KR20080058589A - Automatic tool changer of machining center - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic tool changer of a machining center is provided to shorten a tool replacement time and to improve operation performance by moving a waiting pot in the forward and rearward directions. An automatic tool changer of a machining center comprises a tool pickup unit(100), a waiting pot(20), and a tool changer swivel unit(500). The tool pickup unit takes out a tool installed on a tool port(11) of a tool magazine(10). The waiting pot has an opening section to receive tools supplied thereto from the tool pickup unit. The waiting port is connected to a cylinder(30) to move in the forward and rearward directions in parallel to the tool pot. The tool changer swivel unit grips the tool received in the waiting pot using a changer arm(54) and then places the tool on a spindle(60).

Description

Automatic Tool Changer in Machining Centers {Automatic Tool Changer of Machining Center}

The following drawings, which are attached in this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the present invention, serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention. It should not be construed as limited to.

1 is a perspective view of an automatic tool changer of a machining center according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, showing a state before tool change. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 1 showing a state before tool reworking. FIG.

Figure 4 is an operation of the tool changer swivel unit applied to the present invention is completed 90 degrees turning.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: Tool Magazine

12: Gripper Up / Down Cylinder

16: gripper forward and backward cylinder

18: Gripper

20: Waiting Pot

30: Standby port forward and backward cylinder

50: Main Changer Assembly

51: Hinge Shaft

52: Changer Body

53: cylinder for changer body swivel

54: Changer Arm

56: Main Changer In / Out Cylinder

The present invention relates to an automatic tool changer (ATC) of a machining center, and more particularly, to an automatic tool changer of a machining center in which a main changer assembly is rotated 90 degrees to perform tool change. It is about.

In the machining center, which is a conventional workpiece cutting machine, when the waiting port equipped with the tool turns 90 degrees and comes to the main changer, the changer arm rotates at an angle from the horizontal state so that the changer arm bites the waiting tool and exchanges the tool. .

At this time, the problem is that the overall tool change time is increased by performing intermittent operation by changing the tool by rotating the changer arm after the standby port turns.

In addition, since the position of the standby port should be located at the position corresponding to the height of the machine, large equipment has a considerable difficulty in installation space and repair.

Therefore, the present invention was created in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the standby port 90 degree turning method was changed to the standby port forward and backward method and the changer body 90 degree turning method to shorten the tool change time and the operability. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic tool changer of a machining center to minimize the installation space by not having a standby port located on the upper part of the tool magazine.

Specific means of the present invention for achieving the above object,

An apparatus for automatically replacing a tool mounted on a tool magazine with a spindle,

A tool pick-up unit for taking out a tool mounted on a tool port of the tool magazine;

A standby port open to one side to receive the tool supplied by the tool pick-up unit to be stored therein, and connected to a standby port forward and backward cylinder to move forward and backward in parallel with the tool port;

It characterized in that it comprises a tool changer swivel unit that is rotated 90 degrees in the swivel operation after holding the tool received in the waiting port with a changer arm to position the main shaft.

Also according to the invention,

The tool pickup unit,

A gripper for holding a tool mounted on a tool magazine;

A gripper up / down cylinder for operating the gripper up / down to take out a tool from a tool port;

And a gripper forward / reverse cylinder for moving the gripper holding the tool to the standby port.

Also according to the invention,

The tool changer swivel unit,

A changer body positioned between the standby port and the main shaft and rotatably supported by a hinge shaft;

A changer arm for holding a tool stored in the waiting port;

A main changer assembly installed on the changer body so as to be slidably moveable, and the changer arm performing a tool exchange operation by using the bite of the rack and the pinion gear;

A main changer in / out cylinder mounted to the changer body to slide the main changer assembly;

A hinge is installed on the frame side of the tool magazine, characterized in that it comprises a changer body swivel cylinder for rotating the changer body 90 degrees.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of an automatic tool changer of a machining center according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 before a tool change, FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 4 is an operation diagram in which the tool changer swivel unit applied to the present invention is rotated 90 degrees.

The present invention is an apparatus for automatically replacing the tool mounted on the tool magazine 10 to the spindle 60 as shown in Figures 1 to 4.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a tool pick-up unit 100 for taking out a tool mounted on the tool port 11 of the tool magazine 10 is provided. The tool pickup unit 100 is installed on the frame side of the tool magazine 10.

The tool pick-up unit 100 is a gripper 18 for holding a tool 200 mounted on a tool magazine 10 and an up / down operation of the gripper 18 to carry out a tool port. The gripper up / down cylinders 12 taken out from (11) and the gripper forward / reverse cylinders 16 for moving the gripper 18 holding the tool to the standby port 20 It is configured to include.

Accordingly, the gripper 18 takes out the tool mounted on the tool port 11 while moving in the Y-axis direction by the gripper up / down cylinder 12. In addition, the gripper 18 moves the gripped tool to the position where the standby port 20 is located while the gripper 18 moves forward and backward by the gripper forward and backward cylinders 16.

The tool supplied by the gripper 18 of the tool pickup unit 100 is accommodated in the standby port 20. The standby port 20 has an opening 21 opened to one side, and is connected to the standby port forward and backward cylinder 30 to move forward and backward in a direction parallel to the tool port 11 (Y-axis direction). .

The tool changer swivel unit 500 is provided to hold the tool accommodated in the standby port 20 with the changer arm 54 and rotate the tool 90 in the swivel operation to position the main shaft 60.

The tool changer swivel unit 500 is located between the standby port 20 and the main shaft 60, the changer body 52 rotatably supported by the hinge shaft 51, and the standby port 20 A changer arm 54 for holding a tool housed in the main body and a changeable body installed on the changer body 52 so that the changer arm 54 performs a tool exchange operation by using a bite between the rack and the pinion gear. A changer assembly 50, a main changer in / out cylinder 56 mounted on the changer body 52 to slide the main changer assembly 50, and the tool magazine 10. Is installed on the frame side of the hinge is configured to include a changer body swivel cylinder 53 for rotating the changer body 52 by 90 degrees.

In the main changer assembly 50 the pinion gear is provided on the arm rotation axis of the changer arm 54 and the rack is configured in the rack cylinder device. Accordingly, when the rack cylinder device is driven, the changer arm 54 rotates 180 degrees by rotating the arm rotation shaft by linearly moving the rack and rotating the pinion gear.

The operation of the present invention configured as described above is performed as follows.

When the tool change command falls, the tool magazine 10 for storing a tool rotates to find a desired tool 200. When the tool magazine 10 finds the desired tool, the gripper back and forth cylinder 16 moves forward (A direction) in FIG. 1 so that the gripper 18 bites the tool held by the tool magazine 10.

Next, the tool is detached from the tool magazine 10 by the raising operation (C direction) of the gripper up / down cylinder 12.

Next, the tool is seated on the standby port 20 in the E direction by the second forward operation of the gripper forward and backward cylinders 16 (A direction) and the gripper up / down cylinder 12 (D direction). Will be in a state.

The gripper back and forth cylinder 16 then operates in the B direction to return the gripper 18 to its original position.

Then, the changer arm 54, which is interconnected to the main changer assembly 50 by the in operation (G direction) of the main changer in / out cylinder 56, is located in the standby port 20. The tool bites.

Then, the tool is detached from the standby port 20 while the tool is bitten by the changer arm 54 in the reverse direction (E direction) of the standby port forward and backward cylinders 30.

Then, the hinge axis 51 is rotated to the center of rotation by the forward movement (I direction) of the rotating cylinder 53 while leaving the tool change interference area by the out operation (H direction) of the main changer in / out cylinder 56. As a result, the changer arm 54 is rotated 90 degrees together with the changer body 52. (See FIG. 4).

Then, the tool (machining tool) already bitten by the main shaft 60 is bitten by the processing tool on the other side of the changer arm 54 by moving back and forth or left and right of the main shaft 60 and the main shaft 60 retreats. You are ready to receive the waiting tool.

Then, the main changer assembly 50 using the rack and pinion gear system is rotated 180 degrees to prepare for tool change.

The spindle 60 then advances again, causing the tool to clamp onto the spindle 60 and simultaneously move in the opposite direction to where the tool magazine 10 is located (ie, the spindle 60 moves to the right). do.

Then, the changer body swivel cylinder 53 is operated in the opposite direction (J direction) so that the changer arm 54 including the changer body 52 also rotates 90 degrees with the hinge axis 51 as the rotation center. In situ, a series of tool changes are made.

As described above, the automatic tool changer of the present invention has the side of the standby port 20 open and the rear portion of the tool mounted to the changer arm 54 because the standby port 20 is out of the interference zone by the reverse operation. The length out of (20) can be shortened. In addition, the 90 ° turning radius of the changer body 52 is also reduced to shorten the tool change time.

In addition, by changing the changer arm 54 by a rack and pinion method 180 degrees it is possible to configure a tool changer at a lower price than the cam drive method.

As described above, although the present invention has been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the technical idea of the present invention and the following by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of the claims to be described.

As described above, according to the automatic tool changer of the machining center of the present invention, the tool change time is shortened by changing the air port 90 degree turning method to the standby port forward and backward method and the changer body 90 degree turning method. Improved operability and no stand-by port on top of the tool magazine facilitates installation and maintenance.

Claims (4)

In the device for automatically replacing the tool mounted on the tool magazine 10 to the spindle 60, A tool pick-up unit (100) for taking out a tool mounted on the tool port (11) of the tool magazine (10); The air port is opened to one side to hold the tool supplied by the tool pickup unit 100 to receive the air, and is connected to the air port forward and backward cylinder 30 to move forward and backward in parallel with the tool port 11. 20); Automatic tool changer of the machining center comprising a tool changer swivel unit 500 for holding the tool received in the standby port 20 with the changer arm 54 and then rotating and positioning the tool in the main shaft 60. . The method of claim 1, The tool pickup unit 100, A gripper 18 for holding a tool mounted on the tool magazine 10; A gripper up / down cylinder (12) for operating the gripper (18) up / down to take out a tool from the tool port; And a gripper forward / reverse cylinder (16) for moving the gripper (18) holding the tool to the standby port (20). The method of claim 1, The tool changer swivel unit 500, A changer body 52 positioned between the standby port 20 and the main shaft 60 so as to be rotatably supported by the hinge shaft 51; A changer arm (54) for holding a tool stored in the standby port (20); A main changer assembly (50) installed on the changer body (52) so as to be slidably movable and performing a tool change operation using the changer arm (54); A main changer in / out cylinder (56) mounted to the changer body (52) for slidingly moving the main changer assembly (50); The tool magazine (10) is hinged on the frame side of the automatic tool changer of the machining center, characterized in that it comprises a changer body swivel cylinder (53) for rotating the changer body 52 by 90 degrees. The method of claim 3, wherein The main changer assembly (50) is an automatic tool changer of the machining center, characterized in that for changing the tool using the change of the changer arm (54) rack and pinion gear.

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