JPS6150741A - Tool exchange system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to efficiently exchange tools ith respect to a plurality of machine tools, by exchanging tools between tool magazines on the machine tools and a tool pool when workpieces to be machined are changed. CONSTITUTION:Several tools required for machining plural kinds of workpieces are pooled in a tool pool 20 laid along machine tools MT1 though MT3, and may be indexed to tool exchange positions P1 through P3 for the machine tools MT1 through MT3. Tools which are stored in tool magezines TM1 through TM3 on the machine tools MT1 through MT3, may be indexed to tool exchange positions corresponding to the exchange positions P1 through P3, and tool exchanging devices 23 are arranged between these magazines TM1 through TM3, for exchanging tools between both tool exchange position. Thus, the tool exchange with respect to the machine tools may be efficiently made.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention provides a tool changing system that changes the tools in each tool magazine provided in a plurality of machine tools as the workpiece to be machined changes. It is related to.

<Prior art> In an FMS configured with a plurality of machine tools equipped with an automatic tool change function and a pallet conveying device that conveys pallets to these machine tools, when machining workpieces of multiple M types, The number of tools required to process these workpieces becomes extremely large.

However, there is a limit to the number of tools that can be stored in the tool magazine of each machine tool, so conventional approaches to this problem include making the tool magazine itself replaceable with a spare tool magazine, or using a tool transport system equipped with a robot. A trolley is used to replace the tools in the tool magazine one by one.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in the magazine exchange method described above,
There is a problem in that the storage space for the spare magazine becomes large and it becomes expensive.Also, in the above-mentioned tool carrier system, since the receiver must hold multiple machine tools, it takes time to replace tools. However, there is a problem that the operating rate of the system decreases, and the reality is that neither method is sufficiently effective.

Means for Solving Problems> The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and FIG. 1 shows its overall configuration. A plurality of machine tools MTI to MT3 with five mountings are arranged. These machine tools MT
Each of the tool magazines TMI to TM3, I to MT3, stores tools necessary for machining workpieces on pallets carried into the machine tools MTI to MT3. Further, a tool pool 20 is arranged along the machine tools MTI to MT3, and a large number of tools necessary for machining a plurality of types of workpieces are pooled in this tool pool 20, and these tools are used for each of the machine tools MTI to MT3. Tool change positions P1 to P corresponding to
It is possible to index to 3. Each machine tool MTI~MT
The tools stored in each of the tool magazines TMI to TM3 of 3 can be indexed to the tool changing positions corresponding to the respective tool changing positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20, and the tools stored in the tool magazines TMI to TM3 of A tool changing device 23 is provided between the tool pool 20 and the tool pool 20 to change tools between the two tool changing positions.

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

In FIG. 1, 10 is a pallet P on which a workpiece is attached by a conveyor truck 1)! ! Indicates the conveyance path to be sent,
Along this conveyance path 10, a plurality of numerically controlled machine tools MTI
~MT3 is installed. Each machine tool MTI~MT3
is equipped with chain-type tool magazines TM 1 to TM 3 that can be indexed in a vertical plane, and these tool magazines T
Tools are stored horizontally in a plurality of tool sockets provided in MI to TM3. The tools stored in these tool sockets are sequentially indexed to the tool exchange position, and the required tool is pulled out from the tool socket by an unillustrated tool exchange device and mounted on the spindle supported on the spindle head. Ru. Each of the machine tools MTI to MT3 has a barre +-m.
Person carrying out devices PCI to PC3 are provided, and these pallets H
The pallet (P) to be processed is carried into the machine tool from the transport vehicle 1) via the IQ man-carrying devices PCI to PC3, and the processed pallet (P) is transported from the machine tool onto the transport vehicle 1).

A chain-type tool pool 20 is arranged along each of the machine tools MTI to MT3 so as to be indexable in a horizontal plane, and a large number of tool sockets 21 provided in this tool pool 20 can be used to process various types of workpieces. The necessary tools are held upwards. In the tool pool 20, a plurality of tool changing positions P1 to P3 are defined corresponding to each of the tool magazines TM1 to TM3 of the machine tool, and these tool changing positions P1 to P3
3, a tool socket 21 holding a required tool is indexed.

Tool magazines TM1 to T of the machine tools MTI to MT3
A tool changing device 23 is disposed between M3 and the tool changing positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20, respectively. The configuration of this tool changing device 23 will be explained below.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the tool magazines TM
I to TM3 are tool magazines TMII arranged in a vertical magazine base 25 in two stages, upper and lower.

It is composed of T'M12, and these tool magazines T
MI 1. A plurality of tool sockets (26, 27) storing tools T laterally in the TMI 2 are held indexably in a vertical plane. Each tool magazine TM1) and TMI2 stores the number of tools required to machine one type of workpiece, and the tools in either one of the 10,000 tool magazines TMII or 7M12 are always used to operate the machine tool. It is designed to process workpieces that are brought in. In addition, each tool socket 26.27 of tool magazine TMI 1, TMI 2
is the tool exchange position pH corresponding to the tool pool 20 side,
It can be indexed to PI3.

A slider 31 is mounted on a fixed base 30 disposed on the side of the magazine base 25 so as to be movable up and down, and a tool pot 3 on which a tool T is removably mounted is mounted on the slider 31.
2 is supported 90'i times between a position parallel to the tool socket 21 of the tool pool 20 and a position parallel to the tool socket 1-26, 27 of the tool magazine. Therefore, the slider 31 moves between the two tool change positions pH and PI.
It is possible to position it in three positions: the position corresponding to No. 3, and the lowering end position. In addition, the fixed head 30
, a shift table 33 is mounted so as to be movable up and down between the slider 31 and the tool change position pH, PI3, and a first arm 34 equipped with gripping claws at both ends of the shift table 33 can pivot and rotate. It is supported so that it can move back and forth in the axial direction. Shift stand 33
The first arm 34 can be positioned at two positions corresponding to each tool take-out position pH, P12.
4, the tool bot 32 and the tool exchange position pH,P
Tools can be exchanged simultaneously with I3.

Further, support bases 40 are disposed corresponding to tool exchange positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20, and this support base 4
A movable base 41 is mounted on the slider 3 so as to be movable between the tool exchange positions P1 to P3 and the slider 31. Movable stand 4
1, a second arm 42 having gripping claws at both ends is supported so as to be pivotable in a horizontal plane and movable up and down.
The tool is transferred between P3 and P3.

FIG. 4 shows a control circuit, in which the central processing unit 50 is a numerical control unit N connected to the machine tools MTI to MT3.
It performs processing for transferring numerical control data according to the type of workpiece to be machined to CI to NC3, and processing for controlling tool replacement. Such a central processing unit 50
A disk device 51 is connected to the disk device 5.
1. The number for machining multiple types of workpieces (WA-WE) on each machine tool MTI to MT3! Surface control data is stored.

Further, a tool pool indexing control device 53, a tool changing control device 54, and a tool magazine indexing control device 55 are connected to the central processing surface 50 via an interface 52. The tool pool indexing control device 53 indexes commanded tools to tool exchange positions P1 to P3, and the tool magazine indexing control device 55 indexes each machine tool MT 1-M.
Among the two upper and lower tool magazines of T3, the tools on the side that are not being used are indexed to the tool exchange position pH, PI3. Further, the tool change control device 54 controls the tool change device 23 having the above-described configuration in order to change tools between the tool magazine and the tool pool 20.

Each machine tool M is stored in the core memory of the central processing unit 50.
A tool magazine table TM that stores tools stored in two-stage single-tool magazines from TI to MT3 based on the correspondence between the tool number and the socket number in which the tool is stored.
TI, TMT2, and a used tool table UTT that stores the number of the tool used to process the workpiece for each type of workpiece.
A tool pool table TPT is formed in which the tools stored in the tool boule 20 are stored in correspondence with the number of the tool and the number of the tool socket 21 in which the tool is stored.

Next, the operation of the control circuit having the above configuration will be explained. The central processing unit 50 determines whether the workpiece carried into each machine tool MTI to MT3 is the first workpiece of the same kind, and if it is determined that it is the first workpiece, the workpiece is Numerical control data corresponding to the type of object is searched and output from the disk device 51 and transferred to the buffer area of the core memory. Then, based on the numerical control data, the tools stored in one of the two upper and lower tool magazines of each of the machine tools MTI to MT3 are sequentially mounted on the spindle, and machining of the workpiece is started.

During machining of such a workpiece, a process is performed in which the tool stored in the other tool magazine is replaced with a tool required for machining the next scheduled workpiece.

That is, when a tool change command is issued from the central processing unit 50, first, the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece (this is WB) in the machine tool t4MT1 is changed to Ws- in the used tool table UTT. Read from MT1ft*I. Next, the tool pool indexing control device 5 searches the tool pool table TPT for the socket number in which the read tool is stored, and indexes the corresponding tool socket 21 to the tool exchange position P1 corresponding to the machine tool MTI.
3 is controlled. At the same time, the tool socket 27 with the first socket number (n+1) of one tool magazine (this is called 7M12) of the machine tool MT1 that stores the used tools used for machining the previous workpiece is inserted. The tool magazine indexing control device 55 is controlled to index to the tool exchange position P12.

Next, the tool change control device 54 is controlled, and the tool pool 2
0 and each tool exchange position PI of tool magazine TM12,
The tool indexed at P12 is replaced by the tool changing device 23 as described later. Each time a tool is exchanged between tool boule 20 and tool magazine TM12, the contents of tool pool table TPT and tool magazine table TMT2 stored in the memory of central processing unit 50 are sequentially rewritten.

Tool replacement by the tool changing device 23 is carried out, for example, between the tool magazine TM12 and the tool pool 2 of the machine tool MTI.
If the tool is to be exchanged between The operation starts with indexing the tool socket 21 containing the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece in the material machine MTI to the tool exchange position P1.

When the tool stored in the first socket number is indexed in the tool exchange position IP12 of the tool magazine TM12, the first
The arm 34 is rotated to grip the tool with one gripping claw, and then the first arm 34 is advanced in the axial direction to remove the tool from the tool socket 27, and in this state, the first arm 34 is rotated 180 degrees. At the same time, the tool is mounted on the tool bot 32 which is axially retreated and is placed on standby at a predetermined position.

Thereafter, the first arm 34 is rotated clockwise and returns to its original position. Next, the slider 31 is lowered, and the tool bot 32 changes the attitude of the tool upward (9).
Rotated 0°.

On the other hand, when the tool socket 21 storing the required tool is indexed at the tool exchange position P1 of the tool boule 20, the movable base 4
1 is moved to the left in FIG. 2, the tool indexed to the tool exchange position P1 is gripped by one gripping claw of the second arm 42, and then the second arm 42 is raised and the tool is placed in the tool socket. He will be leaving from 21. In this state, the second arm 42
is rotated 180 degrees and lowered, and the tool gripped by the other gripping claw of the second arm 42 is placed in the tool socket 2.
It is stored in 1. However, in the case of the first tool exchange operation, the other gripping claw of the second arm 42 does not grip a tool, so the operation is idle.

Thereafter, the movable base 41 is moved to the right in FIG. 2 and returned to its original position, and the second arm 42 is rotated by 180 degrees.

When the slider 31 is positioned at the lower end, the movable base 41 is moved to the right and the other gripping claw of the second arm 42 grips the tool inserted into the tool bot 32. Subsequently, the second arm 42 is raised to remove the tool from the tool bot 32, and in this state, the second arm 42 is
It is turned 0 degrees and lowered. As a result, the tool taken out from the tool pool 20 is inserted into the tool bot 32, and the tool taken out from the tool magazine TM12 is carried by the gripping claw of the second arm 42.

After that, the movable base 41 is moved to the left, and the tool pound 32
The gripping claw is removed from the tool inserted into the tool.

Subsequently, the slider 31 is raised, and the tool bot 32 is turned 90 degrees to change the attitude of the tool sideways. Tool magazine TM in which the slider 31 should replace tools
Once positioned at the position corresponding to 12, the first arm 34 is operated in the same manner as described above, and the tool stored in the second socket number indexed to the tool change position PL2,
The tools stored in the tool pot 32 are replaced at the same time.

As a result, the first tool to be used for the next machining is transferred from the tool pool 20 to the tool magazine TM12.

On the other hand, when the movable base 41 is returned to the original position as described above, the second arm 42 is rotated 180 degrees, and the movable base 41 is again moved to the left in FIG. The second tool used for machining the next workpiece indexed to the replacement position P1 is gripped. Thereafter, the second arm 42 is raised, rotated 180 degrees, and lowered in the same manner as described above.
The tool taken out from the tool magazine TM12 is inserted into the tool socket 21, and the tool taken out from the tool socket 21 is held by the gripping claw of the second arm 42.

In this way, the tools to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece in the machine tool MT1 are sequentially indexed to the tool exchange position P1 and replaced with the tools in the tool magazine TMI2. Accompanying tool magazine table TMT
2 and the symmetry table of the tool pool table TPT are sequentially rewritten.

When the tool replacement for machine tool MTI is completed, the tool to be used for machining the next scheduled workpiece in machine tool MT2 is changed to machining 1ti! The tool pool 20 is controlled to index to the tool exchange position P2 corresponding to MT2, and tools are exchanged with one tool magazine of the machine tool MT2 by the same operation as described above.

In the above embodiment, the tool magazines of each machine tool MT 1 to MT 3 are configured in two stages, and while one tool magazine is used to process a workpiece, the tools in the other tool magazine are transferred to the next stage. Since the tool is replaced with the tool necessary for machining the workpiece, there is an advantage that there is no need to stop the machine tool to replace the tool when changing the workpiece.

However, the configuration in which the tool magazine has two stages is not necessarily a necessary requirement for the present invention, and after machining of a certain type of workpiece is completed, multiple machine tools
It is also possible to replace the tools in each tool magazine. In this case, by alternately allocating tools to be transferred to each tool magazine to a plurality of tool exchange positions P1 to P3 of the tool pool 20, each machine tool MTI to M
Tool replacement for T3 can be performed in parallel, and tool replacement time for a plurality of machine tools can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which tools are exchanged between the tool pool and the tool magazine using the tool changer 23 including two arms 34 and 42, but this tool changer may be configured by a robot. It is also possible.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention arranges tool pools along a plurality of machine tools, pools tools necessary for machining a plurality of types of workpieces in this tool pool, and processes the workpieces to be machined. When the workpiece is changed, the tool is exchanged between each tool magazine and the tool pool of the machine tool.
It is possible to efficiently replace tools for a plurality of machine tools, and there is an effect that the operating rate of the system is not reduced due to tool replacement due to changes in workpieces.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the main components of the processing system, FIG. 2 is a view from the ■ arrow in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the figure, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a control circuit. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing data tables provided in the central processing unit of FIG. 4. 10...Pallet 1) 1) Feeding path, 1)...Transfer truck, MTI~MT3...Machine tool, TMI~TM3...
- Tool magazine, 20... tool pool, 23... tool changing device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a processing system equipped with a plurality of machine tools equipped with tool magazines and a pallet transport device that transports pallets to these machine tools, tools necessary for processing various types of workpieces are distributed along the machine tools. A tool pool for pooling is provided, and tool pool indexing control means is provided for indexing the required tools pooled in this tool pool to a tool change position corresponding to each of the machine tools, A tool magazine indexing control means is provided for indexing used tools stored in the magazine to tool exchange positions corresponding to the respective tool exchange positions, and a tool magazine indexing control means is provided for indexing used tools stored in the magazine to tool exchange positions corresponding to the respective tool exchange positions, and a tool magazine indexing control means is provided for indexing used tools stored in the magazine to tool exchange positions corresponding to the respective tool exchange positions. A tool changing system equipped with a tool changing control means for changing tools. (2) Each tool magazine of the plurality of machine tools is composed of a two-stage tool magazine that stores a plurality of tools necessary for machining different types of workpieces, and one tool magazine is used to operate the machine tool. While machining a workpiece carried into a tool magazine, the tool in the other tool magazine is replaced with a tool pooled in a tool pool that is necessary for machining the next scheduled workpiece. A tool changing system according to scope 1.