JP2002233925A - Machine tool with loader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a machine tool with a loader capable of discriminating the type of a work to be transported without a special work confirming mechanism. SOLUTION: This system is provided with a work stocker 1, a machine tool 2, a loader 3 for transporting a work W from the work stocker 2 to the machine tool 2, a temporary placing table and a loader control means 5 for controlling the loader 3. The temporary placing table 4 is provided in the transport path of the loader 3 for temporarily placing the work W. The loader control means 5 has a loader abutting control means 41. The control means 41 takes out the work W from the work stocker 1, once places the taken work W on the temporary placing table 4, and controls the loader 3 to be abutted to the placed work W. The loader control means 5 has a work type discriminating means 42 for discriminating the type of the work W from the coordinate position where the loader 3 abuts to the work W to be stopped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a machine tool provided with a loader for transferring a work from a work stocker to a machine tool such as a lathe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a machine tool of this type, when a work different from a regular work is stocked in a work stocker, the loader erroneously conveys the different work to the machine tool. As a result, not only the machining cycle of the machine tool is disturbed, but also the machine tool may be damaged. However, as a countermeasure to avoid such a situation, if a dedicated work checking mechanism for checking whether or not the work conveyed by the loader is genuine is installed, the cost is greatly increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine tool with a loader that can determine the type of a work to be conveyed without providing a dedicated work confirmation mechanism.

[0004]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 corresponding to an embodiment. This machine tool with a loader is a work stocker (1) for stocking a work (W).
A machine tool (2), a loader (3) for transferring a work (W) from the work stocker (1) to the machine tool (2),
The temporary loader (4) is provided in the transport path of the loader (3) for temporarily placing the work (W), and a loader control means (5) for controlling the loader (3). The loader control means (5) takes out the work (W) from the work stocker (1) and takes out the work (W).
And a loader application control means (41) for controlling the loader (3) so as to apply the loader (3) to the placed work (W) once, and the loader (3) A work type determining means (42) for determining the type of the work from the coordinate position stopped at the position (W). According to this configuration, the loader (W) taken out of the work stocker (1) and placed on the temporary placing table (4) is controlled by the loader application control means (41) in the loader control means (5). Apply 3). At that time, the work type determination means (42) of the loader control means (41) determines the type of the work (W) from the coordinate position of the loader (3) stopped against the work (W). Therefore, the type of the work to be conveyed can be determined without providing a dedicated work confirmation mechanism.

[0005] The loader application control means (41) comprises:
The torque of the drive source (22) for the operation of applying the loader (3) to the work (W) on the temporary placing table (4) is monitored, and when a predetermined torque is reached at the time of application, the work (W) is applied to the work (W). It may be determined that it has been attached. In the case of this configuration, the end face position of the work (W) can be confirmed by simple control.

The work type discriminating means (42) compares the work size registered in advance with the work size obtained from the coordinate position of the loader (3) at the time of application, and compares the work size to be conveyed. (W) may be for confirming whether or not the part is a legitimate part for the purpose of transport. In the case of this configuration, it is possible to quickly confirm whether or not the transferred work (W) is a legitimate part by a simple process.

When the work type discriminating means (42) confirms whether or not the part is a legitimate part for the purpose of transportation as described above, the loader control means (5) controls the different work processing control section (43). ), And the different work processing control unit (4)
3) pays out the work (W) on the temporary placing table (4) to the waste discharge path (45) when the work type discriminating means (42) confirms that the part is not a regular part;
The operation for taking out the work (W) may be performed by the loader (3). In this configuration,
Even if a work (W) that is not a regular part is mixed, the work (W) is automatically discharged, the next work (W) can be taken out, and efficient work loading can be performed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a combination of a front view of a machine tool with a loader according to this embodiment and a block diagram of a loader control system thereof, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine tool with a loader. The machine tool with a loader includes a work stocker 1 for stocking a work W, a machine tool 2,
A loader 3 for transferring the work W from the work stocker 1 to the machine tool 2 and a temporary placing table 4 for temporarily placing the work W
And a loader control means 5 for controlling the loader 3.

The work stocker 1 is composed of a rotary work feeder. As shown in a plan view in FIG. 2, an endless work pallet 7 is wound on a rotary table 6 between a pair of sprockets 8a and 8b. The endless chain 9 is connected to the chain 9 and rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B from the arrow A by the rotation drive of the endless chain 9 by a drive source (not shown). Each pallet 7 has a guide bar 1 for positioning a work W on the pallet 7.
0 is erected.

The machine tool 2 is a turret type lathe in which two spindles 11 and two turrets 12 are symmetrically provided. As shown in a perspective view in FIG. A front / back inversion device 14 for W is provided. The front / back reversing device 14 includes a fixed chuck 14a and a rotating chuck 14c that rotates 180 ° around the shaft 14b and faces the fixed chuck 14a.

The loader 3 is of a gantry type that travels along an installation rail 15 installed over the machine tool 2 from above the work transfer position P2 (FIG. 2) of the work stocker 1. A traveling body 17 traveling on the installation rail 15 is provided with a front-rear moving table 18, a lifting rod 19 is provided on the front-rear moving table 18 so as to be able to move up and down, and a lower end of the lifting rod 19 is provided with a loader head 20 for gripping a work W. It is configured. That is, the traveling body 17 travels horizontally in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) along the erection rail 15, the front-rear movement (Z-axis direction) of the front-rear moving table 18, and the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) of the lifting rod 19. The loader head 2
0 can move in three-dimensional directions. These movements are performed by driving the servo motors 21 to 23 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the loader head 20 is provided with two loader chucks 24 in a forward posture and a downward posture facing the main shaft 11, and the positions of the two loader chucks 24 are interchangeable.

In FIG. 1, the loader control means 5 is of a numerical control type by a computer, and controls the operation of the loader 3 by executing a loader program 31 by an arithmetic control unit 32 comprising a CPU, a memory, and the like. . The loader program 31 includes the loader head 2
Program part 3 of axis movement command to move 0 to each position
1A and various control commands such as a program portion 31B of a loader contact operation command at the time of work determination are described. The arithmetic control unit 32 decodes the loader program 31, outputs a command corresponding to each movement to position control means 35 to 37 including servo controllers and the like for each axis (X to Z axes), and performs chucking in the loader program 31. A sequence control command such as an open / close command is transferred to each sequence control unit (not shown) such as the chuck open / close control unit 34.

The servomotors 21 to 23 of the respective axes have position detectors 21a to 23a such as pulse coders, and the position control means 35 to 37 perform position feedback control based on the detection values of the position detectors 21a to 23a. Do. The drive system of the servo motors 21 to 23 of each axis includes a torque detecting means 3
8 to 40 are provided respectively. These torque detecting means 38 to 40 are, for example, each axis servo motor 21 to 23
It consists of an ammeter or the like for detecting the current supplied to the power supply.

The loader control means 5 includes a loader contact control means 41, a work type discriminating means 42, and a different work processing control section 43. Loader application control means 41
Is to take out the work W from the work stocker 1, place the taken out work W on the temporary placing table 4, and control the loader 3 so as to apply the loader 3 to the placed work W. The loader application control means 41 includes a program portion 31B comprising a series of loader application operation commands in the loader program 31;
The arithmetic control unit 32 executes 1B, and the load control unit 41a performs processing different from the arithmetic control unit 32. The loader contact control unit 41a, for example, monitors the torque of the servo motor 22 in the operation of contacting the loader 3 with the work W on the temporary placing table 1, and applies a contact to the work W when a predetermined torque is reached at the time of contact. It performs processing for determining that it has been attached. The work type determining means 42 determines the type of the work W from the coordinate position where the loader 3 is stopped against the work W. Different workpiece processing control unit 4
Reference numeral 3 controls processing of the workpiece W determined to be not a regular part.

Next, the operation of transferring the work W to the machine tool 2 by the loader 3 in the machine tool with the loader will be described. In the work stocker 1, the work W is placed on the pallet 7 at the work supply position P1 on the pallet circling path, which is indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 2, and the pallet 7 stops at a predetermined pitch toward the work transfer position P2. While moving. When the pallet 7 reaches the work transfer position P2, the loader application control unit 4 in the loader control means 5
Under the control of 1, the loader 3 takes out the work W from the pallet 7 as shown in FIG. 5, temporarily puts it on the temporary placing table 4, and applies the loader 3 to the placed work W.

Specifically, the work W on the pallet 7 is
The loader chuck 24 of the loader 3 is gripped shallowly and lifted as shown in FIG. 5A, and once the work W is temporarily placed on the temporary placing table 4 as shown in FIG. 5B, the loader head 20 is raised. Next, the loader head 20 is lowered again with the loader chuck 24 closed. This lowering is performed by skip feed. By this lowering, the loader chuck 24 is brought into contact with the upper end surface of the work W as shown in FIG. During this hitting operation, the loader hitting control unit 41 monitors the torque of the Y-axis servomotor 22 which is the driving source of the elevating operation by the torque detecting means 39, and when a predetermined torque is reached at the time of hitting, the work is performed. It is determined that it has been applied to W, and the Y-axis servomotor 22 is stopped.

Based on the result of the hitting operation, the work type determining means 42 of the loader control means 5
Is determined. That is, the work type determining means 42
First, the workpiece W is moved from the coordinate position of the loader 3 (the Y-axis coordinate position Y1 at the tip of the loader chuck 24) at the time of application.
Of the height H is determined. Specifically, the height dimension H of the workpiece W is obtained as the difference | Y0−Y1 | between the Y-axis coordinate position Y0 on the upper surface of the temporary placing table 4 and the Y-axis coordinate position Y1 at the tip of the loader chuck 24. Next, the work type determining means 4
2 is the height H of the work W obtained as described above.
And the height of a regular work registered in advance in the loader program 31 to compare the work W
Is a legitimate part for transportation purposes.

When it is confirmed that the work W is a legitimate part, the loader 3 grasps the work W on the temporary placing table 4 and lifts it, and then conveys it to the front of the target spindle 11 of the machine tool 2. The loader chuck 24 gripping the work W is transferred from the downward position to the front position facing the main shaft 11 and transferred to the main shaft 11.

When it is confirmed that the work W is not a regular part, the loader 3 controls the loader 3 to move the work W on the temporary placing table 4 to the waste discharge path 44 under the control of the different work processing control unit 43. (FIG. 2), and the process proceeds to take out the work W again. The workpiece W that has been processed by the machine tool 2 is removed from the main shaft 11 by the loader 3 and is transferred to the product discharge path 45.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the type of the workpiece W to be transported is determined has been described. However, the determination function may determine the front and back of the workpiece W. FIG. 6 shows an example of the front / back discrimination operation. In the work W shown in FIG. 6, the side on which the small protrusion a projects is the front side. Also in this case, under the control of the loader application control unit 41 in the loader control means 5, the loader 3 takes out the work W from the pallet 7 as shown in FIG. The loader 3 is applied.

Specifically, the work W on the pallet 7 is
The loader chuck 24 of the loader 3 is gripped shallowly and lifted as shown in FIG. 6A, and once the work W is temporarily placed on the temporary placing table 4 as shown in FIG. 6B, the loader head 20 is raised. Next, the loader head 20 is lowered again with the loader chuck 24 slightly closed. The descending at this time is also performed by skip feeding. By this lowering, the loader chuck 24 is brought into contact with the upper end surface of the work W as shown in FIG. Then, from the Y-axis coordinate position of the loader chuck 24 at this time, the work type determination means 42 determines the front and back of the work W. That is, when the workpiece W is facing up, the Y-axis coordinate position of the tip of the loader chuck 24 is Y2 in FIG.
However, when the workpiece W is facing backward, the Y-axis coordinate position of the tip of the loader chuck 24 is Y3. By registering the Y-axis coordinate position Y2 in the loader program 31 in advance as the work size, the work type determination unit 42
By comparing the registered value Y2 with the Y-axis coordinate position obtained by applying, the front and back of the work W are confirmed.

When the work W is determined to be turned upside down, the loader 3 transfers the work W to the front and back reversing device 14 under the control of the different work processing control unit 43 in the loader control means 5. After reversing the work W, the work W is received from the front / reverse inversion device 14. Thereby, the loader 3 can grasp the work W in the face-up posture, and deliver the work W to the target spindle 11 in a correct posture.

[0023]

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine tool with a loader, a work stocker for stocking a work, a machine tool, and a loader for transferring the work from the work stocker to the machine tool.
A temporary placement table for temporarily placing a work, and a loader control means for controlling the loader, the loader control means taking out the work from the work stocker, and A loader application control unit that controls the loader so that the work is once placed on the temporary placing table and applies the loader to the loader, and a work that determines the type of the work from the coordinate position where the loader is applied to the work and stopped. Since the apparatus has the type determining means, the type of the workpiece to be transported can be determined without providing a dedicated workpiece checking mechanism. The loader contact control means monitors the torque of the drive source for the operation of contacting the loader with the work on the temporary placing table, and determines that the work is applied to the work when a predetermined torque is reached during the contact. In this case, the position of the end face of the work can be confirmed by simple control. The work type discriminating unit compares the work size registered in advance with the work size obtained from the coordinate position of the loader when the work is applied, and determines whether the transferred work is a regular part for transfer purpose. In the case of confirming whether or not the work is being transported, it can be quickly confirmed by simple processing whether or not the conveyed work is a regular part. When the work type discriminating means is for confirming whether or not the part is a legitimate part for the purpose of transport as described above, the loader control means has a different work processing control section, and the different work processing control section When the work type discriminating unit confirms that the work is not a proper part, the work on the temporary placing table is paid out to a waste discharge path, and the operation for taking out the work is performed again by the loader. In this case, even if a work that is not a regular part is mixed, the work is automatically discharged, the next work can be taken out, and the work can be efficiently loaded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram combining a front view of a machine tool with a loader according to an embodiment of the present invention and a block diagram of a control system of the loader.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine tool with a loader.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of the loader in the machine tool with the loader.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the machine tool with the loader.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a work type determination operation of the machine tool with the loader.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a work front / back determination operation of the machine tool with the loader.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Work stocker 2 ... Machine tool 3 ... Loader 4 ... Temporary placing table 5 ... Loader control means 41 ... Loader contact control means 41a ... Loader contact control part 42 ... Work type discriminating means W ... Work

Claims (4)

[Claims] A work stocker for stocking the work, a machine tool, a loader for transferring the work from the work stocker to the machine tool, and a loader provided in a transfer path of the loader;
A temporary placing table for temporarily placing the work, and loader control means for controlling the loader, the loader control means taking out the work from the work stocker, temporarily placing the taken out work on the temporary placing table, Loader application control means for controlling the loader to apply the loader to the placed work, and work type identification means for identifying the type of the work from the coordinate position where the loader is applied to the work and stopped. Machine tool with loader. 2. The loader application control means monitors the torque of a drive source for an operation of applying a loader to a work on a temporary placing table, and applies a load to the work when a predetermined torque is reached at the time of application. Claim 1.
A machine tool with a loader as described. 3. The work type determining means compares a work size registered in advance with a work size obtained from a coordinate position of a loader when the work is applied, and determines whether the work being transferred is a transfer object. 3. The machine tool with a loader according to claim 1, wherein the machine tool checks whether the part is a genuine part. 4. The loader control means has a different work processing control unit, and the different work processing control unit, when the work type discriminating unit confirms that the part is not a regular part, the different work processing control unit Discharge the work to the waste discharge path, and again
The machine tool with a loader according to claim 3, wherein the loader is configured to perform an operation for removing the work.