JP3202102B2 - Program controller for rotary tables - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program control device for a rotary table for easily controlling a rotary table mounted on a machine tool such as a machining center.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art If a rotary table is mounted on a machine tool such as a machining center, a work to be mounted on the rotary table can be rotated and indexed at an arbitrary angle, so that complicated processes can be performed without changing the work. Can be completed in a short time.

[0003] Such a circular table is a process completion signal from a machine tool (a signal indicating that one process on the machine tool has been completed when machining a workpiece, according to a control program specified in advance. In order to index the work in rotation according to (1), drive control is usually performed via a program controller. That is, the program control device stores a control program for designating the indexing angle of the work for each process of the machine tool, and can control the indexing of the circular table according to the control program.

[0004] The rotary indexing of the rotary table generally includes an incrementing index and an absolute indexing. The former specifies the index angle relative to the previous index angle, while the latter absolutely specifies the index angle of the circular table. Therefore, the conventional program control device prepares a specific declaration code in the control program in order to distinguish them. For example, G90
The G91 code declares an absolute index, while the G91 code declares an incremental index, and similarly, all subsequent control steps are incremented. It means indexing. When the rotation indexing with the same indexing angle is repeated a plurality of times, the same control step may be repeatedly instructed by the number of repetitions.

[0005]

According to the prior art, when the rotation indexing with the same indexing angle is repeated,
Since the same control step must be instructed by the number of repetitions, not only the control program becomes redundant, but also the absolute index and the increment index are classified by the declaration code. There was a problem that it was complicated and troublesome. When changing or modifying the control program, you must be aware of the declaration code that exists immediately before it.
For that purpose, it is essential to check many control steps of the control program in the reverse direction.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a decoding means for designating the number of repeats for each control step and judging absolute indexing or incrementing indexing in accordance with the contents of the specified number of repeats in view of the problem of the prior art. The object of the present invention is to provide a program controller for a rotary table, which eliminates the need to use a redundant control program and makes it very simple to change and modify the program.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory device, a reading device for reading a control program stored in the memory device, and a control program read by the reading device. And decrypt
Decoding means for controlling the drive motor via the drive control device, wherein the memory means stores a control program for designating the index angle and the number of repeats for each control step; The gist is that, when the specified content is a natural number, it is determined to be the increment index equal to the specified number of the repeat number, and when the specified content of the repeat number is not a natural number, it is determined to be the absolute index.

[0008]

According to the structure of the invention, the decoding means is
In accordance with the content of the number of repeats specified for each control step of the control program, it is possible to determine whether the control step is an increment index or an absolute index. That is, the decryption means determines that if the specified content of the repeat number is a natural number, it is an increment index of the same number of times, and if the specified content of the repeat number is other than a natural number, it is an absolute index. This is because it can be determined. Here, the natural number means a positive integer not including zero. The number of repeats is an index that specifies the number of repetitions of the control step. Therefore, the control program at this time can specify the number of repetitions of each control step in the control step, and can also specify the increment index and the absolute index for each control step. is there.

[0009]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Program controller 10 for a circular table
Comprises a memory unit 11, a reading unit 12, and a decoding unit 13 (FIG. 1).

The rotary table TB is mounted on a machine tool MF such as a machining center (FIG. 2). A drive motor M with an encoder EN is connected to the circular table TB, and the drive motor M is connected to an output of the drive control device TC. The output of the encoder EN is connected to the drive control device TC. Therefore, the rotary table TB can be rotationally indexed to an arbitrary index angle θ by controlling the rotation of the drive motor M in the forward and reverse directions via the drive control device TC.

A main controller MC is attached to the machine tool MF. Therefore, the machine tool MF has a main controller MC
Table T according to the machining program stored in
Arbitrary processing can be applied to any workpiece loaded on B. The main controller MC receives a system start signal S1 given from a host computer (not shown) or a work exchange system. Also,
The main controller MC outputs a process completion signal S4 to the program controller 10.

A command signal S from the program controller 10
2 is input to the drive control device TC, and the drive control device TC
Is sent to the main controller MC and the program controller 10 as a branch.

The program control device 10 includes the writing device 1
0a is attached (FIG. 1), and the output of the writing device 10a is connected to the memory means 11 of the program control device 10. The output of the memory means 11 is:
It is individually connected to the reading means 12, to which a process completion signal S4 from the main controller MC is inputted. The output of the reading means 12 is input to the drive control device TC via the decoding means 13 as a command signal S2. The indexing completion signal S3 from the drive control device TC is branched and input to the decoding means 13, and the decoding means 13 is further input with the process completion signal S4 from the main control device MC. Another output of the decoding means 13 is connected to the reading means 12 via the address counter 14.

The writing means 10a has a data input key (not shown), and inputs a control program comprising a series of control steps Nn (n = 1, 2,...) As shown in FIG. The memory means 11 can store the control program thus input. The display 11a can display a control program input by the writing unit 10a. However, the display 11a can display the input control program at least for each control step Nn. Therefore, the operator sees the display on the display 11a, and thus, for each control step Nn, You can check the input control program. Further, the operator causes the control program stored in the memory means 11 to be displayed on the display 11a as necessary, and
Via a, it can be changed and modified.

In FIG. 3, the number n assigned to each control step Nn indicates the address of each control step Nn. .Theta.x (-360 <x <+360) indicates the content of control that the rotary table TB should be rotated and indexed to the index angle .theta. = X (degrees), and Rm (m = 0, 1, 2,...) Indicates the number of repeats. Note that x <0 indicates that the rotary table TB is to be rotated in the negative direction, and x> 0 indicates that the rotary table TB is to be rotated in the positive direction. However, the round table T
The positive direction of B is determined, for example, in the direction of arrow K in FIG. 2, and at this time, the index angle θ of the circular table TB is assumed to increase in the positive direction.

Now, when an arbitrary work is set on the rotary table TB and a system start signal S1 is given from the outside, the main controller MC starts the machine tool MF in accordance with the machining program, and performs one process on the work. The processing of.
When the machining of one process is completed, the main controller MC stops the machine tool MF and sets the program controller 10
Outputs a step completion signal S4 to the address counter 14
The control step Nn corresponding to the address n can be read from the memory means 11 in accordance with the address n stored in the memory n. However, it is assumed that the address n stored in the address counter 14 is initially initialized to n = 1.
2 reads the first control step N1.

The reading means 12 transfers the control step N1 thus read out to the decoding means 13, so that the decoding means 13 focuses on the specified content m of the number of repeats Rm included in the control step N1. The control content θx in step N1 is determined. That is, the decryption means 13 calculates m =
When 0, it is determined that the control content θx is an absolute index, and when m = 1, 2,..., It is determined that the increment index is repeated m times. Therefore, in the former case, the decoding means 13 determines that the target indexing angle θo = x
A command signal S2 including (degrees) and the rotation direction of the circular table TB based on the sign of x can be output to the drive control device TC. In the latter case, the target index angle θo = θ1 +
A command signal S2 including x (degrees) and the rotation direction of the circular table TB based on the sign of x can be output to the drive control device TC. Here, θ1 is the previous target indexing angle, and at the first operation after the system is started, θ1 is
What is necessary is to set 1 = 0 (degree).

On the other hand, when the command signal S2 is given in this manner, the drive control device TC controls the rotation of the drive motor M and indexes the rotation angle θ of the rotary table TB to θ = θo. it can. At this time, the encoder E
N indicates the index angle θ of the rotary table TB by the drive controller TC.
Feedback to

When the rotation indexing of the rotary table TB is completed, the drive control device TC includes the main control device MC and the decoding means 1.
Then, an indexing completion signal S3 is sent out to S3. Therefore, main controller MC can start processing in the next step according to the processing program. On the other hand, the decoding means 13 calculates m =
When it is 0, it instructs the address counter 14 to set the stored address n to n = n + 1,
When m ≠ 0, m = m−1, and waits for a process completion signal S4 from the main controller MC. That is, the decoding means 13
Means that when m = 0, the reading means 12 causes the next control step N (n + 1) = N
2 can be read from the memory means 11,
While the address n stored in the address counter 14 is updated, when m ≠ 0, the specified content m of the repeat number Rm is updated and the process waits.

Subsequently, when the machining of the next process by the machine tool MF is completed, a process completion signal S4 is generated. At this time, the reading means 12 and the decoding means 13 transmit the repeat updated by the decoding means 13 earlier. One of them operates selectively depending on whether or not the designated content m of the number Rm is m = 0. That is, when m ≠ 0, the decoding means 13 operates. At this time, the decoding means 13 re-executes the increment index including the same control content θx as the previous time, and further specifies the number of repeats Rm. Update m again. on the other hand,
When m = 0, the reading means 12 operates. At this time, the reading means 12 reads the control step Nn = N2 from the memory means 11 according to the previously updated address n and transfers it to the decoding means 13. Thus, the decryption means 13 can operate according to the newly transferred control step N2.

Hereinafter, similarly, the decoding means 13 determines that the specified content m of the repeat number Rm in the control step Nn is m
When ≠ 0, it is determined that the control content θx of the control step Nn is the increment index, and this can be repeated m times. When m = 0, it is determined that the control content θx is an absolute index, and the control content θx can be executed once.

The program control device 10 can also be realized by software by a microcomputer, and the program at this time is, for example, as shown in a program flowchart of FIG.

The program is started by the first machining completion signal S4 from the main controller MC, and reads out the first control step N1 of the stored control program (program step (1) in FIG. 4, hereinafter simply referred to as (1)). 1)
Like this).

Thereafter, the program determines whether or not the read content m of the repeat number Rm of the control step N1 is m = 0 (2), and determines the control content θ of the control step N1.
It is determined whether x is an absolute index or an increment index, and the corresponding command signal S
2 is output to the drive control device TC ((3), (4)).

The indexing completion signal S from the drive control unit TC
When 3 occurs (5), the program confirms that m = 0 (6), updates the address n (7), and waits for the generation of the next process completion signal S4 (11). However, m ≠
If the value is 0 (6), the designated content m is updated by setting m = m-1 (8). If the designated content m after the update is m ≠ 0 (9), the next process completion signal S4 is generated as it is. (10), and if m = 0 (9), the address n is updated (7), and the next process completion signal S4 is waited (11).

Therefore, when the specified content m after the update is m ≠ 0, the next process completion signal S4 is generated ((9),
(10)) The program re-executes the increment index of the same control step N1 as the previous time ((2)
(4)) Otherwise, when the next process completion signal S4 is generated ((6), (9), (7), (11)), the next control step N (n) is performed according to the new address n = n + 1.
+1) = N2 is read (1), and an indexing operation based on the control step N2 can be executed ((2),
(3), (4)).

In the same manner, the program sequentially reads the control steps Nn, and specifies the contents m of the number of repeats Rm.
According to the above, it is determined whether the index is an absolute index or an increment index. In the case of the increment index, the indexing operation can be repeated as many times as the specified content m.

Now, comparing FIG. 1 with FIG. 4, the former reading means 12 corresponds to the latter program step (1), and the decoding means 13 comprises the program steps (2) to (4), (6). ), (8) and (9), and the address counter 14 corresponds to the program step (7). The memory unit 11 corresponds to a memory device (not shown) that stores a control program.

In the above description, the specified content m of the repeat number Rm for determining whether the index is an absolute index or an increment index may include not only numbers but also characters. That is, when the designated content m is a natural number, the decoding means 13 determines the control content θ of the control step Nn.
It may be determined that x is an increment index, and if x is not a natural number, it may be determined that the index is an absolute index.

As the process completion signal S4 generated by the main controller MC, a signal known as a so-called M signal in a general NC controller can be used as it is.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is determined whether the control content of the control step is an absolute index based on the content of the repeat number specified for each control step of the control program. By providing the decoding means for determining whether or not the index is incremented, the control program can specify the type of indexing for each control step. In the case of increment indexing, the control content can be repeatedly executed the number of times equal to the specified content of the repeat number, so that the control program does not need to repeatedly describe the control steps of the same control content, Therefore, there is an excellent effect that the redundancy of the control program can be remarkably improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

Fig. 1 Overall block system diagram

Fig. 2 Conceptual diagram of usage state

Fig. 3 Control program list

FIG. 4 is a program flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 TB: circular table M: drive motor TC: drive controller θ: indexing angle Rm (m = 0, 1, 2,...): Number of repeats m: specified contents 10: program controller 11: memory means 12, read means 13 … Decryption means

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G05B 19/18-19/46 B23Q 15/00-15/28 B23Q 16/02 G05D 3/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A memory device, a read device for reading a control program stored in the memory device, a control program read by the read device, and a drive motor controlled via a drive control device. Decoding means, wherein the memory means stores a control program for specifying an indexing angle and a number of repeats for each control step, and the decoding means, when the specified content of the number of repeats is a natural number, the number of repeats A program control device for a circular table, wherein it is determined that the number of increments is equal to the number of specified contents, and if the specified number of repeats is other than a natural number, it is determined to be absolute indexing.