JP7065175B2 - Automatic work machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic working machine that omits periodic operations by an operator.

In an automatic working machine such as an NC machine tool, a predetermined operation is executed by controlling each drive unit according to a program. Regarding such NC machine tools, in the following Patent Document 1 of the first conventional example, it is assumed that the operation check is performed but the time inspection of the operation unit of each drive unit is not performed, and when the assembly or maintenance of the machine tool is completed. The configuration in which the operation time is automatically determined is disclosed in the above. For example, for the opening / closing operation of a plurality of chucks, the actual operation time of each step in the check program is calculated, and the determination is made by comparing the calculated value with the standard time. On the other hand, when the machining process is executed by a machine tool or the like, it is preferable that the warm-up operation has already been completed before the machining. In this regard, in the following Patent Document 2, which is a second conventional example, the time required for warm-up operation is calculated in consideration of the saturation temperature peculiar to the machine, and the warm-up operation is performed by a predetermined time based on the warm-up operation time. It is disclosed that the warm-up operation is started so that the warm-up operation is started.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-83421 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-80835

In the automatic determination of the operation time in the first conventional example, the calculation of the actual operation time and the comparison operation with the standard time are performed by the arithmetic processing unit, but the execution is performed by the operator pressing the determination start button or the like. It is performed again when the assembly of the machine tool is completed or when the maintenance is completed. Therefore, when the determination is required on a regular basis, the worker must manage the determination time and execute the determination. On the other hand, the second conventional example is obtained by subtracting the warm-up operation time from, for example, the warm-up operation end time. Although the warm-up operation does not require any operation by the operator, when looking at the operation contents executed by the automatic work machine, in addition to the operation time judgment of the first conventional example, automatic cleaning of the inside of the machine and automatic ejection of chips, etc. There were actions that were made to be performed on a regular basis, and many actions had to be managed by the worker.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic working machine in which periodic operations by an operator are omitted in order to solve such a problem.

In the automatic working machine according to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of driving devices driven according to a control command, a measuring device for measuring the current time, and an operating time for operating the one or more driving devices at reserved times, respectively. The control device includes an input device capable of inputting the setting of the above and a control device storing an operation setting unit for driving the drive device at the set operation time based on the time information of the time measuring device. In addition to operating the drive device at the reserved time before operation to collect data related to the operation, the operation status for a certain period of time before the reserved operation time is confirmed for the drive device, and an operation signal for the operation is confirmed. If it has not been received, the operation for checking the operation is executed .

According to the above configuration, when the setting input of the operation time for operating one or more drive devices is performed from the input device, the control command is transmitted by the operation setting unit stored in the control device, and the time information by the timekeeping device. The drive device is driven at the operation time based on the above, and a predetermined operation is automatically performed.

It is a front view which showed the processing machine line. It is a figure which showed the relationship between modules in a processing machine line. It is a side view which showed the internal structure of a lathe module. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a lathe module. It is the figure which showed the work schedule of a lathe module simplified. It is a figure which showed the switching state of the setting input screen displayed on the operation display device. It is a figure which showed the switching state of the setting input screen displayed on the operation display device.

Next, an embodiment of the automatic working machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an NC machine tool or the like constituting a machining machine line as an automatic working machine will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a processing machine line. In this machining machine line 100, various automatic work machines are modularized, and a lathe or a lathe is provided between the work loading module 1 at the right end of the drawing, which is the work loading section, and the work discharging module 11 at the left end of the drawing, which is the work unloading section. Machining centers or inspection machines are installed side by side. Therefore, the work sent from the work loading module 1 is transferred to the work discharging module 11 on the left side of the drawing through processes in various modules such as cutting by a module such as a lathe.

As for the modules constituting the processing machine line 100, the lathe modules 2 and 3 are installed next to the work loading module 1, and the inspection module 4 is installed next to the lathe modules 2 and 3. After the first and second machining of the work is performed on the lathe modules 2 and 3, the inspection module 4 confirms the dimensional accuracy of the machine after the machining. Next, following the work stand module 5 for handing over the work and checking the quality, a machining center module 6 for performing centering and drilling is installed, and the third processing for the work is performed.

Then, a second work stand module 7 capable of temporarily placing and taking out the work and a hobbing module 8 for performing gear cutting are installed in order, and the fourth processing on the work is performed. Further, a deburring module 9 for removing burrs generated on the work and a cleaning module 10 for washing off chips and the like on the work are installed in order, and a work discharging module 11 is installed next to the cleaning module 10. Therefore, in the processing machine line 100, predetermined processing and processing are performed while the work moves in order between the modules 1 to 11.

The processing machine line 100 is provided with a work transfer machine 17 for transferring the work to the modules 1 to 11. In the work transfer machine 17, an articulated robot arm 172 is rotatably mounted on a traveling table 171 for moving traveling rails provided at the front of each of the modules 1 to 11. In the present embodiment, the two workpiece transfer machines 17 are independently driven and controlled, and the workpieces are transferred to and from the corresponding modules 1 to 11. The modules 1 to 11 are covered with an exterior cover 18 having a unified appearance, and a transport space 20 is configured in which the work transfer machine 17 can be moved by the open / close covers 19 (see FIG. 3) arranged side by side.

In the processing machine line 100, modules 2 to 10 excluding modules 1 and 11 are mounted on the base 13. On the base 13, two rails are laid at the same width interval so that two modules can be mounted, and for example, lathe modules 2 and 3 are mounted on the base 13 so that they can be moved in the front-rear direction. There is. In the case of the processing machine line 100, five bases 13 are arranged side by side and close to each other with respect to the modules 2 to 10, and two modules are mounted on each base 13. However, only one large hobbing module 8 is installed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a simplified relationship between modules in the processing machine line 100. A hub (HUB) 14, which is a concentrator, is provided on the base 13 on which the modules 2 to 10 are mounted, and a control device 15 that controls the drive of the drive unit in each of the modules 1 to 11 is connected to the hub (HUB) 14. Further, a LAN is constructed in which the hubs 14 are connected to each other and the control devices 15 are connected to each other. Each of the two workpiece transfer machines 17 is also provided with a transfer control device (not shown), which is also connected to the hub 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 15 is mainly a computer equipped with a storage device such as a ROM 152, a RAM 153, and a non-volatile memory 154 in addition to the CPU 151, and is mainly a spindle device 21, a turret device 22, and an X-axis. It is connected to a drive unit such as a drive device 23 and a Z-axis drive device 24. Further, an operation display device 27 having a touch panel type or button type input means and capable of displaying work information and operation screens and inputting set values by an operator is provided and connected to the control device 15. .. The control device 15 of each module 1 to 11 stores machining programs related to various machining, types of workpieces, workpiece machining information related to tools and jigs, and the like.

Next, one of the modules constituting the processing machine line 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the internal structure of the lathe module 2. Further, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the lathe module 2. The lathe module 2 is assembled on a movable bed 32 provided with wheels, and can move in the front-rear direction along a rail 31 fixed to the upper surface of the base 13.

The lathe module 2 includes a spindle device 21 that grips and rotates a work, a turret device 22 that includes a plurality of tools, and an X-axis drive device 23 or a Z-axis drive that moves the turret device 22 along the X-axis or the Z-axis. A device 24 or the like is provided, and a control device 15 for controlling a drive device is mounted on each device. In the lathe module 2, the machine front-rear direction (left-right direction in the drawing) of the machining module 10 is the Z-axis direction, the machine vertical direction orthogonal to the Z-axis is the X-axis direction, and the machine width direction is the Y-axis direction. Is.

In the spindle device 21, a spindle arranged in the Z-axis direction is rotatably assembled, a chuck mechanism 33 for gripping a workpiece by opening and closing a chuck claw is configured in the front, and a chuck mechanism 33 is configured in the rear via a spindle by a servomotor. A rotation transmission mechanism that rotates the mechanism 33 is configured. The turret device 22 makes it possible to select a tool to be used for machining from a plurality of tools attached to the tool stand 35 by swivel indexing. The X-axis drive device 23 and the Z-axis drive device 24 have slides that can slide in each direction, and move the turret device 22 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by driving a servomotor via a ball screw mechanism. It is composed.

A closed processing chamber 40 is configured in the lathe module 2, and a charging port 361 for the storage tank 36 is provided directly below the processing chamber 40. The storage tank 36 is configured with a chip discharging device 25 (see FIG. 4) including a screw conveyor. The chip discharge device 25 discharges the chips stored in the storage tank 36 by rotating the screw so as to scrape them out. Further, the lathe module 2 is configured with a coolant device 26 for lubricating the work and washing away chips, and for sending the chips in the storage tank 36 by a screw conveyor.

The coolant device 26 is configured so that the coolant that is sent from the storage tank in which the used coolant is stored to the coolant tank 37 through a filter and regenerated by removing foreign substances such as chips can be repeatedly used by the pump 38. It is a thing. The coolant pipe 39 connected to the pump 38 extends to the machining chamber 40 as shown in FIG. 3, but is further branched to the tool stand 35 of the turret device 22 so that the coolant can be supplied to the machining point. It has become. Further, the coolant device 26 is provided with a coolant replenishment tank 41 so that new coolant can be supplied to the coolant tank 37.

In the control device 15, a machining program 541 for causing each device such as the spindle device 21 to perform machining of the work is stored in the memory. In the spindle device 21, the spindle is rotated by driving the servomotor, and rotation is given to the work held by the chuck mechanism 33. On the other hand, in the turret device 22, the corresponding tool is selected from a plurality of tools by swivel indexing, and the height position of the tool is set by driving the X-axis drive device 23 and the horizontal position is set by driving the Z-axis drive device 24. Each is adjusted. Therefore, cutting and hollowing are performed on the rotating work. Further, in the chip discharging device 25, the screw is rotated by the drive control of the motor, the chips accumulated in the storage tank 36 are discharged to the outside, and the coolant device 26 processes the work by controlling the valve of the pump 38. Coolant is sprayed on the points, and cleaning coolant is poured around the inlet 361.

In the lathe module 2, automatic control for workpiece machining is performed as described above, but modules 1 to 11 constituting the machining machine line 100 each perform automatic control for the drive device in the same manner. Under such circumstances, with respect to the lathe module 2, the operator had to perform various operations such as warm-up operation at the start of work, checking the operation of the chuck, and replenishing the coolant each time. Therefore, in addition to forgetting to operate by the worker, there is a problem that the work efficiency of the worker is lowered. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is configured to automatically perform a part of the operation performed by such an operator's operation based on the time information.

A real-time clock (RTC) 155 is mounted on the control device 15, the current time is clocked, and a predetermined operation is executed based on the time information. Therefore, the control device 15 stores an operation setting program 542 for executing the reserved operation in the memory. The reservation operation is a warm-up operation at the start of work, a check of the chuck operation, etc., which is operated by the operator, and is automatically executed at the reserved time. In the present embodiment, the operator can arbitrarily set and input the operation time from the operation display device 27. In the present embodiment, the lathe module 2 will be mainly described, but in the processing machine line 100, it is possible to execute the reservation operation for the modules 1 to 11 and the work transfer machine 17 which are automatic working machines.

In the lathe module 2, the operation setting program 542 is set to warm-up operation, chuck opening / closing operation, cleaning processing using coolant or air, data collection processing such as chuck opening / closing, coolant replenishment, and cooling. For example, chip discharge processing. FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram showing the work schedule of the lathe module 2 in which the operation setting program 542 is executed. In this case, working hours are from 8:30 to 17:00, during which a 45-minute lunch break is provided at 12:00 and a 10-minute break is provided at 10:00 and 15:00, respectively. Then, the processing machine line 100 processes the work A from the start time of 8:30 to 14:00, and processes the work B after 14:00.

The machining programs 541 and machining data corresponding to the machining of the workpiece A and the workpiece B are stored in the memory in each of the modules 1 to 11 and the control device 15 of the workpiece transfer machine 17, and like the lathe module 2 described above, the machining program 541 and the machining data are stored in the memory. Drive control is performed for a predetermined machining. Then, in the present embodiment, in addition to the direct drive control for the machining of the work A and the work B, so-called auxiliary operations such as warm-up operation are automatically controlled so that the work machining can be appropriately performed. Moreover, it is designed to be performed at a predetermined time.

6 and 7 are views showing a setting input screen displayed on the operation display device 27. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the screen of the “reservation operation list” is switched to the screen of the “time setting”. Further, FIG. 7 shows a state in which the screen of the “reservation operation list” is switched to the screen of the “reservation execution condition”. When the reserved operation list is selected from the main menu screen, the operation display device 27 displays the reserved operation list screen 51 in which the operation names of the operations that can be reserved in the lathe module 2 are written. Such operation screens are hierarchically configured, and a screen of predetermined information is displayed on the display by a transition operation of an operator. In the processing machine line 100, the target modules 1 to 11 can be selected from the operation display device 27 mounted on any module, and the module selection screen exists above the main menu screen.

On the reservation operation list screen 51, a plurality of operation selection buttons 52 in which the operation names of the operations that can be reserved are described are displayed, and if all cannot be displayed, the operation selection button 52 can be moved up and down by scrolling up and down. It has become like. In addition to the operation name, the operation selection button 52 is marked with a condition fulfillment display 521 indicating whether or not the operation can be executed, that is, whether or not reservation is possible. For example, when the color of the condition fulfillment display 521 is green, the operating condition is satisfied, and when the color is red, it is indicated that the operating condition is not satisfied.

Therefore, when the selection button 52 for "warm-up operation" for which the operating conditions are satisfied is pressed, the reservation operation list screen 51 of the operation display device 27 is switched to the time setting screen 53, as shown in FIG. .. A time setting box 54 is displayed on the time setting screen 53, and any time can be selected by scrolling the numbers "hour" and "minute" up and down. As shown in the figure, if you want to start the warm-up operation of the lathe module 2 at 8:45, the numbers are set to the center positions and the setting button 55 is pressed to reserve the warm-up operation. The setting is completed.

When the setting button 55 is pressed, a screen notifying that the warm-up operation is reserved at 8:45 is displayed, and by pressing the confirmation button, the screen switches to the reservation operation list screen 51 again. On the other hand, when the reservation operation is not set, the reservation operation list screen 51 is switched to by pressing the back button 56. By the way, although only the setting of the hour and minute is shown in FIG. 6, an operation such as warm-up operation is always performed at the start of work on a working day. Therefore, it is possible to set the date for the operation that is executed every day or the operation that requires the setting of the previous day.

Next, when the selection button 52 of "chuck operation check" for which the operation condition is not satisfied is pressed, as shown in FIG. 7, the reserved operation list screen 51 of the operation display device 27 is the operation of checking the chuck operation. The screen switches to the condition screen 57. On the operating condition screen 57, a condition name 58 describing the contents of the operating condition is displayed. The condition name 58 also shows the condition fulfillment display 581 indicating whether or not the operation can be executed, that is, whether or not the reservation is possible. If the operation condition is not satisfied, red is displayed and the condition is satisfied. By doing so, it turns green.

For example, the example of FIG. 7 is a case where a work remains in the chuck mechanism 33 of the lathe module 2. Therefore, since the chuck mechanism 33 can be opened and closed by removing the work, the operating condition is satisfied and the color of the condition establishment display 581 changes from red to green. When all the conditions are satisfied, the chuck operation check is switched to the time setting screen 53 as shown in FIG. 6, and the date and time of the reserved operation can be set as described above. Then, for each operation displayed on the reservation operation list screen 51, the operation time is set, so that a work schedule as shown in FIG. 5 is created.

In this work schedule, coolant replenishment and data collection are automatically performed at 8 o'clock before the start of work, and warm-up operation is also automatically performed at 8:15. Then, the processing work of the work A is performed in the morning from the start of work at 8:30 to 12:00 with a break at 10 o'clock. During the break time in the morning, the cleaning process is automatically performed at 10 o'clock according to the time, and further, the cleaning process is performed according to the time during the lunch break at 12 o'clock. In the afternoon work, the machining work of the work A is also performed, and when the machining of the number of lots is completed as scheduled, the machining of the work B is switched to at 14:00. In addition, the cleaning process is automatically performed according to the break time of 14:00. After that, the discharge process and the cleaning process are automatically performed in order at 17:00, which is the closing time. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the required operation is automatically performed without the operator having to operate each time.

In the control device 15, the current time is clocked by the RTC 155, and when the corresponding time is confirmed, an operation signal is transmitted and a predetermined reservation operation is executed. In the coolant replenishment of the reserved operation, when the upper limit sensor of the coolant tank 37 is OFF, new coolant is supplied from the coolant replenishment tank 41 to the coolant tank 37 until the upper limit sensor is switched to ON. Therefore, by this reservation operation, a sufficient amount of coolant is prepared before the operation, and then the warm-up operation is performed, so that the temperature of the coolant is stabilized to some extent. In addition, since it is not necessary to replenish the coolant during operation, it is possible to avoid a sudden temperature change due to replenishment.

Data collection is operation confirmation in the chuck mechanism 33 and the turret device 22 operated by hydraulic pressure. For example, if air is mixed in the hydraulic oil, the opening / closing operation speed of the chuck or the like is lowered, and the transfer to and from the work transfer machine 17 may not be performed properly. Therefore, a sensor is provided in the chuck mechanism 33, the turret device 22, and the like, and the operation of the chuck and the like and the measurement of the operation speed are automatically performed. Therefore, this reservation operation enables data collection to be performed every time at the same time, that is, under the same conditions before the operation of the automatic work machine. Therefore, it becomes easy to compare the suitability of the operation, and it becomes easy to grasp the state even with a slight change.

In the warm-up operation, for example, the spindle for rotating the spindle of the spindle device 21 is smoothed, and the temperature of the spindle rises, so that the state at the time of subsequent machining becomes stable and the machining error due to thermal expansion is eliminated. Become. Therefore, by this reservation operation, the state of the spindle device 21 and the like can be stabilized at the start of work, and the machining work can be performed without wasting time. In the cleaning process performed during a break, a coolant pipe or an air hose is attached to a place in the processing chamber 40 where chips are likely to collect, and the coolant or compressed air is sprayed by automatic control of a valve or a pump. Therefore, by this reservation operation, the coolant used at the time of processing can be used without affecting the processing. For the air blow by compressed air that is not used during processing, the operation time may be set at intervals of one hour, for example.

The discharge processing finishes the processing for all the workpieces in the processing machine line 100 at 17:00, which is the closing time. Therefore, in the work loading module 1, 17:00 is timed by the RTC 155 in the control device 15, an operation signal is transmitted accordingly, and the additional loading of new work is stopped by the drive stop. Then, in the lathe module 2 and later, if a work is present in the machine, a normal processing process or the like is performed, and the work is sequentially conveyed to the downstream side by the work transfer machine 17.

At this time, a work supply end signal is transmitted from the work loading module 1 to the control device 15 of the lathe module 2 and the transfer control device of the work transfer machine 17, and the machining process for the last work in the lathe module 2 is completed. In this case, the work supply end signal is transmitted from the lathe disk module 2 to the control device 15 of the next lathe disk module 3. Further, in the work transfer machine 17, the transfer position of the last work to be targeted is confirmed. Therefore, in each module up to the work discharge module 11, it can be confirmed that the work on the last work is completed, and in the lathe module 2, the cleaning process of injecting coolant or compressed air onto the chips in the processing chamber 40 after the processing is completed. Is done.

By the way, the operation time may be set for the automatic work machine so that the operation is executed on condition that the state of the drive device is confirmed. For example, the operating parts such as the chuck mechanism 33 and the turret device 22 that are operated by hydraulic pressure are configured to maintain the standby state by receiving an urging force. Can occur. Therefore, it is preferable to operate the chuck mechanism or the like periodically. Further, since the tool for machining the work may be damaged, it is preferable to have the tool checked at a predetermined timing.

Therefore, in the same manner as the setting method shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation of the chuck mechanism and the like is confirmed at 8:15, 10:30, 13:15, and 15:30. Is set, and the tool check is set at 14:10 after the machining content is switched from the work A to the work B. The operation check is an operation performed in the same manner for other modules including the lathe module 2, but the tool check is an operation performed in the tool box of the machining center module 6 instead of the lathe module 2. A tool table for orbiting a plurality of tools is provided in the tool box, and a sensor for detecting the cutting edge of a moving tool at a predetermined inspection position is provided.

In the operation check, a certain operation such as opening / closing operation of the chuck mechanism is executed at the reserved operation time regardless of the machining process or the like. However, since the operation check targets the operating portion where malfunction may occur due to the long standby state, those that are not affected by the long standby state as well as during the operation are excluded from the target. Therefore, the operation status of the operation part such as the chuck mechanism, which is the target of the operation check, is confirmed for a certain period of time before the reserved operation time. That is, among the corresponding operation parts within that time, the operation confirmation is performed for the operation part that has not received the operation signal. Therefore, this reserved operation prevents the standby state from being continued until a malfunction occurs, and enables an appropriate operation in the operating portion.

In the tool check, a sensor is used to inspect the tool box for defects of the corresponding tool at the reserved operation time. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the tool used for the work B cannot be inspected, but the tool table is operated for the tool used for the work A and other tools, and the cutting edge is detected by the sensor. In this case, since the machining needs to be performed after the machining is switched to the work B, it is also a condition of the operation execution that the operation status is confirmed together with the operation time and the information that the last work A has passed through the machining center module 6 is confirmed. .. Therefore, by this reservation operation, if the tool used for machining the work A is defective, the tool can be replaced at that point, and the quality of the machined work caused by the tool can be checked at an early stage. become.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the processing machine line 100 has been described as an example centering on the lathe module 2 which is an automatic processing machine, but it is effective to carry out the present invention if the automatic working machine has an effective reservation operation. Is.
Further, for example, the reservation operation of the tool check is performed at the time of switching between the work A and the work B, but the operation time may be arbitrarily set as in the operation check.

1 to 11 ... Module 2 ... Lathe module 15 ... Control device 17 ... Work transfer machine 21 ... Spindle device 22 ... Turret device 23 ... X-axis drive device 24 ... Z-axis drive device 25 ... Chip discharge device 26 ... Coolant device 27 ... Operation Display device 100 ... Machining machine line 155 ... Real-time clock 541 ... Machining program 542 ... Operation setting program

Claims (5)

Multiple drive devices that drive according to control commands,
A timekeeping device that measures the current time,
An input device capable of setting and inputting an operation time for operating the one or more drive devices at reserved times, respectively.
It has a control device that stores an operation setting unit that drives the drive device at the set operation time based on the time information of the timekeeping device.
The control device operates the drive device at the reserved time before the operation to collect data related to the operation, and also confirms the operation status for a certain period of time before the reserved operation time for the drive device, and the operation is concerned. An automatic work machine that executes an operation to check the operation when it does not receive an operation signal . The input device displays a list of reserved operations indicating the reserved operation contents of a plurality of the drive devices, and a claim that enables input of the operation time corresponding to the reserved operation contents selected from the reserved operation list. Item 1. The automatic working machine according to Item 1. The automatic working machine according to claim 2, wherein in the reserved operation list, an operation name indicating the content of the reserved operation for the drive device and whether or not the operation condition of the reserved operation is satisfied are displayed. The automatic working machine according to claim 3, wherein the control device determines whether or not the operating conditions of the driving device corresponding to the operating name are appropriate, and causes the input device to display whether or not the operating conditions are satisfied. The plurality of drive devices include a spindle device that rotates a chuck mechanism that grips a work by opening and closing a chuck claw by hydraulic pressure, which constitutes a machine tool, and a tool used for machining from a plurality of tools attached to a tool table. The automatic working machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is a turret device for indexing and a moving shaft driving device for moving the turret device in the machining axis direction.

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