JP2011110648A - Processing method and device of glass substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve production efficiency of a glass substrate, by performing chamfering process without positioning the glass substrate. <P>SOLUTION: When the glass substrate G is placed on a table 12, the glass substrate G is sucked and fixed to the table 12 by suction operation of the table 12 without positioning the glass substrate. Next, position information on end surfaces G1, G2 and G3 of the glass substrate G in such a state is acquired by laser displacement gauges 14-22, and a processing start position and a processing finish position of taking into consideration this position information and a desired grinding margin, are calculated by a CPU 28. Next, a motion controller 32 controls moving mechanisms 34 and 40 so that chamfering grinding wheels 24 and 26 linearly move toward the processing finish position from the processing start position based on the position information on the calculated processing start position and processing finish position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass substrate processing method and apparatus.

  A glass substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display) such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display is manufactured by the following method. For example, a glass ribbon formed in a strip shape by a glass ribbon forming apparatus such as a float kiln is cut into a glass substrate having a predetermined rectangular size in a cutting process, and the end face is chamfered in a chamfering process. Thus, a glass substrate having an external dimension as a product is manufactured. Then, the glass substrate is transferred to the surface polishing step through a cleaning step and an inspection step arranged after the chamfering step, and is manufactured into a glass substrate having a product thickness here. These processes are often performed in one line from the viewpoint of production efficiency, but in the case of one-piece production, a glass substrate may be brought into each apparatus for processing.

  FIG. 9 is a process explanatory diagram of a conventional glass substrate cutting and chamfering process. Moreover, FIG. 10 is a flowchart which shows the flow of the glass substrate in the cutting process and the chamfering process.

  As shown in these drawings, the glass ribbon 100 formed into a strip shape by the glass ribbon forming apparatus is processed with a cutting line 104 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by a cutter 102 of a cutting machine (step S100). Thereafter, the glass ribbon 100 is conveyed to a folding machine by a transfer machine 106 having a suction pad, and is folded along the cutting line 104 by pushing up a portion of the cutting line 104 by a push-up member 108 of the folding machine ( Step S101). Thereby, a glass substrate G having a rectangular size is created from the glass ribbon 100.

  Next, the glass substrate G is attracted to the transfer machine 110 and transferred to the conveyor 112 (step S102). Here, the glass substrate G is positioned on the conveyor 112 by a positioning device 118 in which fixed positioning pins 114 and 114 and movable driving pins 116 and 116 are arranged to face each other along the four sides of the glass substrate G (step). S103). Regarding the positioning operation of the glass substrate G, first, the glass substrate G is placed on the conveyor 112 between the positioning pins 114 and 114 and the driving pins 116 and 116. Next, the driving pins 116 and 116 are moved toward the positioning pins 114 and 114. Accordingly, the driving pins 116 and 116 come into contact with the glass substrate G, and the glass substrate G is pushed toward the positioning pins 114 and 114 by the continuous movement of the driving pins 116 and 116. Then, when the pushed glass substrate G comes into contact with the positioning pins 114 and 114, the movement of the driving pins 116 and 116 is stopped. The glass substrate G is positioned on the conveyor 112 by the above operation. The positioned glass substrate G is conveyed by the conveyor 112 and transferred onto the table 122 of the first chamfering device 120 (step S104). Here, the glass substrate G is floated by the air blowing operation of the table 122 and is positioned on the table 122 by the positioning device 128 including the positioning pins 124 and 124 and the driving pins 126 and 126 (step S105). The positioning operation of the glass substrate G is the same as described above. This positioning operation takes about 1 to 2 seconds. The positioned glass substrate G is adsorbed to the table 122 in the positioned posture by the table 122 switched from the air blowing operation to the suction operation (step S106). Thereafter, the glass substrate G is chamfered by the pair of grindstones 130 and 132 of the first chamfering device 120 at both long sides (or both short sides) of the end surface (step S107).

  The glass substrate G whose long side portion is chamfered is rotated 90 degrees in the in-plane direction of the glass substrate G from the table 122 to the table 138 of the second chamfering device 136 by the transfer machine 134. Placed. Here, the glass substrate G is floated by the air blowing operation of the table 138 and is positioned on the table 138 by the positioning device 144 including the positioning pins 140 and 140 and the driving pins 142 and 142 (step S108). The positioning operation of the glass substrate G is the same as described above. This positioning operation takes about 1 to 2 seconds. The positioned glass substrate G is attracted to the table 138 in a position positioned by the suction operation of the table 138 (step S109). Thereafter, the glass substrate G is chamfered by the pair of grindstones 146 and 148 of the second chamfering device 136 at both short sides (or both long sides) of the end surface (step S110). The glass substrate G having a rectangular size is created from the glass ribbon 100 by the above flow, and the end surface of the glass substrate G is chamfered.

  On the other hand, the chamfering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of upper and lower endless belts that sandwich both main surfaces of a glass substrate and a suction pad that sucks and holds the glass substrate. Both main surfaces of the glass substrate are sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower endless belts, the glass substrate is sucked and held by a suction pad, and the glass substrate is conveyed in a predetermined direction by a pair of upper and lower endless belts and a suction pad. During this conveyance, the end surface of the glass substrate is chamfered by a chamfering grindstone disposed on both sides in the end surface direction of the glass substrate.

  FIG. 11 is a process explanatory diagram including a chamfering process by the chamfering apparatus of Patent Document 1 and a cutting process in the preceding stage.

  As shown in the drawing, a glass ribbon 150 formed into a strip shape by a glass ribbon forming apparatus is processed with a cutting line 154 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by a cutter 152 of a cutting machine. Thereafter, the glass ribbon 150 is conveyed to the folding machine by the transfer machine 156, and is folded along the cutting line 154 by pushing up the portion of the cutting line 154 with the push-up member 158 of the folding machine. As a result, a glass substrate G having a rectangular size is created from the glass ribbon 150.

  Next, the glass substrate G is adsorbed by the transfer device 160 and transferred onto the table 164 of the first chamfering device 162. Here, the glass substrate G is positioned on the table 164 by a positioning device 170 including positioning pins 166 and 166 and driving pins 168 and 168. The positioned glass substrate G is transported in the direction of the arrow by a pair of upper and lower endless belts 172 and 172 (only the lower endless belt 172 is shown in the figure) and suction pads not shown. Is done. The positions of both short sides of the end surface of the glass substrate G being conveyed are detected by the sensors 174 and 176 in a non-contact manner. Position information of both short sides of the end face detected by the sensors 174 and 176 is output to a position control unit (not shown).

  The position control unit controls the driving unit of the chamfering grindstone 178 based on the position information detected by the sensor 174, and the chamfering grindstone 178 follows the shape of one short side portion of the glass substrate G. Movement control is performed in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Similarly, the position control unit controls the driving unit of the chamfering grindstone 180 based on the position information detected by the sensor 176 so that the chamfering grindstone 180 follows the shape of the other short side. Movement control is performed in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G. Therefore, both short sides of the glass substrate G are chamfered when the glass substrate G passes the chamfering grindstones 178 and 180.

  The glass substrate G whose both short sides are chamfered is placed in a posture rotated 90 degrees in the in-plane direction of the glass substrate G with respect to the table 186 of the second chamfering device 184 by the transfer machine 182. Is done. Here, the glass substrate G is positioned by a positioning device 192 having positioning pins 188 and 188 and driving pins 190 and 190. The positioned glass substrate G is conveyed in the direction of the arrow by a pair of upper and lower endless belts 194 and 194 disposed on both main surfaces and a suction pad (not shown). The positions of both long sides of the end surface of the glass substrate G being conveyed are detected by the sensors 196 and 198 in a non-contact manner. Position information of both long sides of the end face detected by the sensors 196 and 198 is output to a position control unit (not shown). The position control unit controls the driving unit of the chamfering grindstone 200 based on the position information detected by the sensor 196, and the chamfering grindstone 200 follows the shape of one long side portion of the glass substrate G. Movement control is performed in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Similarly, the position control unit controls the driving unit of the chamfering grindstone 202 based on the position information detected by the sensor 198 so that the chamfering grindstone 202 follows the shape of the other long side portion. Movement control is performed in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G. Therefore, when the glass substrate G passes the chamfering grindstones 200 and 202, both long side portions of the glass substrate G are chamfered. The glass substrate G having a rectangular size is created from the glass ribbon 150 by the above flow, and the end surface of the glass substrate G is chamfered.

JP 2008-213090 A

  The grindstones 130, 132, 146, and 148 of the conventional apparatus in FIG. 9 are not controlled to detect the position of the end face of the glass substrate G and move along the detected end face. That is, the grindstone moves along the path defined by the positioning devices 128 and 144 and chamfers the end surface of the glass substrate G. Therefore, in this conventional apparatus, the positioning devices 128 and 144 are indispensable, and accordingly, it takes time to position the glass substrate G. The positioning time of the glass substrate G is as short as about 2 to 4 seconds per glass substrate, but about 10% of the entire chamfering process is devoted to positioning. In addition, in equipment that produces tens of thousands or more of glass substrates G per month, the positioning time is long, which is a major cause of reducing the production efficiency of the glass substrates G. The FPD has a problem of thinning and lightening, and the glass substrate G is desired to be further thinned. However, when the thickness of the glass substrate G is further reduced, it is necessary to slow the movement of the glass substrate G in order to prevent damage to the glass substrate G during positioning. Therefore, the positioning time of the glass substrate G is further increased, and the production efficiency of the glass substrate G may be further reduced.

  On the other hand, the chamfering device of Patent Document 1 shown in FIG. 11 detects the position of the end face of the glass substrate G by the sensors 174, 176, 196, 198 in a non-contact manner, and grindstones 178, 180, 200 and 202 are devices that control to move. However, the chamfering device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a positioning device in which positioning with respect to the pair of upper and lower endless belts 172 and 194 and the suction pad is carried by the pair of upper and lower endless belts 172 and 194 and the suction pad. 170, 192. Therefore, since the chamfering apparatus of Patent Document 1 also requires positioning of the glass substrate G by the positioning devices 170 and 192, it has been a major cause of reducing the production efficiency of the glass substrate G as in the conventional apparatus. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a glass substrate processing method and apparatus capable of improving the production efficiency of a glass substrate by performing chamfering without positioning the glass substrate. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the glass substrate processing method of the present invention includes a step of fixing a glass substrate placed on a table of a chamfering device to the table, and an end surface of the glass substrate fixed to the table. Obtaining the position information, calculating the processing start position and the processing end position of the chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end face of the glass substrate based on the position information, and from the processing start position to the processing end position. And chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate fixed to the table with the chamfering grindstone by moving the chamfering grindstone toward the chamfering wheel.

  In order to achieve the above object, the glass substrate processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a table provided in a chamfering device, a fixing means for fixing the glass substrate placed on the table to the table, and the table. A non-contact sensor that acquires positional information of the end face of the fixed glass substrate, a chamfering grindstone that is provided in the chamfering device and chamfers the end face of the glass substrate, and a movement that moves the chamfering grindstone Means for calculating the processing start position and the processing end position of the chamfering grindstone based on the position information, and based on the position information of the processing start position and the processing end position, from the processing start position to the processing And a control means for controlling the moving means so that the chamfering grindstone moves toward the end position.

  According to the present invention, first, when a glass substrate is placed on the table, the glass substrate is fixed to the table by the fixing means without positioning. Next, the position information of the end face of the glass substrate in this state is acquired by a non-contact sensor, and the processing start position and the processing end position in consideration of this position information and a desired grinding allowance are calculated by the calculation means. Next, based on the position information of the calculated machining start position and machining end position, the control means controls the moving means so that the chamfering grindstone moves linearly from the machining start position to the machining end position. Thereby, since the end surface of a glass substrate can be chamfered without positioning a glass substrate, the production efficiency of a glass substrate can be improved.

  An algorithm for setting the machining start position and the machining end position of the chamfering grindstone will be described.

  First, the position information of the end surface of the glass substrate in a state where the positioning and fixing are performed in advance on the table is acquired by a non-contact sensor, and this position is registered as a master position. When the glass substrate to be processed is conveyed to the chamfering device, the glass substrate is fixed without being positioned on the table. Next, the positional information of the end surface of the glass substrate in a non-positioned state is acquired by a non-contact sensor for a total of three points including two processing side portions and one side portion orthogonal to the processing side portion. Next, the difference between the acquired position and the master position is calculated by the calculating means. Since the detection position by the non-contact sensor exists on the end surface of the glass substrate, the calculation means performs extrapolation interpolation, and the master position of the X and Y coordinate values of the processing start position and the X and Y coordinate values of the processing end position. The amount of deviation from is calculated. Based on the calculated deviation amount and the desired grinding allowance, the machining start position and the machining end position are corrected and calculated, and linear interpolation is performed based on the corrected machining start position and machining end position. Then, a linear machining instruction is output from the control means to the moving means so that the chamfering grindstone moves along this straight line.

  The sensing time by the non-contact sensor is 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. Moreover, it is preferable from the viewpoint of performing linear interpolation with high accuracy that the measurement points of the two processing side portions are points in the vicinity of the edge of the glass substrate. The sensing position by the non-contact sensor is not limited to the three points. As the non-contact sensor, a laser displacement meter and a CCD camera can be exemplified. In the case of a CCD camera, the end face of the glass substrate is imaged by the CCD camera, the image signal is binarized to extract edge information of the end face, and a predetermined point of the edge information is acquired as position information.

  Next, a control algorithm for moving means for moving the chamfering grindstone back and forth with respect to the end face of the glass substrate will be described.

  The calculation means calculates a linear interpolation value from the machining start position to the machining end position. Based on the linear interpolation value, the control means moves the chamfering grindstone in the Y direction (X) so as to match the linear interpolation value in synchronization with the movement of the chamfering grindstone in the X direction (traveling direction of the chamfering grindstone). A forward / backward movement command for moving forward / backward in a direction orthogonal to the direction is output to the moving means. When the movement trajectory of the chamfering grindstone is viewed microscopically, it is stepped. That is, after the chamfering grindstone moves a predetermined distance in the X direction, the chamfering grindstone moves a predetermined distance in the Y direction, and repeats the movement in the X direction and the movement in the Y direction, while moving from the machining start position to the machining end position. Drive on a straight line connecting Examples of the moving means include a servo motor and a feed screw that is driven by the servo motor to move the chamfering grindstone. An example of the calculating means is a CPU having a RAM capable of registering a master position. An example of the control means is a motion controller that controls the moving means based on the position information calculated by the calculating means.

  In order to achieve the above object, the glass substrate processing method of the present invention includes a step of cutting a glass ribbon formed into a strip shape by a forming device into a predetermined rectangular glass substrate, and the cutting A step of transferring the processed glass substrate to a table of a chamfering device; a step of fixing the glass substrate placed on the table of the chamfering device to the table; and the glass substrate fixed to the table. Acquiring the position information of the end surface of the glass substrate, calculating the processing start position and processing end position of the chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate based on the position information, and the processing end from the processing start position Chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate fixed to the table with the chamfering grindstone by moving the chamfering grindstone toward the position. The features.

  In order to achieve the above object, the glass substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a folding means for cutting a glass ribbon formed into a strip shape by a molding apparatus into a predetermined rectangular glass substrate, Transfer means for transferring the cut glass substrate to the table of the chamfering device, fixing means for fixing the glass substrate placed on the table of the chamfering device to the table, and fixing to the table A non-contact sensor that acquires position information of the end face of the glass substrate, a chamfering grindstone that is provided in the chamfering device and chamfers the end face of the glass substrate, and a moving means that moves the chamfering grindstone And a calculation means for calculating a processing start position and a processing end position of the chamfering grindstone based on the position information, and the processing start based on the position information of the processing start position and the processing end position. The chamfering grindstone toward et the machining end position located is characterized by comprising a control means for controlling said moving means to move.

  This invention is invention of the chamfering method of the glass substrate containing a cutting process, and invention of the chamfering apparatus of the glass substrate containing a cutting means.

  According to the present invention, first, a glass ribbon formed into a strip shape by a forming apparatus is manufactured on a predetermined rectangular glass substrate by a cutting means. Next, the cut glass substrate is transferred to the table of the chamfering device by the transfer means. Next, the glass substrate is fixed to the table by fixing means. Thus, since the glass substrate manufactured by the cutting means is fixed to the table of the chamfering device without being positioned even in the previous stage of the chamfering device, the production efficiency of the glass substrate is further improved.

  According to the processing method of the glass substrate of the present invention, the position information of the end face of the glass substrate after the chamfering process is acquired, and the position information after the chamfering process and the position information before the chamfering process are obtained. The grinding allowance with the chamfering grindstone is preferably calculated.

  According to the glass substrate chamfering apparatus of the present invention, the non-contact sensor acquires position information of the end surface of the glass substrate after the chamfering process, and the calculation means includes the position information after the chamfering process and It is preferable to calculate a grinding allowance by the chamfering grindstone based on the position information before chamfering.

  According to the present invention, since the actual grinding allowance with the chamfering grindstone can be confirmed, the current wear amount of the chamfering grindstone can be indirectly confirmed. By adding the amount of wear of the chamfering grindstone to the parameter for controlling the Y-direction movement of the chamfering grindstone, the grinding allowance can be made constant and stable chamfering can be performed.

  In the processing method and apparatus of the present invention, in the chamfering step, the glass substrate is preferably chamfered by the chamfering grindstone in an oblique state with respect to a predetermined reference position. .

  The predetermined reference position is a virtual position of the glass substrate that is positioned by a conventional positioning device. In the present invention, the chamfering process of the glass substrate can be carried out even if the glass substrate is not in such a position but is in the posture in which the glass substrate is transported to the table, that is, in an oblique state with respect to the reference position. Therefore, the glass substrate production efficiency is improved by omitting the time for positioning the glass substrate on the table.

  In the processing method and apparatus of the present invention, the glass substrate preferably has a thickness of 0.3 mm to 2.4 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm.

  In the present invention, even such a thin glass substrate does not require positioning with respect to the table, so that the time required for positioning can be saved, and breakage of the glass substrate that occurs during positioning can be prevented. Therefore, even if the glass substrate is a thin plate, the production efficiency of the glass substrate can be improved.

  In the processing method and apparatus of the present invention, the glass substrate is preferably a glass substrate for FPD.

  Since the positioning of the glass substrate with respect to the table is unnecessary, the present invention is suitable for processing an extremely thin FPD glass substrate.

  According to the method and apparatus for processing a glass substrate according to the present invention, since the glass substrate is chamfered without positioning the glass substrate, the production efficiency of the glass substrate can be improved.

Process explanatory drawing which showed the cutting process and chamfering process of the glass substrate for demonstrating embodiment The flowchart which shows the flow of the glass substrate in the cutting process and chamfering process shown in FIG. The top view which expanded and showed the chamfering device of the glass substrate of an embodiment The block diagram which showed the structure of the chamfering apparatus of the glass substrate of embodiment Schematic diagram for explaining the algorithm for detecting the processing start position and processing end position of the chamfering grindstone Flowchart corresponding to the schematic diagram of FIG. Structural diagram showing the drive mechanism of the chamfering grindstone shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of the main part of the moving mechanism shown in FIG. Process explanatory drawing of the conventional glass substrate cutting process and chamfering process The flowchart which shows the flow of the glass substrate in the cutting process and chamfering process shown in FIG. Process explanatory drawing containing the chamfering process and cutting process by the chamfering apparatus of patent document 1

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a glass substrate processing method and apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a process explanatory view showing a cutting process and a chamfering process of the glass substrate G for explaining the embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a flowchart which shows the flow of the glass substrate in the cutting process and a chamfering process.

  As shown in these drawings, the glass ribbon 1 formed into a strip shape by a glass ribbon forming apparatus such as a float kiln is processed with a cutting line 3 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by a cutter 2 of a cutting machine (step S1). . Thereafter, the glass ribbon 1 is conveyed to the folding machine by the transfer machine 4, and is folded along the cutting line 3 by pushing up the position of the cutting line 3 by the lifting member 5 of the folding machine (step S2). As a result, a glass substrate G having a rectangular size is created from the glass ribbon 1.

  Next, the glass substrate G is adsorbed by the transfer device 6 and conveyed to the first chamfering device 10 side, and transferred onto the table 12 of the first chamfering device 10 (step S3). Here, the glass substrate G is attracted and fixed to the table 12 by the suction operation (fixing means) of the table 12 without being positioned. Thereafter, the position information of the end face of the glass substrate G is detected in a non-contact manner by a plurality of (five in FIG. 1) laser displacement meters (non-contact sensors) 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 in this posture. (Step S4).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first chamfering device 10 includes the laser displacement meters 14 to 22 described above and a pair of chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 that chamfer the opposing end surfaces of the glass substrate G. Yes. Although not shown, a corner cutting grindstone that cuts corners of the glass substrate G is also arranged.

  The laser displacement meters 14 and 16 are arranged so that their detection surfaces face the lower end surface G1 in FIG. Therefore, the position information (coordinate points in the XY coordinates) of the detection points P1 and P2 of the end face G1 facing the laser displacement meters 14 and 16 is detected by the laser displacement meters 14 and 16 in a non-contact manner. The laser displacement meter 18 has a detection surface opposed to an end surface G2 on the front side in the flow direction of the glass substrate G, and position information (XY coordinates) of a detection point P3 on the end surface G2 facing the laser displacement meter 18. Are detected in a non-contact manner. Further, the laser displacement meters 20 and 22 are arranged so that their detection surfaces are opposed to the upper end surface G3 in FIG. 3, and the position information (XY) of the detection points P4 and P5 of the end surface G3 facing the laser displacement meters 20 and 22 is obtained. The coordinate point in the coordinates is detected in a non-contact manner.

  Each position information detected by these laser displacement meters 14 to 22 is output to a CPU (calculation means) 28 shown in FIG. The CPU 28 calculates the processing start position and the processing end position of the chamfering grindstone 24 with respect to the end surface G1 of the glass substrate G based on the position information from the laser displacement meters 14, 16, 18, and the laser displacement meters 18, 20 , 22, the machining start position and the machining end position of the chamfering grindstone 26 with respect to the end face G3 of the glass substrate G are calculated.

  The position information of the end face G2 detected by the laser displacement meter 18 is used as a lateral shift amount with respect to a master position, which will be described later, and is also used for the position control of the above-described corner cut grindstone. As will be described later, the CPU 28 linearly interpolates the movement trajectories of the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 based on the machining start position and the machining end position. In this case, since the end surface G1 and the end surface G3 are manufactured substantially in parallel with each other, the glass substrate G acquires, for example, position information of only the end surface G1 and linearly interpolates the movement trajectory of the chamfering grindstone 24 to obtain the end surface. The movement trajectory of the chamfering grindstone 26 relative to G3 may be obtained by adding the width dimension of the glass substrate G to the movement trajectory of the chamfering grindstone 24 subjected to linear interpolation. In this case, the laser displacement meters 20 and 22 are not necessary.

  An algorithm for setting the machining start position and the machining end position of the chamfering grindstone 24 will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 5 and the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the position information of the end face of the glass substrate in a state of being preliminarily positioned and sucked on the table 12 (see FIG. 1) is acquired by the laser displacement meters 14, 16, and 18, and this position is the master position (value). M is registered in the RAM 30 (see FIG. 4) of the CPU 28 (step S10). Then, when the glass substrate G to be processed is transferred to the first chamfering device 10, the glass substrate G is suction-fixed without being positioned on the table 12. Next, three pieces of position information of the end faces G1 and G2 of the glass substrate G in a non-positioned state are acquired by the laser displacement meters 14, 16, and 18 (step S11). Next, the CPU 28 calculates a difference between the acquired position and the master position.

  Here, since the measurement positions by the laser displacement meters 14, 16 and 18 exist in the end faces G1 and G2 of the glass substrate G, the CPU 28 performs extrapolation interpolation, and the XY coordinate values of the processing start positions (points), and The amount of deviation of the machining end position (point) from the master position of the XY coordinate value is calculated. Then, based on the calculated deviation amount and the desired grinding allowance, the machining start position and the machining end position are corrected and calculated (step S12). Then, linear interpolation is performed based on the corrected machining start position and machining end position, and a linear machining instruction is output to the motion controller (control means) 32 (step S13). The motion controller 32 drives and controls servo motors 36 and 38 of a moving mechanism (moving means) 34 that moves the chamfering grindstone 24 based on the above-described linear machining instruction. The calculation speed of the machining start position and the machining end position by the CPU 28 is 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. The algorithm described above is the same for the chamfering grindstone 26, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted here.

  After all the end surfaces of the glass substrate G are processed by the chamfering grindstone 26, the process returns to step S11, and the processing of steps S11 to S13 is repeated in order to process the end surface of the next glass substrate G. When the glass substrate G having the same external dimensions is continuously processed, the process of step S10 may be performed only once. When the outer dimension of the glass substrate G is changed, the process of step S11 to step S13 is repeated after the process of step S10.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the structure of the moving mechanisms 34 and 40 of the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26.

  The moving mechanism 34 of the chamfering grindstone 24 includes servomotors 36 and 38, a travel feed screw 46 that is rotationally driven by the servomotor 36, and a grinding allowance control feedscrew 48 that is rotationally driven by the servomotor 38. The The traveling feed screw 46 is disposed along the X direction, which is the traveling direction of the chamfering grindstone 24. A travel nut portion 50 on which the chamfering grindstone 24 is mounted is screwed onto the travel feed screw 46. The traveling nut portion 50 is engaged with a linear guide member (not shown) so as to travel along the traveling feed screw 46.

  Therefore, when the traveling feed screw 46 is rotated by the servo motor 36, the chamfering grindstone 24 travels in the X direction via the traveling nut portion 50. Note that the position of the chamfering grindstone 24 indicated by a solid line is the machining start position.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the travel nut portion 50 is provided with a grinding allowance control nut portion 52 via a linear guide member 54. The grinding allowance control nut portion 52 is supported by the linear motion guide member 54 with respect to the traveling nut portion 50 so as to be movable in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction. A grinding allowance control feed screw 48 is screwed into the grinding allowance control nut portion 52. Further, a head 56 is fixed to an upper portion of the grinding allowance control nut portion 52, and a spindle motor 58 that rotationally drives the chamfering grindstone 24 is attached to the head 56. The spindle motor 58 is provided with a height adjusted with respect to the head 56 such that the chamfering grindstone 24 faces the end surface G1 of the glass substrate G that is sucked and fixed to the table 12. Accordingly, when the grinding allowance control feed screw 48 is rotated by the servo motor 38 shown in FIG. 7, the chamfering grindstone 24 is moved in the Y direction via the grinding allowance control nut portion 52 and the head 56. The movement of the chamfering grindstone 24 in the Y direction is an operation of moving the chamfering grindstone 24 forward and backward with respect to the end surface G1 of the glass substrate G, that is, an operation of controlling a grinding allowance. This operation will be described later.

  On the other hand, the moving mechanism 40 of the chamfering grindstone 26 includes servomotors 42 and 44, a travel feed screw 60 that is rotationally driven by the servomotor 42, and a grinding allowance control feedscrew 62 that is rotationally driven by the servomotor 44. Composed. The travel feed screw 60 is disposed along the X direction. A traveling nut portion 64 on which the chamfering grindstone 26 is mounted is screwed onto the traveling feed screw 60. The traveling nut portion 64 is engaged with a linear guide member (not shown) so as to travel along the traveling feed screw 60. Therefore, when the travel feed screw 60 is rotated by the servo motor 42, the chamfering grindstone 26 travels in the X direction via the travel nut portion 64. The position of the chamfering grindstone 26 indicated by the solid line is the machining start position.

  The mounting structure of the chamfering grindstone 26 to the traveling nut portion 64 is the same as the mounting structure of the chamfering grindstone 24 shown in FIG. Therefore, the movement of the chamfering grindstone 26 in the Y direction by the servo motor 44 is an operation for moving the chamfering grindstone 26 forward and backward with respect to the end surface G3 of the glass substrate G, that is, an operation for controlling a grinding allowance.

  Next, a control algorithm of the servo motor 38 for moving the chamfering grindstone 24 forward and backward relative to the end surface G1 of the glass substrate G will be described. Although not described here, the control algorithm of the servo motor 44 that moves the chamfering grindstone 26 forward and backward relative to the end face G3 of the glass substrate G is also the same.

  The CPU 28 calculates a linear interpolation value from the machining start position to the machining end position based on the position information from the laser displacement meters 14, 16, 18. Then, based on the linear interpolation value, the motion controller 32 moves the chamfering grindstone 24 in the Y direction so as to match the linear interpolation value in synchronization with the movement of the chamfering grindstone 24 in the X direction by the servo motor 36. A forward / backward movement command is output to the servo motor 38 of the moving mechanism 34. When viewed microscopically, the chamfering grindstone 24 moves forward or backward in a stepped manner, and travels on a straight line connecting the machining start position and the machining end position. Thereby, the end face G1 of the glass substrate G is chamfered by the chamfering grindstone 24 without positioning the glass substrate G.

  Next, the operation of the first chamfering apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.

  First, when the glass substrate G is placed on the table 12 by the transfer device 6, the glass substrate G is sucked and fixed to the table 12 by the suction operation of the table 12 without positioning. Next, position information of the end faces G1, G2, and G3 of the glass substrate G in this state is acquired by the laser displacement meters 14 to 22, and a processing start position and a processing end position in consideration of this position information and a desired grinding allowance are obtained. Calculated by the CPU. Next, based on the position information of the calculated processing start position and processing end position, the motion controller 32 moves the moving mechanisms 34, 40 so that the chamfering grindstones 24, 26 move linearly from the processing start position to the processing end position. Control.

  Thereby, according to the 1st chamfering apparatus 10 of embodiment, the end surfaces G1 and G3 of the glass substrate G can be chamfered without positioning the glass substrate G. Therefore, the production efficiency of the glass substrate G can be improved.

  Here, as compared with the flow of the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 10, in the embodiment in which the positioning by the positioning device including the air blow of the table is not performed, the positioning process of steps S103, S105, and S108 of FIG. 10 is eliminated. be able to. Therefore, in the embodiment, the production efficiency of the glass substrate G is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional apparatus, and the production facility for the glass substrate G can be simplified.

  The mechanical positioning of the glass substrate G by the conventional positioning device indirectly defines the position of the glass substrate G, so that the grinding allowance by the chamfering grindstone is set to be large (about 200 μm) in consideration of the error. I have to. On the other hand, since the laser displacement meters 14 to 22 directly detect the position of the glass substrate G, the error is much smaller than that of a mechanical positioning device. Thereby, since the grinding allowance can be set to be small (about 50 μm), the chamfering time can be shortened and the service life of the chamfering grindstone can be extended. Due to these ripple effects, the production efficiency of the glass substrate is further improved. Furthermore, since the table blower and the positioning device can be omitted, the glass substrate production facility can be simplified.

  Moreover, in the 1st chamfering apparatus 10 of embodiment, the positional information on the end surfaces G1 and G3 of the glass substrate G after chamfering processing is acquired by the laser displacement meters 14, 16, 20, and 22, and the CPU 28 performs chamfering. Based on the position information after chamfering and the position information before chamfering, the grinding allowance by the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 is calculated.

  Thereby, in the 1st chamfering apparatus 10 of embodiment, since the actual grinding allowance by the grindstones 24 and 26 can be confirmed, the present wear amount of the grindstones 24 and 26 is indirectly confirmed. it can. By adding the wear amount of the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 to the parameters for controlling the movement of the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 in the Y direction, the grinding allowance can be made constant and stable chamfering can be performed. it can.

  The glass substrate G that has been chamfered by the first chamfering device 10 in FIG. 1 is conveyed to the second chamfering device 66 in a state in which the posture is changed by 90 degrees by the transfer machine 7. Since the configuration of the second chamfering device 66 is substantially the same as that of the first chamfering device 10, the same members as those of the first chamfering device 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. Also in the second chamfering device 66, the short side portion is chamfered by the chamfering grindstones 24 and 26 without positioning the glass substrate G.

  In the embodiment, it is preferable that the glass substrate G be chamfered in an oblique state with respect to a predetermined reference position during chamfering. The predetermined reference position is a virtual position of the glass substrate that is positioned by a conventional positioning device. In the embodiment, the surface of the glass substrate G is not in such a position but is in the same posture in which the glass substrate G has been transported to the table 12, that is, in an oblique posture shifted from the reference position. Machining can be carried out. Therefore, the time for positioning the glass substrate G on the table 12 is omitted, so that the production efficiency of the glass substrate G is improved.

  Moreover, in embodiment, it is preferable that the plate | board thickness of the glass substrate G is 0.3 mm-2.4 mm, Preferably it is 0.5 mm-0.7 mm. Even with such a thin glass substrate G, since positioning with respect to the table 12 is not required, the time required for positioning can be saved, and breakage of the glass substrate G that occurs during positioning can be prevented. Therefore, even if the glass substrate G is a thin plate, the production efficiency of the glass substrate G can be improved.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the glass substrate G is a glass substrate for FPD. As described above, in the embodiment, it is not necessary to position the glass substrate G with respect to the table 12, so that it is suitable for processing an extremely thin FPD glass substrate.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st chamfering apparatus, 12 ... Table, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 ... Laser displacement meter, 24, 26 ... Chamfering grindstone, 28 ... CPU, 30 ... RAM, 32 ... Motion controller, 34 ... Moving mechanism, 36, 38 ... Servo motor, 40 ... Moving mechanism, 42, 44 ... Servo motor, 46 ... Travel feed screw, 48 ... Grinding allowance control feed screw, 50 ... Travel nut, 52 ... Grinding allowance Control nut part 54 ... Linear motion guide member 56 ... Head 58 ... Spindle motor 60 ... Travel feed screw 62 ... Grinding allowance control feed screw 64 ... Travel nut part 66 ... Second surface Device

Claims (12)

Fixing the glass substrate placed on the table of the chamfering device to the table;
Obtaining position information of an end face of the glass substrate fixed to the table;
Calculating a processing start position and a processing end position of a chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate based on the position information;
Chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate fixed to the table by the chamfering grindstone by moving the chamfering grindstone from the processing start position toward the processing end position;
A method for processing a glass substrate, comprising: A step of cutting a glass ribbon formed into a strip shape by a forming device into a predetermined rectangular glass substrate; and
Transferring the cut glass substrate to a table of a chamfering device;
Fixing the glass substrate placed on the table of the chamfering device to the table;
Obtaining position information of an end face of the glass substrate fixed to the table;
Calculating a processing start position and a processing end position of a chamfering grindstone for chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate based on the position information;
Chamfering the end surface of the glass substrate fixed to the table by the chamfering grindstone by moving the chamfering grindstone from the processing start position toward the processing end position;
A method for processing a glass substrate, comprising:   The position information of the end face of the glass substrate after the chamfering process is acquired, and the grinding allowance by the chamfering grindstone is calculated based on the position information after the chamfering process and the position information before the chamfering process. The processing method of the glass substrate of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The glass substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in the step of chamfering, the glass substrate is chamfered by the chamfering grindstone in an oblique state with respect to a predetermined reference position. Processing method.   The plate | board thickness of the said glass substrate is 0.3 mm-2.4 mm, Preferably it is 0.5 mm-0.7 mm, The processing method of the glass substrate in any one of Claims 1-4.   The said glass substrate is a glass substrate for FPD, The processing method of the glass substrate in any one of Claims 1-5. A table provided in the chamfering device;
Fixing means for fixing the glass substrate placed on the table to the table;
A non-contact sensor for acquiring position information of an end face of the glass substrate fixed to the table;
A chamfering grindstone that is provided in the chamfering device and chamfers an end surface of the glass substrate;
Moving means for moving the chamfering grindstone;
A calculating means for calculating a processing start position and a processing end position of the chamfering grindstone based on the position information;
Control means for controlling the moving means so that the chamfering grindstone moves from the machining start position toward the machining end position based on the position information of the machining start position and the machining end position;
An apparatus for processing a glass substrate, comprising: Folding means for cutting a glass ribbon formed into a strip shape by a molding device to produce a predetermined rectangular glass substrate;
Transfer means for transferring the cut glass substrate to a table of a chamfering device;
Fixing means for fixing the glass substrate placed on the table of the chamfering device to the table;
A non-contact sensor for acquiring position information of an end face of the glass substrate fixed to the table;
A chamfering grindstone that is provided in the chamfering device and chamfers an end surface of the glass substrate;
Moving means for moving the chamfering grindstone;
A calculating means for calculating a processing start position and a processing end position of the chamfering grindstone based on the position information;
Control means for controlling the moving means so that the chamfering grindstone moves from the machining start position toward the machining end position based on the position information of the machining start position and the machining end position;
An apparatus for processing a glass substrate, comprising: The non-contact sensor acquires positional information of the end surface of the glass substrate after chamfering,
The said calculation means calculates the grinding allowance by the said chamfering grindstone based on the positional information after the chamfering and the positional information before the chamfering. Glass substrate processing equipment.   The glass substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the glass substrate is chamfered by the chamfering grindstone in an oblique state with respect to a predetermined reference position.   The plate | board thickness of the said glass substrate is 0.3 mm-2.4 mm, Preferably it is 0.5 mm-0.7 mm, The processing apparatus of the glass substrate in any one of Claims 7-10.   The said glass substrate is a glass substrate for FPD, The processing apparatus of the glass substrate in any one of Claims 7-11.

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