JPH01121185A - Self-centering method by laser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To conduct exact and prompt centering for improved efficiency of dimensional inspection remarkably by determining a laser point with a CAD/ CAM signal. CONSTITUTION: The drawing informations prepared by a CAD 11 in a controller 8 are automatically-corrected to the data meeting the working condition of a CAM 12 with a data converter 13, and the data are inputted into the CAM 12. A control signal is outputted to a multi-spindle robot 3 and a laser power supply from the CAM 12 to position a laser head for a workpiece on a pedestal, that is, a laser point is determined. At the same time, the shutter of a laser oscillator 6 is opened, and laser beams are emitted to the workpiece from the laser head to print a centering mark on the top face of the workpiece with laser beams. The dimensional inspection of the workpiece is conducted using the centering mark.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for inspecting the dimensions of a workpiece, and more particularly to an automatic centering method that automatically performs centering using a laser.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in order to accurately measure the dimensions of parts with complex shapes such as cylinder blocks and cylinder heads, or molds, the classic doscan scribing method or measurement using a coordinate measuring machine has been used. law was commonly used.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, according to the above-mentioned doscan scribing method, there is a problem that a lot of time is spent reading the dimensions from the drawing and inserting the scribing lines, resulting in poor inspection efficiency. Ta. On the other hand, the measurement method using a three-dimensional measuring machine has superior inspection efficiency compared to the above-mentioned scribing method, but it requires reading the contact points with the workpiece and requires many manual operations, making it difficult to fundamentally improve efficiency. The problem was that they were not connected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems.
The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic centering method that can perform centering with high efficiency and precision by using a laser.

Regarding lasers, in recent years there have been many attempts to use them for dimension measurement, but they are limited to simple measurements such as shaft diameter, plate thickness, and plate width, and there are no examples of their use in measuring complex three-dimensional curved surfaces. Not yet. There are also examples of its use in pattern printing (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho F31-138488), but the principle is simple and it is impossible to directly apply it to centering parts with complex shapes. be.

(Means for solving the problems) The present invention provides means for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems.
The gist of the present invention is that at least one of the workpiece pedestal and the laser head is moved by the n/CAM signal, and a centering mark is engraved on the workpiece on the workpiece pedestal using a laser beam emitted from the laser head.

In the present invention, the movement of the workpiece pedestal or the laser head includes two-dimensional or three-dimensional movement, and in particular, the movement of the laser head is multi-f! It is desirable to perform this using a II robot.

(Function) In the automatic centering method using a laser having the above configuration, C
Since the workpiece or the laser head is moved by the ADICAM signal, the laser point can be determined accurately and quickly and the laser can be emitted, and a centering mark necessary for centering can be arbitrarily printed on the workpiece.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a system configuration for executing the laser centering method according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a workpiece to be inspected, which here is a cylinder block for an engine. A workpiece 1 is placed on a fixed workpiece pedestal 2, and a multi-axis robot 3 is installed on the side of the fixed workpiece pedestal 2 to accommodate the workpiece 1 within its movement radius. Further, a laser head 4 is attached to the wrist of the multi-axis robot 3, and this laser head 4 has a laser oscillator 6 connected to a laser power supply device 5.
A laser beam is sent from the optical fiber 7 through the optical fiber 7. A control device 8, which will be described later, is connected to the multi-axis robot 3 and the laser power supply device 5, respectively, by cables 9, 9. The laser oscillator 6 includes a shutter for blocking the laser beam sent to the laser head 4, and also includes a lens group for shaping the laser beam into a desired pattern.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 8 includes a CADll that creates drawing information regarding the workpiece 1, a CAM12 as a robot controller (NC device), and a CAD
It has a built-in data converter 13 that automatically corrects the drawing information of the D 11 into data that matches the working conditions of the CAM 12 and provides the data to the CAM 12. And CAM
12 outputs a control signal to the multi-axis robot 3 and the laser power supply device 5, whereby the position and direction of the laser head 4 held by the multi-axis robot 3 are continuously controlled. The emission timing of the laser beam from the laser head 4 is controlled intermittently.

With this configuration, CADll and C in the control device 8 are
The drawing information of work 1 is stored in AM12 or the like. Then, when the work 1 is set on the fixed work holder 2 and the control device 8 is activated, the multi-axis robot 3 moves three-dimensionally, and the laser head 4 held on its wrist is positioned with respect to the work 1. . In other words, the laser point is determined. At the same time as this laser point is determined, the laser oscillator 6
The shutter is opened, a laser beam is emitted from the laser head 4 toward the workpiece 1, and a centering mark is printed on the upper surface of the workpiece 1. After that, the multi-axis robot 3 operates again to determine the next laser point, and the laser beam is emitted from the work head 4 again, and this operation is repeated sequentially. The centering mark required for inspection will now be printed. FIG. 3 shows the workpiece 1 that has been centered in this way.The upper surface of the workpiece 1 has a centering mark la with a sagittal line pattern, a centering mark 1b with an R line pattern, and a - line. Pattern centering mark IC etc. are printed on it.

As for the side surface of the workpiece 1, the workpiece 1 may be placed on the fixed workpiece pedestal 2, and the laser point may be determined and centered in the same manner as described above. Further, when a dimensional inspection is required for the start-up of a new product, etc., the work l may be appropriately cut and a product drawing may be transferred thereto for centering.

FIG. 4 shows another example of a system configuration for executing the method of the present invention. The feature of the wood system configuration is that the workpiece holder on which the workpiece 1 is set is a movable workpiece holder 21, and the laser head 22 is fixedly attached to the laser device 23. The control device 24 basically consists of the above-mentioned CAD/CAM system (FIG. 2), and centrally controls the movement of the movable workpiece pedestal 21 and the timing of emission from the laser head 22. mosquito~
With this configuration, the movable workpiece pedestal 21 is moved two-dimensionally (or three-dimensionally) by the CAD/C:AM double signal from the control device 24, and the workpiece 1 on the movable workpiece pedestal 21 is moved.
are sequentially positioned with respect to the laser head 22, and if a laser beam is emitted from the laser head 22 according to this positioning, a desired centering mark is printed on the upper surface of the workpiece 1, as in the above embodiment. become.

In the above two embodiments, one of the workpiece pedestals 2 and 21 on which the workpiece l is set and the laser head 4.22 is moved, but in the present invention, instead of this, both of them are moved. It may be moved. In this case, the laser point can be determined more quickly.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above in detail, the automatic centering method using a laser according to the present invention determines the laser point using a CAD/CAM signal, so centering can be performed accurately and quickly. The efficiency of dimensional inspection was significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a system configuration for executing the laser centering method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a control device that is a part of the system, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a product centered by the method of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a system diagram showing another example of a system configuration for executing the method of the present invention. l ... Work 2.21 River Work cradle 3 ... Multi-axis robot 4.22 ... Laser head 8.24 ... Control device patent applicant Toyota Motor Corporation Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (and others 2) given name)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) By using a laser, at least one of a workpiece pedestal and a laser head is moved by a CAD/CAM signal, and a centering mark is engraved on the workpiece on the workpiece pedestal by a laser beam emitted from the laser head. Automatic centering method.