JPH05138509A - Direct nc operation method for machine tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the interrupting time of direct NC operation and carry out the highly efficient operation of a direct NC system. CONSTITUTION:In the case of a machine tool direct NC operation method in which the NC systems 5 of respective machine tools 3 are connected to a host computer 1 so as to be able to communicate with each other and the NC operation of each machine tool 3 is conducted by means of an NC program from the host computer 1, preparatory data such as tools necessary for processing under the NC program, materials or the like are transmitted, together with the NC program, to the NC system 5 of each machine tool 3 from the host computer 1. And preparation change items that are extracted by comparing new preparatory data with the present preparatory condition, are indicated to an operator by means of a tool exchange indicator 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a direct NC (DNC) operating method for a machine tool, and more particularly to a direct NC for a machine tool in which a tool used is changed according to an NC program.
It relates to the C driving method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A direct NC operating method for a machine tool, in which an NC device of each machine tool is communicably connected to a host computer and an NC program from the host computer is used to perform an NC operation of each machine tool, is already well known. ..

In the conventional direct NC operating method for machine tools, the NC of each machine tool is changed from the host computer.
The NC program is given to the device by online data transmission, and the setup data indicating the tools used, the dimensions of the material, the material, the work clamp position, etc., required for machining by each NC program are connected to the host computer. A printer or the like prints out as a list, and the print paper is provided offline to the worker.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional direct NC operating method for a machine tool, even if the NC program is given online to the NC device of each machine tool, the setup data is stored as print paper. Since it is given to the operator off-line, if the setup is changed during the direct NC operation, it is necessary to hand over the print paper of the setup data to the operator. in this case,
When setup changes occur simultaneously on a plurality of machine tools, the operator may be confused as to which machine tool the print paper of the setup data output for each machine tool belongs to.

Further, if the list content of the setup data to be printed out is simply a description of the tool necessary for the machining by the following NC program, tool mounting such as turret punch press, turret type machining center, etc. In a machine tool that has a large number of stations and uses a large number of tools mounted in each tool mounting station, in a machine tool, the setup work for mounting a predetermined tool in a predetermined tool mounting station Takes into consideration the balance with the tools currently installed in the tool installation station, and it takes a lot of time. Since the direct NC operation is interrupted while this setup work is being performed, a great amount of setup work time greatly reduces the operating rate of the direct NC system of the machine tool.

Further, when a plurality of NC programs are set in one machining schedule, a large amount of setup work time is required each time each NC program is executed, so that the operating rate of the direct NC system is remarkably high. Will be reduced.

Therefore, the operator considers the necessary tools in each NC program mutually and considers the machining sequence according to the NC program in the order that the number of tool exchanges is small.
Tool changes are being performed all at once for multiple NC programs.

However, if the NC programs are executed in an order in which the number of tool changes is small, the processing order may be incompatible with the processing or delivery date in the subsequent processing line, and the NC program can be freely selected. The degree decreases.

It is preferable to perform the tool change at once for a plurality of NC programs, but this requires a considerable amount of consideration and skill, and is naturally limited.

The present invention is directed to a direct N of a conventional machine tool.
This was done by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems in the C operation method, so that setup work such as tool exchange can be performed accurately and quickly by each machine tool, and direct NC
Direct NC for machine tools that enables highly efficient operation of the direct NC system with short operation interruption time
The purpose is to provide a driving method.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the NC device of each machine tool is communicably connected to a host computer so that the N computer from the host computer can be used.
In the direct NC operation method of a machine tool for performing NC operation of each machine tool by the C program, from the host computer to the NC device of each machine tool, along with the NC program, the tools, materials, etc. necessary for machining by the NC program The setup data is sent, and the setup change items are extracted by comparing the new setup data with the current setup status.
This is achieved by a direct NC operating method for a machine tool, which is characterized by instructing the operator of the setup change item.

In the direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention, the setup change item may be replacement information of a tool to be installed in a tool installation station provided in the machine tool.

[0013]

According to the above-described structure, the host computer provides the NC device of each machine tool together with the NC program online with setup data such as tools and materials necessary for machining by the NC program. The setup change items extracted by comparing the setup data with the current setup state are instructed to the operator for each machine tool.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a direct NC system for carrying out a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention. The direct NC system has one host computer 1, and the NC devices 5 of a plurality of machine tools 3 are connected to the host computer 1 via a bidirectional data transmission path 7 so that they can communicate with each other. A tool change instruction device 9 is connected to the NC device 5 of each machine tool 3.

The machine tool 3 may be a turret punch press as shown in FIG. 2, and hereinafter, in this embodiment, the machine tool 3 is a turret punch press.
Further, since the tool used in the turret punch press is a die including a punch and a die, the tool exchange instruction device 9 is a die exchange instruction device.

In the turret punch press 3, the upper turret support shaft 11 and the lower turret support shaft 1 are provided on the upper frame 3a and the lower turret support shaft 1, respectively.
5, the lower turret disks 17 are supported so as to be rotatable about their own central axes.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper turret disk 13 and the lower turret disk 17 each have a plurality of mold mounting stations S. In this embodiment, the upper turret disk 13 and the lower turret disk 17 have three mold mounting stations S, and the three-digit number attached to each mold mounting station S in FIG. It is a unique station number for each die mounting station.
The second digit is the serial number and the third digit is the track number.

The upper turret disc 13 and the lower turret disc 17 are indexed and rotationally driven in synchronism with each other by a driving means (not shown), and the index is used to drive a predetermined die mounting station S to a press working position P (below the striker 19). (See FIG. 3). The die attached to the die holding station S indexed to the press working position P is pressed by the striker 19 and is supplied between the upper turret disc 13 and the lower turret disc 17 to be a plate-like work. It is designed to perform predetermined punching.

The molds to be mounted on the mold mounting stations S of the upper turret disc 13 and the lower turret disc 17 are set by the worker at the mold exchanging work position indicated by reference numeral C in FIG. It can be exchanged and replaced.

The lower frame 3b is provided with a side table 21 which is horizontally movable in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) in FIG. The side table 21 is fixedly connected to a carriage base 23 extending in a direction (X-axis direction) which penetrates the plane of the drawing of FIG. 2 at a right angle.
A carriage 25 is attached to the carriage so as to be movable in a direction that penetrates the plane of FIG. 1 at a right angle. A work clamp 27 is attached to the carriage 25.
Reference numeral 7 is adapted to detachably hold a work (not shown). The work gripped by the work clamp 27 planarly moves in the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction along a path line with the upper surface of the side table 21 as a reference, and is supplied between the upper turret disc 13 and the lower turret disc 17. It has become so.

The host computer 1 has a general structure including a CPU, internal storage means and external storage means,
The NC program and setup data indicating tool (die) information necessary for machining by the NC program, work size, material, work clamp position, etc. are stored as a file for each NC program.
The setup data file corresponding to the program has a data transmission structure as shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol capable of two-way communication, and the NC device 5 of the turret punch press 3 for which distribution is requested or requested.
The data is transmitted via the data transmission line 7.

The NC device 5 is a well-known computer type N
It may be a C device, and an NC program and setup data file are given from the host computer 1 via the data transmission path 7 with a data transmission structure as shown in FIG. The setup data file is output to the tool exchange instructing device 9, and a tool exchange work completion signal is given from the tool exchange instructing device 9 to request input of the next NC program and setup data file from the host computer 1 Sent to the NC program,
The inputted NC program is decoded and machine control data for turret indexing control, striker stroke control, etc. are output to the turret punch press 3. As a result, the turret punch press 3 performs punch press operation according to the NC program.

In this embodiment, the data contents of the setup data file are as shown in FIGS.
Required for punch press processing by each NC program,
That is, it is the mounting position of the die used in the punch press processing according to each NC program, the die shape, the die size, and the like. Incidentally, in FIGS. 5 to 7, each NC program or punch press processing by the NC program is performed by JOB1, JO.
As shown in FIG. 8, the tool change instructing device 9 designated by the names B2 and JOB3 has a setup data file input unit 29, a sum total calculation unit 31, and a used mold sum total list storage unit 33. A mounting die list storage unit 35, an exchange die information extraction unit 37, an exchange die information storage unit 39,
Mold replacement instruction section 41 and mold replacement work completion confirmation input section 4
Including 3 and.

The tool change instructing device 9 sequentially inputs setup data files for each NC program from the NC device 5 into the data file input section 29 as shown in FIGS. The total sum calculation of the used dies in the plurality of setup data files sequentially input for each NC program is performed by the total sum calculation unit 31, and the result of the total sum calculation is used as the total list of the information of the used dies. Data upper turret disc 13 stored in the list storage unit 33 and stored in the mounting die list storage unit 35
And the mold information of the mold currently mounted on the lower turret disk 17 and the mold information of the used mold total list stored by the used mold total list storage unit 33 are exchanged Mold information extraction unit 37
According to the above, the die mounting stations S are compared with each other, and if they are different, these are extracted as information of the die to be exchanged and setup change items regarding the exchange time, and the information of the setup change is exchanged die information. Based on the replacement mold information stored in the storage mold 39 and stored in the replacement mold information storage unit 39, the mold information to be replaced and the replacement timing information are output to the mold replacement instruction unit 41. ing.

The mold replacement instructing section 41 is composed of a liquid crystal, a CRT, etc., and displays the information of the mold to be replaced and the replacement time information on the screen as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 3, one mold mounting station S, which is a mold replacement target, is irradiated with light at a mold replacement work position C so that one mold mounting station S that is a mold replacement target is irradiated with light.
And a motor 49 for driving the spotlight 47 to swing in order to change the irradiation position of the spotlight 47.

Incidentally, in FIG. 3, the spotlight 47 shows a state in which the die mounting station S of which the station number of the second track is "209" is performing light irradiation.

In this case, the mold replacement instructing section 41 responds to the light irradiation of the mold mounting station S to be replaced by the spotlight 47, as illustrated in FIG.
Only the information of the mold to be mounted on the mold mounting station S illuminated by the spotlight 47 may be sequentially displayed on the screen display unit 45.

The mold replacement work completion confirmation input section 43 may be something like a push button switch operated by an operator, and a mold replacement work completion confirmation signal by the operator is input to the mold replacement instruction section 41. In response to this, the mold replacement instructing unit 41 turns off the spotlight 47 and turns on the screen display unit 4.
The screen display of 5 is cleared.

By inputting a mold replacement work completion confirmation signal to the mold replacement instruction section 41, the mounted mold list is stored based on the mold information in the used mold total list of the used mold total list storage section 33. The mold information of the mounted mold list of the part 35 is updated.

FIG. 11 shows a processing procedure in the direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention. First, the NC device 5 inputs the NC program and the setup data file online from the host computer 1 via the data transmission line 7 (step 10). NC device 5
Separates the setup data file from the data input from the host computer 1 (step 20) and sends the setup data file to the tool change instructing device 9. The tool change instructing device 9 inputs the setup data file and calculates the sum total of the used dies (step 30).

When all the setup data files have been input (step 40), the tool change instructing device 9 compares the mold information in the mounted mold list with the mold information in the used mold summation list to find each mold mounting station. If it is necessary to replace the mold with respect to S (step 50), and if there is a need to replace the mold (step 60), information indicating this is output to the mold replacement instruction unit 41.

As a result, the screen display unit 45 displays the information of the mold to be replaced on the screen, as shown in FIG. 9 or 10, and the spotlight 47 displays the mold replacement work position C.
At, one of the mold mounting stations S, which is the target of mold replacement, is irradiated with light to visually represent the one mold mounting station S that is the target of mold replacement (step 70).

Upon completion of the mold replacement work, the operator operates the mold replacement work completion confirmation input section 43 to input a mold replacement work completion confirmation signal (step 8).
0), in response to this, the spotlight 47 is turned off, and the screen display of the screen display unit 45 is cleared (step 9).
0).

When the die exchanging work necessary for the punch press working according to the next NC program is completed, the direct NC operation is started (step 100).

In the above-described embodiment, the tool change instructing device 9 performs the total sum calculation of the used dies and the examination of the necessity of die replacement, but these are done by the host computer. 1 may be performed.

The lighting of the spotlight 47 and the screen display control of the screen display unit 45 may be performed by an output signal of the NC device 5.

The mold replacement instruction section 41 is not limited to the installation type spotlight 47 and the screen display section 45. This is a handy type wireless communication type terminal with a display that can be carried by each worker. Good.

The setup data file may include material data and material clamp position data in addition to the used mold information.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0041]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the direct NC operating method for a machine tool of the present invention, the host computer can operate the NC device of each machine tool in accordance with the NC program together with the NC program. The setup data such as required tools and materials are given online, and the setup change items extracted by comparing the new setup data with the current setup status are instructed to the operator for each machine tool, so tool change Setup work such as can be done accurately and quickly on each machine tool,
The interruption time of the direct NC operation due to the setup work can be shortened, and the direct NC system can be operated with high efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a direct NC system for implementing a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a turret punch press used for carrying out a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a turret disk of a turret punch press.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a data transmission structure in a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a setup data file used for carrying out a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a setup data file used for carrying out the direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a setup data file used for carrying out the direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a tool change instruction device used for carrying out a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen display example of mold setup information in the direct NC operating method of the machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing another screen display example of die setup information in the direct NC operating method of the machine tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a direct NC operating method for a machine tool according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host Computer 3 Machine Tool (Turret Punch Press) 5 NC Device 9 Tool Change Instructing Device 29 Setup Data File Input Unit 31 Summation Calculation Unit 33 Used Dies Total List Storage Unit 35 Mounted Die List Storage Unit 37 Exchanged Die Information Extraction Part 39 Exchanged mold information storage unit 41 Mold replacement instruction unit 43 Mold replacement work completion confirmation input unit 45 Screen display unit 47 Spotlight

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A direct NC operating method of a machine tool, wherein an NC device of each machine tool is communicably connected to a host computer, and an NC program from the host computer is used to perform an NC operation of each machine tool. The setup data of tools, materials, etc. required for machining with the NC program is sent to the NC device of each machine tool and the setup change items are extracted by comparing the new setup data with the current setup status. A direct NC operating method for a machine tool, characterized in that the operator is instructed about the setup change item. 2. The direct NC operating method of a machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the setup change item is replacement information of a tool to be installed in a tool installation station provided in the machine tool.