KR102495718B1 - Tool change control device and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tool exchange control device and control method, and more particularly, in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles, tool magazine grippers are grouped to control tool exchange for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or workpiece damage. It relates to a tool change control device and control method of a machine tool with

Description

Tool change control device and control method {Tool change control device and method thereof}

The present invention relates to a tool exchange control device and control method, and more particularly, in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles, tool magazine grippers are grouped to control tool exchange for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or workpiece damage. It relates to a tool change control device and control method of a machine tool with

In general, a machine tool refers to a machine used for the purpose of processing a metal/non-metal workpiece into a desired shape and dimension using an appropriate tool by various cutting processing methods or non-cutting processing methods.

Various types of machine tools, including turning centers, vertical/horizontal machining centers, door type machining centers, Swiss turns, electric discharge machines, horizontal type NC boring machines, CNC lathes, and multi-tasking machines, are widely used in various industrial fields to suit the purpose of the work. It is being used.

Among machine tools, a multi-tasking machine refers to a turning center equipped with a multifunctional automatic tool changer (ATC) and tool magazine that performs various types of machining such as turning, drilling, tapping, and milling. In a multi-tasking machine, an operator loads or replaces tools necessary for machining by manually loading the tools into the tool magazine.

In general, various types of machine tools currently in use have a control panel to which numerical control (NC) or computerized numerical control (CNC) technology is applied. Such a control panel has various function switches or buttons and a monitor.

In addition, the machine tool has a table on which the material, which is a workpiece, is seated and transported for processing, a pallet for preparing the workpiece before processing, a spindle that rotates with a tool or workpiece combined, a tailstock for supporting the workpiece, etc. provide etc.

In general, in a machine tool, a table, a tool post, a main shaft, a tailstock, a resting ball, etc. are provided with a feed unit that feeds along a feed axis to perform various machining operations.

Also, in general, machine tools use a plurality of tools for various processing, and a tool magazine or a turret is used as a tool storage space for storing and storing a plurality of tools.

These machine tools use a plurality of tools for various processing, and a tool magazine is used in the form of a tool storage area for storing and storing a plurality of tools.

In addition, in general, machine tools are provided with an automatic pallet changer (APC) to minimize non-processing time. An Automatic Pallet Changer (APC) automatically exchanges pallets between the workpiece processing area and the workpiece installation area. A workpiece may be mounted on the pallet.

Also, in general, a machine tool includes an automatic tool changer (ATC) for withdrawing or re-accommodating a specific tool from a tool magazine according to a command of a numerical controller to improve productivity of the machine tool.

In general, a machining center refers to a machine tool that is equipped with an automatic tool changer and exchanges various types of tools to perform a wide range of machining that can be performed on a lathe, milling, drilling, boring machine, etc. It is divided into a vertical machining center and a horizontal machining center in which the axis is mounted vertically.

The vertical machining center consists of a bed, saddles installed on the top of the bed, a table installed on these saddles to place workpieces, a column mounted vertically on the rear of the bed, a spindle mounted on this column, and driving these spindles. A power transmission system and an electronic control system for performing and controlling operation may be provided, and an automatic tool changer, a tool magazine, and a headstock for clamping tools may be additionally provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional tool change controller 1 of a machine tool, a spindle 3 is mounted on the headstock 2 and a tool magazine 4 is mounted on both sides of the headstock 2 to the headstock (2). As the weight of 2) increases and the overall weight of the machine tool and structure increases, there is a problem in that the machine tool cannot be made smaller and lighter.

In addition, the tool change control device 1 of the conventional machine tool cannot move at high speed due to the overall weight increase as the tool magazine 4 increases, so the tool change time increases and the productivity decreases as the non-processing time increases There was a problem with

Moreover, in the case of a machine tool having a plurality of spindles 3, the tool change control device 1 of a conventional machine tool has a large size by exchanging tools for each spindle through the cam box 5 and the change arm 6. There was a problem in that the machine tool became large and the maintenance cost and time increased as the two pieces of equipment were maintained.

In addition, the tool change controller 1 of the conventional machine tool takes a lot of time to load tools into the tool magazine 4 in order to unify tools mounted on a plurality of spindles to perform the same machining at the same time, resulting in non-machining time. There is a problem in that productivity decreases with increase and causes inconvenience to workers.

In addition, in the tool change control device 1 of a conventional machine tool, when an operator fails to accurately mount a tool in the corresponding gripper in the processing sequence according to the machining program when the operator mounts the tool in the tool magazine 4, the tool is damaged and resources are lost. There was a problem in that the original purpose of maximizing productivity through simultaneous processing could not be achieved, wasting processing power, reducing processing precision.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0092326 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0051822 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0049058 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0066633 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0050174

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to group tools mounted in a tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head, the distance between the spindles, and the processing sequence of the workpiece's machining program. to control the exchange of tools attached to and detached from a plurality of spindles, and the tool magazine is integrally formed without separation to the column or saddle to perform tool exchange through an armless, thereby promoting miniaturization and age reduction of the machine tool, and An object of the present invention is to provide a tool change control device and control method capable of maximally reducing tool change time through high-speed movement and increasing productivity by reducing non-machining time.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to group tool magazine grippers in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles and control tool exchange for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or workpiece damage, thereby improving reliability and reliability of the machine tool through stable tool exchange. Tool exchange that increases stability, prevents waste of workpieces by preventing tool exchange errors when simultaneous machining is performed on a machine tool equipped with multiple spindles, promotes operator convenience, and prevents safety accidents in advance To provide a control device and control method.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a tool change control device according to the present invention includes a bed; Saddles movably installed on the bed; a column movably installed on the saddle; A spindle head unit provided with a plurality of spindles spaced apart from each other to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces and movably installed in the column; a tool magazine provided with a plurality of grippers for supplying the same tools to the plurality of spindles and formed in the column or the saddle to accommodate a plurality of tools; And according to the number of the spindles installed in the spindle head, the separation distance between the spindles, and the processing order of the machining program of the workpiece, tools mounted in the tool magazine are grouped to control the exchange of tools attached to and detached from the plurality of spindles. A control unit to do; may include.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the control unit of the tool change control device includes a processing program storage unit for storing a processing program for processing a workpiece; a grouping unit for grouping the tools installed in the tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head unit, the separation distance between the spindles, and the processing order of the workpiece processing program; a tool exchange command unit that transmits an exchange command for tools grouped according to a processing order of a plurality of workpieces through communication with the machining program storage unit and the grouping unit; and an exchange unit configured to perform tool exchange by adjusting operations of the driving unit of the tool magazine and the power generating unit of the spindle head unit according to a signal from the Singa tool exchange command unit.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the grouping unit of the control unit of the tool change control device stores spindle data for storing the number of spindles installed in the spindle head and the distance between the spindles. wealth; a calculation unit that calculates the number of grippers to be grouped based on the data stored in the spindle data storage unit and the machining program storage unit; and a determination unit that determines the order of tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group according to each spindle grouped by the calculation unit.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the grouping unit of the control unit of the tool change control device determines whether or not the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of each group are abnormal according to the order of the tools of the determination unit. A determination unit; may further include.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool exchange control device according to the present invention, the calculation unit of the grouping unit of the control unit of the tool exchange control device determines the number of tools required for machining a workpiece in the processing program stored in the processing program storage unit to set a reference value. If it exceeds, the parent group is formed by calculating the number of grippers to be grouped, and the child group is formed by recalculating the number of grippers to be grouped into the child group among the grippers grouped into the parent group. It is characterized in that the order of tools mounted on each gripper of each of the parent groups and child groups belonging to the parent group and the order of arrangement of each parent group and child groups on the tool magazine are determined.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the control unit of the tool change control device is a position data storage unit for storing tool change movement path data of the plurality of spindles when tools are exchanged by the change unit. ; may be further included.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the control unit of the tool change control device exchanges according to the tool exchange order among a plurality of grippers of a group grouped according to the spindle when the tool is exchanged by the exchange unit. It may further include a comparator that checks whether a gripper for attaching or detaching a target tool is located in the tool exchange area and whether or not the grouped gripper accommodates a tool to be exchanged.

In order to achieve another object of the present invention, a tool exchange control method according to the present invention includes the steps of storing and storing tool exchange movement path data of a spindle when a machining program and a tool are exchanged; Storing data on the number of spindles installed in the spindle head and the distance between the spindles; calculating the number of grippers to be grouped in a tool magazine by the number of spindles, the separation distance between spindles, and the machining program; determining an order of tools mounted on a plurality of grippers of a group according to each grouped spindle calculated by the calculating step; And repeatedly and sequentially mounting tools to a plurality of grippers of groups according to respective spindles grouped according to the order of tools mounted to the plurality of grippers; wherein the tool magazine is formed in a column or saddle, , A plurality of the spindles are installed spaced apart from each other in the spindle head portion to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the tool exchange control device according to the present invention, the tool exchange control method includes the steps of instructing a tool to be exchanged according to a machining program after the step of repeatedly and sequentially mounting the tools; rotating the tool magazine by operating a drive unit of the tool magazine according to a tool exchange command signal; checking whether or not a gripper for attaching or detaching a tool to be exchanged according to a tool exchange order among a plurality of grippers of a group grouped according to the spindle is located in a tool exchange area; checking whether or not the grouped gripper accommodates a tool to be replaced; and performing tool exchange by controlling an operation of the power generating unit of the spindle head unit according to a tool exchange command signal.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool exchange control device according to the present invention, the tool change control method includes, after the position check step and the tool check step, among a plurality of grippers of a group grouped according to the spindle, the tool change control method. The method may further include generating an alarm when a gripper for attaching and detaching a tool to be exchanged according to an exchange order is not located in a tool exchange area or when the grouped gripper does not accommodate a tool to be replaced.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the tool change control device according to the present invention, the tool change control method determines whether or not the order of the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle is abnormal after the tool mounting step. It may further include;

Tool exchange control device and control method according to the present invention group tools mounted in a tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head, the separation distance between spindles, and the processing order of a workpiece machining program, and attach/detach them to a plurality of spindles. As the tool magazine is integrally formed without separation in the column or saddle and tool exchange is performed through the armless, the effect of enabling high-speed movement of the movable body by promoting miniaturization and light weight of the machine tool is achieved. there is.

In addition, the tool exchange control apparatus and control method according to the present invention has an effect of improving the productivity of the machine tool according to the reduction of non-processing time by shortening the tool exchange time as much as possible through high-speed movement according to light weight and miniaturization.

Furthermore, the tool exchange control apparatus and method according to the present invention group tool magazine grippers to control tool exchange for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or workpiece damage, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the machine tool through stable tool exchange. can

In addition, the tool change control device and control method according to the present invention prevent tool change errors when simultaneous machining is performed in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles through gripper control through gripper grouping of tool change of a plurality of spindles. This prevents waste of workpieces and prevents damage or damage to tools, thereby reducing maintenance and repair costs.

In addition, the tool exchange control device and control method according to the present invention promotes operator's convenience as tools can be automatically or manually mounted sequentially according to the order of the machining program in the grouped grippers, and the tool installation process It has the effect of preventing safety accidents in advance.

1 shows a conceptual diagram of a state in which a tool magazine is mounted on a conventional machine tool.
2 shows a conceptual diagram of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 shows a side view of the tool change controller according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state before returning a tool mounted on a spindle to a tool magazine.
4 shows a side view of the tool exchange controller according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state before exchanging a tool mounted in a tool magazine to a spindle.
5 shows a configuration diagram of a control unit of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 shows a conceptual diagram of a separation distance between spindles of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 illustrates a principle of calculating the number of grippers to be grouped in the tool change controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a state in which the saddle, column, and spindle head parts of FIG. 2 are removed.
9 is a diagram illustrating an order in which tools are repeatedly and sequentially mounted on a plurality of grippers of a group according to each spindle grouped according to the order of tools mounted on a plurality of grippers in the tool change controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. represents a conceptual diagram.
10 shows a procedure diagram of a tool exchange control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to drawings. The embodiments introduced below are provided as examples to sufficiently convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other forms without being limited to the embodiments described below. And, in the drawings, the size and thickness of the device may be exaggerated for convenience. Like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the specification.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs It is provided to fully inform the holder of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification. The sizes and relative sizes of layers and regions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

Terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments, and therefore are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in a phrase. As used herein, "comprise" and/or "comprising" means that a stated component, step, operation, and/or element is the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements. or do not rule out additions.

2 shows a conceptual diagram of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state before returning a tool mounted on a spindle to a tool magazine. Figure 4 shows a side view of the tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state before exchanging a tool mounted in a tool magazine to a spindle. 5 shows a configuration diagram of a control unit of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows a conceptual diagram of a separation distance between spindles of a tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 shows a principle of calculating the number of grippers to be grouped in the tool change control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of FIG. 2 in a state in which the saddle, column, and spindle head are removed. 9 relates to an order in which tools are repeatedly and sequentially mounted on a plurality of grippers of a group according to each spindle grouped according to the order of tools mounted on a plurality of grippers in the tool change controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. represents a concept. 10 shows a procedure diagram of a tool exchange control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The definitions of terms used below are as follows. "Horizontal direction" means the horizontal direction in the same member, that is, the X-axis direction in Figs. 2 to 4, and "vertical direction" means the vertical direction in the same member while orthogonal to the horizontal direction, that is, the Y in Figs. 2 and 4 It means the axial direction, and the "height direction" means the vertical direction in the same member while orthogonal to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, that is, the Z-axis direction in FIGS. 2 and 4. In addition, upward (upper) means an upward direction in the "height direction", that is, a direction toward the top of the Z axis in FIGS. 2 and 4, and downward (lower) means a downward direction in the "height direction", that is, in FIGS. 2 and 4 4 indicates the direction toward the bottom of the Z axis. In addition, the inside means a side relatively close to the center in the same member, that is, the inside in FIGS. 2 to 4, and the outside means a relatively far side from the center in the same member, that is, outside in FIGS. 2 to 4. In addition, "front" refers to a front side of the gripper, that is, a direction toward the outer space, and "rear" refers to a rear side of the gripper, that is, a direction adjacent to the saddle or column.

A tool change control device 10 for a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9 . 2 to 4, the tool change control device 10 for a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a bed 100, a saddle 200, a column 300, and a spindle head 400 , a tool magazine 500, a control unit 600, a table 700, and a door unit 800.

The bed 100 is installed on the ground or base. The bed 100 serves as a support for processing a workpiece, and serves as a space and a support function in which parts necessary for processing a workpiece are installed.

The table 700 is installed on the bed 100, and a workpiece is seated on the table 700. Although not necessarily limited thereto, the table 700 may be formed as a fixed table or a rotary table. That is, the table 700 may move and rotate in the vertical direction, horizontal direction, and height direction from the top of the bed 100 as needed.

The saddle 200 is movably installed on the top of the bed 100. That is, the saddle 200 supports the column 300 on top of the bed 100 . In addition, the saddle 200 can be moved in the horizontal and vertical directions from the top of the bed 100 by the transfer unit.

The column 300 is movably installed on the saddle 200 . Although not necessarily limited thereto, the column 300 is installed upward in the height direction with respect to the saddle 200 . That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the column 300 may be moved in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction) or a vertical direction (Y-axis direction) from the top of the saddle 200 by the transfer unit.

The spindle head unit 400 includes a plurality of spindles installed spaced apart from each other to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces. In addition, the spindle head 400 is movably installed on the column 300 . That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the spindle head 400 is installed to be movable in a vertical direction (Y-axis direction) and a height direction (Z-axis direction). The spindle head unit 400 moves according to the operation of the power transmission unit 430 . Accordingly, the tool mounted in the gripper 540 according to the position of the gripper 540 in the tool magazine 500 and the movement of the spindle head 400 without a separate change arm and the tool mounted in the tool magazine 500 described later. can be exchanged. Although not necessarily limited thereto, the power transmission unit 430 and the above-described transfer unit may be formed of an LM guide, a ball screw, and a motor, particularly a servo motor.

The tool magazine 500 includes a plurality of grippers 540 for supplying the same tool T to a plurality of spindles, respectively. In particular, the tool magazine 500 of the tool change controller of a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed in a column or saddle to accommodate a plurality of tools. Accordingly, miniaturization and weight reduction of the machine tool can be promoted and high-speed movement of the movable body can be enabled.

The control unit 600 groups the tools mounted in the tool magazine 500 according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head unit 600 (M), the distance between the spindles (D), and the processing order of the workpiece machining program. It controls tool exchange attached to and detached from multiple spindles.

Accordingly, the tool exchange control device according to the present invention groups tool magazine grippers to control tool exchange for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or workpiece damage, thereby increasing reliability and stability of the machine tool through stable tool exchange.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the controller 600 of the tool exchange controller 10 of a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a machining program storage unit 610, a grouping unit 620, and a tool changer. It includes a command unit 630 and an exchange unit 640. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5 , the control unit 600 of the tool change controller 10 of a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a location data storage unit 650 and a comparison unit 650. there is.

A machining program for machining a workpiece is stored in the machining program storage unit 610 . That is, the machining program storage unit 610 provides a user-machine linkage interface (Human-Machine Interface) for a worker to input a machining program for machining a workpiece. A worker inputs one or more workpiece machining programs using the machining program storage unit 610 .

In addition, the part program storage unit 610 stores a reference value for the number of tools required for machining a workpiece according to the part program stored in the part program storage unit 610 . The reference value may change depending on the type of workpiece, the number of grippers installed in the corresponding tool magazine, the size of the workpiece, the number of spindles installed in the spindle head, and the separation distance between spindles. These reference values can be designated by the operator through an input unit as needed, and can be automatically calculated and stored according to the corresponding data and processing program. Based on the reference value, as will be described later, a parent group is formed by calculating the number of grippers to be gripped, and a child group is formed by recalculating the number of grippers to be grouped into a child group among the grippers grouped into the parent group. By most effectively arranging confectionary groups in relation to each other on the tool magazine, it is possible to increase workpiece processing precision and productivity, and to minimize clamping errors of tools installed in the tool magazine.

In addition, the processing program storage unit 610 includes a numerical control unit, and the numerical control unit receives the processing program stored in the processing program storage unit 610, inputs parameters for processing the workpiece, and creates a processing path. The numerical control unit includes a numerical control (NC) or a computerized numerical control (CNC), and various numerical control programs are embedded therein. That is, the numerical control unit contains a driving program of the power transmission unit 540 and the driving unit 510 of the tool magazine, a tool operation program, and the like, and the program is automatically loaded and operated according to the driving of the numerical control unit. Such a numerical control unit has a processing program storage unit 610, a grouping unit 620, a tool exchange command unit 630, an exchange unit 640, a position data storage unit 650, a comparison unit 660, and a PLC. Communication is performed by protocol.

In addition, although not shown in the drawing, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numerical control unit includes a main operation unit, and this main operation unit includes a screen display program and a data input program according to screen display selection, and the screen display It displays the software switch on the display screen according to the output of the program, recognizes the ON/OFF of the software switch, and performs the function of issuing input/output commands for machine operation.

In addition, although not necessarily limited thereto, the main operation unit is installed on a housing, a case, or one side of the machine tool and includes various function switches or buttons and a monitor capable of displaying various types of information.

The grouping unit 620 is attached to the gripper 540 of the tool magazine 500 according to the number of spindles (M) installed in the spindle head unit 400, the separation distance (D) between the spindles, and the processing order of the workpiece's machining program. Group the mounted tools (T).

The tool exchange command unit 630 transmits a tool exchange command for grouped tools according to the processing order of a plurality of workpieces through communication with the machining program storage unit 610 and the grouping unit 620 .

The exchange unit 640 performs tool exchange by controlling the operation of the drive unit 510 of the tool magazine and the power generator 430 of the spindle head unit according to a signal from the tool exchange command unit 640 .

In addition, the exchange unit 640 includes a programmable logic controller (PLC), and the PLC includes a processing program storage unit 610, a grouping unit 620, a tool exchange command unit 630, a position data storage unit 650, It performs a function of performing communication with the comparator 660 according to a predetermined protocol and executing a control command through such communication. That is, the PLC operates by receiving a control command according to a control program of the numerical control unit or the control unit 600 . In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the PLC can measure the number of revolutions and torque using the encoder 511 of the drive unit 510, and accordingly, the gripper of the grouped group of the tool magazine 500 ( 540) to detect the current position of the tool and store the tool target exchange tool according to the machining program or automatically move the gripper 540 to the tool exchange area (A) for holding the tool mounted on the first and second spindles 410 and 420. can be moved to Although not necessarily limited to this, the driving unit 510 is formed of a motor or a servo motor (SERVO MOTOR), and the driving is controlled by the PLC and the exchange unit 640. Accordingly, the present invention is easily installed and operated not only for low-cost machine tools, but also for horizontal or vertical machine tools and armless types through the exchange unit, thereby maximizing compatibility and minimizing installation costs. can

Also, although not shown in the drawings, the control unit 600 of the tool exchange control device 10 for a machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an input unit and a display unit.

The input unit is installed in the form of a switch or touch button on a control panel, etc., so that a worker can easily input the number of spindles, the separation distance between spindles, the first position P1 and the second position P2, and the like.

The display unit displays the calculation value of the calculation unit 622 of the control unit 600, the tool sequence of the determination unit 623, the determination result of the determination unit 624, the comparison result of the comparison unit 660, the currently running machining program, and the like. display Accordingly, as the operator checks the current state of the equipment with the naked eye, determines whether the equipment is abnormal, and inspects it, maintenance costs can be reduced and safety accidents can be prevented in advance.

In addition, according to the determination result of the determination unit, the display unit is not located in the tool exchange area according to the comparison result of the comparison unit or the corresponding gripper clamps the tool when the tool according to the order of the tool is not accurately mounted on the gripper of the group grouped by each spindle. If not, an alarm is displayed to alert the operator, thereby preventing workpieces from being wasted and tools from being damaged or destroyed. At this time, the alarm may be displayed in the form of a monitor, a warning sound, or a warning light. Although not necessarily limited thereto, the display unit may be composed of an LCD, LED, PDP monitor, and the like.

The position data storage unit 650 stores tool exchange movement path data of the plurality of spindles 410 and 420 when tools are exchanged by the exchange unit 640 . That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , when the tool T is mounted on the second spindle 420, the tool T is moved to the gripper 540 of the tool magazine 500 at the first position P1. ), the second spindle 420 has to move, and on the contrary, as shown in FIG. 4, in order to mount the tool T mounted on the gripper 540 of the tool magazine 500 to the second spindle 420 2 The spindle 420 should be moved to the second position (P2), and the optimal first position (P1) to prevent damage to equipment or workpieces while maximizing productivity by reducing non-machining time by minimizing this movement path ) and the second position P2 can be designated by an operator arbitrarily manipulating them according to each type of equipment, type of processing, or size of a workpiece.

The comparator 660 checks whether the gripper for attaching or detaching the tool to be exchanged according to the tool exchange order among the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle during tool exchange by the exchange unit 640 is located in the tool exchange area A. and a comparison unit 660 that checks whether or not the gripper grouped holds the tool to be replaced.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 , whether a gripper for attaching or detaching a tool to be exchanged according to a tool exchange sequence is located in the tool exchange area A is performed by the positioning unit 520 . The positioning unit 520 is installed on the support frame of the tool magazine and fixes the gripper 540 so that the gripper does not move during tool exchange in the tool exchange area A. That is, the positioning unit 520 increases the accuracy of the tool position during tool exchange in the tool exchange area A so that the gripper 540 located in the tool exchange area is fixed and does not move, and the first and second spindles It is installed in the tool change area (A) to prevent the gripper 540 from moving or shaking during tool change due to the movement of (410, 420) to promote accurate tool change and to improve the reliability of the machine tool. As such, accurate positioning of the gripper 520 is possible by the positioning unit 520, so that processing precision and stability can be maximized.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 , whether or not the grouped gripper accommodates the tool to be replaced is performed by the tool existence check unit 530 . The tool existence confirmation unit 530 is installed in the support frame of the tool magazine 500 on the tool exchange area A and checks whether the tool is stored in the gripper 540 placed at the current tool exchange position in the tool exchange area. This prevents collision with the first and second spindles 41 and 420 during tool exchange. Therefore, it is possible to reduce maintenance cost and time due to damage of the spindle and to prevent safety accidents in advance.

2 to 10, it is illustrated that two spindles, a first spindle 410 and a second spindle 420, are installed in the spindle head 400, but it is not necessarily limited thereto, and three or more spindles may be used as needed. can be formed Preferably, 2 to 10 spindles may be formed.

In addition, when the spindle of the spindle head unit 400 is formed of a plurality of two or more of the first spindle 410 and the second spindle 420, tool exchange of the first and second spindles 410 and 420 is performed in a tool magazine. It is made in the straight line area of (500). That is, in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles, the support frame of the tool magazine 500 must have a straight area, and the tool exchange area A where tools are exchanged is located in this straight area. This is because tools cannot be exchanged at the same time due to space limitations and interference when a plurality of spindles are formed when the support frame is formed only with curved portions (eg, circular shapes).

A tool change operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , when the tool T is mounted on the first spindle 410 and the second spindle 420, the spindle moves to the first position P1, and at this time, by the control unit 600 The gripper 540 of the tool magazine 500 is rotated by the drive unit 510 so that the gripper 540 for accommodating tools mounted on the first and second spindles 410 and 420 is located in the tool changing area A. will do Thereafter, after checking whether the gripper 540 is located in the tool exchange area A and whether the gripper 540 is gripping the tool in the comparison unit 660, if there is no problem, the door unit 800 opens. , the first and second spindles move in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction). (Right direction in FIG. 3 ) Accordingly, the tools mounted on the first and second spindles 410 and 420 are clamped to the grouped grippers. Thereafter, the first and second spindles 410 and 420 move upward in the height direction (Z-axis direction), and the gripper clamping the tool to be mounted on the first and second spindles by the control unit 600 changes the tool. move into the area. Thereafter, the first and second spindles move downward in the height direction, simultaneously clamp the tool T, and again move in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction), and the door part 800 is closed (left direction in FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 4 , when the tool T is not mounted on the first spindle 410 and the second spindle 420, the spindle moves to the second position P2 and is controlled by the control unit 600. The gripper clamping the tools to be mounted on the 1st and 2nd spindles moves to the tool change area. Thereafter, after checking whether the gripper 540 is located in the tool exchange area A and whether the gripper 540 is gripping the tool in the comparison unit 660, if there is no problem, the door unit 800 opens. , The first and second spindles move in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) (rightward direction in FIG. 4), and then the first and second spindles clamp the tool while moving downward in the height direction (Z-axis direction). After that, the first and second spindles move again in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) and the door unit 800 is closed (left direction in FIG. 4).

At this time, the second position P2 is located at a higher position in the height direction than the first position P1.

Maintenance cost and time can be reduced by preventing the tool, the gripper 540, and the tool magazine waiting by the door unit 800 from being contaminated by impurities, cutting oil, and chips.

As shown in FIG. 5, the grouping unit 620 of the control unit 600 of the tool change controller 10 of the machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a spindle data storage unit 621 and a calculation unit 622 , a decision unit 623, and a decision unit 624.

The spindle data storage unit 621 stores data on the number of spindles installed in the spindle head unit 400 (M) and the distance between spindles (D).

The calculation unit 622 calculates the number (N) of grippers to be grouped based on the data stored in the spindle data storage unit and the machining program storage unit.

The determination unit 623 determines the order of tools mounted on the plurality of grippers 540 of the groups G1 and G2 according to each spindle grouped by the calculation unit 622 .

The determination unit 624 determines whether or not the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers 540 of each group G1 and G2 are abnormal according to the order of the tools of the determination unit 623 .

As described above, the tool change control device for a machine tool according to the present invention prevents tool change errors when simultaneous machining is performed in a machine tool having a plurality of spindles through gripper control through gripper grouping for tool change of a plurality of spindles. to prevent waste of workpieces, and to reduce maintenance and repair costs by preventing breakage or damage to tools, and to automatically or manually mount tools sequentially according to the order of the machining program in the grouped grippers. As a result, it is possible to promote the convenience of workers and prevent safety accidents that may occur in the process of installing tools and accidents that may occur during processing.

In addition, the calculation unit 622 of the grouping unit 620 of the control unit 600 calculates the number of tools required for machining a workpiece according to the processing program stored in the processing program storage unit 610 as the reference value stored in the processing program storage unit 610. If it exceeds , the parent group (G) is formed by calculating the number of grippers to be grouped, and the number of grippers to be grouped into a child group among the grippers grouped into the parent group (G) is recalculated to form a child group (G'). form

In addition, the determining unit 623 of the grouping unit 620 of the control unit 600 determines the order of tools mounted on each gripper of each parent group G and each of the child groups belonging to the corresponding parent group and each parent group and child group. The arrangement order on the tool magazine 500 is determined, and the corresponding tool is clamped to the corresponding gripper.

That is, the calculation unit calculates the number of grippers to be grouped by the calculation unit based on the reference value for the number of tools required for machining the workpiece in the machining program stored in the machining program storage unit 610, and if the reference value is exceeded, the parent group is formed. and each child group is formed by recalculating the number of grippers to be grouped into child groups belonging to each parent group among the grippers grouped into the corresponding parent group. Specifically, for example, when two parent groups are required according to the number of grippers to be grouped, two parent groups (G1 and G2) are primarily formed, and among the grippers grouped into the first parent group (G1), the child of the first parent group is formed. The number of grippers to be grouped into groups is recalculated to secondarily form the 1st-1st and 1-2nd child groups (G1', G1''), and among the grippers grouped into the second parent group (G2) in the same way. The number of grippers to be grouped into the first parent group chair group is recalculated to secondarily form the 2-1 and 2-2 child groups (G2', G2'').

Thereafter, the determination unit determines the order of tools mounted on each gripper of each parent group (G) and child groups belonging to the parent group and the order in which each parent group and child group are arranged on the tool magazine 500, and finally As shown in FIG. 9, the corresponding tool is clamped to the corresponding gripper.

That is, the decision unit determines the first parent group (G) and the corresponding 1-1, 1-2 child groups (G1', G1'') and the second parent group (G) and the corresponding 2-1, 2-2 , 2-3 child groups (G2', G2'') are optimized by considering the workpiece processing time, processing order, number of grippers installed in the tool magazine, size and type of workpiece, distance between spindles, etc. will be placed in the state of Specifically, as an example, the first parent group G1 is disposed in the tool magazine, the second parent group G2 is disposed adjacent to the tool magazine, and the 1-1 child group G1' is disposed adjacent to the second parent group G2. and the 2-1st child group G2' is disposed adjacent to the 1-1st child group. In the same manner, the 1-2nd child group G1'' is disposed adjacent to the 2-1st child group G', and the 2-2nd child group G2'' is disposed adjacent to it.

At this time, when T1 and T2 are mounted on the first parent group G1, T1 and T2 are equally mounted on the second parent group G2, and T3 and T4 are installed on the 1-1 child group G1' in the same way. When is installed, T3 and T4 are installed in the 2-1st child group (G2'). In addition, when T5 and T6 are mounted to the 1st-2nd child group G1'' in the same manner, T5 and T6 are mounted to the 2nd-2nd child group G2''.

Therefore, even when machining a workpiece that requires a long process requiring a large number of tools, multiple spindles can perform simultaneous machining through grouping of the parent group and child group, improving productivity by reducing machining time and installing tools by workers. It can improve worker satisfaction by solving difficulties, prevent waste of resources by preventing damage to workpieces or tools due to tool installation errors, and maximize reliability and safety of machine tools.

The grouping method and principle of the gripper 540 of the tool magazine 500 by the grouping unit 620 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the distance D between spindles installed in the spindle head unit 400 is stored in the spindle data storage unit 621 . As shown in FIG. 6, with two spindles, the distance between the central axis B of the first spindle 410 and the central axis C of the second spindle 420 is D/(M-1), where M is 2 as the number of spindles. The total distance D between the spindles is entered as a fixed value according to each device, machining program, processing type, and workpiece type through an input unit by the operator. The length of grippers to be grouped is determined according to the distance between spindles, and this length is calculated by the distance (D/N(M-1)) between adjacent grippers (grippers 1 and 2 in FIG. 7). That is, this is because the corresponding grippers must be grouped within the same distance as the distance between spindles so that the same tool can be exchanged while mounting the same tool on each spindle according to the machining order. If this is not the case, different tools are mounted on the first spindle and the second spindle.

If M 2 and D are 100, the quantity N of the grouped grippers becomes 4. That is, in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first group of grippers 540-1, 540-2, 540-3, and 540-4 is four, and the second group of grippers 540-5 is the first group of grippers ( 540-1) must be clamped to perform the same machining at the same time. Accordingly, the tool T1 clamped by the 540-1 gripper and the tool T2 clamped by the 540-5 gripper are the same tool.

When the number N of grippers to be grouped calculated by the calculation unit 622 is determined, the plurality of grippers 540 of the groups G1 and G2 according to each spindle grouped in the determination unit 623 are mounted. Determine the order of tools. That is, as shown in FIG. 9 , gripper No. 1 of the first group G and gripper No. 5 of the second group G2, gripper No. 2 of the first group G and gripper No. 6 of the second group G2 Gripper No. 3 of the first group (G), gripper No. 6 of the second group (G2), gripper No. 4 of the first group (G) and gripper No. 8 of the second group (G2) are the same tools. (T1, T2, T3, T4) must be installed.

Accordingly, when the order of tools is determined by the decision unit 623, the operator or automatically drives the driving unit 510 of the tool magazine 500 to mount the tool T1 to the gripper No. 1 (FIG. 9 ①), and then Mount the tool (T1) on the gripper (Fig. 9 ②). Then, sequentially mount the tool (T2) on the gripper No. 2 (Fig. 9 ③), and then mount the tool (T2) on the gripper No. 6 (Fig. 9). 9 ④) Then, sequentially mount the tool (T3) on the gripper No. 3 (Fig. 9 ⑤), and then mount the tool (T3) on the gripper No. 7 (Fig. 9 ⑥). T4) (Fig. 9 ⑦), and then mount the tool (T4) on the No. 8 gripper (Fig. 9 ⑧).

Therefore, the tool exchange control device and control method according to the present invention promotes operator's convenience by automatically or manually sequentially mounting tools to the grouped grippers according to the order of the machining program, and prevents occurrence during the tool mounting process. Safety accidents can be prevented in advance and processing precision and reliability can be maximized.

Referring to FIG. 10, a tool exchange control method for a machine tool according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the tool exchange control method of the machine tool includes a process program and tool exchange movement path data storage step (S1), a spindle related data storage step (S2), a gripper quantity calculation step to be grouped (S3), tool Sequence determination step (S4), tool mounting step (S5), tool order abnormality determination step (S6), exchange target tool command step (S7), tool magazine rotation step (S8), tool exchange area location check step (S9) , a step of checking whether a tool to be replaced by the gripper is stored (S10), and a tool exchange (S11).

In the machining program storage unit 610, the machining program and the tool exchange movement path data of the spindle during tool exchange are stored in the position data storage unit 650.

After the process program and tool exchange movement path data storage step (S1), the number of spindles (M) installed in the spindle head unit 400 and the distance between spindles (D) are stored in the spindle data storage unit 621. do.

After the spindle-related data storage step (S2), the calculation unit 622 calculates the number of spindles (M), the separation distance (D) between spindles, and the quantity (N) of grippers to be grouped in the tool magazine by the machining program. That is, as described above, the number N of grippers to be grouped in the tool magazine is calculated by the same method as shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 .

After the step of calculating the number of grippers to be grouped (S3), the determining unit 623 determines the order of tools to be mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group according to each of the grouped spindles calculated in the calculating unit 622.

After the tool order determination step (S4), the tools are repeatedly and sequentially mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group according to each spindle grouped according to the order of the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers. That is, as described above, while mounting the same tool to the gripper corresponding to the same position on the group in the same way as the method described in FIGS. 6 to 9, tool installation time is reduced, and productivity is increased by preventing errors and user convenience maximize

The tool magazine 500 is formed in the column 300 or the saddle 200, and a plurality of spindles are installed in the spindle head 400 to be spaced apart from each other to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces.

After the tool mounting step (S5), the determination unit 624 determines whether or not the order of the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle is abnormal. As a result of the determination as described above, if there is an error in the tool sequence, an alarm is generated through the display unit.

After the step of determining whether or not there is an error in the tool sequence (S6), a tool to be replaced is commanded from the tool exchange command unit 630 according to the processing program stored in the processing program storage unit 610.

After the exchange target tool command step (S7), the tool magazine is rotated by operating the drive unit 510 of the tool magazine 500 according to the tool exchange command signal.

After the step of rotating the tool magazine (S8), it is checked by the positioning unit 520 whether the gripper for attaching or detaching the tool to be exchanged according to the tool exchange order among the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle is located in the tool exchange area. The result is received and the comparison unit 660 checks it.

After the tool exchange area position check step (S9), the comparison unit 660 checks whether or not the grouped grippers contain the tool to be exchanged by receiving the result of the tool existence check unit 530.

After the step of checking whether a tool to be replaced by the gripper is stored (S10), among a plurality of grippers in a group grouped according to the spindle, the gripper for attaching and detaching the tool to be replaced according to the tool exchange order is not located in the tool exchange area, or the grouped gripper is exchanged. When the target tool is not stored, an alarm is generated through the display unit.

After the alarm generation step, tool exchange is performed by controlling the operation of the power generating unit of the spindle head unit according to the tool exchange command signal.

The method and principle of the grouping method, the method of mounting tools on the grippers of each group grouped according to the order of the tools, and the alarm display are omitted in detail in the tool change controller of the machine tool, and will be omitted below.

Therefore, the tool exchange control method according to the present invention groups tools mounted in a tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head, the separation distance between the spindles, and the processing order of the workpiece machining program, and attaches to and detaches from a plurality of spindles. Tool exchange is controlled, and the tool magazine is formed integrally with the column or saddle without separation, and tool exchange is performed through the armless, thereby promoting the miniaturization and light weight of the machine tool, enabling high-speed movement of the movable body, and the tool magazine By grouping grippers, tool exchange is controlled for each spindle to prevent tool breakage or damage to workpieces, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of machine tools through stable tool exchange.

In the detailed description of the present invention described above, it has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, but those skilled in the art or those having ordinary knowledge in the art will find the scope of the present invention described in the claims to be described later. It will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and technical scope. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

1: conventional tool change control device, 2: headstock,
3: spindle, 4: tool magazine,
5: cam box, 6: change arm,
10: tool change controller, 100: bed,
200: saddle, 300: column,
400: spindle head, 410: first spindle,
420: second spindle, 430: power generator,
500: tool magazine, 510: driving unit,
511: encoder, 520: position confirmation unit,
530: tool presence check unit, 540: gripper,
600: control unit, 610: processing program storage unit,
620: grouping unit, 621: spindle data storage unit,
622: calculation unit, 623: determination unit,
624: judgment unit, 630: tool exchange command unit,
640: exchange unit, 650: location data storage unit,
660: comparison unit, 700: table,
800: door part, A: tool exchange area,
B: first spindle central axis, C: second spindle central axis,
D: Separation distance between spindles, G: Group,
M: number of spindles, N: number of grippers to be grouped,
P1: first position, P2: second position,
T: Tool.

Claims (11)

bed;
Saddles movably installed on the bed;
a column movably installed on the saddle;
A spindle head unit provided with a plurality of spindles spaced apart from each other to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces and movably installed in the column;
a tool magazine provided with a plurality of grippers for supplying the same tools to the plurality of spindles and formed in the column or the saddle to accommodate a plurality of tools; and
Controlling the exchange of tools attached to and detached from the plurality of spindles by grouping tools mounted in the tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head, the distance between the spindles, and the processing order of the machining program of the workpiece Including; control unit;
The control unit,
a processing program storage unit for storing a processing program for processing a workpiece;
a grouping unit for grouping the tools installed in the tool magazine according to the number of spindles installed in the spindle head unit, the separation distance between the spindles, and the processing order of the workpiece processing program;
a tool exchange command unit that transmits an exchange command for tools grouped according to a processing order of a plurality of workpieces through communication with the machining program storage unit and the grouping unit; and
and an exchange unit that performs tool exchange by controlling the operation of the driving unit of the tool magazine and the power generating unit of the spindle head unit according to a signal from the Singa tool exchange command unit.
delete According to claim 1,
The grouping unit of the control unit,
a spindle data storage unit which stores data on the number of spindles installed in the spindle head unit and the distance between the spindles;
a calculation unit that calculates the number of grippers to be grouped based on the data stored in the spindle data storage unit and the machining program storage unit; and
and a determination unit which determines an order of tools mounted on a plurality of grippers of a group according to each spindle grouped by the calculation unit.
According to claim 3,
The grouping unit of the control unit,
The tool exchange control device of claim 1 , further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of each group are abnormal according to the order of the tools of the determination unit.
According to claim 4,
The calculation unit of the grouping unit of the control unit,
When the number of tools required for machining a workpiece in the machining program stored in the machining program storage unit exceeds the reference value, a parent group is formed by calculating the number of grippers to be grouped, and the grippers grouped into the parent group are grouped into subgroups. The number of grippers to be recalculated to form a child group,
The determination unit of the grouping unit of the control unit,
and determining the order of tools mounted on each gripper of each of the parent groups and child groups belonging to the corresponding parent group and the order of disposing each parent group and child group on the tool magazine.
According to claim 4,
The control unit,
and a position data storage unit for storing tool exchange movement path data of the plurality of spindles when a tool is exchanged by the exchange unit.
According to claim 4,
The control unit,
At the time of tool exchange by the exchange unit, it is determined whether or not the gripper for attaching and detaching the tool to be exchanged according to the tool exchange order among the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle is located in the tool exchange area, and that the grouped gripper holds the tool to be exchanged. The tool exchange control device further comprising a comparison unit for checking whether or not it is stored.
A step of storing a tool exchange movement path data of a spindle when a machining program and a tool are exchanged;
Storing data on the number of spindles installed in the spindle head and the distance between the spindles;
calculating the number of grippers to be grouped in a tool magazine by the number of spindles, the separation distance between spindles, and the machining program;
determining an order of tools mounted on a plurality of grippers of a group according to each grouped spindle calculated by the calculating step; and
Repeatedly and sequentially mounting tools to a plurality of grippers of a group according to each spindle grouped according to the order of tools mounted to the plurality of grippers;
The tool change control method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool magazine is formed in a column or a saddle, and a plurality of spindles are installed spaced apart from each other in the spindle head to simultaneously process a plurality of workpieces.
According to claim 8,
After the step of repeatedly and sequentially mounting the tool,
Commanding a tool to be replaced according to the machining program;
rotating the tool magazine by operating a drive unit of the tool magazine according to a tool exchange command signal;
checking whether or not a gripper for attaching or detaching a tool to be exchanged according to a tool exchange order among a plurality of grippers of a group grouped according to the spindle is located in a tool exchange area;
checking whether or not the grouped gripper accommodates a tool to be replaced; and
and performing tool exchange by controlling the operation of the power generating unit of the spindle head unit according to a tool exchange command signal.
According to claim 9,
After the position confirmation step and the step of checking whether or not the tool is stored,
An alarm is generated when a gripper for attaching and detaching a tool to be exchanged according to the tool exchange sequence among a plurality of grippers of a group grouped according to the spindle is not located in the tool exchange area or the grouped gripper does not accommodate a tool to be exchanged Tool change control method characterized in that it further comprises a; step.
According to claim 10,
After performing the tool change,
The tool exchange control method further comprising the step of determining whether or not the order of the tools mounted on the plurality of grippers of the group grouped according to the spindle is out of order.

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