JPH075976Y2 - Automatic polishing machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for polishing the surface of a small sample piece, for example, when observing the microstructure of a metal sample piece.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in order to polish the surface of such a sample piece, the sample piece is manually embedded in a resin, and then the surface of the sample piece is polished while manually holding the embedded sample in a polishing machine.

However, such manual polishing of the sample not only requires craftsman's skill, but also is inefficient in working and cannot cope with a large amount of processing. However, there is a problem that the polishing state of each sample piece varies.

As a device for automatically performing such polishing work,
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-19110. This is because one of the pair of rotating discs is used as the inlet stocker and the other is used as the outlet stocker, and the inlet stocker sequentially rotates so that the required sample holder is located in front of the waiting transfer robot. The grips of the transfer robot sandwich the sample holders one by one, transfer the sample holders to the polishing machine, and transfer the sample holders onto the polishing plate. Then, the holder pressing cylinder operates to lower the holder pressing, fit into the square hole in the upper portion of the sample holder, and apply pressure to perform polishing. After polishing, the holder presser moves up, and the sample holder is sandwiched by the grip of the transfer robot and stored in the receiving position of the exit side stocker.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, even in this automatic polishing apparatus, the sample to be placed on the entry-side stocker is a sample holder in which the entire sample is filled with resin, and the subsequent polishing work is automated, and the sample piece is embedded in the resin. Work is required.

The problem to be solved in the present invention is roughly to enable polishing of the sample piece itself without embedding the sample piece in resin.

At this time, if a naked sample piece not using a sample holder is gripped by a robot grip as in the conventional automatic polishing apparatus, the robot grip becomes an obstacle during polishing, which makes polishing work difficult.

Therefore, a specific problem to be solved by the present invention is to hold a sample piece, which is a minute piece, so as not to interfere with polishing.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the automatic polishing machine of the present invention is provided with a sample piece arranging section for placing and fixing a tray in which a plurality of polishing sample pieces are aligned and stored, and taking out the sample pieces in the tray one by one. The X, Y, and Z robots provided with a head having a vacuum head at the tip thereof for placing the sample piece after polishing on the table at the receiving position and returning the polished sample piece from the receiving position on the table to the tray. And a belt conveyor having at one end a pinch roller for holding and pulling the sample piece after polishing, which is placed on a table moving on a guide, on which the sample piece from the first moving section is placed. A first transfer mechanism including a second moving part and a second transfer part of the first transfer mechanism from a belt conveyor to a polishing part equipped with a polishing plate for polishing sample pieces. Trial after polishing with A second transfer mechanism equipped with a gate for moving the material from the polishing section to the pinch roller of the belt conveyor of the second moving section along a guide, and a front part of the gate of the second transfer mechanism. At the bottom of the head, a head for horizontally supporting the back surface of the strong adhesive tape for adhering the sample piece, a pulley for mounting the strong adhesive tape above the head, and a winding device for winding the strong adhesive tape through the head. A sample mounting and fixing mechanism equipped with a pulley, a lifting cylinder for raising and lowering the sample mounting and fixing mechanism on the front surface of the gate of the second transport mechanism, and a pressing for pressing the strong adhesive tape of the head part against the sample piece It is characterized by having a cylinder for use.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the features of the polishing apparatus of the present invention will be specifically described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire structure of the polishing apparatus of the present invention, in which only the main part is extracted.

In FIG. 1, a polishing apparatus 1 of the present invention comprises a rearranging section 3 for rearranging a plurality of sample pieces arranged on a framework 2, and a first transport mechanism 4 for taking out the sample pieces from the rearranging section 3. , A second transport mechanism 5 equipped with an adhesive tape for transporting and holding the sample piece taken out by the first transport mechanism 4 to a polishing position, a polishing section 6 for polishing, and pulling out the sample piece after polishing It consists of a pinch roller 424.

The arranging unit 3 for arranging and preparing a plurality of sample pieces has a fixed table 32 on which a tray 31 having partitions of a specific size is placed, and a tray is provided on the fixed table 32.
A stopper 33 that locks the 31 so that it does not move is provided.

The first transport mechanism 4 for taking out the sample from each frame of the tray 31 of the organizing unit 3 is composed of a first moving unit 41 and a second moving unit 42.

The first moving unit 41 has a head 412 having a vacuum pad 411 at the tip for taking out the sample pieces in the tray 31.
And an X, Y, Z robot 413 that moves the head 412 in the horizontal direction, the right angle direction, and the vertical direction. 41
3x, 413y, 413z are an X-axis guide, a Y-axis guide, and a Z-axis guide for moving the head 412 in the respective directions.

The second moving unit 42 is a table 422 that moves on the guide 421.
And a pinch roller 424 provided at one end of the belt conveyer 423, which is provided above the belt conveyer 423 and receives the sample piece from the vacuum pad 411.

Further, the sample piece S is taken out from the tray 31 by the vacuum pad 411 of the first moving section 41 of the first transfer mechanism 4, and the sample piece transferred to the fixed position of the belt conveyor 423 of the second moving section 42 is polished. The second transfer mechanism 5 that transfers and holds the position is a guide 51 arranged parallel to the polishing section 6, a gate 52 that moves over the guide 51, and a lifting cylinder on the front surface of the gate 52. The sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54 is provided to be movable up and down by 53. Reference numeral 55 denotes a weight for pressing the sample piece against the polishing board 611. When the lifting cylinder 53 is deactivated, the weight 55 operates so as to press the sample piece against the polishing board 611. Reference numeral 56 denotes a pressing cylinder for adhering the sample piece on the belt conveyor 423. Reference numeral 57 indicates a counterweight for balancing the sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54 of the gate 52.

The sample mounting / fixing mechanism 54 is formed of a pulley 541, a take-up pulley 542, and a strong adhesive tape 544 that is passed over between the head 543 arranged below them.

Further, the sample piece S on the belt conveyor 423 is adhered and held by the strong adhesive tape 544. The polishing unit 6 for polishing the sample piece S includes a polishing plate 611 rotated by a motor (not shown).
A polishing plate 61 is attached to the upper surface. It is also possible to arrange a plurality of polishing plates 611, each of which is equipped with a polishing plate 61 corresponding to the finished surface roughness, and perform polishing sequentially.

The present invention has a structure as shown in the above embodiment, but the drive of the mechanism of each part of the above device is controlled by a computer or a sequencer in which a program is input in advance.

The operating state of each mechanism in the apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a tray 31 in which a plurality of sample pieces are arranged and housed in a grid frame in advance is placed and fixed at a predetermined position of a fixed table 32 using a stopper 33. Then, the first
As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum head 41 is moved by the driving device (not shown) for the Z-axis of the X, Y, Z robot 413 of the moving unit 41
2 is lowered, the first sample piece S in the tray 31 is adsorbed by the vacuum pad 411, the X, Y, Z robot 413 is driven, and the belt of the second moving unit 42 whose receiving position is adjusted in advance. It is transferred and placed on the conveyor 423.

Then, the gate 52 of the second transport mechanism 5 shown in FIG. 1 is moved over the guide 51, and as shown in FIG. 3, the sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54 is placed directly above the sample piece S on the belt conveyor 423. Position it.

Pulley 541 and take-up pulley 5 of sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54
42 and tape head 543 located below them
The adhesive surface of the strong adhesive tape 544 passed over between the lower surface and the lower surface of the sample is at a position facing the sample piece S.

Next, the entire sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54 is a lifting cylinder.
It is lowered by releasing 53, and further it is a cylinder for pressing.
By 56, the tape head 543 presses the adhesive tape 544 onto the upper surface of the sample piece S on the belt conveyor 423 to adhere it.

Then, the elevating cylinder 53 is operated to lift the sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54, and the gate 52 is moved on the guide 51 to be positioned above the polishing plate 61 as shown in FIG.

At this position, the sample piece S is lowered slightly above the polishing plate 61, and then the lifting cylinder 53 is deactivated so that the sample piece S is placed on the polishing plate 61 with the weight of the predetermined sample pressing weight 55. The lower surface of the sample piece S is pressed and polished for a certain period of time.

After this polishing is completed, the order of the above steps is reversed, and the pinch roller 424 is moved in advance to a position beyond the receiving position of the sample piece S on the belt conveyor 423, and then the sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54 is moved to the pinch position. Move to a position close to the roller 424, where the take-up pulley of the sample mounting and fixing mechanism 54
Activate the 542. By the operation of the winding pulley 542, the sample piece S adhered to the adhesive surface of the strong adhesive tape 544 is peeled off from the strong adhesive tape 544 as shown in FIG. Belt conveyor
It is sandwiched and pulled out between the pinch rollers 424 provided at one end of 423, and detached from the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 544,
After reaching the predetermined position, the belt conveyor 423 is stopped. Next, the table 422 is driven, and the belt conveyor 423
The upper sample piece S is returned to the receiving position.

The receiving position of the sample piece S indicates the position set in the X, Y, Z robot 413.

Therefore, the X, Y, Z robot 413 of the first moving unit 41 of the first transport mechanism 4 is operated, and the sample piece is returned from the belt conveyor 423 to the original section of the tray 31 by the vacuum pad 411. .

Then, the sample piece stored in the next section in the tray 31 is taken out, and the above steps are repeated.

The above steps can be completely automated by programming.

In the above example, the sample piece S is delivered by moving the table 422 forward and backward, but it can also be delivered by making the stop position of the second transport mechanism 5 adjustable.

[Effect of device]

With the sample piece polishing apparatus of the present invention, the work which has been conventionally performed manually is applied one by one with automatic and free pressing weights without embedding the sample pieces in the resin. Therefore, it is possible to follow up and down the waviness during rotation due to slight warping of the polishing plate, and it is possible to obtain an accurate polished state without requiring skill.
Therefore, not only the productivity is improved simply by automation, but also a large amount of microstructure observation work can be performed accurately and efficiently, and the main production process can be adjusted accurately.

Also, since the strong adhesive tape was used, the material of the sample piece,
It can be surely held regardless of some irregularities on the surface, is strong against the deviation of the sample piece in the polishing direction, and is much cheaper and more effective than one using magnetic force or vacuum force. Since the strong adhesive tape always holds the sample piece on a new surface, the holding force is always constant.

Furthermore, with the conventional automatic polishing equipment, it was not possible to polish while holding the sample piece itself, but by using a strong adhesive tape, it is possible to polish while holding the sample piece and embed it in the resin. Without this, automatic polishing of a single sample piece is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

The attached drawings show an embodiment of the polishing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are views showing operating states of respective parts of the apparatus. 1: Polishing device, 2: Framework 3: Sorting unit, 4: First transport mechanism 5: Second transport mechanism, 6: Polishing unit 31: Tray, 32: Fixed table 33: Stopper, 41: First Moving part 42: Second moving part, 411: Vacuum pad 412: Head, 413: X, Y, Z robot 421: Guide, 422: Table 423: Belt conveyor, 424: Pinch roller 51: Guide, 52: Gate 53 : Lifting cylinder, 54: Sample fixing mechanism 55: Sample pressing weight 56: Pressing cylinder 57: Counter weight 541: Pulley, 542: Take-up pulley 543: Head, 544: Strong adhesive tape 61: Polishing plate S: Sample piece

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A sample piece arranging section (3) for placing and fixing a tray (31) in which a plurality of polishing sample pieces are aligned and stored, and one sample piece in each of the trays (31) for taking out a table ( A head (412) having a vacuum head (411) at the tip, which is placed at a receiving position on the table (422) and returns the polished sample piece from the receiving position on the table (422) to the tray (31). A first moving part (41) equipped with an X, Y, Z robot (413) and a table moving a guide (421) on which a sample piece from the first moving part (41) is placed. A first transfer mechanism (2) equipped with a belt conveyor (423) having a pinch roller (424) at one end for sandwiching and pulling the polished sample piece provided on the (422) ( 4) and the belt conveyor (423) of the second moving unit (42) of the first transport mechanism (4). To the polishing section (6) equipped with a polishing plate for polishing the sample pieces and polishing the sample pieces from the polishing section (6) to the belt conveyor (423) of the second moving section (42). Second equipped with a gate (52) that moves along the guide (51) between the two pinch rollers (424)
Head for horizontally supporting the back surface of the strong adhesive tape (544) for adhering the sample piece to the bottom of the front of the transfer mechanism (5) and the gate (52) of the second transfer mechanism (5). (543) and the same head (543)
Attach the strong adhesive tape (544) above the pulley (5
41) and the strong adhesive tape (54
A sample mounting and fixing mechanism (54) equipped with a winding pulley (542) for winding 4) and a front surface of the gate (52) of the second transfer mechanism (5),
A lifting cylinder (53) for moving the sample mounting and fixing mechanism (54) up and down, and a pressing cylinder (5) for pressing the strong adhesive tape (544) of the head (543) against the sample piece.
6) An automatic polishing machine characterized by having and.