JPS622934B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a tool transport vehicle that transports tools between a tool magazine and a tool stocker of a numerically controlled machine tool. Generally, in numerically controlled machine tools, the number of tools that can be stored in the tool magazine is limited, so the tools stored in the tool magazine cannot handle machining of many types of workpieces. It is necessary to replace the tool. For this reason, conventionally, a carrier carrying a tool magazine is provided so as to be movable between multiple machine tools and a tool stocker, and tools can be exchanged between the carrier and the magazines of the machine tools. . The magazine on this type of carrier generally has one empty space, and this empty space is used to take in unnecessary tools from the magazine of the machine tool, and the empty space is used to take out unnecessary tools. By replenishing the required tools and repeating this operation, the required number of tools can be replaced. By the way, while replacing such a tool, an abnormal situation such as a tool breaking on another machine tool occurred.
When it is desired to quickly replace the broken tool with a spare tool, there is a problem in that conventional tools cannot adequately meet the demand. In other words, in order to urgently replace a broken tool, stop the tool replacement work currently in progress, run the carrier to the tool stocker, and load the same type of tool as the broken tool into the on-board magazine at the tool stocker. The tool can be replaced by bringing the broken tool to the machine tool, but in order to replace the tool between the magazines of the machine tool and the transport vehicle, one empty space is required as described above. Therefore, in order to receive the same type of tool as the broken tool into the on-board magazine, it is necessary to return the tool in the on-board magazine to the tool stocker to create a new space, and it is also necessary to remove the emergency tool. After the replacement work is completed, it is necessary to run the carrier to the tool stocker again and return the necessary tools that were previously returned to the tool stocker to the on-vehicle magazine. As described above, in the conventional system, it is necessary to temporarily return the necessary tools in the on-board magazine to the tool stocker, and then take the tools back into the on-board magazine after the emergency work is completed, resulting in a problem that the control becomes complicated. Particularly when the transport vehicle is a trackless automatic guided vehicle, the transmission and reception of signals is limited, so even the slightest addition of control poses a major problem. The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and in addition to the space for normal tool replacement, a space for emergency tool replacement is provided in a regular location in the on-vehicle magazine. The purpose of this invention is to simplify and quickly control emergency tool replacement. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.
Figure 1 shows two numerically controlled machine tools MT1 and MT2.
This shows the relationship between the tool stocker 10 and the tool carrier 11, and the relationship between the two numerically controlled machine tools MT1,
The MTs 2 are placed on both sides of the tool stocker 10. Each machine tool MT1, MT2 has an automatic tool change function, and their tool magazines 13, 1
The tools T stored at 4 (FIG. 2) are sequentially mounted on the spindle according to a predetermined program, and various types of machining are performed on the workpiece. The tool stocker 10 stores tools or spare tools required when changing workpieces, etc., and consists of an indexable stock magazine. The tool carrier 11 is a trackless automatic guided vehicle with a built-in battery that runs on the floor and is guided by a guide cable 15 buried along the machine tools MT1, MT2 and the tool stocker 10. and the tool stocker 10, and is positioned at a predetermined position. A communication line for information exchange is also buried in the floor along the induction cable 15, and necessary information is transmitted via this communication line. Next, the structure of the tool carrier 11 will be explained based on FIGS. 2 and 3. The tool carrier 11 is a truck 2 with drive wheels 20.
1 and a tool magazine 22 provided on this trolley 21 (hereinafter, this magazine will be referred to as the tool magazine 1).
3 and 14) and a tool changer 23. The on-board magazine 22 is composed of a chain type magazine in which a plurality of tool sockets 25 that store tools T vertically are mounted at equal intervals, and these tool sockets 25 are sequentially indexed to the tool exchange position PO by driving the chain. It can be done. In the example, 12 tool sockets 2
5, each tool socket 25

They are numbered from [0] to [11]. street address

[0] is designated as the home position, and is an empty space for changing tools in the initial state. Additionally, address [11] is designated as an emergency tool position and is normally left empty. these addresses

The tool sockets 25 [0] and [11] are labeled with numbers 25a and 25b representing the home position and the emergency tool position,
It can be identified from the outside. As a result, the on-vehicle magazine 22 stores and transports a maximum of 10 tools T for tool replacement. The tool changer 23 is composed of a robot having 5 to 6 degrees of freedom, and a grip 27 for gripping the tool T is provided on the wrist 26 of the robot. The tool T is exchanged between the tool exchange position PO 22 and each tool exchange position of the tool magazines 13, 14 and the tool stocker 10. Next, the tool changing operation in the above configuration is explained in the fourth step.
This will be explained with reference to the figures. In addition, in the same figure, MT
1P, MT2P are numerically controlled machine tools MT1, MT2
The tool exchange position of the tool magazines 13 and 14, and the TSP is the tool stocker (stock magazine) 10.
Indicates the tool change position. First, the tool transport vehicle 11 stores, for example, ten tools T1 to T10 necessary for machining the next workpiece by the machine tool MT1 at addresses [1] to [10] of the on-board magazine 22 in the tool stocker 10. . The tool carrier 11 then moves towards the machine tool MT1 to replace the tool, and is positioned at a position corresponding to the tool magazine 13, as shown in FIG. In this state, the tool changing device 23 on the tool carrier 11 moves the tool magazine 13 to the tool changing position.
First tool T to be replaced indexed to MT1P
11 into the on-vehicle magazine 22 as shown in FIG.
The address assigned to the tool change position PO

Move it to the blank space at [0]. Subsequently, the on-board magazine 22 is indexed one pitch, and the tool T1 at address [1] is indexed to the tool changing position PO, and this tool T1 is moved to the tool changing position from which the tool T11 was removed by the tool changing device 23. It is supplied to the empty space at the replacement position MT1P. After that, the tool magazine 13 is indexed and the next tool T12 to be replaced is indexed to the tool replacement position MT1P, and the above-mentioned cycle is repeated to move the tool T12 to the on-vehicle magazine 22.
The tools T2, T3, . . . and the tools T12, T13, . . . in the tool magazine 13 are replaced one after another. During such tool replacement work, other machine tools
When the tool T21 being processed in the MT2 is broken or the like and it becomes necessary to urgently replace the tool T21, an emergency tool replacement command is issued from the machine tool MT2. If such an emergency tool replacement command is issued, for example, in the state shown in FIG. The tool replacement work for MT1 was interrupted, and the tool carrier 11 replaced the broken tool T21.
Tool stocker 10 to prioritize replacement of
Drive on your own towards. At the same time, for this process, the broken tool T2 is stored in the tool stocker 10.
Spare tool T31 of the same type as 1 is at the tool exchange position
It is prepared in the TSP, and in the on-board magazine 22, the address [11] for emergency tool replacement is the tool replacement position.
Indexed to PO. When the tool carrier 11 is positioned at a position corresponding to the tool stocker 10, the spare tool T3 prepared at the tool change position TSP is removed as shown in FIG. 4C.
1 is supplied to the empty space at address [11] of the on-board magazine 22 by the tool changing device 23. Subsequently, the tool carrier 11 self-propels toward the machine tool MT2 to which the emergency tool change command has been issued, and
It is positioned at a position corresponding to the tool magazine 14. In the machine tool MT2, the broken tool T21 is indexed in advance to the tool replacement position MT2P, and the on-board magazine 22 indexes the empty space at address [5] to the tool replacement position PO to receive the tool T21.
Find out. When the tool carrier 11 is positioned at a position corresponding to the tool magazine 14, the tool changing device 23 moves the broken tool T21 from the tool changing position MT2P to the tool changing position PO, as shown in FIG. 4D. It was moved to address [5], and then the on-board magazine 2
2 is controlled to index the spare tool T31 stored at address [11] to the tool change position PO, and as shown in FIG. 4E, the spare tool T31 is indexed to the tool change position MT2P. Broken tool T2
1 is replenished into the empty space from which it was extracted. In this way, the emergency tool replacement work due to breakage, etc. is completed. Thereafter, the tool carrier 11 returns to the tool stocker 10, stores the broken tool T21 in a predetermined position in the tool stocker 10 as shown in FIG.
Return to MT1 and resume the interrupted tool replacement work. (See Figure 4, G and H.) In the above embodiment, an example was explained in which a tool is urgently replaced on a machine other than the one on which the tool is being replaced, but this can also be done on the same machine. Of course, it is something that can be obtained. As described above, according to the present invention, the on-board magazine of the tool transport vehicle that transports tools between the tool magazine and the tool stocker of a numerically controlled machine tool is provided with a tool storage section that forms a vacant space for normal tool replacement. The structure has a structure in which it is possible to distinguish between the tool magazine and the tool storage section, which is a vacant space for emergency tool replacement. Even if you need to urgently replace a tool,
It is possible to quickly replace a broken tool with a spare tool by using the empty space for emergency tool replacement, and it also has the feature that the tool carrier for the replacement can be easily controlled.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a tool transport system, Fig. 2 is a side view of the tool transport vehicle, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a tool transport system. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a replacement cycle. MT1, MT2...Machine tool, 10...Tool stocker, 11...Tool carrier, 13, 14...Tool magazine, 22...On-vehicle magazine, 23...Tool changing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A tool transport vehicle that transports tools between a tool magazine of a numerically controlled machine tool and a tool stocker that stores tools, and this tool transport vehicle has a plurality of tool storage sections that removably store a plurality of tools. and a tool changing device for exchanging tools between the on-vehicle magazine and the tool magazine and the tool stocker, the on-vehicle magazine having N tool storage sections, One of the tool storage compartments is marked with the reference numeral 25a for the home position, which forms a space for tool changing, and the other one of the tool storage compartments is marked with an emergency position symbol 25a, which forms a space for emergency tool changing. The tool carrier has a tool position code 25b and is configured to store replacement tools in the remaining N-2 tool storage sections.