JP2022133798A - Tool conveying system, tool conveying system control method and tool conveying system control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique for preventing manual work by a worker in a work station from overlapping with conveyance of a tool to the work station.SOLUTION: A tool conveying system comprises: machine tools; a tool storage part for storing a plurality of tools; a work station having a magazine configured so that the plurality of tools can be mounted on the magazine; a conveying device for conveying the tools among the magazine, the tool storage part and the machine tools; and a control part that controls order of conveyance of the tools by the conveying part in accordance with a predetermined conveyance schedule. The control part, when a worker is working on the magazine, interrupts conveyance of the tools to the magazine, when the order of conveyance of the tools to the magazine comes during the progress of the conveyance schedule.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to a technique for automatically conveying tools used for machining a work.

The number of companies operating multiple machine tools is increasing. As the number of machine tools to be managed increases, it becomes difficult to manage the tools used in each machine tool. In this regard, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2015/029232) discloses a tool management system for managing tools used in a plurality of machine tools.

WO2015/029232

In recent years, full automation of processing has been promoted. In order to achieve full automation of machining, technology is required to automatically transfer the necessary tools to each machine tool. The tool management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not relate to such automatic tool transfer technology.

A tool carrier system includes a machine tool, a tool storage unit for storing a plurality of tools, a work station for a person to perform work, and a carrier device such as a robot. The transport device transports the tool worn by the person at the work station to the machine tool or tool storage. In addition, the transport device transports unnecessary tools from the machine tool or tool storage to the work station. If a person is working at the work station during this transportation, the work of the person and the transportation of the transportation device overlap.

In view of the above, techniques are desired to prevent duplication of human work at a work station and delivery of tools to the work station.

In one example of the present disclosure, a tool carrier system includes a machine tool, a tool storage unit for storing a plurality of tools, a work station having a magazine configured to be capable of mounting a plurality of tools, the magazine, the A tool storage unit, a transfer device for transferring tools to and from the machine tool, and a control unit for controlling the transfer order of the tools by the transfer device according to a predetermined transfer schedule. When a worker is working on the magazine, the control unit interrupts the transfer of the tool to the magazine when the order of transfer of the tool to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transfer schedule. .

In one example of the present disclosure, the suspending process includes stopping the driving of the transport device.
In one example of the present disclosure, the suspending process includes skipping the order of transporting tools to the magazine in progress of the transport schedule.

In one example of the present disclosure, the tool carrier system further includes a display. Further, when the person is not working on the magazine and the order of transporting the tool to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transport schedule, the transport device transports the tool to the magazine. A process for displaying a warning indicating that the object is being transported on the display unit is executed.

In one example of the present disclosure, the work station includes a cover for housing the magazine. The cover body is provided with a door provided for the person to attach the tool to the magazine. The tool carrier system further includes a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the door. In the control process, the control unit determines that the person is working on the magazine while the sensor detects that the door is open.

In one example of the present disclosure, the work station includes a cover for housing the magazine and a button for switching control between the tool carrier system and the person. The cover body is provided with a door provided for the person to attach the tool to the magazine. The tool carrier system further includes a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the door. In the control process, while the sensor detects that the door is open and when the person has the control right, the person is allowed to access the magazine. Determine that you are working.

In one example of the present disclosure, the control unit further executes a process of locking opening and closing of the door based on the fact that the order of transporting the tools to the magazine has arrived during the progress of the transport schedule.

In one example of the present disclosure, the control unit further controls the door to open when the tool transport system has the control right when the tool transport order to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transport schedule. Execute processing to lock the opening and closing.

In another example of the disclosure, a method of controlling a tool carrier system is provided. The tool transport system includes a machine tool, a tool storage section for storing a plurality of tools, a work station having a magazine configured to accommodate a plurality of tools, the magazine, the tool storage section, a transport device for transporting the tool to and from the machine tool. The control method includes the steps of: controlling the order in which tools are transferred by the transfer device according to a predetermined transfer schedule; and interrupting the transfer of the tools to the magazine when the order of transfer of the tools arrives.

In another example of the disclosure, a control program for a tool carrier system is provided. The tool transport system includes a machine tool, a tool storage section for storing a plurality of tools, a work station having a magazine configured to accommodate a plurality of tools, the magazine, the tool storage section, a transport device for transporting the tool to and from the machine tool. The control program provides the tool transport system with a step of controlling the transport order of tools by the transport device according to a predetermined transport schedule, and progress of the transport schedule when a person is working on the magazine. and a step of interrupting the transfer of the tools to the magazine when the order of transfer of the tools to the magazine arrives.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a tool carrier system. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the drive mechanism of a tool conveying system. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a tool carrier system. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a work station; FIG. It is a figure which shows roughly the conveyance aspect of the tool in a tool conveyance system. It is a figure which shows an example of the data structure of storage information. It is a figure which shows an example of the display mode of an operating terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of a process of carrying in a tool holder from a work station to a tool storage section; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of a process of carrying a tool holder from the tool storage section to the machine tool; FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the process of unloading the tool holder from the machine tool to the work station; It is a block diagram which shows the main hardware constitutions of PLC(Programmable Logic Controller). It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of an operating terminal. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing for unloading a tool from a tool storage section or a machine tool to a work station; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the appearance of a work station according to Modification 1; It is a figure which shows the determination result by the determination part according to the combination of the opening-and-closing state of a door, and control authority. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a tool carrier system according to modification 2; FIG. 10 is a view showing a locked state of the door according to an instruction to carry the tool to the work station; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a locked state of a door according to a combination of an instruction to carry a tool to a work station and a control right;

Hereinafter, each embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts and components are given identical reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description of these will not be repeated. In addition, each embodiment and each modified example described below may be selectively combined as appropriate.

<A. Appearance of Tool Carrier System 10>
First, the tool carrier system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a tool carrier system 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 , tool carrier system 10 includes work station 200 , tool storage 250 , carrier 300 , and machine tool 400 .

The work station 200 is a place for people to work with tools. Work station 200 includes a magazine M1 and an operation terminal 200A. The magazine M1 is configured so that a plurality of tools can be attached. At the work station 200, a person attaches a tool to the magazine M1 or retrieves a tool from the magazine M1. 200 A of operation terminals receive various operations with respect to the tool carrier system 10. FIG.

A plurality of tools can be stored in the tool storage section 250 . Typically, tool storage 250 holds each tool via a tool holder. A tool holder is a pot capable of holding a tool. The tool storage section 250 is provided parallel to the rail 331, for example.

The transport device 300 moves the designated tools among the tools in the work station 200 , the tool storage section 250 , and the machine tool 400 to the work station 200 , the tool storage section 250 , and the machine tool 400 . Transport to specified destination.

In the following, the transport mode in which the transport device 300 transports a tool from the work station 200 to the tool storage section 250 or the machine tool 400, or the transport mode in which the transport device 300 transports the tool from the tool storage section 250 to the machine tool 400 is referred to as "carrying in." Also say.

In addition, the transport mode in which the transport device 300 transports a tool from the tool storage unit 250 or the machine tool 400 to the work station 200, or the transport mode in which the transport device 300 transports the tool from the machine tool 400 to the tool storage unit 250 is also referred to as "unloading". To tell.

Further, the term "conveyor" as used herein is a concept that includes various devices having a function of conveying tools. In the following description, a 4- to 7-axis-driven articulated robot will be described as an example of the transport device 300, but the transport device 300 is not limited to the articulated robot. As an example, the transport device 300 may be a two- or three-axis driven orthogonal robot (autoloader). Alternatively, the transport device 300 may be a self-propelled robot.

The transport device 300 includes an arm robot 330 , rails 331 and a carriage 332 . Arm robot 330 is fixed on carriage 332 . The carriage 332 is configured to be movable on the rails 331 . The tool storage section 250 and the machine tool 400 are arranged in parallel along the rail 331 so as to sandwich the rail 331 therebetween. The transport device 300 is configured to transport tools between the work station 200 and the tool storage section 250 and to transport tools between the tool storage section 250 and the machine tool 400 .

The machine tool 400 processes a workpiece using tools conveyed by the conveying device 300 . Six machine tools 400A to 400F are shown as the machine tools 400 in FIG. 1, but the number of machine tools 400 provided in the tool carrier system 10 may be one or more. The machine tool 400 processes a workpiece using a designated tool according to a pre-designed machining program.

The term "machine tool" as used herein is a concept that includes various devices that have the function of machining a workpiece. Machine tool 400 may be a horizontal machining center or a vertical machining center. Alternatively, machine tool 400 may be a lathe, an additional processing machine, or other cutting or grinding machine.

Note that the tool carrier system 10 may further include a pallet carrier system (not shown). The pallet transport system is a system for transporting a pallet on which works are placed to the machine tool 400 according to a predetermined processing schedule.

<B. Drive Mechanism of Tool Carrier System 10>
Next, various drive mechanisms in the tool carrier system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the drive mechanism of the tool carrier system.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tool carrier system 10 includes a control section 50, remote I/O (Input/Output) units 71 to 73, a work station 200, a carrier device 300, and a machine tool 400. .

The “controller 50 ” referred to in this specification means a device that controls the tool carrier system 10 . The device configuration of the control unit 50 is arbitrary. The control section 50 may be composed of a single control unit, or may be composed of a plurality of control units. In the example of FIG. 2, the control unit 50 is composed of the management device 100, the PLC 150, and the operation terminal 200A described above. Also, the control unit 50 may include a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) 401 or other control equipment.

A management device 100 is a main computer that manages the tool carrier system 10 . The management device 100 may be composed of one computer, or may be composed of a plurality of computers.

PLC 150 controls various industrial equipment for automating the process. 200 A of operation terminals are terminals for receiving various operations regarding carrying in/out of a tool.

Management device 100, PLC 150, and operation terminal 200A are connected to network NW1. The management device 100, the PLC 150, and the operation terminal 200A may be communicatively connected by wire or may be communicatively connected by radio. EtherNet (registered trademark) or the like is adopted for the network NW1. Management device 100 and operation terminal 200A send control commands to PLC 150 via network NW1. The control command designates a tool to be transferred, a transfer destination of the tool, start/stop of transfer of the tool, and the like.

Remote I/O units 71-73 and PLC 150 are connected to network NW2. For the network NW2, it is preferable to employ a field network that performs fixed-cycle communication, in which data arrival time is guaranteed. EtherCAT (registered trademark), EtherNet/IP (registered trademark), CC-Link (registered trademark), CompoNet (registered trademark), or the like is adopted as a field network that performs such periodic communication.

Work station 200 includes one or more motor drivers 234 and one or more motors 235 . In the example of FIG. 2, two motor drivers 234A, 234B and two motors 235A, 235B are shown.

A remote I/O unit 71 is installed in or around the work station 200 . Remote I/O unit 71 mediates the exchange of data between various drive units (eg, motor driver 234 ) in work station 200 and PLC 150 . As an example, the motor driver 234 periodically receives control instructions from the PLC 150 via the remote I/O unit 71 and controls driving of the motor 235 according to the control instructions.

Motor 235A, for example, controls the drive of magazine M1 (see FIG. 1) in work station 200. FIG. The motor 235B, for example, controls driving of an ATC (Automatic Train Control) 238 (see FIG. 8) within the work station 200, which will be described later.

The motor driver 234 may be, for example, a servo motor driver or a stepping motor driver. Motor 235 may be a servo motor or a stepping motor.

Transport apparatus 300 includes one or more motor drivers 334 and one or more motors 335 . In the example of FIG. 2, two motor drivers 334A, 334B and two motors 335A, 335B are shown.

A remote I/O unit 72 is installed in the transport device 300 or around the transport device 300 . Remote I/O unit 72 mediates the exchange of data between various drive units (for example, motor driver 334 ) in carrier device 300 and PLC 150 . As an example, the motor driver 334 periodically receives control instructions from the PLC 150 via the remote I/O unit 72, and controls driving of the motor 335 according to the control instructions.

The motor 335A, for example, controls driving of the truck 332 (see FIG. 1) described above. Motor 335B, for example, controls the drive of arm robot 330 (see FIG. 1). Motors 335B are provided according to the number of joints of arm robot 330 .

The motor driver 334 may be, for example, a servo motor driver or a stepping motor driver. Motor 335 may be a servo motor or a stepping motor.

Machine tool 400 includes CNC 401 , one or more motor drivers 411 and one or more motors 412 . In the example of FIG. 2, two motor drivers 411A, 411B and two motors 412A, 412B are shown.

A remote I/O unit 72 is installed in or around the machine tool 400 . The remote I/O unit 72 mediates exchange of data between various driving units (for example, CNC 401 ) in the machine tool 400 and the PLC 150 . The motor driver 411 receives a control command from the PLC 150 via the remote I/O unit 72 at regular intervals, similarly to the motor driver 334, and controls driving of the motor 412 according to the control command.

The motor 412A drives, for example, a main shaft on which a tool can be attached in the axial direction of the main shaft. The motor 412B, for example, rotationally drives the main shaft in a rotational direction about the axial direction of the main shaft.

The motor driver 411 may be, for example, a servo motor driver or a stepping motor driver. Motor 412 may be a servo motor or a stepping motor.

<C. Overview of transport processing>
Next, with reference to FIG. 1 described above, the outline of the tool transfer process by the transfer device 300 will be described.

The carrier device 300 carries the tool attached to the person at the work station 200 into the machine tool 400 or the tool storage section 250 . In addition, the transport device 300 carries out unnecessary tools from the machine tool 400 or the tool storage section 250 to the work station 200 . When a person is working at the work station 200 and the timing of unloading to the work station 200 arrives, the work by the person and the unloading by the conveying device 300 overlap. Therefore, the control unit 50 of the tool transport system 10 interrupts the transport of the tool to the magazine M1 when the tool transport order to the magazine M1 arrives while the person is working on the magazine M1. .

More specifically, the control unit 50 controls the order in which tools are conveyed by the conveying device 300 according to a predetermined conveying schedule. Assume that the order of transporting tools to the work station 200 arrives while the transport schedule is in progress. At that time, if a person is working on the magazine M1 in the work station 200, the control unit 50 interrupts the transfer of the tool to the magazine M1.

As a result, the tool transport system 10 can give priority to human work at the work station 200 over tool transport to the work station 200 by the transport device 300 . As a result, the tool carrier system 10 can prevent duplication of work by a person and unloading by the carrier device 300 .

<D. Functional Configuration of Tool Carrier System 10>
Next, the tool transfer function of the transfer device 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the tool carrier system 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tool carrier system 10 includes a determination section 52, a carrier control section 54, a monitoring section 55, and a display control section 56 as functional configurations. These configurations will be described in order below.

Note that the arrangement of each functional configuration is arbitrary. A part or all of the functional configuration shown in FIG. It may be implemented in the operation terminal 200A (see FIG. 2), or may be implemented in the above CNC 401 (see FIG. 2). As an example, the determination unit 52 and the transport control unit 54 are mounted on the PLC 150 . The monitoring unit 55 is mounted on the machine tool 400 . The display control unit 56 is implemented in the operation terminal 200A.

(D1. Determination unit 52)
First, with reference to FIG. 4, the function of the determination unit 52 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of work station 200. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, work station 200 has cover body 231 . The cover body 231 accommodates, for example, the magazine M1 and the motor 235A (see FIG. 2) described above.

The cover body 231 includes a front cover CV0, a side cover CV1, a side cover CV2, and a rear cover CV3. The upper surface of the cover body 231 is formed with an opening R0 for passing a tool to be carried in or carried out.

An opening R1 is formed in the side cover CV1. A door D1 is provided to cover the opening R1. Door D1 is, for example, a sliding door. By opening and closing the door D1, the state of the door D1 is changed to an open state in which the opening R1 is not covered by the door D1, or to a closed state in which the opening R1 is covered by the door D1. The door D1 may be manually driven or automatically driven by a motor (not shown) or the like.

A person opens the door D1 when mounting a tool to be carried in the magazine M1. That is, the person can mount the tool to be carried into the magazine M1 through the opening R1. Also, the person opens the door D1 when taking out the tool to be carried out from the magazine M1. That is, the person can collect the tools to be carried out from the magazine M1 through the opening R1.

Thus, the person opens the door D1 while working on the magazine M1. Focusing on this point, the determination unit 52 determines whether or not a person is working at the work station 200 based on the open/closed state of the door D1.

As an example, the cover body 231 of the work station 200 is provided with an opening/closing sensor 240 for detecting opening/closing of the door D1. The open/close sensor 240 outputs a signal indicating the open/closed state of the door D1 to the control unit 50 at regular intervals. More specifically, when door D1 is open, open/close sensor 240 outputs a signal indicating an open state to control unit 50 . On the other hand, when door D1 is closed, open/close sensor 240 outputs a signal indicating the closed state to control unit 50 . Accordingly, the determination unit 52 of the control unit 50 periodically acquires the open/closed state of the door D1.

The determination unit 52 determines that a person is working on the magazine M1 while the open/close sensor 240 detects that the door D1 is open. On the other hand, the determination unit 52 determines that no person is working on the magazine M1 while the open/close sensor 240 detects that the door D1 is closed.

The method for determining whether or not a person is working at work station 200 is not limited to the method using open/close sensor 240 . As an example, the determination unit 52 may determine whether or not a person is working at the work station 200 based on the image obtained from the camera. In this case, the camera is arranged so that the work area of work station 200 is included in the field of view.

An arbitrary image processing program is adopted as an image processing algorithm for detecting a person. As an example, the determination unit 52 detects a person using a trained model. A trained model is generated in advance by a learning process using a learning data set. The learning data set includes a plurality of learning images in which people are shown. The presence or absence of a person is associated as a label with each learning image. The internal parameters of the trained model are optimized in advance by learning processing using such a learning data set. As a result, when receiving an image input, the trained model outputs the probability that a person appears in the image.

A variety of human algorithms may be employed as learning techniques for generating trained models. For example, deep learning, convolutional neural network (CNN), full-layer convolutional neural network (FCN), support vector machine, etc. are adopted as the human algorithm.

The determination unit 52 sequentially inputs partial images within the rectangular area to the trained model while shifting the predetermined rectangular area on the image obtained from the camera. Upon receiving an input of a partial image, the trained model outputs the probability that a person is shown in the partial image. The determination unit 52 determines that the person is working at the work station 200 based on the fact that the probability exceeds the predetermined value. On the other hand, the determination unit 52 determines that the person is not working at the work station 200 when the probability is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

(D2. Conveyance control unit 54)
Next, referring to FIG. 5, functions of the transport control section 54 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing how tools are conveyed in the tool conveying system 10. As shown in FIG.

The transport control unit 54 controls the order of tool transport by the transport device 300 according to the tool transport schedule 174 . The tool transfer schedule 174 defines, for example, for each tool to be transferred, the scheduled transfer time of the tool, the storage location of the tool, and the transfer destination of the tool.

As an example, transfer schedule 174 defines tools that are scheduled to be delivered to machine tool 400 . The tools to be carried in are specified, for example, based on each machining program of machine tool 400 . Each machining program is defined by G code, and includes a tool change command for designating a tool to be mounted on the spindle, a drive command for rotating/feeding the spindle and tools, and the like. The tool transport system 10 identifies identification information of tools necessary for machining a workpiece before executing each program, and defines the tools required for machining in the transport schedule 174 as tools to be carried. The order in which the tools are carried in is determined, for example, based on the execution order of each machining program.

As another example, transfer schedule 174 defines tools that are to be delivered to work station 200 . The tools scheduled to be carried out include, for example, tools that have reached the end of their remaining life and tools that have been detected to have an abnormality such as damage. A tool whose remaining tool life has expired and a tool for which an abnormality such as damage has been detected are identified, for example, based on storage information 176 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later.

Assume that the order of transport of tools to the work station 200 (magazine M1) arrives while the transport schedule 174 is in progress. In this case, when the determination unit 52 determines that the person U is working at the work station 200, the transport control unit 54 stops transporting the tool to the magazine M1. This avoids unloading of tools to work station 200 .

In one aspect, the transport control unit 54 suspends the transport of the tool to the magazine M1 by stopping the driving of the transport device 300 . In this case, the transport control unit 54 stops driving the transport device 300 until the work of the person U at the work station 200 is completed. Then, the transport control unit 54 restarts the driving of the transport device 300 based on the completion of the work of the person U at the work station 200 . As a result, the transport control unit 54 can prevent duplication of tool carry-out and human work without changing the order of tool transport.

In another aspect, the transport control unit 54 interrupts the transport of the tool to the magazine M1 by skipping the transport order of the tool to the magazine M1 in the progress of the transport schedule 174 . In this case, the transport control unit 54 refers to the transport schedule 174 to specify the transport process defined next to the tool transport to the magazine M1. Then, when the work of the person U at the work station 200 is completed, the transport control unit 54 executes the process of transporting the tool to the magazine M1. As a result, the transport control unit 54 can prevent duplication of the carrying out of the tool and the work performed by a worker without waiting time.

The transport control unit 54 updates the storage information 176 shown in FIG. 6 based on the completion of tool transport. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the storage information 176. As shown in FIG.

The storage information 176 includes the storage location of each tool in the tool carrier system 10, the identification information of the tool holder stored in the storage location, the identification information of the tool held in the tool holder, and the identification information of the tool. The state is associated with the remaining life of the tool.

The storage location defined in the storage information 176 is information for uniquely specifying the location within the tool carrier system 10 . The storage location indicates, for example, any one of positional information within work station 200 , positional information within tool storage section 250 , positional information within conveying device 300 , and positional information within machine tool 400 .

The tool holder identification information defined in the storage information 176 is information for uniquely identifying the tool holder. The identification information is assigned in advance to each tool holder. The identification information may be indicated by a tool holder number such as ID (Identification), or may be indicated by a tool holder name.

The transfer control unit 54 monitors the transfer of each tool holder in the tool transfer system 10, and updates the correspondence between the storage location and the tool holder each time the transfer device 300 transfers the tool holder. Thereby, the transfer control unit 54 can identify where each tool holder is located.

The tool identification information defined in the storage information 176 is information for uniquely identifying the tool. The identification information is pre-assigned to each tool. The identification information may be indicated by a tool number such as an ID, or may be indicated by a tool name.

The transfer control unit 54 monitors the transfer of each tool holder in the tool transfer system 10, and every time a tool holder is transferred by the transfer device 300, the correspondence between the tool held in the tool holder and the storage location is determined. Update attachment.

(D3. Monitoring unit 55)
Continuing to refer to FIG. 6, the function of the monitoring unit 55 shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

The tool status defined in the storage information 176 indicates, for example, whether the tool held by the tool holder is usable or whether the tool holder holds the tool.

In the example of FIG. 6, the ready-to-use tools are indicated as "normal" or "life warning". "Life warning" is a warning indicating that the life is about to expire. As an example, the monitoring unit 55 changes the state of the tool from "normal" to "life warning" in the storage information 176 when the remaining life of the tool falls below a predetermined threshold.

Also, in the example of FIG. 6, unusable tools are indicated as "expired," "empty," or "damaged." As an example, the monitoring unit 55 changes the state of the tool from "life warning" to "life expired" in the storage information 176 based on the fact that the life of the tool has reached zero.

The tool status defined in the storage information 176 is changed according to, for example, the remaining life of the tool. The term "remaining life" as used herein indicates the remaining usable time of the tool until the tool becomes unusable. The monitoring unit 55 monitors the machining program of the machine tool 400 and counts down the remaining life of each tool while it is being used for machining. In addition, the remaining life of a new tool is determined in advance for each tool.

An example of a method for monitoring the remaining tool life will be described. The machining program of the machine tool 400 is defined in G code and includes a tool change command for designating a tool to be mounted on the spindle, a drive command for rotating/feeding the spindle and tools, and the like. The monitoring unit 55 identifies the type of tool to be used for machining the workpiece based on the tool change command defined in the machining program. Next, the monitoring unit 55 starts counting down the remaining life of the tool based on the execution of the drive command specified in the machining program. Subsequently, the monitoring unit 55 stops counting down the remaining life of the tool based on the execution of the stop command or the last command specified in the machining program. Thereby, the monitoring unit 55 monitors the remaining life of each tool in the storage information 176 .

(D4. Display control unit 56)
Next, functions of the display control unit 56 shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode of the operation terminal 200A.

The display control unit 56 is a functional module that controls the display of the operation terminal 200A. As an example, when the determination unit 52 determines that a person is not working on the magazine M1 in the work station 200, the display control unit 56 determines the order in which the tools are transported to the magazine M1 while the transport schedule 174 is in progress. comes, a warning 30 is displayed on the operation terminal 200A (display unit). Warning 30 indicates that transport device 300 is in the process of transporting tools to magazine M1. This allows people in the vicinity of work station 200 to notice that the tool is being transported to work station 200 .

<E. Step of Carrying in Tool into Tool Storage Unit 250>
Next, referring to FIG. 8, the process of loading the tool holder from the work station 200 into the tool storage section 250 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the process of loading the tool holder from the work station 200 to the tool storage section 250. As shown in FIG.

In step S1, the operator mounts a tool to be carried into the tool holder H1 and sets the tool holder H1 in the magazine M1. A bar code or QR code (registered trademark) reader (not shown) is provided near the position where the tool holder H1 is set. Read the QR code. As a result, the identification information of the tool holder H1 to be carried in is read. After completing the setting of the tool holder H1, the operator performs a completion operation on the operation terminal 200A.

Next, in step S2, the controller 50 controls the motor 235A (see FIG. 2) to drive the magazine M1 inside the work station 200. FIG. As a result, the control unit 50 moves the tool holder H1 to be carried in to a predetermined tool exchange position. An ATC 238 is provided in the vicinity of the tool change position. The ATC 238 removes the tool holder H1 at the tool exchange position from the magazine M1 and rotates it halfway.

Next, in step S<b>3 , the arm robot 330 removes the tool holder H<b>1 from the ATC 238 and places the tool holder H<b>1 on the temporary storage area 336 on the carriage 332 . If there are other tool holders to be carried in, steps S1 to S3 are repeated so long as the maximum storage number of the temporary storage area 336 is not exceeded.

Next, in step S<b>4 , the control unit 50 controls the motor 335</b>A to drive the truck 332 . As a result, the controller 50 moves the carriage 332 to the instructed tool loading position. The tool carry-in position is determined, for example, based on the storage information 176 (see FIG. 6) described above.

The control unit 50 refers to the empty storage location defined in the storage information 176 to determine the storage destination of the tool holder H1. When there are a plurality of empty storage locations, the control unit 50 may determine one randomly selected storage location from among the plurality of empty storage locations as the storage location, or may select a plurality of empty storage locations. One storage location closer to the transport device 300 selected from the locations may be determined as the storage destination.

Next, in step S5, the arm robot 330 removes the tool holder H1 to be carried in from the temporary storage area 336, and stores the tool holder H1 in the determined storage destination. After that, the control unit 50 updates the storage information 176 by associating the identification information of the tool holder H1 with the corresponding storage location.

If other tool holders to be carried in remain in the temporary storage site 336, the control unit 50 repeats steps S4 and S5 until there are no more tool holders on the temporary storage site 336.

<F. Tool Loading Process to Machine Tool 400>
Next, referring to FIG. 9, the step of carrying in the tool holder subsequent to FIG. 8 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the process of loading the tool holder from the tool storage section 250 to the machine tool 400. As shown in FIG.

Assume that the control unit 50 receives an instruction to carry a tool holder into the machine tool 400 at a certain timing. The tool to be carried in and the machine tool 400 to be transferred are specified based on the transfer schedule 174, for example. As an example, it is assumed that the tool holder H2 is identified as the tool to be carried. In this case, the control unit 50 identifies the storage location of the tool holder H2 from the above storage information 176 (see FIG. 6). Thereafter, the control unit 50 drives the carriage 332 by controlling the motor 335A (see FIG. 2) to move the carriage 332 in front of the storage location of the tool holder H2.

Next, in step S<b>11 , the arm robot 330 takes out the tool holder H<b>2 to be transported from the tool storage section 250 and places the tool holder H<b>2 on the temporary storage area 336 on the carriage 332 .

Next, in step S12, the controller 50 controls the motor 335A to drive the carriage 332 to the position of the machine tool 400, which is the transport destination.

Next, in step S13, the arm robot 330 hands over the tool holder H2 to the ATC 438 provided in the machine tool 400 of the transfer destination. After that, the ATC 438 attaches the tool holder H2 received from the arm robot 330 to the ATC 438 inside the machine tool 400 . After that, the ATC 438 sets the tool holder H2 in the magazine inside the machine tool 400 . As a result, the tool holder H<b>2 is ready for use in the machine tool 400 .

<G. Process of Unloading Tool to Work Station 200>
Next, referring to FIG. 10, the carrying-out process of the tool holder will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the process of unloading the tool holder from the machine tool 400 to the work station 200. As shown in FIG.

Assume that the control unit 50 receives an instruction to carry out the tool holder at a certain timing. The tools to be carried out are specified based on the transfer schedule 174, for example. As an example, it is assumed that the tool holder H3 is identified as a collection target. In this case, the control unit 50 identifies the storage destination of the tool holder H3 based on the above storage information 176 (see FIG. 6). Thereafter, the control unit 50 drives the carriage 332 by controlling the motor 335A (see FIG. 2) to move the carriage 332 in front of the machine tool 400 housing the tool holder H3. Next, the arm robot 330 takes out the tool holder H3 from the machine tool 400 and puts the tool holder H3 on the temporary storage place 336 on the carriage 332 . Further, the control unit 50 deletes the identification information of the tool holder H3 from the storage information 176, and rewrites the storage source of the tool holder H3 to an empty state.

Next, in step S<b>21 , the controller 50 drives the carriage 332 by controlling the motor 335</b>A described above to move the carriage 332 in front of the work station 200 .

Next, in step S22, the arm robot 330 removes the tool holder H3 to be unloaded from the temporary storage area 336, and attaches the tool holder H3 to the ATC 238 (see FIG. 8) provided in the work station 200 described above. After that, the ATC 238 mounts the tool holder H3 in the magazine M1 of the work station 200. FIG.

Next, in step S23, the control unit 50 drives the magazine M1 by controlling the motor 235A, and moves the tool holder H3 to be carried out to the exit. After that, the worker takes out the tool holder H3 to be carried out from the exit.

In the example of FIG. 10 , the example in which the tool holder collected from the machine tool 400 is carried out to the work station 200 has been described, but the tool holder may be carried out to the tool storage section 250 .

<H. Hardware configuration of PLC 150>
An example of the hardware configuration of the PLC 150 shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the main hardware configuration of PLC 150. As shown in FIG.

PLC 150 includes a control circuit 151 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 152 , a RAM (Random Access Memory) 153 , communication interfaces 154 and 155 and a storage device 170 . These components are connected to bus 160 .

The control circuit 151 is composed of at least one integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is composed of, for example, at least one CPU, at least one MPU (Micro Processing Unit), at least one ASIC, at least one FPGA, or a combination thereof.

The control circuit 151 controls operations of the transport device 300 and the machine tool 400 by executing various programs such as the control program 172 . The control circuit 151 reads the control program 172 from the storage device 170 to the ROM 152 based on the acceptance of the instruction to execute the control program 172 . The RAM 153 functions as a working memory and temporarily stores various data necessary for executing the control program 172 .

A LAN, an antenna, and the like are connected to the communication interface 154 . PLC 150 is connected to network NW1 via communication interface 154 . Thereby, the PLC 150 exchanges data with an external device connected to the network NW1. The external device includes, for example, the management device 100 and a server (not shown).

Communication interface 155 is an interface for connecting to network NW2, which is a field network. PLC 150 exchanges data with external devices connected to network NW2 via communication interface 155 . The external device includes, for example, the remote I/O units 71 to 73 described above.

The storage device 170 is, for example, a storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. The storage device 170 stores a control program 172, a transfer schedule 174, storage information 176, and the like. These storage locations are not limited to storage device 170, and may be stored in a storage area (eg, cache area) of control circuit 151, ROM 152, RAM 153, an external device (eg, server), or the like.

The control program 172 is a program for implementing part or all of the functional configuration shown in FIG. The control program 172 may be provided as a part of an arbitrary program, not as a standalone program. In this case, the control processing according to this embodiment is implemented in cooperation with an arbitrary program. Even a program that does not include such a part of modules does not deviate from the gist of control program 172 according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, some or all of the functions provided by control program 172 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, the PLC 150 may be configured in the form of a so-called cloud service in which at least one server executes part of the processing of the control program 172 .

<I. Hardware Configuration of Operation Terminal 200A>
A hardware configuration of the operation terminal 200A shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the operation terminal 200A.

200 A of operation terminals contain the control circuit 201, ROM202, RAM203, the communication interface 204, the display interface 205, the input interface 207, and the memory|storage device 220. FIG. These components are connected to bus 210 .

The control circuit 201 is composed of, for example, at least one integrated circuit. An integrated circuit may be comprised of, for example, at least one CPU, at least one GPU, at least one ASIC, at least one FPGA, or combinations thereof.

The control circuit 201 controls operations of the operation terminal 200A by executing various programs such as a control program 222 and an operating system. The control circuit 201 reads the control program 222 from the storage device 220 or the ROM 202 to the RAM 203 based on the reception of the execution command of the control program 222 . The RAM 203 functions as a working memory and temporarily stores various data necessary for executing the control program 222 .

A LAN, an antenna, and the like are connected to the communication interface 204 . Operation terminal 200A is connected to network NW1 via communication interface 204 . Thereby, the operation terminal 200A exchanges data with an external device connected to the network NW1. The external device includes, for example, the PLC 150 and a server (not shown).

A display 206 is connected to the display interface 205 . Display interface 205 sends an image signal for displaying an image to display 206 in accordance with a command from control circuit 201 or the like. The display 206 is, for example, an operation screen for receiving a tool holder collection instruction, a tool selection screen for specifying the tool holder to be carried in, or a machine tool selection screen for specifying the machine tool 400 to be carried in. display. The display 206 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, organic EL display, or other display device. Note that the display 206 may be configured integrally with the operation terminal 200A, or may be configured separately from the operation terminal 200A.

An input device 208 is connected to the input interface 207 . Input device 208 is, for example, a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, or other device capable of receiving user operations. Note that the input device 208 may be configured integrally with the operation terminal 200A, or may be configured separately from the operation terminal 200A.

The storage device 220 is, for example, a storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. The storage device 220 stores a control program 222 and the like. The storage location of the control program 222 is not limited to the storage device 220, but may be a storage area of the control circuit 201 (for example, cache memory, etc.), ROM 202, RAM 203, management device 100, PLC 150, or an external device (for example, server). may be stored.

The control program 222 is a program for implementing part or all of the functional configuration shown in FIG. The control program 222 may be provided as a part of an arbitrary program, not as a standalone program. In this case, the control processing by the control program 222 is implemented in cooperation with any program. Even a program that does not include such a part of modules does not deviate from the gist of control program 222 according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, some or all of the functions provided by control program 222 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, the operation terminal 200A may be configured in a form such as a so-called cloud service in which at least one server executes part of the processing of the control program 222. FIG.

<J. Tool Unloading Flow>
Next, with reference to FIG. 13, a control flow relating to the tool unloading process will be described. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the process of unloading a tool from the tool storage section 250 or the machine tool 400 to the work station 200. As shown in FIG.

The processing shown in FIG. 13 is implemented by the control unit 50 executing the control program. In other aspects, part or all of the processing may be performed by circuit elements or other hardware.

In step S110, the control unit 50 functions as the transfer control unit 54 (see FIG. 3) described above, and determines whether or not the timing for carrying out the tool to the work station 200 has come while the tool transfer schedule 174 is in progress. to decide. When control unit 50 determines that it is time to carry out the tool to work station 200 (YES in step S110), control unit 50 switches control to step S120. Otherwise (NO in step S110), control unit 50 executes the process of step S110 again.

At step S<b>120 , the control unit 50 functions as the determination unit 52 (see FIG. 3 ) described above, and determines whether or not a person is working on the magazine M<b>1 in the work station 200 . When control unit 50 determines that a person is working on magazine M1 in work station 200 (YES in step S120), control returns to step S110. As a result, while a person is working in the work station 200, the tool transfer to the work station 200 is interrupted. When control unit 50 determines that a person is not working on magazine M1 in work station 200 (NO in step S120), control unit 50 switches control to step S132.

At step S<b>132 , the control unit 50 functions as the above-described transport control unit 54 and starts transporting the tool to the work station 200 .

In step S134, control unit 50 functions as display control unit 56 (see FIG. 3) described above, and displays a warning on display 206 (display unit) of operation terminal 200A. This warning is a warning indicating that the tool is being transported to the magazine M1. Preferably, the warning includes the time until delivery of the tool to work station 200 is completed. The time is counted down. The control unit 50 turns off the display of the warning when the transportation of the tool to the work station 200 is completed.

<K. Modification 1>
Next, a tool carrier system 10 according to Modification 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the appearance of work station 200 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG.

The work station 200 according to this modification differs from the work station 200 shown in FIG. 4 in that it has a button 242 for switching control authority between the tool carrier system 10 and the person. Button 242 is provided, for example, on cover body 231 . Preferably, button 242 and door D1 are provided on the same side cover CV1.

Note that the button 242 does not necessarily have to be a physical button. As an example, the button 242 may be a button displayed on a GUI (Graphical User Interface). A button as a GUI is displayed, for example, on display 206 of operation terminal 200A.

In this modification, the above-described determination unit 52 (see FIG. 3) uses the control authority as an indicator when determining whether or not a person is working at the work station 200. FIG. As an example, when a person performs work at the work station 200, the person presses the button 242 to switch the control authority to the person.

15A and 15B are diagrams showing determination results by the determination unit 52 according to combinations of door open/closed states and control rights.

As shown in FIG. 15, the determination unit 52 determines whether the magazine M1 in the work station 200 is opened while the open/close sensor 240 detects that the door D1 is open and when the person has the control right. It is determined that the person is working on the In this case, the transport control unit 54 suspends transport of the tool to the magazine M1. As a result, the tool transport system 10 prioritizes the human work over the tool transport work to the work station 200 .

Further, while the open/close sensor 240 is detecting that the door D1 is open and the tool carrier system 10 has the control right, the determination unit 52 controls the magazine M1 in the work station 200. Determine that the person is not working. In this case, the transport control unit 54 does not interrupt transport of the tool to the magazine M1.

Further, while the opening/closing sensor 240 is detecting that the door D1 is closed, and when the person has the control right, the determination unit 52 determines whether the person is working on the magazine M1 in the work station 200. Determine not inside. In this case, the transport control unit 54 does not interrupt transport of the tool to the magazine M1.

Further, while the opening/closing sensor 240 is detecting that the door D1 is closed and the tool carrier system 10 has the control right, the determination unit 52 controls the magazine M1 in the work station 200. Determine that the person is not working. In this case, the transport control unit 54 does not interrupt transport of the tool to the magazine M1.

<L. Modification 2>
Next, a tool carrier system 10 according to Modification 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the tool carrier system 10 according to Modification 2. As shown in FIG.

The tool carrier system 10 according to this modification differs from the tool carrier system 10 shown in FIG. 3 in that it has a door control section 58 as a functional configuration. The door control unit 58 controls the locking mechanism 245 of the door D1 of the work station 200. FIG. Lock mechanism 245 locks door D1 or unlocks door D1 in accordance with a control command from door control unit 58 .

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the locked state of the door D1 in response to an instruction to carry a tool to the work station 200. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 17, the door control unit 58 locks the opening and closing of the door D1 when the tool transfer schedule 174 is in progress and the tool transfer to the magazine M1 in the work station 200 has arrived. do. After that, the door control unit 58 unlocks the door D1 based on the fact that the tool has been transported to the magazine M1. Thereby, the door control section 58 prevents the door D1 from being opened while the tools are being transported to the magazine M1.

It should be noted that the door control unit 58 may further use the control authority as an indicator when determining whether to lock the door D1. As described above, the person can switch control between the tool carrier system 10 and the person by pressing button 242 (see FIG. 14).

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the locked state of the door D1 according to the combination of the tool transfer instruction to the work station 200 and the control right.

As shown in FIG. 18, it is assumed that the order of tool transfer to the magazine M1 in the work station 200 arrives while the tool transfer schedule 174 is in progress. In this case, when the person has the control right, the door control unit 58 does not lock the opening/closing of the door D1. At this time, the transport control unit 54 interrupts the transport of the tool to the magazine M1. As a result, when the person has the control right, the tool conveying system 10 gives priority to the work of the person over the work of conveying the tool to the magazine M1.

Further, the door control unit 58, when the tool transfer schedule 174 is in progress and the tool transfer order to the magazine M1 in the work station 200 arrives and the tool transfer system 10 has the control right, the door control unit 58 Lock the opening and closing of D1. At this time, the transfer control unit 54 does not interrupt the transfer of the tool to the magazine M1. As a result, when the tool carrier system 10 has the control right, the tool carrier system 10 gives priority to the carrying operation of the tool to the magazine M1 over the human operation.

Further, the door control unit 58 does not lock the opening and closing of the door D1 while the tools are not being transported to the magazine M1. That is, during this time, the operator can freely open and close door D1 regardless of whether control is with the tool carrier system 10 or with a person.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

10 tool carrier system, 30 warning, 50 control unit, 52 judgment unit, 54 transportation control unit, 55 monitoring unit, 56 display control unit, 58 door control unit, 71, 72, 73 remote I/O unit, 100 management device, 151, 201 control circuit 152, 202 ROM 153, 203 RAM 154, 155, 204 communication interface 160, 210 bus 170, 220 storage device 172, 222 control program 174 transfer schedule 176 storage information 200 work station 200A operation terminal 205 display interface 206 display 207 input interface 208 input device 231 cover body 234, 234A, 234B, 334, 334A, 334B, 411, 411A, 411B motor driver 235, 235A, 235B, 335, 335A, 335B, 412, 412A, 412B motor, 238, 438 ATC, 240 open/close sensor, 242 button, 245 lock mechanism, 250 tool storage unit, 300 carrier device, 330 arm robot, 331 rail, 332 cart, 336 Temporary storage, 400, 400A-400F machine tools.

Claims (10)

A tool carrier system,
machine tools;
a tool storage section for storing a plurality of tools;
a work station having a magazine configured to hold a plurality of tools;
a conveying device for conveying tools between the magazine, the tool storage section, and the machine tool;
a control unit for controlling the order in which the tools are conveyed by the conveying device according to a predetermined conveying schedule, wherein the controller controls the magazine during the conveying schedule when a person is working on the magazine. a tool transport system that interrupts the transport of the tool to the magazine when the order of transport of the tool to the magazine arrives. 2. The tool carrier system according to claim 1, wherein said suspending process includes a process of stopping driving of said carrier device. 2. The tool carrier system according to claim 1, wherein said interrupting process includes skipping the order of carrying tools to said magazine in progress of said carrier schedule. The tool carrier system further comprises a display,
Further, when the person is not working on the magazine and the order of carrying the tool to the magazine arrives during the progress of the carrying schedule, the carrying device causes the tool to be placed in the magazine. 4. The tool carrier system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a process of displaying a warning indicating that the tool is being carried is displayed on the display unit. the work station includes a cover body for housing the magazine;
The cover body is provided with a door provided for the person to attach the tool to the magazine,
The tool carrier system further comprises a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the door,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the controlling process, the control unit determines that the person is working on the magazine while the sensor detects that the door is open. A tool carrier system according to any one of the preceding claims. The work station comprises:
a cover body for housing the magazine;
a button for switching control between the tool carrier system and the person;
The cover body is provided with a door provided for the person to attach the tool to the magazine,
The tool carrier system further comprises a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the door,
In the control process, the control unit controls that, while the sensor detects that the door is open and when the person has the control right, the person can access the magazine. The tool carrier system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which judges that it is working. 7. The control unit according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a process of locking opening and closing of said door based on arrival of a tool transfer order to said magazine while said transfer schedule is in progress. Tool carrier system. The control unit further locks opening and closing of the door when the order of transporting tools to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transport schedule and when the tool transport system has the control right. 7. The tool carrier system of claim 6, which performs processing. A control method for a tool carrier system, comprising:
The tool carrier system includes:
machine tools;
a tool storage section for storing a plurality of tools;
a work station having a magazine configured to hold a plurality of tools;
The magazine, the tool storage section, and a carrier device for carrying tools between the machine tool,
The control method is
a step of controlling the order in which tools are conveyed by the conveying apparatus according to a predetermined conveying schedule;
and interrupting the transfer of the tools to the magazine when a person is working on the magazine and the transfer order of the tools to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transfer schedule. Method. A control program for a tool carrier system,
The tool carrier system includes:
machine tools;
a tool storage section for storing a plurality of tools;
a work station having a magazine configured to hold a plurality of tools;
The magazine, the tool storage section, and a carrier device for carrying tools between the machine tool,
The control program causes the tool carrier system to:
a step of controlling the order in which tools are conveyed by the conveying apparatus according to a predetermined conveying schedule;
interrupting the transfer of tools to the magazine when a person is working on the magazine and the order of transfer of the tools to the magazine arrives during the progress of the transfer schedule; control program.

Images