JPH10180585A - Machine tool provided with automatic chip removal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove chips stuck and accumulated on the upper face of a work or a table during working by providing a chip removal unit having a nozzle jetting pressurized fluid while fluctuating motion of two degrees of freedom is given to it inside a splash guard. SOLUTION: Simultaneously with a pressurized fluid jet command to a fluid feed means 33, a nozzle fluctuating command is sent out from a machine control means 37 to a nozzle control means 35, and the nozzle 31a of a chip removal unit 31 in a splash guard 29 is fluctuated at two degrees of freedom. By pressure and movement of a jet point of pressurized fluid jetted from the nozzle 31a during working a work W, chips generated, by working are gradually moved on the upper faces of the work W, a pallet P, and a table 13 from the right to the left direction while being blown away, so as not to be stuck or accumulated thereon.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device for removing chips generated during processing of a workpiece without adhering to the upper surface of the workpiece or a table.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a machine tool such as a milling machine or a machining center, when a workpiece is machined by performing relative movement in three orthogonal directions between a tool mounted on a main spindle and a workpiece mounted on a table and fixed on a table. In some cases, chips generated by the processing adhere to and accumulate on the upper surface of the work or the table. Equipped with an automatic pallet changer for loading and unloading pallets on which work is mounted and fixed on the table, and unloading the work from the table. Chips generated by processing may adhere to and accumulate on the upper surface of the pallet.

When a tool is used to machine the upper surface or the concave portion of a workpiece on which chips are attached, the chips bite into the machining point, thereby deteriorating the finished surface roughness of the machined surface or shortening the life of the tool. An operator had to monitor the processing section and perform a chip removing operation as needed. Also,
After processing, remove the processed work from the table,
When setting up the work to install the next work piece, if chips remain on the table, the accuracy of mounting the work on the table will deteriorate, so the operator must perform chip removal work. was there. On the other hand, with a machine tool equipped with an automatic pallet changer, if chips are attached and accumulated on the upper surface of the work or pallet,
Pallet positioning clamp consisting of taper cones, chucks, etc. provided on the table and pallet stocker when the processed work is placed on the pallet stocker adjacent to the machine tool from the table after the work is completed and the fixed pallet is transported. Chips fall and adhere to the device,
When the pallet on which the next work is placed and fixed is carried in, the positioning and mounting accuracy of the pallet may be adversely affected.

[0004] A chip collecting device that collects chips generated by processing a workpiece and automatically collects the chips at a predetermined location by means of a chip transferring means such as a spiral chip conveyor disposed in a chip collecting groove provided on a table or a bed. With the attached machine tool, it is difficult to improve the chip collection efficiency no matter how much the chip collection device is operated, with the chips attached and accumulated on the upper surface of the work and the table.

As a first conventional technique for solving the above problems, there is a chip cleaning device using a robot disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-20247. In this apparatus, an air nozzle, a coolant nozzle, and a suction nozzle are provided on the wrist of a robot, and air or coolant is ejected toward the upper surface of the pallet so that chips attached to the upper surface of the pallet are floated and sucked. Further, as a second conventional technique, there is a swing blowing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-251260. In this apparatus, high-pressure air is blown from a rotating body immediately after processing of a work, thereby blowing off chips attached to the work, a cutting tool, a chuck, or the like after the processing.

[0006]

However, according to the first prior art, if a robot tries to clean a pallet while machining a workpiece, the main shaft of the machine tool and the robot interfere with each other. Pallet cleaning requires a large installation space after the work is completed and a robot must be able to move around the pallet, leaving a large space around the pallet to avoid interference with the spindle. Would. In addition, the pallet cleaning time is required after the work is completed, and the processed work cannot be placed and the fixed pallet can be unloaded immediately after the work is completed. It will be long. Furthermore, since the chips generated by the processing of the workpiece are not intended to be removed from the upper surface of the workpiece or the pallet during the processing, the upper surface or the concave portion of the workpiece on which the chips are adhered is processed with a tool to remove the chips. And the surface roughness of the machined surface may be deteriorated or the life of the tool may be shortened.

In the second prior art, after the machining of the workpiece is completed, high-pressure air is used to simply blow off chips attached to the workpiece, the cutting tool, the chuck, and the like.
The blown chips accumulate in the upper corners of the table or pallet. In this case, the operator must perform the chip removing operation at the time of the work setup operation after the end of the processing. Also, with a machine tool equipped with an automatic pallet changer, when the machined work is placed and the fixed pallet is unloaded from the table, the pallet positioning where chips deposited and accumulated on the pallet are tapered cones, chucks, etc. When the pallet is dropped and adhered to the clamp device, and the next work piece is placed and fixed and carried in, the pallet positioning and mounting accuracy are adversely affected. further,
As in the first prior art, high-pressure air is blown out after machining of the work, and the finished surface roughness of the machined surface of the upper surface or the concave portion of the work with the chips attached, the tool life shortened, the work life shortened, It is inevitable that the setup time and the pallet replacement time are prolonged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device capable of removing chips attached and deposited on the upper surface of a work or a table during machining.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a chip removing unit having a nozzle for ejecting a pressurized fluid while being given a two-degree-of-freedom oscillating motion is provided at least inside a splash guard. One is provided, and a pressurized fluid is jetted toward the upper surface of a work or a table during processing to remove chips. That is,
In the machining area surrounded by the splash guard, in a machine tool that performs relative movement between a tool mounted on a main spindle and a work mounted on a table and fixed work to process the work, A chip removing unit including at least one chip removing unit including a nozzle for jetting a pressurized fluid toward an upper surface and nozzle driving means for giving the nozzle two-degree swinging motion, inside the splash guard; An automatic chip removing device for connecting a fluid supply means for supplying a pressurized fluid to the nozzle, ejecting a pressurized fluid toward chips attached to the upper surface of the work or the table, and dropping the chips into a chip collecting groove. Provided machine tool provided. Preferably, the machine tool is provided with an automatic chip removing device, wherein the chip removing unit further has a nozzle moving means for reciprocating the nozzle in the processing area.

[0010]

According to the above construction, the nozzle incorporated in the chip removing unit ejects the pressurized fluid while oscillating with two degrees of freedom during machining, so that the ejection point of the pressurized fluid ejected from the nozzle is reduced. , So as to repeatedly draw a scanning locus in a range having a certain area. Due to the pressure of the pressurized fluid and the movement of the ejection point, the chips generated by processing and attached to and deposited on the upper surface of the work or table are gradually moved in a predetermined direction while being blown off, and fall into the chip collecting grooves. Chips can be removed at any time from the upper surface of the work or the table during machining, and chip accumulation hardly occurs. Further, the processing area is surrounded by the splash guard, and chips are not scattered outside the machine tool.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a horizontal machining center to which an automatic pallet changing device is attached. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a main part of a chip removing unit that is an automatic chip removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a scanning trajectory of an ejection point of a pressurized fluid ejected from a nozzle of a chip removing unit, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a horizontal machining center provided with an automatic chip removing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a main part of a machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a horizontal machining center as an example. In the horizontal machining center 1, the column 3 moves in the X-axis direction along the X-axis guide rail 7 provided on the bed 5, and the spindle head 9
Moves along the Y-axis guide rail 11 provided on the front surface of the column 3 in the Y-axis direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface),
The shaft 3 moves in the Z-axis direction along a Z-axis guide rail 15 provided on the bed 5 in front of the column 3 and perpendicular to the X-axis guide rail 7. A tool T is mounted on the tip of a spindle 17 rotatably supported by the spindle head 9.

A scale 19 having works W attached to the front and rear surfaces thereof is fixed on a pallet P. As shown in FIG. 2, the pallet P is held on a table 13 by a pallet clamping device 21 including a tapered cone and a chuck.
Positioned and fixed on top. The horizontal machining center 1 is an extension of the Z-axis direction in which the table 13 moves.
A pallet stocker 23 is installed outside the pallet. At the pallet changing position at the end of the Z-axis stroke, the pallet P on which the processed work W is mounted by the automatic pallet changing device (not shown) is placed on the pallet stocker 23 from the table 13. The pallet P to which the next work W is attached is carried into the table 13 from the pallet stocker 23. Further, by turning and indexing the table 13 about an axis parallel to the Y axis, it is possible to sequentially process the workpieces W attached to the front and rear surfaces of the scale 19 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the table 13 is formed in a substantially C-shape when viewed from the front, and an inclined portion 13a is provided so that chips generated by processing the work W are difficult to deposit on the table 13. Therefore, most of the chips fall from the table 13 and are collected in two troughs (chip recovery grooves) 5a formed in the bed 5 in parallel with the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the trough 5 a is provided at the left and right positions of the table 13 and so as to correspond to the entire movement area of the table 13 in the Z-axis direction. However, chips generated by processing the work W can be reliably collected in the trough 5a. Further, chip transfer means (not shown) such as a spiral conveyor is provided in the trough 5a.
The chips falling into a are collected by a chip collecting device (not shown) provided outside the horizontal machining center 1.

Behind the bed 5, there are provided a protective cover 25 for covering the moving area of the column 3 in the X-axis direction, and an XY cover 27 for covering the facing portion of the spindle head 9 and the work area of the work W. On the other hand, a splash guard 29 is provided in front of the bed 5 so as to cover a processing area of the work W that spreads in front of the XY cover 27.
Chips generated by processing the work W by relative movement in the three orthogonal directions of the Y and Z axes are prevented from scattering outside the horizontal machining center 1. Here, the portion of the splash guard 29 facing the pallet stocker 23 has a structure that opens and closes when the pallet P is loaded and unloaded, and the protective cover 25 and the splash guard 29 also cover the horizontal machining center 1 from above. Needless to say.

At the approximate center of the inside of the right side surface of the splash guard 29, there is provided a nozzle 31 for ejecting a pressurized fluid such as air or cutting fluid while oscillating with two degrees of freedom during machining of the workpiece W.
A chip removing unit 31 provided with a is provided. The chip removing unit 31 is provided with a known actuator (not shown) such as a motor or a fluid pressure cylinder, or has a structure in which the chip 31 is rotated by a reaction force of jetting a pressurized fluid. And in a vertical plane.

The horizontal machining center 1 has a built-in fluid supply means 33 and a nozzle control means 35. The fluid supply means 33 includes a pump (not shown) for supplying a pressurized fluid such as air or cutting fluid from a fluid supply source, a pipe 33a, and the like. The nozzle control means 35 includes a work W to be processed,
In accordance with the size of the pallet P, the size of the table 13, the processing range of the work W, and the like, the ejection range of the pressurized fluid ejected from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 is variable.
The swing angle and the swing center position of the nozzle 31a in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane are set, and the actuator or the like provided in the chip removing unit 31 is actuated based on the set nozzle swing conditions to swing the nozzle 31a. To move. Further, the nozzle control means 35 slows down the swing speed of the nozzle 31a in the case of rough machining in which the generated chips are large and heavy, whereas the nozzle control means 35 causes the swing of the nozzle 31a in the case of finish machining in which the generated chips are small and light. Control to increase the moving speed is also performed. The fluid supply means 33 and the nozzle control means 35 are controlled by a machine control device 37 attached to the horizontal machining center 1.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a main part of a chip removing unit which is an automatic chip removing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The chip removing unit 31 is configured such that a U-shaped unit base 31b is fixed substantially at the center of the inside of the right side surface of the splash guard 29, and the chip removing unit 31 rotates vertically with respect to an axis 31c horizontally attached to a cutout portion of the unit base 31b. A table 31d is provided so as to be pivotable in a vertical plane. The disk-shaped horizontal swivel base 31e has a nozzle 31a on the circumference thereof, and is provided so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane with respect to a shaft 31f vertically mounted on the rear part of the vertical swivel base 31d.
Further, the chip removing unit 31 is connected to a pipe 33a of a fluid supply unit 33, and supplies a pressurized fluid such as air or cutting fluid supplied from a fluid supply source to the nozzle 31a.
1g, and as described above, the chip removing unit 3
1 is provided with a known actuator such as a motor or a fluid pressure cylinder, or has a structure in which the nozzle 31a is rotated by the reaction force of the ejection of the pressurized fluid, so that the nozzle 31a swings in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane. While doing so, the pressurized fluid can be ejected obliquely upward from the work W, the pallet P, and the upper surface of the table 13. Here, the pipe 31g includes a unit base 31b, a vertical swivel base 31d,
Through the shaft 31f and the inside of the horizontal swivel 31e, respectively,
It can also be connected to the nozzle 31a.

The respective steps from the start of machining of the work W to the middle of the machining and to the end of the machining in the horizontal machining center 1 having the above structure will now be described. (1) First, a pallet P on which a workpiece W to be processed is attached to a scale 19 is loaded onto a table 13 from a pallet stocker 23 installed outside the horizontal machining center 1 by an automatic pallet changing device (not shown). I do.

(2) While rotating the tool T mounted on the tip end of the main shaft 17, the work W and the tool T mounted on the table 13 via the pallet P are orthogonalized to the X, Y and Z axes. The processing of the workpiece W is started by the relative movement in the three axial directions. (3) With the start of machining of the workpiece W, a pressurized fluid ejection command is sent from the machine control device 37 to the fluid supply means 33, and in response to the command, air or cutting is performed from the fluid supply source to the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31. A pressurized fluid such as a liquid is supplied, and is ejected toward the work W, the pallet P, and the upper surface of the table 13. Here, the pressurized fluid spouted from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 is preferably air in the case of dry machining without using a cutting fluid, and is preferably the cutting fluid in the case of wet machining using a cutting fluid. (4) At the same time as the pressurized fluid ejection command, a nozzle swing command is sent from the machine control device 37 to the nozzle control means 35, and the work W, the pallet P, the size of the table 13, the work W
Based on the nozzle swing conditions such as the swing angle and the swing center position in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane of the nozzle 31a set according to the working range of the nozzle, and the working conditions such as roughing and finishing, The nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 is rocked while controlling the rocking speed of the chip 31a. Here, the nozzle swinging condition may be set in advance, for example, such that the pressurized fluid is ejected to the entire upper surface of the table 13.

(5) While the control as described in (3) and (4) is being performed, the pressurized fluid such as air or cutting fluid constantly flows from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 during the processing of the workpiece W. W, pallet P, and are ejected toward the upper surface of table 13. At this time, the ejection point of the pressurized fluid is
A substantially circular scanning trajectory 39 that moves from right to left while reciprocating in a substantially vertical direction in FIG. 4 is drawn. Therefore, during processing of the work W, the nozzle 31a
Due to the pressure of the pressurized fluid ejected from the nozzle and the movement of the ejection point, the chips generated by the processing are gradually moved from right to left on the work W, the pallet P, and the upper surface of the table 13 while being blown off. It does not adhere to or accumulate on the work W, the pallet P, and the upper surface of the table 13. (6) As described above, most of the chips generated by the processing of the work W fall directly or once onto the table 13 and fall from the inclined portion 13a of the table 13 having a substantially C-shaped cross section. Then, it is collected at any time in the trough 5a engraved on the bed 5, and is finally removed from the outside of the horizontal machining center 1 by chip transfer means (not shown) such as a spiral conveyor arranged in the trough 5a. It is automatically collected by a chip collecting device (not shown).

(7) After the processing of the work W is completed, the pallet P having the processed work W mounted on the scale 19 is moved from the table 13 to the pallet stocker installed outside the horizontal machining center 1 by the automatic pallet changing device. To 23.

Here, the chip removing unit 31 is provided inside the side surface of the splash guard 29, for example, at one place inside the right side surface as shown in FIG.
When the chips generated by the processing are blown from right to left by blowing out a pressurized fluid such as air or cutting fluid from 1a, the left side of the work W fixed to the scale 19 and the scale 19 on the upper surface of the pallet P There may be a blind spot where the pressurized fluid cannot be directly ejected to the left side of the mounting portion and the left side of the pallet P mounting portion on the upper surface of the table 13. In this case, a guide rail 41 is attached inside the upper surface of the splash guard 29 as shown in FIG.
1 can be linearly moved in the horizontal direction along the guide rail 41, the pressurized fluid can be jetted from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 to the above-mentioned blind spot generating portion, and the work W, the pallet P, and the table 13 Chips can be reliably removed.

In a horizontal milling machine or a machining center capable of turning and indexing the table 13 about an axis parallel to the Y axis, the pressurized fluid from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31 is formed by turning the table 13 There is no blind spot with respect to the work W, the pallet P, and the table 13 at the time of jetting, and chips can be removed over the entire work W, the pallet P, and the table 13. Here, the horizontal machining center 1 has been described as an embodiment of the machine tool provided with the automatic chip removing device, but a table 13 on which the workpiece W is placed horizontally, such as a vertical milling machine or a machining center, a so-called plane table In the case of a machine tool having a chip, for example, by providing the chip removing unit 31 at two locations above the left and right of the workpiece W to be machined, the blind spot is almost eliminated when the pressurized fluid is ejected from the nozzle 31a of the chip removing unit 31. Can be reliably removed.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, during processing, the nozzle of the chip removing unit ejects the pressurized fluid toward the upper surface of the work or the table and has two degrees of freedom. Since chips are removed from the upper surface of the work or the table while performing the dynamic motion, chip accumulation during processing of the work is less likely to occur. Therefore, the upper surface and the concave portion of the workpiece with the chips attached are not processed, and the surface roughness of the processed surface is not deteriorated due to the biting of the chips into the processing point and the tool life is not shortened. In addition, the operator does not need to carry out chip removal at the time of work setup work, which saves the operator's work.In a machine tool equipped with an automatic pallet changer, chips fall onto the pallet positioning clamp device when unloading the pallet. It is possible to improve the positioning and mounting accuracy of the pallet without sticking. In addition, there is no need to provide chip removal time after processing is completed, and work setup work or automatic pallet replacement can be performed immediately after processing is completed.
The processing time can be shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a horizontal machining center provided with an automatic pallet changing device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing a main part of a chip removing unit which is an automatic chip removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a scanning trajectory of an ejection point of a pressurized fluid ejected from a nozzle of a chip removing unit.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 showing a horizontal machining center provided with an automatic chip removing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Horizontal machining center 13 Table 17 Spindle 29 Splash guard 31 Chip removal unit 31a Nozzle 31d Vertical turn table 31e Horizontal turn table 33 Fluid supply means 35 Nozzle control means 37 Machine control device 39 Scanning locus 41 Guide rail T Tool W Work

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A machine tool for processing a workpiece by performing a relative movement between a tool mounted on a spindle and a workpiece fixed on a table within a processing area surrounded by a splash guard, At least one chip removing unit including a nozzle for ejecting a pressurized fluid toward the upper surface of the work or the table and a nozzle driving unit for giving the nozzle two-degree-of-freedom swing motion is provided inside the splash guard. Connecting a fluid supply means for supplying a pressurized fluid to the nozzle of the chip removing unit, ejecting the pressurized fluid toward the chip attached to the upper surface of the work or the table, and dropping the chip into the chip collecting groove. A machine tool provided with an automatic chip removing device. 2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the chip removing unit further includes a nozzle moving unit that reciprocates the nozzle within the processing area.