JP2020069554A - Carrying system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a carrying system that can properly perform carrying-in and carrying-out of work-pieces while shortening cycle time.SOLUTION: A carrying system comprises: a processing line 10 having a plurality of machine tools 10A-10E arranged in parallel in a predetermined direction; a beam 20 extending in the predetermined direction; a carrying machine 30 that is guided along the beam 20 to perform carrying-in and carrying-out of work-pieces W for the plurality of machine tools 10A-10E respectively; a plurality of bodies 70a and 70b to be detected provided in the processing line 10; a plurality of sensors 82a and 82b, provided in the beam 20, which can measure intervals among the bodies 70a and 70b and the sensors; an extension amount calculating part 150 that calculates an extension amount β of the beam 20 on the basis of measured results by the plurality of sensors 82a and 82b; and a stop position setting part 130 that sets a position for the carrying machine 30 to stop when performing carrying-in and carrying-out of the work-pieces W for the plurality of machine tools 10A-10E respectively, on the basis of the extension amount β.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a transportation system.

  A long beam extending in a predetermined direction is provided above a processing line in which a plurality of machine tools are juxtaposed along a predetermined direction, and a carrier that is movable in the predetermined direction while being guided by the beam is used. A transport system for transporting a workpiece to each of a plurality of machine tools is known. In such a transport system, the transport machine moves to a position above the machining position of the workpiece in each machine tool, and carries in and out the workpiece.

  Further, it is known that the beam expands and contracts in a predetermined direction as the temperature changes. In other words, even if the carrier is moved by the same distance with respect to the beam, the relative position of the carrier with respect to the machine tool does not always match, and the carrier shifts to the stop position when loading and unloading the workpiece. Occurs.

  Therefore, the operator needs to adjust the stop position of the carrier according to the amount of expansion and contraction of the beam due to the temperature change. Such adjustment work is performed for each machine tool installed in the processing line. It is necessary and becomes a factor to prolong the cycle time. In addition, there is also known a technique of correcting the positional deviation between the machining position of the machine tool and the loading / unloading position of the carrier when the workpiece is loaded / unloaded using a dedicated jig. It is necessary to install a dedicated jig for each machine tool, which increases the cost.

  In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for improving the positioning accuracy of a position where a traveling body (conveyor) moving while being guided by a guide rail (beam) stops. Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes that a support frame is fixed to a bed provided in each of a plurality of machine tools, and a guide rail is fixed to the support frame.

JP, 2017-202533, A

  However, even if the guide rail is fixed to each of the plurality of machine tools as in the technique of Patent Document 1 described above, the guide rail expands and contracts due to changes in temperature. Therefore, the displacement of the traveling body with respect to the machine tool cannot be sufficiently suppressed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer system capable of appropriately carrying in and out a workpiece with respect to a machine tool while shortening the cycle time.

  The transfer system of the present invention is arranged in parallel along a predetermined direction, a processing line having a plurality of machine tools for processing a workpiece, a beam extending in the predetermined direction, and guided along the beam, A carrier for loading and unloading the workpiece with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools, a plurality of detection objects provided on one of the processing line and the beam, and any of the processing line and the beam On the other hand, a plurality of sensors capable of measuring the distance to the object to be detected, an expansion / contraction amount calculation unit for calculating the expansion / contraction amount of the beam based on the measurement results of the plurality of sensors, and the expansion / contraction amount Based on the above, there is provided a stop position setting unit that sets a position at which the conveyor stops when carrying in and carrying out the workpiece with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools.

  According to the transport system of the present invention, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit calculates the expansion / contraction amount of the beam based on the measurement results of the plurality of sensors. Then, the stop position setting unit sets a position at which the transport machine stops when carrying in and out the workpiece with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools based on the expansion and contraction amount of the beam obtained by the calculation. In this case, the transport system can eliminate the work for the operator to adjust the stop position of the transport machine, and thus can shorten the cycle time. In addition, since the transport system sets the stop position of the transport machine in consideration of the expansion and contraction amount of the beam, it is possible to properly carry in and out the workpiece.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the conveyance system in 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the process which carries out the work-out operation | movement of the workpiece | work by a 1st arm in the state which has arrange | positioned the 1st arm above the processing position in a 1st machine tool. It is a figure which shows the process which carries in the workpiece | work loading operation by a 2nd arm in the state which has arrange | positioned the 2nd arm above the processing position in a 1st machine tool. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship between a 1st measuring part and a 1st machine tool (positional relationship between a 2nd measuring part and a 5th machine tool). It is a block diagram of a control device. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the conveyance system in 2nd embodiment.

<1. First embodiment>
(1-1: Overall configuration of transport system 1)
Hereinafter, each embodiment to which the transport system according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an overall configuration of a transfer system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The left-right direction shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as the X direction. In the X direction, the right side shown in FIG. 1 is called the X1 side, and the left side shown in FIG. 1 is called the X2 side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer system 1 mainly includes a processing line 10, a beam 20, a transfer device 30, and a control device 100. In the processing line 10, five machine tools 10A to 10E are arranged in parallel along the X direction. Each of the machine tools 10 </ b> A to 10 </ b> E is a machine that performs different machining on the workpiece W.

  In the following, for convenience of description, the machine tool 10A installed on the most X1 side of the five machine tools 10A to 10E provided in the processing line 10 is referred to as a "first machine tool 10A", and a first machine tool. The machine tool 10B adjacent to the X2 side of the machine 10A is referred to as a "second machine tool 10B". Similarly, the machine tool 10C adjacent to the X2 side of the second machine tool 10B is referred to as a "third machine tool 10C", and the machine tool 10D adjacent to the X2 side of the third machine tool 10C is referred to as a "fourth machine tool". Machine tool 10D ". Then, of the five machine tools 10A to 10E that are adjacent to the X2 side of the fourth machine tool 10D and are provided in the processing line 10, the machine tool 10E installed on the most X2 side is referred to as the "fifth machine tool 10E. ".

  The beam 20 is a long member that extends in the X direction and is arranged above the processing line 10. The beam 20 is supported on both sides of the beam 20 in the X direction by a pair of support columns 21 installed on the ground, and the five machine tools 10A to 10E are installed between the pair of support columns 21.

  The carrier machine 30 carries in and out the workpiece W with respect to the five machine tools 10A to 10E. The carrier 30 mainly includes a main body 31 and two arms 32 and 33. Although the two arms 32 and 33 have the same configuration, the arm 32 located on the right side in FIG. 1 of the two arms 32 and 33 is referred to as a “first arm 32” for convenience of description. The arm 33 located on the left side shown in 1 is referred to as a "second arm 33".

  The main body 31 is provided so as to be movable in the X direction above the processing line 10 while being guided by a guide (not shown) provided on the beam 20. The first arm 32 and the second arm 33 are provided so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the main body 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first arm 32 and the second arm 33 are installed in the main body 31 at positions separated by a distance p in the X direction, and are attached to the lower ends of the first arm 32 and the second arm 33. Are provided with gripping portions (not shown) capable of gripping the workpiece W, respectively.

  For example, when carrying the workpiece W in and out of the first machine tool 10A, the carrier machine 30 moves the first arm 32 or the second arm 32 above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A. It stops with the arm 33 arranged. At the stop position, the carrier machine 30 carries in and out the workpiece W with respect to the first machine tool 10A while moving the first arm 32 or the second arm 33 up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 100 controls the movement operation of the main body 31 in the X direction and the lifting operation of the arms 32 and 33. The control device 100 mainly includes a movement control unit 110, a lift control unit 120, and a stop position setting unit 130.

  The movement control unit 110 controls movement of the main body 31 in the X direction. Specifically, the beam 20 is provided with a rack and pinion type movement driving device (not shown) that moves the main body 31 in the X direction with respect to the beam 20, and the movement control unit 110 controls the movement driving device. Then, the main body 31 is moved in the X direction. The lifting control unit 120 controls the lifting of the arms 32 and 33. Specifically, the carrier 30 is provided with a rack and pinion type lifting drive device (not shown) that moves the arms 32 and 33 up and down with respect to the main body 31, and the lifting control unit 120 drives and controls the lifting drive device. Then, the arms 32 and 33 are moved up and down. The up-and-down control unit 120 also controls the gripping operation of the workpiece W by the gripping unit (not shown).

  The stop position setting unit 130 sets a position at which the main body 31 is stopped when the workpiece W is carried in and out of each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. In the present embodiment, the stop position setting unit 130 is set with a stop position for disposing the first arm 32 above the disposition position (machining position) of the workpiece W in each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. Then, the movement control unit 110 moves the main body 31 in the X1 direction by the distance p from the stop position set in the stop position setting unit 130, thereby changing the arrangement position of the workpiece W in each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. The second arm 33 can be arranged above.

(1-2: Procedure for transporting the workpiece W)
Here, with reference to FIG. 1, a procedure of transporting the workpiece W performed in the transport system 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, on the X1 side of the first machine tool 10A, a carry-in conveyor 2 that conveys a workpiece W before being processed in the processing line 10 is installed. Further, on the X2 side of the fifth machine tool 10E, a carry-out conveyor 3 that conveys the workpiece W after being processed in the processing line 10 is installed.

  First, the movement control unit 110 moves the main body 31 to the end on the X1 side in the movable region that can be guided by the beam 20. As a result, the carrier 30 is arranged above the carry-in conveyor 2, and the first arm 32 is arranged above the workpiece W carried in by the carry-in conveyor 2. Then, the elevating controller 120 lowers the first arm 32 to grip the workpiece W and raises the first arm 32. As a result, the work W carried in by the carry-in conveyor 2 is lifted by the first arm 32.

  Next, the movement control unit 110 moves the carrier 30 to the X2 side, and arranges the second arm 33 above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A. After that, the elevation control unit 120 lowers the second arm 33, grips the workpiece W arranged at the machining position in the first machine tool 10A, and raises the second arm 33. As a result, the processed workpiece W arranged at the processing position in the first machine tool 10A is carried out by the second arm 33.

  Subsequently, the movement controller 110 moves the carrier 30 to the X2 side by the distance p, and arranges the first arm 32 above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A. Then, the elevating / lowering control unit 120 lowers the first arm 32, places the workpiece W held by the first arm 32 at the machining position in the first machine tool 10A, and then raises the first arm 32. As a result, the work W carried in by the carry-in conveyor 2 is carried into the first machine tool 10A, and the first machine tool 10A processes the work W.

  The carrying system 1 carries in and out the workpiece W to and from the first machine tool 10A, and then carries in and out the workpiece W to and from the second machine tool 10B adjacent to the first machine tool 10A. Specifically, the movement control unit 110 moves the carrier 30 to the X2 side after loading / unloading the workpiece W to / from the first machine tool 10A, and moves the first arm 32 to the second machine tool 10B. Is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in FIG. Then, the elevation control unit 120 lowers the first arm 32, grips the workpiece W arranged at the processing position in the second machine tool 10B, and raises the first arm 32. As a result, the machined workpiece W placed at the machining position in the second machine tool 10B is carried out by the first arm 32.

  Subsequently, the movement controller 110 moves the carrier 30 to the X1 side by the distance p, and arranges the second arm 33 above the machining position of the workpiece W on the second machine tool 10B. Next, the elevating / lowering control unit 120 lowers the second arm 33, positions the workpiece W held by the second arm 33 at the processing position in the second machine tool 10B, and raises the second arm 33. As a result, the workpiece W that has been processed by the first machine tool 10A is carried into the second machine tool 10B, and the second machine tool 10B processes the workpiece W.

  Similarly, the transport system 1 carries the workpiece W, which has been machined by the second machine tool 10B, into the third machine tool 10C adjacent to the second machine tool 10B, and at the same time, the third machine tool. The workpiece W that has been processed by 10C is unloaded. Subsequently, the transport system 1 carries the workpiece W, which has been machined by the third machine tool 10C, into the fourth machine tool 10D adjacent to the third machine tool 10C, and at the same time, the fourth machine tool 10D. The work W that has been processed by is discharged. Further, the transport system 1 carries the workpiece W, which has been machined by the fourth machine tool 10D, into the fifth machine tool 10E adjacent to the fourth machine tool 10D, and also uses the fifth machine tool 10E. The workpiece W that has been processed is unloaded.

  After carrying in / out the workpiece W to / from the fifth machine tool 10E, the movement control unit 110 moves the main body 31 to the end on the X2 side in the movable region which can be guided by the beam 20. As a result, the carrier 30 is arranged above the carry-out conveyor 3. Then, the elevating controller 120 lowers the second arm 33, arranges the second arm 33 held by the second arm 33 on the carry-out conveyor 3 installed on the X2 side of the fifth machine tool 10E, and The two arms 33 are raised. In this way, the workpiece W that has been processed on the processing line 10 is unloaded from the processing line 10 and is transported to another location by the unloading conveyor 3.

(1-3: Correction of stop position of carrier 30)
Here, the beam 20 expands and contracts according to the change in temperature. Therefore, even if the movement control unit 110 drives and controls the movement driving device (not shown) so that the conveyance machine 30 moves the same distance with respect to the beam 20, the conveyance machine 30 for each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. The relative movement amount changes with the expansion and contraction amount of the beam 20. On the other hand, the transport system 1 obtains the amount of expansion and contraction of the beam 20 when starting the conveyance of the workpiece W, and corrects the stop position of the conveyor 30 according to the amount of expansion and contraction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the transport system 1 further includes two detection objects 70a and 70b and two measurement units 80a and 80b. Of the two detected objects 70a and 70b, one detected object 70a (hereinafter referred to as "first detected object 70a") is fixed to the first machine tool 10A, and the other detected object 70b (hereinafter referred to as "detected object 70a"). The "second detected object 70b") is fixed to the fifth machine tool 10E. That is, the two detection objects 70a and 70b are installed in the processing line 10 one by one in the first machine tool 10A and one in the fifth machine tool 10E installed at both ends in the X direction.

  The two measuring units 80a and 80b include sensor support units 81a and 81b and sensors 82a and 82b, respectively. One of the two sensor support parts 81a and 81b is fixed to the beam 20 above the first machine tool 10A, and the other sensor support part 81a (hereinafter referred to as "first sensor support part 81a") is supported. The portion 81b (hereinafter referred to as "second sensor support portion 81b") is fixed to the beam 20 above the fifth machine tool 10E.

  The sensors 82a and 82b are eddy current sensors that can measure the distance between the detection objects 70a and 70b in a non-contact manner. One of the two sensors 82a and 82b (hereinafter referred to as "first sensor 82a") is fixed to the first sensor support portion 81a while facing the first detected object 70a. The other sensor 82b of the two sensors 82a and 82b (hereinafter referred to as "second sensor 82b") is fixed to the second sensor support portion 81b while facing the second detected body 70b.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 100 further includes a reference position storage unit 140 and an expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150. The reference position storage unit 140 stores the distance L between the two sensors 82a and 82b at a certain time (reference time) as a reference value. In addition, the reference position storage unit 140 includes a distance α1 that is the distance between the first sensor 82a and the first detected body 70a at the reference time, and a distance between the second sensor 82b and the second detected body 70b at the reference time. Is stored as a reference value.

  Further, the reference position storage unit 140 has a distance L0 in the X direction from the stop position x0 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the workpiece W carried in from the carry-in conveyor 2 to the first sensor 82a in the X direction. Is stored as a reference value. Further, the reference position storage unit 140 stores the distance in the X direction between the adjacent machine tools 10A to 10E as a reference value.

  In addition, the 1st to-be-detected body 70a is installed in the position corresponding to the processing position of the workpiece W in 10 A of 1st machine tools in the X direction. Therefore, the distance La from the stop position x0 to the stop position x1 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A is the distance α1 to the distance α1. It becomes the added distance (La = L0 + α1).

  In addition to this, in the reference position storage unit 140, the distance from the stop position x1 to the stop position x2 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in the second machine tool 10B. L12 is stored. Further, the reference position storage unit 140 stores the distance L23 from the stop position x2 to the stop position x3 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in the third machine tool 10C. Remembered. Similarly, in the reference position storage unit 140, the distance L34 from the stop position x3 to the stop position x4 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in the fourth machine tool 10D. And the distance L45 from the stop position x4 to the stop position x5 of the main body 31 when the first arm 32 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W on the fifth machine tool 10E.

  The expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 determines the distance α1 ′, which is the distance from the first sensor 82a to the first detected object 70a when the measurement is performed again when starting the conveyance of the workpiece W, and the second sensor 82b to the first sensor 82b. (2) Based on the distance α2 ′, which is the distance to the detected object 70b, and various reference values stored in the reference position storage unit 140, the expansion and contraction amount of the beam 20 at the time when the workpiece W starts to be transferred (during remeasurement). Calculate

  That is, the distance between the first detected object 70a provided on the first machine tool 10A and the second detected object 70b provided on the fifth machine tool 10E is not affected by the change in temperature, It does not change. On the other hand, the distance between the first sensor 82a and the second sensor 82b fixed to the beam 20 changes as the beam 20 expands and contracts due to the change in temperature. Therefore, the transport system 1 re-measures the expansion and contraction amount of the beam 20 when starting the transport of the workpiece W, corrects the stop position of the main body 31 when the workpiece W is carried in and out, and the corrected stop position. Is reset in the stop position setting unit 130.

(1-4: Calculation procedure by expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150)
Next, the calculation procedure performed by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 when starting the conveyance of the workpiece W will be described with an example. Here, the distance between the two sensors 82a and 82b at the time of remeasurement is defined as the distance L '. Further, a value obtained by subtracting the distance L'between the two sensors 82a and 82b stored in the reference position storage unit 140 from the distance L'is the extension amount s. That is, the distance L'is a value obtained by adding the extension amount s to the distance L at the reference time (L '= L + s).

  The amount of extension s is, for example, the difference (α2-α1) between the distance α2 and the distance α1 at the reference time and the difference (α2′-α1 ′) between the distance α2 ′ and the distance α1 ′ at the time of remeasurement. It can be obtained from the difference (s = (α2-α1)-(α2'-α1 ')). In this case, if the length of the beam 20 at the time of remeasurement is longer than that at the reference time, the difference between the distance α2 ′ and the distance α1 ′ at the time of remeasurement is more than the difference between the distance α2 and the distance α1 at the time of reference. Becomes smaller, and the value of the extension amount s takes a positive value. On the other hand, if the length of the beam 20 is shorter than that at the reference time at the time of remeasurement, the difference between the distance α2 ′ and the distance α1 ′ at the time of remeasurement is smaller than the difference between the distance α2 and the distance α1 at the reference time. The value of the extension amount s becomes a negative value.

  Next, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 obtains a value obtained by dividing the distance L ′ at the time of remeasurement by the distance L at the reference time as the beam expansion / contraction ratio β (β = L ′ / L). In this case, if the beam 20 is extended more than the reference time at the time of remeasurement, the value of the beam expansion / contraction ratio β is larger than 1, and if the beam 20 is contracted from the reference time, the beam expansion / contraction ratio β is increased. The value is less than 1.

  Subsequently, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 uses the beam expansion / contraction ratio β to calculate the stop position when the workpiece W is carried in / out of each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. Specifically, the distance La ′ from the stop position x0 to the stop position x1 at the time of remeasurement is the distance L0 ′ from the stop position x0 to the sensor 82a at the time of remeasurement plus the distance α1 ′ (La ′. = L0 '+ α1'). Regarding the distance L0 ′ used in this calculation, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 regards the value obtained by multiplying the distance L0 from the stop position x0 at the reference time to the sensor 82a by the beam expansion / contraction rate β as the distance L0 ′ (L0 ′ = L0 × β), the distance La ′ is calculated.

  After that, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the stop position x0 as the initial position to the stop position x1 ′ of the main body 31 when the main body 31 is arranged above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A. Calculate Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 resets the stop position x1 ′ obtained by the calculation in the stop position setting unit 130. That is, the stop position x1 ′ corresponds to the position where the main body 31 is moved from the stop position x0 to the X2 side by the distance La ′. Further, the movement control unit 110 moves the main body 31 from the stop position x1 ′ to the X1 side by the distance p, thereby disposing the second arm 33 above the machining position of the workpiece W in the first machine tool 10A. can do.

  Subsequently, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 calculates the stop position x2 ′ when the workpiece W is arranged on the first arm 32 above the machining position of the second machine tool 10B. Specifically, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the beam expansion / contraction ratio β by the distance L12 from the stop position x1 to the stop position x2 stored in the reference position storage unit 140, and stops from the stop position x1 ′ during the remeasurement. The distance L12 'to the position x2' is obtained (L12 '= L12xβ). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 has been moved to the X2 side by the distance L12 ′ from the stop position x1 ′ as the stop position x2 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x2 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Similarly, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 stops at the stop position x3 ′ when arranging the workpiece W on the first arm 32 above the machining position of the workpiece W on the third machine tool 10C, and the workpiece on the fourth machine tool 10D. Stop position x4 'when arranging on the first arm 32 above the machining position of W, stop position x5' when arranging on the first arm 32 above the machining position of the workpiece W in the fifth machine tool 10E. Is calculated.

  Specifically, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L23 from the stop position x2 to the stop position x3 stored in the reference position storage unit 140 by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β, so that the stop position x2 ′ at the time of remeasurement. The distance L23 'from the stop position x3' is calculated (L23 '= L23 x β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position obtained by moving the main body 31 to the X2 side by the distance L23 ′ from the stop position x2 ′ as the stop position x3 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x3 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Further, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L34 from the stop position x3 to the stop position x4 stored in the reference position storage unit 140 by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β to stop from the stop position x3 ′ during the remeasurement. A distance L34 'to the position x4' is obtained (L34 '= L34 × β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 is moved to the X2 side by the distance L34 ′ from the stop position x3 ′ as the stop position x4 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x4 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Similarly, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L45 from the stop position x4 to the stop position x5, which is stored in the reference position storage unit 140, by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β to determine the stop position x4 ′ at the time of remeasurement. A distance L45 'to the stop position x5' is obtained (L45 '= L45xβ). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 is moved to the X2 side by the distance L45 ′ from the stop position x4 ′ as the stop position x5 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x5 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Then, the transport system 1 stops the main body 31 at the corresponding stop position set by the stop position setting unit 130 when the workpiece W is carried in and out of the machine tools 10A to 10E using the first arm 32. After that, the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded while moving the first arm 32 up and down. Similarly, when the transfer system 1 uses the second arm 33 to load and unload the workpiece W with respect to the machine tools 10 </ b> A to 10 </ b> E, a distance p from the corresponding stop position set in the stop position setting unit 130 by X <b> 1. After stopping the main body 31 at the position shifted to the side, the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded while moving the second arm 33 up and down.

  As described above, the transport system 1 uses the two detection objects 70a and 70b and the two sensors 82a and 82b to calculate the stop position when carrying in and out the machine tools 10A to 10E. be able to. In this case, the transport system 1 can reduce the number of sensors 82a and 82b installed on the beam 20 to be smaller than the number of machine tools 10A to 10E installed on the processing line 10, thus suppressing the equipment cost. You can In particular, in the present embodiment, the transport system 1 uses the beam expansion / contraction rate β derived based on the measurement results of the two sensors 82a and 82b to carry in / out each machine tool 10A to 10E. Find the stop position. Therefore, the transport system 1 can properly carry in and out the workpiece W while suppressing the facility cost.

  The expansion and contraction of the beam 20 does not always occur uniformly over the entire area of the beam 20. For example, the amount of expansion and contraction of the beam 20 varies depending on the distance from the column 21 that supports the beam 20.

  On the other hand, in the transport system 1, the two detected objects 70a and 70b are the first machine tool 10A and the fifth machine tool 10A which are installed at both ends of the five machine tools 10A to 10E provided in the processing line 10. One for each of the machine tools 10E and 10E. As described above, the transport system 1 increases the distance between the two sensors 82a and 82b, thereby approximating the beam expansion / contraction ratio β calculated by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 to the actual expansion / contraction ratio of the beam 20. be able to.

  Further, in the transport system 1, when the main body 31 is stopped at the stop position x0 and before the main body 31 starts moving from the stop position x0 to the X2 side, the sensors 82a and 82b perform measurement to measure the expansion / contraction amount. The calculation by the calculation unit 150 is performed. Thereby, the conveyance system 1 can grasp the expansion / contraction amount of the beam 20 in real time, and can appropriately carry in / out the workpiece W.

  Further, in this case, the transport system 1 measures by the sensors 82a and 82b when the transport machine 30 stopped at the stop position x0 grips the workpiece W placed on the carry-in conveyor 2 while moving the first arm 32 up and down. Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 performs the calculation. As described above, the transport system 1 can perform the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 in parallel with the raising / lowering operation by the first arm 32, so that the cycle time can be shortened.

  As described above, the transport system 1 corrects the stop position of the transport machine 30 with respect to the beam 20 according to the amount of expansion and contraction of the beam 20, thereby making the stop position of the transport machine 30 constant with respect to each of the machine tools 10A to 10E. Can be That is, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 calculates the expansion / contraction amount of the beam 20 (beam expansion / contraction amount β) based on the measurement results of the plurality of sensors 82 and 82b. Then, the stop position setting unit 130 stops the carrier machine 30 when loading and unloading the workpiece E with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools 10A to 10E based on the expansion and contraction amount of the beam 20 calculated. Set the position.

  In this case, the carrier system 1 can eliminate the work for the operator to adjust the stop position of the carrier 30, so that the cycle time can be shortened. Further, since the transport system 1 sets the stop position of the transport device 30 in consideration of the expansion and contraction amount of the beam 20, it is possible to properly carry in and out the workpiece. As a result, the transport system 1 can eliminate the need for an operator to adjust the stop position of the transport device 30, and thus can shorten the cycle time. Further, the transport system 1 can reduce the equipment cost by reducing the number of sensors 82a and 82b installed on the beam 20 to be smaller than the number of machine tools 10A to 10E installed on the processing line 10.

  Note that the measurement by the sensors 82a and 82b and the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 do not necessarily have to be performed every time the loading of the workpiece W transported by the loading conveyor 2 into the processing line 10 is started. For example, the transport system 1 performs the measurement by the sensors 82a and 82b and the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 at the time set by the worker or every time the time set by the worker elapses. May be.

<2. Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the measurement of the distances α1 ′ and α2 ′ by the sensors 82a and 82b and the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 are performed in a state of being stopped at the stop position x0 has been described. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, in addition to the above, a case will be described in which the measurement by the sensor 82a and the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 are performed in a state of being stopped at the stop position x1. The same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

(2-1: Configuration of the transport system 201)
First, the configuration of the transport system 201 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the processing line 10 is further provided with a third detected body 70c fixed to the third machine tool 10C. Further, above the third machine tool 10C, a third measuring section 80c having a third sensor support section 81c and a third sensor 82c is further provided. The third measuring unit 80c has the same configuration as the first measuring unit 80a and the second measuring unit 80b. Further, the reference position storage unit 140 further stores the reference distances between the adjacent sensors 82a, 82b, 82c (the distance L13 between the sensors 82a, 82c and the distance L35 between the sensors 82c, 82b). ..

(2-2: Calculation procedure by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150)
Next, the calculation procedure by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 will be described with an example. First, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 performs the same calculation as in the first embodiment with the main body 31 stopped at the stop position x0 to obtain the stop position x1 ′.

  Next, the extension / contraction amount calculation unit 150 is stopped at the stop position x1 ′ while the carrier machine 30 carries the workpiece W in and out of the first machine tool 10A at the stop position x1 ′. Is performed to obtain the distance L13 ′ between the sensors 82a and 82c at the time of remeasurement.

  Subsequently, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 obtains the beam expansion / contraction ratio β based on the distance L13 between the sensors 82a and 82c at the reference time and the distance L13 ′ between the sensors 82a and 82c at the time of remeasurement (β = L13 ′). / L13). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L12 from the stop position x1 to the stop position x2 at the reference time by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β, and the distance L12 ′ from the stop position x1 ′ to the stop position x2 ′ at the time of remeasurement. Is calculated (L12 ′ = L12 × β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 is moved to the X2 side by the distance L12 ′ from the stop position x1 ′ as the stop position x2 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x2 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Similarly, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L23 from the stop position x2 to the stop position x3 at the reference time by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β, and the distance L23 from the stop position x2 ′ to the stop position x3 ′ at the time of remeasurement. ′ ′ Is obtained (L23 ′ = L23 × β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position obtained by moving the main body 31 to the X2 side by the distance L23 ′ from the stop position x2 ′ as the stop position x3 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x3 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. Do

  In addition, while the carrier 30 carries the workpiece W in and out of the third machine tool 10C at the stop position x3 ′, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 detects the sensors 82c and 82b while stopping at the stop position x3 ′. The measurement is performed, and the distance L35 ′ between the sensors 82c and 82b at the time of remeasurement is obtained.

  Subsequently, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 again obtains the beam expansion / contraction ratio β based on the distance L35 between the sensors 82c and 82b at the reference time and the distance L35 ′ between the sensors 82c and 82b at the time of remeasurement (β = L35. '/ L35). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L34 from the stop position x3 to the stop position x4 at the reference time by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β, and the distance L34 ′ from the stop position x3 ′ to the stop position x4 ′ during the remeasurement. Is calculated (L34 ′ = L34 × β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 is moved to the X2 side by the distance L34 ′ from the stop position x3 ′ as the stop position x4 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x4 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. To do.

  Similarly, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 multiplies the distance L45 from the stop position x4 to the stop position x5 at the reference time by the beam expansion / contraction ratio β, and the distance L45 from the stop position x4 ′ to the stop position x5 ′ during the remeasurement. ′ ′ Is obtained (L45 ′ = L45 × β). Then, the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 sets the position where the main body 31 is moved to the X2 side by the distance L45 ′ from the stop position x4 ′ as the stop position x5 ′, and resets the obtained stop position x5 ′ in the stop position setting unit 130. Do

  In this way, the transport system 201 performs the loading and unloading of the workpiece W to and from the first machine tool 10A provided with the first detected object 70a, and the third provided with the third detected object 70c. When carrying in and out the work W with respect to the machine tool 10C, the measurement by the sensor 82a and the calculation by the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 are performed. In this case, the transport system 201 can approximate the beam expansion / contraction ratio β calculated by the calculation to the actual expansion / contraction ratio of the beam 20 by increasing the frequency of calculating the beam expansion / contraction ratio β. Therefore, the transport system 1 can properly carry in and out the workpiece W with respect to each of the machine tools 10A to 10E.

  Further, the transport system 201 is stopped by reducing the distance between the two adjacent sensors 82a, 82b, 82c for measurement (the distance L13 'between the sensors 82a, 82c and the distance L35' between the sensors 82c, 82b). The positioning accuracy of each stop position set in the position setting unit 130 can be improved. As a result, the transport system 1 can properly carry in and out the workpiece W with respect to each of the machine tools 10A to 10E.

  On the other hand, in the transport system 201, the number of detected objects 70a, 70b, 70c and the sensors 82a, 82b, 82c is smaller than the number of machine tools installed in the processing line 10. Therefore, the transport system 201 can suppress the facility cost.

<3. Other>
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is easily guessed. Further, the calculation procedure of the expansion / contraction amount calculation unit 150 shown in each of the above embodiments is an example, and the respective stop positions x1 ′ to x5 ′ may be obtained by another calculation procedure or another calculation formula. For example, the stop position of the main body 31 may be obtained using a value obtained by multiplying the beam expansion / contraction ratio β by a coefficient determined by the material and shape of the beam or a coefficient determined by the temperature at the time of remeasurement. .

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the number of detection objects 70a, 70b, 70c provided in the processing line 10 and the sensors 82a, 82b provided in the beam 20 are larger than the number of machine tools 10A to 10E installed in the processing line 10. Although the case of reducing the number of 82c has been described, the number of detection objects and sensors provided in the transport system 1 may be the number of machine tools installed in the processing line 10. In this case, the transport system 1 installs one to-be-detected object for each of the plurality of machine tools installed in the processing line 10 so that the workpiece W can be carried in and out of each machine tool. The stop position of the carrier 30 can be obtained more appropriately.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the detection objects 70a, 70b, 70c are provided in the processing line 10 and the measurement units 80a, 80b, 80c are provided in the beam 20 has been described, but the detection objects 70a, 70b, 70c are The measuring unit 80a, 80b, 80c may be provided in the processing line 10 and the beam 20 may be provided with the measuring units 80a, 80b, 80c.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to the transfer systems 1 and 201 having the two arms 32 and 33 and provided with the transfer device 30 for loading and unloading the workpiece W while raising and lowering each arm. In this case, the explanation is given by taking an example. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. That is, as long as it is a carrier that carries the workpiece W while being guided in a predetermined direction by the beam 20, a carrier system including another type of carrier 30 (for example, a carrier having one or three or more arms). On the other hand, the present invention can be applied.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the workpiece W carried into the processing line 10 is processed by all the machine tools 10A to 10E installed in the processing line 10 has been described as an example. It is of course possible to apply the present invention to the case where the workpiece W carried in 10 is processed by a part of the plurality of machine tools set in the processing line 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the beam 20 has been described by taking the transport systems 1 and 201 provided above each of the machine tools 10A to 10E as an example, but the beam is provided on the side of the machine tool and the transport machine is provided. It is also possible to apply the present invention to a transfer system in which the work W is carried in and out of the machine tool from the side.

1, 201: Transport system, 10A to 10E: Machine tool, 20: Beam, 30: Transport machine, 70a, 70b, 70c: Detected object, 82a, 82b, 82c: Sensor, 130: Stop position setting unit, 150: Expansion / contraction amount calculation unit, W: Workpiece, β: Beam expansion / contraction ratio (expansion / contraction ratio)

Claims (5)

A processing line having a plurality of machine tools arranged in parallel along a predetermined direction for processing a workpiece,
A beam extending in the predetermined direction,
A carrier that is guided along the beam and carries in and out the workpiece with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools,
A plurality of detection objects provided in any one of the processing line and the beam,
A plurality of sensors, which are provided on the other of the processing line and the beam, and which can measure the distance to the object to be detected,
Based on the measurement results by the plurality of sensors, a stretch amount calculation unit that calculates the stretch amount of the beam,
A stop position setting unit that sets a position at which the transporting machine stops when carrying in and out the workpiece with respect to each of the plurality of machine tools based on the expansion and contraction amount;
A transport system including.   The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of sensors is smaller than the number of the plurality of machine tools. The beam is provided with two sensors as the plurality of sensors,
The transport system according to claim 2, wherein the two sensors are provided one for each of the machine tools installed at both ends in the predetermined direction of the plurality of machine tools.   The said expansion-contraction amount calculation part is a conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 1-3 which calculates the said expansion-contraction amount, when carrying in the said workpiece | work to the said processing line. The processing line is provided with a first machine tool and a second machine tool as the plurality of machine tools,
The expansion / contraction amount calculation unit, when carrying the workpiece machined by the first machine tool to the second machine tool, carries out the expansion / contraction when carrying out the workpiece from the first machine tool. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the transport system calculates a quantity.

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