JP7439827B2 - Glass article manufacturing method and manufacturing system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for manufacturing glass articles.

For architectural glass, liquid crystal boards, etc., the flat glass plate used as the base plate is moved on a processing table while cutting or chamfering is performed using a fixed processing tool, or the flat glass plate is fixed and the processing tool is moved. Cut or chamfer to make glass items.

For curved glass articles such as automobile windshields, a flat glass plate is cut, chamfered, and then heated and shaped into a curved shape to produce the glass article.

Various methods have been proposed for cutting and chamfering these flat glass plates, which are relatively easy to fix and move, and which have high processing speeds.

On the other hand, in order to improve processing accuracy, it is desirable to be able to manufacture a glass article by performing a cutting process on a curved glass base plate that has been formed into a curved surface. However, with the method of fixing a glass plate to a highly rigid processing table like a flat glass plate, there are problems with equipment design, lead time, and compatibility with a wide variety of products when processing curved glass blanks. There is. Therefore, as a method for processing a curved glass blank plate, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes that an industrial robot with multiple degrees of freedom is equipped with a processing tool for cutting and chamfering, and this processing tool is moved by the robot. A method for processing curved glass blanks has been proposed.

Other processing methods using industrial robots include Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3. Patent Document 2 discloses that machining using a robot can be performed with high precision by taking machining reaction forces into consideration. Patent Document 3 discloses a method in which a robot moves between processing machines while holding a workpiece, and the robot performs processing while being fixed to the processing machine while holding the workpiece.

International Publication No. 2018/092520 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-215359 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-144126

However, as a method for processing a curved glass blank plate using an industrial robot, methods other than Patent Document 1 are desired from the viewpoint of increasing the number of processing method options. In addition, the methods of Patent Documents 2 and 3 do not assume a curved workpiece, nor do they assume continuous cutting and chamfering, so the expected machining accuracy and machining speed may not necessarily be achieved. It can't be achieved.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing system for a glass article that can both improve processing accuracy and processing speed of a curved glass blank plate.

[1] A method for manufacturing a glass article according to one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention provides the method for manufacturing a glass article at a position inside a planned cutting line corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the main surface of a glass article cut out from a curved glass base plate. A glass base plate is fixed to a fixture, and a first articulated robot moves the fixed glass base plate and the fixture relative to a cutting device to remove cracks that enter the glass base plate in the thickness direction. A continuous crack line is formed along the planned cutting line, and the first multi-joint robot or the fixed glass base plate on which the crack line is formed and the fixture are delivered from the first multi-joint robot. A second articulated robot moves the fixed glass blank on which the crack line is formed and the fixing tool relative to the folding device, and moves the glass blank along the crack line to the article area and the edges. and the separated article area is chamfered.
[2] The method according to [1] above, wherein the first multi-joint robot, the second multi-joint robot, and the fixed article area and the fixing device are connected to the first multi-joint robot. Alternatively, the fixed article area and the fixing tool are moved relative to the chamfering device by one of the third multi-joint robots delivered from the second multi-joint robot, and The chamfering is performed along the edges.
[3] The method according to [2] above, wherein the fixing device is transferred from the first multi-joint robot to the second multi-joint robot, and the fixture is transferred from the second multi-joint robot to the third multi-joint robot. The fixture is delivered to the articulated robot via a delivery table.
[4] The method according to any one of [1] to [3] above, in which the article region and the scraps region are separated, and then the article region fixed to the fixture is separated. measuring the post-separation shape, referring to the difference between the post-separation shape and the target shape of the article area, and making at least a correction to reduce the difference to the trajectory of the first articulated robot when forming the crack line. Do it once.
[5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the crack line is formed by cutting the glass blank along the planned cutting line using a laser beam output from the cutting device. This is an internal void row formed inside.
[6] The method according to [5] above, in which the internal void array is formed using a pulsed laser beam having a pulse width of 100 ps or less and a wavelength that transmits through the glass base plate.
[7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6] above, in which the article region and the scrap region are separated by generating thermal stress at the crack line.
[8] The method according to any one of [1] to [7] above, in which any one or more of the formation of the crack line, the formation of the end surface by the separation, and the chamfering of the end surface, The position of the fixture is controlled using an alignment mark provided on the fixture as a reference position.

[9] A system for manufacturing a glass article according to one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is provided at a position inside a planned cutting line corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the main surface of a glass article cut out from a curved glass base plate. a fixture that fixes the glass base plate and integrates it with the glass base plate; one or more articulated robots capable of moving the integrated glass base plate and the fixture; In response to relative movement of the integrated glass blank plate and the fixture by one of the articulated robots, cracks entering in the thickness direction of the glass blank plate form a continuous crack line along the planned cutting line. The crack line is formed in response to relative movement of the glass blank plate on which the integrated crack line is formed and the fixing tool by a cutting device and any one of the one or more articulated robots. Any one of the one or more articulated robots, comprising a folding device that separates a glass blank into an article region and a scrap region along the crack line, and a chamfering device that chamfers an end surface of the article region. The set is capable of transferring the fixture from one articulated robot to another articulated robot .
[10] The system according to [9] above, wherein the chamfering device is configured to chamfer in response to relative movement of the integrated article area and the fixture by any of the one or more articulated robots. , chamfering the end face.
[11] The system according to [9] or [10] above, wherein the fixing tool includes a fixing part having a target curved shape of the glass article, and the fixing part adsorbing the glass base plate. It includes a suction part and a joint part that is detachably connected to the one or more articulated robots.
[12] The system according to any one of [9] to [11] above, further comprising a measuring device that fixes the glass base plate to the fixture and measures the shape of the article region after separation. Equipped with
[13] The system according to [9] above , further comprising a transfer table to which the fixing device can be attached and detached, which receives the fixing device from the one articulated robot and delivers it to the other articulated robot. .
[14] The system according to [13] above , wherein the delivery table includes a measurement unit that measures the shape of the article region fixed to the fixture after separation.
[15] The system according to any one of [9] to [14] above, wherein the cutting device is a pulsed laser oscillator that generates a wavelength that has a pulse width of 100 ps or less and that transmits through the glass base plate. including.
[16] The system according to any one of [9] to [15] above, wherein the folding device includes a CO2 laser oscillator that applies heat to the glass blank.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing system for a glass article that can both improve processing accuracy and processing speed of a curved glass blank plate.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a glass article manufacturing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a cutting device. It is a figure showing typically an example of composition of a chamfering device. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a shape measuring device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fixture. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5 of the fixture. It is a figure which shows the 1st stage of the fixing procedure of a glass base plate to the fixture. It is a figure which shows the 2nd stage of the fixing procedure of a glass base plate to a fixture. It is a flow chart of a glass article manufacturing procedure concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the first stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 2nd stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 3rd stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 4th stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 5th stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 6th stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows the 7th stage of the delivery procedure of the integrated glass base plate and fixture. It is a figure which shows an example of the usage method of an alignment mark in cutting processing. It is a figure showing the whole structure of a glass article manufacturing system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing the whole structure of a glass article manufacturing system concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a figure showing the whole structure of a glass article manufacturing system concerning a 4th embodiment.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. First, the configuration of a glass article manufacturing system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 schematically shows the arrangement of each device of a glass article manufacturing system 1 on a plan view.

The glass article manufacturing system 1 processes a glass blank G into an arbitrary shape. The glass blank G has a curved shape having an arbitrary curvature. The glass article manufacturing system 1 processes the glass blank G into an arbitrary shape by performing cutting, folding, and chamfering along the planned cutting line L (see FIG. 5) on the glass blank G. Note that the planned cutting line L is a line corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the main surface of the glass article cut out from the curved glass blank G.

As shown in FIG. 1, a glass article manufacturing system 1 includes a laser device 2, a chamfering device 3, a shape measuring device 4 (measuring device), a robot 5 (first articulated robot), a control device 6, and a loading table 7. Equipped with The laser device 2, the chamfering device 3, the shape measuring device 4, the robot 5, and the loading table 7 are arranged in a predetermined section R of the system. In particular, in the first embodiment, the robot 5 is arranged at the center of a predetermined section R having a substantially rectangular shape, and the laser device 2, chamfering device 3, shape measuring device 4, and loading table 7 are arranged on the four sides of the rectangle. .

Further, in the glass article manufacturing system 1 , the curved glass blank G is fixed by a fixture 10 . The glass base plate G and fixture 10 that are integrally fixed are sequentially moved by a robot 5 to a loading table 7, a laser device 2, a chamfering device 3, and a shape measuring device 4 for processing. Note that the method for fixing the glass base plate G and the fixture 10 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

The robot 5 moves the glass blank G and fixture 10, which are integrally fixed, to each device. The robot 5 is a multi-joint robot with five degrees of freedom or more, and by controlling the angle of each joint with the control device 6, the hand trajectory can be made into an arbitrary three-dimensional trajectory. The robot 5 is capable of moving with the glass base plate G integrated with the fixture 10 by connecting and fixing the fixture 10 to the end effector 51 shown in FIG. 10A of the hand.

The loading table 7 is a space for connecting the fixture 10 to the robot 5, fixing the glass base plate G to the fixture 10, and separating the processed glass from the fixture. A worker or another robot different from the robot 5 carries the glass blank G and the fixture 10 into the loading table 7, and carries out the processed glass and the fixture 10.

The laser device 2 in FIG. 2 is a device that cuts and folds glass by irradiating a glass blank G with a laser beam. In the following, the laser device 2 will be referred to as a "cutting device 2C." The cutting device 2C includes, for example, a cutting laser oscillator 21 (pulsed laser oscillator) that generates a filament for cutting, and a folding laser oscillator 22 (CO ₂ laser oscillator) that emits a CO ₂ laser for folding. . The cutting laser oscillator 21 and the folding laser oscillator 22 are installed in the cutting device 2C so as to output laser beams from different positions to the outside of the device by mirror transmission. Switching control and output control of the cutting laser oscillator 21 and the folding laser oscillator 22 of the cutting device 2C are performed by the control device 6.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the output position and output direction of the short pulse laser output by the cutting laser oscillator 21 and the CO ₂ laser output by the folding laser oscillator 22 are fixed, and the robot 5 Processing is performed by appropriately moving the glass blank G and fixture 10, which are integrally fixed, relative to the laser irradiation position. For example, the robot 5 moves the glass blank G so that the short pulse laser of the cutting laser oscillator 21 is irradiated along the scheduled cutting line L of the glass blank G, so that the glass blank is cut along the scheduled cutting line L. Internal void rows are formed inside the plate G. In addition, by the robot 5 moving the glass blank G so that the CO ₂ laser of the folding laser oscillator 22 is irradiated along the internal void array of the glass blank G, thermal stress is created around the internal void array. As a result, the glass blank G is separated into an article area on the center side, which will become a product part, and an offcut area on the outer edge side.

Note that the cutting and folding device 2C may be replaced with a cutting device and a folding device in which the cutting function and the folding function are separated. In this case, a cutting laser oscillator 21 is installed in the cutting device, and a folding laser oscillator 22 is installed in the folding device.

The chamfering device 3 in FIG. 3 is a device that chamfers the processed portion of the glass blank G that has been cut and folded. The chamfering device 3 includes, for example, a chamfering grindstone 31. The chamfering grindstone 31 rotates around a predetermined rotation axis. The robot 5 appropriately moves the glass base plate G and the fixture 10 that are integrally fixed relative to the position of the chamfering grindstone 31, and changes the contact area of the glass end surface with the grindstone 31, thereby changing the shape of the end surface. Perform chamfering.

Drive control of the chamfering grindstone 31 of the chamfering device 3 is performed by the control device 6. The chamfering whetstone 31 may have a configuration in which the axis of rotation is horizontal and presses the end face of the glass from below or above the whetstone 31, as shown in FIG. A configuration in which the parts are pressed against each other may also be used. Further, the chamfering by the chamfering device 3 may be performed by simply polishing only the corner portion of the glass end face with a belt sander, tape, or a grindstone made of diamond, metal, resin, rubber, or the like. According to this configuration, the structure of the chamfering device 3 is simplified, and the area to be polished becomes smaller, so that the time required for machining is also shortened.

The shape measuring device 4 in FIG. 4 is a device that measures the processed shape of the article region of the glass blank G that has been subjected to cutting and folding, as necessary. In this embodiment, the shape measuring device 4 includes a three-dimensional measuring instrument 41, a single-axis actuator 42, and a delivery table 9. The three-dimensional measuring instrument 41 measures the three-dimensional shape of an object. The delivery table 9 is a pedestal that receives and fixes the glass base plate G and fixture 10 that are integrally fixed from the end effector 51 shown in FIG. 10A of the robot 5. The single-axis actuator 42 is a device that can move the delivery table 9 in one direction.

In the shape measuring device 4, the robot 5 transfers the glass blank G and the fixture 10 to the delivery table 9, and the single-axis actuator 42 moves the glass blank G and the fixture 10 to the delivery table 9 with the delivery table 9 fixing the glass blank G and the fixture 10. is moved to the three-dimensional measuring instrument 41, and the three-dimensional measuring instrument 41 measures the shape of the glass blank G. Thereafter, the single-axis actuator 42 returns the delivery table 9 to the delivery position with the robot 5, and the robot 5 receives the glass blank G and the fixture 10 from the delivery table 9.

The three-dimensional measuring device 41, single-axis actuator 42, and delivery table 9 of the shape measuring device 4 are controlled by the control device 6. Note that the shape measuring device 4 may use a device other than the three-dimensional measuring device 41 for measurement, such as calculating a three-dimensional shape from a plurality of image data obtained by photographing a glass blank using a plurality of cameras.

The control device 6 controls each element of the glass article manufacturing system 1. The installation location of the control device 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can communicate with the laser device 2, chamfering device 3, shape measuring device 4, and robot 5, and even if it is placed outside the predetermined section R as shown in FIG. Alternatively, it may be placed inside the predetermined section R.

The control device 6 physically includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) which are main storage devices, a communication module which is a data transmission/reception device, an auxiliary storage device, etc. It can be configured as a computer device or a circuit board that includes. Each of the functions of the control device 6 described above is performed by loading predetermined computer software onto hardware such as the CPU and RAM, thereby operating the communication module, etc. under the control of the CPU, and also operating the communication module etc. in the RAM and auxiliary storage device. This is achieved by reading and writing data.

Next, the structure of the fixture 10 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

In FIG. 5, the x, y, and z axes are perpendicular to each other. The x-axis and y-axis are in the horizontal direction in the figure, and the z-axis is in the vertical direction in the figure. The fixture 10 is connected and fixed to the end effector 51 of FIG. 10A of the robot 5 from the negative side in the z-axis direction, and the glass is cut or folded from the positive or negative side in the z-axis direction. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of only the resin block 12, the hole S, and the suction pad 16 taken along the cross-sectional line AA parallel to the x-axis.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fixture 10 includes a base 11, a resin block 12, an abutment pin 13, and a suction pad 16.

The base 11 is provided with a resin block 12 on the positive side in the z-axis direction, and a robot joint 18 and a table joint 19 on the negative side in the z-axis direction.

The resin block 12 is a portion that receives the glass blank G when fixing the glass blank G to the fixture 10, and has a glass contact surface 14 on the positive side in the z-axis direction. The glass contact surface 14 is formed in a shape that matches the curvature of the glass article finally manufactured from the glass blank G. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the glass contact surface 14 is formed in a concave shape so that the convex contact surface of the glass base plate G can be in close contact with the glass base plate G. Other shapes may also be used.

The shape of the resin block 12 when viewed from the positive side of the z-axis is such that it can be placed inside the planned cutting line L on the main surface of the glass blank G, and inside the planned cutting line L, and It is preferable that the shape be as close as possible to the planned cutting line L while leaving a margin for cutting and folding.

The abutting pin 13 is provided in the z-axis direction of the base 11 and on the outer peripheral side of the resin block 12. The abutment pin 13 can move forward and backward in the z-axis direction, and is provided at a position where the outer edge of the glass blank G contacts when it is advanced in the z-axis direction. At least three abutment pins 13 are provided in order to determine the relative position of the glass blank G to the fixture 10 at a predetermined position.

The suction pad 16 is accommodated in a hole S opened in the glass contact surface 14 of the resin block 12, and is provided so as to be movable in the z-axis direction. The tip of the suction pad 16 on the positive side in the z-axis direction is formed into a suction cup shape, and a suction passage 20 for vacuum suction is provided in the center thereof.

The robot joint 18 is an element for connecting the fixture 10 to the end effector 51 of the robot 5 in FIG. 10A. A suction passage 20 of the suction pad 16 extends through the robot joint 18, and when the fixture 10 is connected to the robot 5, a vacuum source and a suction passage provided on the robot 5 side are connected via the robot joint 18. 20, vacuum suction can be performed via the suction passage 20.

The table joint 19 is an element for connecting the fixture 10 to the delivery table 9. The suction passage 20 of the suction pad 16 extends also to the table joint 19, and when the fixture 10 is connected to the table 9, the vacuum source provided on the delivery table 9 side is connected to the suction passage through the table joint 19. By communicating with the passage 20, vacuum suction can be performed via the suction passage 20. Note that control of vacuum suction via the suction passage 20 is performed by the control device 6.

7 and 8 are enlarged views of the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 excluding the base 11, the robot joint 18, and the table joint 19.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the first step of the fixing procedure, the abutment pin 13 extends in the positive direction of the z-axis, so that the outer edge of the glass blank G can abut against the abutment pin 13. ing. Further, the suction pad 16 also moves to the positive side in the z-axis direction and protrudes from the hole S. In this state, the glass blank G is positioned by the abutting pin 13, and with the suction cup at the tip of the suction pad 16 in contact with the glass blank G, vacuum suction is applied from the suction passage 20, and the suction pad 16 is moved to the glass blank. It is attracted to plate G.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the second stage of the fixing procedure, the abutment pin 13 descends to the negative side in the z-axis direction and is removed from the glass blank G, while the suction pad 16 maintains vacuum suction. It moves to the negative side in the z-axis direction and is accommodated in the hole S. Thereby, the glass base plate G is pressed against the glass contact surface 14 of the resin block 12 and is made to follow the shape of the glass contact surface 14. That is, the glass base plate G is fixed to the fixture 10 in a state where it follows the shape of the glass product.

Movement of the abutting pin 13 and the suction pad 16 in the z-axis direction is realized, for example, by driving an actuator (not shown) installed inside the base 11. The actuator is, for example, a pneumatic actuator, and can be driven, for example, by supplying compressed air from the robot 5 side via the robot joint 18, similar to vacuum suction. The operation of the actuator is controlled by a control device 6.

In the fixing device 10, the glass contact surface 14 of the resin block 12 corresponds to "a fixing part having a target curved shape of a glass article cut out from a curved glass base plate G". The suction pad 16 and the suction passage 20 correspond to "a suction part that suctions the glass blank G at a fixed part". The robot joint 18 corresponds to a "joint part that is detachably connected to one or more articulated robots."

Next, a method for manufacturing a glass article using the glass article manufacturing system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 10G.

In step S01 of FIG. 9, the fixture 10 is attached to the end effector 51 of FIG. 10A of the robot 5.

In step S02, the fixture 10 is moved to the loading table 7 by the robot 5, and the glass base plate G is fixed to the fixture 10. At this time, the fixture 10 fixes the glass blank G at a position inside the planned cutting line L on the main surface of the glass blank G. Thereby, the glass base plate G and the fixture 10 are brought into an integrated state.

In step S03, the robot 5 moves the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 to the cutting device 2C.

In step S04, the glass blank G is cut by the cutting device 2C. As explained with reference to FIG. 2, the cutting device 2C outputs a short pulse laser from the cutting laser oscillator 21 so that the short pulse laser is irradiated along the planned cutting line L of the glass blank G. When the robot 5 moves the glass blank G, an internal void row is formed inside the glass blank G along the planned cutting line L.

In step S05, the glass blank G is subsequently folded by the cutting device 2C. As explained with reference to FIG. 2, the cutting device 2C outputs a CO ₂ laser from the folding laser oscillator 22, and the robot moves the CO ₂ laser so that it is irradiated along the internal void rows of the glass blank G. 5 moves the glass blank G, thermal stress is generated around the internal void row, and as a result, the glass blank G is separated into an article area on the center side and a scrap area on the outer edge side. In the subsequent processing, the offcut area is removed, and only the article area on the center side of the glass blank G is transported while being fixed to the fixture 10.

In step S06, the control device 6 determines whether or not the shape deviation from the target shape was within an allowable range when the shape measuring device 4 measured the shape of the article area of the glass blank G in the previous processing process. . If the shape deviation is not within the allowable range (No in step S06), it is determined that the shape deviation between the target shape and the measured shape is still large, and the trajectory correction of the robot 5 is necessary from step S07 onward, and the step Proceed to S07. On the other hand, if the shape deviation is within the allowable range (Yes in step S06), it is determined that the trajectory correction of the robot 5 after step S07 is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to step S12. Note that this step S06 and steps S07 to S11, which will be described later, are unnecessary if the appropriate trajectory of the robot 5 with respect to the target shape has been determined.

In step S07, the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 are moved to the shape measuring device 4 by the robot 5, and delivered to the delivery table 9 of the shape measuring device 4.

Here, with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10G, a procedure for transferring the integrated glass base plate G and fixture 10 between the robot 5 and the transfer table 9 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10A, in the first stage, the robot 5 is connected to the robot joint 18 of the fixture 10 via the joint 52 of the end effector 51. At this time, the fixture 10 is maintained in a state in which the glass base plate G is vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum source on the robot 5 side. Hereinafter, the position of the robot 5 and the transfer table 9 in FIG. 1 will be referred to as the home position.

Delivery As shown in FIG. 10B, in the second stage, the delivery table 9 is driven by the single-axis actuator 42 to a delivery position where the glass blank G and the fixture 10 are delivered to and from the robot 5. Moving.

As shown in FIG. 10C, in the third step, the robot 5 moves the end effector 51 to the delivery position, and thereby the glass blank G and the fixture 10 are moved to the delivery position. After the movement is completed, the vacuum suction of the glass base plate G is stopped by the vacuum source on the robot 5 side, and the glass base plate G is placed on the resin block 12 of the fixture 10 and is not fixed. becomes.

As shown in FIG. 10D, in the fourth stage, the robot 5 lowers the end effector 51 from the delivery position, thereby coupling the table joint 19 of the fixture 10 with the joint 91 of the delivery table 9.

As shown in FIG. 10E, in the fifth stage, the robot 5 further lowers the end effector 51, whereby the joint 52 of the end effector 51 separates from the robot joint 18 of the fixture 10. The position of the robot 5 shown in FIG. 10E is called a retreat position.

As shown in FIG. 10F, in the sixth step, the delivery table 9 starts vacuum suction of the glass blank G via the joint 91 and the table joint 19 using the table-side vacuum source.

As shown in FIG. 10G, in the seventh step, the robot 5 returns to the home position, and the transfer table 9 drives the single-axis actuator 42 while maintaining the vacuum suction state between the fixture 10 and the glass blank G. is returned to the home position.

By performing the transfer according to the steps shown in FIGS. 10A to 10G, the vacuum source can be smoothly switched without conflict between the vacuum suction by the vacuum source on the robot 5 side and the vacuum suction by the vacuum source on the transfer table 9 side. I can do it.

Returning to FIG. 9, in step S08, the three-dimensional measuring instrument 41 of the shape measuring device 4 measures the post-separation shape, which is the outer shape of the article region of the glass blank G. The measured shape is output to the control device 6.

In step S09, the control device 6 calculates the amount of deviation between the shape measured in step S08 and a predetermined target shape.

In step S10, the control device 6 corrects the trajectory of the robot 5 to correct the amount of deviation between the measured shape and the target shape calculated in step S09. For example, the control device 6 refers to the difference between the measured shape of the glass blank G after separation and the target shape of the article area, and uses a CO ₂ laser when forming internal void rows in cutting or folding. The trajectory of the end effector 51 of the robot 5 during irradiation is modified to reduce the difference. Further, at this time, the control device 6 stores the amount of deviation between the measured shape before correction and the target shape, and refers to this stored information in step S06 during the next machining.

In step S11, the glass base plate G is removed from the fixture 10 by the robot 5. The product portion of the glass blank G removed in this step is determined to not have the desired processing accuracy in step S06, so it is discarded without being chamfered. When step S11 is completed, the process returns to step S01.

In step S12, since the shape deviation was determined to be within the allowable range in step S06, the robot 5 moves the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 to the chamfering device 3.

In step S13, the end face of the article area separated from the glass blank G is chamfered by the chamfering device 3. As described with reference to FIG. 3, the robot 5 moves the glass blank G and the fixture 10 that are integrally fixed relative to the position of the chamfering grindstone 31 of the chamfering device 3, and performs chamfering. By changing the contact portion between the grindstone 31 and the end surface of the article region of the glass blank G, chamfering is performed along the circumferential direction of the end surface of the separated article region in step S05.

In step S14, the fixture 10 is moved to the loading table 7 by the robot 5, and the article area of the glass blank G is removed from the fixture 10. The removed article area of the glass blank G is moved from the loading table 7 by a worker or a robot for post-processing. When the process of step S14 is completed, this control flow ends.

According to the first embodiment, the single fixture 10 fixes the glass blank G during a series of processing steps including cutting and folding by the cutting device 2C and chamfering by the chamfering device 3. can be maintained. That is, the fixture 10 will not be removed from the glass blank G during movement between different processing devices or during processing in the processing device. Therefore, errors in the glass fixing position do not accumulate due to repeated attachment and detachment of the fixture 10, so even if each step is performed using different equipment, the processing accuracy does not decrease, and the processing accuracy of curved glass can be improved. .

In this embodiment, the robot 5 holds the glass blank G via the fixture 10 and performs processing by moving the glass blank G relative to the processing device, so the glass blank G is placed on a conventional plane. Compared to fixed machining, there is a higher degree of freedom in moving the workpiece in three-dimensional directions, making it possible to machining more complex three-dimensional shapes and increasing machining speed. Therefore, according to the glass article manufacturing system 1 of the first embodiment and the manufacturing method using the same, it is possible to simultaneously improve the processing accuracy and processing speed of a curved glass blank plate.

In this embodiment, after the glass blank G is separated into an article area and an offcut area in the folding process, the shape measuring device 4 measures the separated shape of the article area of the glass blank G fixed to the fixture 10. Then, the control device 6 refers to the difference between the measured shape after separation and the target shape of the article area, and makes corrections to the trajectory of the robot 5 when forming internal void rows in the cutting process to reduce the difference. . With this configuration, the hand trajectory of the robot 5 can be more closely approximated to the planned cutting line L, and processing accuracy can be further improved.

Note that the measurement of the shape of the article region of the glass blank G after cutting may be carried out after chamfering the end face of the article region of the glass blank G in the chamfering step.

In this embodiment, if there is no previous measurement data in the determination at step S06, for example, when machining based on the target shape is performed for the first time in this system, the processing from step S07 onwards is forcibly performed, and the trajectory of the robot 5 is Preferably, the correction is made at least once. Thereby, the trajectory of the robot 5 can be reliably corrected, and the machining accuracy can be further improved.

In this embodiment, in the cutting process, an internal void array is formed inside the glass blank G along the cutting line L using a short pulse laser outputted by the cutting laser oscillator 21 of the cutting device 2C. Further, it is preferable that the internal void array be formed using a pulsed laser beam having a pulse width of 100 ps or less and a wavelength that transmits through the glass base plate G. When cutting with a glass cutter or the like, the processing error with respect to the shape of the glass article is larger than when using a pulsed laser beam, and it is difficult to control the orientation of the teeth of the glass cutter or the like with the robot 5. On the other hand, the structure of the cutting device 2C can be simplified, the time required for cutting can be shortened, line tact can be improved, and productivity can be improved.

In this embodiment, in the folding process, separation of the product area and the scrap area of the glass blank G is performed by applying thermal stress to the periphery of the internal void rows by the CO ₂ laser output from the folding laser oscillator 22 of the cutting device 2C. This is done by generating. As a result, the structure of the cutting device 2C can be simplified, the time required for folding can be shortened, and line tact and productivity can be further improved.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, alignment marks 17A and 17B are provided on the fixture 10. The positions of the alignment marks 17A and 17B may be anywhere on the fixture, such as the side surface of the fixture 10 or the surface on which the glass blank G is placed. The alignment marks 17A and 17B are fixed as reference positions for forming internal void rows during cutting, forming end faces by separating the glass blank G during folding, and chamfering the end faces of the article area of the glass blank G during chamfering. Preferably, the position of the tool 10 is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 11, for example, the cutting device 2C includes a camera 23, and the control device 6 cuts the alignment marks 17A, 17B based on the image information of the alignment marks 17A, 17B taken by the camera 23. The starting point of machining can be determined. If the alignment marks 17A and 17B can uniformly fix each glass to the fixture 10 when processing a plurality of glass blanks G, then the processing start points can also be made uniform. Thereby, the machining accuracy of cutting can be further improved. Similarly, in the case of folding and chamfering, the alignment marks 17A and 17B can be used to further improve the processing accuracy.

Further, since the relative positions of the processing start points for cutting, folding, and chamfering from the alignment marks 17A and 17B can be made common, differences in processing accuracy between processes can also be suppressed. Note that for at least part of the cutting, folding, and chamfering processes, a method may be used in which the alignment marks 17A and 17B are used to determine the processing start point.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

A glass article manufacturing system 1A according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes two robots 5A and 5B. The robot 5A (first multi-joint robot) and the robot 5B (second multi-joint robot) are multi-joint robots with five or more degrees of freedom, similar to the robot 5 of the first embodiment.

A delivery table 9 is arranged in the center of a predetermined section R of the system, a robot 5A, a load table 7A, and a cutting device 2C are arranged on the left side of the drawing, and a robot 5B, an unloading table 7B, and a chamfering device 3 are arranged on the right side of the drawing. It is located. The delivery table 9 is an element for delivering the integrated glass base plate G and the fixture 10 between the robot 5A and the robot 5B, and is, for example, a delivery table in the shape measuring device 4 shown in FIG. It has the same configuration as 9. The integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 can be attached to and detached from the delivery table 9 via a joint 91 . Further, the delivery table 9 may include a measuring section having a function of measuring the shape of the article area of the glass blank G after separation, similar to the shape measuring device 4 of the first embodiment.

The robot 5A receives the glass blank G from the load table 7A, cuts and folds it with the cutting device 2C, and then transfers the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 to the delivery table 9. The robot 5B receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the robot 5A via the delivery table 9, chamfers it with the chamfering device 3, and then removes the processed glass with the unloading table 7B. The article area of the blank plate G is removed from the fixture 10.

While the robot 5B is processing, the robot 5A can receive a new glass blank G from the load table 7A and cut and fold this new glass blank G in parallel with the robot 5B. can. In this way, by having a configuration in which the glass base plate G and the fixture 10 are delivered between the first robot 5A and the second robot 5B after cutting and folding, each robot can perform the processing process. Since it becomes possible to proceed in parallel, the processing speed of curved glass can be further improved.

Even when the glass blank G is transferred between a plurality of robots, the fixed state between the glass blank G and the fixture 10 is maintained, so processing accuracy can be improved as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the transfer table 9 is always used to transfer the glass blank G and the fixture 10 between the robots, so if the configuration is such that the shape measurement is performed on the transfer table 9, it is possible to can perform shape measurement tasks. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in man-hours such as having to leave the series of steps and move to another device for shape measurement, thereby increasing the processing speed.

[Third embodiment]
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The glass article manufacturing system 1B of the third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that it includes three robots 5A, 5B, and 5C. The robot 5C (third articulated robot) is an articulated robot with five or more degrees of freedom, similar to the robot 5 of the first embodiment.

A predetermined section R of the system is divided into three parts, and robots 5A, 5B, and 5C are arranged in each part. Delivery tables 9A and 9B are arranged between each area, and at least one of them has a shape measurement function. The shape measurement function is preferably performed on the delivery table 9B after folding.

The robot 5A receives the glass blank G from the load table 7A, cuts it with the cutting device 2A, and then delivers the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 to the delivery table 9A. The robot 5B receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the robot 5B via the delivery table 9A, performs folding processing using the folding device 2B, and then folds the integrated glass blank G on the delivery table 9B. Give G and fixture 10. The robot 5C receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the robot 5C via the delivery table 9B, chamfers it with the chamfering device 3, and then removes the processed glass with the unloading table 7B. The article area of the blank plate G is removed from the fixture 10.

In the third embodiment, the cutting process by the robot 5A, the folding process by the robot 5B, and the chamfering process by the robot 5C can be performed in parallel. The processing speed of blank plates can be further improved.

[Fourth embodiment]
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The glass article manufacturing system 1C of the fourth embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in that it includes four robots 5A, 5B1, 5B2, and 5C. The robots 5B1 and 5B2 (second articulated robots) are articulated robots with five or more degrees of freedom, similar to the robot 5 of the first embodiment.

The predetermined section R of the system is divided into three parts as in the third embodiment, and a cutting process, a folding process, and a chamfering process are performed in each part. Delivery tables 9A and 9B are arranged between each area, and at least one of them has a shape measurement function.

Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, two folding devices 2B1 and 2B2 are provided in the folding process, and two robots 5B1 and 5B2 corresponding to each device are arranged.

The robot 5A receives the glass blank G from the load table 7A, cuts it with the cutting device 2A, and then delivers the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 to the delivery table 9A.

The robot 5B1 receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the delivery table 9A, performs the folding process using the folding device 2B1, and then folds the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 onto the delivery table 9B. give. Similarly, the robot 5B2 receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the delivery table 9A, performs folding processing using the folding device 2B2, and then folds the integrated glass blank G and the fixture 10 from the delivery table 9B. Hand over fixture 10.

The robot 5C receives the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 from the delivery table 9B, chamfers it with the chamfering device 3, and then removes the processed glass blank G on the unloading table 7B. Remove the region from the fixture 10.

In the fourth embodiment, by arranging a plurality of robots and processing devices in a process that requires a long time (folding process in the example of FIG. 14), it is possible to suppress the difference in the time required between processes. As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of waiting states due to other processes in each robot 5A to 5C, making it possible to carry out more efficient processing, and the processing speed for curved glass blanks is faster than in the first to third embodiments. can be further improved. In addition, by transferring the glass blank G and fixture 10 between each process in this way and changing the number of robots and processing devices involved in each process as appropriate, flexible process design is possible according to the takt balance. becomes.

As described above, the reason why the glass base plate G and the fixture 10 are compatible with the plurality of forms from the first embodiment to the fourth embodiment and has high flexibility in the arrangement of the robot and the cutting device is that One reason is that they are integrated.

The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design changes made by those skilled in the art as appropriate to these specific examples are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the characteristics of the present disclosure. The elements included in each of the specific examples described above, their arrangement, conditions, shapes, etc. are not limited to those illustrated, and can be changed as appropriate. The elements included in each of the specific examples described above can be appropriately combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

In the above embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 are transferred between robots via the transfer table 9, but the fixed state of the glass blank G and fixture 10 is maintained. If possible, a delivery means other than the delivery table 9 may be used.

In the above embodiment, a method of forming internal void rows by laser beam irradiation in the cutting process was exemplified, but cracks entering the thickness direction of the glass blank G form a continuous crack line along the cutting line L. For example, other processing methods such as providing a cut groove with a glass cutter may be used.

In the above embodiment, in the folding process, a method of separating article regions by generating thermal stress through _CO2 laser irradiation was exemplified. , and combinations thereof may also be used.

In the above embodiment, the configuration is illustrated in which the transfer table 9 is arranged between the cutting process, the folding process, or the chamfering process to transfer the glass blank G and the fixture 10 between the robots. May be combined. For example, the folding process may be performed using the folding device 2B with the integrated glass blank G and fixture 10 fixed to the delivery table 9.

In the above embodiment, each device for the cutting process, folding process, and chamfering process is fixed, and the processing is performed by moving the glass blank G fixed to the end effector 51 of the robot 5. It is only necessary that the glass blank G can be moved relative to the robot 5, and in addition to the movement of the robot 5, the processing device side may also be moved. Thereby, the moving speed of the processing point can be increased and the processing time can be shortened.

When transferring the fixture 10 and the glass blank G between the robot 5 and the transfer table 9, the fixture 10 and the robot 5 are It may be configured to control the connection or disconnection of the fixing device 10 or the maintenance or release of the suction pressure on the glass base plate G of the fixture 10.

In the above embodiment, the fixture 10 does not have a vacuum source and the vacuum source is provided on the connected robot 5 or delivery table 9 side, but the fixture 10 may have a vacuum source.

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-077170 filed on April 15, 2019, and the entire contents of No. 2019-077170 are hereby incorporated into this international application.

1 Glass article manufacturing system 2 Laser device (cutting device, cutting device, folding device)
2A Cutting device 2B Folding device 2C Cutting device 21 Cutting laser oscillator (pulsed laser oscillator)
22 Foldable laser oscillator (CO ₂ laser oscillator)
23 Camera 3 Chamfering device 31 Grindstone 4 Shape measuring device (measuring device)
41 Three-dimensional measuring instrument 42 Single-axis actuator 5,5A Robot (first articulated robot)
5B, 5B1, 5B2 robot (second articulated robot)
5C robot (third articulated robot)
51 End effector 52 Joint 6 Control device 7 Loading table 9 Delivery table 91 Joint 10 Fixture 11 Base 12 Resin block 13 Abutment pin 14 Glass contact surface (fixed part)
16 Suction pad (suction part)
17A, 17B Alignment mark 18 Robot joint (joint part)
19 Table joint 20 Suction passage (suction part)
G Glass blank R Predetermined section S Hole

Claims (16)

fixing the glass blank to a fixture at a position inside a planned cutting line corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the main surface of a glass article cut from a curved glass blank;
A first articulated robot moves the fixed glass base plate and the fixing tool relative to the cutting device, and a crack line in which cracks entering the glass base plate in the thickness direction are connected along the cutting planned line. form,
The fixed crack line is fixed by the first multi-joint robot or the second multi-joint robot that has received the glass base plate on which the fixed crack line is formed and the fixing tool from the first multi-joint robot. moving the glass base plate and the fixing device on which the glass base plate is formed relative to a folding device, and separating the glass base plate into an article region and a scrap region along the crack line;
chamfering the end face of the separated article region;
Method for manufacturing glass articles. The first multi-joint robot, the second multi-joint robot, and the third multi-joint robot that has received the fixed article area and the fixture from the first multi-joint robot or the second multi-joint robot. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fixed article region and the fixture are moved relative to a chamfering device by one of the articulated robots, and the chamfering is performed along the circumferential direction of the end surface. The transfer of the fixture from the first multi-joint robot to the second multi-joint robot and the delivery of the fixture from the second multi-joint robot to the third multi-joint robot are performed using a transfer table. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is performed via. After separating the article area and the scraps area, measure the separated shape of the article area fixed to the fixture, refer to the difference between the separated shape and the target shape of the article area, and 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trajectory of the first articulated robot when forming a crack line is modified to reduce the difference at least once. 5. The crack line according to claim 1, wherein the crack line is an internal void row formed inside the glass blank along the planned cutting line by a laser beam output by the cutting device. Method. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the internal void array is formed using a pulsed laser beam having a pulse width of 100 ps or less and a wavelength that transmits through the glass base plate. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the separation of the article region and the scrap region is performed by generating thermal stress at the crack line. 2. The position of the fixing device is controlled using an alignment mark provided on the fixing device as a reference position in forming the crack line, forming the end surface by the separation, and chamfering the end surface. 7. The method according to any one of items 7 to 7. a fixture that fixes the glass blank at a position inside a planned cutting line corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the main surface of a glass article cut from a curved glass blank to integrate it with the glass blank;
one or more articulated robots capable of moving the integrated glass base plate and the fixture;
According to the relative movement of the integrated glass blank plate and the fixture by one of the one or more articulated robots, a crack enters the glass blank plate in the thickness direction along the cutting line. a cutting device that forms continuous crack lines;
According to the relative movement of the integrated glass blank plate with the crack line formed thereon and the fixing tool by any one of the one or more articulated robots, the glass blank plate with the crack line formed thereon is moved as shown in FIG. a folding device that separates an article region and a scrap region along a crack line;
a chamfering device that chamfers an end surface of the article area;
Equipped with
Any set of the one or more articulated robots is capable of transferring the fixture from one articulated robot to another articulated robot;
Glass article manufacturing system. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the chamfering device chamfers the end surface in response to relative movement of the integrated article region and the fixture by any of the one or more articulated robots. The fixing device includes a fixing part having a target curved shape of the glass article, a suction part that sucks the glass base plate at the fixing part, and a joint part detachably connected to the one or more articulated robots. The system according to claim 9 or 10, comprising: The system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a measuring device that fixes the glass base plate to the fixture and measures the shape of the article region after separation. 10. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a transfer table that receives the fixture from the one articulated robot and delivers the fixture to the other articulated robot, and is removably attachable to the fixture. 14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the transfer table includes a measurement unit that measures the shape of the article area fixed to the fixture after separation. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 14 , wherein the cutting device includes a pulsed laser oscillator that generates a wavelength that has a pulse width of 100 ps or less and that transmits through the glass base plate. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 15 , wherein the folding device includes a CO2 laser oscillator that applies heat to the glass blank.

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