JP7483310B2 - Display System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display system that displays an indication of when to replace a filter used in a processing wastewater treatment device that regenerates used processing water used in processing equipment.

In the manufacturing process of device chips to be mounted on electronic devices, first, multiple planned division lines (streets) that intersect with each other are set on the surface of a wafer formed from semiconductor material. Then, devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) and LSIs (Large Scale Integration) are formed in each area partitioned by the planned division lines. The wafer is then divided along the planned division lines to obtain multiple device chips. A cutting device that cuts the wafer with an annular cutting blade is used to divide the wafer.

In recent years, as electronic devices have become smaller and thinner, there is also a demand for thinner device chips. Therefore, a process for thinning the wafer may be performed by grinding the back side of the wafer before dividing it. A grinding machine that grinds the wafer with a grinding wheel equipped with multiple grinding stones is used for the wafer grinding process.

When processing wafers using the above-mentioned cutting equipment, grinding equipment, and other processing equipment, processing water is supplied to the wafers, etc. This processing water cools the wafer and processing tools (cutting blades, grinding wheels, etc.) and washes away any debris (processing debris) that is generated. However, if the processing water contains impurities, there is a risk that the impurities will adhere to the wafer and leave marks, or that the impurities will cause the device to malfunction, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the device chip. For this reason, pure water that does not contain impurities is used as the processing water.

Processing water used in processing equipment is discharged outside the processing equipment as waste liquid and disposed of. However, the amount of processing water used in processing equipment is large, and disposal costs are not negligible. Therefore, methods have been proposed for purifying the processing water discharged from processing equipment and reusing the water. For example, a processing waste liquid processing device is known that filters waste liquid to produce clean water, irradiates the clean water with ultraviolet light to destroy organic matter, and uses ion exchange resin to remove impurity ions from the clean water to produce pure water (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-190128 A

The processing waste liquid treatment device includes, for example, a first filtration unit that filters the used processing water, an ultraviolet irradiation unit that irradiates the processing water with ultraviolet light, an ion exchange resin unit that exchanges ions contained in the processing water, and a second filtration unit (precision filter unit) that filters the processing water. Here, the first filtration unit and the second filtration unit are equipped with filtration filters that remove processing debris and the like contained in the used processing water.

When processing water is filtered through a filter for a long period of time, processing debris and the like accumulates in the filter, causing the filter's performance to deteriorate and making it impossible to adequately remove the processing debris and the like contained in the processing water. For this reason, in the past, the condition of the filter was monitored using a pressure gauge installed in the supply path of the used processing water supplied to each filtration section. For example, the pressure gauge reading was displayed on a display or the like, and the user of the processing device replaced the filter when the reading exceeded the allowable value.

However, the pressure gauge reading associated with the use of a filtration filter tends to rise sharply as it approaches the allowable value. In other words, users of the processing equipment could not foresee that the pressure gauge reading would reach the allowable value until just before the reading reached the allowable value. Then, when the reading reached the allowable value, they had to hastily prepare a new filtration filter and perform the replacement work. As a result, the replacement work of the filtration filter was not always performed at an efficient time, which sometimes reduced the processing efficiency of the processing equipment.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a display system that shows an indication of when to replace the filtration filter.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a processing waste liquid treatment device connected to a processing device including a holding unit for holding a workpiece, a processing unit for processing the workpiece while supplying processing water to the workpiece held in the holding unit, and a processing feed unit for relatively feeding the holding unit and the processing unit, the processing waste liquid treatment device filters the used processing water discharged from the processing device with a filtration filter to regenerate the processing water, and supplies the regenerated processing water to the processing device, the display system displays an indication of when to replace the filtration filter, and a processing history recorder records information regarding the content of processing performed on the workpiece by the processing unit in the processing device as a processing history. The display system includes a processing unit that stores information regarding the estimated replacement time, and a display unit that can display an information display screen including information regarding the approximate replacement time, and the information display screen includes one or more of the following groups: a display of a total processing amount calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit, and a display of a standard total processing amount corresponding to the processing amount consuming the amount of processing water that can be filtered by the filtration filter, a display of an estimated processing time calculated by subtracting the total processing amount from the standard total processing amount and dividing the value by the processing amount per unit time calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit, and a display of an estimated replacement time calculated by adding the estimated processing time to the time.

Preferably, in the processing waste liquid treatment device, a pressure gauge is provided in the supply path that supplies the used processing water to the filtration filter, and the standard total processing volume is equal to the total processing volume of the processed material by the processing unit when the pressure gauge reading reaches a pressure value indicating that it is time to replace the filtration filter when the used processing water is filtered through the filtration filter.

In addition, preferably, the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit includes the amount of relative processing feed of the holding unit and the processing unit performed by the processing feed unit while the processing of the workpiece is being performed by the processing unit.

In a display system according to one aspect of the present invention, the replacement timing of the filtration filter can be managed based on the amount of processing performed on the workpiece. Furthermore, an information display screen including information regarding the estimated replacement timing of the filtration filter is displayed on the display unit, so that the user can prepare a new filtration filter in advance based on the information and can replace the filtration filter at a convenient time.

Therefore, the present invention provides a display system that indicates when to replace the filtration filter.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a processing device and a processing waste liquid treatment device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic internal configuration of a processing waste liquid treatment apparatus. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the processing waste liquid treatment device and the connection relationship thereof. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a display of a display unit.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a configuration example of a processing device and a processing waste liquid treatment device in which a display system according to this embodiment is incorporated will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a processing device 2 and a processing waste liquid treatment device 22 that is connected to the processing device 2 for use.

In the processing device 2, wafers formed of semiconductor materials such as Si (silicon) and SiC (silicon carbide) are processed. A plurality of devices such as ICs and LSIs are formed on the surface of the wafer. When the wafer is divided into individual devices, individual device chips are formed. Furthermore, if the back side of the wafer is ground to thin the wafer before dividing it, thin device chips are ultimately obtained. The processing device 2 performs processing such as grinding and dividing the wafer.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a cutting device equipped with an annular cutting blade attached to a spindle as an example of the processing device 2. However, the processing device 2 used in connection with the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is not limited to a cutting device. For example, it may be a grinding device in which a grinding wheel equipped with grinding stones arranged in an annular shape is attached to a spindle and rotated, and the grinding stones moving on a circular orbit are brought into contact with the workpiece to perform grinding. Below, we will continue the explanation using an example in which the processing device 2 is a cutting device.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cassette table 6 on which a cassette 8 is placed is provided at a corner of the base 4 of the processing device 2. The cassette table 6 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by a lifting mechanism (not shown). In FIG. 2, the outline of the cassette 8 placed on the cassette table 6 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

A discharge unit 10 is provided adjacent to the cassette table 6 on the top surface of the base 4, which discharges the workpiece contained in the cassette 8 placed on the cassette table 6 from the cassette 8. The discharge unit 10 has a gripping portion on the front surface that can grip the workpiece. When discharging the workpiece contained in the cassette 8, the gripping portion is inserted into the cassette 8 to grip the workpiece with the gripping portion, and then the gripping portion is moved in a direction away from the cassette 8.

A holding unit (chuck table) 14 capable of suction-holding the workpiece is provided adjacent to the cassette table 6 on the upper surface of the base 4. The holding unit 14 is movable in a direction away from and toward the cassette table 6. In addition, a discharge unit 10 is provided on the upper surface of the base 4, and a first transport unit 12 is provided adjacent to the holding unit 14.

The first transport unit 12 has a shaft portion that protrudes upward from the top surface of the base 4 and is movable up and down and rotatable, an arm portion that extends horizontally from the upper end of the shaft portion, and a holding portion provided below the tip of the arm portion. The workpiece pulled out of the cassette 8 is transported to the holding unit 14 by the first transport unit 12.

At the destination of the holding unit 14, a processing unit (cutting unit) 16 is provided which processes (cuts) the workpiece held by the holding unit 14. The processing unit 16 includes a cutting blade with an annular grinding wheel portion on its outer periphery, and a spindle along the Y-axis direction, with the cutting blade attached to its tip, which serves as the axis of rotation of the cutting blade. A rotational drive source (not shown), such as a motor, is connected to the base end of the spindle.

When cutting the workpiece held by the holding unit 14 with the cutting blade, the cutting blade is lowered to a predetermined height while rotating. The holding unit 14 is then moved so that it passes through the area below the processing unit 16. The workpiece is then cut by the rotating cutting blade. The holding unit 14 is then returned to a position adjacent to the cassette table 6.

In this way, the processing device 2 moves the holding unit 14 and the processing unit 16 relative to each other when processing the workpiece. This movement is called processing feed. The processing device 2 is equipped with a processing feed unit that moves the holding unit 14 and the processing unit 16 relative to each other. In the processing device 2 shown in FIG. 1, a processing feed unit (not shown) that moves the holding unit 14 is provided below the holding unit 14.

A cleaning unit 18 for cleaning the workpiece after processing is provided on the upper surface of the base 4 adjacent to the holding unit 14 and the first transport unit 12. The cleaning unit 18 is equipped with a spinner table for holding the workpiece. A rotation drive source (not shown) for rotating the spinner table at a predetermined speed is connected to the lower part of the spinner table. The processing device 2 is equipped with a second transport unit 20 for transporting the workpiece from the holding unit 14 to the cleaning unit 18.

When cleaning the workpiece in the cleaning unit 18, a cleaning fluid (typically a mixed fluid of water and air) is sprayed toward the workpiece while rotating the spinner table. Then, when storing the workpiece cleaned in the cleaning unit 18 in the cassette 8, the first transport unit 12 is used to transport the workpiece from the cleaning unit 18 to the carry-out unit 10. Then, the carry-out unit 10 is moved toward the cassette 8 to push the workpiece into the cassette 8.

When the workpiece is cut with a cutting blade, frictional heat is generated, causing the temperatures of the cutting blade and the workpiece to rise. In addition, machining waste is generated from the workpiece. Therefore, if processing water is supplied to the cutting blade and the workpiece while the workpiece is being cut, the machining waste can be quickly removed and the cutting blade and the workpiece can be cooled.

Even when the processing device 2 is a grinding device that grinds a workpiece with a grinding wheel attached to a grinding wheel, frictional heat and processing debris are generated when the workpiece is ground. If processing water is supplied to the grinding wheel and the workpiece while the workpiece is being ground, the processing debris can be quickly removed and the grinding wheel and the workpiece can be cooled.

However, if the processing water contains impurities, there is a risk that the impurities will adhere to the workpiece and leave residue, or that the impurities will cause the devices formed on the workpiece to malfunction, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the device chip. For this reason, pure water that does not contain impurities is used for processing water.

The processing water used in the processing equipment is discharged outside the processing equipment as waste liquid and disposed of. However, the amount of pure water used in the processing equipment is large, and disposal costs are not negligible. Therefore, a processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is used to reuse the used processing water discharged from the processing equipment.

The processing waste liquid treatment device 22, for example, filters used processing water to generate clean water, irradiates the clean water with ultraviolet light to destroy organic matter, and uses ion exchange resin to remove impurity ions from the clean water to generate pure water. The generated pure water is then supplied to the processing device 2 as processing water.

Next, the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 will be described. The processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is connected to the processing device 2 when used. The processing waste liquid treatment device 22 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 24 that houses each of the components that make up the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. A display unit 30a consisting of an LCD display or the like that displays the status of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is provided at the top front of the housing 24. In addition, an input unit 30b consisting of buttons or the like that serve as an interface for the operator to input commands to the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is provided.

The processing waste liquid treatment device 22 may be provided with a touch panel disposed on top of the display unit 30a as the input unit 30b. That is, the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 may be provided with a display with a touch panel that combines the functions of the display unit 30a and the input unit 30b. The display unit 30a is one of the elements that constitute the display system according to this embodiment. The display unit 30a may be provided in the processing device 2 instead of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22.

The processing waste liquid treatment device 22 is connected to the processing device 2 via a drainage channel 26 and a water supply channel 28, which are composed of piping, tubes, etc. Used processing water (waste liquid) generated in the processing device 2 is sent to the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 via the drainage channel 26. The used processing water is regenerated by the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, and the pure water produced is sent to the processing device 2 via the water supply channel 28 as new processing water.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing each component inside the housing 24 of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. In Figure 2, the water channel through which water flows is partially omitted for ease of explanation. Also, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the connection relationship of each component housed inside the housing 24 of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. In Figure 3, a part of the water channel 80 is shown simplified in a linear form for ease of explanation. The water channel 80 is, for example, a pipe or tube made of metal or resin.

The processing waste liquid treatment device 22 includes a frame 34 that supports each component. A waste liquid storage tank 36 that stores used processing water (waste liquid) discharged from the processing device 2 is provided on the bottom surface of the frame 34. The waste liquid discharged from the processing device 2 is supplied to the waste liquid storage tank 36 via the drainage channel 26 and stored therein. Specifically, processing water containing processing scraps and impurity ions is supplied from the processing device 2 to the waste liquid storage tank 36 as waste liquid.

A waste liquid supply pump 38 is connected to the waste liquid storage tank 36, which pumps out the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage tank 36. The waste liquid supply pump 38 is a pump that supplies the waste liquid stored in the waste liquid storage tank 36 to the first filtration section 44 described below. The amount of waste liquid supplied from the waste liquid storage tank 36 to the first filtration section 44 is controlled by this waste liquid supply pump 38.

A pair of guide rails 40 are provided above the waste liquid storage tank 36. The pair of guide rails 40 are fixed to the frame 34 along the length of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, with a predetermined distance between them in the width direction of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. A tray (pan) 42 that is rectangular in plan view is attached to the pair of guide rails 40 in a state in which it can slide along the guide rails 40. This makes it possible to pull out the tray 42 from the frame 34 and store the tray 42 in the frame 34.

A first filtration section 44 that filters the used processing water (waste liquid) supplied from the waste liquid storage tank 36 is removably mounted on the tray 42. The inlet 46 at the upper end of the first filtration section 44 is connected to the waste liquid supply pump 38 via a water passage 80 provided with a switching valve 76a. The water stored in the waste liquid storage tank 36 is supplied to each first filtration section 44 by the waste liquid supply pump 38. Note that, although FIG. 2 etc. shows an example in which two first filtration sections 44 are provided on the tray 42, there is no limit to the number of first filtration sections 44.

The first filtration section 44 includes a first filtration filter (not shown) made of, for example, activated carbon, zeolite, cloth, resin fiber, glass fiber, metal mesh, reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane), or the like. The first filtration section 44 removes impurities such as processing waste contained in the waste liquid flowing in from the inlet section 46 by adsorbing them with the first filtration filter or filtering them out, thereby purifying the waste liquid. The water (clean water) filtered by the first filtration section 44 accumulates in the receiver 42, is discharged from the drainage channel 48, and proceeds downstream of the water channel 80.

In the waste liquid storage tank 36, processing water immediately after use in the processing device 2 is stored as waste liquid, and contains a relatively large amount of relatively large-diameter processing debris. Therefore, the first filtration filter used in the first filtration section 44 is required to have the performance to efficiently remove such processing debris over a long period of time. For example, a relatively coarse-meshed filter is used in the first filtration section 44.

While filtering the used processing water (waste liquid), the processing debris captured by the first filtration filter continues to accumulate in the first filtration filter. When the amount of processing debris accumulated in the first filtration filter exceeds the capacity limit of the first filtration filter, the water is not filtered properly, and insufficiently filtered water is discharged from the first filtration section 44.

Therefore, the first filtration filter provided in the first filtration unit 44 must be replaced periodically. The first filtration unit 44 may be, for example, a cartridge type that is completely replaceable, or may be a type that allows the function to be restored by replacing only the first filtration filter.

In an area adjacent to the waste liquid storage tank 36 below the first filtration unit 44 and the receiving tray 42, a fresh water storage tank (filtered water storage tank) 54 is provided to store the processing water (fresh water) filtered by the first filtration unit 44. The fresh water storage tank 54 is provided on the upper side of the fresh water storage tank 54 and has an inlet section (inlet port) 56 into which the filtered processing water flows.

The first filtering section 44 is connected to the fresh water storage tank 54 via the receiving tray 42. Specifically, the drainage channel 48 of the receiving tray 42 and the inlet 56 of the fresh water storage tank 54 are connected by a flexible hose 50 that constitutes a water channel 80. The hose 50 is supported, for example, on an inclined support plate 52. The hose 50 constitutes part of the water channel 80. The processing water (fresh water) filtered and discharged by the first filtering section 44 is temporarily stored in the receiving tray 42, and then supplied to the fresh water storage tank 54 via the hose 50 and stored there.

A pair of guide rails 70 are provided adjacent to the clean water storage tank 54 of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. The guide rails 70 are fixed to the frame 34 in the same manner as the guide rails 40, except for the mounting position. A tray (pan) 72 that is rectangular in plan view is attached to the pair of guide rails 70 in a state in which it can slide along the guide rails 70. This makes it possible to pull out the tray 72 from the frame 34 and store the tray 72 in the frame 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fresh water storage tank 54 may be provided with a drainage mechanism 58 equipped with an on-off valve. The drainage mechanism 58 has the function of draining and disposing of the processing water (fresh water) stored in the fresh water storage tank 54 to the outside of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. The processing water is filtered by the first filtration section 44. Therefore, if it meets the disposal conditions in the device chip manufacturing factory where the processing device 2 is installed, it can be disposed of as is.

For example, while water circulates between the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 and the processing device 2, the water may be scattered outside the processing device 2 and lost. For this reason, new pure water may be supplied from the outside to the processing waste liquid treatment device 22 and the processing device 2. On the other hand, if an excessive amount of water is stored in the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, a drainage mechanism 58 may be used to discharge the water to the outside.

The fresh water storage tank 54 has an outlet (not shown) at the bottom. A fresh water supply pump 60 (see FIG. 3) is connected to the downstream side of the fresh water storage tank 54 via a water passage 80. An ultraviolet irradiation unit 62, which includes an ultraviolet light source such as an ultraviolet lamp and irradiates ultraviolet light onto the processing water (fresh water) supplied from the fresh water storage tank 54, is connected to the downstream side of the fresh water supply pump 60 via the water passage 80. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 62 is provided on a receiving tray 72.

The processing water used in the processing device 2 may contain, for example, airborne microorganisms as impurities. Therefore, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 62 irradiates the clean water with ultraviolet light, for example, at a wavelength of 254 nm, for sterilization. When the ultraviolet irradiation unit 62 irradiates the clean water containing microorganisms with ultraviolet light, the microorganisms are killed and their corpses are generated in the clean water. Therefore, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 62 may further irradiate the clean water with ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 185 nm. The ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 185 nm activates the ozone contained in the clean water and promotes the decomposition of organic matter by the ozone.

An ion exchange resin section 64 is connected to the downstream side of the ultraviolet irradiation section 62 of the water channel 80. Although two ion exchange resin sections 64 are detachably provided on the tray 72 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the number of ion exchange resin sections 64 is not limited to this. The ion exchange resin section 64 contains ion exchange resin and exchanges ions contained in the water irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation section 62.

The inflow/outflow part 66 at the upper end of the ion exchange resin part 64 is connected to the ultraviolet light irradiation part 62 via a water channel 80 provided with a switching valve 76b. The ion exchange resin part 64 has, for example, a cylindrical container and ion exchange resin filled in the container. A flow path is formed inside the container through which water flows between the ion exchange resin, and the water that enters the ion exchange resin part 64 passes between the ion exchange resin in the container and reaches the inflow/outflow part 66.

For example, the container contains a mixture of an ion exchange resin (cation exchange resin) that exchanges cations and an ion exchange resin (anion exchange resin) that exchanges anions. Ions contained in the processing water (clean water) supplied to the ion exchange resin section 64, other than hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions, are exchanged for hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions. In other words, pure water is purified by the ion exchange resin section 64.

The inlet/outlet section 66 of the ion exchange resin section 64 is connected to a water channel 80, and the processing water whose ions have been exchanged by the ion exchange resin is sent to the second filtration section 68 via the water channel 80. The second filtration section 68 is detachably provided on the tray 72, and has the function of finally filtering the processing water whose ions have been exchanged by the ion exchange resin section 64.

The second filtration section 68, like the first filtration section 44, is equipped with a second filtration filter (not shown) made of, for example, activated carbon, zeolite, cloth, resin fiber, glass fiber, metal mesh, reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane), etc.

The used processing water discharged as waste liquid from the processing device 2 is purified as it travels through the waterway 80 of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, and is in the final stage of purification when it reaches the second filtration section 68. Since the impurities contained in the processing water are extremely small and in trace amounts, the second filtration filter is required to have performance suitable for removing such impurities. For example, the second filtration filter of the second filtration section 68 should be finer than the first filtration filter of the first filtration section 44 and should use a membrane of a level known as a precision filter.

The second filtration section 68 purifies the processing water by adsorbing or filtering out trace amounts of impurities contained in the inflowing processing water. The processing water (pure water) filtered by the second filtration section 68 travels downstream through the water channel 80 and reaches the pure water supply section 74 fixed to the top of the frame 34.

While filtering the used processing water, impurities captured by the second filtration filter continue to accumulate in the second filtration filter. If the amount of impurities accumulated in the second filtration filter exceeds the capacity limit of the second filtration filter, the processing water will not be properly filtered, and insufficiently filtered processing water will be discharged from the second filtration section 68. Alternatively, the mesh of the second filtration filter will become clogged, reducing the processing water processing capacity of the second filtration section 68.

Therefore, the second filtration unit 68 must be replaced periodically while the specified performance can be maintained. The second filtration unit 68 may be, for example, a cartridge type that can be replaced entirely, or a type that can restore function by replacing only the filter.

The pure water supply unit 74 has a function of supplying the processing water (pure water) generated by filtration in the second filtration unit 68 to the processing device 2 via the water supply path 28. The pure water supply unit 74 has a temperature adjustment mechanism (not shown) such as a heat source such as a heating wire or a cooling source such as a Peltier element, and has a function of adjusting the temperature of the processing water supplied to the processing device 2. In other words, the pure water supply unit 74 functions as a temperature adjustment unit.

The processing water supplied to the processing device 2 from the pure water supply unit 74 has processing debris and impurity ions removed, and is used as pure water in the processing device 2. In this way, the waste liquid discharged from the processing device 2 is purified by the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, returned to the processing device 2 and used as pure water. The water channel 80 is a flow path for water that is sent out from the processing device 2, travels through the waste liquid storage tank 36, the first filtration unit 44, the clean water storage tank 54, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 62, the ion exchange resin unit 64, the second filtration unit 68, and the pure water supply unit 74, and is returned to the processing device 2.

A pressure gauge 78a is disposed between the waste liquid supply pump 38 and the first filtration unit 44 in the water passage 80, which serves as a supply path for supplying used processing water to the filtration filter of the first filtration unit 44. The pressure gauge 78a can measure the pressure of the water flowing through the water passage 80. By using the pressure gauge 78a, for example, the pressure of the water sent by the waste liquid supply pump 38 to the first filtration unit 44 can be monitored.

When the first filtration section 44 continues to filter the processing water, processing debris and the like continue to accumulate in the first filtration filter. When processing debris and the like accumulates in the first filtration filter in excess of the allowable amount, the performance of the first filtration filter deteriorates, and the processing debris and the like contained in the processing water cannot be sufficiently removed. Therefore, in the past, the condition of the first filtration filter was monitored using a pressure gauge 78a. For example, the indicated value of the pressure gauge 78a was displayed on the display unit 30a, and the user of the processing device 2 replaced the first filtration filter when the indicated value exceeded the allowable value.

However, the indicated value of the pressure gauge 78a may rise sharply when approaching the allowable value. In other words, the user of the processing device 2 cannot foresee that the indicated value of the pressure gauge 78a will reach the allowable value until the indicated value is about to reach the allowable value. Then, when the indicated value reaches the allowable value, a warning is received and the user must hastily prepare a new first filtration filter and perform the replacement work. As a result, the replacement work of the first filtration filter is not necessarily performed at an efficient time, which can reduce the processing efficiency of the processing device 2.

A pressure gauge 78b may be attached between the ion exchange resin section 64 of the water passage 80 and the second filtration section 68. The same problem occurs when determining the timing to replace the second filtration filter of the second filtration section 68 based on the indication of the pressure gauge 78b.

Therefore, in a display system according to one aspect of the present invention, the replacement timing of the filtration filter is managed based on the amount of processing performed on the workpiece. In detail, the display unit 30a displays an information display screen including information related to the estimated replacement timing of the filtration filter. The information display screen displayed on the display unit 30a includes, for example, a display of the total processing amount calculated from the history of processing performed up to that point in time in the processing device 2, and a display of the standard total processing amount serving as an estimate of when to replace the filtration filter.

The standard total processing volume is a value corresponding to the processing volume that consumes the amount of processing water that can be filtered by the filtration filter. In other words, when the processing device 2 repeatedly processes the workpiece while consuming processing water, when the total processing volume reaches the standard total processing volume, the filtering capacity of the filtration filter is reached and it is time to replace the filtration filter. Therefore, the standard total processing volume is information that serves as a guide for when to replace the filtration filter.

When an information display screen including the total processing volume and the standard total processing volume is displayed on the display unit 30a, the user of the processing device 2 can predict when to replace the filtration filter by looking at the display on the display unit 30a. This allows the user to prepare a new filtration filter in advance and replace the filtration filter at a convenient time. Next, the components that make up the display system and an example of an information display screen displayed on the display unit 30a will be described.

The display system according to this embodiment is realized by a control unit that controls each component of the processing device 2, or a control unit that controls each component of the processing waste liquid treatment device 22, etc. In addition, both control units may function integrally to realize the functions of the display system. Furthermore, the display system may be realized by hardware provided outside the processing device 2 and the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the components of the control unit 32 that realizes the display system.

For example, the control unit 32 is configured by a computer having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory. The function of the control unit 32 is realized by operating the processing device and the like according to software stored in the auxiliary storage device. The control unit 32 controls the operation of each component belonging to the processing device 2 or the processing waste liquid processing device 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 32 includes a processing history recording unit 32a and a total processing amount calculation unit 32b. The processing history recording unit 32a records the history of processing performed by the processing unit 16 in the processing device 2. The total processing amount calculation unit 32b calculates the total processing amount performed by the processing device 2 from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a.

Here, the processing history refers to information related to the processing performed on the workpiece by the processing device 2. When the workpiece is processed by the processing unit 16, a part of the workpiece is removed, and the processing tools such as cutting blades provided in the processing unit 16 are also worn out, generating processing waste. When processing is performed while supplying pure water as processing water to the workpiece, the generated processing waste is taken up into the processing water and removed.

The used processing water containing processing debris is sent to the processing waste liquid treatment device 22. Then, in the first filtration section 44, the processing debris is removed from the used processing water (waste liquid) by the first filtration filter. In the second filtration section 68, impurities are removed from the processing water by the second filtration filter. Processing debris and the like will continue to accumulate in each filtration filter, but the amount is determined by the content of the processing performed by the processing device 2. Therefore, when estimating the amount of processing debris and the like that will accumulate in each filtration filter, the content of the processing performed by the processing device 2 can be referenced.

More specifically, the amount of processing waste generated can refer to the volume of the portion of the workpiece removed by processing, the wear volume of the processing tool, etc. Therefore, for example, if the processing device 2 is a cutting device, the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a should include information such as the depth, width, and length of the cutting groove formed in the workpiece. Also, instead of this information, the cutting depth of the cutting blade into the workpiece, the blade thickness of the cutting blade, the position and number of the lines to be processed on the surface of the workpiece, etc. may be recorded as the processing history in the processing history recording unit 32a.

For example, if the processing device 2 is a grinding device, the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a may include information such as the diameter of the workpiece and the thickness removed by grinding. Instead of this information, the area of the processed surface of the workpiece and the grinding feed rate of the grinding unit may be recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a as the processing history.

One of the most important pieces of information in the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a is the relative processing feed amount of the holding unit 14 and the processing unit 16 performed by the processing feed unit while the processing of the workpiece is being performed by the processing unit 16. When the processing of the workpiece is repeated under constant processing conditions, it can be said that the amount of processing performed by the processing device 2 is proportional to the processing feed amount. Therefore, it is preferable that the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a includes the relative processing feed amount.

By referring to the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a, it is possible to calculate the total processing amount that can be used to predict when to replace the filtration filter. The total processing amount calculation unit 32b has a function of calculating the total processing amount based on the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a. Then, while the processing of the workpiece is being performed by the processing device 2, the total processing amount calculated by the total processing amount calculation unit 32b increases.

The control unit 32 further includes a standard total processing amount memory section 32c that stores the above-mentioned standard total processing amount of the filtration filter. The standard total processing amount corresponds to the total processing amount of the workpiece by the processing unit 16 when the indications of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b reach a pressure value indicating that it is time to replace the filtration filter when used processing water is filtered through the filtration filter.

Here, the indications of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b increase slowly before it is time to replace the filtration filter, and then increase sharply when it is time to replace the filter. Therefore, it is not easy to predict the replacement time from the indications of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b before the replacement time arrives. On the other hand, the total processing amount calculated by the total processing amount calculation unit 32b increases in proportion to the number of workpieces to be processed if the processing conditions are constant, so it is easy to predict the replacement time of the filtration filter in advance.

Therefore, in the display system according to this embodiment, information on the estimated replacement time is created based on the total processing volume calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a and the standard total processing volume stored in the standard total processing volume storage unit 32c. Then, an information display screen including information on the estimated replacement time is displayed on the display unit 30a.

The control unit 32 further includes a display unit control unit 32d that controls the display of the display unit 30a. The display unit control unit 32d causes the display unit 30a to display an information display screen that allows an operator or the like to obtain information regarding the timing of filter replacement.

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the display unit 30a that displays an example of the information display screen. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of an example in which the processing device 2 is a cutting device and the processing length (m) of the workpiece is used as an indicator of the processing amount. In this example, when cutting of the workpiece is repeated under certain processing conditions, it is time to replace the filtration filter when the total processing length (total processing amount) reaches 600 m. That is, in this example, it can be said that the standard total processing amount, which serves as a guideline for when to replace the filtration filter, is 600 m.

The standard total processing volume can be derived by conducting tests in advance. For example, if it is planned to repeatedly process a large number of similar workpieces under the same processing conditions, the processing history is accumulated in the processing history recording unit 32a, and the workpieces are processed one after another while paying attention to the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b.

When the pressure gauges 78a and 78b indicate that it is time to replace the filtration filter, the total processing amount calculation unit 32b calculates the total processing amount. This calculated total processing amount is registered in the standard total processing amount storage unit 32c as the standard total processing amount.

The screen shown in FIG. 4 shows a value of 600 m as the standard total machining amount display 82. The screen also shows a value of 450 m as the total machining amount display 84 calculated from the history of machining performed on the workpiece. In this case, it can be understood that it will be time to replace the filtration filter when the machining length of the workpiece cut by the machining unit 16 increases by a further 150 m.

The information display screen may display the current total processing volume divided by the standard total processing volume as the filter usage rate. The information display screen shown in FIG. 4 includes a filter usage rate display 86. It is possible to assume that the filter will need to be replaced when the usage rate reaches 100%, so replacement parts can be prepared in a planned manner.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 30a may display the number of remaining workpieces that can be processed by the processing device 2 until it is time to replace the filtration filter. The screen shown in FIG. 4 includes a display 88 of the expected number of pieces that can be processed.

In this case, for example, the unit processing volume for processing one workpiece is calculated in advance. Then, the difference between the standard total processing volume and the total processing volume performed up to now is divided by the unit processing volume, and a value is displayed. If the number of remaining workpieces that can be processed is displayed on the display unit 30a, the worker can more intuitively grasp when it is time to replace the filtration filter, and can prepare replacement parts in a more planned manner.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the information display screen may include an indication 90 of the estimated processing time and an indication 92 of the estimated replacement time. The estimated processing time is a predicted value of the time until the filter needs to be replaced if the processing device 2 continues to process the workpiece. The estimated processing time is a time calculated by subtracting the total processing amount from the standard total processing amount and dividing the value by the processing amount per unit time calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit 32a.

The predicted replacement time is the time when the filter replacement work should be performed, and is calculated by adding the current time to the predicted processing time. The user of the processing device 2 can determine the processing schedule for the processing device 2, assuming that the filter will be replaced at this predicted replacement time. The user can also determine their own schedule.

The information display screen displayed on the display unit 30a therefore includes one or more of the following groups: a total processing volume display 84, a standard total processing volume display 82, a predicted processing time display 90, and a predicted replacement time display 92. The information display screen may further include a filter usage rate display 86 and a predicted number of sheets that can be processed 88.

In this way, by checking the information display screen shown in FIG. 4, the expected time to replace the filtration filter can be easily understood. However, in the display system according to this embodiment, the total processing amount and the standard total processing amount displayed on the display unit 30a are merely estimates. For example, when the total processing amount reaches the standard total processing amount, the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b do not necessarily indicate the time to replace the filtration filter.

Depending on the state of the processing device 2 and the workpiece, processing may proceed slightly differently than expected, and the amount of processing waste, etc. taken up in the processing water and removed may deviate from the expected amount. For example, even if the total processing amount reaches the standard total processing amount, the filter may still be usable thereafter, or the amount of processing waste, etc. that accumulates in the filter before the total processing amount reaches the standard total processing amount may exceed the allowable amount.

In this case, when the total processing volume is approaching the standard total processing volume, attention may be paid to the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b, and a decision as to whether or not to replace the filtration filter may be made based on the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b.

Even in this case, the user of the processing device 2 can sense that it is approaching the time to replace the filtration filter from the total processing volume value before the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b change rapidly. Therefore, the display system according to this embodiment can narrow down the timing when attention should be paid to the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a and 78b, thereby reducing the burden on the user.

As described above, the display unit according to this embodiment allows the replacement time of the filtration filter to be managed based on the amount of workpiece processed. The display unit 30a displays an information display screen that indicates when to replace the filtration filter, so that the user of the processing device 2 can predict when to replace the filtration filter by looking at the display of the display unit 30a. This allows the user to prepare a new filtration filter in advance and replace the filtration filter at a convenient time.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the processing of the same type of workpiece is repeatedly performed under constant processing conditions by the processing device 2, but the display system according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the processing conditions and type of workpiece of the processing performed by the processing device 2 do not have to be constant. For example, the processing conditions performed by the processing device 2 may be changed during the use of the filtration filter, and the type of workpiece on which processing is performed may also be changed.

In the above embodiment, the processing feed amount by the processing feed unit is used as the value of the total processing amount used to predict the replacement time of the filtration filter. However, the display system according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, other numerical values can be used as the value of the total processing amount. For example, the volume of the portion removed from the workpiece by processing may be used as the value of the total processing amount.

For example, when a workpiece is machined with a cutting blade, the volume of the portion removed from the workpiece can be calculated from the product of the cross-sectional area of the cutting groove formed in the workpiece and the machining length. Also, when a workpiece is ground with a grinding wheel, the volume of the portion removed from the workpiece can be calculated from the product of the removal height of the workpiece lost through thinning and the area of the ground surface of the workpiece.

In this case, even if the processing conditions change during the use of the filtration filter, it is possible to calculate the total processing volume and to determine when to replace the filtration filter based on the calculated total processing volume. For example, when cutting a workpiece, even if the processing conditions are changed so that the cutting blade thickness or the thickness of the workpiece changes, the volume of the part removed from the workpiece can be calculated. Furthermore, since the total volume of the part removed before and after the change in processing conditions can be added up, it is also possible to determine when to replace the filtration filter based on the total processing volume expressed in that volume.

For example, when grinding a workpiece, even if the type of workpiece to be ground is changed during the use of the filtration filter and a workpiece with a different diameter is ground, the volume of the portion removed from the workpiece can be calculated. In addition, since the total volume of the portion removed before and after changing the diameter of the workpiece can be added up, it is also possible to determine when to replace the filtration filter based on the total amount of processing expressed in volume.

However, depending on the processing conditions of the workpiece, there may be cases where a high proportion of relatively large processing waste is produced, or a high proportion of relatively small processing waste is produced. In these cases, the service life of the filtration filter may vary.

For example, relatively small processing debris may easily get caught in the mesh of the filter and cause clogging of the filter, and the filter may need to be replaced before it can take in the amount of processing debris expected from its performance. On the other hand, when relatively large processing debris is generated, even if the processing debris accumulates on the filter, relatively large gaps are formed between the processing debris, so the processing water path is less likely to become blocked. In this case, the filter can take in an amount of processing debris that exceeds the amount expected from its performance.

As such, there are cases where it is not possible to uniformly determine when to replace a filter based on the volume of processing waste captured by the filter. Even in such cases, it is possible to determine when to replace the filter by, for example, correcting the standard total processing volume with a correction coefficient that depends on the processing conditions.

For example, while processing the workpiece under specific processing conditions in the processing device 2, the indicated values of the pressure gauges 78a, 78b provided in the water passage 80 are monitored, and when the indicated values reach a value indicating the time to replace the filtration filter, the processing is stopped and the filtration filter is removed from the filtration section 44, 68. Then, by measuring the weight of the filtration filter before and after use, the weight of the processing debris and the like that has been taken in by the filtration filter can be calculated. Then, the total weight of the processing debris that can be removed by the filtration filter under those processing conditions can be derived, and the total volume of the processing debris corresponding to that total weight can be calculated.

For example, a correction coefficient for a specific processing condition can be calculated by evaluating the increase or decrease in the total processing amount when it is time to replace the filter under the specific processing condition in comparison with the standard total processing amount of the filter under standard processing conditions. Then, by multiplying the standard total processing amount stored in the standard total processing amount storage unit 32c by the correction coefficient, the total processing amount when it is time to replace the filter under the specific processing condition can be derived.

When the workpiece is processed under processing conditions that result in relatively small processing debris being discharged, the correction coefficient is smaller than 1. In this case, it is advisable to replace the filter when the total processing volume is smaller than the standard total processing volume of the filter. On the other hand, when the workpiece is processed under processing conditions that result in relatively large processing debris being discharged, the correction coefficient is larger than 1. In this case, the workpiece can be processed with a total processing volume larger than the standard total processing volume of the filter.

The information display screen displayed on the display unit 30a by the display system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include information based on the standard total processing volume of the filtration filter corrected by a correction coefficient related to the processing conditions of the workpiece performed by the processing device 2.

In addition, the structures, methods, etc. relating to the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

2 Processing device 4 Base 6 Cassette table 8 Cassette 10 Carry-out unit 12, 20 Transport unit 14 Holding unit 16 Processing unit 18 Cleaning unit 22 Processing waste liquid treatment device 24 Housing 26 Drainage channel 28 Water supply channel 30a Display unit 30b Input unit 32 Control unit 32a Processing history recording section 32b Total processing amount calculation section 32c Standard total processing amount storage section 32d Display unit control section 34 Frame body 36 Waste liquid storage tank 38 Waste liquid supply pump 40 Guide rail 42, 72 Receiving tray (pan)
44, 68 Filtration section 46, 56 Inflow section 48 Drainage channel 50 Hose 52 Support plate 54 Fresh water storage tank 58 Drainage mechanism 60 Fresh water supply pump 62 Ultraviolet irradiation section 64 Ion exchange resin section 66 Inflow/outflow section 74 Pure water supply section (temperature adjustment unit)
76a, 76b Switching valve 78a, 78b Pressure gauge 80 Water passage 82 Display of standard total processing volume 84 Display of total processing volume 86 Display of filter usage rate 88 Display of estimated number of sheets that can be processed 90 Display of estimated possible processing time 92 Display of estimated replacement time

Claims (3)

A processing waste liquid treatment device is connected to a processing device including a holding unit for holding a workpiece, a processing unit for processing the workpiece while supplying processing water to the workpiece held by the holding unit, and a processing feed unit for relatively feeding the holding unit and the processing unit, the processing waste liquid treatment device filters the used processing water discharged from the processing device with a filtration filter to regenerate the processing water, and supplies the regenerated processing water to the processing device, the display system displaying an indication of when to replace the filtration filter,
a processing history recording unit that records information about the content of processing performed on the workpiece by the processing unit in the processing device as a processing history;
a display unit capable of displaying an information display screen including information regarding the estimated replacement time;
The information display screen includes:
Display of a total processing amount calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit and display of a standard total processing amount corresponding to a processing amount consuming the processing water of an amount that can be filtered by the filtration filter;
displaying an estimated possible processing time calculated by subtracting the total processing amount from the standard total processing amount and dividing the result by the processing amount per unit time calculated from the processing history recorded in the processing history recording unit;
and a display of an estimated replacement time calculated by adding the estimated processable time to the time of day. In the processing waste liquid treatment apparatus, a pressure gauge is provided in a supply path for supplying the used processing water to the filtration filter,
The display system according to claim 1, characterized in that the standard total processing volume coincides with the total processing volume of the workpiece by the processing unit when the pressure gauge reading reaches a pressure value indicating that it is time to replace the filtration filter when the used processing water is filtered through the filtration filter. The display system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing history recorded in the processing history recording section includes the amount of relative processing feed of the holding unit and the processing unit performed by the processing feed unit while the processing unit is processing the workpiece.

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