JP7401209B2 - Machine tools and tool cleaning methods - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a tool cleaning device, a machine tool, and a tool cleaning method.

Conventionally, in machine tools, in order to prevent chips, etc. from getting caught between the mounting part of the tool and the mounting hole of the spindle, when replacing the tool, the tool is cleaned by spraying liquid or gas onto the tool. Tool cleaning devices are known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The tool cleaning device described in Patent Document 1 sprays cleaning fluid toward the tool from a nozzle arranged near the mounting hole of the main spindle to clean the mounting portion of the tool when the tool is mounted on the spindle.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-24176

Since the tool cleaning device described in Patent Document 1 has a nozzle fixed to the main shaft, cleaning fluid can only be sprayed onto the tool from a certain direction. Therefore, when there are a plurality of tools with different shapes of mounting parts, it may not be possible to clean a desired position of the mounting part depending on the tool. Therefore, there is a need for a tool cleaning device that can effectively clean desired positions in the mounting parts of various tools, regardless of the shape of the mounting parts.

One aspect of the present disclosure includes a main shaft to which a tool can be attached, a nozzle that injects cleaning fluid to the tool that is attached to and detached from the main shaft, and a main shaft that changes the relative position of the tool and the main shaft. , every time the relative position is changed, the positional relationship between the nozzle and the mounting part of the tool is estimated based on the positional information regarding the relative position, and the mounting part is adjusted according to the estimated positional relationship. and a control section that controls an injection angle of the cleaning fluid with respect to the cleaning fluid .

FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how the tool cleaning device of FIG. 1 sprays cleaning liquid from a nozzle onto a tool mounted on a spindle. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how cleaning liquid is sprayed onto a tool by changing the nozzle angle with the distance between the spindle and the tool being closer than in FIG. 2; 3 is a flowchart illustrating a tool cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how a tool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure sprays cleaning liquid from a nozzle onto a tool having a hollow taper shank. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the tool by changing the angle of the nozzle with the distance between the spindle and the tool being closer than in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating how a tool cleaning device according to a modification of an embodiment of the present disclosure sprays cleaning liquid from a nozzle onto a tool attached to a main spindle. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating how the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the tool by changing the nozzle that sprays the cleaning liquid while the distance between the spindle and the tool is closer than that shown in FIG. 7 .

A tool cleaning device, a machine tool, and a tool cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the machine tool 1 according to the present embodiment includes a bed 3, a table 5 for fixing a workpiece W, a tool magazine 7 for holding a plurality of tools T, and a plurality of tools T. It includes a spindle 9 that can be attached alternatively, a spindle head 11 that supports the spindle 9, and a control device 13 that controls the table 5, the tool magazine 7, the spindle 9, the spindle head 11, and the like.

The table 5 is placed on the bed 3 and is moved horizontally relative to the bed 3 by a feed shaft motor (not shown). A column 15 is provided behind the table 5 and extends vertically upward from the bed 3.

The spindle head 11 is supported by the upper end of the column 15 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Reference numeral 17 is a Z-axis motor that moves the spindle head 11 in the vertical direction. Z-axis motor 17 is fixed to column 15.

The main shaft 9 is supported by a main shaft head 11 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the main shaft 9. Reference numeral 19 is a main shaft motor that rotates the main shaft 9 around its axis. The spindle motor 19 is fixed to the upper end of the spindle head 11.

A tapered hole 9b for mounting a tool T is provided in the tip end 9a of the main shaft 9, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The main shaft 9 has a built-in holding mechanism (not shown) that holds the tool T inserted into the tapered hole 9b.

The tool T includes, for example, a tool body Ta and a tool holder Tb to which the tool body Ta is mounted. The tool holder Tb has a shank (mounting portion) Tc that is inserted into the tapered hole 9b of the main shaft 9. The shank Tc is formed, for example, into a conical shape complementary to the tapered hole 9b of the main shaft 9.

The tool magazine 7 is supported at the upper end of the column 15, as shown in FIG. The tool magazine 7 includes a substantially circular box-shaped cover 7a, a plurality of tool holders (not shown) each holding a tool T, and a structure in which the cover 7a and the plurality of tool holders rotate integrally around a central axis A. It is equipped with a rotation motor 7b that rotates the motor.

The plurality of tool holders are arranged inside the cover 7a and arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis A of the tool magazine 7. By rotating the plurality of tool holders, one of the tool holders is alternatively positioned at the lower end. The tool magazine 7 is arranged in front of the spindle head 11 and tilts forward, and a tool holding portion positioned at the lower end is arranged near the spindle 9. The machine tool 1 exchanges the tool T between the tool holder positioned at the lower end of the tool magazine 7 and the spindle 9.

The machine tool 1 processes the workpiece W in a processing area below the origin position, and exchanges the tool T in an exchange area above the origin position. In the machining area, the machine tool 1 rotates the main spindle 9 around its axis with the tool T attached to the main spindle 9, thereby cutting the workpiece W fixed on the table 5 with the tool T.

Further, in the exchange area, the machine tool 1 causes the tool T mounted on the spindle 9 to be held by an empty tool holding part of the tool magazine 7, and then rotates the plurality of tool holding parts around the central axis A. Then, the tool T held in another tool holding part is mounted on the spindle 9, thereby replacing the tool T.

The machine tool 1 includes a tool cleaning device 21 that cleans a tool T mounted on the spindle 9.
As shown in FIG. 1, the tool cleaning device 21 includes one or more nozzles 23 that spray a cleaning fluid (cleaning fluid) F onto the tool T, a tank 25 that stores the cleaning fluid F, and the nozzles 23 and the tank 25. , a pump 29 that sends the cleaning liquid F from the tank 25 to the nozzle 23 via the flow path 27 , and a solenoid valve 31 provided in the flow path 27 .

In this embodiment, the tool cleaning device 21 includes a plurality of nozzles 23. Each nozzle 23 is attached to the spindle head 11 and arranged around the entrance of the tapered hole 9b of the spindle 9 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each nozzle 23 is provided so as to be swingable in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 23 with respect to the main shaft 9 by a motor (not shown).

The pump 29, the solenoid valve 31, and the motor of each nozzle 23 are controlled by the control device 13, respectively. By operating the pump 29 with the solenoid valve 31 open, the cleaning liquid F is sent from the tank 25 to the nozzle 23 via the flow path 27, and from the nozzle 23 toward the vicinity of the inlet of the tapered hole 9b of the main shaft 9. Cleaning liquid F is sprayed.

The control device 13 includes a processor and a storage unit including RAM, ROM, nonvolatile memory, etc. (all not shown). The storage unit stores a machining program and a tool cleaning program.

The control device 13 controls the operations of the table 5, the spindle head 11, the spindle 9, and the tool magazine 7 by sending control commands to the feed axis motor, Z-axis motor 17, spindle motor 19, and rotation motor 7b according to the machining program. do. As a result, the control device 13 causes the tool T to process the work W and to exchange the tool T between the tool magazine 7 and the spindle 9.

Further, the control device 13 controls the tool cleaning device 21 according to the tool cleaning program. Specifically, the control device 13 estimates the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T based on the relative position information between the tool T and the main shaft 9. Further, the control device 13 controls the injection angle of the cleaning liquid F to the tool T by changing the swing angle of each nozzle 23 according to the estimated positional relationship. Then, the control device 13 injects the cleaning liquid F from each nozzle 23 for a certain period of time.

For example, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the tool cleaning method according to the present embodiment includes a movement step S1 in which the tool T and the spindle 9 are relatively moved; an estimation step S2 of estimating the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T based on the relative positional information of the shank Tc of the tool T; and an angle adjustment of adjusting the injection angle of the cleaning liquid F to the tool T according to the estimated positional relationship. The process includes step S3 and an injection step S4 in which the cleaning liquid F is injected from the nozzle 23 toward the tool T.

Next, the operations of the tool cleaning device 21, machine tool 1, and tool cleaning method according to this embodiment will be explained.
The machine tool 1 executes machining of the workpiece W and exchange of the tool T according to the machining program. Furthermore, when replacing a tool, the machine tool 1 uses the tool cleaning device 21 to clean the tool T according to the tool cleaning program. It is desirable to clean the tool T to be mounted on the spindle 9 immediately before mounting it so that the tool T to be mounted on the spindle 9 is free of debris such as chips.

The replacement and cleaning of the tool T will be explained below.
First, the control device 13 controls the Z-axis motor 17 and the rotary motor 7b according to a machining program. As a result, for example, the spindle head 11 rises from the machining area to the origin position, and the tool T mounted on the spindle 9 is held by the empty tool holder disposed at the lower end of the tool magazine 7. In this state, the spindle head 11 further moves up the tool exchange area, and the tool T mounted on the spindle 9 is extracted from the spindle 9.

Next, each tool holder is rotated around the central axis A, and the tool holder holding another tool T is positioned at the lower end of the tool magazine 7. In this state, the spindle head 11 is lowered to the first cleaning position (step S1). When the spindle head 11 is lowered to the first cleaning position, the control device 13 controls the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T based on the current relative position information between the tool T and the spindle 9 according to the tool cleaning program. The positional relationship is estimated (step S2).

Next, the control device 13 controls the motor of the nozzle 12 according to the estimated positional relationship. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the tool T is adjusted (step S3). Then, the control device 13 controls the pump 29 and the solenoid valve 31. Thereby, the cleaning liquid F is sent from the tank 25 to the nozzle 23 via the flow path 27, and the cleaning liquid F is injected from the nozzle 23 toward the shank Tc of the tool T for a certain period of time (step S4).

At the first cleaning position, the control device 13 may change the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the tool T according to the tool cleaning program. Thereby, the cleaning liquid F is sprayed from the nozzle 23 toward different locations on the shank Tc of the tool T. Therefore, a wide range of the shank Tc of the tool T can be cleaned.

Subsequently, the control device 13 determines whether the cleaning has been completed (step S5). If the cleaning has not been completed, the process returns to step S1. Then, the Z-axis motor 17 is controlled by the control device 13 according to the machining program, and the spindle head 11 is lowered to the next cleaning position (step S1).

When the spindle head 11 descends to the next cleaning position, the control device 13 controls the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T based on the current relative position information between the tool T and the spindle 9 according to the tool cleaning program. The positional relationship is estimated (step S2). Next, the control device 13 controls the motor of the nozzle 12 according to the estimated positional relationship, and as shown in FIG. 3, the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the tool T is adjusted (step S3). Then, the control device 13 controls the solenoid valve 31 and the pump 29, and the cleaning liquid F is injected from the nozzle 23 toward the shank Tc of the tool T for a certain period of time (step S4).

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by changing the relative position of the tool T and the main shaft 9 and adjusting the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the tool T, the first cleaning position and the next cleaning position can be changed. The cleaning liquid F can be sprayed at the same location on the shank Tc of the tool T at different angles depending on the cleaning position. Thereby, a desired location on the shank Tc can be locally cleaned.

In step 5, when the control device 13 determines that the cleaning has been completed, the Z-axis motor 17 is controlled according to the machining program. As a result, the spindle head 11 is further lowered, and the cleaned shank Tc of the tool T is inserted into the tapered hole 9b of the spindle 9. Then, by holding the tool T by the holding mechanism of the spindle 9, a new tool T is attached to the spindle 9. This completes the tool T exchange.

As described above, according to the tool cleaning device 21, machine tool 1, and tool cleaning method according to the present embodiment, the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the tool T is adjusted according to the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T. By doing so, the cleaning liquid F can be sprayed onto a desired location on the shank Tc of the tool T.

Further, the control device 13 changes the relative position between the tool T and the main shaft 9, and changes the injection angle of the cleaning liquid F to the tool T according to the changed positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T. This allows the cleaning liquid F to be sprayed at the same location on the shank Tc of the tool T at different angles. Thereby, depending on the shape of the shank Tc of the tool T, the cleaning liquid F can be sprayed even in places where it is difficult to spray the cleaning liquid F only from a certain direction.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the case of a tool T having a so-called hollow taper shank in which the shank Tc has a hollow part Td opening at a conical tip, not only the outer surface of the shank Tc but also the hollow part Td It is also necessary to clean the inside surface of the

In this case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the relative position between the tool T and the spindle 9 is changed by the control device 13, and at each relative position, the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T are The swing angle of the nozzle 23 is adjusted depending on the positional relationship. Thereby, by changing the spray angle of the cleaning liquid F, the cleaning liquid F can be reliably sprayed even in places where it is difficult to spray the cleaning liquid F only from a fixed direction, such as the inner surface of the hollow portion Td.

Therefore, according to the tool cleaning device 21, machine tool 1, and tool cleaning method according to the present embodiment, desired parts of the shank Tc of various tools T can be effectively cleaned regardless of the shape of the shank Tc of the tool T. can do. This prevents chips and the like from getting caught between the taper hole 9b of the main spindle 9 and the shank Tc of the tool T, and prevents wobbling between the tool T and the main spindle 9 and deterioration of machining accuracy.

Moreover, according to the tool cleaning device 21, the machine tool 1, and the tool cleaning method according to the present embodiment, by simply changing the swing angle of the nozzle 23 with respect to the main shaft 9 using the control device 13, the spraying angle of the cleaning liquid F to the tool T can be changed. can be changed. Therefore, the number of nozzles 23 can be reduced, and the tool cleaning device 21 can be downsized.

This embodiment can be modified to the following configuration.
In this embodiment, the nozzle 23 is provided to be swingable relative to the main shaft 9. Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tool cleaning device 21 may include a plurality of nozzles 23 that spray the cleaning liquid F onto the tool T at different angles. Further, the control device 13 may switch the nozzle 23 that injects the cleaning liquid F depending on the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T.

The nozzles 23, which spray the cleaning liquid F at different angles, are respectively attached to the spindle head 11 and arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction around the entrance of the tapered hole 9b of the spindle 9.
In this case, the control device 13 switches the nozzle 23 that sprays the cleaning liquid F according to the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T, thereby spraying the cleaning liquid F onto a desired location on the shank Tc of the tool T. be able to.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the relative position between the tool T and the spindle 9 is changed by the control device 13, and the positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T is changed at each relative position. By switching the nozzle 23 that sprays the cleaning liquid F accordingly, the cleaning liquid F can be sprayed at the same location on the shank Tc of the tool T at different angles. Further, by switching the nozzle 23 that injects the cleaning liquid F at the same cleaning position, a wide range of the shank Tc of the tool T can be cleaned.

Therefore, also with the configuration of this modification, desired locations on the shank Tc of various tools T can be effectively cleaned regardless of the shape of the shank Tc of the tool T. Furthermore, according to this modification, the angle at which the cleaning liquid F is sprayed onto the tool T can be changed by simply switching the nozzle 23 that sprays the cleaning liquid F using the control device 13. Therefore, there is no need to make the nozzle 23 swingable, and the configuration of the nozzle 23 can be simplified.

Further, in this embodiment, the cleaning liquid F may be sprayed onto the tool T while changing the relative position of the spindle 9 with respect to the tool T. With this configuration, desired positions of the shank Tc of various tools T or the entire shank Tc can be cleaned in a shorter time.

In the present embodiment, the control device 13 runs software that changes the swing angle of the nozzle 23 or switches the nozzle 23 that injects the cleaning liquid F according to the settings of the cleaning area and cleaning method on the shank Tc of the tool T. It is also a good idea to prepare. Further, the tool cleaning device 21 may include an information input section for specifying and editing the cleaning area and cleaning method of the shank Tc in the software.

In addition, in this embodiment, the tool cleaning device 21 sprays the cleaning fluid F for a certain period of time when replacing a tool, but the timing and length of time at which the tool cleaning device 21 sprays the cleaning fluid F can be changed arbitrarily. It is possible. For example, the control device 13 may control the injection timing of the cleaning liquid F according to the estimated positional relationship between the nozzle 23 and the shank Tc of the tool T.

In this case, the timing and length of time of injection may be arbitrarily changeable by the operator changing the settings of the tool cleaning program. Further, the length of the injection time may not be constant.
According to this modification, the cleaning liquid F can be efficiently sprayed onto the tool T, and waste of the cleaning liquid F can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the amount of cleaning liquid F injected from the nozzle 23 may be changeable.
In this case, for example, a flow rate regulating valve that changes the flow rate of the cleaning liquid F may be provided in the flow path 27. Then, the flow rate adjustment valve may be controlled by the control device 13 to change the flow rate of the cleaning liquid F injected from the nozzle 23. Further, for example, the control device 13 may change the flow rate of the cleaning liquid F depending on the amount of deposits such as chips generated. Furthermore, the control device 13 may cause the nozzle 23 to spray the cleaning fluid F in a predetermined temporal pattern by changing the flow rate while the cleaning fluid F is being sprayed from the nozzle 23 .

Moreover, in this embodiment, it is good also as providing the amount detection part of a deposit which detects the amount of deposits attached to the shank Tc of the tool T. The deposit amount detection section may include, for example, a camera that acquires an image of the tool T attached to the spindle 9, and an image processor that calculates the amount of deposits such as chips based on the acquired image. good.

In this case, for example, the cleaning liquid F may be sprayed locally at a location where the amount of deposits detected by the deposit amount detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, or the cleaning fluid F may be sprayed depending on the amount of deposits detected. The amount of cleaning liquid F may also be adjusted.

Further, in this embodiment, the cleaning fluid F has been described as an example of the cleaning fluid, but instead of this, for example, compressed air may be used. In this case, the tool cleaning device 21 includes a nozzle, an air source, a flow path connecting the nozzle and the air source, and a solenoid valve provided in the flow path, and is directed toward the shank Tc of the tool T from the nozzle. Compressed air may be injected.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the control device 13 that processes the work W, replaces the tool T, and cleans the tool T has been described as an example of the control section. Alternatively, the tool cleaning device 21 may include a control unit that cleans the tool T, separately from the control device of the machine tool 1 that processes the workpiece W and replaces the tool T. In this case, relative positional information between the tool T and the spindle 9 is input from the control device of the machine tool 1 to the control section of the tool cleaning device 21, and the control section of the tool cleaning device 21 inputs the relative position information to the control section of the tool cleaning device 21 based on the input position information. The injection angle of the cleaning liquid F may be controlled by the following steps.

Further, in the present embodiment, the spindle 9 is moved relative to the tool T to be attached and detached, but instead of this, the tool T to be attached and detached may be moved relative to the spindle 9.

1 Machine tool 13 Control device (control unit)
21 Tool cleaning device 23 Nozzle T Tool Tc Shank (installation part)
F Cleaning liquid (cleaning fluid)
S1 Movement step S3 Angle adjustment step S4 Injection step

Claims (8)

A spindle on which a tool can be attached,
a nozzle that sprays cleaning fluid onto the tool that is attached to and detached from the main shaft;
The relative position of the tool and the main shaft is changed, and each time the relative position is changed, the position of the nozzle and the attachment part of the tool is determined based on positional information regarding the relative position. A control unit that estimates a relationship and controls an injection angle of the cleaning fluid to the mounting portion according to the estimated positional relationship. the nozzle is provided so as to be swingable with respect to the main shaft,
The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the control section changes a swing angle of the nozzle. comprising a plurality of the nozzles having different spray angles with respect to the tool;
The machine tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section switches the nozzle that injects the cleaning fluid. The machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control section controls the injection timing of the cleaning fluid according to the estimated positional relationship. the nozzle is provided movably together with the main shaft,
The machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cleaning fluid is sprayed onto the tool while changing the relative position between the tool and the main shaft. The machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control section changes the injection angle of the cleaning fluid toward the same location on the tool before and after changing the relative position. a moving step of relatively moving a main spindle of the machine tool and a tool attached to the main spindle;
Each time the relative position of the tool and the main shaft is changed by the moving step, the positional relationship between the nozzle that injects the cleaning fluid and the attachment part of the tool is determined based on the positional information regarding the relative position. an angle adjustment step of estimating and adjusting an injection angle of the cleaning fluid with respect to the tool according to the estimated positional relationship;
A method for cleaning a tool, comprising a step of jetting the cleaning fluid from the nozzle toward the tool. 8. The tool cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein the angle adjusting step changes the injection angle of the cleaning fluid toward the same location on the tool before and after changing the relative position.

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