JP2004050348A - Cutting machine and cutting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cutting machine and a method of cutting for efficiently performing cutting with a small diameter spindle. <P>SOLUTION: The cutting machine for cutting a work W with a spindle unit 12 equipped with an end mill 10 comprises: the spindle unit; a spindle mounting section 14 which supports the spindle unit and is relatively moved to the work; and a spindle unit drive 16 which is disposed between the spindle mounting section and the spindle unit and allows the spindle unit to relatively move to the spindle mounting section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cutting machine and a cutting method, and more particularly, to a cutting machine and a cutting method for performing a cutting process on a work by a spindle unit having an end mill.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a process for forming a concave portion, a groove, and the like in a material such as a metal material, a spindle unit having an end mill having a cutting blade is attached to an NC machine tool, and the end mill is moved with respect to a work (workpiece) while being rotationally driven. A cutting process for processing a workpiece into a desired shape is known.
[0003]
When a large die is to be cut or roughed, it is desirable to use a large-diameter end mill in order to reduce the processing time. However, large power is required to perform cutting by rotating a large-diameter end mill. For this reason, a predetermined machining range 104 on the work 102 is cut while the spindle unit is moved with respect to the work so that the small-diameter end mill 100 moves along a spiral path shown by a dotted line P in FIG. Trochoid processing has been proposed.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when using an NC machine tool, it is difficult to set a trajectory for relatively moving the spindle unit and the workpiece so that the end mill moves along a spiral trajectory and cuts a predetermined processing range. Creating an application program was extremely complicated. Also, for example, when changing a part of the processing range, such as when changing the width of the processing portion from 50 mm to 51 mm, it is necessary to recreate the program, which is inconvenient in practical use.
[0005]
Further, even when the NC machine tool is not used, it is extremely difficult to relatively move the spindle unit and the work so that the end mill moves along the spiral path and cuts a predetermined processing range.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a cutting machine and a cutting method capable of efficiently performing cutting with a small-diameter spindle.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, there is provided a cutting machine for cutting a work by a spindle unit provided with an end mill, wherein the spindle unit, a spindle mounting portion supporting the spindle unit and capable of moving relative to the work, And a spindle unit movement device disposed between the spindle mounting portion and the spindle unit, for moving the spindle unit relative to the spindle mounting portion.
[0008]
According to the present invention having such a configuration, the spindle unit is relatively moved with respect to the spindle mounting portion, thereby using a relatively large-diameter end mill whose diameter is equal to the range of the relative movement. The same condition is created. Therefore, a predetermined range can be machined by relatively moving the spindle mounting portion and the workpiece in the same manner as when cutting using this large-diameter end mill.
[0009]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cutting machine for cutting a workpiece by a spindle unit having an end mill, wherein the spindle mounting portion supports a spindle unit and is relatively movable with respect to the workpiece. A spindle unit movement device disposed between the mounting portion and the spindle unit to move the spindle unit relative to the spindle mounting portion.
[0010]
According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the spindle unit movement device independently moves the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion along two axes orthogonal to each other.
[0011]
According to such a configuration, by adjusting the magnitude and speed of the movement in the two directions, the spindle unit can be freely and two-dimensionally moved with respect to the spindle mounting portion.
[0012]
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the spindle unit motion device includes a first table attached to the spindle attachment portion so as to be relatively movable in a first direction, and a second table orthogonal to the first direction. And a second table attached to the first table so as to be relatively movable in a direction.
[0013]
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the relative motion is a circular motion. According to such a configuration, the spindle mounting portion and the workpiece are relatively moved by the same movement as when a spindle having a diameter equal to the diameter of the circle of the circular motion is used, so that a predetermined range of machining is performed. Can be.
[0014]
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the spindle unit exercising device is capable of changing the content of the relative movement of the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion.
[0015]
According to another aspect of the present invention, in a cutting method for cutting a work by a spindle unit having an end mill, the spindle unit is mounted on a spindle mounting portion capable of moving relative to the work, and the spindle mounting portion is mounted on the spindle mounting portion. Mounting the workpiece so that the spindle unit can move relative to the spindle mounting part, and moving the spindle mounting part and the workpiece relative to each other, and processing the workpiece with the end mill. Cutting method is provided.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 2 and 3 are a front view and a side view schematically showing a vicinity of a spindle mounting portion of a cutting machine (machining center) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0017]
The machining center according to the present embodiment cuts a workpiece W such as a metal material placed below using a spindle unit 12 to which an end mill 10 having a cutting blade at the tip is attached, based on NC data. NC cutting machine. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spindle unit 12 is mounted on a spindle mounting portion (head) 14 of a machining center via a spindle unit movement mechanism 16 that moves the spindle unit 12 relative to the head 14. Have been. The head 14 is moved vertically and horizontally with respect to the workpiece W by a known driving mechanism (not shown) based on NC data input to a control device (computer) of the machining center, similarly to the conventional NC cutting machine. It is configured to be able to move in three directions (three XYZ directions).
[0018]
The spindle unit 12 is capable of cutting a workpiece W by rotating an end mill 12 attached to a tip of a rotatable main shaft at a high speed by a built-in motor.
[0019]
Next, the configuration of the spindle unit movement mechanism 16 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spindle unit movement mechanism 16 has a first table 18. The first table 18 has on its upper surface a plurality of first guide blocks 22 that receive two parallel first guide rails 20 provided on the distal end surface (lower surface) of the spindle mounting portion 14. The first guide rail 20 and the first guide block constitute a linear guide, and the first table 18 is arranged so that the first guide guide block 22 receives the first guide rail 20. It is movable in the first direction (X direction) with respect to the mounting portion 14.
[0020]
The spindle unit movement mechanism 16 includes a first feed motor 26 fixed to the spindle mounting portion 14 via a first mounting plate 24. The output shaft 28 of the first feed motor 26 has a feed screw (thread) formed on the outer peripheral surface, and is screwed into a screw hole 30 extending through the first table 18 in the X direction. The first feed motor 26 is a motor that can change the direction and speed of rotation, and the direction and speed of rotation are controlled by a control device of the machining center.
[0021]
Therefore, in the spindle unit movement mechanism 16, the first table 18 can be moved in the X direction with respect to the spindle mounting portion 14 by rotating the first feed motor 26.
[0022]
The spindle unit movement mechanism 16 further has a second table 32. The second table 32 includes a plurality of second guide blocks 36 that receive two parallel second guide rails 34 provided on the lower surface of the first table 18. The direction in which the second guide rail 34 extends is a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the first guide rail 20 extends. The second guide rail 34 and the second guide block 36 constitute a linear guide. The second table 32 is arranged such that the second guide block 34 receives the second guide rail 36, The first table 18 can be moved in a second direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the first direction.
[0023]
In addition, the spindle unit movement mechanism 16 includes a second feed motor 40 fixed to the first table 18 via a second mounting plate 38. The output shaft 42 of the second feed motor 40 has a feed screw (thread) on the outer peripheral surface, and is screwed into a screw hole 44 extending through the second table 32 in the Y direction. The second feed motor 40 is a motor that can change the direction and speed of rotation, and the direction and speed of rotation are controlled by a control device of the machining center.
[0024]
Therefore, in the spindle unit movement mechanism 16, by rotating the second feed motor 40, the second table 32 can be moved relative to the first table 18 in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction.
[0025]
The spindle unit 12 is attached to the second table 32 with the end mill 10 facing downward.
[0026]
As described above, in the spindle unit movement mechanism 16 of the present embodiment, the spindle 12 is mounted on the spindle 12 by controlling the rotations of the first and second feed motors 26 and 40 by the control device (computer) of the machining center. The part 14 can be freely moved in a horizontal plane. In the present embodiment, the rotation of the first and second feed motors 26 and 40 is controlled, for example, to move the spindle unit 12 so that the tip of the end mill 10 makes a circular motion with respect to the spindle mounting portion 14. it can.
[0027]
In the cutting by the machining center according to the present embodiment, as described above, the spindle mounting unit 14 is moved while the spindle unit 12 is relatively moved so that the tip of the end mill 10 makes, for example, a circular motion with respect to the spindle mounting unit 14. Move relative to W. At this time, when the spindle unit 12 is moved with respect to the unit mounting portion 14 so that the tip of the end mill 10 draws, for example, a circle with a diameter of 50 mm, the same range of cutting as when cutting is performed using an end mill with a diameter of 50 mm. Becomes possible. Accordingly, if a program for moving the spindle mounting portion 14 (head) with respect to the workpiece W in the case of using an end mill having a diameter of 50 mm is prepared as a cutting program, predetermined cutting can be performed. Further, when changing the width of the processed portion, it is possible to cope with the change in the width of the processed portion only by changing the control amounts of the first and second feed motors 26 and 40.
[0028]
The movement of the spindle unit 12 with respect to the spindle mounting portion 14 is not limited to a circular movement, but may be a movement for drawing other figures such as a triangle and a square.
[0029]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the matters described in the claims.
[0030]
The apparatus of the above embodiment is an NC cutting machine in which the relative movement of the spindle mounting portion (head) 14 with respect to the work W is numerically controlled, but the present invention controls this relative movement mechanically or manually. It is also applicable to cutting machines. Further, the work is not limited to a metal material.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cutting machine and the cutting method which can perform cutting efficiently with a small diameter spindle are provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the trajectory of an end mill when performing trochoid processing.
FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the vicinity of a spindle mounting portion of a cutting machine (machining center) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a vicinity of a spindle mounting portion of a cutting machine (machining center) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10: End mill 12: Spindle unit 14: Spindle mounting part (head)
16: spindle unit movement mechanism 18: first table 20: first guide rail 22: first guide block 24: first mounting plate 26: first feed motor 32: second table 34: second guide rail 36: second Guide block 38: second mounting plate 40: second feed motor

Claims (7)

A cutting machine for cutting a workpiece with a spindle unit having an end mill,
A spindle unit,
A spindle mounting portion that supports the spindle unit and is relatively movable with respect to the work;
A spindle unit movement device disposed between the spindle mounting portion and the spindle unit, and configured to relatively move the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion.
A cutting machine characterized by the above-mentioned. A cutting machine for cutting a workpiece with a spindle unit having an end mill,
A spindle mounting portion that supports a spindle unit and is relatively movable with respect to the work;
A spindle unit movement device disposed between the spindle mounting portion and the spindle unit, and configured to relatively move the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion.
A cutting machine characterized by the above-mentioned. The spindle unit movement device moves the spindle unit independently of the spindle mounting portion along two axes orthogonal to each other;
The cutting machine according to claim 1. A first table attached to the spindle attachment portion so as to be relatively movable in a first direction with respect to the spindle attachment portion; and a first table attached to the first table so as to be relatively movable in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A second table mounted thereon,
The cutting machine according to claim 3. The relative motion is a circular motion,
The cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The spindle unit exercise device can change the content of the relative movement of the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion,
The cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A cutting method for cutting a workpiece with a spindle unit equipped with an end mill.
A step of mounting the spindle unit on a spindle mounting portion movable relative to the workpiece so as to be relatively movable with respect to the spindle mounting portion;
A step of relatively moving the spindle mounting portion and the work while relatively moving the spindle unit with respect to the spindle mounting portion, and processing the work with the end mill;
A cutting method provided with.

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