JPH07124836A - Automatic tool changing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a simple and highly reliable automatic tool changing device for a machine tool, which has plural tool head stocks and a single work head stock. CONSTITUTION:In a machine tool in which a work head stock 4 is provided movable in the Y-axis to a column 2 provided allowable to position movable in the Z-axis direction on a bed 1A, and plural tool head stocks 7 are installed aligning left and right, and up and down, on a table 3 provided allowable to position movable in the X-axis direction on a bed 1B, a tool magazine 9 is provided at the upper side of the tool head stocks 7, and an exchange arm unit 12 is provided to the work head stock 4 parallel to the work main shaft. And the tool exchange is carried out by the revolution and the taking out and putting in operation of a tool exchange arm 15, by utilizing the X-axial movement of the table 3, and the Z-axial and the Y-axial movement of the work head stock 4, necessary for cutting process.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a work headstock,
The present invention relates to an automatic tool changing method and device for a machine tool having a plurality of tool headstocks.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, most automatic tool exchanging devices for machine tools perform automatic tool exchanging by moving and positioning a tool spindle stock at a predetermined position, and a plurality of tool spindle stocks are arranged vertically and horizontally. In the machine tool, the replacement arm unit or the tool magazine can be independently moved to cope with the problem.

[0003]

The method of moving the replacement arm unit or the tool magazine alone described in the prior art has a problem that the structure is complicated and large-scaled, and the failure rate and the cost increase accordingly. It was The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to utilize an operation required for machining a workpiece with a simple device in which an exchange arm unit is attached to a workpiece spindle stock. The present invention aims to provide an automatic tool changing method and apparatus that enable automatic tool changing for a plurality of tool headstocks.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic tool changing method according to the present invention is provided with an X of a tool headstock.
Axial movement positioning, Y-axis and Z-axis movement positioning of the work headstock with the tool change arm attached, and tool magazine tool fixed above the tool headstock due to the turning and removing operations of the tool change arm. It replaces the tool on the tool spindle. Further, the automatic tool changer according to the present invention is arranged so that the X-axis can be moved in parallel on a table movable in the X-axis direction.
A machine tool comprising a plurality of tool headstocks arranged in parallel in the axial direction in a stack of one step or two steps, and a work headstock movable in the Z-axis and Y-axis directions facing the tool headstock. A tool magazine provided above the tool headstock to store a plurality of tools and index a designated tool to a replacement position facing the workpiece headstock side in the Z-axis direction, and a tool magazine Z provided above the workhead spindle of the workheadstock. The constituent element is an exchanging arm unit having a tool exchanging arm that can be swung and removed around an axial center axis of swiveling.

[0005]

When the mounting tool for the upper tool spindle stock is to be replaced, the replacement arm unit is positioned in the center of the magazine pot and the upper tool spindle for the Y axis, and the upper tool spindle stock with the tool to be replaced is installed. Tool exchange position a in the tool magazine
The X-axis is positioned directly below, and the tool is changed by swiveling and inserting / removing the tool changing arm. When replacing the tool attached to the tool headstock on the lower stage, first retract the tool headstock to the X-axis moving end, pull out the tool from the magazine pot, and position the replacement arm unit at the Y-axis position corresponding to the tool headstock on the lower stage. Then, the lower tool headstock having the tool to be replaced is positioned on the X axis right under the tool replacement position a of the magazine to perform the tool replacement, and the tool headstock is retracted to the X axis moving end again to be used. Returned tools to the magazine pot.

[0006]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the machine tool of FIG. 1, a guide 1a in the Z-axis direction is provided on a bed 1A installed on the floor, and an X is provided on the bed 1B.
Axial guides 1b are provided, a column 2 on the Z-axis guide 1a, and a table 3 on the X-axis guide 1b.
Are mounted so that they can be moved and positioned. The column 2 has a Y-axis direction guide 2a on the front surface.
The work spindle 4 is provided on the workpiece a so as to be movable and positioned, the work spindle 5 is rotatably and indexably supported by the work spindle 4, and the chuck 6 is concentrically attached to the tip of the work spindle 5. .

On the other hand, a plurality of tool headstocks 7 are placed on the table 3 in parallel with each other in the X-axis direction at equal intervals and stacked in two stages. The tool spindle 8 is rotatably supported, and the tool T with a tool holder can be detachably attached to the tip tapered hole of the tool spindle 8. Further, a gate-shaped magazine base 8 is fixedly attached to the side surface of the bed 1B, and a tool magazine 9 is installed substantially in the center of the magazine base 8. The tool magazine 9 has a plurality of magazine pots 10 arranged radially at equal intervals.
A magazine plate 11 having a plurality of tools is detachably stored in a magazine pot 10 on the outer periphery of the magazine plate 11, and a designated storage tool is provided. T is indexed to a tool exchange position a facing the workpiece spindle 5 side in the Z-axis direction.

An exchange arm unit 12 is mounted on the work spindle stock 4 at a position above the work spindle 5, and a Z-axis direction tool exchange is provided on a unit body 13 of the exchange arm unit 12 so as to be rotatable and axially movable. A twin type tool exchange arm 15 having a U-shaped bend is attached to the tip of the turning center shaft 14 facing the position a side, and a gripper 1 for gripping the tool T at both ends of the tool exchange arm 15.
6 is provided so as to be openable and closable.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
First, the tool changing operation of the upper tool headstock 7 is shown in FIGS.
Will be described with reference to. The work headstock 4 is positioned at a predetermined exchange position in the X-axis direction, and at the same time, moved in the Y-axis direction so that the turning center shaft 14 is positioned at the center between the magazine pot 10 and the upper tool spindle 8, and the table 3 is moved. The designated tool headstock 7 having the used tool T for X-axis movement and tool exchange is positioned immediately below the exchange position a. Next, the tool exchanging arm 15 is advanced from the retracted position at the retracted end in the turning center axis direction to the intermediate retracted position, and then the angle θ is set from the horizontal standby posture.
One turn to make an oblique posture that does not interfere with the adjacent spindle-mounted tool, and further advance the tool exchange arm 15 in the axial direction,
The gripper 10 is on the same plane as the grip flange of the tool T.

Next, the tool exchanging arm 15 pivots by an angle θ2 into a vertical posture, and simultaneously grips the next tool T of the magazine pot 10 and the used tool T of the upper tool spindle stock 7,
Both tools are retracted in the axial direction to the intermediate retracted position, and both tools are simultaneously removed from the magazine pot 10 and the tool spindle 8. Next, the tool exchanging arm 15 pivots 180 °, the positions of both tools T are exchanged, and the tools T move forward in the axial direction again to insert the next tool T into the tool spindle 8 and the used tool T into the magazine pot at the same time. Next, the tool exchanging arm 15 pivots by an angle θ2 to become an oblique posture, separates from both tools T, and then retracts in the axial direction to an intermediate retreat position, and further pivots an angle θ1 to a horizontal standby posture for cutting. The next cutting process is performed by retracting to a retracted position where there is no obstacle.

Next, the tool exchanging operation of the lower tool headstock 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. The table 3 is retracted to the moving end in the X-axis direction to avoid interference between the tool headstock 7 on the upper stage and the tool changing arm 15 (FIG. 5), and the next tool T is pulled out from the magazine pot 10 by the same operation as described above. The exchange arm 15 retracts to the intermediate retreat position, turns the angle θ2, and assumes an oblique posture. Next, the table 3 is moved along the X axis, and the designated tool spindle 7 in the lower stage in which the used tool T to be replaced is inserted.
Is positioned immediately below the exchange position a, and at the same time, the work headstock 4 moves downward in the Y-axis direction by the distance between the center axes of the upper tool spindle 7 and the lower tool spindle 7 (FIG. 6).

Next, after the tool exchanging arm 15 in the intermediate retracted position advances axially, the tool exchanging arm 15 pivots by an angle θ2 to a vertical posture, and the used tool T of the tool spindle 8 is gripped by the lower gripper 16 and the intermediate position is restored again. The used tool T is pulled back from the tool spindle 8 by retracting to the retracted position. Next, the tool exchanging arm 15 for gripping both tools T pivots 180 ° and the positions of both tools are exchanged, and the tool exchanging arm 15 advances axially again to insert the next tool T into the tool exchanging main shaft 8, and the angle θ2. The tool exchange arm 15 pivots to become an oblique posture and separates from the next tool, and the tool exchanging arm 15 retreats in the axial direction to the central retreat position, and the angle θ2.
Turns to a vertical position.

Next, the table 3 moves to the moving end in the X-axis direction to avoid interference, and the work headstock 4 moves upward in the Y-axis direction by the distance between the upper and lower tool spindle axes, and the tool exchanging arm 15 moves. The used tool T gripped by the upper gripper 16 is concentric with the magazine pot 10. Then, the tool change arm 15 is advanced to move the used tool T to the magazine pot 10.
, The tool exchange arm 15 pivots at an angle θ2 away from the used tool T, the tool exchange arm 15 retracts to an intermediate retracted position, pivots at an angle θ1 to a horizontal posture, and retracts to a standby position at the retracted end. .

[0014]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. A work arm headstock facing the tool headstock is equipped with a replacement arm unit, and the tool change operation is performed by using each axis movement required for cutting, so the structure is simple, the failure rate is low, and the reliability is low. It is a high-performance automatic tool changer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a machine tool with an automatic tool changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a tool exchanging operation of an upper tool spindle stock of the automatic tool exchanging device according to the present embodiment.

3 is a view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an attachment / detachment operation of the lower spindle tool at the time of tool exchange of the lower tool spindle stock.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an attaching / detaching operation of a magazine tool at the time of tool exchange of a lower tool spindle stock.

6 is a BB line view of FIG. 4. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A, 1B Bed 2 Column 3 Table 4 Work spindle stock 5 Work spindle 7 Tool spindle stock 8 Tool spindle 9 Tool magazine 12 Exchange arm unit 15 Tool exchange arm

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A positioning method for moving the tool headstock in the X-axis direction,
Moves and positions the work spindle stock in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions to which the tool change arm is attached, and the tool magazine tool and tool spindle tool that are fixedly installed above the tool spindle stock by the turning and removing / inserting operations of the tool change arm. An automatic tool changing method characterized by changing. 2. A plurality of one-step or two-step stacking tool headstocks arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction on a table movable in the X-axis direction, and Z-axis and Y-axis facing the tool headstock. In a machine tool provided with a work headstock which is movable in a direction, a plurality of tools are provided above the plurality of tool headstocks, a plurality of tools are stored, and a designated tool is indexed to a replacement position facing the work headstock side in the Z-axis direction. An automatic tool exchanging device comprising a tool magazine and an exchanging arm unit having a tool exchanging arm provided above the work spindle of the work spindle stock and capable of swiveling and removing around a swivel center axis in the Z-axis direction.