JPH03170254A - Automatic jig rearranging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of the unmanned operation of a work system by providing a pallet replacement command means which gives an instruction so as to take the pallet with a jig fitted to the work to be input to a loading station out of a jig stocker and carry it into the loading station, on a transfer control device. CONSTITUTION:An input work register device 30 transfers data to a transfer control device 19 via a communication means 42 and a command is output by a pallet replacement command means 20a, when it is judged by the transfer control device that the final work of the lot inside is returned to a loading station LS based on this data. With this command a work fitting device 12 removes the final work of the lot inside placed on the loading station from the pallet, this empty pallet is transferred to jig stockers S1-Sn via the transfer device, the pallet with a jig to which the work of the succeeding lot inside is fitted is selected from this jig stocker and the pallet is returned to the loading station by the transfer device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a conveyance system comprising a conveyance device that conveys pallets between a loading station, a jig stocker, and a machine tool.

<Prior Art> An example of such a conventional transportation system that transports several types of workpieces for each lot includes a loading station that loads the workpieces onto a pallet, a plurality of machine tools that process the workpieces on the pallet, and a plurality of machine tools that process the workpieces on the pallet. a jig stocker for storing the barre 7}, a transport device for transporting the pallet on a transport path between the loading station, the machine tool and the jig stocker, and the transport device and the machine tool. Some devices include a conveyance management device for controlling and an input work registration device that registers as data the order in which several types of workpieces are loaded into a loading station.

The workpieces attached to the pallet with jigs at the loading station are transported one by one to the machine tool side by a transport device, but when the final workpiece in the lot is returned to the loading station, the operator can The empty pallet is returned to the empty station of the jig stocker by removing the finished work from the parent and giving instructions to the transport management device based on the data registered in the input work registration device. , the pallet for the workpiece suitable for the next lot 1 is taken out from the jig stocker and transported to the loading station.

However, in the above-mentioned pallet conveying method, it is difficult to carry a pallet suitable for each lot into the loading station every time the type of loft to be loaded into the loading station changes. If the operator were to give instructions to the conveyance management device as shown in Figure 3, it would not only be a burden on the operator himself, but would also pose a problem in efficient unmanned operation of the processing system.

<Means for solving the problem> A loading station for loading workpieces onto Palen 1, multiple machine tools for processing the workpieces brought in from Barre 1 and 2, and a jig for storing several types of pallets with jigs. A barre is provided between the tool stocker, the loading station, the machine tool, and the jig stocker.
A transport device that transports the workpieces on the transport route "2, a workpiece mounting device that attaches or removes the workpieces to or from the pallet on the loading station, and the workpiece mounting device, the transport device, and the machine tool. A general transport management device to control, an input work registration device to register as data the order of loading several types of workpieces to be input into the loading station, and the data registered in this input work registration device to the transport management device. a pallet that instructs the conveyance management device to take out a jig-equipped barrette suitable for the work to be loaded from the jig stocker and carry it into the loading station;・It is equipped with a replacement command means.

Operation> The unprocessed workpieces loaded into the loading station are mounted on a pallet with jigs by a workpiece mounting device activated by a command from the transport management device, and are sequentially transported to the machine tool side. In addition, the input work registration device transfers data to the transport management device via the communication means, and when the transport management device determines that the final work in the front has been returned to the loading station based on this data, the pallet A command is issued by the replacement command means, and in response to this command, the workpiece mounting device first removes the final workpiece in the lot on the loading station from the pallet, and this empty bellet 1 is sent to the jig stonker via the transport device. Then, from this jig stonker, a jig-equipped pallet to which a workpiece in the next lot can be attached is selected, and this jig-equipped pallet is returned to the loading station by the conveying device.

<Example> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a transport path 10 indicates a movable course of a transport device I1 that transports a parentop P with a jig on which a work is placed. Along the conveyance path 10, a numerically controlled machine tool M
TI, MT2, and workpiece cleaning machines CM are installed, and the workpiece cleaning IIcM and numerically controlled machine tools MTI, MT2 each have three pallet changers PCI, PC2, and P.
C3 is installed.

Also, a loading station LS for loading and unloading pallets P is provided along the transport path 10, and jig stockers S1 to Sn are provided for storing pallets P with several types of jigs. has been done. Further, a workpiece mounting device 12 for mounting or removing the workpiece W on the loading station LS is provided adjacent to the loading station 6LS.

Next, to explain the structure of the control device, a first central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as I CPU) 20 is installed in the transport management device 19, and this I CPU 20 displays a menu screen via an interface 21. Display cheat 1st c
It is connected to the RT screen 22 and a first keyboard 23 for manually operating the menu. NCI and NC2 are numerical control devices provided corresponding to the numerically controlled machine tools MT1 and MT2, respectively, and the numerical control devices NCI and NC2 and the workpiece mounting device 12 are connected to the ICP U 20 through an interface 24. The numerically controlled machine tool MT1. , whether the workpiece in MT2 is in an unprocessed or processed state is sent as information. Based on this information, a computer (not shown) transfers numerical control data to the numerical control devices NCI and NC2. The input work registration device 30 includes a second central processing unit (
31 (hereinafter referred to as the second CPU) is installed, and this second
The CPU 31 is connected to a 20R7 T screen 33 and a second keyboard 34 via an interface 32.

Further, the second CPU 31 is connected to the magnetic disk device 36 via the interface 35, and data on the loading order of several types of locks 1 and the number of workpieces inputted by the second keyboard 34 are sent to the magnetic disk device 36. This data is stored as data, and this data is managed by the second CPU 31.

The transport management device 19 and the input work registration device 30 are connected by communication means 42 via interfaces 40 and 41, respectively, so that information can be transmitted.

The I CPU 20 of the transport management device 19 has a built-in pallet exchange command means 20a, and this pallet replacement command means 20a is
The command of the replacement command means 20a is based on the data of the input workpiece registration device 30, and the command is sent to the loading station L.
The pallet P with jigs on S and the barres/notches P' with jigs stored in the jigs L/Lock S1 to Sn are transferred to the conveying device 11.
It is set to be exchanged via .

Next, from the above-mentioned structure, conveyance 8 of the pallet of the present invention The method will be explained using FIG. 2.

The unprocessed workpiece loaded into the loading station LS is transferred to a barrette with a jig by the workpiece mounting device 12.
mounted on. This unprocessed workpiece is transferred by the transfer device 11 to the numerically controlled machine tool MT2 and the workpiece cleaning machine CM, and then returned to the loading station LS, and the processed workpiece is removed from the pallet by the workpiece mounting device 12 (100).

When the workpieces that are input one after another are of the same lot, the workpieces are conveyed in the above-mentioned conveyance cycle. When the transport management device 19 determines that the workpiece Wz returned to the LS and removed from the pallet Pz is the final workpiece of the lot, the pallet replacement command means 20a in the transport management device 19 operates to issue a command. With this directive,
First, an empty station S1 in the jig stocker is found (102), and the empty base plate P is transported from the loading station LS to the station S1 via the transport device 1l (103). Next, the type of the next loft work to be introduced is obtained from the data of the input work registration device 30 (104L), and the station S2 where the pallet with jig P' to which this work can be attached is stored is selected (105). Next, the pallet 1 P' with the jig is transported to the loading station LS via the transport device 1 (106).Then, the workpieces of the next lot are transferred to the pallet by the workpiece mounting device 12.
It is attached to I/P' (107) and transported to the machine tool castle side (108). Therefore, even when changing lots, a pallet with jigs suitable for the type of work in the new loft is automatically transported to the loading station LS, improving work efficiency and realizing unmanned operation of the transport system. .

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention provides a communication means for transferring data registered in the input workpiece registration device to the conveyance management device, and also transmits data from this communication means to the conveyance management device. When it is determined that the workpiece to be returned to the loading station is the R Hiiragi workpiece in the lot based on the loading order of several types of workpieces, a jig suitable for the workpiece in the next loft is attached according to a command from the pallet replacement command means. Since the pallet is transported to the loading station, there is no need for the operator to instruct the transport management device every time the lot is changed, improving the efficiency of unmanned operation of the processing system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a pallet conveying system. 11... Conveyance device, 12... Workpiece mounting device, l
9... Conveyance management device, 20... No. 1 CPU, 20a
...Pallet exchange command means, 30...Input work registration device, 31...Second CPU, 42...Communication line, LS...Loading station, MTI, M'
F2...Machine tool, CM...Work cleaning machine, S1~
Sn...Jig stocker. 111

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A loading station that loads workpieces onto pallets, a plurality of machine tools that process the workpieces on the carried pallets, a jig stocker that stores several types of pallets with jigs, and the loading station and the machine tools. and the jig stocker, a conveyance device that conveys the pallet on a conveyance path, a workpiece mounting device that attaches or removes a workpiece to or from the pallet on the loading station, and a workpiece mounting device and the conveyor. a conveyance management device that controls the device and the machine tool; an input work registration device that registers as data the order in which several types of workpieces are input to the loading station; and an input work registration device that registers the data registered in the input work registration device. a communication means for transmitting data to the transport management device, and instructs the transport management device to take out a pallet with jigs suitable for the work to be loaded into the loading station from the jig stocker and carry it into the loading station. An automatic jig setup change device characterized by comprising a pallet change command means for giving a pallet change command.