JP3502422B2 - Chip removal equipment for machine tools - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chip removing device for a machine tool, and more particularly to a device capable of automatically removing chips adhering and accumulating on a table or a work during cutting by a machine tool.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large amount of chips scraped off from a work is produced during cutting or drilling with a machine tool.
The generated chips are made to flow along with the cutting oil, and most of them are discharged to a discharge conveyor or the like on the side of the table. However, a part of the chips may adhere to or accumulate on the table or the work and remain, which may cause a problem in the next processing. Especially in large machine tools such as plano mirrors, the work and table also become larger,
The chips will not be sufficiently discharged, and there is a high possibility that they will remain.

Conventionally, such residual chips have been visually inspected by an operator and manually removed. However, in the manual work, the efficiency of the removal work itself is low, and it is necessary to stop the operation of the machine tool in order to ensure the safety when the worker enters the machine, which causes a decrease in operating efficiency. . In particular, in recent years, complete automation of machine tool operation has been promoted, and there is a strong demand for elimination of manual work.

Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a chip removing device that can automatically remove the chips of a machine tool without manual labor. In response to such demands, as an automatic chip removing device, chips are identified by image capturing or image processing of the work surface, and the chips are automatically transferred to a discharge conveyor by wiping or sweeping the work surface with a scraper or the like. A device for discharging is under consideration.

[0005]

However, if a dedicated mechanism such as a scraper moving mechanism is added around the table of the machine tool as a chip removing device, complication of the structure of the machine tool and increase of equipment cost can be avoided. There is a problem that there is no. In addition, there is a problem that the addition of the chip removing device causes the mechanisms around the table to be densely packed, which hinders the original machining operation and work. Further, in capturing the image of the upper surface of the work, there is a problem that the automatic focus adjustment of the camera is frequently performed when the work shape is complicated, the processing time becomes long, and the work efficiency decreases. Further, when the size of the chips cannot be accurately identified at the time of image recognition, the processing efficiency is reduced to remove even unnecessary fine chips,
The chips to be removed cannot be reliably removed and manual assistance is required, which again reduces the work efficiency. An object of the present invention is to provide a chip removing device for a machine tool that can automate chip removal with a simple structure and efficiently perform reliable chip removal.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims at automation by capturing an image, uses a detachable dust collecting attachment instead of a tool for a spindle of a machine tool, and moves the dust collecting attachment to a chip position by moving the spindle. By removing the chips by moving them, the dedicated mechanism can be minimized. That is, it is a chip removing device for a machine tool that is operation-controlled by an NC device having a spindle that is capable of relative movement with respect to a table on which a work is placed and that has a tool that can be attached and detached. A dust collection attachment having a nozzle capable of sucking chips,
Chip detection means for capturing the image including the table and the work to detect the chip position on each surface, and the nozzle of the dust collection attachment mounted on the spindle by controlling the machine tool is detected by the chip detection means. with the a chip removal instruction means for moving the chip position, the chip detection
The means is to capture the image and
Image input means for creating image data and the machine tool
NC provided to the NC device for machining a workpiece
An area for reading data, analyzing, and inputting images is set up.
Input by the area setting means to be set and the image input means
Images of the prepared table and work for each area
Image identification by analyzing and detecting the image part corresponding to the chips
And means .

Further, the dust collecting attachment is characterized by comprising a blower which is rotationally driven by the main shaft to suck the chips from the nozzle, and a collecting portion which collects the chips sucked by the blower. . Furthermore, when the main shaft supporting the main shaft is installed in a column or a column and the dust collecting attachment is attached to the tool mounting portion of the main shaft, the dust collecting attachment has a discharge device connectable with the discharge device. A suction pipe communicating with the nozzle, a blower for sucking chips from the nozzle via the suction pipe, and a discharge pipe for discharging the chips sucked by the blower to a chip discharging portion of the machine tool. It is characterized by having.

The area setting means sets an area for each height of the upper surface of the workpiece based on machining data from the control device of the machine tool, and the image inputting means.
Is equipped with a focus setting unit for performing focus setting based on the work top surface height for each area set by the area setting means.
In addition, the image identification means is provided with a height correction unit that performs chip size correction based on the work top surface height for each area during the chip position detection processing. Further, the chip removing command means outputs a command for mounting the dust collecting attachment and for moving the nozzle to a chip position in a processing data format that can be read by a control device of the machine tool.

[0009]

[Operation] In the present invention as described above, after the work is processed with the tool mounted on the spindle, the chip detection means captures an image of the work or the like at an appropriate time to determine the chip position on each surface. Detecting and controlling the machine tool with the chip removal command means, installing a dust collection attachment instead of the tool, and moving the main shaft relative to the table so that the nozzle comes to the previously detected chip position. Therefore, the suction or removal of the chips is surely and efficiently performed.

Here, when a blower and a collecting section are provided in the dust collecting attachment, chips are sucked by utilizing the driving force of the main shaft, and when the chips are accumulated, the chips are moved to the upper part of the discharge conveyor or the like. , Collected chips are discharged together. In this way, the nozzle, blower, and collection unit are installed together in the dust collection attachment, so there is no need to add a dedicated device, etc. to the machine tool itself, and the dust collection attachment is handled like an ordinary tool. It is possible,
It is possible to simplify the structure for automation and reduce the cost.

Further, in the case of providing a discharge device extending from the spindle head to the column, by mounting a dust collecting attachment on the spindle, the discharge pipe line is connected and suction from the nozzle can be performed. As a result, the sucked chips are directly discharged to the discharge conveyor or the like, so that the work efficiency is further improved by continuous suction or discharge. And, since the nozzle part is attached to the main shaft and moved to any part of the work, the blower etc. is installed on the main spindle head or column,
Even if a powerful blower or the like is used, inconveniences such as an increase in the size of the dust collection attachment can be avoided.

On the other hand, in the chip detecting means, the height of the upper surface of the work is obtained based on the machining data, and the focus is adjusted according to this height, whereby the image capturing process can be efficiently performed. By correcting the chip size and the like based on this, the chip detection accuracy and the like can be improved. Further, the chip removal command means outputs a command for mounting the dust collection attachment and a command for moving the nozzle to the chip position in a machining data format that can be read by the control device of the machine tool, thereby providing a dedicated device for the machine tool and the control device. Since it is not necessary to additionally set a dedicated program or a special program, further simplification and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a nozzle and a blower are collectively installed in a dust collecting attachment that can be attached to and detached from a main shaft.

In FIG. 1, a machine tool 10 has a table 12 movable on a bed 11 extending in one direction, and a work 13 is placed on the table 12. A conveyor 14 for discharging chips is installed on both sides along the bed 11, and the conveyor 14 receives chips dropped from the table 12 or the work 13 and sends the chips to either side in the longitudinal direction, and the side end portion is concerned. The chips are discharged into a chip box or the like (not shown) provided. A gate-shaped column 15 is installed so as to straddle the bed 11 and the table 12. A spindle head 17 is supported on a horizontal cross rail 16 above the column 15 so as to be movable in its longitudinal direction. A ram 18 penetrating in the vertical direction and movable in the vertical direction is provided on the main spindle head 17, and a main shaft (not shown) that is rotationally driven by an internal motor is supported on the ram 18.

A control device 20 and an operation panel 21 for operating the control device 20 are installed on the side of the column 15. The control device 20 includes an existing NC device, and based on the external operation from the operation panel 21 and the loaded NC data, the machine tool 10
It controls the operation of. That is, by moving the table 12 along the bed 11, relative movement of the table 12 and the spindle in the X-axis direction is performed, and by moving the spindle head 17 along the cross rail 16, the Y-axis movement is performed. , Rum
The Z-axis is moved by raising and lowering 18 with respect to the spindle head 17. Therefore, a desired tool 19 or the like is attached to the tip of the spindle (in FIG. 1, a dust collecting attachment 30 described later is attached), and the spindle is moved relative to the table 12 in the X, Y, and Z axial directions. 13 three-dimensional processing is performed.

In order to change the tool at the tip of the spindle, the bed is
A tool magazine 23 containing a large number of tools 19 and the like, and a rotating arm type tool changer 27 for exchanging the tools in the tool magazine 23 with the tools on the spindle are installed near the column 15 on the 11 side. . Further, an attachment stocker 29 is installed at a position facing the column 15. The attachment is placed on the attachment stand 28 and moved from the attachment stocker 29 into place to
It is designed to replace the attachments attached to the bottom surface. These operations are also controlled by the NC unit of the controller 20.

In the present embodiment, in order to remove the chips 26 attached or accumulated on the table 12 and the work 13,
A dust collection attachment 30 (see Fig. 2) that can be attached to the tip of the spindle is installed, and the cross rail 16 of the column 15
A line sensor 40 (see FIG. 3) is installed in the. Further, the control device 20 includes an NC device 22 for controlling the operation of the machine tool 10, a chip detecting means 50 and a chip removing command means 60 for controlling the removing operation of the chips 26 by the dust collecting attachment 30 (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 2, the dust collecting attachment 30 has a taper shank 31 similar to that of an existing tool, and can be attached to a collet chuck for attaching a tool at the tip of a spindle. The taper shank 31 is rotatably supported by a base 32, and the base 32 is prevented from rotating around the ram 18 by a concave-convex engagement portion or the like when the tip of the main shaft is attached. Further, the base 32 is provided with a box-shaped collection part 34, an exhaust blower 35, a nozzle 36 communicating with the collection part 34, and a door 37. The blower 35 is driven by the taper shank 31 that rotates integrally with the main shaft via the belt 35A and the pulleys 35B and 35C, and as a result, the recovery unit 34
By reducing the pressure inside, the chips 26 and the like can be sucked from the tip of the nozzle 36. The tip of the nozzle 36 is set on an extension of the central axis of the main shaft. The collection unit 34 can discharge the sucked chips 26 and the like by opening and closing the door 37 with the air cylinder 37A.

As shown in FIG. 3, the line sensor 40 is installed on the rear surface of the cross rail 16 of the column 15 so as to be inclined downward, and linearly scans the lower table 12 and the work 13 in the Y-axis direction. (Refer to FIG. 5; scanning width L0) is repeatedly sent in the X-axis direction, and a CCD camera 41 capable of photographing each image as a two-dimensional raster image is provided. The CCD camera 41 is supported on the back side of the cross rail 16 via a moving member 42 and a fixed member 43. The moving member 42 is movable along the fixed member 43,
42 and the fixing member 43 are connected by a feed screw mechanism 44.
The feed screw mechanism 44 is driven by the motor 45 and moves the moving member 42 with respect to the fixed member 43. This allows the CCD camera
41 is placed close to and away from the table 12 and the work 13, and the focus of the CCD camera 41 is adjusted by this. The output of the CCD camera 41 is connected to the control device 20, and the line sensor 40 constitutes the chip detecting means 50 as a part of the image input means 51.

The chip detecting means 50, as shown in FIG. 4, includes an image inputting means 51, an area setting means 52, and an image identifying means 53. The image input means 51 is the line sensor 40 described above.
Together with the image data processing unit 54, the focus control unit 55,
A scan control unit 56 is provided. The image data processing unit 54 includes a signal amplifier and an A / D converter that process a scanning signal from the line sensor 40, and creates image data of the table 12 and the upper surface of the work 13 based on the signal from the line sensor 40. The image data memory 51A. The image data memory 51A corresponds to the XY coordinate system of the table 12, and the position in the image corresponds to the position on the table 12 one to one.

The focus control unit 55 is a motor for the line sensor 40.
It drives the 45 to adjust the focus for image capture and has an existing autofocus (AF) mechanism.
The focus control unit 55 uses a focal length (Z
Adjustment operation is possible according to the axial position). Scan controller 56
Is scanned by the CCD camera 41 of the line sensor 40 (Y-axis direction)
Generates a timing pulse that gives the timing to perform the movement, and issues a movement command (X-axis direction) to the NC device 22,
Two-dimensional image capture is realized by sequentially sending scanning positions. The scan controller 56 is a line sensor.
Although 40 controls to scan within a predetermined range, this range can be designated from the outside.

The area setting means 52 is used for the work on the machine tool 10.
NC data given to NC device 22 for processing 13
22A is read and analyzed, and the range is set for each surface height of the work 13.
(Area) is set, and each range is recorded in the area list memory 52A together with the height value. The image input means 51 described above is adapted to input an image for each area recorded in the area list memory 52A, and the focus control section 55 performs focus adjustment based on the height of the target area and scan control. The unit 56 is adapted to set the target area as the scanning range.

In FIG. 5, the work 13 has an upper surface with heights T1 and T2.
2 has two parts, the width of each in the X-axis direction is W1, W2 (=
W1) and the length in the Y-axis direction is L1, L2. The area setting means 52 has an area S1 of W1 × L1 having a height T1 from the above-mentioned values from the NC data 22A and W2 × having a height T2.
Two areas, L2 and S2, are set, and the respective reference positions P1 and P2
It is recorded in the area list memory 52A together with it.

Here, the image input means 51 first detects the area S1.
In order to input the image of, the range and height of the area S1 are read from the area list memory 52A. Then, the focus control unit 55 adjusts the line sensor 40 based on the height T1 with h1 obtained by subtracting T1 from the height h0 at which the focus matches the surface of the table 12 as the focal length. Further, the scan control unit 56 controls the line sensor 40 and the machine tool 10 so that a range (area S1) having a spread of W2 × L2 from the reference position P1 is included in the scan range. As a result, the line sensor 40 and the image data processing unit 54 record the image data corresponding to the area S1 of the height T1 in the image data memory 51A.

By the same procedure, image data corresponding to the area S2 having the height T2 is captured. Further, with respect to the table 12 outside each area, an image is input by scanning at a height of 0, that is, a focal length h0. Like this, work
The images on the upper surface of 13 and the table 12 are captured for each area by height, and the images in each area are all stored in the image data memory.
The entire image is composed by being recorded in 51A.

The image identification means 53 analyzes the images of the table 12 and the work 13 recorded in the image data memory 51A by the image input means 51 to detect an image portion corresponding to chips, and the position and size of the chips are detected. Record in the list memory 53A. At this time, the image identification means 53 includes a height correction function, and the image identification means 53 is an area list memory.
52A, the size of the chip in the image data memory 51A is corrected by using the height of the area where the chip is detected and the scanning width of the line sensor 40 (the spread changes depending on the height). Is decided. As a basic image recognition method of the image identification means 53, for example, a method of recognizing a non-geometrical shape as a chip on a geometrically processed surface, or another existing image identification method. It can be used as appropriate.

The chip removing command means 60 is based on the chip list memory 53A created by the chip detecting means 50 described above.
Chip removal NC data 60 including the procedure necessary for chip removal operation
It creates A. Chip removal NC data 60A
The command is analyzed by the NC device 22 and is executed by the machine tool 10. The command is to attach the dust collection attachment 30, the command to sequentially move to each chip position recorded in the chip list memory 53A, and the dust collection attachment at each position. It includes a command to suck the chips 26 and the like by the nozzles 36 of 30 and a command to move to the conveyor 14 and discharge the chips after sucking a predetermined amount of chips, and each process is optimized to be performed in the shortest and most efficient manner. As the chip removal command means 60 for creating such chip removal NC data 60A, existing NC data automatic creation means can be appropriately adopted.

The operations of the chip detecting means 50 and the chip removing commanding means 60 and the chip removing operation of the machine tool 10 and the dust collecting attachment 30 by the NC device 22 are the same as the chip removing request from the operation panel 21 or the workpiece. It is executed by a chip removal request from NC data 22A for machining 13.

In this embodiment, the NC device 22 controls the machine tool 10 on the basis of the NC data 22A, so that the machine tool 10 mounts an appropriate tool 19 or the like on the tip of the spindle and the table 12 is placed. The workpiece 13 of is processed. When the processing is completed, an image is taken in and analyzed by the chip detecting means 50 by a chip removing request from the operation panel 21 or a chip removing request from the NC data 22A for processing the work 13. Then, the chip removal command means 60 creates chip removal NC data 60A, and the NC device 22 causes the machine tool 10 to perform the removal operation of the chips 26 and the like based on the chip removal NC data 60A.

That is, in the machine tool 10, the dust collecting attachment 30 is mounted on the tip of the spindle instead of the tool 19 and the like, the dust collecting attachment 30 is held above the work 13, and the spindle is rotated to drive the blower 35. Then, the nozzle 36 is in a state of performing suction. In this state, move to the position of the chip 26,
The ram 18 is lowered to bring the nozzle 36 of the dust collecting attachment 30 close to the surface of the work 13 (or the surface of the table 12), and the chips 26 are sucked from the nozzle 36. By sequentially repeating this operation, the chips on the surface of the work 13 and the surface of the table 12 are sucked.

When all the chips specified in the chip removal NC data 60A have been processed, the machine tool 10 moves the dust collecting attachment 30 to above the conveyor 14, opens the door 37, and sucks it into the collecting section 34. The chips are discharged onto the conveyor 14. Even during the chip inhalation process, when a sensor or the like in the collecting unit 34 detects that the chips are almost full, the chips are discharged by the interrupt process.

According to this embodiment, the machine tool 10
The dust collecting attachment 30 is attached to the tip of the main spindle of, and the dust on the work 13 and the table 12 is reliably and efficiently removed by moving it to a position such as the chip 26 and sucking and collecting it from the nozzle 36 at the tip. You can In particular, since the blower 35 is provided in the dust collecting attachment 30 and the blower 35 is driven by the main shaft, it is not necessary to separately provide a drive source, and the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, a collecting section 34 is provided in the dust collecting attachment 30.
Since the chips 26 and the like are collected and discharged to the conveyor 14 later, there is no need for piping to transfer the chips to another part, eliminating the possibility of complicating the structure around the spindle. You can Since the nozzle 36, the blower 35, and the recovery unit 34 are collectively configured as the dust collecting attachment 30, the dust collecting attachment 30 can be handled in the same manner as an ordinary tool. Therefore, the machine tool 10 does not need to be modified and can be easily applied to the existing machine tool 10, and the cost for automation can be reduced.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, when removing the chips by the dust collecting attachment 30, the chips of the work 13 and the table 12 are captured by the chip detecting means 50 to detect the positions of the chips 26 and the like on the respective surfaces, and the chips are detected. By controlling the machine tool 10 based on the chip removal NC data 60A from the removal command means 60, all operations related to chip removal can be automated.

Particularly, in the chip detecting means 50, the work 13 and the table 12 are based on the machining NC data 22A.
Areas are set for each height of the top surface of the device, and images are captured for each area.
It suffices to adjust the focus of 40, and the focus adjustment operation can be reduced and simplified, and the image capturing process can be efficiently performed. Since the area setting means 52 records the range and height of each area in the area list memory 52A, the data of each area can be referred to when the image input means 51 captures an image of each area. The processing can be performed efficiently.

That is, since the focus control unit 55 presets the focus of the line sensor 40 to the height recorded in the area list memory 52A, the work for focus adjustment can be performed quickly and easily. Further, the scanning control unit 56 controls the Y-axis scanning of the line sensor 40 and the X-axis movement of the machine tool 10 on the basis of the coordinate position of the area recorded in the area list memory 52A, thereby ensuring a reliable and efficient operation. It can be performed. Further, in the image identifying means 53, it is possible to correct the change in the size of the chip image due to the height of the upper surface of the work 13 and the like based on the height recorded in the area list memory 52A, and improve the accuracy of chip detection. You will be able to improve.

Further, in the chip removing command means 60, a command for mounting the dust collecting attachment 30 and for moving the nozzle 36 to the chip position can be read by the NC device 22 for controlling the machine tool 10 in the processing data format. NC data 60A
By creating as, it is not necessary to add a dedicated device or set a dedicated program for the machine tool 10 or NC device 22,
Further simplification and cost reduction can be achieved.

In contrast to the first embodiment described above, FIGS. 6 to 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6
In this embodiment, the dust collecting attachment 70 attached to the tip of the main shaft is different from the first embodiment, and a discharging device 71 for discharging chips from the dust collecting attachment 70 is additionally installed in the column 15. This is different from the first embodiment in that However, all other parts of the machine tool 10 and the control device 20 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and for simplification, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Only a dust collecting attachment 70 and a discharging device 71 will be described.

The dust collecting attachment 70 is, as shown in FIG.
The taper shank 31, the base 32, and the nozzle 36 similar to the dust collecting attachment 30 of the first embodiment are provided. However, the tapered shank 31 is not necessarily rotatable with respect to the base 32. The nozzle 36 extends downward from the base 32, extends laterally, and communicates with a substantially L-shaped connecting pipe 36A bent at the upper end.

As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge device 71 has a blower 75 installed on the back surface of the column 15, a suction pipe line 72 is connected to the intake side of the blower 75, and an exhaust gas is discharged to the exhaust side. Pipeline 73
Are connected. The blower 75 is driven by a built-in motor (not shown), and a filter (not shown) for collecting the chips by filtering the air sucked from the suction pipe line 72 is provided in the blower 75 and is collected here. The chips are discharged to the conveyor 14 on the side of the bed 11 through the discharge pipe 74.

The suction pipe line 72 includes a nozzle connecting portion 72A (see FIG. 6) installed at the tip of the ram 18, an intermediate pipe 72B extending from the connecting portion 72A to the upper surface of the cross rail 16 and a cross rail.
16 It is composed of the slide connection part 72C installed on the upper surface. The nozzle connecting part 72A is connected to its connecting pipe 36A when the dust collecting attachment 70 is attached to the tip of the spindle.
The nozzle 36 is also communicated with. The intermediate pipe 72B has a double tube or a bellows shape in the middle and is vertically expandable and contractible, and even when the dust collecting attachment 70 moves vertically as the ram 18 moves up and down, the nozzle connection part
Communication between 72A and slide connection 72C can be secured.

The slide connecting portion 72C has a blower 75 on the rear side.
It is connected to the front side and cross rail 16
Has a long opening extending along the upper end of the intermediate pipe 72B is movably connected to this opening in the longitudinal direction. The periphery of the opening where the intermediate pipe 72B is connected is covered with an expandable and contractible bellows type or slide shutter type sealing member 72D in an airtight sealed state. Therefore, even when the spindle head 17 moves along the cross rail 16, the connection between the intermediate pipe 72B and the slide connecting portion 72C or the blower 75 is ensured, and the suction pipe path 72 from the nozzle 36 to the blower 75 is secured by these. Is configured.

In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained by the same operation as that of the first embodiment. In particular, in this embodiment, since the dust collection attachment 70 does not have a blower or a collection part, it can be made more compact and the handling property similar to that of the other tools 19 and the like can be further enhanced.

Further, since the chips sucked from the dust collecting attachment 70 are directly discharged to the conveyor 14 through the discharging device 71, when the chips are collected as in the first embodiment, the chips are moved to the conveyor 14 portion and discharged. It is possible to continuously perform the chip suction operation without performing the above-mentioned operation, and the working efficiency can be further enhanced. Further, in the discharging device 71,
Since the suction pipe line 72 is configured to be movable in the direction of the ram 18 and the cross rail 16, the suction operation can be reliably performed even when each of them is moved.

9 to 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the present embodiment uses a dust collecting attachment 70 similar to that of the second embodiment, and a discharging device 71 for discharging chips from the dust collecting attachment 70.
10, except that the blower 75 is installed on the conveyor 14 on the back surface of the column 15 and the suction pipe line 76 is used, as shown in FIG. However, other parts are the same as the second embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals for simplification and description thereof is omitted, and the blower 75 and the suction pipe line 76 which are different parts are described below. Only explain.

The blower 75 is similar to the second embodiment in that it sucks air and chips from the dust collecting attachment 70 via the suction pipe line 76 and discharges filtered air from the exhaust pipe line 73. It is installed on the conveyor 14 at the back of the column 15 and is capable of directly discharging the cut chips through an extremely short slope-shaped discharge pipe 74.

The suction conduit 76 is a conduit extending from the nozzle connecting portion 72 through the upper surface of the cross rail 16 to the lower portion of the rear surface of the column 15. Here, it is similar to the second embodiment in that a portion that expands and contracts according to the elevation of the ram 18 is provided in the vicinity of the nozzle connecting portion 72, but the suction pipe line 76 of this embodiment is a cross rail.
The upper surface of the cross rail 16 also has a double tube portion 76A that can be expanded and contracted, and the front and rear vertical conduit portions of the cross rail 16 are provided with rotatable joints 76B and 76C. Therefore, when the spindle head 17 moves along the cross rail 16, the joints 76B and 76C rotate and the double pipe portion 76A expands and contracts to maintain the communication as the suction pipe line 76. It has become so.

In this embodiment, the same effect as that of the second embodiment can be obtained by the same operation as that of the second embodiment. In particular, in this embodiment, the blower 75 is installed on the conveyor 14 at the back of the column 15, and the spindle head 17 is provided by the double pipe part 76A and the joints 76B and 76C.
Since it corresponds to the movement of, the equipment on the upper surface of the cross rail 16 can be further simplified.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the following modifications and the like are also included in the present invention. That is, in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the blower 75 is arranged on the column 15 or the conveyor 14 in the vicinity and is provided for each machine tool 10, but it is installed in a part different from the machine tool 10. Alternatively, a blower shared with the discharging device 71 of another machine tool 10 may be used. Further, the structure for making the suction pipe lines 72, 76 correspond to the movement of the ram 18 and the spindle head 17 has the above-mentioned slide, expansion and contraction,
Not limited to rotation and the like, a flexible tube or the like may be used, and may be appropriately selected for implementation.

Further, in the first embodiment, the blower
The drive of 35 is not based on the rotation of the main shaft, but may be driven by a motor or the like. The opening and closing of the door 37 of the recovery unit 34 is not limited to the air cylinder 36, and a solenoid, a motor or the like may be used. Further, the opening / closing of the door 37 is not limited to the rotating type, but may be a sliding type or the like.

On the other hand, in each of the above-described embodiments, the line sensor 40 is used to capture an image prior to suction removal of chips.
The raster scan was performed by repeating the linear scanning by using the CCD, but a two-dimensional image can be directly captured by using a camera that has a two-dimensional array of CCDs, etc., and can be electrically processed into raster data. An existing method may be appropriately adopted for the specific processing of.

Further, in the chip detecting means 50, image capturing for each area, focus setting for each area upon capturing, etc. are not essential to the present invention, and the entire image on the work 13 and the table 12 may be captured together. . The same applies to height correction for each area when identifying an image. However, the accuracy of chip detection can be improved by performing adjustment or the like for each area as in the above-described embodiments.

Furthermore, the chip removal command means 60 is used to remove the chips N based on the chip list created by the chip detection means 50.
C data 60A is created and NC machine 22 is used to machine tool 10
Although the chip removal operation was performed on the
Hardware or the like that directly controls the machine tool 10 based on the chip list created in 50 may be used. The chip detection means 50 and the chip removal command means 60 may be realized by an appropriate computer system and software program. The existing control device 20 or its NC device 22 in the machine tool 10 is used as a computer system and additional software is used. The chip detection means 50 and the chip removal command means 60 may be configured by this.

In addition to this, the configurations and types of the machine tool 10, the control device 20, etc. are not limited to those in the above embodiments,
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to various machine tools, and by applying it, the excellent effects as described above can be obtained.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention, the image is taken in when removing the chips, and the chips are sucked by the dust collecting attachment which is mounted in place of the tool on the spindle. The work can be fully automated, reliable chip removal can be efficiently performed, and the dedicated mechanism can be suppressed to simplify the structure and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a dust collecting attachment of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a line sensor of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing image capturing in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a dust collecting attachment of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a discharging device of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a discharging device of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 machine tools 12 tables 13 work 14 Conveyor for discharging chips 20 Control device 22 NC device NC data for 22A processing 30 Dust collection attachment 34 Collection Department 35 blower 36 nozzles 40 line sensor 50 Chip detection means 52 Area setting section 53 Image identification means including height correction unit 55 Focus setting section 60 Chip removal command means 60A Chip removal NC data 70 Dust collection attachment 71 Ejector 72,76 Suction line 74 Discharge line 75 Blower

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Isamu Oguma 2068-3 Ooka, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd. Numazu Plant (72) Inventor Masafumi Araki 2068-3 Ooka, Numazu City, Shizuoka Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd. Numazu Works (56) References JP-A-5-84636 (JP, A) JP-A-3-228543 (JP, A) JP-A-6-297292 (JP, A) Jitsukaihei 4--118953 (JP, U) Actual development Sho 60-186154 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23Q 11/00 B23Q 15/00 B23Q 17/24

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An NC device having a spindle capable of moving relative to a table on which a work is placed and having a tool detachable.
A chip removing device for a machine tool whose operation is controlled , wherein a dust collecting attachment having a nozzle capable of being attached to a tool mounting portion of the spindle and capable of sucking chips, and an image including the table and the work are taken in and each surface is taken in. A chip detecting means for detecting the chip position of the chip, and a chip removing command means for controlling the machine tool to move the nozzle of the dust collection attachment mounted on the spindle to the chip position detected by the chip detecting means, The chip detecting means captures an image,
Image input means for creating image data of the work surface
The NC machine is used to machine a workpiece with a machine tool.
Read the obtained NC data, analyze it, and input the image.
Area setting means for setting the area
The images of the table and the work input by the column are
Detects the image part corresponding to the chips by analyzing each area
A chip removing device for a machine tool, comprising: 2. The chip removing device for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the dust collection attachment is driven to rotate by the main shaft to suck chips from the nozzle, and the blower sucks the dust. A chip removing device for a machine tool, comprising: a chip collecting part for collecting chips. 3. The chip removing device for a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting attachment is installed on a spindle head or a column supporting the spindle, and is attached to a tool mounting portion of the spindle. A discharge device connectable to the dust collection attachment is provided, and the discharge device includes a suction conduit communicating with the nozzle,
A machine tool comprising: a blower for sucking chips from the nozzle through the suction pipe, and a discharge pipe for discharging the chips sucked by the blower to a chip discharging portion of the machine tool. Chip removing device. 4. The chip removing device for a machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the area setting means includes the workpiece based on machining data from a control device of the machine tool. An area is set for each upper surface height of the , and the image input means is set by the area setting means.
A focus setting unit that performs focus setting based on the work top surface height for each area is provided, and the image identification means , when performing the chip position detection processing, the chip size based on the work top surface height for each area. chip removing device for a machine tool, characterized in that it comprises a height compensation unit for correcting. 5. The chip removing device for a machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the chip removing command means mounts the dust collecting attachment and moves the nozzle to a chip position. A chip removing device for a machine tool, which outputs a command to perform in a machining data format that can be read by the control device of the machine tool.