JPH0424177B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention provides a tool changing device that changes the tools in each tool magazine provided in a plurality of machine tools as the workpiece to be machined changes. The present invention relates to a processing device equipped with the following.

<Conventional technology> Multiple machine tools equipped with automatic tool changing functions,
In the FMS, which consists of a pallet conveying device that conveys pallets to these machine tools,
When machining many types of workpieces, the number of tools required to process these workpieces becomes extremely large.
However, there is a limit to the number of tools that can be stored in the tool magazine of each machine tool, so conventional approaches to this problem include making the tool magazine itself replaceable with a spare tool magazine, or using a tool transport system equipped with a robot. A trolley is used to replace the tools in the tool magazine one by one.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the above-mentioned magazine exchange system, there is a problem that the storage space for the spare magazine becomes large and it becomes expensive. Since the tool has to be used for several machine tools, there is a problem that it takes time to replace the tool and the operating rate of the system decreases, and the reality is that neither method is sufficiently effective.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional art. A plurality of machine tools MT1 to MT3 are installed. Each tool magazine TM1 to TM3 of these machine tools MT1 to MT3 has machine tools MT1 to MT3.
The tools necessary to process the workpieces on the pallets carried into MT3 are stored. In addition, tool pool 20 is located along machine tools MT1 to MT3.
is provided, and this tool pool 20 pools a large number of tools necessary for machining multiple types of workpieces,
These tools can be indexed to tool changing positions P1 to P3 corresponding to the respective machine tools MT1 to MT3. The tools stored in the respective tool magazines TM1 to TM3 of the respective machine tools MT1 to MT3 can be indexed to the tool changing positions corresponding to the respective tool changing positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20. Magazines TM1 to TM3 and tool pool 20
A tool changing device 23 for changing tools between the two tool changing positions is provided between the two tool changing positions.

<Examples> Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a conveyance path along which a pallet P with workpieces attached is conveyed by a conveyance truck 11. Along this conveyance path 10, a plurality of numerically controlled machine tools MT1 to MT3 are arranged. There is. Each machine tool MT1 to MT3 is equipped with chain type tool magazines TM1 to TM3 that can be indexed in a vertical plane, and tools are stored horizontally in a plurality of tool sockets provided in these tool magazines TM1 to TM3. There is. The tools stored in these tool sockets are sequentially indexed to the tool exchange position, and the required tool is pulled out from the tool socket by a tool changer (not shown) and mounted on the spindle supported by the spindle head. Ru. Each of the machine tools MT1~
The MT3 is equipped with pallet loading and unloading devices PC1 to PC3, and these pallet loading and unloading devices PC1 to
A pallet P to be machined is carried into the machine tool from the carrier 11 via the PC 3, and the processed pallet P is carried out onto the carrier 11 from the machine tool.

A chain-type tool pool 20 is arranged along each of the machine tools MT1 to MT3 so as to be indexable in a horizontal plane, and a large number of tool sockets 21 provided in this tool pool 20 can be used to process various types of workpieces. The necessary tools are held upwards. The tool pool 20 includes each tool magazine of the machine tool.
Multiple tool change positions P corresponding to TM1 to TM3
1 to P3 are determined, and these tool exchange positions P1 to P3 are determined.
A tool socket 21 holding a required tool is indexed at P3.

Tool magazine for the machine tools MT1 to MT3
A tool changing device 23 is disposed between TM1 to TM3 and tool changing positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20, respectively. The configuration of this tool changing device 23 will be explained below.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the tool magazines TM1 to TM3 is mounted on a vertical magazine base 2.
5 upper and lower tool magazine TM1
1 and TM12, and a plurality of tool sockets 26 and 27 in which tools T are housed horizontally are held in these tool magazines TM11 and TM12 so as to be indexable in a vertical plane. Each tool magazine
TM11 and TM12 store the number of tools required to process one type of workpiece, and always use either tool magazine TM11 or TM1.
The tools in 2 are used to process workpieces carried into the machine tool. In addition, each tool socket 26 of tool magazine TM11, TM12,
27 can be indexed to tool exchange positions P11 and P12 corresponding to the tool pool 20 side.

A slider 31 is mounted on a fixed base 30 disposed on the side of the magazine base 25 so as to be movable up and down.
between the position parallel to the tool socket 21 of the tool magazine and the position parallel to the tool sockets 26 and 27 of the tool magazine.
It is supported so that it can rotate 90 degrees. Therefore, the slider 31 is located at the two tool change positions P11 and P12.
and the lowering end position, respectively.
It is possible to position it in any position. Further, a shift table 33 is attached to the fixed base 30 and the slider 3
1 and tool exchange positions P11 and P12, and a first arm 34 having gripping claws at both ends is supported on this shift table 33 so as to be able to rotate and move back and forth in the axial direction. . The shift stand 33 has a first arm 34 that can be positioned at two positions corresponding to the tool take-out positions P11 and P12, and the first arm 34 allows the tool pot 32 to be positioned between the tool pot 32 and the tool change positions P11 and P12. Tools can be exchanged between each at the same time.

Furthermore, the tool exchange position P1 of the tool pool 20
A support base 40 is provided corresponding to ~P3, and a movable base 41 is mounted on this support base 40 at the tool exchange position P.
It is movably mounted between each of P1 to P3 and the slider 31. A second arm 42 equipped with gripping claws at both ends is supported on the movable table 41 so as to be able to rotate in a horizontal plane and move up and down.
Accordingly, the tool pot 32 and the tool exchange position P1
The tools are transferred between P3 and P3.

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit, in which the central processing unit 50 performs a process of transmitting numerical control data according to the type of workpiece to be processed to the numerical control devices NC1 to NC3 connected to the machine tools MT1 to MT3. , which performs processing to control tool replacement. A disk device 51 is connected to the central processing unit 50, and numerical control data for machining a plurality of types of workpieces (WA to WE) in each of the machine tools MT1 to MT3 is stored in the disk device 51.

Further, a tool pool indexing control device 53, a tool changing control device 54, and a tool magazine indexing control device 55 are connected to the central processing unit 50 via an interface 52. The tool pool indexing control device 53 moves the commanded tool to the tool exchange position P1~
The tool magazine indexing control device 55 indexes the tools in the unused side of the two upper and lower tool magazines of each machine tool MT1 to MT3 to tool exchange positions P11 and P12. It is something to put out. Further, the tool change control device 54 controls the tool change device 23 having the above-described configuration in order to change tools between the tool magazine and the tool pool 20.

The core memory of the central processing unit 50 stores the tools stored in the two-stage tool magazines of each of the machine tools MT1 to MT3 based on the correspondence between the tool number and the socket number in which the tool is stored. tool magazine tables TMT1 and TMT2,
A used tool table UTT stores the numbers of tools used for machining workpieces for each type of workpiece, and the tools stored in the tool pool 20 are stored in the tool number and the tool socket in which they are stored. 21
A tool pool table TPT is formed based on the correspondence with the numbers.

Next, the operation of the control circuit having the above configuration will be explained. The central processing unit 50 is connected to each machine tool MT1.
~ It is determined whether the workpiece carried into MT3 is the first workpiece of the same type, and if it is determined that it is the first workpiece, the numerical control data corresponding to the type of workpiece is stored on the disk. It is searched and read by the device 51 and transferred to the buffer area of the core memory. Then, based on the numerical control data, the tools stored in one of the two upper and lower tool magazines of each of the machine tools MT1 to MT3 are sequentially mounted on the spindle, and machining of the workpiece is started.

During machining of such a workpiece, a process is performed in which the tool stored in the other tool magazine is replaced with a tool required for machining the next scheduled workpiece.

That is, when a tool change command is issued from the central processing unit 50, the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece (this is WB) in the machine tool MT1 is first changed to the tool in the used tool table UTT.
It is read from the WB-MT1 column. Next, the tool pool indexing control device 5 searches the tool pool table TPT for the socket number in which the read tool is stored, and indexes the corresponding tool socket 21 to the tool changing position P1 corresponding to the machine tool MT1.
3 is controlled. At the same time, machine tools store used tools used for machining the previous workpiece.
The tool magazine indexing control device 55 is controlled to index the tool socket 27 of the first socket number (n+1) of one tool magazine of the MT1 (this will be referred to as TM12) to the tool exchange position P12.

Next, the tool change control device 54 is controlled, and the tools indexed to the respective tool change positions P1, P12 of the tool pool 20 and the tool magazine TM12 are replaced by the tool change device 23 as will be described later. Therefore, each time a tool is exchanged between the tool pool 20 and the tool magazine TM12, the central processing unit 5
Tool pool table stored in memory of 0
The contents of TPT and tool magazine table TMT2 are sequentially rewritten.

For example, tool replacement by the tool changer 23 is carried out using the tool magazine TM1 of the machine tool MT1.
2 and the tool pool 20, the tool stored in the first socket number (n+1) of the tool magazine TM12 is indexed to the tool exchange position P12, and the tool pooled in the tool pool 20 is indexed to the tool exchange position P12. The operation starts with indexing the tool socket 21 containing the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece in the workpiece machine MT1 to the tool exchange position P1.

Tool exchange position P1 of the tool magazine TM12
When the tool stored in the first socket number 2 is indexed, the first arm 34 is pivoted to grip the tool with one gripping pawl, and then the first arm 34 is advanced in the axial direction to hold the tool. The tool is removed from the tool socket 27, and in this state, the first arm 34 is rotated 180 degrees, and is axially retreated, so that the tool is installed in the tool pot 32, which is kept waiting at a predetermined position.
Thereafter, the first arm 34 is rotated clockwise and returns to its original position. Subsequently, the slider 31 is lowered and the tool pot 32 is turned 90 degrees to change the orientation of the tool upward.

On the other hand, when the tool socket 21 containing the required tool is indexed at the tool exchange position P1 of the tool pool 20, the movable base 41 is moved to the left in FIG. Tool change position P
The tool indexed at 1 is gripped, and then the second arm 42 is raised to remove the tool from the tool socket 21. In this state, the second arm 42 is rotated 180 degrees and lowered, and the second arm 42
Tool tool socket 2 gripped by the other gripping claw of
It is stored in 1. However, in the case of the first tool exchange operation, the other gripping claw of the second arm 42 does not grip a tool, so the operation is idle. Thereafter, the movable base 41 is moved to the right in FIG. 2 and returned to its original position, and the second arm 42 is rotated 180 degrees.

When the slider 31 is positioned at the lower end, the movable base 41 is moved to the right and the other gripping claw of the second arm 42 grips the tool inserted into the tool pot 32. Next, the second arm 42
is raised to remove the tool from the tool pot 32, and in this state the second arm 42 is rotated 180 degrees and lowered. As a result, the tool taken out from the tool pool 20 is inserted into the tool pot 32, and the tool taken out from the tool magazine TM12 is carried by the gripping claw of the second arm 42. Thereafter, the movable table 41 is moved to the left, and the gripping claw is removed from the tool inserted into the tool pot 32.

Subsequently, the slider 31 is raised, and the tool pot 32 is moved to change the posture of the tool sideways.
Rotated 90°. When the slider 31 is positioned at a position corresponding to the tool magazine TM12 in which a tool is to be replaced, the first arm 34
is activated and the tool is indexed to the tool change position P12.
The tool stored in the th socket number and the tool stored in the tool pot 32 are exchanged at the same time.
As a result, the first tool to be used for the next machining is transferred from the tool pool 20 to the tool magazine TM12.

On the other hand, when the movable base 41 is returned to its original position as described above, the second arm 42 is rotated 180 degrees, and the movable base 41 is again moved to the left in FIG. 2 to replace the tools in the tool pool 20. A second tool to be used for machining the next workpiece indexed at position P1 is gripped. Thereafter, the second arm 42 is raised, rotated 180 degrees, and lowered in the same manner as described above, and the tool magazine is opened.
The tool taken out from TM12 is placed in tool socket 21.
The tool inserted into the tool socket 21 and taken out from the tool socket 21 is held by the gripping claw of the second arm 42.

In this way, the tool magazine TM1 in which the tools to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece in the machine tool MT1 are sequentially indexed to the tool change position P1
With the replacement of this tool, the comparison tables of tool magazine table TMT2 and tool pool table TPT are sequentially rewritten.

When the tool replacement for machine tool MT1 is completed, the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece is replaced with machine tool MT2.
The tool pool 20 is controlled to index to the tool exchange position P2 corresponding to MT2, and tools are exchanged with one tool magazine of the machine tool MT2 by the same operation as described above.

In the above embodiment, two arms 34, 4
Although an example has been described in which tools are exchanged between a tool pool and a tool magazine by a tool changer 23 including a tool exchanger 23, this tool exchange position can also be configured by a robot.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention provides a tool pool along with a plurality of machine tools, pools tools necessary for machining a plurality of types of workpieces in this tool pool,
Each tool magazine for multiple machine tools is configured with a two-stage tool magazine that stores multiple tools required for machining different types of workpieces, so the tools in one tool magazine can be used to machine the workpiece. While machining is in progress, the tool in the other tool magazine can be replaced with the tool needed for machining the next workpiece, and there is no need to stop the machine tool to change the tool when changing the workpiece. In addition, it is possible to efficiently replace tools for a plurality of machine tools, and there is an effect that the operating rate of the system is not reduced due to tool replacement due to changes in workpieces.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overview of the processing system, FIG. 2 is a view taken from the direction of the arrow in FIG.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the control circuit; Figure 5 is a diagram showing the control circuit;
6 and 7 are diagrams showing data tables provided in the central processing unit of FIG. 4. 10... Pallet conveyance path, 11... Conveyance truck,
MT1~MT3...Machine tools, TM1~TM3...
...Tool magazine, 20...Tool pool, 23...
Tool changing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a processing device equipped with a plurality of machine tools equipped with tool magazines and a pallet transport device that transports pallets to these machine tools, tools necessary for processing many types of workpieces are pooled along the machine tools. A tool pool is provided, and tool pool indexing control means is provided for indexing required tools pooled in the tool pool to a tool change position corresponding to each of the machine tools, and a tool magazine of each of the machine tools is provided. A tool magazine indexing control means for indexing stored used tools to tool exchange positions corresponding to the respective tool exchange positions is provided, and each tool magazine of the plurality of machine tools is indexed to a different type of workpiece. It consists of a two-stage tool magazine that stores multiple tools required for machining, and while the tools in one tool magazine are used to machine a workpiece carried into the machine tool, the tools in the other tool magazine are stored. A processing device equipped with a tool changing device provided with a tool changing control means for changing tools between both tool changing positions of a magazine and a tool pool.