JP2760935B2 - Tool change equipment for machine tool stock - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for automatically exchanging a predetermined tool between a tool magazine which moves integrally with a machine tool and a tool stocker which accommodates a plurality of tools outside the operation of the machine tool. To a stock tool changer for machine tools.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, in an NC (numerical control) machine tool,
Since the work is performed on the work by a single spindle, a problem has been pointed out that when a work requiring a plurality of works is used, the processing efficiency is reduced. Therefore, various improvements have been made to solve this kind of problem.

For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-66663, a tool magazine capable of storing a plurality of tools is prepared and mounted on a carriage that moves between the tool magazine and a machine tool. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an automatic tool changer for automatically changing a predetermined tool between the tool magazine and a spindle of the machine tool via a changing arm.

[0004]

However, in the above prior art, the tool magazine is disposed outside the operating range of the machine tool, and the carriage is moved between the machine tool and the tool magazine. A tool is exchanged between a spindle of the machine tool and a tool magazine by rotating, advancing and retreating and turning an exchange arm provided on the carriage. For this reason, it has been pointed out that a considerable amount of time is required for the tool changing operation, and particularly when the tool changing operation is frequently performed, the efficiency of the tool changing operation is not easily achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, in which a desired tool can be quickly and easily changed with respect to a spindle of a machine tool, and a plurality of tools can be efficiently changed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stock tool changer for machine tools.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided on a moving table which holds a plurality of tools and constitutes a machine tool, and is provided between a moving table and a spindle of the machine tool. A tool magazine for automatically changing tools via a tool changing mechanism, a tool stocker arranged outside the moving range of the machine tool and capable of accommodating a plurality of tools, and a tool magazine between the tool magazine and the tool stocker. in the predetermined two by grasping and posture converting the predetermined two tools
One of and a tool delivery mechanism that delivers the tools, the
The tool transfer mechanism is provided on both sides of the rotating
A pair of chucks, each of which is
Direction and the pair of chuck portions in directions different from each other.
It characterized Rukoto and a shift mechanism for advancing and retracting integrally with.

[0007]

In the machine tool stock tool changer according to the present invention, a tool magazine provided on a moving table of the machine tool accommodates tools of a type required for predetermined machining. The tool exchange operation is quickly performed between the tool magazine and the spindle via the tool exchange mechanism. When various kinds of different machining operations are performed, a plurality of tools stored in the tool stocker are once delivered to the tool magazine via the tool delivery mechanism, and then, under the action of the tool changing mechanism. Attached to the spindle. Therefore, when more types and multiple steps of machining operations than the number of tools that can be accommodated in the tool magazine are required, the desired tool can be quickly and easily mounted on the spindle of the machine tool, and the efficiency of the tool changing operation can be improved. Becomes possible.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a stock tool changer according to the present invention will be described in relation to a machine tool incorporating the same.
This will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3, reference numeral 10 denotes
1 shows a machine tool incorporating a stock tool changer according to the present embodiment. The machine tool 10 has an arrow X on a base 12.
Table 14, which is disposed on the movable table 14 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the direction, a body 16 which is supported on the movable table 14 and is able to advance and retreat in the direction of arrow Z, First lifting table 20 that can be raised and lowered
And a second lifting table 2 provided on the front surface of the first lifting table 20 and capable of moving up and down via a second servomotor 22.
And first and second spindle units 26 and 28 fixed to the first and second elevating tables 20 and 24 and vertically arranged.

The base 12 has guide rails 30a to 3
0c and a first drive motor 32 are fixedly mounted, and a ball screw 34 connected to the first drive motor 32 and extending in the direction of the arrow X engages a nut member 36 provided on the moving table 14 (see FIG. 3). ). Guide rails 38, 38 and a second drive motor 40 are fixed to the moving table 14, and a ball screw 42 connected to the second drive motor 40 and extending in the direction of the arrow Z engages the main body 16 (FIG. 2). 2).

A ball screw 44 extending vertically downward from the first servomotor 18 is connected to the first lifting table 20.
And a ball screw 46 extending vertically downward from the second servomotor 22 is engaged with the second lifting table 24. The first and second spindle units 26, 28 include spindles 48, 50, which are connected to the same motor or different motors.

The stock tool changer 60 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the machine tool 10 configured as described above.
As shown in FIG. 1, this stock tool changer 60
A tool magazine 64 provided on the moving table 14 for holding a plurality of tools T and performing an automatic change operation of the tools T between the spindles 48 and 50 of the machine tool 10 via a tool change mechanism 62; A tool stocker 66 arranged outside the moving range of the machine 10 and capable of accommodating a plurality of tools T, and a predetermined tool T being gripped and posture changed between the tool magazine 64 and the tool stocker 66, Predetermined tool T
And a tool delivery mechanism 68 for delivering the product.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tool changing mechanism 62 includes a drive unit 7 provided on a side of the main body 16.
0, a gear case 72 supported by the drive unit 70 in the axial direction of the first and second spindle units 26 and 28 (direction of arrow Z) and a gear case 7
2 and a casing member 74 which is rotatably supported on the casing member 74 and movably mounted on both sides of the casing member 74 in the radial direction (the direction of arrow X). Tool holding means 76 capable of simultaneously holding two or more tools T held respectively.

The drive unit 70 is provided with a motor 78, which moves the gear case 72 and the casing member 74 forward and backward, rotates the casing member 74, and forms two upper and lower tool gripping means 76. Chuck members 80a, 80b and 82a, 82
b.

The tool magazine 64 has a polygonal shape (hexagonal shape). The tool magazine 64 is supported on the side of the moving table 14 via a mounting member 84, and also via a motor 86 fixed to the mounting member 84. A plurality of sets of two tools T are detachably held on the outside of the tool T via a tool pot 88.

The tool stocker 66 is, as shown in FIG.
Outside the base 12 (outside the moving range of the moving table 14)
And a pair of columns 90, 90 standing upright.
A frame body 92 is fixed to the upper portions of 0 and 90. This frame 92
, A drive motor 94 is mounted, and the drive motor 94 causes an endless transport chain 96 to travel around. A plurality of tool pots 98 are attached to the transport chain 96 at predetermined intervals, and each tool pot 98 holds various types of tools T so as to correspond to multiple processes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tool transfer mechanism 68
Is a tool magazine 64 and a tool stocker 66 on the base 12.
And a support 100 disposed between the support 100 and the support 100.
Supports the rotating body 102. On this support 100,
A drive cylinder 104 is provided.
A rack bar 106 extends in the horizontal direction from 4, and the rack bar 106 meshes with a pinion 108 fixed to the rotating main body 102.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rotating body 102 includes
The through-holes 110a and 110b are provided in parallel with each other, and the outer rods 112a and 112b are inserted into the through-holes 110a and 110b in different directions so as to rotate and advance and retreat. The outer circumferential surfaces of the outer rods 112a and 112b have a plurality of circumferential grooves 114a and 114 over a predetermined length.
b are formed one by one, and the circumferential groove 114a and the circumferential groove 114b are integrally engaged with the synchronization gear 116.

Holes 118a and 118b are formed from one end of the outer rods 112a and 112b to a predetermined length, and spline grooves 120a and 120b are provided at one end. At the other end of the outer rods 112a, 112b,
Openable and closable chuck portions 122a and 122b are mounted.

The holes 118 of the outer rods 112a and 112b
The spline shafts 124a, 124b are inserted into the spline shafts 124a, 124b.
The chucking portions 126a, 126b are engaged with the spline grooves 120a, 120b and protrude to the outside.
26b is openably and closably mounted.

An outer rod 112a,
A shift mechanism 128 for integrally moving the 112b and the spline shafts 124a and 124b in directions away from each other is mounted. The shift mechanism 128 includes a shift cylinder 130 fixed to the rotating main body 102,
An end of a connecting plate 134 is engaged with a rod 132 extending from the shift cylinder 130. The connecting plate 134 is connected to the outer rod 112a via bearings 136a and 136b.
And the end of the spline shaft 124b are rotatably supported.

A chuck swing mechanism 138 for integrally swinging the chucks 122a and 122b and the chucks 126a and 126b is attached to the end of the spline shaft 124a and the end of the outer rod 112b. You. The chuck part swinging mechanism 138 includes a spline shaft 124 a
Of the outer rod 112b and the end of the outer rod 112b.
a, gear case 1 rotatably supported via 140b
42. A drive motor 144 is fixed to the gear case 142.
The drive gear 148 is fixed to 6. This drive gear 148
Are driven gears 152, 15 via a gear train 150.
4 and the driven gears 152, 154
Are fixed to the ends of the spline shaft 124a and the outer rod 112b, and are rotated in different directions.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the base 12, in addition to the main body 16 described above, a main body 16a is individually movably disposed via a moving table 14a.
The same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted. The same stock tool changing device (not shown) as the stock tool changing device 60 described above is mounted on the main body 16a side, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In front of the main bodies 16, 16a, a work W
A work mount (not shown) for positioning and holding (see FIG. 3) is provided.

Next, the operation of the stock tool changer 60 configured as described above will be described in relation to the machine tool 10.

First, while the work W is positioned and held on the work mount in a predetermined working posture, the first and second spindle units 26 and 28 mounted on the main body 16 are used for working the work W. Corresponding predetermined tool T,
T is mounted in advance. Therefore, the first and second
Tools T, T mounted on spindle units 26, 28
Are integrally rotated and driven by the work W under the action of the first servo motor 18 and the second servo motor 22.
The respective height positions are adjusted in accordance with the processing parts.

Next, the first and second spindle units 26 and 28 are positioned in the direction of the arrow X with respect to the workpiece W by driving the first drive motor 32, and the second drive motor 40 is further driven. Thereby, the workpiece W is moved toward each processing portion (forward in the arrow Z direction).

Therefore, by selectively performing each of the above operations, the first and second spindle units 26, 28
The tools T, T, which are mounted and rotated, automatically perform a machining operation on a predetermined machining portion of the workpiece W. After the machining operation is completed, the second drive motor 40 is driven in the opposite direction to the above, and the main body 16 moves in a direction away from the work W, and the tools T, T are separated from the work W. Then, the work W after the processing is removed from the work mounting table, and a new work W before processing is mounted on the work mounting table, and the processing operation on the work W is performed by performing the above-described processing operation. Is done.

Next, when performing a machining operation on different types of workpieces W, the tool magazine 64 is rotated by a predetermined angle under the action of the motor 86, and the desired tools T, T held on the outside thereof are removed. It is stopped at a position arranged in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, the first and second servomotors 18 and 22 are driven, and the first and second lifting tables 2 are driven.
The tools 0, 24 are displaced in the vertical direction, and the tools T, T mounted on the first and second spindle units 26, 28 are positioned corresponding to the height of the tool holding means 76 of the casing member 74.

Then, the motor 78 constituting the drive unit 70 is driven, and the desired tools T, T held in the tool magazine 64 are held by the chuck members 80a, 80b, while the spindle members are held by the chuck members 82a, 82b. Tools T, T mounted on 50, 48 are gripped. When the motor 78 is further rotated, the gear case 72 and the casing member 74 move forward, and then the casing member 74 turns by 180 °.

Next, when the gear case 72 and the casing member 74 are retracted, the chuck members 80a,
The tools T, T gripped by 80b are spindles 48, 50
And the tools T, T held by the chuck members 82a, 82b are held in the tool pot 88 of the tool magazine 64. Then, the chuck members 80a, 80
b and 82a, 82b are respectively disengaged from the tools T, T and move inward of the casing member 74, and the tool changing operation is completed.

By the way, when a plurality of tools T are used to machine a workpiece W requiring a multi-step machining operation, the number of tools T held in the tool magazine 64 is often insufficient. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the tool stocker 66 capable of accommodating a plurality of tools T is disposed outside the base 12, and the tool magazine 64 and the tool stocker 66 are connected via the tool transfer mechanism 68. The work of exchanging the predetermined tool T between the automatic operations is automatically performed.

That is, the moving table 14 is moved to the side of the base 12, and the tool magazine 64 is arranged corresponding to the tool transfer mechanism 68. Here, the shift mechanism 12
8 is driven and the rod 132 extends outwardly, the outer rod 112a and the spline shaft 124b are integrally outwardly connected via the connecting plate 134 that engages with the rod 132. 8, the chuck portions 122a and 126b are positioned with respect to predetermined tools T and T held in the tool pots 98 and 98 of the tool stocker 66.

At this time, when the outer rod 112a moves in the direction of arrow A, the synchronizing gear 116 meshing with the circumferential groove 114a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer rod 112a is moved as shown in FIG.
During rotation, it rotates in the direction of arrow B, and the outer rod 112b moves in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A (the direction of arrow C) via the circumferential groove 114b that meshes with the synchronization gear 116. A spline shaft 124a is connected to the outer rod 112b via a gear case 142.
4a moves in the direction of arrow C. As a result, the chuck portions 122b and 126a are connected to the tool pot 8 of the tool magazine 64.
It is positioned with respect to predetermined tools T, T held at 8, 88.

Next, the drive motor 144 constituting the chuck swing mechanism 138 is driven, and the rotation shaft 146 and the drive gear 148 are integrally rotated. This drive gear 148
Driven gear 15 meshed with the gear train 150 via the gear train 150
2 and 154 are a spline shaft 124a and an outer rod 11
2b and the outer rod 112
a, the spline shaft 124 b is
The spline shaft 124a and the outer rod 112b are rotated integrally with the spline shaft 124a and the outer rod 112b via the shafts 120a and 120b. For this reason, the chuck parts 122a and 122b and the chuck parts 126a,
126b swings integrally, and the predetermined tools T, T held in the tool pots 98, 98 of the tool stocker 66 and the predetermined tools T, T held in the tool pots 88, 88 of the tool magazine 64. Is gripped (see FIG. 7).

Further, when the shift cylinder 130 is driven and the rod 132 is moved in the direction of arrow C, the outer rods 112a, 112b and the spline shafts 124a,
124b moves in a direction approaching each other (inward),
Chuck portions 122a and 126b and chuck portion 122
b, 126a, the tool T held by the tool stocker 66
And taken out of the tool magazine 64.

When the rack bar 106 moves under the action of the drive cylinder 104, the rotating body 102 is moved through the pinion 108 meshing with the rack bar 106.
Rotated by 0 °. After that, the shift cylinder 130 is driven, and the tool T held by the chuck portions 122a and 126b is held by the tool pot 88 of the tool magazine 64, and the tool T held by the chuck portions 126a and 122b is It is held in the tool pot 98 of the tool stocker 66. Further, the drive motor 144 is rotated in the opposite direction to the above, and the chuck portions 122a, 122b,
126a and 126b are disengaged from the tool T and the chuck portions 122a,
2b, 126a and 126b are retracted.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the tool magazine 64 holds the minimum number of tools T required for machining a predetermined work W, and the tool magazine 64 is connected to the tool magazine 64 via the tool changing mechanism 62. The exchange operation of the desired tool T between the spindles 48 and 50 is quickly performed. Then, a work W requiring a multi-step machining operation using a plurality of tools T
In the case of machining the tool T, the exchange operation of the tool T is automatically performed via the tool transfer mechanism 68 between the tool magazine 64 and the tool stocker 66 in which a large number of tools T are stored. Therefore, a large number of tools T are sequentially supplied to the tool magazine 64, and various kinds of tools T can be quickly sent out to the spindles 48 and 50 via the tool changing mechanism 62. Thereby, particularly when machining a work W requiring a multi-step machining operation using various types of tools T, an effect is obtained that an efficient tool exchange operation is easily and automatically performed.

[0039]

According to the machine tool stock tool changer of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

Via a tool transfer mechanism between a tool magazine provided on a moving table constituting the machine tool and a tool stocker arranged outside the moving range of the machine tool and holding a plurality of tools. Since the tool change operation is performed automatically, especially when many types and multi-step machining operations are required, the desired tools are sequentially held in the tool magazine, so that the desired tools are mounted on the spindle of the machine tool. Quick and easy installation. by this,
Even when more tools than the number of tools that can be stored in the tool magazine are used, it is possible to efficiently and automatically change a desired tool to the spindle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view of a stock tool changer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory front view of a machine tool incorporating the tool changing device.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view of a main part of the machine tool.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a tool magazine, a tool stocker, a tool transfer mechanism, and a tool changing mechanism that constitute the tool changing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a tool transfer mechanism constituting the tool changer.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the tool transfer mechanism.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory front view of the tool transfer mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operation of the tool transfer mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Machine tool 12, 12a Base 14, 14a Moving table 16, 16a Main body 18, 22 Servo motor 26, 26a, 28, 28a Spindle unit 48, 48a, 50, 50a Spindle 60, 60a Tool changing device 62 Tool changing mechanism 64 Tool magazine 66 Tool stocker 68 Tool transfer mechanism 70 Drive unit 72 Gear case 74 Casing member 76 Tool holding means 96 Transfer chain 98 Tool pot 102 Rotating body 104 ... Driving cylinders 112a, 112b ... Outer rod body 116 ... Synchronizing gears 122a, 122b ... Chuck parts 124a, 124b ... Spline shaft bodies 126a, 126b ... Chuck parts 128 ... Shift mechanism 130 ... Shift cylinder 138 ... Chuck part swing mechanism 144 … Drive module Data

────────────────────────────────────────────────── (5) References JP-A-56-163856 (JP, A) JP-A-58-211842 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B23Q 3/157

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tool magazine which is provided on a moving table which constitutes a machine tool while holding a plurality of tools, and which performs an automatic tool exchange operation with a spindle of the machine tool via a tool exchange mechanism. A tool stocker arranged outside the moving range of the machine tool and capable of accommodating a plurality of tools; and a predetermined space between the tool magazine and the tool stocker.
A tool transfer mechanism for holding and changing the posture of the two tools and transferring the two predetermined tools , and wherein the tool transfer mechanism has swing mechanisms on both sides of the rotating body.
A pair of switches that are attached to
The chuck and the pair of chucks are integrally integrated in different directions.
Stock tool changer of the machine tool, characterized in Rukoto and a shift mechanism for advancing and retracting the.