JPH0435831A - Replacement of pallet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the high operation rate without stopping the machine even during the preparation time by replacing a pallet on the working completion side during the working on one side by a pallet replacing board arranged between a plurality of working machines. CONSTITUTION:After the completion of the working of the pallet A at a right side machining center 1, a pallet replacement instruction is inputted from an NC device. A preparation instruction is outputted by the operation of a pendant operation panel 13 by an operator, and a table 1 on the right side is positioned leftward to a replacement position. The pallet C side of a carriage 6 is shifted to the replacement position by the operation of a hydraulic cylinder, and a gear 11 on a right side intermediate board 10 is projected to be meshed with the lower side rack of the pallet C. The clamp of the pallet C is released, and the pallet C is moved rightward by the reverse revolution of a motor, and transferred on the table 1 and clamped. The table 1 shifts to the working position, and the working for a workpiece is started. The workpiece of the pallet A at the waiting position on the carriage 6 is replaced with a material.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pallet exchange method for a multi-tasking machine such as a machining center.

In conventional machining centers, in order to improve productivity, a pallet changer for controlling two or more pallets has generally been attached to one machine. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, there is a table l on the head that is controlled to move in the X-axis direction and has a barrette horizontal guide surface in the X-axis direction on its upper surface.
is mounted, and a crossbeam whose movement is controlled in the X-axis direction is mounted on columns 2 installed on both sides of the head, and the main shaft is vertically rotatably supported on this crossbeam and moved in the Y-axis direction *J? A spindle head 3 is provided. A pallet exchange table 5 is attached to the front end of the head of this portal type machining center. In this pallet exchange table 5, a carriage 6 is placed on a plurality of horizontal guide surfaces 7a in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the moving direction (X-axis) of the table l on the lower table 7. Two pairs of horizontal guide surfaces 6a in the X-axis direction are formed at the same height as the guide surfaces on the table I, and two pallets can be placed thereon. In the carriage 6, two sets of horizontal guide surfaces 6a, 1&ll, are alternately positioned at pallet exchange positions on the table movement axis by hydraulic cylinders (not shown). Therefore, the positions of the horizontal guide surfaces 6a of the other 1&[I are the standby positions, which are the two positions on both sides of the exchange position.

An intermediate sound 10 is provided between the tip of the bed of the machining center and the lower table 7, and on its upper surface there are two horizontal guides that are in line with and at the same height as the respective horizontal guide surfaces of the table 1 and the carriage 6. A plane IQa is formed. This intermediate stand 10 has a built-in motor (not shown), which rotates a gear 11 that can protrude during driving at the center between the horizontal guide surfaces 10a. This gear 11 is mounted on the reciprocating table 6 of the pallet exchange table 5 and extends onto the intermediate table 1O, and the rack provided on the lower surface of the pallet and the lower surface of the pallet on which the table 1 is placed when positioned at the exchange position. It is made of solid wood that meshes with the rack. In this way, one pallet changer is combined with one machine.

In addition, a method is known in which a reciprocating carriage runs on a pallet exchange table installed across the front of several machines arranged in parallel in an FMS, etc., and each pallet is positioned in front of the machine and the pallets are exchanged. .

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the model shown in Figure 2, one changer including an intermediate stand and a pallet changing table is attached to one machine, so two changers are attached to each machine. 2 as shown in Figure 2.
A pallet changer was required. For this reason, there were problems in that automation was relatively expensive and additional installation space was required.

Furthermore, the FMS type generally requires a large installation area, requires a high investment cost, and has the problem of being difficult to adopt only in specific locations.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a pallet exchange method that can reduce the installation area and investment amount relative to the number of machines. be.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has two multi-tasking machines that can use the same pallet and are arranged facing each other in a line. One pallet exchange table installed between the processing machines is used to exchange the pallet on the processing end side during processing on one side.

Action When the multitasking machine (1) finishes machining, the pallet on the table on the processed side is transferred via the intermediate stand onto the empty horizontal guide surface of the carriage at the exchange position, and the material at the standby position is placed. The pallet to be replaced is moved to the exchange position, and is transferred from this pallet to the table of the multitasking machine (1) via an intermediate stand. The table is transferred to the processing position. The workpieces on the pallet in the standby position are being replaced with raw materials during processing by the multi-tasking machine (+). When the multi-tasking machine (II) finishes machining, the pallet on the machined table is transferred to the empty horizontal guide surface on the carriage via the intermediate stand, and the waiting pallet is used as the exchange position, and the pallet is transferred to the multi-tasking machine (II) via the intermediate stand. Transfer the pallet onto the table in II). The table on which the pallet is placed is shifted to a processing value of 1.

Example This will be explained below based on FIG.

Elements that are the same as those in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted. The portal machining centers (1) (II) are arranged facing each other so as to be on the same line with the center line in the X-axis direction of the table 1,
On each table 1, there are barres on two horizontal guide surfaces in the X-axis direction.

(A) and (B) are placed and fixed with a fixing device (not shown). When the table 1 is at the replacement position near the lower stand 7, the fixation is released only when replacing the barre 7). A pallet exchange table 5 is installed in the center of the facing machine, and the exchange position of the carriage 6 is set at table 1. It is considered to be on the 1st line. Between the machine head on both sides of the pallet exchange table 5, there is an intermediate table 1 (l).
The pallet, which is placed on the carriage 6 and fixed at a fixed position with a clamping device (not shown), extends onto the intermediate platform IO on both sides, and the rank on the lower surface is a gear 11.
It is possible to mesh with In addition, the pallet on the table 1 extends on the intermediate stand 10 at the exchange position, and the rack on the lower surface is on the gear 11.
It is possible to mesh with. The gears 11 of the intermediate stand 10 on the machine side to be replaced can be protruded upward at appropriate times in response to a replacement command and can mesh with the ranks. 12 is a pendant operation panel, and 13 is an operation panel connected to an NC device (not shown).

In this configuration, a pallet (A) on which materials are placed is fixed on table 1 of machining center I on the right side in the figure, and table 1 of machining center ■ on left side in the figure.
A baren (B) with a material placed on it is fixed on top. Further, the carriage 6 on the lower stand 7 is located on the opposite side or the front side in the figure, and a pallet (C) on which a workpiece is placed is placed and fixed at one of the standby positions on either side. The workpiece materials to be machined are not necessarily of the same shape and are machined in the same way, but the control device is set so that the replacement times are shifted, preferably by half a takt. Also, depending on the processed product, one machining center may be replaced twice.
It is also possible to replace the parts once at the other machining center during this period, and the important thing is to control the parts so that they are not replaced at the same time.

When machining of the pallet (A) of the right machining center I is completed, a pallet exchange command is issued from the NC device. Alternatively, the operator issues a preparation command by operating the pendant operation panel 13, and the table 1 on the right side is positioned to the left to the exchange position. The gear 11 of O on the right side of the intermediate platform protrudes and engages with the lower rack of the pallet (A), the clamp of the pallet (A) is released, a motor (not shown) rotates, and the pallet (A) is moved onto the carriage. It is placed and clamped. Gear 11 is retracted.

The pallet (C) side of the carriage 6 is moved to the exchange position by the action of the hydraulic cylinder, and the gear 11 of the right intermediate table 10 protrudes and meshes with the lower rack of the bar (C). The pallet (C) is unclamped and the motor is reversed, so that the pallet (C) is moved to the right, transferred onto the table 1, and clamped.

The table 1 moves to the machining position and machining of the workpiece is started. The workpiece on the standby position (ballen) (A) on the carriage 6 is replaced with a material.

Next, when the machining on the left machining center H is completed with a delay of half a takt, the pallet (B) on the left machine table 1 is moved to the empty space after the pallet (C) on the carriage 6 is transferred by the gear II of the intermediate table 10. It is placed on the horizontal guide surface 6a. The carriage 6 is moved by the hydraulic cylinder, and the pallet (A) on which the materials are fixed becomes the exchange position, and is transferred onto the left table 1 by the gear 11 of the left intermediate table 10, and the table I on which the pallet (A) is placed is moved by the hydraulic cylinder. It moves to the processing position.

Effects Since the structure is as described above, the present invention has the following effects.

The installation area of the pallet changer is reduced, the number of pallet exchange tables is halved, and the number of pallets is reduced by one from four to three compared to two machines, streamlining the system and significantly reducing the investment required for the pallet changer. be able to. Moreover, like before, high operating rates can be maintained without stopping the machine during setup time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an apparatus for implementing the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing an apparatus for implementing the conventional method. ■...Table 5...Pallet exchange table 6...Reciprocating table 7...Lower stand 10...Intermediate stand 11...Gears A, B, C, D...Parenote

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) The machining tact of two multi-tasking machines that can use the same pallet and are placed facing each other in a line is offset, and one pallet changing table installed between the multi-tasking machines allows machining of one of the machines. A pallet exchange method characterized in that the pallet on the machining end side is exchanged during the machining process.