JP3223477B2 - Tool path data connection device and method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CAD / CAM system,
Tool path given to NC machine tools (Cutter Loc
The present invention relates to a tool path data linking device for linking data, particularly CL data for wall machining.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a CAD / CAM system or the like, for example, when connecting CL data for wall machining to be provided to an NC machine tool using a design drawing of a workpiece, CL data is converted at each machining height. The CL data was linked, and then the linked CL data was linked in the order of the processing height.

[0003]

However, the CL data connected by the conventional connection method is a CL data of the same machining height.
Even with data, depending on the shape of the processing part, it is not possible to move the tool in the horizontal direction, and it is often necessary to raise the tool once, move it horizontally and lower it again, which increases the processing time There is a problem that the processing efficiency is reduced.

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tool path data linking apparatus capable of linking tool path data in such a manner as to reduce the number of times the tool is lifted. It is in.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a tool path data linking device according to the present invention provides a tool path data linking apparatus which moves a tool horizontally without raising the tool among a plurality of tool path data having the same machining height. First connecting means for connecting tool path data in an area where interference does not occur, and in a state in which connection processing is performed by the first connecting means, a unit of one layer from an upper layer to a lower layer in a processing height of interest , The tool path data of the processing height of the target of interest currently specified by the specifying means, the tool path data of the processing height of the target of interest, and the tool being lowered without being raised. Second connection means for connecting the tool path data of the machining height one layer below the target of interest which can be connected only by making the sum total of the moving distance of the tool the shortest, and the designation means The tool path data of the currently designated processing height of the target of interest that is not connected by the second connection means, and the unconnected tool of each processing height above the target of interest. A third linking means for linking the tool data with the tool path data not subjected to the link processing as the lower layer side of the path data so that the total sum of the moving distances of the tools is the shortest. In addition, the
The second connecting means or the third connecting means is respectively
For all combinations of two tool path data that can be connected
Tool path data when viewed from the height direction
The length of the overlapping part of the two-dimensional figure
Therefore, based on the sum of the evaluation values,
It is configured to be connected so as to be short. Also book
The method for linking tool path data according to the present invention uses the same machining height
Horizontal movement without raising the tool among multiple tool path data
Tool path data in an area where tool interference does not occur even if moved
Are connected to each other, and in the state where this connection processing is performed,
In order from the upper layer to the lower layer of the processing height of the target object, one layer at a time
Next, specify each of the currently specified
Tool path data and each tool path of the machining height
Link the road data and the tool just by lowering it without raising it
Obtain each tool path data of the machining height one layer below the target of interest.
The sum of the tool travel distances is the shortest
And further processing of the currently specified target
Of the tool path data of height , the shortest
Each tool path data not connected by the connection process
Unconnected tool path data for each machining height above the target
Of each tool that is not connected as a lower layer
For road data, the sum of the tool travel distances is the shortest.
It is comprised so that it may connect.

[0006]

The first connecting means connects the tool path data in an area in which no tool interference occurs even if the tool is moved horizontally without raising the tool among the plurality of tool path data having the same machining height. Then, the designation unit sequentially designates the processing height of the target of interest in units of one layer from the upper layer to the lower layer in a state where the connection processing is performed by the first connection unit.

[0007] Then, the second connecting means sets each tool path data of the currently designated target processing height, each tool path data of the target target processing height, and lowers the tool without raising it. 1
For each of the tool path data of the machining height below the layer, they are connected so that the total sum of the moving distances of the tools is the shortest.

[0008] The third connecting means is configured to output a second one of the tool path data of the currently designated processing height of the target of interest.
The moving distance of the tool between each CL data not connected by the connecting means and each CL data which is not connected as the lower layer among the unconnected tool path data of each processing height of the upper layer from the target of interest. Are connected so that the sum of the is the shortest. The tool path data connection according to the present invention
Similarly, in the method, the sum of the moving distance of the tool is the shortest.
A connection process is performed as follows.

The second connecting means and the third connecting means are provided, for example, for two combinations of the two tool path data which can be connected, when viewed from the height direction. The length of the overlapping portion of the two-dimensional figures of the data is determined as an evaluation value, and the data is linked so that the moving distance of the tool is minimized based on the sum of the evaluation values.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tool path data linking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This tool path data linking apparatus performs tool path (CL) data linking processing with the central processing unit 1 as a core. The central processing unit 1 includes an input device 2 including a keyboard and a mouse, a semiconductor memory, A storage device 3 composed of a magnetic disk or the like, an input / output control device 4, and a display device 5 composed of a graphic display or the like are connected.
The input / output control device 4 includes an external storage medium 6 including a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and a magnetic disk.
The NC machine tool 7 is connected, and the input / output control device 4
Outputs the tool path (CL) data connected by the present tool path data connection device to the NC machine tool 7 under the control of the central processing unit 1 or various applications for connecting the tool path data from the external storage medium 6 Control such as loading a program into the storage device 3 is performed.

The storage device 3 stores data corresponding to CAD graphic elements (coordinate values of a start point / end point for a two-dimensional line segment, coordinate values of a start point / end point / center for a two-dimensional arc, and rotation directions,
In the case of a two-dimensional circle, geometric information sufficient to determine a graphic element such as a center coordinate and a radius and a set and arrangement information of the graphic element, etc.), closed area data obtained by connecting CAD graphic elements to form a closed area, 2.5-dimensional data in which information such as the depth direction such as height is added to the area, tool data such as the shape and use conditions of the machining tool, machining method data such as a machining method,
CL data including a moving path of the tool is stored.

The CL data includes, in addition to the above data, an identification number of the CL data, identification of a wall where the CL data exists, draft angle information, and tool movable area information at the time of machining.

Here, the "wall" is a surface to be processed, which is a surface perpendicular to the upper surface R1 of the workpiece as shown in FIG. Or a surface indicated by a curve.

[0015] The "tool movable area" is defined as a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of vertical movement of the tool in a space (including the area occupied by the tool itself) in which the tool can actually move without interfering with the area other than the object to be machined. Indicates the area, and in general,
The same processing height (H1, H2, H3 or H4 in FIG. 3)
) Has a plurality of tool movable areas.

That is, in the machining shape as shown in FIG. 4A, the diameter of the tool T0 is larger than the width of the groove D, and the groove cannot be moved beyond the groove D without raising the tool T0.
At the processing height where L1, CL2 and CL3 exist, FIG.
As shown in (b), two tool movable areas E1, E
There are two.

A menu is displayed on the display device 5 under the control of the central processing unit 1.
The configuration is such that the CL data linking process can proceed in an interactive manner while being selected and instructed by the input device 2 such as a mouse. At this time, the central processing unit 1 reads the application program selected / instructed by the menu from the external storage medium 6 to the storage device 3 via the input / output control device 4, and according to the application program, the CL data for wall machining. Various CL data connection processes such as a connection process are performed.

At this time, the central processing unit 1 similarly stores the above-described graphic data, machining data, tool data, etc. input by the input device 2 in the storage device 3 or in the external storage medium 6. Or save. When the data is stored in the external storage medium 6, the graphic data, machining data, tool data, and the like selected / instructed by the menu are read from the external storage medium 6 via the input / output control device 4 from the storage device 3. Is displayed on the display device 5 in accordance with the data, and the CL data linking process is performed using these data.
The display device 5 displays the data connection process and the like.

Next, the connection processing of CL data for wall machining will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the central processing unit 1 connects CL data that can be connected without raising the tool within each processing height (see H1 to H4 in FIG. 3) (step S1). In addition,
In FIG. 3, the CL data is omitted and described as CL1. The same applies to other drawings.

That is, the CL data at each machining height is read from the storage device 3, and when a plurality of CL data exist at each machining height, the CL data is in the same tool movable area and can be connected without raising the tool. Are stored in the storage device 3 as one CL data. More specifically, link data that moves between each piece of CL data is created and summarized, and the storage device 3 creates one piece of CL data.
To be stored.

Next, the highest processing height, that is, the processing height of the uppermost layer is set as the target processing height (step S2). That is, the CL data of each processing height connected in step S1 is read from the storage device 3, and the identification number of each CL data of the highest processing height is stored in the work area of the storage device 3.

Next, based on the identification number of the CL data stored in the work area of the storage device 3, the CL data of the processing height set as the target is read out and stored in the work area of the storage device 3 (step S3). ).

Then, similarly, the CL data of the next processing height one layer lower than the processing height set as the target of interest is read from the storage device 3 and stored in the work area of the storage device 3 (step S4).

Next, the total sum of the moving distances of the tool is the shortest for each CL data of the machining height set as the object of interest and each CL data of the next machining height that can be connected to each CL data. Such a combination is searched for and connected (step S5: see a broken arrow in FIG. 6). Specifically, first, each CL data of the processing height set as a target of interest and each CL data of the next processing height that can be connected to each of the CL data are read from the storage device 3 and the tool is raised. The combination of the CL data that can be linked by simply lowering the tool is determined.

The connection possibility is determined as follows. That is, when the tool movable area of the CL data of the processing height next to the processing height set as the target of interest is included in the tool movable area of the CL data of the processing height of interest, these two The CL data is determined to be connectable, otherwise it is determined to be not connectable.

For example, as shown in FIG.
If there is no draft angle in the tool movable area E3 in which CL exists, the tool movable area in which CL4 exists matches. On the other hand, when there is a draft angle, as shown in FIG. 7B, the tool movable area E4 where CL4 exists is included in the tool movable area E3 where CL1 exists. In these cases, by lowering the tool T0 without raising it, CL
1 and CL4 can be connected. However, since the tool movable area E5 where CL5 exists and the tool movable area E3 where CL1 exists exist on both sides of the groove D through which the tool T0 cannot pass, they cannot be connected unless the tool T0 is raised. .

As a result of the above-described connection possibility determination, if there are a plurality of combinations that can be connected, the combinations are evaluated by the method described below, and the maximum combination of the evaluation values is determined as the connection pair. Then, connection CL data is created, linked, and stored in the storage device 3. In addition, the target C
The identification number of the CL data that has not become a connected pair among the L data is stored in the storage device 3.

Basically, this evaluation is performed by comparing each line segment or curve constituting the two CL data shapes relating to a connectable combination, and by comparing the two-dimensional CL data with the two-dimensional CL data when viewed from the height direction. The length of the portion is used as the evaluation value.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the wall is flat and has no draft, CL1 and CL2 become line segments,
Since they are on the same straight line when viewed from the height direction, in this case, the length L1 of the overlapping portion of the line segments is used as the evaluation value. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the wall is a plane and has a draft T, CL1 and CL2 are parallel to each other, so that the parallel movement is performed and the length L1 of the overlapping portion of the line segment is used as the evaluation value. .

As shown in FIG. 9 (a), when the wall has a cylindrical surface and no draft, CL1 and CL2 are arcs and are on the same circle when viewed from the height direction. The length L is used as an evaluation value. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the wall has a cylindrical surface and a draft, the wall is strictly an oblique cylindrical surface, and when viewed from the height direction, two arcs CL1 and C are formed.
L2 is off-center and has a different radius. Therefore, the centers of the arcs of CL1 and CL2 are matched,
Similar reduction (enlargement) is performed such that the radius of one arc matches the radius of the other arc. And similar reduction (enlargement)
The length L of the overlapped portion of the circular arc is used as the evaluation value. Such an evaluation is performed for all the connected pairs, and a combination that maximizes the sum of the evaluation values is determined as a combination that minimizes the sum of the moving distances.

Next, proceeding to step S6, of the CL data of the processing height of the object of interest, CL data that cannot be connected to the CL data of the next processing height, and the processing height of the layer above the object of interest. The upper and lower layers are connected in such a manner that the total sum of the moving distances of the tools is the shortest with respect to the connectable CL data.

That is, the CL data of the processing height of interest, which has not been paired in the connection processing in step S5, is read from the storage device 3, and the respective CL data are connected with the processing height higher than the processing height of interest. Among the possible CL data, the CL data with the shortest moving distance of the tool is selected, the CL data connecting the selected CL data is created and connected, and the data is collectively stored in the storage device 3. The determination of the connection possibility in this case is performed in the same manner as in step S5 for the connection information for which the CL data is not the lower-layer CL data, and the selection process is performed first. This is performed by preferentially selecting one having a close height, and selecting the same processing height by the same evaluation method as in step S5.

Next, proceeding to step S7, it is determined whether or not the working height currently focused on is the working height of the lowermost layer. As a result, if the current working height is not the lowest working height, the CL data of the working height next to the current working height is focused (step S8), and step S3 is performed.
The same processing is performed for the CL data of the processing height from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer.

As described above, the CL data of the target machining height and the next machining height are connected so that the movement of the tool is minimized (see the broken arrow in FIG. 10).
When there is CL data that cannot be connected at the processing height of interest, the CL data of the upper processing height is connected to the CL so as to minimize the movement of the tool (see the solid line arrow in FIG. 10). Most of the CL data can be locally connected between the processing height of interest and the next processing height, so the shape of the movable area of the tool to be processed at the processing height of interest during the connection process Without having to store large amounts of data frequently,
Connection can be performed at high speed. Further, as compared with the conventional method, the number of times of raising the tool is reduced, the processing time is shortened, and the processing efficiency is improved.

[0036]

As described above, according to the tool path data linking device of the present invention, the tool path data can be linked in such a manner as to reduce the number of times of raising the tool, so that the machining time is reduced and the machining efficiency is reduced. Rises.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tool path data linking device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a wall of a workpiece.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a processing height.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the reason why a plurality of tool movable areas exist at the same machining height.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing CL data connection processing.

FIG. 6 shows the local C of the target processing height and the next target processing height
It is explanatory drawing of L data connection.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of a case where connection is possible by simply lowering a tool without raising it, and a case where connection is not possible.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an evaluation method of CL data connection.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an evaluation method of CL data connection.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an overall CL data connection processing result.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Central processing unit 2: Input unit 3: Storage unit 4: Input / output control unit 5: Display unit 6: External storage medium 7: NC machine tool W: Wall H1 to H4: Processing height CL1 to CL12: CL data E1 To E5: Tool movable area

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A first connecting means for connecting tool path data in an area where tool interference does not occur even when the tool is moved horizontally without raising the tool, among a plurality of tool path data having the same machining height; Specifying means for sequentially specifying the processing height of the object of interest in the direction from the upper layer to the lower layer in units of one layer in a state where the connection processing is performed by the first connecting means; and processing of the object of interest currently specified by the specifying means Each tool path data of the height, each tool path data of the processing height of the target of interest, and each tool path of the processing height one layer lower than the target of interest that can be connected only by lowering the tool without raising it Second connection means for connecting the data so that the total sum of the moving distances of the tools is the shortest; and the second one of the tool path data of the processing height of the target of interest currently designated by the designation means. Linking For each tool path data not connected by the means and each tool path data not connected as a lower layer among unconnected tool path data of each processing height in the upper layer from the target of interest, the moving distance of the tool And a third linking means for linking the tool path data so as to minimize the sum of the tool path data. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting means or the third connecting means comprises two tool paths as viewed from the height direction for all combinations of the two connectable tool path data. 2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the length of the overlapping portion of the two-dimensional figure of the data is obtained as an evaluation value, and the tool is connected so as to minimize the moving distance of the tool based on the sum of the evaluation values. Route data linking device. 3. A plurality of tool path data of the same machining height
Even if the tool is moved horizontally without raising it, tool interference will occur.
Link the tool path data of the area that does not generate
In the state where processing has been performed,
Specify one layer at a time from the layer to the lower layer.
Tool path data of the processing height of the target of interest
The tool path data for the target machining height and the tool
From the target of interest that can be connected simply by lowering without
For each tool path data of machining height under layer,
It is connected so that the total sum of the moving distances is the shortest.
The tool path data of the specified machining height of the target
Of these, no connection is made in the shortest connection processing described above.
Tool path data and each layer above the target
As lower layer of unconnected tool path data of machining height
For each tool path data that has not been linked,
That the total sum of the moving distances of the components is the shortest.
Characteristic tool path data linking method.