JPH10143233A - Automatic working device and automatic working method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to flexibly cope with tool damages without having a spare tool, and to continue a work process, by selecting another machine tool capable of executing the same work as in the work process relating to a damaged tool in a prescribed machine tool, and executing the work process after the prescribed work process. SOLUTION: A system controller 2A is connected to the NC device of the machine tools 3-5 and the carrying machine for a palette, etc., controls them, is connected to an FMS controller 1 and is operated under the control of the host. In this device, a program changed so as to detect the damaged tool, to specify the other machine tool capable of the work process using the tool and to perform the work in the other machine tool is automatically prepared. The changed program is scheduled so as to perform the work by the contents of an original work program immediately before a problem occurs, to perform the work by the other machine tool in the process where the tool is damaged and to perform the process by the contents of the work program again after the process is completed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a plurality of automatic machine tools, a transport mechanism for supplying a workpiece (hereinafter, referred to as a workpiece) to each machine tool, and a control device for controlling them collectively. The present invention relates to an automatic processing apparatus and an automatic processing method for automatically processing a workpiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This type of automatic processing apparatus is generally called a flexible production system (abbreviated as FMS), and FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the conventional apparatus. This automatic machining apparatus includes a system controller 2 that operates under the control of an FMS controller 1 that is a higher-level controller, and a table on which pallets 9 to 11 on which tool magazines 6 to 8 and a work are placed are placed. Machine tools 3-5 equipped
(Hereinafter, these are simply referred to as “machines.” In the figure, the respective machines are denoted by reference numerals No. 1 to No. 3).
And a pallet transport vehicle 13 that moves along a transport path between each of the machines 3 to 5 and a storage location (storage shelf) 12 for unprocessed and processed workpieces, and a transport control device 1 for controlling the pallet transport vehicle 13
4 and a setup station 15 for performing setup. Each of the machines 3 to 5 operates in accordance with a predetermined machining program stored in the system control device 2, and transmits a tool selected from the tool magazines 6 to 8 to the machine. To work the workpieces fixed on the pallets 9 to 11 on the table.

Conventionally, when a tool is broken during a machining process, the following measures have been generally taken. (1) Processing is interrupted on the spot, and the operator waits for a recovery operation. In this case, if tool breakage occurs immediately after entering the nighttime unattended operation, the machine tool will stop for a long time. (2) Unload the pallet where the tool has been damaged and continue the machining schedule automatically. This method is only possible for pallets that do not use broken tools, and pallets that have to use broken tools are skipped and left unprocessed. (3) The machine is operated as much as possible by processing up to the processing step immediately before using the damaged tool and returning the pallet to the hangar during processing. In this method, there is an operation of specifying a pallet having an unprocessed portion and an operation of processing the unprocessed portion by another process.

[0004]

As described above, according to the conventional method, when machining is interrupted due to tool breakage when the system is operated unattended at night, the corresponding machine tool is stopped for a long time, and the system is stopped. However, in order to avoid this problem, the following means have been tried.

(1) A spare tool is prepared for each machine tool, and when a tool is damaged, it is automatically replaced with a spare tool. This method requires a spare tool for each machine tool, and has the disadvantage that a tool magazine for storing the tools becomes unnecessarily large and that a large number of spare tools must be provided.

(2) A spare tool magazine is separately prepared, and an automatic tool supply device for supplying a spare tool to each machine tool from the broken tool is provided. Although the number of spare tools required is smaller than that of the method (1), in any case, unnecessary tools must be prepared as spares, and the tool magazine of each machine tool becomes large, or the tool transport system becomes difficult. It became necessary and complicated, and the system became expensive. The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic machining apparatus and an automatic machining method that can flexibly cope with tool breakage without having a spare tool and can continue the machining process. And

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A plurality of machine tools for performing a plurality of machining steps on a workpiece while changing tools, and a transport mechanism for loading and unloading the workpiece to and from each machine tool, and a predetermined mechanism for the workpiece. In an automatic processing apparatus comprising a control device for performing processing in a processing order, when the breakage of the tool is detected, the control device performs, from a predetermined machine tool related to the damaged tool, a predetermined processing step using the tool. Immediately before unloading the workpiece, selecting another machine tool capable of performing the same processing as the processing step for the damaged tool in the predetermined machine tool, and selecting the other At the same time, the predetermined processing step is executed by interrupting the processing step of the other machine tool, and the workpiece is unloaded from the other machine tool and loaded into the predetermined machine tool. And the predetermined To perform a machining step after the engineering process, to provide an automatic processing apparatus and controls the plurality of machine tools and the transport machinery.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic machining apparatus according to the first aspect, when the damage of the tool is detected, the predetermined machining process by the other machine tool is the same as that of the damaged tool. This is performed by the other machine tool using the above tool. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the automatic processing apparatus according to the first aspect, when the damage of the tool is detected, the predetermined machining process by the other machine tool uses a different tool from the damaged tool. And is performed by the other machine tool.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein a workpiece is carried in and out of a plurality of machine tools by a transfer mechanism, and the tool is used by the machine tool. In the machining method for performing machining on the workpiece in a predetermined machining order while exchanging, when the tool is damaged, from a predetermined machine tool related to the damaged tool to immediately before a predetermined machining process by the damaged tool. Unloading the machined workpiece, selecting another machine tool capable of performing the same machining as the machining process for the broken tool in the predetermined machine tool, and selecting a predetermined machine tool for the damaged tool The workpiece carried out of the other machine tool is carried into the other machine tool, and the predetermined machining step is executed by interrupting the machining step of the other machine tool. And et unloaded carried to the predetermined machine tool, to provide an automatic processing method characterized by executing a predetermined processing step after the processing step.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The basic structure of an automatic machining apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the automatic machining apparatus shown in FIG. 9 described above. A system controller 2A that operates under control and performs management control of each unit of the apparatus, and a table on which pallets 9 to 11 on which tool magazines 6 to 8 and a work are placed, and a numerical controller (not shown) Machines (No. 1 to N) controlled and driven by the NC device
o. 3) 3-5, a pallet storage shelf 12 for storing a pallet on which unprocessed or processed work is placed, and a transport vehicle 1 for transporting the pallet between the pallets and the machines 3-5.
3 and a transport control device 14 for controlling the transport vehicle 13 which is composed of a computer such as a personal computer.
And a setup station 15 for performing setup.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a system controller 2A of an automatic machining apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and the connection between an FMS controller 1 and machines 3 to 5; The element represents the element of the same function. The system control device 2A includes a computer such as a personal computer and a microcomputer, and includes a schedule setting unit 21 for adjusting a work schedule of a work, an input unit 22 for inputting various setting data, and various types of data necessary for setting the work schedule. The FMS controller 1 is configured by a storage unit M that stores a data table, is connected to the NC devices of the machine tools 3 to 5 and a pallet transport mechanism and controls them, and controls the FMS controller 1 that integrally controls the entire automatic processing device. It is connected and operates under its higher control.

The storage unit M stores a processing program memory 23 in which a series of processing contents to be performed on each work is stored.
And a tool table 24 storing tool information such as the number of tools attached to each machine, the type of tool, the presence or absence of a tool error, and the number of machines capable of machining each work attached to the pallet. A stored machine table 25;
The processing schedule table 26 in which the processing schedule of the work on the pallet loaded into this system is stored for each machine, and the current status of the work in the processing process input to this system are stored for each pallet. And a work status table 27.
The work status table 27 includes, for example, a pallet (N
o. 1) 9 A work is unprocessed, pallet (No. 2)
Work A of No. 10 has completed processing in the first step, is waiting for processing in the second step, and information such as B work of pallet (No. 3) 11 has become abnormal during processing and processing has not been completed. ing.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tool table 24 has a machine number. 1 to machine No. 3 is tools T1 to T
Of the n, which tool is used is indicated by a circle, and a tool in which an abnormality described later occurs is indicated by a black circle, so that a tool assigned to each machine can be identified. As shown in FIG. 6, the machine table 25 stores the machine No. 1 to
Machine No. As indicated by circles 3, which of the A-work to the N-work is to be machined, the work assigned to each machine can be identified. As shown in FIG. 7, the machining program memory 23 stores the A
A machining program in which the types and machining contents of the tools T1 to Tn used in the workpieces to N workpieces are stored.

As shown in FIG. 8, the machining schedule table 26 stores a machining schedule indicating which pallet is to be machined by each machine. 1 is FIG.
As shown in (a), the place where the tool abnormality occurs is shaded, and the machine No. The work name is appended to the pallet number after the occurrence of the abnormality 2, for example, 5 (A). Also, the machining schedule No. after the change due to the tool abnormality. As shown in FIG. 8B, the reference numeral 2 indicates the name of the work to be performed on the pallet number for which the processing schedule has been reset.
It is described as 1).

In this automatic processing apparatus, all the workpieces are mounted on a pallet at the setup station 15 before an unmanned operation, such as at night, so that a processing schedule is established. At this time, the machining schedule table 26, the tool table 24 of the tool for which the abnormality flag is not raised, and the machine table 25 have been created in the system controller 2A. Although not shown, the machining schedule 26 is prepared and stored for all works including the machining programs (one copy) of the A work, the B work, and the C work shown in FIG.

Next, the overall operation of the control device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the system starts, the state of the pallet storage shelf 12 is checked based on the information managed by the transport control device 14, the pallets that have been set up are selected, machines that can be processed are selected, and a processing schedule is scheduled for each machine. It is created by the setting unit 21 and stored in the machining schedule table 26 (Step 21,
Hereinafter, it is displayed as in S21).

Next, the pallet on which the work to be processed is attached is specified from the processing schedule (S2).
2) Check whether all tools used when machining the work attached to the pallet are not abnormal based on the tool table 24 (S23). If there is no abnormality, the identified pallet is It is transported to the corresponding machine by the transport vehicle 13 (S24). When the specified pallet is carried into the machine, the necessary machining program is transferred from the machining program 23 to the NC device of the machine,
Processing of the workpiece is started by the machine (S25). When the processing is completed, the pallet is processed, and
Is returned to the original storage location of the storage shelf 12 (S2
9).

When an abnormality occurs during processing and processing cannot be continued, the abnormality processing flow shown in FIG.
The processing of the pallet is interrupted, and the pallet is returned to the original storage location of the storage shelf 12 as an abnormal pallet (S43). In the case of an abnormality due to tool breakage, the tool in the tool table 24 is registered as an abnormality (S42).

In the automatic machining apparatus operating as described above, the machining schedule No. in the machining schedule table 26 shown in FIG. 1, pallet No.
It is assumed that the tool T4 used in the machine (No. 2) 4 shown in the tool table in FIG. ) And the machine controller (N) based on a signal from a monitoring device (not shown) based on the flow of processing for resetting the processing schedule due to a tool abnormality shown in FIG.
o. 2) Detect breakage of tool T4 used in 4 and
The machining program for each workpiece in the machining program 23 shown in FIG. 7 is checked, and the tool T4 is used.
Know that there are three types of work. Then, FIG.
Processing schedule No. Machine 1 (No. 2) 4
By examining the processing schedule, it is determined that the pallets in which this process is set up are 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20.

Therefore, in order to avoid machining performed on these pallets using the tool T4 of the machine (No. 2) 4, machining schedules of the A work to the C work are automatically set by the schedule setting unit 21. Are disassembled and the steps immediately before the step of using the tool T4 are A1 to C1.
The process using the tool T4 becomes A2 to C2, and the process immediately after the process using the tool T4 becomes A3 to C3, that is, the first machining schedule No. shown in FIG. 1 to machining schedule N shown in FIG.
o. As shown in 2, the contents of the processing schedule table 26 are changed, and processing is restarted.

As described above, when the tool of the planned machine is damaged, the work is returned to a pallet (work) storage shelf after processing until immediately before the step of using the damaged tool, and the work is transferred to another machine. Same kind (same shape,
If there is a tool of (dimension) and a machine that can be machined is in the automatic machining device, it is searched and specified, and the process using the damaged tool is processed by the specified machine in order to machine the process using the damaged tool. A machining program in which processes are divided into a machining portion from the program to the process, a portion for machining only the process, and a portion for machining the subsequent process is automatically created.

[0022] Of the workpieces assigned to the processing schedule of the original machine, a workpiece using a broken tool is processed by the original machine until immediately before the process.
The process of the damaged tool is interrupted by the processing schedule of another machine and processed, and after completion of the processing, the processing schedule is changed so that the processing is carried back to the original machine and processed immediately after the process. Processing continues. As described above, according to the present invention, even if the tool is damaged, it is possible to avoid an extreme decrease in the operation rate and a large deviation in the production plan.

The operation of one embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and a design change or the like may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. The present invention is also included in the present invention. For example, if a tool other than T4 can be used even in the machining process using the tool T4, it is possible to easily provide an alternative tool table in the storage unit of the system control device and increase the number of options.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if a tool breaks during an unattended operation of an automatic machining apparatus, if a machine capable of machining is present in the automatic machining apparatus, the work machining process can be continued. Limited operation in which the operation of the machine with the damaged tool is not reduced as much as possible without causing an extreme decrease in the operation rate, and the recovery process of the operator is performed only on the work machined on the machine with the damaged tool Is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of an automatic processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a processing step by an automatic processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart in the case of resetting a processing schedule due to a tool abnormality.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of abnormality processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tool table.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing machine table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a machining program table.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating resetting of a processing schedule table.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an automatic processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 FMS controller 2 System controller 2A System controller 3 Machine No. 14 Machine No. 25 Machine No. 3 6-8 Tool Magazine 9-11 Pallet Setting Location 12 Pallet Storage Shelf 13 Carrier 14 Transport Controller 15 Setup Station 21 Schedule Setting Unit (CPU) 22 Input Unit 23 Machining Program Memory 24 Tool Table 25 Machine Table 26 Machining Schedule Table 27 Work status table

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A workpiece comprising: a plurality of machine tools for performing a plurality of machining steps on a workpiece while changing tools; and a transfer mechanism for loading and unloading the workpiece to and from each machine tool. When a tool is detected in an automatic machining apparatus comprising a control device for performing machining in a predetermined machining order with respect to the tool, the control device performs a predetermined machine tool operation on the damaged tool by using the tool. Immediately before the predetermined processing step, the workpiece is unloaded, and another machine tool capable of performing the same processing as the processing step for the damaged tool in the predetermined machine tool is selected. While loading the workpiece into the other machine tool,
The predetermined processing step is executed by interrupting the processing step of the other machine tool, and the workpiece is carried out of the other machine tool and carried into the predetermined machine tool, and the predetermined processing step is performed. An automatic processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of machine tools and the transfer machine are controlled so as to execute a later processing step. 2. The automatic processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The automatic processing apparatus, wherein the predetermined processing step by the other machine tool when the damage of the tool is detected is performed by the other machine tool using the same tool as the damaged tool. . 3. The automatic processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The automatic processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing step performed by the other machine tool when the damage of the tool is detected is performed by the other machine tool using a tool different from the damaged tool. 4. A transport mechanism for a plurality of machine tools.
In a machining method for carrying in and out a workpiece, and performing machining on the workpiece in a predetermined machining order while exchanging tools with the machine tool, when the tool is damaged, a predetermined From the machine tool, the workpiece that has been machined up to immediately before the predetermined machining process using the damaged tool is carried out, and another process capable of performing the same machining as the machining process related to the damaged tool in the predetermined machine tool can be performed. A machine tool is selected, and a workpiece carried out from a predetermined machine tool related to the damaged tool is carried into the other machine tool, and the predetermined process is interrupted in a process of the other machine tool. An automatic machining method, wherein the workpiece is carried out of the other machine tool, carried into the predetermined machine tool, and a machining step subsequent to the predetermined machining step is executed.