JPS61257747A - Flexible transfer machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assure necessary maintenance space when movable elements are returned to their original positions by disposing work units having work heads movable in a three-dimensional direction at certain intervals to the positions corresponding to the portions of works to be machined. CONSTITUTION:Work units 30 are disposed at intervals equal to the conveying stroke L of a work conveyer device 11, and the space between adjacent work units 30 is determined to be large enough to assure maintenance space H on both sides thereof in which an operator can enter when the work heads 36 are at their original positions. Each of the work units 30 has movable elements 33, 35 for moving the work head 36 into the area of the maintenance space H and a movable element driving device. The work heads 30 can be moved in a predetermined three dimensional direction, and when they are located at predetermined positions within the work area, machining of works is performed. For maintenance, the movable elements 33, 35 are returned to their original positions to assure the maintenance space H between every adjacent work units 30.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention has a processing unit having a processing head that can be moved in three dimensions to a position corresponding to a processing location of a workpiece, which is arranged at partial pitch intervals. This invention relates to a flexible transfer machine that enables processing of various workpieces.

<Conventional Technology> Conventionally, transfer machines have been used to process a large number of workpieces of a single type. This machine transports the workpiece along a linear transport line, and at the same time moves the main spindle forward and backward using processing units installed on both sides of this transport line, and uses the tool attached to the tip of this main spindle to move the workpiece Although it is suitable for processing large quantities of a single type of workpiece in a short takt time, it cannot handle high-mix low-volume production.

For this reason, recently, NC machining units have been developed.

This NC machining unit has a table mounted on a bed so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the conveyance line, a column mounted on the table so as to be slidable in the direction of approaching and away from the workpiece, and The machining head is guided and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction.The machining unit is installed along the conveyance line, and the table can be moved horizontally, and the machining head can be moved up and down to perform various operations. Flexible transfer machines that can process workpieces of different shapes and dimensions have been developed.

However, in this processing unit, in order to move the table in the horizontal direction, guide rails must be provided on the bed for guidance, which increases the size of the bed and has covers on both sides to protect the guide rails. There is a large overhang, and as a result, a large installation space is required to install the processing unit.

Particularly in this type of flexible transfer machine, it is necessary to secure space between the processing units so that a worker can enter and maintain the machine. This leads to an increase in the installation space of the machines, and as the pitch between machines increases, the transfer stroke of the workpiece transfer device has to be made thicker. If an attempt is made to transport the paper between the machines in two strokes in order to avoid this, an idler station must be installed in the middle, which has the disadvantage of increasing costs.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The present invention has been made to eliminate such conventional problems, and the processing units are arranged at intervals equal to the transport stroke of the workpiece transport device, and the machine of each processing unit is The space is large enough to secure a maintenance space on both sides of the processing head in its original position, and the processing unit has a movable element that can move the processing head to the area of the maintenance space and a feeding device for this movable element. It is characterized by this.

<Operation> - In the above configuration, the device of the present invention moves the movable element in a plane perpendicular to the spindle axis using the movable element feeder, and as a result, the machining head supported on the movable element moves on both sides of the machining unit. It is moved to the area of the secured maintenance space, and a part of this maintenance space is used as a processing range.

While positioned at a predetermined position within this machining range, the machining head is moved forward and backward toward the workpiece.

A workpiece positioned and clamped on a jig device is processed.

Further, when the machine is stopped for maintenance, the movable elements are returned to their original positions, and the necessary maintenance space is secured between each processing unit.

<Example> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flexible transfer machine of the present invention transports a workpiece W along a linear transport line, and each processing station is arranged at a predetermined interval along the transport line. Processing is performed by positioning and clamping the workpiece W on the John 5INSn, and the transfer stroke L is the same as the distance between the transfer table 10 installed along the transfer line and the processing station S+-3n. A workpiece transfer device 11 that sequentially transfers workpieces W along a line, and a workpiece W transferred by this workpiece transfer device 11 to each processing station S! It has a jig device 20 arranged on a conveyance line at pitch intervals to position and clamp the workpiece W, and a processing unit 30 installed corresponding to the jig device 20 to process the workpiece W.

The workpiece transfer device 11 includes a transfer bar 12 disposed along the transfer line as shown in FIG.
Transfer this transfer bar 12 to the transfer stroke L
The transfer cylinder 13 is provided with a transfer cylinder 13 that reciprocates the transfer bar 12, and a claw raising/lowering device 14 that rotates the transfer bar 12. The shaft P is engaged with the ball P supporting the workpiece W, and the reciprocating movement of the transfer bar 12 sequentially transports the shaft P between the processing stations 81 to Sn.

The jig device 20 is equipped with a well-known positioning device such as a knock pin, and a well-known clamping device (both circuits) such as a lever set clamper, and performs various processing on the workpiece W conveyed by the workpiece conveyance device 11. It is designed to position and clamp each station S+=Sn.

The processing unit 30 includes each processing station 81 to S.
The transfer stroke L corresponding to each of n
It is installed on the side of the conveyance table 10 at the same interval as the base 31 and the conveyance table 32 as shown in FIG.
, a first movable element 33 consisting of a rotating arm, and this first
a second movable element 34 consisting of a slide slidably guided on a linear slide 35 on the movable element 33;
It includes a processing head 36 fixed on a movable element 34 and a main shaft 37 rotatably supported on the processing head 36. The feed table 32 is driven by a driving servo motor 39.
The first movable element 33 is moved forward and backward in the spindle axis direction (Z direction) on the base 31 by a feed system such as a feed screw, and the first movable element 33 is moved forward and backward by a drive servo motor 40 as a movable element feed device and a feed system such as gears. X with the pivot 41 as the center in a plane perpendicular to the main shaft axis
Further, the second movable element 34 is moved up and down in the Y direction in a plane perpendicular to the main shaft axis by a drive servo motor 43 serving as a movable element feeder and a feed system such as a feed screw. It looks like this.

Therefore, pulses are applied to the driving servo motor 40.43 in accordance with the numerical command, and the first and second movable elements 33.34 are
By rotating or sliding the processing head 3
6 can be moved to a predetermined three-dimensional position, and it is possible to handle workpieces W at different processing positions. In this embodiment, the processing head 1 can be moved within a range M shown by solid lines and imaginary lines in FIGS. 1 and 2,
Any workpiece W having a processing location within this knee circumference M can be processed.

In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 3, the processing units (30) installed corresponding to each jig device 20 all have the same configuration, so
In order to make the drawing easier to understand, the first processing station S1
Only the processing unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 is numbered, and the others are omitted.

Further, in the figure, reference numeral 45 denotes a main shaft drive motor that rotationally drives the main shaft 37, and T indicates a tool attached to the tip of the main shaft 37.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. First, prior to machining, the first and second movable elements 33, 34 of the machining unit 30 are moved to predetermined angular positions and vertical positions, and are previously positioned at positions suitable for the workpiece W to be machined.

In this state, the workpiece transfer device 11 is operated. This conveyance operation is carried out by first engaging the engaging claw 15 on the transfer bar 12 with the baren (P) and then reciprocating the transfer bar 12 to move the first processing station S1.
The workpieces W together with the pallet P are transported to the second processing station S2, and the workpieces W from the second processing station S2 are sequentially transported to the third processing station S3.

After the conveyance, the jig devices 20 in each processing station 5l-3n are operated to position and clamp the pallet P at a predetermined position. After positioning and clamping, the drive servo motor 39 is activated to move the feed table 32 forward, so that the processing head 36 is advanced toward the workpiece W, and the tool T attached to the tip of the main shaft 37 moves the workpiece W. processing is performed simultaneously at each processing station 51xSn.

After the machining is completed, the drive servo motor 39 is reversed, and the machining head 36 is retreated in a direction away from the workpiece W.

Thereafter, the transporting operation of the workpiece W by the workpiece transporting device 11 and the forward and backward movement of the processing head 36 are repeated again, and the workpiece W is sequentially processed and sent to the next process.

Further, the flexible transfer machine has a function of being able to process different types of workpieces W on the same transfer line. Therefore, when a workpiece W of a different type from the workpiece W that has been machined so far is to be flown, a numerical command is first issued from the numerical control device (flashing) to match the workpiece W that will be flown next. Pulses corresponding to the command are applied to the driving servo motors 40, 43. As a result, the first movable element 33 is rotated by the drive servo motor 40, and at the same time, the second movable element 34 is moved up and down by the drive servo motor 43, and the processing head 36 on the second movable element 34 is moved within the processing range M. It is positioned at a position corresponding to the workpiece W. After positioning the machining head 36, the workpiece W is conveyed in the same manner as described above, and by moving the machining head 36 forward and backward toward the workpiece W, different types of workpieces W can be machined. .

Here, the machining range M needs to be set to a size that can cover all types of workpieces W. In the present invention, as means for moving the processing head 36 within the processing range M, the first movable element 33 is rotated around the pivot shaft 41, and the second movable element 34 is moved up and down. There is no need to increase the size of the bed and form a long guide surface on the bed so that the bed can be moved over the processing range, and in order to obtain the required processing range, it is possible to simply support the feed table 32 and the pivot shaft 41. The necessary small base 31 is sufficient, and therefore the width of the base 31 can be made considerably smaller than the machining range M, thereby making it possible to downsize the machining unit 30 and reducing the installation space.

Moreover, a maintenance space H is required between the processing units 30 for an operator to enter and inspect and maintain the machine, but as described above, since the installation space for the processing units 30 is small, the processing units 30 Even if the necessary maintenance space H is secured between the machines, the machine interval will not become large, and therefore the floor space of the entire machine will be small, and the transport stroke L of the workpiece transport device 11 will also be small.

In addition, as the type of workpiece W is changed, the machining head 36 is rotated within the machining range M, and at both ends of the rotation, the machining head 36 enters the range of the maintenance space H. This state is when the flexible transfer machine is in operation. For example, when inspecting or maintaining the machine, it is necessary to position the first movable element 33 at the original position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 and then stop the operation. Therefore, the necessary maintenance space H can be secured between the processing units 30.

5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the configuration of the feed device for advancing and retracting the feed table 32 is the same as in the first embodiment, but the machining head 36 is The difference lies in the configuration of the movable element that is moved in a plane perpendicular to the axis.

In this embodiment, the movable element includes a first rotating arm 133 supported on the feed base 32 so as to be pivotable about a pivot 141, and a first rotating arm 133 that is rotatable about a pivot 135 at the tip of the first rotating arm 133. A second pivot arm 134 is supported.

The first rotary arm 133 is rotated in the X direction in a plane perpendicular to the main shaft axis by a driving servo motor 140 on the feed table 32, and the second rotary arm 134 is also rotated by a driving servo motor 143 to rotate the main shaft. It is designed to be rotated in the Y direction in a plane perpendicular to the axis.

Note that 37 is a main shaft rotatably supported by the processing head 36, 45 is a main shaft drive motor, and T is a tool attached to the tip of the main shaft 37.

In this configuration, the first and second rotating arms 133.1 constituting movable elements within the machining range M are similar to the embodiments described above.
34 moves and positions the machining head 36 to a position corresponding to the machining location of the workpiece W, so the machining unit 7) 30 can be downsized, and as a result, there is no space between the machining units 30. In addition to securing a maintenance space H of the size required for each processing unit 30,
It is possible to create a flexible transfer machine with a small installation space.

7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a fixed support shaft 231 is provided on the carrier 10 instead of the base 31 in the first embodiment, and this support shaft 2
31 rotatably supports a rotating arm 233 as a first movable element, and a slide body 233 as a second movable element having a processing head 36 on this rotating arm 233.
They are different in that they are guided and supported by a linear slide 235 so as to be movable up and down, and that a ram 236 as a feeding device is supported on the processing head 36 so as to be movable back and forth.

In this embodiment, the rotating arm 233 is rotated in the X direction about the support shaft 231 by a driving servo motor 240 on the rotating arm 233 and a feed system such as gears. The slide body 234 is moved up and down in the Y direction by a feed system such as a screw, and the ram 236 is moved forward and backward toward the workpiece W by a drive servo motor 239 and a feed system such as a gear mechanism.

Note that 37 is a main shaft rotatably supported by the ram 236, 45 is a main shaft drive motor, and T is a tool attached to the tip of the main shaft 37.

This configuration uses a rotating arm 23 as a movable element to move and position the machining head 36 to a position according to the type of workpiece W within the machining range M, as in the previous embodiment.
3 and the slide body 234, the processing unit 30 can of course be made smaller, and the base itself can be omitted.
As a result, it is possible to secure the necessary maintenance space between the processing units 30, and at the same time, when these processing units 30 are installed side by side along the conveyance line, the distance between each processing unit 30 can be reduced, making it possible to create a flexible structure with a small installation space. A transfer machine can be configured.

In the above embodiment, the processing unit 30 is arranged only on one side of the jig device 20, but the processing unit 30 is not limited to this, and may be arranged oppositely on both sides of the jig device 20.

Moreover, the processing units 30 of the first, second, and third embodiments can be used differently depending on the processing form in the process, without arranging processing units with the same configuration in each process of a series of flexible transfer machines. Good too.

Further, the structure of the processing unit is not limited to that of the above embodiment, and may include other modifications within the scope of the claims.

<Effects of the Invention> As detailed above, in the flexible transfer machine of the present invention, the processing units are arranged at intervals equal to the transfer stroke of the workpiece transfer device, and the machine space of each processing unit is The base of the processing unit is made small enough to secure a maintenance space on both sides for at least a worker to enter, and the processing unit has a movable element that can move the processing head into the area of the maintenance space and a feeding device for this movable element. , can also be omitted in some cases, thereby reducing the installation space of the processing unit, and ensuring the necessary maintenance space between the processing units does not increase the distance between the machines of the processing units, so A flexible transfer machine with an extremely small floor space can be provided, and the transfer stroke is also short, which has the advantage that a small workpiece can be sufficiently transported using a small workpiece transport device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of the flexible transfer machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view taken in the direction of the ■ arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. cross-sectional view,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the workpiece conveyance device, FIG. 5 is a side view showing the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a front view as viewed from the ■ arrow in FIG. 5, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the third embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a front view taken in the direction of the ■ arrow in FIG. W... Workpiece, 11... Workpiece conveyance device, 20...
・Jig device, 30... processing unit, 33... first
Movable element, 35... Second movable element, 36... Processing head, 39, 40. 43... Drive servo motor.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) Machining jigs are arranged in a straight line at regular pitch intervals, and a workpiece conveyance device is provided to transport the workpiece between each machining jig. In a flexible transfer machine in which machining units capable of numerically controlled feeding of a machining head in a relative three-dimensional direction are arranged, the machining units are arranged at intervals equal to the conveyance stroke of the workpiece conveyance device, and the machine of each machining unit is The space is large enough to secure a maintenance space on both sides of the processing head in its original position, and the processing unit has a movable element that can move the processing head to the area of the maintenance space and a feeding device for this movable element. A flexible transfer machine characterized by: (2) The movable element of the processing unit includes a first rotation arm that is rotatably supported on the processing unit main body within a plane perpendicular to the spindle axis, and a first rotation arm that is rotatable at the tip of the first rotation arm. 2. A flexible transfer machine according to claim 1, further comprising a second pivot arm with a pivoted processing head. (3) The flexible transfer machine according to claim 2, wherein the first rotating arm is pivotally supported on a feed table movable in a direction parallel to the axis of a main shaft supported on a processing head. (4) The movable element feeding device of the processing unit is provided with a drive device that individually rotates the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm within a plane orthogonal to the spindle axis. Flexible transfer machine as described in section. (5) The movable element of the processing unit is rotatably supported in a plane perpendicular to the spindle axis, and includes a first movable element having a linear slide in a direction normal to the pivot axis; 2. A flexible transfer machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second movable element having a processing head slidably guided on a linear slide of the movable element. (6) The flexible transfer machine according to claim 5, wherein the processing head on the second movable element includes a ram that is slidable in the axial direction.