JP3925506B2 - CAD / CAM equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a CAD / CAM device that defines machining of an electric discharge machine on a display device and outputs a machining program for the electric discharge machine.

FIG. 5 is an overall block diagram showing an example of a conventional CAD / CAM device.
In the drawing, 1 is a keyboard, 2 is a mouse, and 3 is a tablet, which are input devices for inputting position information and character information, respectively. 4 is a die drawing for performing machining, 5 is a machining definition unit for converting position information input to the die drawing 4 and character information such as electrodes used at the position into an internal storage format, A machining information storage unit including a memory for storing information input by the machining definition unit 5, an NC data generation unit that generates data based on the defined machining information, and an NC data generation unit 7. This is the created NC data.

  Further, 9 is a drawing command, 10 is an electrode drawing created by using this drawing command 9, 11 is an electrode registration unit for registering the electrode drawing 10 as an electrode, and 12 is an electrode database of registered electrodes. . Further, 13 is an ATC / process order assigning unit that performs ATC assignment (manual work) for determining the process order of the electrodes used, and 14 is an electrode interference check (manual work) that checks whether the electrodes do not interfere with each other. The ATC / process order assignment unit 13 and the electrode interference check 14 that perform ATC assignment are manual operations. Reference numeral 15 is an NC controller, 16 is a sculpting electric discharge machine, 17 is a CRT, 18 is a plotter command, 19 is a plotter, 20 is an input / output command, and 21 is an external storage device.

Next, the operation of the aforementioned CAD / CAM system will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the operator creates a mold drawing 4 to be processed. Then, while watching the CRT 17, the keyboard 1, mouse 2, and tablet 3 input devices are operated to start the drawing command 9. The completed die drawing 4 is hard-output by a plotter 19 using a plotter command 18. Further, it is stored in the external storage device 21 by the drawing input / output command 20 as necessary.

The operator examines the electrical discharge machining location while looking at the drawing or CRT 17 output using the plotter 19 previously.
Then, the shape of the processing part is extracted, the electrode used is reduced or deformed in anticipation of swinging with respect to the shape, and the drawing drawing 9 is used to draw the electrode drawing 10. The procedure is the same as that for drawing the mold drawing 4. At this time, since the mold drawing 4 and the electrode drawing 10 being created cannot be displayed on the CRT 17 at the same time, while looking at the mold drawing 4 output from the plotter 19 earlier, In consideration of diversion, rotation, etc., the electrode drawing 10 is drawn while determining the number of electrodes to be manufactured. Needless to say, the electrode drawing 10 created here requires processing by a machining center, a wire electric discharge machine, or the like.

Next, the operator determines a coordinate value to be machined while looking at the die drawing 4 or the CRT 17 previously outputted using the plotter 19. Since the electrode is created by deforming the processed shape, in some cases, there may be no common element with the electrode shape on the die drawing 4. In this case, the coordinate value is obtained by back-calculating the size, reduction allowance, etc. of the electrode considered at the time of creating the electrode drawing 10.
Usually, one die on the die drawing 4 is processed at a plurality of locations. An electrode name, a processing depth, a processing condition, and the like at each processing position are defined by the processing definition unit 5, and the contents are stored in the processing information storage unit 6.

Thereafter, the operator manually determines the process sequence and performs ATC allocation in the ATC / process sequence allocation unit 13 so that the process can be performed efficiently or with as few electrodes as possible while considering the machining process, electrode rotation, and the like. The electrode is assigned to the ATC number, and the processing order is determined so that the use order of the electrode is not reversed. Further, in the electrode interference check 14, the machining position is confirmed including the electrode shape interference check.
Further, the operator generates NC data 8 by the NC data generation unit 7 and inputs it to the NC control device 15. Then, a desired die can be obtained by setting a workpiece to be machined, attaching a designated electrode to a designated number, and performing machining with the sculpting electric discharge machine 16.

  In this type of CAD / CAM device, since all the machining definition information is stored in the machining information storage unit 6, there are few information transmission errors. In addition, since a machining definition list can be automatically generated and displayed from specifications such as machining position, angle, and depth input at the time of machining definition, on the NC controller 15 with reference to the drawings. Compared to manual work, there are very few information transmission errors and work efficiency can be shortened.

However, in the conventional CAD / CAM apparatus, the operator has to redefine the machining position despite extracting the machining shape from the mold drawing 4 and modifying the shape to create the electrode drawing 10. There is a possibility of mistakes during this time. In addition, the calculation of the processing coordinates must be performed in reverse calculation at the time of electrode creation in consideration of the size of the electrode, reduction allowance, and the like, which is very complicated and may cause mistakes.
In addition, since there are many rules for electrode ATC assignment and process order determination and these rules are related to each other, the work of manually assigning these rules is very difficult and time consuming.

Furthermore, when the same processing is performed at a plurality of locations, it is necessary to repeat the same definition over and over. Furthermore, as the number of processing steps increases, these ATC assignments become more complicated, operability becomes worse, and reliability. Will be lacking. Also, when the same processing is performed on multiple workpieces, it is troublesome and lacks reliability that it can only be operated in units of processing points even though the coordinate system is different, even though the shape is exactly the same. Become.
Further, there is no function of accurately checking the shape of the electrode and the mold, and there is a possibility that after processing is actually performed, processing remains or processing is excessive.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for complicated machining position calculation considering the size and reduction allowance of the electrode at the time of machining definition, and to prevent a calculation error .

  The CAD / CAM device according to the first aspect of the present invention extracts a machining shape from a die drawing, and when the electrode drawing is created by modifying the extracted shape, the original machining shape with respect to the reference position of the created electrode. Storage means for storing each element and processing coordinate determination means for determining processing coordinates only by specifying a processing shape without specifying an electrode reference position when performing processing definition on the created die drawing It is provided.

  As described above, according to the CAD / CAM apparatus of the first aspect, at the stage of creating the electrode drawing, a means for storing each element of the original machining shape with respect to the reference of the created electrode is provided. When performing machining definition on the drawing, it is possible to provide machining coordinate automatic determination function that automatically determines the actual machining coordinates by simply specifying the machining shape without inputting the electrode reference position specifically. At the time of definition, there is an effect that it is not necessary to perform complicated machining position calculation considering the size and reduction allowance of the electrode, and it is possible to prevent calculation errors.

In the present embodiment, each element of the original machining shape with respect to the electrode reference created at the stage of creating the electrode drawing is stored, and when the machining definition is later performed on the die drawing, the electrode reference position is specified. By simply specifying the machining shape without entering it, machining coordinate determination that determines the actual machining coordinates eliminates the need to perform complicated machining position calculations that take electrode size and reduction allowance into account when machining is defined. Prevent mistakes.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Example 1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire CAD / CAM apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, the same reference numerals and symbols 1 to 10 and 13 to 21 as those of the conventional example indicate the same or corresponding components as those of the conventional example, and therefore, duplicate description is omitted here.
In FIG. 1 , 24 is a machining shape storage unit for the electrode reference, 11b is an electrode registration unit (processing shape) for registration including elements of the machining shape for the electrode reference, and 12b is a registered electrode database (machining shape). .

Next, in the CAD / CAM apparatus according to the present embodiment, the operation until the electrodes are registered in the electrode database 12b, the flowchart (a) of the registration operation of the CAD / CAM apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. The operation will be described according to the flowchart (b) of the operation for creating the NC data 8.
First, the mold drawing 4 is prepared in step S21 of the flowchart (a), and the electrical discharge machining part is examined in step S22. Then, in step S23, registration of the electrode database 12b necessary for each processing point is started.

In the registration of the electrode database 12b, the machining shape is first extracted from the die drawing 4 in step S231, the shape is reduced or deformed in anticipation of the discharge gap and swinging in step S232, and the electrode drawing 10 is created in step S233. In step S234, an electrode reference 45 is determined.
That is, this is described in the illustration of Katakin drawings 4 registered in the electrodes database 12b of the CAD / CAM apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention in FIG. Incidentally, (a) shows the processing unit of FIG. 3 is an explanatory view, (c) is an explanatory view of a reference electrode of the modification of the machining shape 74 extracted from (b) is Katakin drawing 4.
In FIG. 3A, the hatched portion 41 in the die drawing 4 corresponds to the processed portion. (B) is an explanatory view showing the deformation of the machining shape 42 extracted from the die drawing 4. The machining shape 43 is reduced and deformed by an amount L taking into account the discharge gap and oscillation, and (c) is this machining. An electrode shape 44 is created using the shape 43, and an electrode reference 45 is determined therefrom.
Next, attributes such as material and reduction allowance are added in step S235, and the electrode selected as the reference 45 is registered in step S236. In step S237, each element of the original machining shape with respect to the electrode reference is registered in the electrode database 12b in accordance with the electrode drawing 10, attributes, and the like. This operation is repeated for the number of electrode types until the end is determined in step S24.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of the contents registered in the electrode database 12b of the CAD / CAM apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention . FIG. 4 (a) is a drawing of each electrode registered in the electrode database 12b. 10, in addition to the electrode attribute 52 such as the figure 50, the electrode name 51, the material, and the reduction allowance, the original machining shape 53 with respect to the electrode reference is registered. FIG. 4B is a specific example of the processed shape 53.

Furthermore, the operation up to the creation of NC data 8 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 (b).
In step S31, a mold drawing is prepared again. In step S32, the electrode to be used is selected from the electrode database 12b. When the machining shape 53 is designated in step S33, the machining shape 53 corresponding to the electrode reference is registered in the electrode database 12b. Therefore, the electrode reference is determined in step S34. Then, processing information such as ATC allocation is added in step S35, and the routine from step S31 to step S36 is repeatedly executed until the end is determined in step S36. 8 is generated, and NC data 8 is created in step S38.

  In the CAD / CAM apparatus configured as described above, at the stage of creating the electrode drawing 10, a storage unit including a machining shape storage unit 24 that stores each element of the original machining shape 53 with respect to the reference of the created electrode is provided. Then, when machining definition is performed on the die drawing 4 later, machining coordinate determination means is provided for determining actual machining coordinates only by specifying a machining shape without specifically inputting an electrode reference position. Accordingly, it is not necessary to perform complicated machining position calculation considering the size and reduction allowance of the electrode at the time of machining definition, and it is possible to prevent calculation errors caused by the calculation.

<Example 2>
By the way, in the above embodiment , the CAD / CAM apparatus for creating NC data of the die-sinking electric discharge machine has been described. However, when the present invention is carried out, the machining state is set to CAD / CAD before electric discharge machining of the mold. It is possible to easily and visually check on the CAM, and it can be expected that there is no need to confirm the finish after long-time processing. Of course, it cannot be overemphasized that it can use for machine tools, such as other multi-axis lathes and a milling machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire CAD / CAM device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a registration operation and NC data creation operation of the CAD / CAM device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the example of the die drawing registered into the electrode database of the CAD / CAM apparatus of 1st Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the content registered into the electrode database of the CAD / CAM apparatus of 1st Example of this invention. It is the whole block block diagram which shows the example of the conventional CAD / CAM apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

4 Die drawing 5 Process definition part 6 Process information storage part 7 NC data generation part 8 NC data 9 Drawing command 10 Electrode drawing 11b Electrode registration part (working shape) 12b Electrode database (working shape) , 15 NC control device, 16 Die-sinker electric discharge machine, 21 External storage device, 24 Machining shape storage unit.

Claims (2)

In the CAD / CAM device that creates NC data,
A storage means for storing each element of the original machining shape with respect to the reference position of the created electrode when extracting the machining shape from the mold drawing and creating an electrode drawing by modifying the extracted shape;
A CAD / CD is provided with machining coordinate determining means for determining machining coordinates only by designating a machining shape without designating an electrode reference position when machining is defined for the created die drawing. CAM device. The CAD / CAM apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the NC data is NC data of a die-sinking electric discharge machine.

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