WO2024150600A1

WO2024150600A1 - Abutment member position identifying apparatus, abutment member position identifying program, and abutment member position identifying method

Info

Publication number: WO2024150600A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/044937
Authority: WO
Inventors: Akira Senba; Pankaj Kumar
Original assignee: Amada Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2023-01-13
Filing date: 2023-12-14
Publication date: 2024-07-18

Abstract

An abutment member position identifying apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and a position determination unit including a first position determination unit configured to determine positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit configured to determine a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece.

Description

ABUTMENT MEMBER POSITION IDENTIFYING APPARATUS, ABUTMENT MEMBER POSITION IDENTIFYING PROGRAM, AND ABUTMENT MEMBER POSITION IDENTIFYING METHOD

The present invention relates to an abutment member position identifying apparatus, an abutment member position identifying program, and an abutment member position identifying method.

In conventional bending of a workpiece using a bending machine, the bending of the workpiece is performed in a state in which two abutment members abut against the front edge of the workpiece to bend the workpiece at a predetermined bending position (e.g., Patent Literature 1).

JP 2004-306058 A

However, in conventional methods including the method described in JP 2004-306058 A, since abutment members are brought into abutment against only the front edge of the workpiece, the abutment of the workpiece against the abutment members is unstable when the front edge of the workpiece has a complicated shape such as a shape that is not parallel to abutment surfaces of the abutment members. Thus, the workpiece cannot be bent at a predetermined bending position, the accuracy of bending is reduced, and the quality of a bent product formed by bending is deteriorated.

An aspect of the present invention relates to an abutment member position identifying apparatus, an abutment member position identifying program, and an abutment member position identifying method that can stabilize abutment of workpieces having various shapes against abutment members and improve the accuracy of bending.

An abutment member position identifying apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and a position determination unit including a first position determination unit configured to determine positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit configured to determine a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece. The first position determination unit is configured to identify a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination unit is configured to identify a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination unit is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

In addition, an abutment member position identifying program according to an aspect of the present invention causes an abutment member position identifying apparatus to execute: an acquisition process of acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and a position determination process including a first position determination process of determining positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination process of determining a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece. The first position determination process includes a process of identifying a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination process includes a process of identifying a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination process includes a process of determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

In addition, an abutment member position identifying method according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an acquisition step of acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and a position determination step including a first position determination step of determining positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination step of determining a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece. The first position determination step includes a step of identifying a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination step includes a step of identifying a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination step includes a step of determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

According to the abutment member position identifying apparatus, the abutment member position identifying program, and the abutment member position identifying method according to an aspect of the present invention, the first abutment member and the second abutment member are brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece, and the third abutment member is brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece. Thus, it is possible to stabilize abutment of workpieces having various shapes against the abutment members and improve the accuracy of bending.

Advantageous Effect of Invention

According to the abutment member position identifying apparatus, the abutment member position identifying program, and the abutment member position identifying method according to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to stabilize abutment of workpieces having various shapes against abutment members and improve the accuracy of bending.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the entire configuration of a bending system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a back gauge according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a bending program generating apparatus. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating a bending program. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plan view of a workpiece is displayed on a display unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the plan view of the workpiece, and a plan view of a first abutment member, a second abutment member, and a third abutment member are displayed on the display unit. FIG. 7A is a flowchart illustrating a process of identifying a first abutment target part, a second abutment target part, and a third abutment target part. FIG. 7B is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1 and a condition 3 of accept/reject determination. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 2 of the accept/reject determination. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of identifying an obtuse-angle edge as the third abutment target part. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1’ of the accept/reject determination. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process of identifying an apex of an acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1’’ of the accept/reject determination.

Description of Embodiment

Hereinbelow, a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of characteristics described in the embodiment are necessarily required for the solution means of the invention. In the present embodiment, the scales or dimensions of the components may be exaggerated, or some of the components may be omitted.

<Configuration of Bending System>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the entire configuration of a bending system according to the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a bending system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a bending machine 10 that performs bending on a workpiece W, an information management server 20 that stores various kinds of information used in bending of the workpiece W, a bending program generating apparatus (abutment member position identifying apparatus) 30 that generates a bending program for performing bending on the workpiece W, and a numerical control (NC) apparatus 40 that controls the bending machine 10.

The information management server 20 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each of the bending program generating apparatus 30 and the NC apparatus 40.

<Configuration of Bending Machine>
The bending machine 10 is, for example, a press brake that performs bending on the workpiece W. The bending machine 10 includes an upper table 11 and a lower table 12 on the front end of the bending machine 10. The upper table 11 is provided above the lower table 12 and configured to be movable close to and away from the lower table 12. A punch P is attached to the upper table 11, and a die D is attached to the lower table 12.

The bending machine 10 also includes a back gauge 13 behind the punch P and the die D. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the back gauge according to the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the back gauge 13 includes at least three abutment members 14 configured to be movable in a front-back direction (Y direction in FIGS. 1 and 2), a right-left direction (X direction in FIG. 2), and an up-down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1) of the bending machine 10.

Any two of the three abutment members 14 function as a first abutment member 14A and a second abutment member 14B that are brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W. Any one of the three abutment members 14 functions as a third abutment member 14C that is brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W.

In the present specification, the front side and the lateral side of the workpiece W are not limited to the front edge and the lateral edge of the workpiece W and include an edge inside the workpiece W, the edge being formed by a cutout or a hole formed on the workpiece W, and an intersection point of the front edge and the lateral edge of the workpiece W.

In the bending machine 10 having such a configuration, the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B are brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W, and the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W. Accordingly, the workpiece W is positioned at a bending position. In this state, the upper table 11 is moved close to the lower table 12. Accordingly, the workpiece W is sandwiched between the punch P and the die D and bent.

<Configuration of Information Management Server>
The information management server 20 is configured to store shape information of the workpiece W to be subjected to bending and a bending program for performing bending on the workpiece W. As will be described further below, a bending order of the workpiece W, a die set (the punch P and the die D) used in bending of the workpiece W, a bending position (a bending line F) of the workpiece W, and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are specified in the bending program.

In the present embodiment, the information management server 20 is configured to transmit the shape information of the workpiece W to the bending program generating apparatus 30 and transmit the bending program to the NC apparatus 40. Also, the information management server 20 is configured to receive the bending program from the bending program generating apparatus 30.

<Configuration of Bending Program Generating Apparatus>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the bending program generating apparatus.

The bending program generating apparatus 30 is, for example, a personal computer including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a storage. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bending program generating apparatus 30 includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be subjected to bending, and a position determination unit 32 including a first position determination unit 32a that determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W, and a second position determination unit 32b that determines the position of the third abutment member 14C brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W.

The bending program generating apparatus 30 also includes a generation unit 33 that generates a bending program for performing bending on the workpiece W, a storage unit 34 that stores various kinds of information used to generate the bending program, a display unit 35 that displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C together with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31, and an operation unit 36 that receives an operation input by an operator or the like of the bending machine 10.

The acquisition unit 31 is configured to acquire the shape information of the workpiece W from the information management server 20. Note that the configuration that acquires the shape information of the workpiece W is not limited thereto and may be a configuration that acquires shape information of the workpiece W input or created by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 through the operation unit 36.

The first position determination unit 32a is configured to identify a first abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the first abutment member 14A is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the second abutment member 14B is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W.

The second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify a third abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W.

The position determination unit 32 is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

The generation unit 33 is configured to generate the bending program using information on the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C determined by the position determination unit 32. Specifically, the generation unit 33 is configured to generate the bending program on the basis of information on the bending order of the workpiece W, information on the die set used in bending of the workpiece W, information on the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W, and information on the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

The storage unit 34 is configured to store an abutment member position identifying program for determining the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C. The abutment member position identifying program causes the bending program generating apparatus 30 to execute an acquisition process of acquiring shape information of the workpiece W to be subjected to bending, and a position determination process including a first position determination process of determining the positions of the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W, and a second position determination process of determining the position of the third abutment member 14C brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W. The first position determination process includes a process of identifying the first abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the first abutment member 14A is brought into abutment and the second abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the second abutment member 14B is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W. The second position determination process includes a process of identifying the third abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W. The position determination process includes a process of determining the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

The display unit 35 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic electro-luminescence (EL) panel, or the like. The operation unit 36 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like.

In the present embodiment, the bending program generating apparatus 30 is configured to transmit the bending program generated by the generation unit 33 to the information management server 20.

<Configuration of NC Apparatus>
The NC apparatus 40 is configured to acquire the bending program from the information management server 20. Also, the NC apparatus 40 is configured to control the bending machine 10 on the basis of the bending program acquired from the information management server 20.

<Bending Method>
Next, a bending method using the bending system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating a bending program. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plan view of the workpiece is displayed on the display unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the plan view of the workpiece, and a plan view of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are displayed on the display unit. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the plan view of the workpiece W is illustrated using the same reference sign as the workpiece W, and the plan view of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member is illustrated using the same reference signs as the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, first, when an operator or the like of the bending machine 10 performs an operation of executing a process of generating a bending program, the acquisition unit 31 acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be subjected to bending from the information management server 20 (S1). When the acquisition unit 31 acquires the shape information of the workpiece W, a plan view of the workpiece W is displayed on the display unit 35 (refer to FIG. 5).

Next, when the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 sets the bending order of the workpiece W and the type of the die set (the punch P and the die D) used in bending of the workpiece W (S2 and S3). When the bending order of the workpiece W and the type of the die set used in bending of the workpiece W are set, the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 sets the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W on the plan view of the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 35 (S4, refer to FIG. 5).

Next, when the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 performs an operation of executing a process of determining the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C, the first position determination unit 32a identifies the first abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the first abutment member 14A is brought into abutment and the second abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the second abutment member 14B is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the third abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W (S5).

When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part are identified, the position determination unit 32 determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

When the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (“YES” in S6), the display unit 35 displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C together with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31 (S7). Specifically, the plan view of the workpiece W, and the plan view of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are displayed on the display unit 35 (refer to FIG. 6).

When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part cannot be identified and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C cannot be determined, the process is finished (“NO” in step S6).

Lastly, the generation unit 33 generates a bending program on the basis of information on the bending order of the workpiece W, information on the die set used in bending of the workpiece W, information on the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W, and information on the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C (S8).

The bending program generated by the generation unit 33 is transmitted to the information management server 20. The information management server 20 stores the received bending program. Also, the information management server 20 transmits the bending program to the NC apparatus 40. The NC apparatus 40 controls the bending machine 10 on the basis of the bending program acquired from the information management server 20.

The bending machine 10 performs bending on the workpiece W on the basis of the bending order of the workpiece W, the die set (the punch P and the die D) used in bending of the workpiece W, the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W, and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C specified in the bending program.

<Process of Identifying First Abutment Target Part, Second Abutment Target Part, and Third Abutment Target Part>
Next, a detailed process for identifying the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part will be described. FIGS. 7A and 7B are flowcharts illustrating the process of identifying the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1 and a condition 3 of accept/reject determination. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 2 of the accept/reject determination.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, when the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 performs the operation of executing the process of determining the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C, the first position determination unit 32a provisionally identifies the first abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the first abutment member 14A is brought into abutment and the second abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the second abutment member 14B is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W (S100).

The first position determination unit 32a may provisionally identify, as the first abutment target part and the second abutment target part, parts selected by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 on the plan view of the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 35.

When the first abutment target part and the second abutment target part are provisionally identified, the second position determination unit 32b extracts a perpendicular edge perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W (S101). In FIG. 5, parts indicated by thick lines are the extracted perpendicular edges.

Next, the second position determination unit 32b repeats processes of S102 to S104 the same number of times as the number of abutment members 14 included in the bending machine 10 in a process of loop 1. In the process of loop 1, any one of the three abutment members 14 is set as the third abutment member 14C, and the processes of S102 to S104 are performed. At this time, the second position determination unit 32b performs the processes of S102 to S104 with priority given to the abutment member 14 previously set by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 among the three abutment members 14.

In a case in which the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part can be identified in the process of S104, which will be described further below, even when the abutment member 14 that is not to be subjected to the processes of S102 to S104 is present, the processes of S102 to S104 are not performed on this abutment member 14, and the process proceeds to the process of S105.

Also, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process of S102 the same number of times as the number of extracted perpendicular edges in a process of loop 2. Examples of the case in which a plurality of perpendicular edges are extracted include a case in which the lateral edges of the workpiece W are perpendicular edges as illustrated in FIG. 5 and a case in which the front edge of the workpiece W has an uneven shape and the lateral edges of the recess of the workpiece W are perpendicular edges as illustrated in FIG. 9.

When the perpendicular edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b performs accept/reject determination to determine whether the extracted perpendicular edge can be the third abutment target part (S102). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the extracted perpendicular edge can be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1 to 4 are satisfied and determines that the extracted perpendicular edge cannot be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1 to 4 are not satisfied.

The condition 1 is that the amount of contact between the perpendicular edge and the third abutment member 14C is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The amount of contact between the perpendicular edge and the third abutment member 14C is a length L1, in the front-back direction, of a portion where the perpendicular edge and the third abutment member 14C are in contact with each other (refer to FIG. 8). The condition 2 is that a distance D1 between the third abutment member 14C and the workpiece W is 1 mm or more (refer to FIG. 9). The condition 3 is that a distance D2 in the front-back direction between the third abutment member 14C and the die set (the punch P and the die D) is 1 mm or more (refer to FIG. 8). The condition 4 is that the perpendicular edge is an edge present within a moving range of the third abutment member 14C.

Note that each numerical value in the conditions 1 to 3 may be set to any numerical value by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the perpendicular edge that can be the third abutment target part is present (“YES” in S103), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first abutment target part and second abutment target part as the first abutment target part and the second abutment target part, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the perpendicular edge that can be the third abutment target part as the third abutment target part (S104).

At this time, when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, the second position determination unit 32b identifies, as the third abutment target part, an edge that is closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part and has the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C. The second position determination unit 32b may identify, as the third abutment target part, an edge that satisfies any one of an edge closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part and an edge having the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the perpendicular edge that can be the third abutment target part is not present (“NO” in S103), the second position determination unit 32b performs the processes of S102 to S104 on the abutment members 14 that are not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14.

When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part are identified, the position determination unit 32 determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

When the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (“YES” in S105 (S6)), the process proceeds to the process of S7. When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part cannot be identified and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C cannot be determined (“NO” in S105), that is, when the perpendicular edge cannot be extracted, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an inclined edge inclined relative to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W and identifies the extracted inclined edge as the third abutment target part.

In the present embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b extracts, as the inclined edge, an edge at an obtuse angle to a virtual line VL horizontally passing through an intersection point of the front edge and the lateral edge of the workpiece W in the right-left direction and identifies the extracted obtuse-angle edge as the third abutment target part (S106). The process of identifying the obtuse-angle edge as the third abutment target part will be described further below.

When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part are identified for the obtuse-angle edge, the position determination unit 32 determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C. When the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (“YES” in S107 (S6)), the process proceeds to the process of S7.

When the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part cannot be identified for the obtuse-angle edge and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C cannot be determined (“NO” in S107), the second position determination unit 32b extracts an edge at an acute angle to the virtual line VL (S108) and identifies an apex of the extracted acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part. The process of identifying the apex of the acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part will be described further below. After the process of S108, the process proceeds to the process of S6.

<Process of Identifying Obtuse-angle Edge as Third Abutment Target Part>
Next, a detailed process for identifying the obtuse-angle edge as the third abutment target part will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the obtuse-angle edge as the third abutment target part. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1’ of the accept/reject determination.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an edge at an obtuse angle to the virtual line VL (S200). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an inclined lateral edge of the workpiece W at an angle θ of more than 90° and equal to or less than 120° to the virtual line VL. In FIG. 11, parts indicated by thick lines are the extracted obtuse-angle edges.

The second position determination unit 32b repeats processes of S201 to S203 the same number of times as the number of abutment members 14 included in the bending machine 10 in a process of loop 3. The order of the abutment member 14 set as the third abutment member 14C in the process of loop 3 is the same as that in the loop 1, and description thereof is thus omitted. Also, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process of S201 the same number of times as the number of extracted obtuse-angle edges in a process of loop 4.

When the obtuse-angle edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b performs accept/reject determination to determine whether the extracted obtuse-angle edge can be the third abutment target part (S201). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the extracted obtuse-angle edge can be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1’ to 4 are satisfied and determines that the extracted obtuse-angle edge cannot be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1’ to 4 are not satisfied.

The condition 1’ is that the amount of contact between the obtuse-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The amount of contact between the obtuse-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C is a length L2 in the front-back direction from a contact point between the obtuse-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C to an intersection point of the front edge and the lateral edge of the workpiece W (refer to FIG. 11). The conditions 2 to 4 are the same as those in the accept/rejection determination on whether the perpendicular edge can be the third abutment target part, and description thereof is thus omitted. Note that the numerical value in the condition 1’ may be set to any numerical value by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the obtuse-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part is present (“YES” in S202), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first abutment target part and second abutment target part as the first abutment target part and the second abutment target part, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the obtuse-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part as the third abutment target part (S203).

A process performed when a plurality of obtuse-angle edges are present is the same as the process performed when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, and description thereof is thus omitted.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the obtuse-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part is not present (“NO” in S202), the second position determination unit 32b performs the processes of S201 to S203 on the abutment members 14 that are not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14. When the process of loop 3 is finished, the process proceeds to the process of S107.

<Process of Identifying Apex of Acute-angle Edge as Third Abutment Part>
Next, a detailed process for identifying the acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explaining a condition 1’’ of the accept/reject determination.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an edge at an acute angle to the virtual line VL (S300). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an inclined lateral edge of the workpiece W at an angle θ of more than 0° and equal to or less than 90° to the virtual line VL. In FIG. 13, a part indicated by a thick line is the extracted acute-angle edge.

The second position determination unit 32b repeats processes of S301 to S303 the same number of times as the number of abutment members 14 included in the bending machine 10 in a process of loop 5. The order of the abutment member 14 set as the third abutment member 14C in the process of loop 5 is the same as that in the loop 1, and description thereof is thus omitted. Also, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process of S301 the same number of times as the number of extracted acute-angle edges in a process of loop 6.

When the acute-angle edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b performs accept/reject determination to determine whether an apex of the extracted acute-angle edge (an intersection point of the front edge and the acute-angle edge of the workpiece W) can be the third abutment target part (S301). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the apex of the extracted acute-angle edge can be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1’’ to 4 are satisfied and determines that the apex of the extracted acute-angle edge cannot be the third abutment target part when the following conditions 1’’ to 4 are not satisfied.

The condition 1’’ is that the amount of contact between the apex of the acute-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The amount of contact between the apex of the acute-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C is a length L3 in the front-back direction from a contact point between the apex of the acute-angle edge and the third abutment member 14C to the tip of the third abutment member 14C (the end of the workpiece W on the back side) (refer to FIG. 13). The conditions 2 to 4 are the same as those in the accept/rejection determination on whether the perpendicular edge can be the third abutment target part, and description thereof is thus omitted. Note that the numerical value in the condition 1’’ may be set to any numerical value by the operator or the like of the bending machine 10.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the apex of the acute-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part is present (“YES” in S302), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first abutment target part and second abutment target part as the first abutment target part and the second abutment target part, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the apex of the acute-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part as the third abutment target part (S303).

A process performed when a plurality of apexes of acute-angle edges are present is the same as the process performed when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, and description thereof is thus omitted.

When a result of the determination performed by the second position determination unit 32b shows that the apex of the acute-angle edge that can be the third abutment target part is not present (“NO” in S302), the second position determination unit 32b performs the processes of S301 to S303 on the abutment members 14 that are not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14. When the process of loop 5 is finished, the process proceeds to the process of S6.

<Advantages in Bending Program Generating Apparatus (Abutment Member Position Identifying Apparatus) according to the Present Embodiment>
As described above, the bending program generating apparatus (the abutment member position identifying apparatus) 30 according to the present embodiment includes the acquisition unit 31 that acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be subjected to bending, and the position determination unit 32 including the first position determination unit 32a that determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W, and the second position determination unit 32b that determines the position of the third abutment member 14C brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W. The first position determination unit 32a is configured to identify the first abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the first abutment member 14A is brought into abutment and the second abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the second abutment member 14B is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W. The second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify the third abutment target part of the workpiece W against which the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W. The position determination unit 32 is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.

According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B are brought into abutment against the front side of the workpiece W, and the third abutment member 14C is brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W. Thus, advantageously, it is possible to stabilize abutment of workpieces W having various shapes against the abutment members 14 and improve the accuracy of bending. Also, the right-left position of the workpiece W relative to the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the die D is determined by the third abutment member 14C brought into abutment against the lateral side of the workpiece W. Thus, advantageously, even a non-experienced operator can stably perform bending on the workpiece W.

In the bending program generating apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured to extract a perpendicular edge perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W and identify, as the third abutment target part, the perpendicular edge extracted. According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, the perpendicular edge is identified as the third abutment target part. Thus, advantageously, abutment of the third abutment member 14C is stabilized.

In the bending program generating apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured, when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, to identify an edge closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part as the third abutment target part. According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, among a plurality of perpendicular edges, the edge closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part is identified as the third abutment target part. Thus, advantageously, abutment of the third abutment member 14C is stabilized.

In the bending program generating apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured, when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, to identify an edge having the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C as the third abutment target part. According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, among a plurality of perpendicular edges, the edge having the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C is identified as the third abutment target part. Thus, advantageously, abutment of the third abutment member 14C is stabilized.

In the bending program generating apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured, when the perpendicular edge cannot be extracted, to extract an inclined edge inclined relative to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W and identify, as the third abutment target part, the inclined edge extracted. According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, when the perpendicular edge cannot be extracted, the inclined edge is identified as the third abutment target part. Thus, advantageously, it is possible to handle workpieces W having various shapes.

The bending program generating apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment further includes the display unit 35 that displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C together with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31. According to the bending program generating apparatus 30 having such a configuration, advantageously, it is possible to perform checks and edits while visually recognizing the shape information of the workpiece W, and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

<Modifications>
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be variously modified without departing from the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, the number of abutment members 14 is three in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. The number of abutment members 14 may be four or more.

Also, the position determination unit 32 automatically determines the position of the third abutment member 14C in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. The operator or the like of the bending machine 10 may manually determine the position of the third abutment member 14C, or the operator or the like of the bending machine 10 may perform an operation of manually changing the position of the third abutment member 14C after the position determination unit 32 automatically determines the position of the third abutment member 14C.

Also, the second position determination unit 32b extracts a perpendicular edge perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W and identifies the extracted perpendicular edge as the third abutment target part in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. The perpendicular edge may not be extracted.

Also, when a plurality of perpendicular edges are present, the second position determination unit 32b identifies, as the third abutment target part, the edge that is closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part and has the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. The third abutment target part may be identified on the basis of another condition.

Also, when the second position determination unit 32b cannot extract the perpendicular edge, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an inclined edge inclined relative to the bending line F of the workpiece W on the basis of the shape information of the workpiece W and identifies the extracted inclined edge as the third abutment target part in the embodiment described above, this is not a limitation. The process of extracting an inclined edge may be performed before the process of extracting a perpendicular edge.

Also, the second position determination unit 32b identifies the perpendicular edge, the obtuse-angle edge, or the apex of the acute-angle edge as the third abutment target part in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. For example, an edge inside the workpiece W, the edge being formed by a cutout or a hole formed on the workpiece W, a lateral edge formed in a circular arc shape, or the apex of a circular arc on the lateral edge formed in a circular arc shape may be identified as the third abutment target part.

Also, the display unit 35 displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C together with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31 in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. The shape information of the workpiece W, and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C may not be displayed.

Also, the obtuse-angle edge and the acute-angle edge relative to the virtual line VL are extracted in the embodiment described above, but this is not a limitation. Another reference such as the front edge of the workpiece W may be used.

It is apparent from the description of the claims that the modifications as described above are included in the scope of the present invention.

1 ：bending system
10 ：bending machine
11 ：upper table
12 ：lower table
13 ：back gauge
14 ：abutment member
14A ：first abutment member
14B ：second abutment member
14C ：third abutment member
20 ：information management server
30 ：bending program generating apparatus
31 ：acquisition unit
32 ：position determination unit
32a ：first position determination unit
32b ：second position determination unit
33 ：generation unit
34 ：storage unit
35 ：display unit
36 ：operation unit
40 ：NC apparatus
D ：die
F ：bending line
P ：punch
W ：workpiece

Claims

An abutment member position identifying apparatus comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and
a position determination unit including a first position determination unit configured to determine positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit configured to determine a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece,
the first position determination unit being configured to identify a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the second position determination unit being configured to identify a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the position determination unit being configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second position determination unit is configured to extract a perpendicular edge perpendicular to a bending line of the workpiece based on the shape information of the workpiece and identify, as the third abutment target part, the perpendicular edge extracted.
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second position determination unit is configured, when a plurality of the perpendicular edges are present, to identify an edge closest to the first abutment target part or the second abutment target part as the third abutment target part.
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second position determination unit is configured, when a plurality of the perpendicular edges are present, to identify an edge having a largest amount of contact with the third abutment member as the third abutment target part.
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second position determination unit is configured, when the perpendicular edge cannot be extracted, to extract an inclined edge inclined relative to the bending line of the workpiece based on the shape information of the workpiece and identify, as the third abutment target part, the inclined edge extracted.
The abutment member position identifying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display unit configured to display the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member together with the shape information of the workpiece acquired by the acquisition unit.
An abutment member position identifying program that causes an abutment member position identifying apparatus to execute:
an acquisition process of acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and
a position determination process including a first position determination process of determining positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination process of determining a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece,
the first position determination process including a process of identifying a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the second position determination process including a process of identifying a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the position determination process including a process of determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.
An abutment member position identifying method comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be subjected to bending; and
a position determination step including a first position determination step of determining positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member brought into abutment against a front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination step of determining a position of a third abutment member brought into abutment against a lateral side of the workpiece,
the first position determination step including a step of identifying a first abutment target part of the workpiece against which the first abutment member is brought into abutment and a second abutment target part of the workpiece against which the second abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the second position determination step including a step of identifying a third abutment target part of the workpiece against which the third abutment member is brought into abutment based on the shape information of the workpiece,
the position determination step including a step of determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that the workpiece is positioned at a bending position when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into abutment against the first abutment target part, the second abutment target part, and the third abutment target part.