JP2024019342A - Processing equipment and processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to form machining marks on an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface.
A processing device includes a chuck table 10 that fixes a workpiece 200, a processing unit that forms a cutting groove in the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, and moves the chuck table 10 in the X direction. The apparatus includes a processing feed unit, an index feed unit that moves the processing unit in the Y direction, a cutting feed unit that cuts and feeds the processing unit in the Z direction, and a control unit. The chuck table 10 has a fixing part 12 to which a workpiece 200 with an exposed circular arc surface 201 is fixed rotatably about an axis 131 in the X direction. After cutting grooves are formed in the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the fixed part 12 along the X direction, the fixed part 12 is rotated.
[Selection diagram] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a processing device and a processing method.

BACKGROUND ART A processing device (dicer) is known that forms cutting grooves by cutting a cutting blade into a plate-shaped workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer or a resin package substrate with micron precision (for example, see Patent Document 1). Usually, the workpiece is plate-shaped and is cut while being fixed to a flat chuck table directly or via a dicing tape. The height from the holding surface (upper surface) of the chuck table to the tip (lower end) of the cutting blade is controlled in microns, making it possible to form grooves with a predetermined depth on the workpiece or leave several dozen microns uncut on the dicing tape. and dicing. The chuck table is formed so that the in-plane height variation is, for example, within 5 to 10 um, and the height of the cutting blade during cutting is basically always controlled to be constant.

However, for example, there has been an increasing demand in recent years to form cutting grooves with the same cutting depth on an arcuate surface of a workpiece having an arcuate cross section. Workpieces that require this type of processing are ultrasonic transducers (piezo elements) mounted on the probes of ultrasound diagnostic equipment, etc.; There is a desire to form grooves, which are marks, at narrow intervals (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-27052 Patent No. 6091755

For example, in the processing apparatus shown in Patent Document 1, when a workpiece having an arcuate surface with an arcuate cross section is fixed on a flat chuck table and processed, the cutting blade is adjusted to change the height of the arcuate surface. There were problems in that the height had to be varied, and it was also impossible to form grooves toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a processing device and a processing method capable of forming processing marks on an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface. It is to provide.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objects, the processing device of the present invention is a processing device that processes an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section on the outer surface of a workpiece, and which fixes the workpiece. a machining unit that forms machining marks on a workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a machining feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the machining unit in the X direction; an index feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the machining unit in the Y direction; a cut feed unit that feeds the machining unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; The chuck table includes an imaging unit that images a workpiece fixed to a chuck table, and a control unit that controls each component. The control unit has a fixing part that fixes the workpiece so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis, and fixes the workpiece by aligning the center of a circle formed by the arc surface with the rotation axis. After forming the processing mark along the X direction with the processing unit on the arcuate surface of the workpiece whose ridge is fixed to the fixed part along the X direction, rotate the fixed part by a predetermined angle, Each time a predetermined number of machining marks are formed, the quality of the machining marks is determined based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit.

In the processing device, the fixing portion may include a rod that fixes the workpiece by being inserted into a hole provided in an end surface of the outer surface of the workpiece that is connected to an arcuate surface. .

In the processing device, the fixing part includes a holding unit that holds the workpiece and has a hole in the end face in the X direction, and a rod that fixes the workpiece by being inserted into the hole. may be provided.

In the processing apparatus, the chuck table is provided with a concave portion extending from the upper surface, and the fixing portion is a support member disposed at a position where the center portion in the longitudinal direction on which the workpiece is placed overlaps with the concave portion. may be provided.

In the processing device, the processing unit is a cutting unit that has an axis in the Y direction and includes a spindle on which a cutting blade is attached, and the cutting blade of the processing unit is moved in the cutting feed direction, and the cutting blade is moved in the cutting feed direction. a reference base having a reference surface that contacts the tip of the workpiece, and a height measuring device that measures the difference in height between the reference surface and the upper end of the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part. The height of the tip of the cutting blade and the arcuate surface may be determined based on the height of the reference surface, and the cutting depth of the cutting blade into the arcuate surface may be controlled.

The machining method of the present invention is a machining method that uses the machining device to form machining marks on the arcuate surface of the outer surface of the workpiece, which has an arcuate cross section. a workpiece fixing step for rotatably fixing the workpiece to the fixing part so that the ridge of the workpiece is along the X direction; a machining step for forming machining marks; a rotation step for rotating the workpiece by the predetermined angle after performing the machining step; and a workpiece detachment for removing the workpiece from the chuck table after performing the machining step and the rotation step. It is characterized by comprising a step.

The present invention has the effect that a groove can be formed in a circular arc surface having an arc-shaped cross section toward the center of curvature of the circular arc surface.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a chuck table of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixed part and a rotation driving part of the chuck table shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is an end view of the workpiece showing the positional relationship between the arcuate surface of the workpiece shown in FIG. 3 and the rotation axis of the rotation drive unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an end view of the workpiece showing the first processing step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an end view of the workpiece showing processing steps after the processing method shown in FIG. 5 has been repeated multiple times. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a workpiece in which a cutting groove has been formed in a processing step after the processing method shown in FIG. 5 has been repeated a plurality of times. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 8 which has been rotated by a predetermined angle in the rotation step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 9, in which cutting grooves have been formed in the arcuate surface of the workpiece in a machining step. FIG. 11 is an end view of the workpiece after the last machining step of the machining method shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixed part and a rotation drive part of a chuck table of a processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Modes (embodiments) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Further, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Further, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
A processing apparatus and a processing method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a chuck table of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixed part and a rotation driving part of the chuck table shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is an end view of the workpiece showing the positional relationship between the arcuate surface of the workpiece shown in FIG. 3 and the rotation axis of the rotation drive unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment.

(Workpiece)
The processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment cuts (corresponds to machining) an arcuate surface 201 of an outer surface 206 of a workpiece 200 with a cutting blade 21, and performs a plurality of processing operations on the arcuate surface 201. This is a cutting device that forms cutting grooves 210 (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1) that are marks. In Embodiment 1, the workpiece 200 is mounted on a probe of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and is composed of an ultrasonic vibrator (piezo element). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the workpiece 200 has an outer surface 206 formed with an arcuate surface 201 having an arcuate cross section. The arc surface 201 is formed in a convex arc shape in the outer circumferential direction of the workpiece 200, and has a constant cross-sectional shape in the direction of the ridge. Note that the direction of the ridge is a direction parallel to the center of curvature of the circular arc surface 201.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 is connected to both ends of the arcuate surface 201 and is formed flat, and has a pair of side surfaces 202 that are parallel to the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201 and and a pair of end surfaces 203 that are connected to the pair of side surfaces 202 and are flat and parallel to each other; and a bottom surface 204. The pair of side surfaces 202, the pair of end surfaces 203, and the bottom surface 204 together with the arcuate surface 201 constitute an outer surface 206 of the workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 has holes 205 on each end surface 203 for positioning the workpiece 200. In Embodiment 1, the holes 205 are formed into a circular planar shape, and two holes 205 are provided at intervals on each end surface 203.

(Processing equipment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a chuck table 10 that fixes a workpiece 200, and a chuck table 10 that has an axis in the Y direction parallel to the horizontal direction and is fixed to the chuck table 10. A processing unit 20 includes a spindle 22 to which a cutting blade 21, which is a processing tool that performs cutting while supplying cutting water to the workpiece 200, is attached, and an imaging unit that takes an image of the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10. 30, a moving unit 40 that is a moving means for relatively moving the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20, and a control unit 100 that controls each component.

The moving unit 40 includes a rotary drive source (not shown) that rotates the chuck table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z direction that is parallel to the vertical direction, and a rotation drive source (not shown) that rotates the chuck table 10 in the X direction that is perpendicular to the Y direction and parallel to the horizontal direction. A processing feed unit 41 that moves the processing unit 20 relatively, an indexing feed unit 42 that moves the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 relatively in the Y direction, and a processing feed unit 42 that moves the processing unit 20 relative to each other in the X direction and the Y direction. It includes at least a cutting feed unit 43 that feeds cuts in the Z direction perpendicular to both directions.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the chuck table 10 includes a disk-shaped table body 11 supported by a rotational drive source, a fixing part 12 provided on the table body 11, and a table body 11 provided on the table body 11. and a rotary drive unit 13. The table main body 11 has a flat upper surface and is arranged parallel to the horizontal direction. The table main body 11 is provided with a concave portion 111 extending from the top surface.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fixing portion 12 includes a support member 121 and a pair of shaft bodies 123. The support member 121 is formed into a straight line, and its longitudinal direction is arranged parallel to the radial direction of the table main body 11. Further, the support member 121 is arranged at a position where the center portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps the recess 111 of the table main body 11. In the first embodiment, the thickness at the center is thicker than at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

A rod 124 is fixed to each of the pair of shaft bodies 123. The pair of shaft bodies 123 are attached to both ends of the support member 121 so that the rods 124 face each other. The rod 124 is formed into a cylindrical shape that is thinner than the shaft body 123, and has an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the hole 205.

Further, two rods 124 are provided on each shaft body 123. The fixing part 12 fixes the workpiece 200 by inserting the rods 124 of the pair of shaft bodies 123 into the holes 205 of the workpiece 200, the bottom surface 204 of which is superimposed on the support member 121. Furthermore, the fixing portion 12 releases the fixation of the workpiece 200 when the rods 124 of the pair of shaft bodies 123 come out of the holes 205, allowing the workpiece 200 to separate from the chuck table 10. In the present invention, the rod 124 may be detachably attached to the shaft body 123, or the rod 124 may be fixed to the shaft body 123 after the rod 124 is fixed to the workpiece 200. Alternatively, the rod 124 may move forward and backward with respect to the shaft body 123, and in that case, the workpiece 200 may be placed on the support member 121, and the rod 124 may be inserted into the hole 205 of the workpiece 200. In addition, in FIG. 2, the upper end of the shaft body 123 is placed at a higher position than the workpiece 200, but in reality, the shaft body 123 is placed at a higher position than the workpiece 200 in order to prevent the cutting blade 21 from colliding with the shaft body 123. It is desirable that the upper end be lower than the object 200.

The rotation drive unit 13 rotates the fixed unit 12 around an axis 131 (shown by a dashed line in FIGS. 2 and 3) that is a rotation axis and is parallel to the X direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation drive unit 13 includes a pair of bearing units 132 that support the fixed part 12 on the table body 11 so as to be rotatable about the axis 131, and a motor that rotates the fixed part 12 about the axis 131. 133.

The bearing unit 132 is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the shaft body 123. The bearing unit 132 is attached to the table body 11 and supports the corresponding shaft body 123 rotatably around the axis 131. The motor 133 is attached to the table body 11 and rotates one shaft body 123 around the axis 131 . Further, in the first embodiment, the motor 133 is covered with a waterproof cover 134 attached to the table main body 11 together with one bearing unit 132. The waterproof cover 134 prevents cutting water from adhering to the motor 133.

The chuck table 10 fixes the workpiece 200 with the fixing portion 12, thereby fixing the workpiece 200 with the arcuate surface 201 exposed. The chuck table 10 rotatably fixes the workpiece 200 about the axis 131 by rotating the fixing part 12 to which the workpiece 200 is fixed about the axis 131. In this way, the workpiece 200 with the arcuate surface 201 exposed is fixed to the fixed part 12 so as to be rotatable about the axis 131 as the rotation axis. Further, in the chuck table 10, as shown in FIG. 4, the center of curvature of the circular arc surface 201 is the axis 131, which is the rotation axis of the workpiece 200. For this reason, even if the fixing part 12 on which the workpiece 200 is fixed around the axis 131 of the chuck table 10 is rotated, the position in the Z direction, that is, the height of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 changes. do not.

The processing unit 20 is a cutting unit that cuts a workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10 to form a cutting groove 210 in the workpiece 200. The processing unit 20 is provided with a cutting blade 21, a spindle 22 on which the cutting blade 21 is mounted, and a rotatable support for the spindle 22, movable in the Y direction by an indexing feed unit 42, and movable in the Z direction by a cutting feed unit 43. The spindle housing 23 is provided in a movable manner. The processing unit 20 is provided movably in the Y direction by an index feed unit 42 and movably in the Z direction by a notch feed unit 43 with respect to a workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10. There is.

The processing unit 20 is capable of positioning the cutting blade 21 at an arbitrary position on the upper surface of the table body 11 of the chuck table 10 by means of an index feed unit 42 and a cut feed unit 43. The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting whetstone having a substantially ring shape. The spindle 22 cuts the workpiece 200 by rotating the cutting blade 21 . The spindle housing 23 houses the spindle 22 rotatably around its axis. The processing unit 20 rotatably holds the cutting blade 21 by attaching the cutting blade 21 to a spindle 22 . The axes of the spindle 22 and cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 are set parallel to the Y direction.

The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the processing unit 20 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20. The imaging unit 30 includes an imaging element that images the region to be divided of the workpiece 200 to be cut, which is held on the chuck table 10 and is not yet cut. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10, obtains an image for performing alignment for aligning the workpiece 200 and the cutting blade 21, and uses the obtained image. Output to control unit 100.

The machining feed unit 41 relatively processes the chuck table 10 and the machining unit 20 along the X direction by moving the moving plate 14 shown in FIG. 1 that supports the chuck table 10 and the rotational drive source in the X direction. It is something to send. The indexing and feeding unit 42 moves the processing unit 20 in the Y direction, which is the indexing and feeding direction, to relatively index and feed the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 along the Y direction. The cutting feed unit 43 moves the processing unit 20 in the Z direction, which is the cutting feeding direction, to relatively feed the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 in the Z direction.

The machining feed unit 41, the indexing feed unit 42, and the incision feed unit 43 are a known ball screw rotatably provided around the axis, a known motor that rotates the ball screw around the axis, and the chuck table 10 or the machining unit. 20 is provided with a well-known guide rail that supports it movably in the X direction, Y direction, or Z direction.

The processing device 1 also includes an X-direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the chuck table 10 in the X direction, and a Y-direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the processing unit 20 in the Y direction. and a Z-direction position detection unit for detecting the position of the processing unit 20 in the Z-direction. The X-direction position detection unit and the Y-direction position detection unit can be configured by a linear scale parallel to the X direction or the Y direction and a reading head. The Z-direction position detection unit detects the Z-direction position of the processing unit 20 using motor pulses. The X-direction position detection unit, the Y-direction position detection unit, and the Z-direction position detection unit output the position of the chuck table 10 in the X direction and the processing unit 20 in the Y direction or Z direction to the control unit 100.

The processing device 1 also includes a reference base 50, a reference position detection means (not shown), and a height measuring device 60. In the first embodiment, the reference base 50 is attached to the moving plate 14. The reference base 50 has a reference surface 51 that is flat along the horizontal direction.

The reference position detection means detects the reference position of the cutting blade 21 in the Z direction where the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 contacts the reference surface 51. In the embodiment, the reference position detection means detects electrical continuity between the cutting blade 21 and the reference base 50 when the cutting blade 21 moved in the Z direction, which is the cutting feed direction, contacts the reference surface 51. When the reference position detecting means detects electrical continuity between the cutting blade 21 and the reference base 50, it outputs a signal indicating that electrical continuity has been detected to the control unit 100, and determines the Z position when the control unit 100 receives the signal. The detection result of the direction position detection unit is detected as a reference position. In this way, the reference surface 51 moves the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 in the Z direction, which is the cutting feed direction, and brings the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 into contact with it.

The height measuring device 60 measures the difference in height between the reference plane 51 and the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the fixed part 12. In the first embodiment, the height measuring device 60 is fixed to the processing unit 20 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20 similarly to the imaging unit 30.

The height measuring device 60 irradiates a laser beam toward the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the reference surface 51 and the fixing part 12, and receives the reflected light of the laser beam. 51 and the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 of the fixed workpiece 200 are detected and the detection results are output to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 refers to the detection results of the Z-direction position detection unit and determines the Z-direction positions of the reference plane 51 and the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 based on the detection results of the height measuring device 60. To detect. In the first embodiment, the height measuring device 60 is a non-contact type sensor that detects distance by emitting a laser beam, but the present invention is not limited to a sensor that emit a laser beam. In the present invention, the height measuring device 60 may be a so-called contact sensor that includes a probe that contacts the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 and detects the position of these in the Z direction. . Note that in the present invention, a camera may be used as the height measuring device 60, and in that case, the position in the Z-axis direction, which is the height, may be detected using focus adjustment or the like.

The control unit 100 controls each of the above-described components of the processing apparatus 1 to cause the processing apparatus 1 to perform a processing operation on the workpiece 200. Note that the control unit 100 includes an arithmetic processing device having a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device having a memory such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory), and an input/output unit. A computer having an interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in a storage device, and sends a control signal for controlling the processing device 1 to the above-mentioned processing device 1 via an input/output interface device. Output to the specified component.

The control unit 100 also includes a display unit 101 configured with a liquid crystal display device that displays the status of machining operations, images, etc., an input unit 102 used by an operator to register machining content information, and a notification unit (not shown). It is connected. The input unit 102 is configured by a touch panel provided on the display unit 101. The notification unit notifies an operator of the processing device by emitting at least one of sound and light.

The processing method according to the first embodiment uses the processing device 1 to form cutting grooves 210 parallel to the ridges at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the arcuate surface 201 on the outer periphery of the workpiece 200 on the arcuate surface 201 having an arcuate cross section. This is the way to do it. Further, the processing method according to the first embodiment is a method of forming a cutting groove 210 extending toward the axis 131 in a cross section perpendicular to the axis 131 in the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the processing method according to the first embodiment includes a workpiece fixing step ST1, a processing step ST2, a rotation step ST4, and a workpiece detachment step ST5.

(Workpiece fixing step)
The workpiece fixing step ST1 is a step of fixing the workpiece 200 to the fixing portion 12 so as to be rotatable around the axis 131 on the chuck table 10 so that the ridge of the arcuate surface 201 is along the X direction. In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 receives processing content information via the input unit 102 and stores it in the storage device, and the chuck table 10 is installed on the rotation drive source by an operator or the like. The machining content information includes the width of the cutting grooves 210, the distance between adjacent cutting grooves 210, the depth from the arcuate surface 201 of each cutting groove 210 to the groove bottom, their tolerance values, and the number of cutting grooves 210. including.

In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the bottom surface 204 of the workpiece 200 is placed on the support member 121 of the fixing part 12, the rod 124 of the processing device 1 is extended, and the rod 124 enters the hole 205. A workpiece 200 is fixed to the fixed part 12 of the chuck table 10. In this manner, in the workpiece fixing step ST1, the fixing part 12 of the chuck table 10 has the center of the circle formed by the circumferential surface of the arcuate surface 201 aligned with the axis 131, which is the rotation axis of the fixing part 12. Fix the object 200.

In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing device 1 positions the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 on the reference surface 51 of the reference base 50, lowers the cutting blade 21 along the Z direction, and brings it into contact with the reference surface 51. , the control unit 100 detects the reference position and stores it in the storage device. In the workpiece processing step ST2, the processing device 1 positions the height measuring device 60 on the reference surface 51 of the reference base 50, measures the distance to the reference surface 51 with the height measuring device 60, and controls the control unit 100. detects the Z-direction position of the reference plane 51 from the detection results of the height measuring device 60 and the Z-direction position detection unit, and stores it in the storage device.

In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing apparatus 1 positions the height measuring device 60 above the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, and uses the height measuring device 60 to measure the circular arc surface 201. The control unit 100 detects the Z-direction position of the top end of the arcuate surface 201 from the detection results of the height measuring device 60 and the Z-direction position detection unit, and stores it in the storage device. . In this manner, in the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 measures the distance to the reference plane 51 with the height measuring device 60, and determines the position of the workpiece 200 based on the position of the reference plane 51 in the Z direction. The position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 in the Z direction is determined. In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 fixes the reference surface 51 and the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 based on the Z-direction position of the reference surface 51 and the Z-direction position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200. Detect the difference in height from the top of the

In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing apparatus 1 positions the imaging unit 30 above the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, causes the imaging unit 30 to image the workpiece 200 on the chuck table 10, and rotates the workpiece 200. The drive source is controlled to align the workpiece 200 and the cutting blade 21 by positioning the ridge of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, that is, the axis 131, which is the rotation axis of the rotary drive unit 13, parallel to the X direction. Perform the alignment to be performed.

(processing step, rotation step)
FIG. 6 is an end view of the workpiece showing the first processing step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an end view of the workpiece showing processing steps after the processing method shown in FIG. 5 has been repeated multiple times. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a workpiece in which a cutting groove has been formed in a processing step after the processing method shown in FIG. 5 has been repeated multiple times. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 8 which has been rotated by a predetermined angle in the rotation step of the processing method shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 9, in which cutting grooves have been formed in the arcuate surface of the workpiece in a machining step. FIG. 11 is an end view of the workpiece after the last machining step of the machining method shown in FIG.

Machining step ST2 is a step of forming cutting grooves 210 along the X direction in the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10. In the machining step ST2, the fixed part 12 is rotated around the axis so that the position where the cutting groove 210 is initially formed in the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10 is located at the upper end of the arcuate surface 201.

In the processing step ST2, the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 is rotated by the spindle 22 while supplying cutting water to the cutting blade 21, and a cutting groove 210 is formed in the cutting blade 21 at the beginning of the workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 is positioned with respect to the cutting blade 21 so that the positions are lined up in the X direction.

In processing step ST2, when a processing start instruction is received from the input unit 102, the reference position, the height of the reference surface 51 in the Z direction, the position of the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 in the Z direction, and the Z direction position detection unit Based on the detection result etc., the cutting feed unit 43 is controlled to move the lower end of the cutting blade of the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 in the Z direction that can form the cutting groove 210 with the depth determined by the processing content information. position. In this manner, in the processing step ST2, the processing device 1 determines the position of the lower end of the cutting blade of the cutting blade 21 and the arcuate surface 201 in the Z direction based on the position of the reference surface 51 in the Z direction, and moves the cutting blade toward the arcuate surface 201. The cutting depth of 21 is controlled. In the processing step ST2, the processing device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in one direction in the X direction using the processing feed unit 41 in a direction approaching the cutting blade 21, and as shown in FIG. 200 to form a cutting groove 210.

In the processing method, when the processing device 1 forms the cutting grooves 210 over the entire length of the workpiece 200 in the X direction, it is determined whether all the cutting grooves 210 defined by the processing content information have been formed (step ST3). In the machining method, if it is determined that not all the cutting grooves 210 defined by the machining content information have been formed (step ST3: No), the process proceeds to rotation step ST4.

The rotation step ST4 is a step of rotating the workpiece 200 by a predetermined angle after performing the processing step ST2. In the rotation step ST4, the processing device 1 once raises the cutting blade 21 to a position in the Z direction where it no longer contacts the arcuate surface 201. In the rotation step ST4, the processing device 1 uses the rotation drive unit 13 to move the workpiece 200 at a predetermined angle, and the interval between the already formed cutting groove 210 and the next cutting groove 210 to be formed is determined based on the processing content information. The cutting grooves 210 are rotated by an angle corresponding to the interval between the cut grooves 210, and the process returns to processing step ST2. In this manner, in the rotation step ST4, the control unit 100 allows the machining unit 20 to cut the ridge of the circular arc surface 201 along the X direction on the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the fixing part 12 along the X direction. After forming the groove 210, the fixing part 12 is rotated by a predetermined angle.

In the second and subsequent machining steps ST2, the machining device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in the opposite direction of the X direction, and then moves the chuck table 10 to the next direction of the workpiece 200 with respect to the rotating cutting blade 21. The workpiece 200 is positioned with respect to the cutting blade 21 at a position where the positions where the cutting grooves 210 are formed are lined up in the X direction. In the second and subsequent machining steps ST2, similarly to the first machining step ST2, the cutting feed unit 43 is controlled to move the lower end of the cutting blade of the cutting blade 21 of the machining unit 20 to the depth determined by the machining content information. The cutting groove 210 is positioned at a position in the Z direction where the cutting groove 210 can be formed. In the second and subsequent processing steps ST2, the processing device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in one direction in the X direction using the processing feed unit 41 in a direction approaching the cutting blade 21, so that the cutting blade 21 moves along the arc of the workpiece 200. A cutting groove 210 is formed by cutting into the surface 201.

In this way, in the processing method, the processing device 1 forms a plurality of cutting grooves 210 on the arcuate surface 201 with the width, depth, and interval determined by the processing content information, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the processing device 1 forms a cutting groove 210 at the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 in a processing step ST2, and then rotates the workpiece 200 at a predetermined angle in a rotation step ST4, as shown in FIG. By rotating, the position where the cutting groove 210 is to be formed next to the circular arc surface 201 is located at the upper end, and in the next processing step ST2, the next cutting groove 210 is formed at the upper end of the circular arc surface 201, as shown in FIG. . In this way, the processing device 1 repeats the processing step ST2 and the rotation step ST4 until all the cutting grooves 210 defined by the processing content information are formed. Note that in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the cut grooves 210 are shown in white, and the arcuate surface 201 on which the cut grooves 210 are not formed is shown in hatching.

Further, in the processing method of the first embodiment, the quality of the formed cutting grooves 210 is determined every time a predetermined number of cutting grooves 210 are formed, that is, after performing the processing step ST2 a predetermined number of times. judge. When determining the quality of the cutting grooves 210, the imaging unit 30 is positioned above the workpiece 200 on which the cutting grooves 210 are formed, and the imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 on which the cutting grooves 210 are formed. . The control unit 100 performs well-known image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit 30, extracts the cut grooves 210, and determines whether the width of the cut grooves 210, the interval between the cut grooves 210, etc. exceed the allowable value. It is determined whether the cutting grooves 210 are tilted or not, and whether the space between the cutting grooves 210 is tilted. If the control unit 100 determines that the permissible value has not been exceeded and that the rotation has not fallen, the process proceeds to rotation step ST4. When the control unit 100 determines that the permissible value has been exceeded or the machine has fallen down, the notification unit is operated to notify the operator and the processing method is temporarily stopped.

In addition, in the machining method, as shown in FIG. 11, when it is determined that all the cutting grooves 210 defined by the machining content information have been formed (step ST3: Yes), the process proceeds to workpiece separation step ST5. The thus formed cutting groove 210 is formed by cutting the cutting blade 21 into the upper end of the circular arc surface 201, and thus extends toward the axis 131 in the cross section of the workpiece 200.

(Workpiece separation step)
The workpiece detachment step ST5 is a step in which the workpiece 200 is detached from the chuck table 10 after the machining step ST2 and the rotation step ST4 are performed. In the workpiece removal step ST5, the processing device 1 once raises the cutting blade 21 to a position in the Z direction where it no longer contacts the arcuate surface 201, and then moves the chuck table 10 from below the processing unit 20. The rod 124 is retracted and retracted. An operator or the like takes out the workpiece 200 with the cutting grooves 210 formed therein from the chuck table 10, and the processing method ends.

As described above, in the processing apparatus 1 and the processing method according to the first embodiment, the rotation drive unit 13 of the chuck table 10 matches the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed by the fixing unit 12. The workpiece 200 is rotated around the axis 131. As a result, the processing device 1 and the processing method can form cutting grooves 210 with the same cutting depth along the ridges of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, and the arcuate surface 201 can be formed on the arcuate surface 201 having an arcuate cross section. This has the effect that the cutting groove 210 can be formed toward the center of curvature.

The processing device 1 also includes a reference base 50 having a reference surface 51 that can be contacted by the cutting blade 21, and a height measuring device that can measure the height in the Z direction of the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200. 60, the cutting depth of the cutting blade 21 into the workpiece 200 can be easily controlled.

[Embodiment 2]
A processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixed part and a rotational drive part of a chuck table of a processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same parts as in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment includes a holding unit 15 in which the fixed part 12 of the chuck table 10 is fixed to the central part in the longitudinal direction of the support member 121 and holds the workpiece 200, and the holding unit 15 includes a rod 124. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that a hole 205 is provided through which the second embodiment enters.

In the processing apparatus 1 and the processing method according to the second embodiment, the rotary drive unit 13 of the chuck table 10 rotates around the axis 131 that coincides with the center of curvature of the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed by the fixing unit 12. Since the workpiece 200 is rotated, it is possible to form the cutting groove 210 in the arcuate surface 201 having an arcuate cross section toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201, as in the first embodiment.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, the processing device 1 is a cutting device, but in the present invention, the processing device is not limited to a cutting device, and for example, A laser processing device may also be used that forms a laser processing groove, which is a processing mark, on the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 by irradiating a laser beam with a wavelength of . In this case, the laser beam irradiation unit that irradiates the laser beam corresponds to the lowering unit and the processing tool.

Further, in the present invention, the method of fixing the workpiece 200 to the fixing part 12 is not limited to the method described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. For example, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 does not include the shaft body 123, but allows the rod 124 that can enter the hole 205 to move forward and backward using a spring (not shown), and allows the rod 124 to enter the hole 205 by the biasing force of the spring. The workpiece 200 may be fixed. Further, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 includes a pair of contact members that contact both end surfaces 203 of the workpiece 200, and a spring or the like that biases each contact member toward the workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 may be sandwiched and fixed between the pair of abutting members by the urging force of the abutting members. Further, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 includes a permanent magnet etc. buried in the center of the support member 121, and the bottom surface 204 of the workpiece 200 is attracted and fixed to the surface of the support member 121 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet. You may do so. Further, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 is provided with a suction hole connected to a vacuum suction source in the center of the support member 121, and the vacuum suction source passes through the suction hole and attaches the bottom surface 204 stacked on the center of the support member 121. The workpiece 200 may be fixed by suction and holding.

1 Processing device 10 Chuck table 12 Fixed part 20 Processing unit (cutting unit)
21 Cutting blade (processing tool)
22 Spindle 41 Machining feed unit 42 Index feed unit 43 Cut feed unit 50 Reference base 51 Reference surface 60 Height measuring device 100 Control unit 131 Axial center 200 Workpiece 201 Arc surface 206 Outer surface 210 Cutting groove (machining trace)
ST1 Workpiece fixing step ST2 Processing step ST4 Rotation step ST5 Workpiece release step

Claims (6)

A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section on the outer surface of a workpiece,
A chuck table that fixes the workpiece,
a processing unit that forms processing marks on a workpiece fixed to a chuck table;
a processing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in the X direction;
an indexing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction;
a cutting feed unit that feeds the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction;
an imaging unit that images the workpiece fixed to the chuck table;
A control unit that controls each component,
The chuck table is
The workpiece with the arcuate surface exposed is fixed so as to be rotatable about the axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and the workpiece is fixed with the center of the circle formed by the arcuate surface coincident with the rotation axis. It has a fixed part that
The control unit includes:
After forming the machining mark along the X direction with the machining unit on the arcuate surface of the workpiece, the ridge of the arcuate surface being fixed to the fixing part along the X direction,
While rotating the fixed part by a predetermined angle,
A processing device that determines the quality of the processing marks based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of processing marks are formed. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part includes a rod that fixes the workpiece by being inserted into a hole provided in an end surface of the outer surface of the workpiece that is continuous with the circular arc surface. . Claim 1: The fixing part includes a holding unit that holds the workpiece and has a hole in the end face in the X direction, and a rod that fixes the workpiece by being inserted into the hole. The processing equipment described in . The chuck table is provided with a concave portion from the top surface,
2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part includes a support member disposed at a position where a central part in the longitudinal direction on which the workpiece is placed overlaps the recess. The processing unit is a cutting unit that has an axis in the Y direction and includes a spindle on which a cutting blade is attached,
a reference base having a reference surface for moving the cutting blade of the processing unit in the cutting feed direction and bringing the tip of the cutting blade into contact;
a height measuring device that measures the difference in height between the reference plane and the upper end of the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part;
Any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the height of the tip of the cutting blade and the arcuate surface is determined based on the height of the reference surface, and the cutting depth of the cutting blade into the arcuate surface is controlled. The processing device according to item (1). A processing method for forming processing marks on an arcuate surface of an outer surface of a workpiece having an arcuate cross section, using the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
a workpiece fixing step of rotatably fixing the workpiece to the fixing part on the chuck table so that the ridge of the arcuate surface is along the X direction;
a processing step of forming processing marks along the X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the chuck table;
After performing the processing step, a rotation step of rotating the workpiece by the predetermined angle;
A processing method comprising a step of removing the workpiece from the chuck table after performing the processing step and the rotation step.

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