JP2006334735A - Tool conveying device and tool breakage detecting method in the tool conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a tool conveying apparatus provided with a tool breakage detecting means that can reduce the size of the apparatus and does not reduce the production efficiency, and a tool breakage detecting method in the tool conveying apparatus.
The tool conveying device detects breakage of the tip of the tool in the process of conveying the tool. The detection device is configured by providing the support members with the optical sensors 5 and 5 facing each other. The detection device is installed on the front surface of the tool magazine with a support member fixed so as to protrude forward. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the slider and the pot holding member 13 are slid to the detection position set for each tool 7 during the conveyance of the tool 7 before and / or after use, and the detection position. , Whether or not the tip of the tool 7 is broken is determined by determining whether or not the tip of the tool 7 is located at the detection position (whether or not the tip of the tool 7 passes between the optical sensors 5 and 5).
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a tool transfer device that transfers a tool between a tool magazine and a tool changer, and a tool breakage detection method that detects breakage of a tool in the tool transfer device.

  Conventionally, various devices and methods have been devised for detecting tool breakage. For example, as described in Patent Documents 1 to 6 in which the tool breakage detecting means is provided with a dedicated drive means, or in Patent Document 7 in which the tool breakage detection means is provided in the spindle movement region. Some of them have a special configuration.

JP 2002-103155 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-138094 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-5853 JP-A-11-90786 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-46848 JP 2000-280139 A JP 2002-283163 A

In Patent Document 1, a tool breakage detecting means is provided in a tool magazine so as to be movable by a dedicated driving means. The tool is moved to a predetermined detection position in the middle of conveyance, and is moved to the detection position. The tool breakage detecting means is moved to detect breakage of the tip of the tool.
In Patent Document 2, a tool breakage detecting means is provided at the tip of an extendable cylinder (driving means), and the cylinder is installed outside the processing region, and before or after use at the detection position. With respect to the tool, the tool breakage detecting means is moved to the detection position by expansion and contraction of the cylinder to detect breakage of the tool tip.

In Patent Document 3, a dedicated drive means (positioning actuator) is provided in the tool breakage detecting means, and the presence or absence of breakage is determined by obtaining the tool length based on the operation time until detection.
In Patent Documents 4 and 6, the tool breakage detection means is installed on the moving body of the screw feeder (drive means), and the tool breakage detection means is moved and positioned in advance to the position where the tool tip passes, and the replacement operation is performed. To determine whether or not there is breakage.

Patent Document 5 attempts to detect breakage of a tool by moving a tool detection means to a tool tip at a tool change position of a tool magazine.
As described above, in Patent Documents 1 to 6, the tool detection means is moved by the dedicated drive means with respect to the tool at the detection position to detect breakage of the tip.

  On the other hand, in the configuration of Patent Document 7, in a machine tool in which a spindle moves between a tool change position and a machining position, a tool breakage detection device is provided between the tool change position and the machining position (that is, in the spindle movement region). It is a fixed installation. When the spindle moves between the tool change position and the machining position, the tool breakage detection device detects breakage of the tool tip installed on the spindle.

  However, in the configurations as described in Patent Documents 1 to 6, since a dedicated drive means for moving the tool breakage detection means must be provided, there are problems such as an increase in the size of the apparatus and a complicated structure. Arise. In addition, since the tool breakage detection means must be moved each time a tool is detected, it is also conceivable that the positioning accuracy at the detection position, that is, the detection accuracy, is reduced due to wear of the apparatus related to the movement.

  Moreover, in the structure of patent document 7, since the tool breakage detection means is provided in the spindle movement region, even if the machining space and the installation position of the tool breakage detection device are separated by a cover or the like, chips and coolant liquid are separated. It cannot be denied that it is easily affected by such scattering. Therefore, there is a problem that the detection means is likely to be hindered by the scattered chips and coolant liquid. Furthermore, although it is moving between the tool change position and the machining position, the tool breakage detection is performed with the tool mounted on the spindle, so there is a problem that the non-machining time is prolonged and the production efficiency is lowered. Arise. Furthermore, since a space for detecting tool breakage is required in addition to the machining space and the tool change operation space in the spindle movement area, the spindle movement area is enlarged (ie, the entire machine tool is enlarged). The problem of inviting. Therefore, if an attempt is made to suppress the enlargement of the spindle movement region, the machining space must be narrowed, and the machining mode is limited by limiting the movement of the spindle at the machining position, which can accommodate only small workpieces. Another problem arises, such as being done.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can reduce the size of the apparatus, and further includes a tool conveying apparatus provided with a tool breakage detecting means that does not reduce the production efficiency, And a tool breakage detection method in the tool conveying apparatus.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a tool between a tool magazine for storing a plurality of tools and a tool changer for exchanging a tool attached to the tool magazine and a spindle of a machine tool. A tool conveying device including a conveying device, wherein the conveying device is capable of controlling a position of a tool conveyed by two predetermined axes, while being within an operation range of the conveying device by the two axes. A predetermined detection position is set, and a tool breakage detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip is fixed at the detection position, and a tool in the conveyance process is set to a predetermined detection position set for each tool. When the tool tip is positioned, it is determined whether or not the tip of the tool is located at the detection position, and the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip is detected.
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the tool breakage detecting means has a pair of photosensors provided at the opposing positions, or a laser emitter and a photoreceiver provided at the opposing positions. It is characterized by that.
The invention according to claim 3 is a tool breakage detection method for detecting the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip in the tool transporting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a tool in the transport process by the transporting device is a predetermined tool. A tool breakage detection method comprising: a step of positioning at a detection position; and a step of determining whether or not the tip of the tool positioned at the detection position is positioned at a predetermined detection position.

According to the present invention, a predetermined detection position is set within the operation range by the two axes of the conveying device, and the tool breakage detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip is fixed at the detected position, When a tool in process is positioned at a predetermined detection position set for each tool, it is determined whether or not the tip of the tool is positioned at a detection position, and whether or not the tool tip is broken is detected. Therefore, if the tool is transported by the transport device so as to follow a predetermined transport path, the presence or absence of the breakage can be detected without moving the tool breakage detecting means. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated drive device for moving the tool breakage detecting means, and an inexpensive and compact tool transport device can be provided.
In addition, since the tool breakage detecting means is fixed, wear of the configuration related to the movement of the tool breakage detecting means does not occur as compared with the case where the tool breakage detecting means is moved. Accuracy, etc.) can be maintained at a high level for a long time.
Furthermore, since the predetermined detection position is set within the operation range of the two axes of the conveying device, it is not affected by scattering of chips, coolant liquid, etc. due to machining of the machine tool. Therefore, the detection accuracy can be maintained at a high level for a very long time. In addition, there is no need to limit the machining space or the tool change operation space, or to increase the size of the machine tool, and it can be configured simply by retrofitting the tool breakage detection means. Therefore, it is possible to provide a very easy-to-use tool transfer device.
Furthermore, in order to detect the presence or absence of breakage in the process of conveying the tool, if the breakage of another tool is detected during machining by one tool, the machining operation in the machine tool is affected (delayed). Etc.) and can contribute to extremely efficient processing. That is, production efficiency is not reduced by detecting breakage.
Further, according to the invention of claim 2, since it is possible to detect the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip only by passing between the optical sensors or between the laser light emitter and the light receiver, the tool shaft core such as a boring bar can be detected. Even if there is no tool, if the position of the cutting edge is set according to the distance between the optical sensors (detection position), the presence or absence of breakage can be easily detected only by moving and positioning the tool by the transport device.

  Hereinafter, a tool conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a tool conveying device that includes a tool magazine and exchanges tools with the tool changer will be described.

  FIG. 1A is an explanatory view of the tool conveying device 1 as viewed from a YZ plane formed by a Y-axis direction (vertical direction) and a Z-axis direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the Y-axis. (B) is an explanatory view seen from the XY plane formed by the Y-axis direction (vertical direction) and the X-axis direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the Y-axis and Z-axis. In the following description, the X-axis direction is the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction is the up-down direction, the Z-axis direction is the front-rear direction, and the side shown in FIG.

  The tool conveying device 1 includes a tool magazine 2 for storing various tools, a conveying device 3 for conveying a tool between the tool magazine 2 and the tool changing device 33, and an optical sensor (for detecting breakage of the tool tip). Tool breakage detecting means) 5 and 5. The tool conveying device 1 is installed on the right side of a machine tool 31 having a main shaft 32 whose axis is parallel to the Z axis. The tool changer 33 exchanges a tool attached to the main shaft 32, and exchanges the tool with the transfer device 3.

  The tool magazine 2 stores a plurality of pots 8, 8... Each holding a tool 7 so that the pots 8 can be extracted by a transfer device 3 described later. Each pot 8 is stored so that the direction of the held tool 7 (the direction of the rotation axis of the tool 7) is parallel to the direction orthogonal to the main shaft 32 (that is, the X-axis direction). In addition, the tool 7 is hold | maintained in each pot 8 in the state which protruded the process side front-end | tip. The amount of protrusion differs for each tool, and a detection position or the like for each tool described later is managed by a control device (not shown).

  Next, the transport device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the transport device 3 as seen from the YZ plane, and FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view showing the operation of the pot holding member 13 in the transport device 3.

The transport device 3 is provided with a slider 12 formed in a column shape so as to be movable along a Z-axis drive shaft (screw shaft) 11. The slider 12 is provided with a Y-axis drive shaft (screw shaft) 14, and a pot holding member 13 that holds the tool 7 together with the pot 8 is movably installed along the Y-axis drive shaft 14. . The pot holding member 13 can be moved to a desired position of the tool magazine 2 by moving the pot holding member 13 in the vertical direction and moving the slider 12 in the front-rear direction. Reference numerals 21 and 22 denote a drive device for rotating the slider 12 with the Z-axis drive shaft 11, and a drive device for rotating the pot holding member 13 with the Y-axis drive shaft 14. Built in.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the pot holding member 13 is configured to be able to turn the held pot 8 by 90 degrees in the XZ plane.

The conveyance of the tool 7 by the tool conveying apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the slider 12 is moved in the Z-axis direction, the pot holding member 13 is moved in the Y-axis direction, and the pot holding member 13 is positioned to the left of the storage position of the pot 8 holding the desired tool 7. . 3A, after the tool 7 is removed from the tool magazine 2 together with the pot 8, the pot 8 is turned 90 degrees in the XZ plane, and the tool 7 is rotated in a direction parallel to the Z axis (that is, the main axis (Direction parallel to the rotation axis of 32).

  When the slider 12 and the pot holding member 13 are slid and moved to a position near the tool changer 33 in this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, a tool transfer position is obtained with the tool changer 33. The tool 7 is extracted from the pot 8 by the tool changer 33. The used tool 7 is inserted from the tool changer 33 into the emptied pot 8, and the process reverse to the above transport is followed to the storage position in the tool magazine 2 corresponding to the used tool 7. Returned. The tool storage position in the tool magazine 2 is set for each tool 7, and the pot 8 is stored in various storage positions by the holding tool 7 (that is, even in the same pot 8). The storage position differs depending on the tool 7 held before the transfer to the tool changer 33 and after the transfer from the tool changer 33).

In the tool conveying apparatus 1, breakage of the tip of the tool 7 is detected in the conveying process as described above. Here, the detection apparatus 4 provided with the optical sensors 5 and 5 for detecting breakage of the tool 7 tip will be described.
The detection device 4 is provided with optical sensors 5 and 5 facing the support member 17. The detection device 4 is installed on the front surface of the tool magazine 2 with a support member 17 fixedly attached so as to protrude forward (shorter than the maximum protrusion length of the tool 7 from the pot 8). A detection position is defined between the optical sensors 5 and 5 in the installed detection device 4.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3C, the slider 12 and the pot holding member 13 are slid to the detection position set for each tool 7 while the tool 7 before and / or after use is being conveyed. It is moved, and at the detection position, it is determined whether or not the tip of the tool 7 is located at the detection position (whether or not the tip of the tool 7 passes between the optical sensors 5 and 5). Detect the presence or absence of breakage.
Note that the sliding operation of the slider 12 and the pot holding member 13 in the tool conveying device 1 and the determination of the presence or absence of tool breakage are also controlled by a control means (not shown).

According to the tool conveyance device 1 as described above, the detection device 4 having the optical sensors 5 and 5 is fixedly installed on the tool magazine 2. Then, when the tool 7 is transported by the transport device 3, if the transport path is such that the tip of the tool 7 passes between the optical sensors 5 and 5 once, the presence or absence of breakage of the tip of the tool 7 can be detected. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a driving device for moving the detection device 4 main body, the optical sensors 5, 5 and the like, and an inexpensive and compact tool conveying device 1 can be realized.
Further, by fixing the detection device 4 main body and the optical sensors 5, 5 and the like, the detection accuracy (positioning accuracy of the detection means to the detection position, etc.) is maintained at a high level for a long period of time as compared with the case of moving them. be able to.

  Furthermore, since the detection device 4 is fixedly installed on the tool magazine 2, it is not affected by scattering of chips or coolant liquid due to processing. Therefore, the detection accuracy can be maintained at a high level for a very long time. In addition, the machining space on the machine tool 31 side can be configured more compactly than that installed in the machining space, and it can be retrofitted and does not interfere with machining.

  Furthermore, since the presence or absence of breakage is detected when the tool 7 is transported in the tool magazine 2, if the breakage of another tool is detected during machining by one tool, the machining operation in the machine tool 31 is affected. It is possible to contribute to extremely efficient processing without delaying. That is, production efficiency is not reduced by detecting breakage.

  In addition, since the presence or absence of breakage at the tip of the tool 7 can be detected simply by passing between the optical sensors 5 and 5, even if the tool has no tool axis, such as a boring bar, the position of the cutting edge is optically detected. If it is set according to the distance between the sensors 5 and 5 (detection position), the presence or absence of breakage can be easily detected only by the sliding operation of the slider 12 and the pot holding member 13.

  The configuration of the tool conveying device of the present invention is not limited to the mode described in the above embodiment, and the configuration of the tool magazine, the conveying device, the detecting device, etc. is within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. Thus, it can be changed as necessary.

For example, in the above embodiment, an optical sensor is used as the tool breakage detection means, but there is no problem even if the tool breakage detection means is a laser or the like.
Further, although the fixing position is also on the front side of the tool magazine, it is a position that does not hinder the operation such as tool transfer and exchange, and within the operation range of the transfer device (in the embodiment, the operation of the Y axis and the Z axis) If it is within the range, the tool magazine is not limited to the front side. Therefore, for example, if there is an appropriate position in the shortest path between the tool magazine and the tool changer, it is naturally possible to set the position, and a more rapid detection operation is possible. Further, there is no problem even if the detection device is fixed not to the tool magazine but to, for example, a bed of a machine tool.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the movement control related to the conveying device such as the slider and the pot holding member is performed for convenience by using two orthogonal axes such as the Y axis and the Z axis. As long as the positioning is possible, there is no limitation to the Y axis and the Z axis, and there is no problem even if two axes are appropriately determined.
In addition, in the above embodiment, since the direction of the tool at the time of tool transfer by the tool transfer device is parallel to the Z axis which is one of the movement control axes of the tool transfer device, the positioning operation at the time of detecting breakage is further improved. Simple control is required. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained even if the direction of the tool at the time of tool conveyance is parallel to the Y-axis direction, or may be in another direction.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the pot is reused in order to speed up the transport operation. However, a predetermined pot may be determined for one tool. By doing so, it is possible to reliably prevent occurrence of tool storage errors (storage position errors, tool recognition errors, etc.).

  In addition, in the above embodiment, in the tool conveying device, the pot and the tool can be turned 90 degrees in the XZ plane to save space when installed adjacent to the machine tool. It is not limited to such a tool conveying device at all. For example, a tool conveying device that does not turn a pot or the like in the XZ plane is naturally possible.

It is explanatory drawing of a tool conveying apparatus, Comprising: (a) is explanatory drawing seen from the YZ plane formed by the Y-axis direction and Z-axis direction, (b) is the Y-axis direction and X-axis direction. It is explanatory drawing seen from XY plane formed by. It is explanatory drawing which looked at the conveying apparatus from the YZ plane. It is perspective explanatory drawing which showed operation | movement of the pot holding member in a conveying apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  1 .. Tool transfer device, 2 .. Tool magazine, 3 .. Transfer device, 4 .. Detection device, 5 .. Optical sensor, 7 .. Tool, 8. .. Slider, 13 .. Pot holding member, 14... Y-axis drive shaft, 17.

Claims (3)

A tool transfer device comprising a tool magazine for storing a plurality of tools, and a transfer device for transferring a tool between the tool magazine and a tool changer for changing a tool attached to the spindle of a machine tool,
While the transfer device is capable of controlling the position of a tool to be transferred by two defined axes,
A predetermined detection position is set within the operation range by the two axes of the transport device, and the tool breakage detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip is fixed at the detection position, and installed.
When a tool in the conveying process is placed at a predetermined detection position set for each tool, it is determined whether or not the tip of the tool is located at the detection position, and whether or not the tool tip is broken is detected. A tool conveying device characterized by:   The tool breakage detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the tool breakage detecting means includes a pair of optical sensors provided at the opposing positions, or a laser emitter and a light receiver provided at the opposing positions. In the tool conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, a tool breakage detection method for detecting the presence or absence of breakage of the tool tip,
A step of positioning a tool in a transfer process by a transfer device at a predetermined detection position;
Determining whether the tip of the tool positioned at the detection position is positioned at a predetermined detection position;
A tool breakage detection method comprising:

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