JP4569131B2 - Automatic tool placement device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic tool placement device for placing tools along the side of a part graphic indicated by graphic data in an automatic programming process of a machining program for controlling a punch press.

When a plate part is cut from a material plate by a punch press, a plurality of punch holes are continuously processed along each side of the outer periphery of the plate part. A rectangular tool corresponding to the length of each side is used as the punch tool.
In the automatic programming process of the punch press machining program, a tool for punching each time is punched along the side of the part graphic indicated by the graphic data. A predetermined process is performed on the tool arrangement data to generate a machining program composed of NC data in an executable format (for example, Patent Document 1).

  After creating the machining program in this way, the design change of the plate material part may occur, and the length of the side of the plate material part may be changed. In the case of such a simple length change, it takes time to redo the tool placement process from the beginning. Conventionally, the same tool is used for that side, and the number of punches and the overlap length between tools are changed. Was dealing with the length change.

For example, it is assumed that the tool T11 is arranged so as to perform the punching operation twice with respect to the side a of the plate material part w shown in FIG. In this case, when the length La of the side a is increased to La ′ as shown in FIG. 5B, the tool is conventionally used to machine the side a ′ by three punching operations using the same tool T11. The arrangement data is corrected.
Further, when the length La of the side a of the plate member w shown in FIG. 7A is shortened to La ″ as shown in FIG. 7C, the same tool T11 is used to perform each punching operation. The overlapping range m is lengthened to cope with the change to the length La ″.
Japanese Patent No. 2636666

  As described in conjunction with FIG. 7, conventionally, when the length La of the side a is changed due to the design change of the plate material part w, the same tool T11 as that before the change is used, so as in the example of FIG. When the length La of the side a is increased to La ′, the number of punches may increase. In this case, the punch press has a tool (not shown) that is longer than the tool L11, and using that tool may not increase the number of punches. In such a case, due to inappropriate tool selection, the number of punches increases unnecessarily and prolongs the machining time.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the length La of the side a is shortened to La ″, the overlapping length m of the tool T11 is increased. Even if the overlapping length m is somewhat longer, There is no problem, but if the length is too long, an offset load is generated on the tool, that is, when the next hole is machined with the tool T11 after the punched hole H as shown in FIG. The part of the arrangement overlapping length m is located in the already machined hole H. Therefore, the entire width B of the tool T11 is punched only with the remaining width Ba, and this width Ba. Therefore, the load acts only on the part T. Therefore, an offset load acts on the tool T11.If this offset load becomes large, the position of the tool T11 is slightly displaced, which lowers the machining accuracy and prevents clean machining.

An object of the present invention is that when the shape of a part figure is changed, it can be corrected to a tool having an appropriate width with respect to the side whose length has been changed, and the number of punches is wasted and machining accuracy is reduced due to uneven load. The present invention also provides an automatic tool placement apparatus capable of efficiently creating tool placement data using existing tool placement data.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent an increase in the number of punches as much as possible even when the side of the component figure is changed to be long, and to prevent an uneven load from being generated even if the side is changed to be short.
Still another object of the present invention is to correct the tool arrangement only when necessary without modifying the existing tool arrangement data as much as possible, thereby avoiding the inconvenience caused by the correction.

  The automatic tool placement device according to the present invention places a tool (4) for punching each time punched by a punch press (1) along a side of a part figure (G) indicated by figure data (D1). A tool placement means (11) for arranging a plurality of the same tools (4) shorter than the side with respect to the side on which the tool placement of the component graphic (G) is to be performed, The part figure changing means (15) for changing the shape of the part figure (G) based on the part figure (G), and the length of the changed part figure (G ') before the length change The tool placement correcting means (16) for correcting the already placed tool (4) to a tool (4) having a different length according to the setting standard (17).

  According to this configuration, the tool placement correcting means (16) replaces the already placed tool (4) before the length change of the side of the changed part figure (G ′) according to the setting standard (17). Modify the tool (4) with a different length. Therefore, by setting the setting standard (17) appropriately, the tool (4) having an appropriate width with respect to the side whose length has been changed can be corrected. Therefore, the tool placement data (D2 ′) can be efficiently created using the existing tool placement data (D2) without causing a reduction in the machining accuracy due to waste of the number of punches or uneven load.

Wherein said setting reference tool locating modifying means (16) (17), the pre-SL component figures changing means (15) when the sides of the component figures (G) is changed longer, to the side for changing the length When the number of punches can be reduced as compared with the case of using the already-arranged tool (4), there is a reference for correcting the longer changed side to the tool (4) longer than the already-arranged tool (4). Shall. When the ratio of the overlap length between the arranged tools (4) to the tool width does not satisfy the setting range with the already arranged tool (4) and the setting range is satisfied by correction when the change is made short, the shortening is performed. It is assumed that the changed side is corrected to a tool (4) shorter than the already arranged tool (4).
In this standard (17), since the long tool (4) is corrected with respect to the long side, the number of punches can be increased as much as possible even if the side becomes long. In addition, since the shorter side is corrected to the short tool (4), it is possible to avoid the overlap length (m) between the tools (4) from becoming too long, and machining accuracy due to the occurrence of an offset load. Can be avoided.

In the case of this setting standard (17), if the number of punches cannot be reduced and the overlap length (m) between the arranged tools (4) cannot be improved, the tool arrangement is not corrected. Therefore, useless correction of the tool arrangement is not performed, and inconvenience caused by the correction of the tool arrangement can be avoided. For example, correcting the tool arrangement may affect the tool indexing operation time and the like. The influence of the tool indexing operation and the like is often considered and optimized by setting an appropriate reference when initially placing a tool. Therefore, by adopting a standard that does not modify the arrangement tool when the number of punches and the overlap length are not advantageous over the arrangement tool, the advantageous matters of the arrangement tool can be maintained as they are.

  An automatic tool placement device according to the present invention is an automatic tool placement device for placing a tool for punching each time punched by a punch press along a side of a part graphic indicated by graphic data. A tool placement means for arranging a plurality of the same tools shorter than this side in the direction of the side, a part figure changing means for changing the shape of the part figure based on the part figure, and a change The shape of the part graphic was changed to include tool placement correction means for correcting the existing arranged tool before the length change of the side in the part graphic to a tool having a different length according to the setting standard. In this case, the tool can be corrected to an appropriate width for the side whose length has been changed, and the existing tool placement data can be used efficiently without wasting the number of punches or lowering the machining accuracy due to offset load. In It is possible to create a tool arrangement data.

The setting standard of the tool placement correcting means is that the number of times of punching is compared with the case where the already placed tool is used for the side whose length has been changed when the side of the part figure has been changed by the part figure changing means. Can be reduced to a tool longer than the existing tool with respect to the long changed side, and when it is changed to a shorter length, the ratio of the overlap length between the arranged tools to the tool width is Then, when the setting range is satisfied by correction without satisfying the setting range, it is assumed that the shorter side is corrected to a tool shorter than the existing tool , so even if the side of the part figure is changed longer, An increase in the number of punches is eliminated as much as possible, and even when the sides are changed to be short, an uneven load is not generated.
In addition, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience caused by the correction by correcting the tool arrangement only when necessary without modifying the existing tool arrangement data as much as possible.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This automatic tool placement device is provided as a component of an automatic programming device 3 that automatically generates a machining program 2 for controlling the punch press 1.
The punch press 1 to be controlled is capable of punching by selectively using a plurality of tools 4, a tool indexing mechanism 5 capable of indexing a desired tool 4 to the punch position P, and a material A plate material feed mechanism 7 for moving the plate material W in the vertical and horizontal directions (X and Y directions) relative to the punch position P on the table 5 and the tool 4 indexed to the punch position P by the tool indexing mechanism 5 are punched. It has a punch drive mechanism (not shown) to be operated. As the tool indexing mechanism 5, various types such as a turret type and a cartridge type can be adopted, but the turret 8 is used here.

  The control device 9 is a device that controls the punch press 1 by executing the machining program 2, and includes a numerical control device and a programmable controller. The machining program 2 is a program written in NC code or the like.

  The automatic programming device 3 comprises a computer, and has a tool placement unit 11, a nesting unit 12, and an execution NC data conversion unit 13. The tool placement means 11 is a means for creating the tool placement data D2 by placing the tool 4 according to the setting standard using the registered tool of the tool master file 14 for each part figure G of the part figure data D1. . The part graphic data D1 is shape data of a plate material part cut from the material plate material W by punching, and includes a collection of line data such as CAD data. The tool master file 14 is a means for registering the tool number and the size, shape, etc. of the tool 4 of that number for each tool 4 provided in the punch press 1. Specifically, the arrangement of the tool 4 is performed by adding the tool number and position information of the tool 4 to the graphic data D1.

  The nesting means 12 is a means for obtaining nested data D3 by arranging a plurality or one of the part figures G with the tool arrangement in the tool arrangement data D2 according to the setting standard with respect to the figure of the material plate material W.

  Contrary to the above, the tool placement by the tool placement means 11 and the nesting by the nesting means 12 are such that the nesting of the part graphic G with respect to the material plate material is performed first, and the tool placement is performed for each nested part figure. May be. In any order, nested data D3 in which tool placement and nesting are completed is obtained.

  The execution NC data conversion means 13 adds various information necessary as the machining program 2 to the nesting data D3 with the tool arranged, and generates the machining program 2 in the NC data format that can be executed by the control device 9. It is means to do. For example, a movement command for each axis of the plate material feed mechanism 7 and a tool indexing command are generated in the order of operation from the information on the coordinates of each tool position and the tool type in the nested data D3.

More specifically, the tool placement means 11 is arranged along the sides a to f of the part graphic G as shown in FIG. 3A indicated by the graphic data D1, as shown in FIG. A process of arranging the tools 4 for punching each time punching f with the punch press 1 is performed. FIG. 4B shows the tool 4 for each punching operation for the sides a and c, but the other side b, d, e, and f are the entire arrangement of the tools 4. The outline 4A is shown as a rectangular figure, and details are omitted. For a short side of the component figure G, for example, the side f, one tool 4 is arranged so as to be completed by one punch.
The result of the tool placement process for each side a to f may be indicated by the position data of the tool 4 in each punching operation. In addition to this, for example, the processing length data that is the length in which the tools 4 are arranged, and the use Data indicated by the tool number of the tool 4 may be used. When the machining length and the tool number of the tool 4 to be used are indicated, when the machining program 2 is created later by the NC data conversion means 13, the pitch for moving the tool 4 along the side is represented by the machining length data and the tool width. And is determined from the above.

  In the tool placement means 11, the tool 4 shown in FIG. 3 (B) does not necessarily have to be shown. However, for confirmation of the tool placement result by the operator, each part figure G is shown in FIG. A figure to which the position and tool shape of the tool 4 during the punching operation are added is output to a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a cathode ray tube.

In the automatic tool placement apparatus of this embodiment, the following part graphic change means 15 and tool placement correction means 16 are provided in such an automatic programming apparatus 3.
The part graphic changing means 15 is a means for changing the shape of the part graphic G based on the part graphic G of the part graphic data D1 for which the tool arrangement data D2 or the machining program 2 has already been created. This change is, for example, a process of changing the length of a part of the part graphic G.

  The tool arrangement correcting means 16 performs a process of correcting the already arranged tool 4 before the length change of the side of the changed part graphic G to the tool 4 having a different length according to the setting standard 17. It is. There may be one setting standard 17 or a plurality of standards and priority levels of the plurality of standards may be determined.

  In this embodiment, as one of the setting criteria 17, when the side of the part graphic G is changed long by the part graphic changing means 15, the tool is corrected to a tool longer than the existing tool with respect to the long changed side. And a reference (second reference) for correcting a shorter tool than the already-arranged tool with respect to the short changed side.

In addition, as another setting criterion 17, can the number of punches be reduced with respect to the side whose length has been changed by the part graphic changing means 15 compared to when the already-arranged tool 4 is used (third criterion)? Alternatively, the ratio m / B of the overlapping length m (see FIG. 6) between the arranged tools 4 to the tool width B does not satisfy the set range [for example, (m / B) ≦ (1/3)] in the already arranged tools. It is assumed that there is a reference (third reference, fourth reference) for correcting the placement tool when either the setting range is satisfied by the correction (fourth reference). The third standard and the fourth standard are standards adopted in preference to the first standard and the second standard.
FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a process for correcting the tool 4 using the setting reference 17 by the tool arrangement correcting means 16.

  Next, the function of this automatic tool placement apparatus will be described using specific examples shown in FIGS. First, it is assumed that the tool 4 is arranged as shown in FIG. 3B with respect to the part graphic G shown in FIG. In this example, the tool arrangement is made so that two tools 4 having a tool width B1 are arranged with respect to the side a. For the side c, the tool arrangement is made so that three tools 4 having the tool width B2 are arranged.

Assume that the part graphic G in FIG. 3A is changed as shown in FIG. 4A by the tool placement correcting means 16 in FIG. In the part figure G ′ after the change, the protruding piece portion Ga between the side a and the side c is longer than the part figure G before the change.
When the sides a and c become longer in this way, the tool placement correcting means 16 changes the tool 4 on the sides a and c according to the first reference from before the change as shown in FIG. Also, the tool 4 is changed to a tool width B3 and a tool width B4.
As described above, when the sides a and c become longer, the tool 4 is changed to the longer tool width, so that the machining can be performed with the same number of punches as before the change, and an unnecessary increase in the number of punches can be avoided.

Assume that the part graphic G in FIG. 3A is changed so that the protruding piece portion Ga is shortened as shown in FIG. In this case, sides a and c are shortened.
When the sides a and c are shortened in this way, the tool placement correcting means 16 makes the tool width of the side c shorter than that before the change as shown in FIG. 5B in accordance with the second reference. Change to B6 tool 4. The side a is changed to one tool 4 having a tool width B5 in accordance with a third standard described below.
When the tool 4 is changed to a tool 4 having a short tool width when the tool width is shortened as in the side c, it is possible to avoid an increase in the overlap length m between the tools 4 and to avoid a machining uneven load. Further, when the number of punches of the tool 4 is reduced when the length is shortened as in the side a, the machining time is shortened.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process from the change by the part graphic changing unit 15 of FIG. 1 to the correction process by the tool arrangement correcting unit 16. FIG. 2 shows a process for each side whose length has been changed. It is assumed that the component graphic G is changed by the component graphic changing means 15 and the machining length is changed (step S1). That is, it is assumed that the length of any side of the part graphic G is changed.
In this case, the tool arrangement correcting means 16 determines whether or not the replaceable tool 4 is in the tool master file 14 (FIG. 1) (S2). If there is no replaceable tool 4, the tool used is not corrected. In other words, the tool 4 used in the tool arrangement data D2 before the change is used for the side whose length has been changed, and the punch count and the tool overlap length m can be changed with respect to the change of the machining length. deal with. The change of the overlap length m is a change of the pitch for moving the tool 4.

If there is a replaceable tool 4, the process proceeds to step S <b> 3 to determine whether or not machining offset load can be avoided and whether or not the number of punches can be reduced. If neither requirement is met, no tool correction is performed. If any of the requirements is met, modify the placement tool for that side.
The requirement as to whether or not the machining uneven load can be avoided is the fourth standard, and the ratio m / B of the overlapping length m (see FIG. 6) between the arranged tools 4 to the tool width B is the already arranged tool. This is a requirement whether the set range is satisfied by correction without satisfying the set range (for example, [(m / B) ≦ (1/3)]).

  In the case of this setting standard (third standard, fourth standard), if the number of punches cannot be reduced and the overlap length m between the arranged tools 4 cannot be improved, the tool arrangement is not corrected. Therefore, useless correction of the tool arrangement is not performed, and inconvenience caused by the correction of the tool arrangement can be avoided. For example, if the tool arrangement is corrected, the tool indexing operation or the like due to the rotation of the turret 8 (FIG. 1) may be affected. The influence of the tool indexing operation and the like is often considered and optimized by setting an appropriate reference when initially placing a tool. Therefore, by adopting a standard that does not modify the arrangement tool when the number of punches and the overlap length are not advantageous over the arrangement tool, the advantageous matters of the arrangement tool can be maintained as they are.

  In this way, the tool placement data D ′ created for the part graphic G after the change is corrected, for example, by the NC data conversion means 13 with respect to the machining program 2, and the machining program after the correction is made. 2.

It is a block diagram which shows the conceptual structure of the automatic programming apparatus provided with the automatic tool arrangement | positioning apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the process which the tool arrangement | positioning correction means etc. perform. It is explanatory drawing of the example which performed tool arrangement | positioning with respect to a component figure and its component figure. It is explanatory drawing of the example which modified the part arrangement | positioning with respect to the example of a part figure change which changed the part figure of FIG. 3, and the part figure. It is explanatory drawing of the example which corrected the tool arrangement | positioning with respect to the other part figure change example which changed the part figure of FIG. 3, and the part figure. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between a tool width and a tool overlap length. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a tool arrangement | positioning with respect to the conventional component figure, and its modification example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Punch press 2 ... Processing program 3 ... Automatic programming apparatus 4 ... Tool 9 ... Control apparatus 11 ... Tool arrangement means 12 ... Nesting means 13 ... Execution NC data conversion means 14 ... Tool master file 15 ... Part figure change means 16 ... Tool Arrangement correcting means 17 ... Setting reference B, B1-B6 ... Tool width D1, D1 '... Part graphic data D2, D2' ... Tool arrangement data D3, D3 '... Nested data G ... Part graphic W ... Material plate materials af ... side m ... overlapping length

Claims (1)

An automatic tool placement device that places a tool for punching each time punched with a punch press along the side of the part graphic indicated by the graphic data. A tool placement means for arranging a plurality of short identical tools side by side in the direction of the side, a part figure change means for changing the shape of the part figure based on the part figure, and the length of the changed part figure is changed. the already placement tool before the change the length of the side was, according to the set criteria, e Bei a tool arrangement correction means for correcting the different tool lengths,
The setting standard of the tool arrangement correcting means is
When the side of the part graphic is changed long by the part graphic changing means, when the number of punches can be reduced with respect to the side whose length has been changed compared to the case of using the existing tool, the length is changed. Modify the tool to be longer than the existing tool,
When the side of the part graphic is changed short by the part graphic changing means, when the ratio of the overlapping length between the arranged tools to the tool width does not satisfy the setting range with the already arranged tools, the setting range is satisfied by correction An automatic tool placement device that corrects the shorter side to a tool shorter than the already placed tool .

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