WO2011010060A1

WO2011010060A1 - Machine tool for machining spacer plates, and corresponding working methods

Info

Publication number: WO2011010060A1
Application number: PCT/FR2010/051525
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Paul Assie
Original assignee: Comau France
Priority date: 2009-07-20
Filing date: 2010-07-20
Publication date: 2011-01-27
Also published as: FR2948046A1; FR2948046B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine tool (M) for machining a spacer plate (P), characterized in that the machine tool comprises, on a single frame (100), at least two plate-receiving stations (200 and 300) that receive said plates and are capable of placing the latter in a vertical position, and a boring module (500) engaging with at least one of the stations (200) and bores the vertically positioned plate (P), the second station (300) being placed beside the first such that the plate (P) can move from one station to the other, a broaching operation being carried out on said second station (300) such that the return of the broach(es) of the broaching station can be carried out during the boring of the plate on the first station, the plate moving from one station to the other. The invention also relates to various working methods implemented on said machine tool. The invention can be used for making spacer plates.

Description

SPARE MACHINE MACHINE-TOOL AND PROCESSES

CORRESPONDING WORK

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of machining and especially to adaptations to perform in the best conditions the machining of a plurality of openings in very large plates. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The spacer plates of a steam generator of a nuclear reactor are an example of the parts concerned by the invention. These plates are circular, have large dimensions (diameter of several meters) and are traversed by a very large number of openings (several thousand). These openings are likely to have a specific profile and are conventionally made by the succession of a drilling operation and a broaching operation.

The manufacture of such plates encounters several disadvantages, among them:

- the intervention of civil engineering skills,

- the handling of the non-machined or machined plate,

the preparation time of said plate for positioning and clamping,

the fact that the machine tools carrying out the two operations are separate requiring transfer means,

- the floor area taken by existing machine tools,

the change of tools frequently required for the realization of thousands of holes,

the positioning constraints of the distances between the holes to be respected,

- the number of operators' interventions, a chip evacuation made difficult by the horizontal position of the part during the drilling operation,

- etc ...

There are devices in the prior art involved in different phases of manufacture of this plate.

Thus, for example, the document KR100863131 describes a machine tool for machining a spacer type plate comprising a plate receiving station accommodating the latter and capable of arranging it in a vertical position and a drilling module co-operating with this station and ensuring the drilling of the plate in vertical position.

This machine tool only ensures the drilling of the openings and does not offer other operations or another docking station solidarity of the same frame.

The document EP 0650794 describes a machine tool for broaching said previously pierced openings. This machine tool is remarkable in that it has two pinning stations so that by moving the plate from one station to another. the broaching can be performed on a first station simultaneously with the spindle return operations on the second station. Only stitching is considered in this document.

In combination with these drilling and broaching operations, washing, control and deburring operations are conventionally performed after drilling. In addition, a control operation is also performed after the broaching operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

On the basis of this fact, the applicant conducted research aimed at optimizing the facilities involved in the manufacture of these plates. In addition, new processes have also been devised on the basis of of these facilities.

Thus one of the objectives of the invention is to bring together on a single machine almost all manufacturing operations.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate substantially all existing intermediate operations between drilling and broaching operations.

According to the invention, the machine tool for machining a spacer type plate is remarkable in that it comprises

on the same frame,

at least two plate receiving stations accommodating the latter and equipped with kinematics for placing them in a vertical position,

a drilling module cooperating with at least one of the stations and ensuring the piercing of the plate in a vertical position,

the second station being arranged next to the first one so that the plate can move from one station to the other, a broaching operation being performed on this second station so that the return of the pin or pins pinning station can be achieved during the drilling of the plate on the first station, the plate moving from one station to another.

This feature is particularly advantageous in that it proposes to perform on the same frame several operations at the same time. In addition, it allows these operations in vertical position which will facilitate the evacuation of chips.

The machine tool of the invention combines on the same frame the two functional modules necessary for machining the plate namely drilling and broaching, which allows the applicant to propose the innovative process of making a number limited drilling on the workpiece on a first station and then move the workpiece to the second station for the purpose of broaching holes newly drilled. This method, where the pinout is associated with another operation, makes it possible to carry out the pin return operations in masked time.

This method does not constitute a simple adaptation of the machine tools and work processes of the prior art. Indeed, the working method of such a machine tool does not consist in the realization of all the holes and then in the realization of the pinning but to the realization of a limited number of piercing and broaching this number limited drilling just completed.

Thus, the broaching will use the holes that will serve as references to broaching. In addition, the broaching will deburr the holes just made to have a clean plate during the next drilling operations.

The technical effects of the presence of a piercing station and a stitching station on the same frame with a plate moving from one station to another are as follows:

the operation of washing the plate after drilling is no longer necessary,

deburring the plate after drilling is no longer necessary.

These technical effects are not found nor suggested in the state of the art.

In addition, since the holes that have just been drilled are stitched at least one control operation is deleted.

Thus, in accordance with the objectives of the invention, the machine tool of the invention eliminates a plurality of operations and makes it possible to perform almost all the operations related to the drilling and broaching phases.

According to a preferred embodiment, the number of holes made simultaneously during the spindle return is three. In order to optimize such a process, the Applicant has advantageously imagined that the machine tool is equipped with sensors making it possible to check the correct positioning of a work-holding carriage in each station on the one hand and to check the possible variation of the ribs of said carriage due to a thermal phenomenon on the other hand. Indeed during such a configuration, it is the piece that moves from one position to another. These sensors will be used to transmit the information to the machining module that can take it into account in order to perform the machining within the required tolerances.

This consideration is implemented in particular by the equipment of the drilling module which provides independent axes of movement for each tool spindle.

Thus, according to a feature of the invention, said drilling module comprises at least one piercing tool driving pin. In addition, said drilling module is associated with a means of storage and provision of tools accessible by said module during its race. According to a preferred embodiment, said tool storage means is disposed between the drilling and broaching stations. According to one embodiment, the machine tool may comprise two piercing pins.

In addition, in accordance with the invention, each piercing tool spindle is equipped with independent movement means along an axis parallel to the transfer axis of the workpiece from one workstation to the other. According to another characteristic, the spindle comprises independent movement means on three axes.

These means of independent movement will also make it possible to best take into account a control phase of the holes or pinouts made. This control phase is advantageously implemented at a high frequency by means of a feeler of the type that can be installed on a spindle. toolbox. According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, said probe is stored in the tool storage means equipping the machine tool.

The methods related to the presence of this probe are multiple, for example:

a method consists in producing, by means of a probe at each tool change, a measurement operation of the machining operations (bores and / or spindles) carried out in order to possibly re-align the different subassemblies participating in the drilling operation. , the broaching taking the piercing as a reference,

- Another method consists in taking hold in the tool storage means, said probe by means of a tool pin to achieve by means of the drilling module at each tool change a measuring operation of the machining ( holes or pinning) made in order to possibly correct the strokes and positions of the various subassemblies participating in the drilling operation pinning taking the drilling as a reference, the invention is therefore able to delete a control operation while realizing the remaining control operation in hidden time and sharing the corresponding control tool for controlling the different phases.

Another method is to take reference to the piece by means of the probe to define starting points for machining.

According to another particularly advantageous characteristic, the machine tool comprises on the same frame a third station. These stations can be arranged so that a machining module and / or a workpiece module can move from one to the other on a shared guide means. Associated with the fact that according to another characteristic, the machine tool comprises for each station a tilting means of the plate which makes it pass from a horizontal position of reception / evacuation in a vertical working position and vice versa, this machine tool provides a means to perform positioning operations clamping even when the other two positions are occupied by machining operations. In addition, it makes it possible to envisage the method which consists in arranging a non-pierced plate in a first station for positioning purposes.

to perform reference drilling and then to use the reference holes to renew the positioning operation and to maintain the position in position by pinning.

The basic concepts of the invention having been described above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving nonlimiting example, one or more embodiments of a machine tool and work processes according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a front view of an embodiment of an embodiment of a machine tool according to the invention in an unloading position of the plate,

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a front view of the machine tool of FIG. 1 in a drilling position,

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a front view of the machine tool of FIG. 1 in a broaching position,

Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of a top view of the machine tool of Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated in the drawings of Figures 1 to 4, the machine tool referenced M as a whole ensures the machining of a plate P spacer type. This machine tool M is equipped on the same frame 100 with two machining stations including a first 200 is a drilling station and the other 300 a stitching station. Pi P moves from one station to another according to the double arrow Fl being moved by means of a work carriage 110. This carriage 110 moves in a horizontal rectilinear motion on a rail structure supported by the frame 100. Said carriage 110 is also equipped with suitable means for moving. The vertical arrangement has the advantage of facilitating the evacuation of chips by means of a gutter provided for this purpose and arranged under the plate P regardless of its position. This arrangement avoids chip evacuation operations.

As illustrated in the drawing of FIG. 1, this machine tool M further comprises a station 400 for loading / unloading the part P enabling it to be moved from a horizontal position to a vertical position in the carriage 110 and vice versa. versa.

this tilting means is formed of a horizontal receiving tray capable in particular of receiving the blank plates P of any machining in a horizontal position and to move them to the vertical position for the machining operations.

As illustrated by the drawing of Figure 2, the drilling module 500 cooperates with the station 200 and provides the drilling of a limited number of bores (three according to a preferred embodiment) in the plate P arranged in a vertical position in the carriage 110 positioned in the station 200.

The broaching station 300 is arranged next to the first 200 so that the carriage 110 and thus the plate P that it supports can move there.

As illustrated in the drawing of FIG. 3, the spindle module 310 ensures the stitching of the bores that have just been made. The drilling module can then change tools or exchange a tool with a probe to perform a control operation before the next drilling operation. Indeed, said drilling module 500 is associated with a storage means 600 and provision of tools accessible by said drilling module 500.

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, said tool magazine 600 is disposed between the two positions 200 and 300 and is accessible by an operator to allow the exchange of tools.

In addition, in order to optimize the quality of machining despite their duration and number, the tool storage means 600 accommodates at least one probe of the type that can be installed on a tool spindle. The presence of this probe makes it possible to propose a method where the spacing, the reference points of the part and or the quality of the machining, will be checked frequently and in particular with each change of tool.

Once the pinning or pinches made, the plate P set in motion by the carriage 110 returns to the drilling station 200 for a new series of holes during the return of or pins of the pinning station.

In order to optimize the machining times and the fact that the distance between the holes to be made is constant, the drilling module comprises, according to a non-illustrated embodiment, two drilling tool drive pins.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the drilling module 500 comprises a tool drive spindle 510.

Given the particularly large number of holes to be made, several tool changes are envisaged for the realization of all the holes of the plate P.

In order to take into account the different control and measurement elements associated with the machining moving means, the piercing pin 510 is equipped with independent movement means in a plane parallel to that of the displacement of the plate P. Thus, as illustrated, each piercing tool pin 510 is disposed on a displacement carriage according to the double arrow F2 parallel to that of movement of the plate P and the double arrow F3 perpendicular to the latter.

It will be appreciated that the machine tools and methods just described and shown above have been for disclosure rather than limitation. Of course, various arrangements, modifications and improvements may be made to the example above, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Machining machine tool (M) of a spacer type plate (P), CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that it comprises on the same frame (100),

at least two reception desks (200 and 300) of plates accommodating the latter and likely to have them in a vertical position,

a drilling module (500) cooperating with at least one of the stations (200) and ensuring the drilling of the plate (P) in a vertical position,

the second station (300) being arranged next to the first one so that the plate (P) can move from one station to the other,

a broaching operation being performed on this second station (300) so that the return of the pin or broaching station can be achieved during the drilling of the plate (P) on the first station, the plate moving from one post to another.

2. Machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT said drilling module (500) comprises at least one pin (510) for drilling tool drive.

3. Machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT said drilling module (500) is associated with a means (600) for storage and provision of tools accessible by said module.

4. Machine tool (M) according to claims 1 and / or 3, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT that the storage means (600) accommodates a probe of the type that can be installed on a tool holder spindle.

5. Machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY the fact that it comprises on the same frame (100), a third station (400).

6. Machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT the machining module (500) and / or the part (P) is equipped with a displacement carriage (110) allowing them to pass from one station to another, AND BY THE FACT That it comprises means for detecting the position of said carriage (HO) as well as a means for detecting the rib variations of said carriage (HO ) because of thermal phenomena in order to transmit this information to said machining module which takes them into account for the realization of machining.

7. A method of working a machine tool (M) according to claims 1 and 4, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it consists in producing by means of a probe at each tool change, a measuring operation of the machining performed in order to possibly reset the different subassemblies participating in the drilling operation.

8. A method of working a machine tool (M) according to claims 1 and 4, CHARACTERIZED IN that it consists in taking hold in the means (600) of tool storage, said probe by means of a tooling spindle in order to achieve, by means of the drilling module at each tool change, a measurement operation of the machining carried out so as to possibly correct the strokes and positions of the different subassemblies participating in the drilling operation.

9. A method of working a machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN that it consists in producing a limited number of holes on the workpiece on a first station (200) and then moving the workpiece towards the second station (300) for broaching holes that have just been drilled.

10. A method of working a machine tool (M) according to claims 1 and 4, CHARACTERIZED IN that it consists in taking reference on the piece (P) by means of a probe to define points of departure for machining.

11. A method of working a machine tool (M) according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it consists

to dispose a plate (P) not pierced in a first post for positioning purposes,

- to carry out drillings of references, and

- To use the reference holes to renew the positioning operation and to maintain the position in position by pinning.