JPS60183407A - Positioning method for conveyance means - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the positioning precision of a conveyance means traveling between multi-layered compartment stockers by preparing a deviation-from-the- shelf memory and a current stocker location memory in order to obtain the actual positioning of the stocker from the current location and the deviation from the shelf. CONSTITUTION:Upon receiving a lift delocalization command (LDC), a lift operation controller 21 inputs a pulse S2 representing the turning angle value of a motor 27 through a transducer 29 into a current location counter 30 which identifies the current position of a conveyor lift and outputs the integrated value T2. Then the controller 21 instructs through a computation circuit 25 the motor 27 to drive the unillustrated conveyor lift toward the designated direction in such a way that T2 falls on in between another integrated values T2p and T2p' stored in the stocker location memory 22. Upon reaching the target stocker, the controller 21 reads the deviation-from-the-shelf value deltaK, and instructs the lift through the computation circuit 25 to make a movement for positioning. Thus the location precision is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method in which one or two multi-stage stockers each consisting of a plurality of work stockers are installed, and a conveying means is further provided between the multi-stage stockers. The present invention relates to a method for positioning a conveying means in a loading/unloading system.

(b), Background of the technology Recently, a machining system has been proposed in which one or more machine tools and one or more workpiece stockers are installed, and multiple workpieces are machined one after another in an unmanned state. In the system, since the multi-stage stoker is constructed in the form of multiple stacks of stacks stacked on the workpiece 1, it is easy for the multi-stage stocker to be misaligned in the lateral direction. This results in the inconvenience that positioning becomes difficult.

(C)0 Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the following circumstances: to provide a means for conveying a workpiece accurately even if a lateral positional shift occurs in a multi-stage stocker;
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for positioning a conveying means that can be positioned with respect to a bumper.

cd)0 Structure of the Invention That is, the present invention is provided with a means for positioning the conveying means, a shelf displacement amount storage memory that stores the amount of shelf displacement for each multi-stage stocker, and a storage position memory that stores the position corresponding to each work stocker. In addition to providing a memory, a movement amount calculation circuit is also provided, and when positioning the conveying means, it reads out the position corresponding to the target stocker from the stocker position memory, and reads the position corresponding to the target workpiece stocker from the shelf displacement amount storage memory (7). The amount of shelf shift for the multi-stage stocker is read out, and then the actual position of the target work stocker is calculated by a movement amount calculation circuit from the position corresponding to the work stocker and the read shelf shift amount,
Accordingly, the positioning means positions the first general feeding means with respect to the target work stocker based on the actual position of the work stocker.

(Margin below) 3- (e) 0 Examples of the invention Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. will be explained in detail.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an automatic processing loading/unloading system, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing main parts of the automatic processing loading/unloading system of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a control block diagram showing a lift control device. , FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram showing the shelf misalignment of the multistage stocker.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the automatic processing loading/unloading system 1 includes a plurality of works
It has M number of multistage stockers 3 formed by
These multistage stockers 3 are appropriately arranged and installed between machine tools 5 such as machining centers. Each multi-stage stocker 3
This is a module configuration consisting of work stockers 2 of the same size, arrangement, and number, and therefore, the addition of multi-stage stockers 3, etc. is performed on a module-by-module basis. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, the multi-stage stocker 3 has a positional deviation of δ at its upper end in the directions of arrows A and B, which are the traveling directions of the conveyors 71 to 6 (described later), that is, in the lateral direction. is occurring.

A guideline 7 is formed between the multi-stage stocker 3 and the work ffl[5, which constitutes a transport path 34, in a form that communicates both of them and the multi-stage stocker 3. On the guideline 7, a transport lift 6 is indicated by an arrow. It is provided movably in the A and B directions. The transport lift 6 is provided with a support 6b, and a table 6a is provided on the support 6b so as to be movable up and down in the downward direction, that is, in the direction of arrow C1D. The table 6a exchanges a pallet knot 9 on which a work is mounted between the work stocker 2 and the table 6a and between the table 6a and the machine tool 5, and while the pallet 1-9 is being transported by the transport lift 6, the pallet 9 It serves to ensure that the Also,
An origin sensor 35 is provided at the bottom of the transport lift 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, one of the multistage stockers 3 is equipped with a loading station 10 for workpieces. The pallets 9 loaded with processed workpieces are stored in each workpiece stocker 2, and further processed workpieces are recovered from each stocker 2. loading station 10
is provided with a main control box 11 that controls the automatic processing loading/unloading system 1.The main control box 11 is provided with a lift control device 20, as shown in FIG.

The lift control device 20 is provided with a lift operation control section 21, and the lift operation control section 21 includes a stocker position memory 22, a keyboard 23, a movement amount calculation circuit 25, a current position counter 30, an origin sensor 35,
A shelf deviation amount storage memory 36 and the like are connected.

A motor control circuit 26 is connected to the movement amount calculation circuit 25, and a lift drive motor 27 and a table lifting motor 31 are connected to the control circuit 26. motor 27.31
are provided with 1' transducers 29 and 28, respectively, and a current position counter 30 and a table position counter 32 connected to the movement amount calculation circuit 25 are connected to the transducers 29 and 28, respectively.

Since the automatic processing loading/unloading system 1 has the above configuration, the automatic processing loading/unloading system 1
In the machining operation, the main control box 11 drives the transfer lift 6 based on the preprogrammed machining order of the workpieces, and the pallets 9 in each workpiece stocker 2 are conveyed together with the workpieces to the machine tool that processes the workpieces. Further, the workpieces that have been processed by the machine tools are transported from each machine tool to the workpiece stocker 2.

At this time, the transport lift 6 is the main controller!・7- The workpiece to be transported is picked up by the command from the roll box 11 to the workpiece stocker 2 of each multistage stocker 3, or the workpiece that has been processed is stored in the workpiece stocker 2, but the transport lift 6 is used as the main control box 1
When receiving a movement command from ], it first calculates where the multi-stage stocker 3 where the target work stocker 2 is installed is relative to its current position, and starts moving at a speed corresponding to that distance. do.

To explain in more detail, first, a lift movement command LDC is sent from a control unit (not shown) in the main control box 11 to the lift operation control s21, as shown in FIG. The lift operation command LDC includes the identification number IDS of the multi-stage stocker 3 to which the transfer lift 6 is to move, and the individual number WN of the work stocker 2 to which the work is carried in or taken out from the multi-stage stocker 3, and these identification numbers IDS and individual numbers WN By keeping the value constant, the target work stocker 2 can be uniquely identified in the automatic processing loading/unloading system 1.

When the lift movement command LDC is output to the lift I/operation control section 21, the lift operation control section 21 registers the current position counter 3.
0 is searched to determine the current position of the transport lift 6. That is, horizontal movement of the transfer lift 6 is performed by the motor control circuit 26 rotationally driving the lift drive motor 27, but when the lift drive motor 27 rotates and the transfer lift 6 moves in the A or B direction, The position pulse signal S2 from the transducer 29 attached to the lift drive motor 27 causes the lift drive motor 27 to rotate by the number corresponding to the amount of rotation angle of the motor 27, that is, the amount of movement of the lift 6 in the A and B directions. It is output in a form that also includes the direction, that is, the moving direction of the transport lift 6. The position pulse signal S2 is integrated in the glass or negative direction by the current position counter 30 in consideration of its moving direction, and therefore, the integrated value ゛I゛2 of the current position counter 30 corresponds to the current position of the conveyor 71.6. It becomes what it is.

On the other hand, the transport set along the guideline 7 along which the transport lift 6 moves! As shown in FIG. 2, at a specific point on #534, an origin ZP is set as a reference point for the movement of the transfer lift 6, and the integration operation of the current position counter 30 is based on the origin ZP. It is done in accordance with the standards. That is, when the conveyance lift 6 moves on the guideline 7 and the origin sensor 35 detects the origin ZP provided in the conveyance path 34 on the way, the detection signal S1 is output from the origin sensor 35 to the lift operation control section 21. .

Then, the lift operation control unit 2] immediately outputs a signal R5 to the reset 1 to the current position counter 30, resets the internal value of the -C1 current position counter 30 to 0, and calculates the integration operation based on the origin ZP to the current position counter. 30. Therefore, the integrated value T2 of the current position counter 30 is the origin Z
P, and of course the current position of the transport lift 6 is also calculated as the distance from the origin ZP.

In this way, the current position of the transport lift l-6 (it is sufficient to know which multi-stage stocker 3 the transport lift 1.6 is currently facing is sufficient) from the integrated value T2. Then, the lift operation control unit 21 issues a lift movement command and issues the identification number I of DC.
Corresponding to the distance from the DS to both ends of the target multistage stocker 3, t: integrated value T 2p, T 2P' (t, zoshi,
T2. <T2P') by searching the stocker position memory 22.

The distances L1, ■, 2, L3 from the origin zp of each multi-step suture/tsuka 3 to both ends are stored in the strip/tsuka position memory 22.
, L, 4, ■-45, L6, etc. are the current position counter 30
Since it is stored in the form converted to the integrated value of
~The operation control unit 21 calculates the integrated value T1 of the target multistage stocker 3
1-2PXT2p' can be installed immediately.

When the desired integrated values T2P and T2' of the multi-stage switch I and lever 3 are determined, the lift operation control unit 21 calculates the integrated values T2 and T2F, T2P of the current position counter 30.
', and if T2≦T2≦1゛2゛ is not satisfied, that is, if the current position of the transfer lift 6 does not correspond to the target multistage stocker 3, the high-speed movement operation is immediately started.

That is, the movement amount calculation circuit 25]
, the integrated values T2P and T2 from the stocker position memory 22 are
Based on P', the integrated value T2 of the current position counter 30 is T2
A command is given to drive the drive motor 27 via the motor control circuit 26 until P≦T2≦T 2 '. When the drive motor 27 is rotationally driven, the drive motor 27 and therefore the transfer lift 6 are controlled at a constant speed, and the A is rotated at a predetermined speed V1.
Or start moving in direction B. The transport lift 6 has a speed of V1
When the movement starts, the transducer 29 outputs a position pulse signal S2 in synchronization with the rotation angle amount of the drive motor 27, and the position pulse signal S2 is accumulated in the current position counter 30. The cumulative value T2 of the current position counter 30 becomes the predetermined cumulative value T2P or T2', and the transport lift 1-6 moves to the predetermined distance L from the origin zp.
], 1.2, L3, L4, L5.1. ．． 6t! When the lift reaches the target multistage stocker 3, the movement amount calculation circuit 25 outputs a signal S4 to the lift operation control section 21,
In response to the kneading, the lift operation control unit 21 issues a lift movement command L.
Position data SD indicating the position of the target work stocker 2 in the multi-stage stocker 3 from the individual number WN of the DC
A is read out from the stocker position memory 22, and at the same time, the shelf deviation amount δ, which is the positional deviation amount in the horizontal direction -\ of the multi-stage stocker 3, is read out from the shelf deviation amount storage memory 36 and output to the movement amount calculation circuit 25. Then, a positioning movement to the work stocker 2 is commanded.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shelf displacement amount storage memory 36 stores the shelf displacement amount δ at the upper end of the uppermost work stocker 2 of each multi-stage stocker with respect to the standard position SP of the lower end, and 2
When the position in the corresponding multi-stage stocker 3, that is, the number of work stockers 2 from the bottom of the multi-stage stocker 3 that the target work stocker 2 corresponds to is found from the position data SDA, the standard position faSp of the target work stocker 2 is determined. Shelf deviation amount δ for If the workpiece stocker 2 is located first from the bottom and the multistage stocker is composed of all stages, then the value can be immediately calculated by the movement amount calculation circuit 25.

The movement amount calculation circuit 25 drives the lift drive motor 27 and the table lifting motor 31 via the motor control circuit 26 based on the position data SD A and the shelf deviation amount δ, and moves the transport lift 6 to the arrow A in FIG. While moving the table 6a in the direction B to the position where the target work stocker 2 is installed, the table 6a is moved in the vertical direction, that is, arrow C, .
The table 6a is moved in the D direction to face the target work stocker 2. At this time, transducer 28.2
From 9 onwards, there is a table lifting motor 31 and a lift drive motor 2.
t number of position pulse signals S3 and S2 corresponding to the rotation angle of each motor 31.27 are output in synchronization with the rotation of the motor 7, and the signal S2 is calculated by the current position counter 30, taking into account the direction of rotation. As mentioned above, the value indicates the position of the transport lift 1-6 in the multistage stocker 3 in the directions of arrows A and B, that is, in the horizontal direction. Further, the signal S3 is integrated by the table position counter 32 in a manner that also takes into consideration the rotational direction, that is, the vertical direction of the table. Therefore, the integrated value 15-T3 of the table position counter 32 is calculated in the direction of arrows C and D on the table 6a. , that is,
Indicates the vertical position. The integrated values T2 and T3 are periodically polled by the movement amount calculation circuit 25, read the contents, and are used as position data SD commanded by the lift operation control section 21.
A and the shelf deviation amount δ, and at the position indicated in the position data SDA, the shelf deviation amount δ of the intended work stocker is determined by formula (1), (shelf deviation amount δ, if, from the origin ZP) A value that takes into consideration the direction in which the distance increases, that is, the shift to the right in Figure 4 is positive. The positions of the transport lift 6 and the table 6a judged from the integrated values T2 and T3 match (the position shifted to the right or left in FIG. 4), and the table 6a
When it is determined that the work stocker 2 has reached the intended installation position, the motor control circuit 26 is caused to stop the operation of the table lift motor 31 and the lift drive motor 27.

16- In this state, workpieces are exchanged between the table 6a and the workpiece stocker 2 facing the table 6a, but the table 6a does not use the position data SDA.
Since the workpieces are accurately positioned relative to the target workpiece stocker 2 based on the shelf displacement amount δ3, the workpieces can be exchanged smoothly.

Note that even if the number of multi-stage stockers 3 increases due to expansion or relocation, or their installation positions change, the distance #LN from the origin ZP of the newly installed or relocated multi-stage stocker 3 can be retrieved from the keyboard 23).・Operation control section 2
1 to the stocker position memory 22, it becomes possible to immediately position the multi-stage stocker 3. Furthermore, as described above, the multistage stocker 3 has a module configuration in which workpiece stockers 2 having the same size are combined in the same configuration. - As a data SDA, a single work stocker 2
The dimensions and the position of the target work stocker 2 are determined in multiple stages.
・The number that cannot be specified in Tsuka 3! It's okay,
Once you know that, you can find the target work stocker 2 position, that is,
The integrated value T2, ■゛3 can be immediately calculated by the movement amount calculation circuit 25 in consideration of the shelf deviation amount δ3, and even if the memory capacity of the stocker position memory 22 is small, it can be easily calculated when many expansions of the multistage stocker 3 are performed. can correspond to Also, the dimensions of work stocker 2 are fixed values, so
Isn't it natural to provide an appropriate memory within the width of the movement amount calculation circuit 25 to store it? It is liJ Noh.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the shelf deviation amount δ for each multi-stage stocker is stored in the shelf deviation amount storage memory 36.
, and the individual shelf deviation amount for each node stocker 2 is determined by equation (1). Of course, it is also possible to store the shelf displacement I/amount δ for each work stocker 2 and eliminate the need to calculate the shelf displacement amount of each work stocker 2.

Furthermore, the amount of shelf deviation δ stored in the shelf deviation amount storage memory 36, for example, is measured in advance and stored in the memory 3G from the keyboard 23; It is desirable to measure the shelf deviation amount δ, and update the contents of the shelf deviation amount storage memory 36.

(f) 8 Effects of the Invention -1 Explanation As described above, according to the present invention, the present invention provides a transport means such as a transport lift)-6, 1-transducer 29, current position counter 30°, origin sensor 35, etc. A means for positioning the conveyance means is provided, and a shelf displacement storage memory 2 stores the shelf displacement amount δ for each multistage stocker, and a stocker position memory 2 stores the position corresponding to each work stocker 2.
- ] 9 - Furthermore, a movement amount calculation circuit 25 is provided, and when positioning the conveyance means, it reads the position of the multi-stage stocker 3 corresponding to the target workpiece stocker from the stocker position memory 22, and also calculates the shelf shift. The shelf deviation amount δ5 for the multistage stocker is read out from the quantity storage memory 36, and then the position corresponding to the work stocker and the read shelf deviation amount δ8 are read out.
The actual position of the target workpiece stocker is calculated by the movement amount calculation circuit from the above, and based on the actual position of the workpiece stocker determined thereby, the conveying means is positioned with respect to the target workpiece stocker 2 by the positioning means. As a result, even if a lateral positional shift occurs in the multistage stocker 3, the conveying means can be accurately positioned with respect to the target workpiece stocker 2, and the loading/unloading system can be operated smoothly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the automatic processing loading/unloading system 20, Figure 2 is a plan view showing the main parts of the automatic loading/unloading system of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a lift/control. FIG. 4, which is a control block diagram showing the apparatus, is a simplified diagram showing the amount of shelf displacement of the multistage stocker. 1... Loading/unloading system 2... Work stocker 3... Multi-stage stocker 6... Transport means (vR transport lift) 22...
・Stocker position memory 25...Movement amount calculation circuit 29...Positioning means (transducer) 30...Positioning means (current position counter) 34...Transport path 35...Positioning means (origin sensor) 36...
...Shelf deviation amount storage memory δ, ...Shelf deviation amount Applicant: Yamazaki Iron Works Co., Ltd. Figure 4)) j) SP SP SP SP SP A B -1:171-) I SP SP

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a loading/unloading system that is provided with one or more multistage stockers composed of a plurality of work stockers and is provided with a conveyance means for the multistage stocker, a means for positioning the conveyance means is provided, and for each multistage stocker, A shelf displacement amount storage memory storing the shelf displacement amount of and a stocker position memory storing the position corresponding to each work stocker are provided, and a movement amount calculation circuit is provided,
When positioning the transport means, the position corresponding to the work stocker [17] is read from the stocker position memory, and the shelf deviation amount of the multi-stage stocker corresponding to the work stocker is read from the shelf deviation amount storage memory. Next, the actual position of the target work stocker is calculated by the movement amount calculation circuit from the position corresponding to the work stocker and the read shelf displacement amount (7, based on the actual position of the work stocker found thereby). A method for positioning a conveying means, wherein the positioning means positions the conveying means with respect to a target work stocker.