JPH05220643A - Pallet allocating device and nc program preparing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pallet allocating device which is capable of efficiently executing the preparatory arrangement according to the production plan, and an NC program preparing method to automatically prepare an NC program corresponding to the pallet number allocated within a cell controller. CONSTITUTION:A control means 1 controls a plurality of working cells 30 according to the production plan data. A storage means 2 stores the pallet allocating data. The production plan data are given from a host computer 20 to a cell controller 10. The pallet allocating data give the correspondence of the respective surfaces within a working cell 30 to the kind and number of the work which is capable of being mounted to the respective surfaces. A determining means 3 determines the work to be allocated to the respective surfaces of the pallet, and updates the pallet allocating data on the basis of the production plan data given to the control means 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a pallet allocating device and N
Regarding a C program creation method, in particular, a pallet allocating device for automatically setting up a multi-sided pallet used in a processing cell in an FA system, and an NC program corresponding to the pallet number of the set up multi-sided pallet are automatically created. Method for creating an NC program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a factory where a large number of numerically controlled machine tools are installed, a plurality of machining cells including pallets for supplying workpieces (hereinafter referred to as "workpieces") to NC machine tools and these machining cells are controlled. Cell controller to
FA that is composed of a host computer that issues a production plan in a processing cell to this cell controller
The system is installed.

In the cell controller, a plurality of machining programs are stored for each product, and a predetermined NC program is edited in a predetermined order to control the NC machine tool of each machining cell. When a new production plan is instructed by the host computer, in response to a request for line changeover, not only are the tools used in each processing cell changed, but jigs suitable for the workpiece to be processed are also palletized. At the same time as replacing, the cell controller must newly edit the program required for multiple processing cells. Conventionally, a skilled production manager has always selected the type of work to be executed in each processing cell and the selection of a corresponding processing program.

[0004]

Generally, the contents of the production planning data supplied from the host computer are only the machining item code of the work to be executed in each machining cell, the machining order (manufacturing order) and the manufacturing quantity, It was up to the production manager to decide how to arrange the works on each side of the pallet and supply them to the machine tool. In that case, a multi-sided pallet is used to enable long-term unmanned operation, and it is required to mount a work so that each side of the multi-sided pallet can be used efficiently.

However, such setup work generally requires skill and is extremely difficult. Moreover, even if the program required for machining is determined for each pallet, there is a problem in that the program needs to be modified depending on the mounting state of the jig on the pallet.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pallet allocating device which can efficiently perform a setup operation according to a production plan. Another object of the present invention is to provide an NC program creating method for automatically creating an NC program corresponding to a pallet number assigned in a cell controller.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a pallet allocating device for allocating a work to be fed into a compound machine tool to a plurality of pallets according to given production plan data. Control means for controlling a machine, storage means for storing as a pallet allocation data a correspondence relationship between each surface of the pallet and the type and number of works attachable to each surface, and the pallet allocation data for the control means. Deciding means for deciding work to be assigned to each face of the pallet, which is updated based on the production plan data given to the pallet allocating device.

Further, in the NC program creating method for creating the NC program necessary for operating the machine tool by the numerical control device, when the workpieces supplied by a plurality of pallets are machined by the compound machine tool. A control program is created that calls an NC machining program required for machining every time the pallet surface to be used and the type and number of workpieces are determined, and the control program is stored in the numerical control device to store the machine tool. Provided is an NC program creation method characterized by operation control.

[0009]

In the pallet allocating device described above, when the workpieces sent to the composite machine tool are allocated to a plurality of pallets according to the given production plan data, the NC programs are automatically allocated to the machine tool in the controller. You can determine the data. Further, in the above NC program creating method, every time the pallet allocating device determines from the production plan data which pallet should be used, the NC machining program for actually machining the pallet is called. A control program can be created automatically.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a pallet allocating device of the present invention. Cell controller 10
Is for controlling the operation of a compound machine tool such as a machining center (MC) according to a production plan, and is connected to the host computer 20. This cell controller 10 is a CNC for controlling the NC of the machine tool.
In the FA system including a plurality of numerical control devices such as 31, a pallet allocation function is provided for each processing cell (only the processing cell 30 is shown here). Here, the pallet refers to, for example, a multi-sided pallet as shown in FIG. As will be described below, the cell controller 10 creates an NC machining program for automatically machining a workpiece mounted on such a pallet and fed into each machining cell 30 or the like.

The cell controller 10 has the following configuration. The control means 1 controls the plurality of processing cells 30 according to the production plan data, and is connected to the storage means 2 which stores the pallet allocation data. This production planning data is given to the cell controller 10 from the host computer 20, and its details are shown in FIG. The pallet allocation data associates each surface of the pallet in the processing cell 30 with the type and number of workpieces that can be attached to each surface, the details of which are shown in FIG. The deciding means 3 decides the work to be assigned to each surface of the pallet, and updates the pallet assignment data based on the production plan data given to the control means 1. Further, a hard disk 4 is connected to the control means 1 and stores a plurality of NC machining programs required for NC machining in a machine tool such as each machining cell 30. The hard disk memory 4 includes an NC program number list that specifies an NC machining program for each machining item code that can be machined by a machine tool such as each machining cell 30. NC
An example of the program number list is shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a multi-sided pallet 32 for supplying a work to the processing cell 30. The multi-sided pallet 32 has four jig mounting surfaces, and the types of work that can be allocated and the number of mountings are determined according to the types of the jigs 33a, 33b, etc. mounted on each side of the multi-sided pallet 32. It Here, a state is shown in which two works 341 and 342 are allocated to the A surface by the jig 33a, and two works 343 and 344 are also allocated to the B surface by the jig 33b. Further, a plurality of multi-sided pallets are arranged in one processing cell 30, and it becomes possible to process a predetermined surface of a predetermined pallet according to a command from the CNC. This function is realized by a so-called automatic pallet changer (APC), which is a basic processing cell component in the FA system.

FIG. 3 shows a part of the production planning data provided to the cell controller 10. The production plan data is given daily from the host computer 20 and includes a 13-digit processed item code for each order number and 2
It is composed of data such as the order of the girder and the quantity of production.
The processed item code is a code that identifies the work to be processed, and the work order specifies the order of the work for the work. This is because a different program and jig are required if the order of using the processing tools is different even for the same work if the work order is different.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a part of the palette allocation data. Four mounting surfaces A of the multi-sided pallet 32
In D, two jig code candidates are prepared. Here, jig code 1 and jig code 2 are 1
It consists of 5 digits, and the number of workpieces that can be attached to each jig is set as the number of attachments. Further, the pallet allocation data includes a use flag setting area for each pallet surface. By setting a use flag here, the works attached to the respective pallet surfaces are averaged. The initial value of this use flag is 0, and it is incremented by 1 each time pallet allocation is performed, and is decremented by 1 when processing on the pallet surface is completed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of the NC program number list. As described above, even if the work is the same, different jigs are required. Therefore, even with one machining item code, the NC program number and jig code are set in correspondence with each work order. ing.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the pallet allocating device of the present invention. In the figure, the numerical value following S indicates a step number. The operation at each step is
It is executed by the determining means shown in FIG. [S1] Pallet allocation data is read. [S2] The production planning data is read. [S3] The processing instruction number is extracted from the production plan data. [S4] The NC program number list is searched for an NC program number and a jig code that match the machining item code of the production plan data and the work order. [S5] Pallet surfaces matching the jig code searched in step S4 are searched in order from the first pallet information in the pallet allocation data. [S6] Check whether the jig codes match. If the matching jig code is not found in the pallet allocation data, the process proceeds to step S7, and if the jig code matches, the pallet information is saved. After the search up to the last pallet information in the pallet allocation data is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S8. [S7] Abnormality processing is performed. This indicates that the work suitable for the production plan data was not prepared in each cell. [S8] Designate as many pallet surfaces as the number of machining instructions. In this case, from the smallest pallet surface usage flag to the pallet surface, specifications are made until the manufacturing quantity is satisfied. This makes the mounting surface of the work uniform. [S9] The pallet allocation data is updated. That is, the use flag of the pallet surface designated in step S8 is incremented by 1 and written back in the storage means 2. [S10] A control program for the control means 1 is created based on the retrieved NC program number. The control program includes a pallet pull-in code, a rotation code for positioning on a specific surface of the pallet, an NC machining program calling code for the pallet surface specified in step S8, and the like.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of hardware for implementing the pallet allocating device of the present invention. In the figure, a cell controller 10 receives production plan data from a host computer (host CPU) 20 and sends control signals such as machining commands to the machining cells 30, 40, 50. Conversely, the processing information is sequentially sent from the processing cells 30, 40, 50 to the host CPU 20. These processing cells 30, 40, 50 are composed of CNCs 31, 41, 51 and other robots or work loaders (not shown).

The cell controller 10 is mainly composed of a main CPU board 101. Main CPU1
Reference numeral 01 denotes a processor, a ROM, a RAM, etc., mounted on one board, which corresponds to the control means 1 and the storage means 2 shown in FIG. 1, and is connected to this processor board via a bus 100. The following elements are combined.

The hard disk memory 103 is connected to the bus 100 via an interface (SCSI) 102, and stores an NC machining program and a program number list in addition to the production plan data for determining the machining schedule. The shared RAM 104 is composed of DRAM. The interface 105 outputs output information such as a work placement list to the printer 6 via a communication line such as RS232C.
Output to 0. The I / O board 106 includes each processing cell 30,
Input / output signals are exchanged with 40 and 50. The interface 107 is connected to the host CPU 20 by the communication line 21. In addition, the communication line 31 such as RS232C
a, 41a, 51a, C of processing cells 30, 40, 50
It is connected to NC31,41,51.

The cell controller 10 having such a hardware configuration processes N multiple pallets.
Since the NC machining program is supplied to the C machine tool and the workpiece is machined according to the production plan, the following setup work can be carried out prior to the operation. That is, when the pallet allocation data for executing the given production plan is determined, the printer 60 outputs a layout list indicating which pallet should be used. The production manager sets the work on the jig according to the arrangement list. In the cell controller 10, a control program for calling an NC machining program suitable for the prepared pallet is automatically created without the intervention of the production manager. In this way, on the side of the cell controller 10, an NC machining program suitable for the production plan can be efficiently and automatically created.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the controller for supplying the NC program to the machine tool when the workpieces fed into the compound machine tool are allocated to a plurality of pallets according to the given production plan data. Allocation data can be determined automatically with. Therefore, pallet allocation work can be performed in a short time without the intervention of a skilled production manager. Further, in the pallet allocating device of the present invention, the control program for calling the NC machining program for actually machining the pallet is automatically set every time the pallet to be used is judged from the given production plan data. Can be created dynamically. Therefore,
A program for machining a workpiece can be easily created according to the type and number of workpieces planned for production, and the workpieces can be assigned to each pallet surface evenly to shorten the setup time prior to machining.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a pallet allocating device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a multi-sided pallet for supplying a work to a processing cell.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of production planning data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a part of palette allocation data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of an NC program number list.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an NC program creating method using the pallet allocating device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of hardware for implementing the pallet allocating device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control Means 2 Storage Means 3 Determining Means 4 Hard Disk 10 Cell Controller 20 Host Computer 30, 40, 50 Processing Cell

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pallet allocating device for allocating a workpiece to be fed into a compound machine tool to a plurality of pallets according to given production plan data, a control means for controlling the machine tool, each surface of the pallet, Storage means for storing as a pallet allocation data a correspondence relationship between the type and the number of works that can be attached to each surface, updating the pallet allocation data based on the production plan data given to the control means, A pallet allocating device comprising: a determining unit that determines a work to be allocated to each surface of the pallet. 2. The storage means stores a correspondence relationship between each surface of the pallet and a jig code for mounting the work on each surface, and an item code that can be machined by the machine tool. The correspondence between the program number that identifies the NC machining program of the machine tool and the jig code of the workpiece is set for each, and the deciding means produces the pallet allocation data given to the machine tool. The pallet allocating device according to claim 1, wherein the pallet allocating device is updated based on the item code and the number of productions in the plan data. 3. An NC necessary for operating the machine tool by a numerical controller when machining a work supplied on a plurality of pallets by a compound machine tool.
In an NC program creating method for creating a program, a control program is created that calls an NC machining program required for machining each time the pallet surface to be used and the type and number of workpieces are determined, and the control program is stored in the numerical controller. A method for creating an NC program, characterized in that the operation is controlled by storing the machine tool in the machine.