JPH0532185B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Field of Application of the Invention) The present invention relates to an automatic tool assembly device that assembles and disassembles a modular tool and automatically transfers the modular tool to and from a machine tool. .

(Prior art) For example, a tool magazine for storing a large number of different types of tools is provided in the main body of a machining center.
When a command signal specifying the type of tool required for machining is input from the control device, the tool magazine operates, indexes the specified tool, and transfers the tool to the automatic tool changer installed in the main body. Therefore, a device having a function of being attached to a main spindle and also having a function of removing a tool attached to the spindle and storing it in the tool magazine is known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1988-192433.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the machining center described above uses an integrated tool. This integrated tool generally consists of a tapered holder part a, a collar part b, and a cutting edge part c, as shown in FIG. Although the cutting edge portion c varies depending on the purpose of machining, the shape of the holder portion a is formed to be the same in order to be attached to a common main shaft of a machining center. Therefore, in the case of an integrated tool, it is necessary to prepare a large number of tools that differ only in their cutting edge portions c and store them in a tool magazine. For this reason, the cost per tool becomes high, the tool magazine for storing the tools becomes large, and the equipment of the machining center becomes large-scale.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to be able to automatically assemble the blade module to the holder module and attach it to the main shaft, and to remove the module after use. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tool assembly device that can disassemble the tool and replace only the blade module, thereby reducing the size of the tool magazine and the cost of the tools.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a tool delivery position and a tool transfer position for delivering and receiving a modular tool to and from the machine tool on the side of the machine tool. A tool assembly position for assembling and disassembling the modular tool is provided, and the tool assembly position is installed on the side of the machine tool with the front facing the same direction as the front of the machine tool, and a plurality of blade modules of different types of modular tools can be attached and detached. To,
Moreover, while storing the joint with the joint facing backward,
A tool magazine is provided that holds the blade module and the modular tool and moves them between the tool delivery position and the assembly position.

Further, a tool assembly device is provided at the tool assembly position for gripping the holder module and for assembling and disassembling the holder module and the blade module, and a tool assembly device is provided at the tool delivery position for gripping the holder module and for assembling and disassembling the holder module and the blade module. An automatic tool exchange device is provided for exchanging a modular tool and a modular tool held in the tool magazine.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the entire machine tool, for example, a machining center, where 1 is the main body of the machining center. At the front of this machining center main body 1,
A main shaft 2 movable in the XY directions is provided, and a table 4 on which a workpiece 3 is placed is provided at the bottom. A tool magazine 5 and an automatic tool changer (hereinafter referred to as ATC) 6 are provided on one side of the machining center main body 1, and tools stored in the tool magazine 5 are selectively taken out and mounted on the spindle 2, The tool mounted on the spindle 2 can be automatically removed and stored in the tool magazine 5. That is, the tool magazine 5 is comprised of a guide rail 7 in the shape of an oblate ellipse that is long in the vertical direction, and a plate chain 8 that runs endlessly while being guided by the guide rail 7. Each plate 9 of this plate chain 8...
A tool holder 10 consisting of a through hole is provided in each of the tool holders 10, and each module constituting the modular tool 11 is housed one by one in these tool holders 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the modular tool 11 is composed of a holder module 12 and a blade module 13, and the tapered part 14 of the holder module 12 has an engaging pawl 15 at its tip.
However, the lower end has a flange 16 and a petal-shaped engaging claw 17.
is provided. Further, an engaging claw 17 of the holder module 12 is provided at the upper end of the blade module 13.
A petal-shaped engagement hole 18 that can be engaged with is provided, and a blade portion 19 is provided at the lower end. Then, the engaging claw 17 of the holder module 11
By engaging the engagement hole 18 of the blade module 13 with the blade module 13, the blade module 13 is integrally connected to form the modular tool 11. In addition, 2
0 is a tightening bolt. Among the modular tools 11 configured in this way, a large number of blade modules 13 of different types are stored in the tool holders 10 of the tool magazine 5, and the blade modules 13 are inserted from the back side of the tool magazine 5. I'm starting to be able to get out of it.

The tool magazine 5 is provided with a tool assembly position 21 and a tool delivery position 22, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. This tool assembly position 21 is located at the upper part of the tool magazine 5, and the tool delivery position 22 is located at the upper position of the tool magazine 5.
is provided at the same height as the main shaft 2 of the machining center main body 1. Also, to explain the tool assembly device 23 provided on the back side of the tool magazine 5 facing the tool assembly position 21, 24 is a table movable in the front and back direction, and this is slidable by an air cylinder 25. It is configured. An assembly head 26 is mounted on the top of the table 24, and the modular tool 11 is assembled and disassembled using this assembly head 26. This assembly head 26
is constructed as shown in FIG. 5, and 27 is a tool gripper. A rotary drum 30 is rotatably supported inside the gripper main body 28 via a bearing 29 . A tapered hole 31 is provided at the lower end of the rotating drum 30, and a drawbar 33 having a collection chuck 32 is provided at the bottom thereof. This drawbar is connected to a piston 35 of a hydraulic cylinder 34 provided inside the rotating drum 30, and the drawbar 33 is biased in the retracting direction by a disc spring 36.
Note that 37 is a drive mechanism that rotationally drives the rotating drum 30, and 38 is a rotary coupler that sends hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder 34. Then, the holder module 12 of the modular tool 11 is attached to the tapered hole 31. Further, a nut runner 40 is provided on the side wall of the gripper main body 28 via a bracket 39. This nut runner 40 is composed of a drive motor 41, a gear mechanism 42, and a tightening shaft 43, and this tightening shaft 43 is connected to the modular tool 1 by an air cylinder 44.
It is configured to be pressed against the first tightening bolt 20.

The assembly head 26 thus constructed is configured to be movable forward and backward relative to the tool holder 10 of the tool magazine 5 by means of the table 24.

Further, the ATC 6 automatically exchanges old and new tools, and the longitudinal intermediate portion of the tool exchange arm 45 is connected to the rotation axis 4 of the rotary gear cylinder 46.
It is installed on 7. At both ends of this tool exchange arm 45, there are clampers 48 for gripping the collar portion 16 of the holder module 12 constituting the modular tool 11;
49 are provided. This tool exchange arm 45 is rotatable about a rotating shaft 47, and in a horizontal state, the tool exchange arm 45 is
8 faces the main shaft 2, and the other clamper 49 faces the tool delivery position 22 so as to be able to grip the modular tools 11, 11 at their respective positions.

Next, the operation of the machining center configured as described above will be explained. When machining with the modular tool 11 mounted on the main spindle 2 of the machining center main body 1 is completed and machining is to be performed next with another new modular tool 11, the used modular tool 11 mounted on the main spindle 2 It is necessary to remove the tool and install a new modular tool 11 on the spindle 2. In such a case, the tool magazine 5, tool assembly device 23 and ATC 6 are controlled from the control device of the machining center main body 1 based on production management information.
An actuation signal is input to. First, tool magazine 5
When a tool designation signal is input to the plate chain 8, the plate chain 8 runs in the forward and reverse directions to move the designated tool, that is, the tool holder 10 holding the blade module 13.
is positioned at the tool assembly position 21. At this time, the tool gripper 27 of the assembly head 26 located at the tool assembly position 21 holds the modular tool 1.
The holder module 12 constituting the assembly head 2 is mounted, and the assembly head 2 is moved forward as the table 24 moves forward.
A holder module 12 attached to the tool holder 6 faces the blade module 13 of the tool holder 10. Then, as the assembly head 26 moves forward, the engaging claw 17 of the holder module 12 engages with the engaging hole 18 of the blade module 13, so that the holder module 12 and the blade module 13 are connected. Here, when the air cylinder 44 moves forward and presses the tightening shaft 43 of the nut liner 40, the tightening shaft 43 engages with the tightening bolt 20, and when the motor 41 rotates in this state, the tightening shaft 43 is pushed through the gear mechanism 42. Rotate to tighten the tightening bolt 20. Therefore, the holder module 12 and the blade module 13 constitute a modular tool 11. When the assembly of the modular tool 11 is completed, the assembly head 26 is moved back by the table 24, and the modular tool 11 is moved to the tool delivery position 22 of the tool magazine 5 by the movement of the plate chain 8. The modular tool 1 supported by the tool holder 10
1 is positioned at the same position in the Y direction as the modular tool 11 mounted on the main shaft 2 of the machining center main body 1. In this way, when the new and old modular tools 11 and 11 are installed side by side, the ATC6
The new and old modular tools 11, 11 are replaced by the following. At this time, the tool changing arm 45 of the ATC 6 is standing by in a substantially vertical state, and the rotary gear cylinder 46 moves the clamper 49 of the tool changing arm 45 to the flange 16 of the modular tool 11 supported by the tool holder 10. When advanced to the opposing position, the tool exchange arm 45 rotates clockwise about the rotating shaft 47, and the clamper 49 grips the collar 16 of the modular tool 11 supported by the tool holder 10. Next, when the modular tool 11 is unlocked by the tool holder 10, the tool exchange arm 45 is moved backward by the rotary gear cylinder 46, and the modular tool 11 supported by the tool holder 10 is extracted. Then, the tool changing arm 45 is moved backward, and during this backward movement, the tool changing arm 45 is once rotated counterclockwise about the rotating shaft 47.
Furthermore, the other clamp 4 of the tool exchange arm 45
8 faces the collar 16 of the modular tool 11 mounted on the spindle 2, the tool change arm 4
5 is rotated clockwise about the rotating shaft 47, the clamper 48 grips the collar 16 of the modular tool 11 attached to the main shaft 2.

In this way, new and old modular tools 11, 11
When clamped, the modular tool 1 by the spindle 2
1 lock is released. Next, when the tool exchange arm 45 moves forward by the rotary gear cylinder 46, the modular tool 11 mounted on the main shaft 2
is extracted from the main shaft 2. Then, when the modular tools 11, 11 are separated from the main spindle 2 and the tool holder 10, the tool exchange arm 45 is moved to the rotating shaft 47.
Rotate 180° around . Therefore, the positions of the new and old modular tools 11, 11 are changed, the new modular tool 11 faces the spindle 2, and the old modular tool 11 moves to the tool transfer position 22.
Located in And the rotary gear cylinder 46
When the tool exchange arm 45 is moved backward, the new modular tool 11 held by the clamper 49 is mounted on the main shaft 2.

Next, when the tool changing arm 45 is rotated counterclockwise by the rotary gear cylinder 46, the clamper 49 is removed from the collar 16 of the new modular tool 11 mounted on the main shaft 2.

When the installation of the new modular tool 11 onto the main shaft 2 is completed in this way, the tool change arm 45 is rotated clockwise by the rotary gear cylinder 46 so that the old modular tool 11 faces the tool transfer position 22. Therefore, when the tool exchange arm 45 is advanced by the rotary gear cylinder 46, the old modular tool 11 held by the clamper 48 is attached to the tool holder 10 of the tool magazine 5. The modular tool 11 mounted on the tool holder 10 is moved to a tool assembly position 21 by the movement of the plate chain 8. When the exchange of the new and old modular tools 11, 11 is completed, the tool exchange arm 45 returns to the neutral state, and the assembly head 26 is moved forward by the table 24. Next, the air cylinder 44 moves forward to engage the tightening shaft 43 with the tightening bolt 20 of the modular tool 11. and,
The tightening shaft 4 is connected from the motor 41 via the gear mechanism 42.
4, the tightening bolt 20 is loosened and the holder module 12 and blade module 13 are
can be separated. Here, when the drive mechanism 37 of the assembly head 26 operates to rotate the rotary drum 30, the engagement between the engagement claw 17 of the holder module 12 and the engagement hole 18 of the blade module 13 is released.

Therefore, the table 2 is
4 retreats, the blade module 13 and holder module 12 are separated, and the blade module 13
remains in the tool holder 10 and the holder module 12
is now attached to the assembly head 26.

In this way, the holder module 12 and the blade module 13 of the old modular tool 11 are separated and disassembled, and the blade module 13 is positioned at a predetermined position in the tool magazine 5. Therefore, preparations for assembling the modular tool 11 to be used for the next machining are started, and different types of blade modules 13 are selectively coupled to a common holder module 12 and fed to the main shaft 2 of the machining center main body 1. ,
The used modular tool 11 can be disassembled or assembled during processing.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the modular tool was configured by the holder module and the blade module, but the blade module is connected to the holder module via the adapter module to configure the modular tool. In this case as well, the adapter module can be stored in the tool magazine, and the adapter module can be taken out and installed as needed.

Furthermore, although the tool magazine is constructed with a guide rail and an endlessly running plate chain, it stores a large number of tools such as blade modules, and selectively moves the tool designated by the tool designation signal to the tool assembly position. The structure is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate as long as the mechanism can be positioned.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the blade module can be automatically assembled to the holder module, a modular tool can be configured and mounted on the spindle, and It is possible to automatically disassemble the modular tool and replace only the blade module. Therefore, the tool magazine can be made smaller than a conventional tool magazine that stores integrated tools, and tool costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of a machining center showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of a tool assembly device and an automatic tool changer, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a vertical front view of the assembly head, Figure 6 is a side view of a modular tool, and Figure 7 is a side view of a conventional integrated tool. . 1...Machining center main body, 2...Spindle, 5
... Tool magazine, 6 ... ATC (automatic tool changer), 11 ... Modular tool, 12 ... Holder module, 13 ... Blade module, 21 ... Tool assembly position, 22 ... Tool delivery position, 23... Tool assembly device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic tool assembly device equipped with an automatic tool changer for attaching and detaching a modular tool formed by assembling at least a blade module and a holder module to and from a machine tool, the modular tool is provided on a side of the machine tool. A tool transfer position that transfers a modular tool to and from a tool exchange arm that transfers the information to and from a machine tool; a tool assembly position that assembles and disassembles the modular tool; and a tool assembly position that assembles and disassembles the modular tool; A plurality of blade modules of different types of modular tools are installed in the same direction, and a plurality of blade modules of different types of modular tools are stored in a detachable manner, with the connecting portion facing rearward, and at least the blade module and the modular tool are held and the tool is A tool magazine that moves between a delivery position and the tool assembly position, and a tool that is provided at the tool assembly position and that grips the holder module and assembles and disassembles at least the holder module and the blade module. An automatic tool assembly device comprising: an assembly device; and an automatic tool exchange device that exchanges a modular tool mounted on the machine tool and a modular tool held in the tool magazine at the tool delivery position. .