatably supported on the slide table, a work holding part attached to the tip of the robot arm, and a work reaction force when the work holding part is coupled to the slide table when processing the work. And a processing reaction force supporting means for restricting the displacement of the work holding portion due to the above.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus using a robot for processing a workpiece with a tool held by the robot, a slide table slidable, and a robot rotatably supported on the slide table. An arm portion, a tool holding portion attached to a tip of the robot arm portion, and a processing reaction force for restricting displacement of the tool holding portion due to a processing reaction force by coupling the tool holding portion to the slide table when processing a workpiece. And support means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the slide table capable of vertically sliding the robot, first and second arms supported on the slide table so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane. And a tool holder having at least three axes of freedom attached to the distal end of the second arm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the processing reaction force supporting means includes: a locating pin provided on one of the work holding portion or the tool holding portion and a slide table;
And a locating hole provided on the other side and removably engaged with the locating pin.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the locating pin and the locating hole in the machining reaction force supporting means can be detached in a direction in which the work approaches and separates from the tool.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the processing reaction force supporting means also regulates a displacement in a direction in which the work approaches and separates from the tool.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the work holding portion of the robot is coupled to the slide table when the work is processed, and in this state, the slide table is moved and the work held by the work holding portion and the processing unit. The tool supported by the tool is relatively moved, and the work is processed by the tool.

In this case, the displacement of the work holding part due to the processing reaction force is restricted by the connection of the work holding part with the slide table, so that even in heavy cutting such as milling, an excessive processing reaction force is applied to the robot. Since the slide table can be received by a slide table having high rigidity without acting, it is possible to prevent the work holding portion of the robot from being displaced by the processing reaction force. For this reason, the processing accuracy of the work can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the tool holding portion of the robot is coupled to the slide table during the processing of the workpiece, and the displacement of the tool holding portion due to the reaction force is restricted. In this state, the slide table is moved to relatively move the tool held by the tool holding unit with respect to the work, thereby processing the work.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the slide table to which the work holding portion or the tool holding portion is connected forms one axis of the robot itself, the displacement of the work holding portion or the tool holding portion is achieved. The workpiece can be relatively moved with respect to the tool while restricting the distance.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-back direction in FIG. 1 is the X-axis direction, the left-right direction is the Y-axis direction,
The vertical direction is referred to as a Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment mainly includes a processing unit 10 for processing a work W, and a horizontal articulated robot 30 for holding the work W.

The processing unit 10 comprises a column 12 erected on a bed 11, a milling unit 13 installed on one side of the column 12, and a deburring unit installed on the other side of the column 12. It consists of 14.

The milling unit 13 and the deburring unit 14 have unit bases 15 and 16 fixed to both side surfaces of the column 12, and spindle heads 17 and 18 are respectively attached to these unit bases 15 and 16 in the X-axis direction ( It is guided and supported movably in the front-rear direction. Spindles 19, 20 driven by a spindle motor (not shown) are supported on the spindle heads 17, 18 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the X-axis. And a deburring tool 22 are respectively held. The deburring process and the milling process can be sequentially performed on the work W by the deburring tool 22 and the milling tool 21.

The milling tool 21 has a diameter larger than the width of the processing surface of the work W, and the processing surface of the work W can be processed by the relative movement of the milling tool 21 and the work W in the Z-axis direction. ing.

On the other hand, the robot 30
Slide table 3 movably guided in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) on a guide surface 12A formed on the front side of the slide table 3
1 and an arm part 32 installed on the slide table 31.
Numeral 1 is moved in the Z-axis direction along the guide surface 12A by a motor (not shown) built in the robot 30.

The arm portion 32 has an arm support portion 33 fixed on the slide table 31 corresponding to the front surface of the column 12, and an X-axis and a Y-axis
A first arm 34 rotatably supported in a horizontal plane parallel to the axial direction, and a second arm 35 supported at a distal end of the first arm 34 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane parallel to the first arm 34. , At least 3
It is composed of a wrist part 36 provided with a degree of freedom of the shaft, and a work holding part 37 fixed to the wrist part 36.

As described above, the robot 30 moves the linear motion of the slide table 31, the first and second arms 33,
34, and a horizontal articulated robot having a total of six degrees of freedom including the three-axis movement of the work holding unit 37, and the first and second arms 33 and 34 are turned in a horizontal plane to thereby work the work. The holding portion 37 is located between one side position of the column 12 on which the milling unit 13 is installed, the other side position of the column 12 on which the deburring unit 14 is installed, and a work mounting position. It can move between P1 and the workpiece removal position P2.

The slide table 31 extends in the Y-axis direction toward one side of the column 12 on which the milling unit 13 is installed. A window 38 is formed corresponding to the front position of the milling unit 13.

Although not shown, the work holding portion 37 of the horizontal articulated robot 30 is provided with a positioning clamp mechanism for positioning and clamping the work W on the work holding surface 37A via a plate-like slipper. This allows
Even if the workpieces W have different shapes, they can be held on the workpiece holder 37 using a common positioning clamp mechanism.

In the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the work W is held by the work holding portion 37 of the robot 30, the linear motion of the slide table 31 and the first and second arms 33, 34. The turning motion of
A work W such as an automobile cylinder block is sequentially moved to a position in front of the deburring unit 14 and the milling unit 13 to perform deburring and milling.

In such a working mode, generally, in light working such as deburring, the work W
Is relatively small, the rigidity of the articulated robot 30 itself can receive the processing reaction force, and the displacement of the arm portion 32 and the work holding portion 37 can be suppressed to a negligible level. However, in heavy cutting such as milling, the work reaction force cannot be received due to the rigidity of the articulated robot 30 itself. Therefore, the work holding portion 37 and the arm portion 32 are displaced, and the machining accuracy is reduced. Worsens.

In particular, a robot such as the horizontal articulated robot 30 has relatively high rigidity against machining reaction force in the vertical direction (Z axis) due to its joint structure. With respect to the processing reaction force in the horizontal direction (Y axis) and the front-rear direction (X axis) parallel to the plane, the rigidity is not as high as in the vertical direction (Z axis). 1. The second arms 33 and 34 are easily turned.

Therefore, in heavy cutting such as milling, the workpiece holding portion 37 moves due to the turning displacement of the first and second arms 33 and 34 due to the reaction force of the machining, and the machining accuracy of the workpiece W cannot be maintained. .

Even in the case of milling, if the cutting depth of the tool into the workpiece W is not large, the machining reaction force in the front-rear direction (X-axis) does not increase so much. The control of the pressing force toward the processing unit 13 can sufficiently counter the control. Therefore, in such a case, the horizontal direction (Y axis)
For this processing reaction force, it is sufficient to take measures.

The processing reaction force support means 40 is provided to oppose the processing reaction force in the left-right direction (Y axis), and it is a feature of this embodiment that the support means 40 is provided. . Details of the processing reaction force support means 40 are as follows.
This will be described below.

A rectangular support frame 41 is fixed to the slide table 31 so as to surround a through-hole 38 formed in the slide table 31. Conical locating pins 42 are provided at two diagonal lines of the support frame 41 with X-shaped pins. It protrudes in the axial direction.

On the other hand, the work holding portion 37 of the robot 30 has a work holding surface
2 is formed, and by locating the locating hole 43 and the locating pin 42 provided on the slide table 31 side, the displacement of the work holding portion 37 in the Y-axis direction is reduced. I try to regulate. Thus, the processing reaction force support means 40 is constituted by the above-described locate pin 42 and the locate hole 43.

The two positions on the diagonal line where the locate holes 43 of the work holding portion 37 are not formed and the two positions on the diagonal line where the locate pins 42 of the support frame 41 are not formed respectively. Contact pin 45,
46 are protrudingly provided. These contact pins 45, 46
The locating pin 42 and the locating hole 43 are in contact with each other in an engaged state, and regulate the position of the work holding portion 37 in the X-axis direction.

The operation of the processing apparatus using the robot 30 configured as described above will be described below. First, the robot 30 is operated to move the work holding portion 37 to the work mounting position P.
Then, the workpiece W is moved to the workpiece holding unit 37 and positioned and clamped by the positioning clamp mechanism.

Next, the robot 30 operates to convey the work W held by the work holding section 37 to a position in front of the deburring processing unit 14. In this state, the spindle head 18 of the deburring unit 14 is advanced, and the deburring tool 22 removes burrs of the work W. In such deburring, the processing reaction force is small and the robot 3
The machining reaction force can be received with its own rigidity.

Next, the arm portion 32 is turned by a servo motor built in the robot 30, and the work W
Is transferred to the milling unit 13 and the slide table 31 is raised to position the work W at a position above the milling unit 13. Next, the work holding unit 37 is moved in the X-axis direction while the posture of the work W held by the work holding unit 37 is controlled to be constant by the turning operation of the arm unit 32 and the wrist unit 36. That is, the work holder 37 is moved in the X-axis direction so that the locate holes 43 formed in the work holder 37 are parallel to the locate pins 42 on the support frame 41, and the work W
Is transferred from the through window 38 of the slide table 31 to an upper position on the front side of the milling unit 13.

As a result, the locating hole 43 of the work holding portion 37 is engaged with the locating pin 42 of the support frame 41, and the contact pins 45, 46 are pressed against each other by a pressing force capable of resisting the processing reaction force in the X-axis direction. Be abutted. By the engagement between the locate pin 42 and the locate hole 43, the work holding part 37 is connected to the slide table 31, and the displacement in the Y-axis direction due to the processing reaction force can be restricted. Further, the contact of the contact pins 45 and 46 causes the work holding portion 3
7 is positioned in the X-axis direction.

In this state, the milling unit 13
The spindle 19 is rotated and the spindle head 17 is advanced by a predetermined amount, so that the milling tool 21 is cut into the workpiece W. Subsequently, the slide table 31 is lowered, and the work W is processed by the milling tool 21.

At this time, the machining reaction forces in the X, Y, and Z axial directions act on the arm 32 from the work W via the work holding portion 37, but this is a problem particularly when milling with the milling tool 21. The processing reaction force in the Y-axis direction is all supported by the slide table 31 by coupling the work holding portion 37 of the robot 30 to the slide table 31, and does not act on the arm portion 32 having low rigidity. Accordingly, the workpiece holding portion 37 is not displaced by the processing reaction force, and the processing accuracy can be improved.

As described above, when the slide table 31 is lowered by the predetermined stroke S1 (see FIG. 4) and the milling of the processing surface of the work W is completed, the posture of the work W is changed by the turning operation of the arm 32 and the wrist 36. The workpiece holding unit 37 is moved in the X-axis direction while controlling to be constant,
The work W is transferred to the front side of the slide table 31 through the through window 38 of the slide table 31. By the movement of the work holding portion 37, the engagement between the locate pin 42 and the locate hole 43 is released. Thereafter, the work W is transported to the work removal position P2 by the operation of the slide table 31 and the arm unit 32, and the processed work W is removed from the work holding unit 37 of the robot.

According to the above-described embodiment, when the work W is processed, the work holding portion 37 of the robot 30 and the slide table 31 are connected to the locate pin 42 and the locate hole 43.
, The work holding portion 37 is restricted from being displaced in the Y-axis direction with respect to the slide table 31, so that an excessive machining reaction force in the Y-axis direction acts on the work W by milling. Even so, the processing reaction force can be received by the slide table 31 having high rigidity.

Accordingly, since the machining reaction force does not act on the arm portion 32 having insufficient rigidity in the Y-axis direction, the work holding portion 37 is not displaced even by heavy cutting such as milling, and the machining accuracy is reduced. Can be improved. As described above, the machining reaction force supporting means 40 having the simple configuration including the locate pin 42 and the locate hole 43 enables heavy cutting such as milling to be performed on the work W supported by the robot 30. It is possible to expand the applicable range of the processing of the workpiece.

Further, since the slide table 31 with which the work holding portion 37 is engaged forms one axis of the robot 30 itself, no special member is required to restrict the displacement of the work holding portion 37. In addition, the workpiece W can be moved with respect to the tool 21 for processing the workpiece W. Further, the work holding unit 3 by the processing reaction force support means 40.
There is an advantage that the engagement between the slide table 7 and the slide table 31 can be performed by using the movement of the robot 30 that positions the workpiece W to the processing position.

In the above-described embodiment, the work holding portion 37 and the slide table 31 are connected by the locating pin 42 and the locating hole 43. As a result, the plane (Y, Z) perpendicular to the rotation axis of the milling tool 21 is obtained. The movement of the work holding part 37 in a plane parallel to the axial direction can be restricted, but as shown in the embodiment,
If the processing reaction force in the Z-axis direction can be received due to the rigidity of the robot 30 itself, the coupling between the work holding portion 37 and the slide table 31 should be elongated so that only the displacement of the work holding portion 37 in the Y-axis direction can be restricted. It can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art that this can be performed by using an engaging pin that can be engaged with the long groove.

On the other hand, when there is a possibility that the work holding portion is displaced in the X-axis direction due to the reaction force of the drill, as in the case of drilling, the processing reaction force support means 40 comprising the locating pin 42 and the locating hole 43 cannot be used. It is enough.

In this case, as the processing reaction force supporting means 40, in addition to the above-described locating function by the locating pin 42 and the locating hole 43, the work holding portion of the robot is clamped on a slide table to allow the work holding portion to move in the Y axis direction. It is necessary to provide a clamp mechanism for restricting displacement on a slide table or the like. Thus, the work holding unit 37
The processing reaction force support means 40 that couples the slide reaction with the slide table 31 can have an appropriate configuration according to the mode of the processing reaction force.

Further, in the above embodiment,
A work holding part for holding the work is provided on the robot side, and the work W is moved with respect to the processing unit to process the work. On the contrary, the work is supported on a fixed support table, It is also possible to provide a tool holding part for holding a tool on the side and move the tool side to machine the workpiece.

In the above-described embodiment, milling has been described as an example of machining in which an excessive machining reaction force acts on a robot. However, the present invention can be applied to machining with a large-diameter metal saw. is there.

[0049]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the displacement caused by the machining reaction force acting on the workpiece holding portion of the robot can be regulated by the machining reaction force support means.
Even in heavy cutting such as milling, there is an effect that the workpiece holding portion of the robot is not displaced and machining accuracy can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the displacement due to the machining reaction force acting on the tool holding portion of the robot can be regulated by the machining reaction force supporting means, the same effect as described above can be expected.

Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the slide table to which the work holding portion or the tool holding portion is connected forms one axis of the robot itself, the slide table acts on the work holding portion or the tool holding portion. There is an effect that the processing reaction force to be received can be received with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an overall configuration of a processing apparatus using a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration.

FIG. 3 is a view showing details of a processing reaction force support means.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows AA in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Processing unit 13 Milling unit 21, 22 Tool 30 Robot 31 Slide table 32 Arm part 36 Wrist part 37 Work holding part 40 Processing reaction force support means 42 Locate pin 43 Locate hole W Work

Claims (6)

[Claims] In a processing apparatus using a robot, wherein a workpiece held by the robot is processed by a tool supported by a processing unit, a slide table slidable and a turntable supported on the slide table. A robot arm portion, a work holding portion attached to a tip of the robot arm portion, and a processing member for connecting the work holding portion to the slide table during processing of the work to restrict displacement of the work holding portion due to a processing reaction force. A processing apparatus using a robot, comprising: a force support unit. 2. A processing apparatus using a robot configured to process a workpiece by a tool held by the robot, a slide table slidable, a robot arm pivotally supported on the slide table, and A tool holding unit attached to the tip of the robot arm unit; and a processing reaction force support unit that couples the tool holding unit to the slide table during processing of a workpiece to restrict displacement of the tool holding unit due to processing reaction force. A processing apparatus using a robot characterized by the following. 3. The robot comprises: a slide table slidable in a vertical direction; first and second arms supported on the slide table so as to be pivotable in a horizontal plane; and a tip of the second arm. 3. A horizontal articulated robot comprising a tool holder having at least three axes of freedom attached to the robot.
A processing apparatus using the robot according to 1. 4. A locating pin provided on one of the work holding unit or tool holding unit and the slide table, and a locating pin provided on the other of the processing reaction force supporting unit and removably engaged with the locating pin. A processing apparatus using the robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing apparatus includes a hole. 5. The processing apparatus using a robot according to claim 4, wherein the locating pin and the locating hole in the processing reaction force supporting means are detachable in a direction in which the work approaches and separates from the tool. 6. The processing apparatus using a robot according to claim 4, wherein the processing reaction force supporting means also regulates a displacement in a direction in which the work approaches and separates from the tool.