JP2024113563A - Control device and measuring system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a controller and a measuring system that can reduce time and effort for advance preparations when measuring different workpieces.SOLUTION: A controller has a control unit that controls a shape measuring machine according to a program in which an operating procedure for measurement is described. The control unit acquires, from the outside, setting information on a specific operation of a series of operations to be performed by the shape measuring machine according to the program, and causes the shape measuring machine to perform the specific operation according to the acquired setting information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a control device for a shape measuring machine, and a measurement system equipped with a shape measuring machine and its control device.

In computerized numerically controlled (CNC) measuring machines, the measuring machine operates according to a pre-created automatic program (also called a part program) and automatically measures the workpiece (object to be measured) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-3).

In shape measuring machines (e.g., three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines, surface roughness measuring machines, contour measuring machines, roundness measuring machines, cylindrical shape measuring machines, etc.) that use a stylus to measure the shape of a workpiece (surface roughness, contour shape, roundness, three-dimensional coordinates, etc.), the movement path of the stylus, the analysis conditions for the measurement results, etc. are written into an automatic program.

JP 2004-017198 A JP 2017-166955 A JP 2020-071029 A

Automated programs must be created for each workpiece. This creates a problem in that as the number of works increases, advance preparation becomes more time-consuming.

In addition, even if measurements are to be made with only some of the conditions changed, a separate automatic program must be created, which makes maintenance difficult.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a control device and measurement system that can reduce the amount of preparation required before measuring different workpieces.

To solve the above problem, the control device of the first aspect is a control device for a shape measuring machine, and has a control unit that controls the shape measuring machine according to a program in which the measurement operation procedure is described, and the control unit acquires setting information from the outside about a specific operation among a series of operations to be performed by the shape measuring machine according to the program, and causes the shape measuring machine to perform the specific operation according to the acquired setting information.

The control device of the second aspect is characterized in that, in the control device of the first aspect, the program describes the settings for a specific operation using variables, and when the control unit causes the shape measuring machine to perform a specific operation, it refers to the setting information acquired from outside and causes the shape measuring machine to perform the specific operation.

The control device of the third aspect is the control device of the second aspect, characterized in that the control unit acquires the setting information for the specific operation by externally acquiring a data file in which setting information for the specific operation is recorded.

The control device of the fourth aspect is the control device of the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit rewrites the program description for a specific operation based on setting information acquired from the outside, and controls the shape measuring instrument according to the rewritten program.

The control device of the fifth aspect is characterized in that in the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the control unit displays information on a series of operations to be performed by the shape measuring device according to a program and setting information for each operation on the first display unit, and also highlights information on specific operations.

The control device of the sixth aspect is characterized in that in the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the control unit externally acquires authentication information associated with setting information for a specific operation, determines the authenticity of the acquired authentication information, and controls the shape measuring device according to the program if the authenticity of the acquired authentication information is confirmed.

The seventh aspect of the control device is the sixth aspect of the control device, characterized in that the control unit compares the authentication information associated with the program with the acquired authentication information to determine the authenticity of the acquired authentication information.

The eighth aspect of the control device is characterized in that in the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the specific operation is an operation for positioning the measurement position, and the control unit acquires setting information about the measurement position from the outside.

The ninth aspect of the control device is the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, characterized in that the shape measuring device measures the roundness using a stylus.

The control device of the tenth aspect is the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a reading unit that reads the setting information from a medium on which the setting information is recorded, and the control unit acquires the setting information from the reading unit that has read the setting information from the medium.

The control device of the eleventh aspect is characterized in that, in the control device of the tenth aspect, code information encoding setting information for a specific operation is printed on a medium, and the reading unit reads the code information from the medium to obtain the setting information.

The control device of the twelfth aspect is characterized in that, in the control device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the specific operation is an operation of positioning the measurement position, and the control unit acquires setting information about the measurement position from the outside and displays the acquired setting information about the measurement position on the first display unit.

The control device of the thirteenth aspect is the control device of the twelfth aspect, characterized in that the control unit displays a diagram of the workpiece on the first display unit and displays setting information about the measurement position in association with the diagram.

The control device of the 14th aspect is characterized in that in the control device of the 13th aspect, the figure is a figure of a cross section of the workpiece.

The measurement system of the first aspect is characterized by comprising a shape measuring machine, any one of the control devices of the eleventh to fourth aspects that controls the shape measuring machine, and an external device that outputs setting information for a specific operation to the control device and instructs the control device to perform a measurement.

The measurement system of the second aspect comprises a shape measuring machine, a control device of the third aspect that controls the shape measuring machine, and an external device that outputs setting information for a specific operation to the control device and instructs the control device to perform a measurement, and the external device comprises an input unit that accepts input of settings for the specific operation, and a data file generation unit that generates a data file based on the input information.

The measurement system of the third aspect comprises a shape measuring machine, a control device of the twelfth aspect that controls the shape measuring machine, and an external device that outputs setting information about the measurement position to the control device and instructs the control device to perform the measurement, and the external device comprises a second display unit, an input unit that accepts input of settings about the measurement position, and a display control unit that displays the input setting information about the measurement position on the second display unit.

The measurement system of the fourth aspect is characterized in that in the measurement system of the third aspect, the display control unit displays a diagram of the workpiece on the second display unit and displays measurement position setting information in association with the diagram.

The present invention reduces the amount of preparation required when measuring different workpieces.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a measurement system to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a roundness measuring machine. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the control device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing main functions of the control device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the automatic program. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the measurement results. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the management database. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a process flow of the measurement system. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of measurement control performed by the control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of highlighting. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow when performing authentication processing on an external file. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting information. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a method for checking the setting contents. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the main functions of the control device when the setting information is encoded and read. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing main functions of the control device of the measurement system of this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow when the automatic program is rewritten to execute measurement control.

The following describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[First embodiment]
[Measurement system]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a measurement system to which the present invention is applied.

The measurement system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that automatically measures the roundness of a workpiece W, and includes a roundness measuring machine 100, a control device 200 that controls the roundness measuring machine 100, a carry-in/out device 300 that carries the workpiece W in and out of the roundness measuring machine 100, and a general control device 400 that generalizes and controls the entire system. The roundness measuring machine 100 is an example of a shape measuring machine.

[Roundness measuring machine]
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a roundness measuring machine. In Fig. 2, X, Y, and Z indicate three directions that are perpendicular to each other. As an example, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is a vertical direction (height direction). An axis parallel to the X direction is the X axis, an axis parallel to the Y direction is the Y axis, and an axis parallel to the Z direction is the Z axis.

The roundness measuring machine 100 shown in FIG. 2 is a table rotation type roundness measuring machine. The table rotation type roundness measuring machine 100 measures by rotating the table side while keeping the detector side fixed. In the table rotation type roundness measuring machine 100, a workpiece W is held on the table 112, and the detector 116 detects the displacement of the surface of the workpiece W in synchronization with the rotation angle of the table 112, thereby acquiring the data (polar coordinate data) required for calculating roundness.

The roundness measuring machine 100 shown in FIG. 2 is a so-called contact type roundness measuring machine. In a contact type roundness measuring machine, a contact needle (also called a probe or stylus) 116A is brought into contact with the surface of the workpiece W to detect the displacement of the surface of the workpiece W.

As shown in FIG. 2, the roundness measuring machine 100 includes a base 110, a table 112, a rotational position detection unit (not shown), a table driving unit 114, a detector 116, and a detector driving unit 118.

The base 110 is a support stand (base) that supports each part of the roundness measuring machine 100.

The table 112 has a disk-like shape and rotates around a rotation axis θ that is parallel to the Z axis. Although omitted for convenience, it is preferable that the table 112 is equipped with a centering mechanism and a tilting mechanism. The centering mechanism is a mechanism that adjusts the central position of the table 112. The tilting mechanism is a mechanism that adjusts the tilt of the table 112.

The table 112 is provided with an air chuck 120 as a means for holding the workpiece W. The workpiece W is held by the air chuck 120 and fixed onto the table 112.

The rotational position detection unit (not shown) detects the rotational position of the table 112. The rotational position detection unit is composed of, for example, a rotary encoder.

The table drive unit 114 is composed of a support unit (not shown) that rotatably supports the table 112, a motor (not shown) as a rotation drive source, and a rotation transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the motor to the table.

The detector 116 is a contact type detector. The contact type detector 116 has a stylus 116A, and the tip of the stylus 116A is brought into contact with the surface of the workpiece W to detect the displacement of the surface of the workpiece W. More specifically, the amount of displacement of the tip of the stylus 116A is detected to detect the displacement of the surface of the workpiece W. The amount of displacement of the stylus 116A is detected, for example, by a differential transformer.

The detector driving unit 118 moves the detector 116 in the Z direction and the X direction on the base 110. As shown in FIG. 2, the detector driving unit 118 is composed of a column 118A provided on the base 110, a carriage 118B provided on the column 118A, an arm 118C provided on the carriage 118B, and a detector holder 118D provided on the arm 118C. The column 118A is disposed along the Z direction. The carriage 118B is supported so as to be movable along the Z direction. The carriage 118B is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided on the column 118A to move in the Z direction. The arm 118C is supported so as to be movable along the X direction. The arm 118C is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided on the carriage 118B to move in the X direction. The detector holder 118D is provided at the tip of the arm 118C. The detector 116 is held in the detector holder 118D.

The detector 116 moves in the Z direction by driving the carriage 118B, and moves in the X direction by driving the arm 118C.

Circularity is measured in the following procedure. First, the workpiece W is set on the table 112. The workpiece W is held by the air chuck 120 and set on the table 112. Next, the probe 116A of the detector 116 is brought into contact with the surface of the workpiece W. Next, the table 112 is rotated. While the table 112 is rotating, the detector 116 detects the displacement of the surface of the workpiece W and acquires polar coordinate data. The acquired data is processed to calculate the circularity. When measuring multiple locations, the probe 116A is brought into contact with different positions for measurement. The series of operations performed during this measurement is written as an automatic program.

[Control device]
The control device 200 controls the roundness measuring machine 100 under the control of the overall control device 400, and causes the roundness measuring machine 100 to perform predetermined measurements.

[Hardware configuration of the control device]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the control device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 200 is composed of a computer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 212, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 213, an auxiliary storage device 214, an input device 215, a display device 216, and an input/output interface (I/F) 217.

The processor, CPU 211, constitutes the control unit of the control device 200. The CPU 211 executes a specific program (control program) to cause the computer to function as a control device. The control program is stored in the ROM 212 or the auxiliary storage device 214.

The ROM 212, the RAM 213, and the auxiliary storage device 214 constitute the storage unit of the control device 200. The auxiliary storage device 214 is constituted, for example, by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc.

The input device 215 constitutes the operation section of the control device 200. The input device 215 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc.

The display device 216 constitutes the display unit of the control device 200. The display device 216 is constituted, for example, by a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. The display device 216 provided in the control device 200 is an example of a first display unit.

The input/output interface 217 constitutes the connection section of the control device 200. The control device 200 is communicatively connected to the roundness measuring machine 100 and the overall control device 400, etc., via the input/output interface 217.

[Main functions of the control device]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing main functions of the control device.

As shown in the figure, the control device 200 has functions such as an external file acquisition unit 221, a measurement control unit 222, an arithmetic processing unit 223, a display control unit 224, and a recording control unit 225. These functions are realized by the CPU 211 executing a predetermined program.

[External file acquisition section]
The external file acquisition unit 221 acquires an external file F in which information necessary for measurement is recorded. The external file F is acquired from the general control device 400 via the input/output interface 217. The information recorded in the external file F will be described later.

[Measurement control unit]
The measurement control unit 222 controls the measurement of the workpiece W by the roundness measuring machine 100. The measurement control unit 222 controls the roundness measuring machine 100 so that the measurement is performed in a predetermined procedure. The measurement control unit 222 controls the operation of the roundness measuring machine 100 in accordance with an automatic program, thereby controlling the measurement of the workpiece W.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an outline of the automatic program. Figure 5 shows an example of measuring the roundness of the outer circumference of the inner ring of a bearing as the measurement target (workpiece W). In particular, it shows an example of measuring the roundness of two flange portions (portions on both sides of the raceway groove WRG) WF1 and WF2. Therefore, there are two measurement points. In Figure 5, the combination of dots and arrows indicated by the symbol MP shows an example of the movement path of the stylus 116A relative to the workpiece W. Positions Z1 and Z2 indicate measurement positions in the Z direction. Position Z1 is the measurement position (first measurement position) of one flange portion (first flange portion) WF1. Position Z2 is the measurement position (second measurement position) of the other flange portion (second flange portion) WF2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the roundness is measured in the order of the first flange portion WF1 and the second flange portion WF2. That is, the stylus 116A moves from the bottom to the top of the workpiece W to measure each measurement target portion. In this case, each process (command) is executed in the following procedure. First, the stylus 116A is positioned at the first measurement position Z1. After positioning, the stylus 116A is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the first flange portion WF1 to measure the roundness. After the measurement is completed, the stylus 116A is positioned at the second measurement position Z2. After positioning, the stylus 116A is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the second flange portion WF2 to measure the roundness.

As shown in FIG. 5, the automatic program describes a series of operations (commands) to be performed by the roundness measuring machine 100 in chronological order. In the example shown in FIG. 5, each operation is performed in the following order: (1) axis clamping [release Z-axis clamp], (2) positioning [Z1], (3) axis clamping [Z-axis clamp], (4) roundness measurement [Gaussian, Low, 50], (5) axis clamping [release Z-axis clamp], (6) positioning [Z2], (7) axis clamping [Z-axis clamp], (8) roundness measurement [Gaussian, Low, 50], (9) axis clamping [release Z-axis clamp]. The brackets [ ] indicate the settings for each operation or process.

In "axis clamp," "Z-axis clamp" means clamping (fixing) the Z-axis. Also, in "axis clamp," "Z-axis clamp release" means releasing the clamp on the Z-axis.

"Z1" in "positioning" means positioning the stylus 116A to position Z1 in the Z direction. Also, "Z2" in "positioning" means positioning the stylus 116A to position Z2 in the Z direction.

In "Circularity measurement", the settings in [ ] are the measurement settings (including the analysis condition settings). [Gaussian, Low, 50] is an example of the analysis condition settings, and indicates the settings of "filter", "cutoff", and "number of peaks". "Filter" is used to remove unnecessary shape components from the measurement data. As an example, it is set by selecting from no filter, 2RC, Gaussian, spline, and robust spline. "Cutoff" is used to calculate only the necessary peaks of unevenness from the measurement data. As an example, a low-pass filter (Low) or band filter (Band) is set. "Number of peaks" is the number of peaks calculated per revolution of the measurement data. [Gaussian, Low, 50] is an example when Gaussian is selected as the "filter", low-pass filter (Low) as the "cutoff", and 50 as the "number of peaks".

In the example shown in FIG. 5, each operation or process is performed in the following order: (1) release the clamp on the Z axis, (2) position the stylus 116A at position Z1, (3) clamp the Z axis, (4) perform a roundness measurement under set conditions, (5) release the clamp on the Z axis, (6) position the stylus 116A at position Z2, (7) clamp the Z axis, (8) perform a roundness measurement under set conditions, (9) release the clamp on the Z axis. Note that when the measurement starts, the stylus 116A is located at the origin position and the Z axis is clamped. Also, after the measurement is completed, the stylus 116A returns to the origin position and the Z axis is clamped.

In this way, the automatic program describes a series of operations (commands) to be performed by the roundness measuring machine 100 in chronological order.

In this embodiment, the settings for some of the series of operations described in the automatic program are described using variables. Specifically, the settings for "positioning" are described using variables. The "positioning" operation is an example of a specific operation.

The control device 200 acquires setting information about "positioning" from the outside. "From the outside" means acquiring information from outside the device. In other words, it means acquiring information from a device or the like other than the control device 200 (acquiring information as so-called external input). The measurement control unit 222 refers to the setting information about positioning acquired from the outside and controls the positioning.

The setting information for "positioning" is recorded in the external file F. As described above, the external file F is acquired by the external file acquisition unit 221. Therefore, the measurement control unit 222 refers to the external file F acquired by the external file acquisition unit 221 and controls the positioning.

The external file F is, for example, composed of structured data, and describes the setting information regarding positioning in a specified format. As an example, the external file F is composed of a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file. For example, if the first measurement position Z1 is set to Z = 20 mm and the second measurement position Z2 is set to Z = 40 mm, as shown in FIG. 5, [Z1, Z2] is described on the first line, and [20, 40] is described on the second line, and the external file F is created. In this case, the element "Z1" before the comma (,) on the first line indicates that the positioning setting at the first measurement position Z1 is the setting target, and the element "Z2" after the comma indicates that the positioning setting at the second measurement position Z2 is the setting target. In addition, the element "20" before the comma on the second line indicates that the setting for positioning at the first measurement position Z1 is 20 mm, and the element "40" after the comma indicates that the setting for positioning at the second measurement position Z2 is 40 mm. External file F is an example of a data file that records configuration information for a specific operation.

The automatic program is created in a predetermined format using a predetermined language. For example, it is created using a markup language such as XML (Extensible Markup Language). The created automatic program is recorded in the auxiliary storage device 214. In response to an instruction to execute a measurement given by the overall control device 400, the measurement control unit 222 reads the automatic program from the auxiliary storage device 214 and executes each process. When executing a process whose settings are described by variables, it refers to the external file F to acquire setting information and executes processing according to the acquired information.

[Calculation processing unit]
The calculation processing unit 223 acquires polar coordinate data obtained by executing the measurement process from the roundness measuring machine 100, processes the acquired polar coordinate data, and calculates roundness. The calculation processing unit 223 processes the polar coordinate data according to set conditions (filter, offset, number of peaks, etc.).

[Display control unit]
The display control unit 224 controls the output to the display device 216. The display device 216 displays various information.

Figure 6 shows an example of how the measurement results are displayed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the results of the roundness measurement are displayed in a result display area A1 set in screen 216A. A series of operations (commands) executed according to the automatic program are displayed in a command display area A2 set in screen 216A. Furthermore, detailed settings for the operation (command) selected in command display area A2 are displayed in a command content display area A3 set in screen 216A. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the settings for "roundness measurement (8)" are displayed in command content display area A3.

The measurement results are displayed after processing by the calculation processing unit 223. Other displays are displayed in advance. For example, they are displayed in response to an instruction to perform a measurement from the overall control device 400.

In this way, the operations performed according to the automatic program and their settings are displayed on the display device 216 along with the measurement results. This allows the user to easily check the contents of the automatically performed measurement (the operating procedure and the settings for each operation).

In addition to displaying such measurement results, the display control unit 224 causes the display device 216 to display various information depending on the situation or in response to an instruction from the user. For example, if an error occurs, a specified error message is displayed on the screen.

[Recording control section]
The recording control unit 225 controls the recording of data in the auxiliary storage device 214. As an example, the recording control unit 225 performs a process of recording data of the measurement results in the auxiliary storage device 214 in a predetermined format.

[Loading/unloading device]
The carry-in/out device 300 carries the workpiece W in and out of the roundness measuring machine 100. The carry-in/out device 300 is, for example, configured with a robot arm. The carry-in/out device 300 takes out the workpiece W, for example, from a pallet (not shown) set at a predetermined position, and supplies it to the roundness measuring machine 100. More specifically, the take-out workpiece W is set in the air chuck 120 on the table 112. The carry-in/out device 300 also retrieves the workpiece W from the table 112 after measurement is completed, and returns it to its original position. In other words, the carry-in/out device 300 returns the workpiece W to the same place as when it was taken out. A plurality of workpieces W are regularly accommodated on the pallet.

In this example, the workpiece W is supplied and retrieved from a pallet, but it is also possible to use a different configuration, for example, where the workpiece W is picked up from a conveyor by the carry-in/out device 300 and then supplied and retrieved (so-called in-line measurement).

[Overall control device]
The overall control device 400 controls the entire measurement system so that the roundness measuring machine 100, the air chuck 120, and the carry-in/out device 300 work together to automatically perform the measurement. The overall control device 400 is, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC). The programmable logic controller is a type of computer, has a processor (for example, a CPU) 411, a memory (for example, a RAM) 412, and an auxiliary storage device (for example, a flash memory) 413, and operates with software. The overall control device 400 of this embodiment is further provided with an input device 414 and a display device 415. The input device 414 is, for example, a keyboard or a touch panel. The display device 415 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

The overall control device 400 instructs the control device 200 to perform a measurement by specifying an automatic program to be executed. As described above, in the automatic program executed by the control device 200 of this embodiment, some operation settings are described by variables. Therefore, the overall control device 400 outputs to the control device 200 an instruction to perform a measurement, as well as an external file F that records setting information about that operation.

An external file F is prepared for each work W. The external file F for each work is stored in the auxiliary storage device 413. The auxiliary storage device 413 stores, for example, a management database DB, in which the external file F for each work W is managed.

Figure 7 shows an example of a management database.

In the management database DB, information about the workpieces W to be measured is recorded, and associated with that information, information about the automatic program to be used for each workpiece W and information about the external file F are recorded. The information about the workpieces W is, for example, unique identification information assigned to each workpiece W, such as an ID (Identification). The information about the workpieces W is, for example, numbered in the order of measurement and recorded. The information about the automatic program to be used is, for example, information about the file name of the automatic program to be used. Furthermore, the information about the external file F to be used is, for example, information about the file name of the external file F to be used.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the measurement control is performed using the same automatic program (PA001) for workpieces No. 1 (ID: WA001) to No. 100 (ID: WA100). Also, the measurement control is performed using the same automatic program (PB001) for workpieces No. 101 (ID: WB001) to No. 200 (ID: WB100). As an example, workpieces No. 1 to No. 100 have roughly the same shape, but different measurement positions. Similarly, workpieces No. 101 to No. 200 have roughly the same shape, but different measurement positions. Workpieces No. 101 to No. 200 have different shapes from workpieces No. 1 to No. 100, so they are configured to use different automatic programs.

The overall control device 400 instructs the control device 200 to perform measurement based on the information recorded in the management database DB. That is, the overall control device 400 specifies an automatic program recorded in the management database DB for the workpiece W to be measured, and instructs the control device 200 to perform measurement. It also reads out an external file F recorded in the management database DB and outputs it to the control device 200. The overall control device 400 is an example of an external device.

[Measurement system operation]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a process flow by the measurement system.

First, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to the carry-in/out device 300 to carry in the workpiece W. In response to this instruction, the carry-in/out device 300 removes the workpiece W from a pallet (not shown) and sets it on the table 112 of the roundness measuring machine 100. More specifically, the workpiece W is set on the air chuck 120 on the table 112.

Next, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to the air chuck 120 to clamp the workpiece W. In response to this instruction, the air chuck 120 clamps the workpiece W. This fixes the workpiece W on the table 112.

Next, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to the control device 200 to execute the measurement. The instruction is given by specifying the automatic program to be used. The overall control device 400 specifies the automatic program to be used based on the information recorded in the management database DB, and issues an instruction to execute the measurement.

Together with the execution instruction, the overall control device 400 sends an external file F in which specific setting information is recorded to the control device 200. The overall control device 400 reads the external file F to be used based on the information recorded in the management database DB, and sends it to the control device 200.

The control device 200 executes measurement control in response to an instruction to execute measurement. Measurement control is performed according to a specified automatic program. Details of measurement control will be described later.

When the measurement is completed, the control device 200 outputs the result of the measurement control to the overall control device 400. In other words, it notifies the overall control device 400 as to whether the measurement was performed normally or not. For example, if the measurement was performed normally, "RESULT_OK" is notified. If the measurement was not performed normally, "RESULT_NG" is notified.

When the measurement control results are received by the overall control device 400, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to release the clamp to the air chuck 120. In response to this instruction, the air chuck 120 releases the clamp on the workpiece W. This makes it possible to retrieve the workpiece W from the table 112.

When the clamp is released, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to the loading/unloading device 300 to unload the workpiece W. In response to this instruction, the loading/unloading device 300 retrieves the workpiece W from the table 112 and returns it to its original position, i.e., to the pallet (not shown).

When the measurement of one workpiece W is completed, the central control device 400 determines whether or not the measurement of all the workpieces W to be measured has been completed. When the measurement of all the workpieces W has been completed, the process ends. On the other hand, if the measurement of all the workpieces W has not been completed, the next workpiece W is processed according to the above procedure.

[Measurement Control]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of measurement control performed by the control device.

The control device 200 controls the roundness measuring machine 100 according to the automatic program. The measurement control unit 222 reads out the automatic program specified by the overall control device 400 from the auxiliary storage device 214 and executes it. The measurement control unit 222 sequentially executes the operations (commands) described in the automatic program.

First, the operation (command) to be executed is read (step S11). Next, it is determined whether the settings for the read operation are written in variables (step S12).

If the operation settings are not described by variables, the measurement control unit 222 operates the roundness measuring machine 100 according to the setting conditions described in the automatic program (step S13). After completing the operation, the measurement control unit 222 determines whether there is a next operation to be performed (step S14). If there is a next operation to be performed, the measurement control unit 222 returns to step S11 and reads the contents of the next operation to be performed. If there is no next operation to be performed, the process ends.

On the other hand, if the operation settings are described by variables, the measurement control unit 222 judges whether or not an external file F exists (step S15). If the external file F exists, the measurement control unit 222 checks the contents of the external file F (step S16). That is, it checks whether or not the setting information is described in a predetermined format. Based on the check result, the measurement control unit 222 judges whether or not the external file F is normal (step S17). If the external file F is normal, the roundness measuring device 100 is operated according to the setting conditions described in the external file F (step S18). After the operation is completed, the measurement control unit 222 judges whether or not there is a next operation to be performed (step S14). If there is a next operation to be performed, the measurement control unit 222 returns to step S11 and reads the contents of the next operation to be performed. If there is no next operation to be performed, the process ends.

If it is determined in step S15 that the external file F does not exist, or if it is determined in step S17 that the external file F is abnormal, the measurement control unit 222 performs a predetermined warning process (step S19). As an example, the measurement control unit 222 causes the display device 216 to display a predetermined error message via the display control unit 224. In addition, if the roundness measuring machine 100 is equipped with a warning light, the warning light may be illuminated, or if a buzzer is equipped, the buzzer may be sounded. After the warning process, the measurement control unit 222 stops the measurement operation (step S20).

In this way, the measurement control unit 222 sequentially executes the operations (commands) described in the automatic program and controls the roundness measuring machine 100. For operations (commands) whose settings are described in variables, the measurement control unit 222 refers to the external file F and operates the roundness measuring machine 100 under the setting conditions described in the external file F.

For example, in the example of the automatic program shown in Figure 5, if the settings for the positioning operation (2) and the positioning operation (6) are written in variables, when the positioning operation (2) and the positioning operation (6) are executed, the external file F is referenced and each process is executed.

In this way, when controlling an object according to an automatic program, the following effects can be obtained by describing some operation settings with variables and acquiring the setting information from an external source. For example, when measuring multiple workpieces with only some different measurement conditions (for example, when the approximate shape is the same but only the measurement position is different), conventionally, an automatic program was created for each workpiece. According to the measurement system 1 of this embodiment, only the external file F needs to be prepared. This significantly reduces the amount of work required for advance preparation. In addition, since the automatic program can be shared between multiple workpieces, maintainability can be improved. Furthermore, since the total number of automatic programs can be reduced, the amount of data required for storage can be significantly reduced. For example, the size of a standard automatic program is 300 KB, while the size of an external file is about 1 KB. Therefore, for example, when measuring 100 workpieces, while conventionally 300 KB x 100 = 30 MB is required, with the measurement system 1 of this embodiment, only 300 KB + (1 KB x 100) = 400 KB is required. This also significantly reduces the communication load when moving the automatic program.

[Modification]
[Measurement and setting targets]
In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which two locations on the outer periphery of the inner ring of a bearing are measured, but the measurement target (workpiece) is not limited to this.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the case where the settings for the positioning operation of the stylus 116A are performed externally has been described as an example, but the operations (commands) that can be set externally are not limited to this. It is also possible to set the settings (analysis conditions, etc.) for the processing operations performed by the calculation processing unit 223 from externally.

[Display the set information]
It is preferable to make it possible to confirm information set based on an external file on the control device 200. For example, a series of operations (commands) executed according to an automatic program is displayed on the display device 216, and for operations whose settings are described in variables, setting information obtained from an external file is displayed (see FIG. 6). At this time, it is preferable to highlight the operations whose settings are described in variables on the screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of highlighting. FIG. 10 shows an example in which the settings of two positioning operations are described in variables in an automatic program. As shown in FIG. 10, the display of positioning among the series of operations displayed in the command display area A2 is highlighted. Specifically, it is displayed in a larger size (font) than the display of other operations, and is displayed in a text color and background color different from the display of other operations. Furthermore, it is displayed with a star at the beginning. In this way, by highlighting, it becomes clear that the setting is an operation described in variables (operation whose conditions can be arbitrarily set). In addition, by displaying the set information, the set contents can be confirmed on the control device 200. This makes it easy to check whether the operation conditions are set correctly.

The highlighting method is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 10. In addition, for example, the relevant action can be highlighted by blinking the display, underlining the relevant action, or italicizing or bolding the text of the relevant action. Also, these can be combined appropriately for highlighting. Also, only the set information can be highlighted.

[External file authentication process]
As described above, according to the measurement system 1 of this embodiment, when measuring multiple workpieces with only some different measurement conditions, the automatic program can be shared between the multiple workpieces. On the other hand, when the measurement conditions are significantly different (for example, when the shapes of the workpieces are different), a different automatic program is required. In this case, the control device 200 appropriately holds multiple automatic programs and appropriately switches between the automatic programs to be used to control the measurement.

If the control device 200 holds multiple automation programs, there is a risk that a different automation program will be executed by mistake. There is also a risk that an external file used by another automation program will be referenced by mistake.

To prevent this, it is preferable to check the correspondence between the external file and the automatic program before executing measurement control. For example, a configuration can be used in which a predetermined authentication process is performed on the received external file F, and measurement control is executed only after authenticity is confirmed.

Figure 11 shows an example of the process flow when performing authentication processing on an external file.

First, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to execute a measurement to the control device 200. As described above, the execution instruction is issued by specifying the automatic program to be executed. Together with this execution instruction, the overall control device 400 transmits to the control device 200 an external file F in which predetermined setting information and a password are recorded.

The password is unique to the automatic program and is determined in advance for each automatic program. The password is an example of authentication information. In the external file F, specified setting information and password information for the automatic program to be used are recorded in a specified format.

The control device 200 holds information about the password that is defined for each automatic program. The password information is stored, for example, in the auxiliary storage device 214.

When the measurement control unit 222 of the control device 200 receives an instruction to perform measurement and the external file F, it executes an authentication process. First, it reads out the password for the specified automatic program. Next, it reads the password from the received external file F. Next, it compares the two read passwords. That is, it determines whether the two passwords match. From the comparison result, it determines the authenticity of the external file F. That is, it determines whether the received external file corresponds to the automatic program that has been instructed to be executed. If the passwords match, it is determined that the external file corresponds to the automatic program that has been instructed to be executed. That is, it is determined that the external file is authentic. On the other hand, if the passwords do not match, it is determined that the external file does not correspond to the automatic program that has been instructed to be executed. That is, it is determined that the external file is unauthorized.

If it is determined to be genuine, the measurement control unit 222 executes the measurement control process according to the automatic program. After the measurement is completed, the measurement control unit 222 outputs the control result to the overall control device 400.

On the other hand, if it is determined to be fraudulent, a warning process is executed. For example, a specified error message is displayed on the display device 216. After the warning process, the result is output to the overall control device 400. In other words, it is output that an error has occurred due to the transmission of a fraudulent external file.

In this way, by checking the correspondence between the external file and the automated program to be executed before executing measurement control, it is possible to prevent the wrong automated program from being executed or the wrong external file from being referenced.

In the above example, the verification process is performed before the automatic program is executed, but the timing of the verification process is not limited to this. For example, the verification process may be performed when an external file is referenced. In this case, the measurement process is stopped when it is discovered that the external file is fraudulent (when it is discovered that the passwords do not match).

In addition, in the above configuration, the password is also recorded in the file (external file F) that records the setting information, but the file (first external file) that records the setting information and the file (second external file) that records the password may be configured as separate files. In this case, the two are associated and transmitted to the control device 200.

Also, an external file may be sent from the central control device 400 to the control device 200 with a tag attached instead of a password.

Passwords and the like may also be hashed and sent as an external file from the central control device 400 to the control device 200. In this case, the hashed password is compared.

In addition, when sending an external file, a checksum may be attached. This makes it possible to detect errors in the data being sent.

[How to obtain setting information]
In the above embodiment, an external file F in which setting information is recorded is created, and the external file F is transmitted from the general control device 400 to the control device 200. The method by which the control device 200 acquires the setting information is not limited to this. Below, modified examples of the method of acquiring the setting information will be described.

(1) Method of Acquiring from Another Device The configuration may be such that the setting information is acquired from a device other than the overall control device 400. In this case, similarly to the above embodiment, the configuration may be such that the setting information is acquired in the form of an external file F, or such that only the setting information is acquired. In addition, the communication form may be wired or wireless.

(2) Method of acquiring via a storage medium For example, an external file F recording the setting information may be stored in a storage medium such as a memory card or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and the external file F may be read via a reading device (a memory card reader, a CD-ROM drive, etc.).

(3) Method of Acquiring via an Input Device A configuration may be adopted in which the user manually inputs the setting information using the input device 215 of the control device 200 or the input device 414 of the overall control device 400. In this case, a predetermined setting screen is displayed on the display device 216 of the control device 200 or the display device 415 of the overall control device 400 to accept the input of the setting information.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting information. Figure 12 shows an example of measuring the roundness of two points (two flange portions) on the outer circumference of the inner ring of a bearing, and is an example of a case where the measurement position in the Z direction is described as a variable in an automatic program. Figure 12 also shows an example of a case where setting information is input using the input device 414 of the overall control device 400. That is, Figure 12 shows an example of a screen 415A displayed on the display device 415 of the overall control device 400.

12, two input boxes B1 and B2 for inputting setting information of two measurement positions are displayed on the screen 415A of the display device 415. The first input box B1 is a box for inputting setting information of one measurement position (in this example, the measurement position of the first flange portion WF1 of the inner ring of the bearing). The second input box B2 is a box for inputting setting information of the other measurement position (in this example, the measurement position of the second flange portion WF2 of the inner ring of the bearing). The screen 415A displays the two input boxes B1 and B2 as well as a figure CS of the workpiece W to be measured (in this example, the figure of the inner ring of the bearing). In this example, a figure of the cross section of the workpiece W (a so-called cross section) is displayed. The two input boxes B1 and B2 are displayed in association with this figure CS. Specifically, lead lines LL1 and LL2 are drawn from positions corresponding to the measurement positions on the figure CS and are displayed linked to the corresponding input boxes B1 and B2. This makes it possible to suppress erroneous input.

In the example shown in FIG. 12, the first input box B1 is a box for inputting the measurement position of the first tsuba portion WF1, and the second input box B2 is a box for inputting the measurement position of the second tsuba portion WF2. For this reason, the first input box B1 is displayed with a leader line LL1 drawn from a location on the figure CS that corresponds to the first tsuba portion WF1. The second input box B2 is displayed with a leader line LL2 drawn from a location on the figure CS that corresponds to the second tsuba portion WF2.

This method of displaying the input position of the setting information (the measurement position in the example of FIG. 12) using the cross-sectional image CS of the workpiece W is a display method unique to shape measuring machines. In particular, this is an effective display method for measuring machines that measure roundness, because the cross-sectional shape and measurement values of the workpiece W do not change even if the table 112 is rotated.

Furthermore, such a display does not require particularly advanced processing power. In other words, since the display can be fixed except for the numerical values entered by the user, advanced display processing power is not required. Therefore, it can be realized even on a computer with low processing power. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the hardware configuration.

In the integrated control device 400, the processor 411 controls the display on the display device 415. The processor 411 functions as a display control unit by executing a specific program.

The setting information for each input box B1, B2 is input via the input device 414. The overall control device 400 generates an external file F based on the input information and transmits it to the control device 200. The function of generating the external file F is realized, for example, by the processor 411 of the overall control device 400 executing a predetermined program. In other words, the processor 411 functions as an external file generation unit. The external file generation unit is an example of a data file generation unit.

In addition, instead of generating an external file F and sending the setting information to the control device 200, the input setting information may be sent directly to the control device 200.

In this way, the setting information can be configured to be manually input by the user using the input device 414 of the overall control device 400 (or the input device 215 of the control device 200).

In this example, the display device 415 of the overall control device 400 is an example of a second display unit. Also, the input device 414 of the overall control device 400 is an example of an input unit.

When the configuration is such that the setting information is manually input from outside as described above, it is preferable to have a configuration that allows you to check whether the set information has been correctly reflected.

Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of how to check the settings.

Figure 13 shows an example of a case where a user manually inputs setting information using the input device 414 of the overall control device 400. As described above, the display device 415 of the overall control device 400 displays input boxes B1 and B2 for inputting setting information and a figure CS of the workpiece W. The same information displayed on the display device 415 of the overall control device 400 is displayed on the display device 216 of the control device 200.

The control device 200 controls the display in the input boxes B1 and B2 based on the setting information transmitted from the overall control device 400. That is, when the setting information is transmitted in the form of an external file F, the display in the input boxes B1 and B2 is controlled based on the information recorded in the external file F. When the input setting information is transmitted directly, the display in the input boxes B1 and B2 is controlled based on the received information. Therefore, the display is not synchronized between the overall control device 400 and the display device 216. The overall control device 400 independently controls the display in the input boxes B1 and B2 based on the input from the user, and the control device 200 independently controls the display in the input boxes B1 and B2 based on the information received from the overall control device 400. This allows the control device 200 to check whether the set information is correctly reflected.

The control device 200 always displays this information while the workpiece W is being measured. After the measurement is completed, the display can be switched to displaying the measurement results (see FIG. 6). Note that the display position may be changed while the measurement results are being displayed, and this display may be displayed. Alternatively, the display may be switched to in response to an instruction from the user.

In this way, the control device 200 can also check whether the settings have been reflected correctly by displaying the settings on the display device 216. In addition, the setting information can be displayed using the workpiece W graphic CS, making it easy to check the settings.

When the information set in this manner is displayed on the display device 216 of the control device 200, it is preferable to have a configuration in which measurement control is performed after waiting for an instruction to perform the measurement from the user. In this case, the user checks the contents displayed on the display device 216 and instructs the control device 200 to perform the measurement. In other words, the user checks that there are no errors in the information entered and then instructs the control device 200 to perform the measurement. This makes it possible to prevent measurement from being performed based on erroneous settings.

In this example, the set information is displayed on the display device 216 of the control device 200, but the set information may be displayed on a display device other than the display device 216 of the control device 200. For example, a display device other than the display device 216 of the control device 200 may be prepared, and the set information may be displayed on that display device.

The instruction to perform the measurement after confirmation may be given from the general control device 400. Alternatively, the instruction may be given from an input device provided separately from the input device 215 of the control device 200.

For safety reasons, the measuring machine including the control device 200 may be surrounded by a fence. In this case, it is effective to display the setting information on a display device other than the display device 216 of the control device 200, and to instruct the execution of the measurement from an input device (including the input device 414 of the general control device 400) other than the input device 215 of the control device 200 (unless the display device 216 and the input device 215 can be installed outside the fence). These display devices and/or input devices are preferably installed near the general control device 400, so that the settings can be confirmed and the instruction to execute the measurement can be easily given. In addition, mobile terminals such as smartphones and tablets can be used as these display devices and/or input devices.

(4) Method of encoding and reading setting information For example, the setting information may be encoded as a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), and the coded information (code information) may be read by a reader to obtain the setting information.

Figure 14 is a block diagram of the main functions of the control device when encoding and reading the setting information. In particular, Figure 14 shows an example in which the setting information is encoded using a two-dimensional code 2DC.

Setting information for the workpiece W is coded in a two-dimensional code 2DC, and the created two-dimensional code 2DC is printed on a label LB. The label LB with the two-dimensional code 2DC printed on it is affixed to the workpiece W. The label LB is affixed to a surface other than the surface to be measured (the surface against which the stylus comes into contact). For example, as shown in FIG. 14, if the workpiece W is the inner ring of a bearing and the roundness of its outer periphery is to be measured, the label LB is affixed to the end surface of the workpiece W. The label LB with the two-dimensional code 2DC printed on it is an example of a medium on which setting information is recorded.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control device 200 in this example is equipped with a two-dimensional code reader 231 and a setting information acquisition unit 232.

The two-dimensional code reader 231 reads the two-dimensional code 2DC. Specifically, it captures an image of the surface bearing the two-dimensional code 2DC and extracts the two-dimensional code 2DC from the resulting image. It then performs a decoding process on the extracted two-dimensional code 2DC and outputs the recorded information (setting information). The two-dimensional code reader 231 is installed, for example, on the path along which the workpiece W is carried in by the carry-in/out device 300 (see FIG. 1). This makes it possible to read the two-dimensional code 2DC attached to the workpiece W in the process of carrying the workpiece W into the roundness measuring machine 100.

The setting information acquisition unit 232 acquires information (setting information) output from the two-dimensional code reader 231.

The measurement control unit 222 executes measurement control based on the information (setting information) output from the setting information acquisition unit 232. That is, when executing an operation (command) whose settings are described by variables, the measurement control unit 222 executes the operation by referring to the acquired setting information.

In this way, the configuration can be such that the setting information is obtained by reading it from the two-dimensional code 2DC. With this configuration, the overall control device 400 does not need to manage the external file F (such as linking it to the workpiece W), simplifying operation and management. Furthermore, when the same workpiece W is measured with a different measuring device, the setting information can be obtained in a similar manner. In other words, it becomes possible to reuse the information.

In this example, the setting information is coded using a two-dimensional code 2DC, but the coding method is not limited to this. Alternatively, the setting information may be coded using a one-dimensional code such as a barcode. Also, the setting information may be coded using a two-dimensional code other than a QR code.

When encoding the setting information, other information may also be included in the encoding. For example, the encoding may include identification information of the workpiece, information about the automatic program to be executed, etc. When the encoding includes information about the automatic program to be executed, the overall control device 400 need only instruct the control device 200 to execute the measurement.

In this example, a label LB on which a two-dimensional code 2DC is printed is affixed to the workpiece W, and the two-dimensional code 2DC is read from the workpiece W; however, the object to which the label LB is affixed is not limited to this. Alternatively, for example, the label LB can be affixed to a pallet that contains the workpiece W, and the two-dimensional code 2DC can be read from the pallet. Furthermore, the object on which the two-dimensional code 2DC is printed is not limited to the label LB, and it can be printed on other media. For example, the two-dimensional codes 2DC of the workpieces W to be measured can be printed all at once on a sheet of paper, and the two-dimensional codes 2DC can be read from the sheet of paper in the order of measurement. The two-dimensional code 2DC can also be printed directly on the workpiece W.

As a method other than coding, the setting information can also be obtained using a so-called optical character reader (OCR). In this case, for example, the setting information is printed as character information on a label and affixed to the workpiece W. When reading the setting information, for example, an image of the surface to which the label is affixed is captured, and character recognition processing is performed on the obtained image to obtain the setting information.

It is also possible to configure the system so that the setting information is recorded on an IC tag and then read from the IC tag. In this case, an IC tag on which the setting information is recorded is attached to the workpiece W. The control device 200 is also equipped with an IC tag reader.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the settings of some operations (commands) of the automatic program are described by variables, and the control device 200 performs predetermined measurement control by acquiring the setting information from outside. Since only the information of variables at the time of execution is acquired from outside, the program itself is not changed.

In this embodiment, the automatic program itself is rewritten to cause the control device 200 to perform a specified measurement control. Specifically, the settings for a specific operation (command) in the automatic program are rewritten, and the control device 200 performs measurement control according to the rewritten automatic program. Because the configuration rewrites the settings, the procedure for executing the operation itself is not changed.

In this embodiment, the process of rewriting the automatic program is performed by the control device 200. The control device 200 rewrites the target automatic program according to an external rewrite instruction that includes configuration information.

The basic configuration of the measurement system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described here. In other words, only the automatic program rewriting will be described.

Figure 15 is a block diagram of the main functions of the control device of the measurement system of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 15, the control device 200 of this embodiment is provided with a rewrite processing unit 241 that performs rewrite processing of the automatic program. The rewrite processing unit 241 performs processing to rewrite settings for specific operations described in the automatic program according to the rewrite program. Therefore, the rewrite program includes information on the operations (commands) to be rewritten and information on the contents to be rewritten (setting information). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, when the settings of the positioning operation (2) and the positioning operation (6) are to be rewritten, the rewrite program includes information that the targets to be rewritten are the positioning operation (2) and the positioning operation (6), and information on the contents to be rewritten (setting information) for the settings of each operation.

In this embodiment, the rewrite program is sent from the overall control device 400 to the control device 200 together with an instruction to execute the measurement. The CPU 211 of the control device 200 executes the received rewrite program to function as the rewrite processing unit 241, and performs a process of rewriting the automatic program in accordance with the rewrite program. For example, if the automatic program is created using a markup language such as XML, a process of rewriting the description of the corresponding operation is performed (a process of rewriting the text is performed).

The rewrite program is created in advance and stored in the overall control device 400. The rewrite program may be created by the overall control device 400 or by another device. When the overall control device 400 creates the rewrite program, the overall control device 400 is provided with a rewrite program creation function. In this case, the overall control device 400 accepts input of information required for rewriting (the operation to be rewritten and its setting information) from the user, and generates the rewrite program based on the accepted information. When the rewrite program is created by another device, the device is provided with a similar function.

Figure 16 shows an example of the process flow when rewriting an automatic program to perform measurement control.

First, the overall control device 400 outputs an instruction to the control device 200 to execute the measurement. If there are multiple automatic programs that can be executed on the control device 200 side, the automatic program to be executed is specified and an execution instruction is output.

A rewrite program is sent from the overall control device 400 to the control device 200 together with this execution instruction. When the control device 200 receives the rewrite program, it performs a process to rewrite the target automatic program according to the received rewrite program. A determination is made as to whether this rewrite process has been successful.

If the rewriting is successful, measurement control is performed according to the rewritten automatic program. On the other hand, if the rewriting fails, a specified warning process is performed. For example, a specified error message is displayed on the display device 216.

In this way, with the measurement system of this embodiment, the automatic program can be rewritten from outside, and the roundness measuring machine 100 can be operated according to the rewritten automatic program. Therefore, even with the measurement system of this embodiment, the effort required for advance preparation can be significantly reduced when measuring multiple workpieces where only some of the measurement conditions differ. Furthermore, since the automatic program can be shared between multiple workpieces, maintainability can be improved. Furthermore, unlike the measurement system 1 of the first embodiment, there is no need to manage the external file F.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the overall control device 400 transmits a rewrite program to the control device 200, and the control device 200 executes the rewrite program to rewrite the automatic program, but the method of rewriting the automatic program is not limited to this. Alternatively, for example, the control device 200 may have a rewrite program, obtain information required for rewriting (operations to be rewritten, contents to be rewritten, etc.) from the outside, and execute the rewrite process.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the settings for any operation can be rewritten, but the operations for which the settings can be rewritten may be limited. In this case, the rewrite program is configured to rewrite only the settings for specific operations.

The modified examples of the measurement system of the first embodiment described above can also be applied to the measurement system of this embodiment as appropriate.

[Other embodiments]
[Shape measuring instrument]
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a control device that controls a roundness measuring machine and a measurement system that measures a workpiece using the roundness measuring machine, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to control devices that control, for example, three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines, surface roughness measuring machines, contour measuring machines, cylindrical shape measuring machines, etc. The present invention can also be applied to measurement systems that measure the shape of a workpiece using these shape measuring machines.

In the case of a shape measuring machine that measures a workpiece via a stylus, the following effect can be obtained by configuring the machine to change only some of the operation settings without changing the operation (command) procedure. That is, when measuring multiple workpieces W by changing only some of the operation settings without changing the operation procedure, the movement path of the stylus during measurement is the same for each workpiece W. As a result, it becomes possible to perform measurements that include the same history error for each workpiece W. History error is an error that occurs due to the driving direction (upward and downward) of the carriage. The position of the center of gravity of the carriage that moves up and down along the column shifts depending on the driving direction. As a result, the inclination of the carriage changes depending on the driving direction. This carriage inclination is a factor in measurement errors. By measuring each workpiece W along the same path, the measurements include the same history error, making it possible to perform high-precision measurements with reduced variation in accuracy.

In the case of a shape measuring machine that measures a workpiece via a stylus, for example, it is configured so that only the positioning operation settings can be changed externally. This allows the stylus to move along the same path when measuring multiple workpieces W. This also allows each workpiece W to be measured with the same history error.

History errors can also occur when measurements are made by rotating the table. That is, errors can occur in the measurement depending on the direction in which the table is rotated (clockwise or counterclockwise). Therefore, in a shape measuring machine that measures workpieces by rotating the table (such as a roundness measuring machine), it is preferable to measure each workpiece by rotating it in the same direction. In this case, for example, the rotation direction of the table is specified in an automatic program, and only the rotation angle can be changed externally. This allows each workpiece to be rotated in the same direction for measurement.

1...measurement system, 100...roundness measuring machine, 110...base, 112...table, 114...table drive unit, 116...detector, 116A...touch pad, 118...detector drive unit, 118A...column, 118,B...carriage, 118C...arm, 118D...detector holder, 120...air chuck, 200...control device, 211...CPU, 212...ROM, 213...RAM, 214...auxiliary storage device, 215...input device, 216...display device, 216A...screen of display device provided in control device, 217...input/output interface, 221...external file acquisition unit, 222...measurement control unit, 223...arithmetic processing unit, 224...display control unit, 225...recording control unit, 231...two-dimensional code reader, 2DC...two-dimensional code, 232...setting information acquisition unit, 24 1...rewrite processing unit, 300...loading/unloading device, 400...overall control device, 411...processor, 412...memory, 413...auxiliary storage device, 414...input device, 415...display device, 415A...screen of the display device provided in the overall control device, A1...result display area in the screen, A2...command display area in the screen, A3...command content display area in the screen, B1...input box (first input box), B2...input box (second input box), CS...figure of work, F...external file, LB...label, LL1...leader line, LL2...leader line, W...work (inner ring of bearing), WF1...first flange part of work, WF2...second flange part of work, WRG...raceway groove of work, Z1...first measurement position, Z2...second measurement position, θ...rotation axis

Claims (18)

A control device for a shape measuring machine, comprising:
a control unit that controls the shape measuring instrument according to a program in which a measurement operation procedure is described;
The control unit is
acquiring setting information from an external device regarding a specific operation among a series of operations to be performed by the profile measuring instrument in accordance with the program;
causing the profile measuring machine to perform the specific operation in accordance with the acquired setting information;
Control device. In the program, settings for the specific operation are described using variables,
the control unit, when causing the profile measuring machine to perform the specific operation, refers to the setting information acquired from an external source and causes the profile measuring machine to perform the specific operation.
The control device according to claim 1 . the control unit externally acquires a data file in which setting information about the specific operation is recorded, and acquires the setting information about the specific operation.
The control device according to claim 2. The control unit is
rewriting a description of the program regarding the specific operation based on the setting information obtained from an external source;
Controlling the shape measuring instrument according to the rewritten program.
The control device according to claim 1 . the control unit displays, on a first display unit, information on a series of operations to be performed by the profile measuring instrument in accordance with the program and setting information for each operation, and displays information on the specific operation in an emphasized manner.
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit is
Acquire authentication information associated with setting information for the specific operation from an external source;
determining the authenticity of the acquired authentication information;
When the authenticity of the acquired authentication information is confirmed, the shape measuring machine is controlled in accordance with the program.
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the control unit compares authentication information associated with the program with the acquired authentication information to determine authenticity of the acquired authentication information.
The control device according to claim 6. the specific operation is an operation of positioning a measurement position,
The control unit acquires setting information about the measurement position from an external source.
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The shape measuring machine measures the roundness using a stylus.
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. a reading unit that reads the setting information from a medium on which the setting information is recorded,
The control unit acquires the setting information from the reading unit that reads the setting information from the medium.
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Code information encoding setting information for the specific operation is printed on the medium;
The reading unit reads the code information from the medium to obtain the setting information.
The control device according to claim 10. the specific operation is an operation of positioning a measurement position,
The control unit is
acquiring setting information about the measurement position from an external source;
displaying the acquired setting information about the measurement position on a first display unit;
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit displays a figure of the workpiece on the first display unit, and displays setting information about the measurement position in association with the figure.
The control device according to claim 12. The figure is a cross-sectional figure of a workpiece.
The control device according to claim 13. A shape measuring machine;
A control device for controlling the shape measuring machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4;
an external device that outputs setting information for the specific operation to the control device and instructs the control device to perform a measurement;
A measurement system comprising: A shape measuring machine;
A control device according to claim 3, which controls the shape measuring machine;
an external device that outputs setting information for the specific operation to the control device and instructs the control device to perform a measurement;
Equipped with
The external device is
an input unit that receives an input of a setting for the specific operation;
a data file generating unit that generates the data file based on input information;
Equipped with
Measurement system. A shape measuring machine;
A control device according to claim 12, which controls the shape measuring machine;
an external device that outputs setting information about the measurement position to the control device and instructs the control device to perform measurement;
Equipped with
The external device is
A second display unit;
an input unit that receives an input of settings regarding the measurement position;
a display control unit that displays the input setting information of the measurement position on the second display unit;
Equipped with
Measurement system. The display control unit displays a figure of a workpiece on the second display unit, and displays setting information of the measurement position in association with the figure.
20. The measurement system of claim 17.

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