JP2003039285A - Carrying control device for transfer line - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrying control device for a transfer line which is not interfered by a work carrying member of a separated carrier under any condition. SOLUTION: On the basis of position information of respective work carrying members 6 from an encoder 80 provided to respective carriers 1a-1c, a work carrying member 6 which is on an upstream side of a traveling direction of a work carrying member 6 judges whether or not a work carrying member 6 which is on the downstream side of a traveling direction of a work carrying member 6 is disposed within the divisional regions (A-C) and (D-F) to be advanced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to transfer control of a transfer line provided with a large number of independent transfer devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of machine tools (not limited to machine tools,
(Including measuring machines, cleaning devices, etc.) are arranged at a predetermined interval, and between these adjacent machine tools, transfer devices for transferring the work from the machine tool in the pre-process to the machine tool in the post-process are arranged respectively. , The transfer device moves the work transfer member backward from the standby position in the middle of the machine tool which is the front and rear process toward the machine tool which is the front process, and transfers the work from the machine tool which is the front process to the work transfer member. Received
Next, the work transfer member is moved forward toward the machine tool to be the post-process, the work is transferred to the machine tool to be the post-process, and then the transfer line as an independent operation type transfer device is returned to the standby position. It is known. In such an independent operation type transporting device, since each transporting device operates individually, the transporting devices may interfere with each other. In order to prevent such interference, Japanese Patent No. 31340
In No. 46, each of the plurality of transfer devices receives the work from the previous step for the transfer device, and after that, it is confirmed that the transfer device on the work unloading side starts forward movement,
There is one in which the operation of moving the transfer device on the work loading side forward is sequentially performed to the transfer device on the loading side.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned device, it is confirmed that the carry-out side transport device has moved forward, and the carry-in side transport device has started to move forward with respect to the transport device. After the start, there is no control. Therefore, although the transport device on the unloading side has started to move forward,
If the feeding operation is stopped midway due to a malfunction of the feeding device, or if it is progressing only slowly than the planned feeding speed, the feeding-side feeding that moves when the start operation is confirmed It still contains the possibility of interfering with the device. In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer line transfer control device in which a work transfer member of an independent transfer device does not interfere under any condition.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems,
The present application arranges a plurality of machine tools at predetermined intervals, and arranges, between adjacent machine tools, a carrier device that conveys a workpiece from a machine tool that is a pre-process to a machine tool that is a post-process. The transfer device moves the work transfer member backward from the standby position which is in the middle of the machine tool which is the front and rear process toward the machine tool which is the front process, receives the work from the machine tool which is the front process to the work transfer member, Next, in the transfer line, which is an independently-operated transfer device that moves the work transfer member forward toward the machine tool that is the post-process, transfers the work to the machine tool that is the post-process, and then returns to the standby position. , Between adjacent transfer devices, the interference region where the work transfer members of each transfer device may interfere is divided into a plurality of divided regions, and each transfer device has a work transfer member. Position detecting means for detecting the position in the carrying direction is provided, and based on the position information of each work carrying member from the position detecting means, at the time of the carrying operation, the machine tool is sandwiched and the work carrying member is located on the upstream side in the traveling direction. In the divided area where the work transfer member is going to proceed,
A determination means is provided for determining whether or not the work transfer member on the downstream side in the traveling direction is positioned.When not positioned, the work transfer member on the upstream side in the traveling direction advances as it is and enters the divided area, It is characterized in that an approach avoidance operation is performed when the vehicle is performing.

Further, the present invention provides a transfer device for arranging a plurality of machine tools at a predetermined interval and transferring a work from a machine tool as a pre-process to a machine tool as a post-process between adjacent machine tools. Arranged respectively, those transfer devices move the work transfer member backward from the standby position which is in the middle of the machine tool which is the front and rear process toward the machine tool which is the front process,
The workpiece is received from the machine tool that is the pre-process to the work transport member, then the work transport member is moved forward to the machine tool that is the post-process, and the work is delivered to the machine tool that is the post-process, and then the waiting is performed. In the transfer line, which is an independent operation type transfer device that returns to the position,
The entire movement range of the work transfer member of each transfer device is divided into a non-interference region and an interference region, and the interference region is divided into a plurality of divided regions. Each transfer device has the above-mentioned transfer direction position of the work transfer member. Position detecting means for detecting which area is included is provided, and based on the position information of each work transfer member from the position detecting means when entering the interference area from the non-interference area and when proceeding in the interference area. In the set of transfer devices including the work transfer members that may interfere with each other, with respect to the region where the work transfer member on the upstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member is located across the machine tool,
In the next divided area in the moving direction, a determining means for determining whether or not the work conveying member of the other conveying device is present is provided, and when not present, the work conveying member on the upstream side in the traveling direction advances as it is. The present invention is characterized in that when the vehicle enters the divided area and exists, the avoidance operation is performed.

According to these configurations, based on the actual position data of the work conveying member during operation, the work conveying member on the upstream side in the advancing direction moves in the advancing direction in the front divided area to be advanced. Since the work transfer member on the downstream side is not moved, the work transfer member on the downstream side in the moving direction may stop or move slower than planned due to a malfunction of the feeding device. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the work transfer device on the upstream side in the traveling direction from entering the same divided area, and the two do not interfere with each other. The determination by the determination unit may be performed while the work transport member is moving. According to this, for example, time is not wasted as compared with the case of temporarily stopping at the boundary of a certain area and confirming the presence or absence of the work transfer member in the area to be entered. The approach avoidance operation is, for example, a stop operation by the stop command means, but means for slowing the traveling speed may be considered.

Further, the present application arranges a plurality of machine tools at a predetermined interval, and between the machine tools adjacent to each other, a transfer device for transferring a work from a machine tool as a pre-process to a machine tool as a post-process, respectively. The transfer devices are arranged such that the work transfer member is moved backward from the standby position which is in the middle of the machine tool which is the front and rear process toward the machine tool which is the front process, and is moved from the machine tool which is the front process to the work transfer member. To the machine tool, which is the post-process, and then transfers the work to the machine tool, which is the post-process, and then returns to the standby position. In the transfer line that is, between adjacent transfer devices, the interference region in which the work transfer member of each transfer device may interfere is divided into a plurality of divided regions,
Each transfer device is provided with position detection means for detecting the position of the work transfer member in the transfer direction, and based on the position information of each work transfer member from the position detection means, within the same divided area during the transfer operation. It is characterized in that each of the transfer devices is controlled so that the work transfer members of the adjacent transfer devices do not exist. According to the present invention, when the approach of the work transfer device on the upstream side in the traveling direction is detected when the work transfer device on the downstream side in the traveling direction is in a certain divided region, the work transfer member on the downstream side in the traveling direction is transferred from the divided region in the transfer direction. Also, a configuration in which interference can be avoided by moving to the next divided area is included.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a plurality of machine tools M1 to M4.
Are arranged at a predetermined interval, and adjacent machine tools (M1, M
2), (M2, M3), (M3, M4), machine tools M1 to M3, which are the pre-processes, to machine tools M, which are the post-processes.
2 to M4 are transfer lines formed by arranging the transfer devices 1a to 1c for transferring the work W to each of the transfer lines. Each of the transfer devices 1a to 1c arranged on this transfer line has machine tools (M1, M2), (M2, M), which are front and rear processes, respectively.
3) and (M3, M4) from the standby position T which is in the middle of each set, machine tools M1, M2, M3 which are the pre-processes in each set
The workpiece transfer member 6 is moved backward to the workpiece transfer member 6, and the workpiece transfer member 6 receives the workpiece W from the machine tools M1, M2, and M3, which are the pre-processes, and then the workpiece transfer member 6 is moved backward by each set of machine tools. Process machine tools M2, M3, M4
Machine tool M2, which is a post-process
The independently-operated transfer devices 1a to 1c that transfer the work W to M3 and M4 and then return to the standby position T are known, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-18141.

The transfer devices 1a to 1c have the same structure, and a support base 3 that can be moved up and down by an elevating device (not shown).
3, guide rail bodies 4a to 4c provided in three layers
And moving bodies 5b and 5c provided between the adjacent guide rail bodies 4a and 4b and between the guide rail bodies 4b and 4c,
The work transfer member 6 for mounting the work W on the upper surface is provided. From here, the transport device 1b will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2A, when the gear 32a provided on the fixed body 5a is normally rotated (clockwise) by the drive motor 45, the transport device 1b meshes with the rack 12a, and is closest to the support base 33 side. The guide rail body 4a horizontally moves toward the machine tool M2 which is the previous step, and the chain 17 of the guide rail body 4a causes the movable body 5b to relatively move in the same direction with respect to the guide rail body 4a. The movement of the moving body 5b moves the next guide rail body 4b relative to the moving body 5b in the same direction by the meshing of the gear 32b and the racks 12a and 12b meshing with the gear 32b. The next moving body 5c is relatively moved in the same direction with respect to the guide rail body 4b via the chain 17 of the body 4b. Further, the movement of the moving body 5c causes the gear 12c and the rack 12 that meshes with the gear 32c.
The uppermost guide rail body 4c is relatively moved in the same direction with the moving body 5c by the meshing of b and 12c, and the movement of the guide rail body 4c moves the work conveying member 6 through the chain 17 of the guide rail body 4c. Is moved to the lower position of the machining station Ma2 corresponding to the machine tool M2 which is the previous process. When the drive motor 45 rotates the gear 32a in the reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 2B, the operation reverse to the movement in the above-described direction is performed, and the work transfer member 6 is moved to the machine tool M3 which is a post-process. Is moved forward to the lower position of the processing station Ma3 corresponding to.

The work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b is a processing station Ma corresponding to the machine tool M2 which is a pre-process.
2 the entire movement range Q that moves between the lower position and the lower position of the machining station Ma3 corresponding to the machine tool M3 which is the post-process, the non-interference area Q1b and the conveying device 1a adjacent to the conveying device 1b. Between the 1c, each of the transport devices 1a-1
The workpiece transfer member 6 of c is divided into interference areas Q2ab and Q2bc in which the workpiece transfer member 6 may interfere with each other, and the respective interference areas Q2a
b and Q2bc are further divided into a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) divided areas (A to C) and (D to F). And
An encoder 80, which is an example of position detecting means, is connected to the drive motor 45 in order to detect in which region the position of the respective work transfer members 6 in the transfer direction is included in each of the transfer devices 1a to 1c. Yes, each divided area (A
To C) and (D to F) boundary lines (a to d) and (e to h) from the reference position X (standby position T) to the work transfer member 6 (in the present embodiment, the guide rail body 4c). The detection value of the encoder 80 when the front end portion is positioned is set to ± L1 to ± L4 as shown in FIG. For example, the detection value −L4 of the encoder 80 of the transport device 1a and the detection value L1 of the encoder 80 of the transport device 1b indicate the boundary line d position in the divided area Q2ab in the transport device 1a and the transport device 1b, and the detection value L1 of the transport device 1b. The detection value −L1 of the encoder 80 and the detection value L4 of the encoder 80 of the transport device 1c indicate the position of the boundary line e in the divided area Q2bc in the transport device 1b and the transport device 1c. When the detection value of the encoder 80 of each of the transport devices 1a to 1c is between -L1 and L1, each work transport member 6 is located in the non-interference area Q1a to Q1c.

Next, the transfer control device 100 for controlling the transfer devices 1a to 1c will be described. Transfer control device 10
0 is provided for each of the transport devices 1a to 1c, and is provided with a central processing unit 101 (CPU) and a storage unit 102 including a ROM and a RAM. The storage means 102 stores an operation program according to the flowchart shown in FIG. The operation program includes the non-interference area Q1a.
~ When entering the interference areas Q2ab, Q2bc from Q1c, and when traveling in the interference areas Q2ab, Q2bc,
Based on the position information of each work transfer member 6 from the encoder 80, in the set of the transfer devices (1a, 1b), (1b, 1c) including the work transfer members 6 that may interfere with each other, the machine tools M2 and , M3 sandwiched between the areas where the work conveying member 6 is located on the upstream side in the advancing direction of the work conveying member 6, in the next divided areas (A to C) and (DF) in the advancing direction. , The other transport device 1a, 1
Discriminating means (steps S2, 4, 6, 11, 13, 15) for discriminating whether or not the work conveying member 6 of c exists is provided.

The divided areas (A to C) and (D to F)
When the work transfer member 6 of the other transfer device 1a, 1c is located at the work transfer member 6, the work transfer member 6 is located upstream of the work transfer member 6 with respect to the machine tools M2, M3.
In this embodiment, the stop command means (steps S3, 5) for stopping the drive motor 45 is performed so as not to enter the area where the work transfer member 6 of the other transfer device 1a, 1c is located. , 7, 12, 14, 1
6) is provided. The central processing unit 101 outputs a rotation command to the drive motor 45 while taking in the detected value from the associated encoder 80 according to the program stored in the storage unit 102. Each transfer control device 100 in this transfer line has an encoder 8
They are connected to each other via a network so that 0 information can be exchanged with each other, and also connected to a control device 103 for controlling each of the machine tools M1 to M4 via a network.

According to the flow chart of FIG. 4, the conveying device 1
The operation of b will be described. The other transfer devices 1a and 1c are also the same. After the work W is transferred from the machining station Ma1 of the machine tool M1 which is the pre-process to the machining station Ma2 of the machine tool M2 which is the post-process by the transfer device 1a, the work W is processed by the machine tool M2. Then, when the processing of the work W is completed, as shown in FIG. 1, the respective guide rail bodies 4a to 4c, the fixed bodies 5a, the moving bodies 5b and 5c, and the work carrying member 6 are moved to the center in the work carrying direction. The drive motor 45 of the transfer device 1b standing by at the standby position T which coincides with the approximate center of the support base 33 is driven (normally rotated) to move the respective work transfer members 6 via the three guide rail bodies 4a to 4c. , Machine tool M which is the previous process
It is moved backward toward the lower position of the processing station Ma2 corresponding to No. 2 (step S1). However, when the transport device 1a moves the work W backward to the standby position T after the work W is placed on the machining station Ma2 of the machine tool M2, the transport operation is interrupted due to a malfunction of the feed device and other factors. There is a case where it stops at or is proceeding only slowly than the planned transport speed.

Therefore, based on the position information of the work transfer member 6 from the encoder 80 of the transfer device 1b, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) discriminates its own position and does not interfere. While moving in the area Q1b, based on the position information of the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a based on the detection values (-L1 to -L4) from the encoder 80 of the transfer device 1a, the work transfer member of the transfer device 1b. 5A is the work transfer member 6 (the guide rail body 4c front end portion) of the transfer device 1a on the downstream side in the traveling direction of FIG.
As shown in, it is determined whether or not it is located within the divided area C (step S2). When it is not located, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b advances into the divided area C as it is, and proceeds to step S4. In step S2, the work transfer member 6 (guide rail body 4) of the transfer device 1a.
When it is determined that the tip end portion c is located within the divided area C, the work transfer member 6 (guide rail body 4) of the transfer device 1b.
Immediately before the boundary line d, the front end c) stops until the work transfer member 6 (the front end of the guide rail body 4c) of the transfer device 1a enters the next divided area B (step S3). still,
If the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a does not move within a preset time, an abnormal signal is output to the outside.

When the work transfer member 6 (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) of the transfer device 1b enters the divided area C, the value (-L1 to -L4) detected by the encoder 80 of the transfer device 1a is in progress during its progress. Based on the position information of the work transfer member 6, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b is shown in FIG. As shown in
It is determined whether or not it is located within the next divided area B (step S4). When not located, the transport device 1b
Of the work transfer member 6 advances to the divided area B as it is,
Go to step S6. When it is determined in step S4 that the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a is located within the divided area B, the work transfer member 6 (the guide rail body 4c tip end portion) of the transfer device 1b is located at the boundary line c. Immediately before, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c)
Stops until it enters the next divided area A (step S5).

When the work transfer member 6 (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) of the transfer device 1b enters the divided area B, the value (-L1 to -L4) detected by the encoder 80 of the transfer device 1a is in progress during the progress thereof. Based on the position information of the work transfer member 6, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b is shown in FIG. As shown in
It is determined whether or not it is located within the next divided area A (step S6). When not located, the transport device 1b
Of the work transfer member 6 advances to the divided area A as it is,
Go to step S8. When it is determined in step S6 that the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a is located within the divided area A, the work transfer member 6 (the guide rail body 4c tip end portion) of the transfer device 1b is located at the boundary line b. Immediately before, the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c)
However, it stops until it enters the non-interference area Q1a in the carrier device 1a (step S7).

If stopped, then the carrier device 1a
Based on the position information of the work transfer member 6 based on the detected values (-L1 to -L4) from the encoder 80 of the transfer device 1
The work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member 6 of b (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c).
However, as shown in FIG. 5D, when it is determined that the non-interference area Q1a in the carrier device 1a has been entered, the carrier device 1
The work transfer member 6 (the leading end of the guide rail body 4c) of b is
Enter the next divided area A. After advancing into the divided area A, the work transfer member 6 (guide rail body 4) of the transfer device 1b.
c tip portion) stops at the lower position (boundary line a) of the machining station Ma2 corresponding to the machine tool M2 which is the previous process (step S8). Then, the lift 33 (not shown) raises the support base 33 by a predetermined distance to place the work W on the work transfer member 6 (step S9). At this time, the work W is positioned on the work transfer member 6. Also,
The work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1a that has entered the non-interference area Q1a of the transfer device 1a moves backward toward the standby position T.

After that, the drive motor 45 of the transfer device 1b is driven (reverse rotation), and the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1b is driven.
Is moved forward to a position above the machining station Ma3 corresponding to the machine tool M3, which is a post-process (step S10). With respect to the machine tool M3, since the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1c receives the work W from the machining station Ma3 corresponding to the machine tool M3, it moves forward toward the machine tool M4, which is a post-process. The transfer device 1b determines whether the work transfer member 6 of the transfer device 1c is located in the interference region Q2bc in steps S10 to S16, similarly to what is performed on the transfer device 1a (steps S2 to S7). Machining station Ma3 that moves forward while discriminating and corresponds to machine tool M3 that is the post process
It stops at the upper position (step S17). After that, in the transfer device 1b, the support base 3 is lifted by a lifting device (not shown).
3 descends for a predetermined distance, and the work W is placed on the machining station Ma3 corresponding to the machine tool M3 which is the post-process (step S18). Then, in step S19, the drive motor of the conveyance device is driven (normal rotation), and as shown in FIG. 1, the guide rail bodies 4a to 4c, the fixed body 5a, and the moving body 5 are moved.
b, 5c and the work transfer member 6 are returned to the standby position T where the center of the work transfer direction coincides with the approximate center of the support base 33 (step S20). Then, the work W is processed by the machine tool M3. After that, when the machining of the work W is completed by the machine tool M2, which is the previous process, the series of operations described above is performed again.

Therefore, as described above, based on the position information of each work transfer member 6 from the encoder 80 provided in the drive motor 45, a certain work transfer member 6 is going to proceed into a divided area (A to C). , (D to F), it is determined whether or not the work transfer member 6 on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member 6 is positioned. As a result of the determination, if the work transfer member 6 is not positioned, the certain work transfer is performed. The member 6 is divided into the divided regions (A to A) in which the workpiece transfer member 6 on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the workpiece transfer member 6 is not positioned.
C), (D to F), and when located,
Since the work avoidance operation is performed so that the work transfer member 6 does not enter the region where the work transfer member 6 is located on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member 6, the conventional independent operation type operation is performed. In the transfer line where the transfer device is installed, the transfer device on the downstream side in the traveling direction in question has started to move forward, but due to a malfunction of the feeding device or other factors, the transfer operation is stopped midway or the planned transfer speed. It is possible to reliably eliminate the possibility that the transport devices on the upstream side and the downstream side in the traveling direction may interfere with each other when traveling only slowly. Further, the work transfer device 6 of each of the transfer devices 1a to 1c
Is controlled so as to move while taking in the detection value from the associated encoder 80, so that each of the transport devices 1a to 1a.
Based on the detection value from the encoder 80 of the transport devices 1a to 1c on the upstream side in the traveling direction of the workpiece transport member 6 of 1c, the workpiece transport of the transport devices 1a to 1c on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the workpiece transport member 6 is performed. It is also possible to move the member 6.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the work transfer members of the transfer devices on both sides of the machine tool are present in the same divided area in the interference area by using the actual position information of the work transfer member during movement. Since the movement control is performed so as not to do so, the work transfer members do not interfere with each other under any condition. In addition, while the work transfer member on the upstream side in the transfer direction is moving, it is determined whether or not the work transfer member on the downstream side in the transfer direction exists in the next divided area that is going to advance. As a result of including time, there is no waste of time. Further, when there is no work conveying member on the downstream side in the conveying direction in the next divided area to be advanced, the work conveying member on the upstream side in the conveying direction is allowed to proceed as it is, so that the conveying operation is not interrupted. It will be done smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a transfer line of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a drive motor of a transfer device is driven to move a work transfer member in a work transfer direction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detection value of an encoder set for a boundary line of a divided area.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a movement state of work transfer members of adjacent transfer devices in an interference region.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Conveyor 6 Work transfer member 80 encoder T standby position Q total movement range Q1 Non-interference area Q2 interference area A to C division area DF divided area M machine tool W work

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of machine tools are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a transfer device for transferring a work from a machine tool that is a pre-process to a machine tool that is a post-process is arranged between adjacent machine tools. These transfer devices move the work transfer member backward from the standby position, which is in the middle of the machine tool in the front-back process, toward the machine tool in the front process, and transfer the work from the machine tool in the front process to the work transfer member. Receive, then
The work transfer member is moved forward toward the machine tool, which is the post-process, and the work is transferred to the machine tool, which is the post-process.
After that, in the transfer line which is an independent operation type transfer device that returns to the standby position, the interference region where the work transfer member of each transfer device may interfere is divided into a plurality of divided regions between the adjacent transfer devices. However, each transfer device is provided with position detection means for detecting the position of the work transfer member in the transfer direction, and the machine tool is pinched during the transfer operation based on the position information of each work transfer member from the position detection means. Then, in the divided area where the work transfer member on the upstream side in the traveling direction of the work transfer member is about to move,
A determination means is provided for determining whether or not the work transfer member on the downstream side in the traveling direction is positioned.When not positioned, the work transfer member on the upstream side in the traveling direction advances as it is and enters the divided area, The transfer line transfer control device is characterized in that an approach avoidance operation is performed while the transfer line transfer control device is operating. 2. A plurality of machine tools are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a transfer device for transferring a work from a machine tool as a pre-process to a machine tool as a post-process is arranged between the machine tools adjacent to each other. These transfer devices move the work transfer member backward from the standby position, which is in the middle of the machine tool in the front-back process, toward the machine tool in the front process, and transfer the work from the machine tool in the front process to the work transfer member. Receive, then
The work transfer member is moved forward toward the machine tool, which is the post-process, and the work is transferred to the machine tool, which is the post-process.
After that, in the transfer line which is an independent operation type transfer device that returns to the standby position, the entire movement range of the work transfer member of each transfer device is divided into a non-interference area and an interference area, and the interference area is divided into a plurality of divided areas. Each of the transporting devices is provided with position detecting means for detecting in which region the position of the workpiece transporting member in the transport direction is included, and when the non-interfering region enters the interference region, When moving inside, a set of transfer devices including work transfer members that may interfere with each other, based on the position information of each work transfer member from the position detection means, moves the work transfer members across the machine tool. Whether the work transfer member of the other transfer device exists in the next divided area in the moving direction with respect to the area where the work transfer member on the upstream side in the direction is located. A separate discriminating means is provided, and when it does not exist, the work conveying member on the upstream side in the traveling direction advances as it is to enter the divided area, and when it exists, an entrance avoiding operation is performed. Transfer line transfer control device. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination by the determination means is performed while the work transfer member is moving.
Transfer line transfer control device described. 4. The transfer line transfer control device according to claim 1, wherein the approach avoidance operation is a stop operation by a stop command means. 5. A plurality of machine tools are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a transfer device for transferring a work from a machine tool as a pre-process to a machine tool as a post-process is arranged between adjacent machine tools, These transfer devices move the work transfer member backward from the standby position, which is in the middle of the machine tool in the front-back process, toward the machine tool in the front process, and transfer the work from the machine tool in the front process to the work transfer member. Receive, then
The work transfer member is moved forward toward the machine tool, which is the post-process, and the work is transferred to the machine tool, which is the post-process.
After that, in the transfer line which is an independent operation type transfer device that returns to the standby position, the interference region where the work transfer member of each transfer device may interfere is divided into a plurality of divided regions between the adjacent transfer devices. However, each of the transfer devices is provided with position detection means for detecting the position of the work transfer member in the transfer direction, and based on the position information of each work transfer member from the position detection means, the same divided area is used during the transfer operation. A transfer line transfer control device, wherein each transfer device is controlled so that there is no work transfer member of an adjacent transfer device therein.