JPH0747253B2 - Multi-axis spindle type machining center with tool retractor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device having a function of temporarily retracting a tool that interferes during machining in a machining center having a plurality of tool spindles.

[Prior Art] A machining center can perform various operations (for example, milling, drilling, boring, reaming, tapping, etc.) on multiple surfaces of a workpiece with one installation, and machining tools for this machining. It is a numerical control machine tool equipped with an automatic tool changer that automatically changes between a tool magazine and a spindle according to the contents. Among these machining centers, those having two spindles for improving the machining efficiency have been proposed (for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-110336). This type of machining center has a high processing efficiency because it can process two holes at the same time, for example, when processing a plurality of holes.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, as the machining of two holes is advanced, when the number of holes is several, the last hole machining only requires one spindle. At this time, the tool on the spindle side that is not machined may interfere with the workpiece. The present invention was invented with the above technical background, and achieves the following objects.

An object of the present invention is, in a multi-axis spindle type machining center having a plurality of spindles, a multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device provided with a means for temporarily retracting the tool in order to prevent interference between a workpiece and the tool. To provide.

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following means.

A plurality of spindles, which are arranged at fixed intervals during machining on the same spindle head, are mounted and rotated by a tool, a tool magazine storing a plurality of the tools, and a tool exchange between the spindle and the tool magazine In a multi-axis spindle type machining center equipped with an automatic tool changer, the unused tool clamped on the spindle is removed from the spindle and temporarily retracted by being arranged near the movement path of the spindle head. A multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device, which is provided with a tool retracting means for preventing interference between a workpiece being machined and the tool.

The tool temporary retreat means is effectively a tool storage means for temporarily storing the tool.

The tool temporary retracting means takes out a tool from the spindle,
Further, it is more preferable that the arm means is for returning the tool to the spindle.

[Operation] The multi-spindle type machining center performs simultaneous machining of workpieces using the spindle equipped with multiple tools. When the tools attached to some of the spindles interfere with the workpiece, the interfering tools are extracted from the spindle by the tool temporary retracting means and retracted to a position where they do not interfere. During this retreat, the remaining spindle tools are used for machining.

[Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a two-axis spindle type machining center will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the twin-spindle type machining center 1. The bed 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is made of a welded steel plate in this embodiment. The upper surface of the bed 2 has an X-axis guide surface (X
The shaft guide surface cover 11 hides and cannot be seen.
A saddle stand 3 is provided on the X-axis guide surface so as to be movable along the X-axis guide surface. The driving of the saddle base 3 in the X-axis direction is performed by an X-axis feed screw shaft driven by an X-axis servo motor (not shown). On the upper surface of the saddle base 3, a Z-axis guide surface 4 is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction.

On the Z-axis guide surface 4, a vertical column 5, which is a rectangular structure, is movably provided. The vertical column 5 is driven in the Z-axis direction by a Z-axis feed screw shaft that is rotationally driven by a Z-axis servomotor (not shown). In the vertical column 5, a spindle head 7 is movably provided in this longitudinal direction, that is, in the Y-axis direction. The two spindle heads 7 have a spindle 8,
The main shafts 9 are provided in parallel with each other in the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In this example, the distance between the main shaft 8 and the main shaft 9 is fixed, and the distance cannot be adjusted.

The spindle head 7 is driven by a Y-axis feed screw shaft that is rotationally driven by a Y-axis servomotor 10 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, by this drive, the two spindles 7 and 9 are simultaneously moved. An X-axis guide surface cover 11 that protects the X-axis guide surface from cutting fluid, chips, etc. and a Z-axis guide surface cover 12 that protects the Z-axis slide guide surface 4 are provided. Both the X-axis guide surface cover 11 and the Z-axis guide surface cover 12 are nested and have multiple stages, and the lengths of the covers are extendable and retractable as the vertical column 5 moves.

A tool magazine 15 is installed on the side surface of the bed 2 (the drive mechanism is not shown). The tool magazine 15 has a plurality of tool sockets 17 provided on an endless chain 16. The endless chain 16 is laid between both sprockets 18. Sprocket 18 to select tools in tool magazine 15
Is rotated to index the tool to the desired position. An arm slide 19 is provided in the tool magazine 15 in the X-axis direction. An automatic tool changing device 14 is mounted on the arm slide 19 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction.

The automatic tool changer 14 is of a type capable of changing two tools at the same time. A cylinder device (not shown) for rotating the cross arm 13 and moving the cross arm 13 back and forth in the Z-axis direction is provided in the arm body. FIG. 2 shows the tool retractor 20.
FIG. The tool retractor 20 is provided on the side surface of the vertical column 5. The tool retracting device 20 is for temporarily retracting the tool from one of the spindles 8 and 9 during machining in order to prevent interference between the tool and the workpiece. Evacuation arm 21
Is a twin-arm type with the same structure as the automatic tool change arm.

Both ends of the retreat arm 21 are gripping parts for gripping a tool.
The central portion of the retract arm 21 is fixed to the swing shaft 22, and one end of the swing shaft 22 is fixed to the swing body 23. In the rocking body 23, a hydraulic device (not shown) for moving the retracting arm 21 forward and backward for pulling a tool from the spindles 8 and 9 (Z axis direction) and for rotating the swinging arm 180 degrees about the rocking shaft is shown. No)) is built in. Further, the rocking body 23 faces the main shafts 8 and 9 at the time of replacement, and stands by at a position rocked by an angle θ when retreating (dashed line). Therefore, the oscillating body 23 is
It also has a built-in rocking cylinder for rocking.

In this embodiment, the operation is realized by the hydraulic device, but the operation may be realized by a known mechanism mechanism such as a cam and a link (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-164743).

A work table 30 is provided in front of the standing column 5, and the work table 30 is for mounting a work piece. The workpiece table 30 is rotatably provided on a table indexing table 31, and indexing and positioning can be performed around a B axis perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece table 30 so that any surface of the workpiece can be processed. Taking the workpiece W shown in FIG. 3 as an example, the P position of the workpiece W is aligned with the B axis of the table 30. Since the workpiece W is rotatable around P, if there are a plurality of bore portions indicated by A, the table is indexed and processed sequentially.

Further, the workpiece W may be placed on a pallet, conveyed to a table, and attached. When the processing amount of the workpiece W is large, that is more effective and the workpiece W can be automatically conveyed. In this embodiment, the table indexing table 31 is fixed to the bed 2 and cannot be moved. Numerical control (N
C) The device 35 is arranged on the side surface of the vertical column 5.

When exchanging tools, the spindle head 7 and the vertical column 5 are respectively moved in the Y and Z axis directions by a tool exchange command of the NC device 35, and the spindle 8 and the spindle 9 are made to stand by at a predetermined tool exchange position. . On the other hand, the cross arm 13 of the automatic tool changer 14 slides on the arm slide 19 and moves to the tool magazine 15 side, and simultaneously grips the two tools of the tool magazine 15 with the tool gripper. The cylinder device is operated forward, the cross arm 13 is moved in the Z-axis direction, and the tool is withdrawn from the tool socket 17 of the tool magazine 15. When the extraction is completed, the cross arm 13 slides on the arm slide 19 and moves to the intermediate position on the vertical column 5 side while holding the tool.

The cylinder device is operated again and retracted in the Z-axis direction.
The cross arm 13 is moved to the vertical column 5 side so that the tool holding portion of the cross arm 13 on the side opposite to the tool magazine 15 causes the spindle 8,
Clamp the tool on the spindle 9. The tool clamping means of the main shaft 8 and the main shaft 9 is unclamped, and the cross arm 13 is advanced again in the Z-axis direction to extract the tool from the main shaft 8 and the main shaft 9. The cross arm 13 is rotated to switch the positions of the tool on the tool magazine 15 side and the tool on the spindle 8 and spindle 9 sides. The cylinder device is operated to retract the cross arm 13 in the Z-axis direction. The tool is clamped by the tool clamping means in the spindle 8 and the spindle 9. The cross arm 13 slides again on the tool magazine 15 side and stands by at the first intermediate position.

The tools on the spindles 8 and 9 start machining. For example, a case of processing a workpiece W having a plurality of bore portions A as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B will be described. In this example, the bore portion A has three holes in the vertical direction. First lower hole 2
After processing each piece, only the upper bore A1 piece is processed.
However, during the machining of the bore portion A, the tool of the upper spindle 8 interferes with the workpiece W and the machining cannot be performed. So, below 2
After the machining of the individual bore portions A is completed, the spindle 8 is moved to the vicinity of the tool retractor 20.

The oscillating body 23 is oscillated toward the spindle head 7 side, and the tool T of the spindle 8 is grasped by the grip portion of the retracting arm 21. Move the swing shaft 22 forward,
Remove the tool T from the spindle 8. The rocking body 23 is rocked by an angle θ,
The swing shaft 22 is pulled in and the tool T is retracted. During this evacuation, the spindle 9 processes the bore portion A1. When the machining is completed, the final tool T is attached to the spindle 8 again.

[Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the following modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. In the embodiment described above, the retracting arm 21 retracts the tool T. FIG. 4 shows a tool retracting device which also serves as a storage magazine for temporarily storing tools. The evacuation tool magazine 25
A plurality of retracted tools are held on a disk-shaped outer periphery. The retractable tool magazine 25 is directly held and retracted from the spindles 8 and 9 without an arm. This retractable tool magazine 25 is convenient because the number of retractable tools increases when the number of spindles is large.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the distance between the two spindles cannot be adjusted during machining, but a type in which the distance can be adjusted during operation of the machine with a screw mechanism or the like depending on the size of the workpiece may be used. Also,
In the embodiment described above, the number of main spindles is limited to two, but the number of main spindles is not limited to two, and a plurality of main axes may be used.
Further, in the above embodiment, the main axis is the horizontal axis, but it may be the vertical axis. The tool magazine 15 may have any type of tool storage, such as a tool arranged at a circumferential position and a tool arranged in a matrix. Also, automatic tool changer
Although 14 is for exchanging two tools at the same time, a type for exchanging one tool at a time may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, since the present invention is provided with means for temporarily retracting the tool, the multi-axis spindle type machining center can be efficiently used without the tool interfering with the workpiece. .

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a three-dimensional external view showing an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a tool retractor, FIG. 3 (a) is a sectional view of a workpiece,
FIG. 3 (b) is a front view of the work being processed, FIG. 3 (c) is a side view of the work being processed, and FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the tool retractor of the present invention. FIG. 1 ... 2-axis spindle type machining center, 2 ... bed, 3 ... saddle stand, 5 ... vertical column, 8 ... spindle, 9
...... Spindle, 10 …… Y-axis servo motor, 20 …… Tool retractor, 30 …… Work table, 35 …… NC device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of spindles which are arranged on the same spindle head at fixed intervals during machining and which are mounted with a tool and rotated, a tool magazine storing a plurality of the tools, and the spindle and the tool magazine. In a multi-axis spindle type machining center equipped with an automatic tool changer for exchanging tools between tools, the unused tool clamped on the spindle is temporarily removed by removing it from the spindle. A multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device, which is provided with tool temporary retracting means for preventing the workpiece being machined and the tool from interfering with each other by retracting the tool. 2. The multi-axis spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device according to claim 1, wherein the tool temporary retracting means is a tool storing means for temporarily storing the tool. 3. The tool temporary withdrawing means according to claim 1, wherein the tool is temporarily taken out from the spindle,
A multi-spindle spindle type machining center with a tool retracting device, which is an arm means for returning the tool to the spindle.