JPH0547342B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a new automatic tool changer in a machine tool, so-called machining center, equipped with an automatic tool changer.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY The tool magazine installed in conventional machining centers has a limited number of tools that can be accommodated, and it often happens that not all workpieces can be machined in one set. In such a case, it is necessary to replace the tools stored in the tool magazine and then drive the machine again to perform machining, resulting in a problem of poor machining efficiency. recent years,
In order to solve these problems, there is a trend to increase the number of tools that can be accommodated by increasing the size of the tool magazine, but this has become difficult due to space problems for the entire machine and economical problems.

Additionally, drills account for approximately 40 of the types of tools generally used in machining centers.
%, small diameter end mills about 15%, taps about 20%
%, and the remaining 25% are large cutting tools used for rough cutting of the workpiece. Therefore, approximately 75% of the tools installed on the large spindle of a machining center are small diameter tools.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned actual situation, and in particular can greatly increase the number of small diameter tools that can be accommodated.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic tool changer that can increase the number of tools that can be stored by effectively utilizing a tool magazine installed in an existing machining center.

Means for Solving the Problems As a technical means for achieving the above object, the present invention provides a main tool magazine that accommodates a large number of large diameter or standard tools T mounted on the main shaft of a machine tool body, and a main tool magazine that accommodates a large number of large diameter or standard tools T, A sub-tool magazine that is placed adjacent to the magazine and accommodates a large number of small-diameter tools t; and a main tool magazine that is housed in the main tool magazine like the tools T and has a main body that has the same shape as the tool T so that it can be mounted on the main shaft. A tool holder,
A plurality of mother tools To each having a fitting hole in which the small-diameter tool T is removably fitted at the tip thereof, and the tool T or the mother tool To stored in the main tool magazine are attached to the main shaft. and a small-diameter tool exchanger that exchanges the small-diameter tool t housed in the sub-tool magazine with the small-diameter tool t mounted on the mother tool To according to a T code command. a tool changer, indexing the tool T or the mother tool To to a spindle tool changer corresponding to the spindle tool changer;
and an indexing control device that indexes the mother tool To and the small-diameter tool t to small-diameter tool changing positions corresponding to the small-diameter tool changing device, and while the tool of the spindle is machining, the small-diameter tool changing device It is characterized by being configured so that it can operate.

Function Tool T stored in the main tool magazine
is attached to the main spindle of the machine by a spindle tool changer in the same way as in conventional machining centers.

On the other hand, the small-diameter tool t stored in the sub-tool magazine is selectively mounted on the mother tool To stored in the main tool magazine, and mounted on the machine spindle together with the mother tool To to process the workpiece. Therefore, the small-diameter tool t is replaced with the mother tool To by the small-diameter tool changer, and is performed while the main spindle tool is being processed.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the tool changer of the present invention separately provides a sub-tool magazine that exclusively accommodates the small-diameter tools t that account for the majority of workpiece machining by a machining center, and stores the small-diameter tools t necessary for machining as a main tool. Since the mother tool To stored in the magazine is selectively fitted and installed, and the mother tool To is installed on the machine spindle together with the mother tool To, the number of tools accommodated in the entire magazine can be adjusted to accommodate large diameter tools or standard tools T and small diameter tools. It is possible to greatly increase the number of tools when used together with tools t, and not only can multi-step workpiece machining be completed with a single set, but there is also flexibility in changing the selection of tools, which is very advantageous in use. Moreover, small diameter tool t
The tool change for the mother tool To is performed while the tool attached to the spindle is being processed.
It does not affect machining efficiency.

In addition, the main tool magazine and the spindle tool changer are those equipped with a large diameter or standard tool T installed in an existing machining center, and the mother tool To, the sub tool magazine and the small diameter tool changer are used as is. , it is possible to easily manage and exchange a large number of small-diameter tools stored in the sub-tool magazine using the same T-code command as the tool exchange control device of the machining center. Therefore, the equipment cost of the entire system is low and the operation is simple.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a machining center equipped with an automatic tool changer of the present invention, in which the machine tool main body 1 slides in the X-axis direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) and the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction). moving table 2
and a spindle head 4 which is disposed above the table 2 and slides along the column 3 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).
It is equipped with 5 is the main axis.

6 is a main tool magazine installed on the side of the machine tool body 1, and a large number of tools T to be attached to the main spindle 5.
It houses two mother tools To, which will be described later. Tool T and mother tool To are roller chain 7
The tool holders are housed and held in tool holders (not shown) arranged at regular intervals above the tool holder, and are rotated and indexed to the main spindle tool exchange position A by driving the roller chain 7.

The spindle tool changer 8 is a well-known device installed in a normal machining center, and has a reciprocating double arm type main arm 9 at an intermediate pot, and the main arm 9 moves to the left from the standby position shown in the figure. , the tool T or mother tool indexed to the spindle tool exchange position A by the gripper 10 provided at one end thereof
Grip and take out the To, return to the standby position, and stop. Next, the tool change command (M6 command)
The main arm 9 moves to the right side (towards the main spindle 5), grips and takes out the tool T or To inside the main spindle 5 with the other gripper 11, and then the arm 9 rotates 180 degrees to remove the tool gripped by the gripper 10. Attach T or To to the main shaft 5. Thereafter, the arm 9 returns to the illustrated standby position and stops. The above tool exchange operation is the same as in existing machining centers. Note that the arm 12 disposed above the arm 9 is for conveying the tool T or To from the tool magazine (not shown) at the rear of the main body to the main tool magazine 6. A sub-tool magazine 20 is installed above and adjacent to the main tool magazine 6.
In the sub-tool magazine 20, a large number of small-diameter tools t are accommodated and held in tool holders (not shown) arranged at equal intervals on a roller chain 21, as in a known tool magazine. The tool is rotated and indexed to the small diameter tool change position B.

22 is a small-diameter tool changer, and as shown in FIG.
and the grip extension/contraction cylinder 25 operate as shown by the arrows to move the small-diameter tool t indexed to the small-diameter tool change position B to the small-diameter tool change position B.
It is configured to be attached to a mother tool To indexed to a tool exchange position C (see FIG. 1) of the main tool magazine 6 corresponding to the main tool magazine 6. Moreover, the gripper 23 operates in the opposite direction to the arrow shown in FIG.
The small diameter tool t attached to the mother tool To is returned to the sub tool magazine 20. In the figure, 26 is a high-pressure air supply joint for unclamping a mother tool To, which will be described later, and 27 is a cylinder that moves the joint 26 up and down.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mother tool To has a main body 30 that has the same outline shape as the tool T, and has a tapered fitting in which a small diameter tool t is removably fitted to the tip 31. A hole 32 is provided, and the fitting hole 3
A plurality of through holes 34 are bored in the peripheral wall of 2 to allow locking balls 33 to enter and exit.

A cylindrical piston 35 is slidably fitted on the outer periphery of the tip 31. The cylindrical piston 35 has a recess 36 on its inner circumferential surface for accommodating the locking ball 33, and its outer surface is slidably covered by a cover body 37 fixed to the main body 30. A pressure chamber 39 (see FIG. 4) is formed between the cylindrical piston 35 and the main body 30. The main body 30 is provided with fluid passages 40 and 41 that communicate with the pressure chamber 39 and the fitting hole 32 individually.

The small diameter tool t has a cutting tool 45 attached to its tip, and a locking engagement recess 47 in a fitting portion 46 on the rear end side.
is provided.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the small diameter tool t is fitted and attached to the mother tool To, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the small diameter tool t is unclamped with respect to the mother tool To. This unclamping is performed when the mother tool To is indexed to the tool change position C in FIG.
is connected to the fluid passages 40 and 41 of the main body 30, and is performed by supplying pressurized air to the fitting hole 32 and the pressure chamber 39. That is, the high pressure air supplied to the pressure chamber 39 causes the cylindrical piston 35 to release the spring 38.
The ball 3 for locking is pushed out to the tip side against the
3 moves to the recess 36 and disengages from the engagement recess 47, and the small diameter tool t is unlocked from the mother tool To. In this unclamped state, the small diameter tool t is exchanged by the small diameter tool changing device 22 described above.

Next, the above-mentioned tool exchange operation will be explained according to the flowchart of the control device shown in FIG.

First, the T code command is read and the normal tool data area (the tool data area in the main tool magazine 6) is searched. If not, the small diameter tool data area (the tool data area in the sub tool magazine 20) is searched.

Next, the pot number of the main tool magazine 6 containing the mother tool To to which the corresponding small diameter tool t is to be installed is searched. In this case, the search order is: (1) Mother tool To without small diameter tool t, (2) Mother tool To existing in the main magazine, (3) Mother tool near the small diameter tool exchange position C in the main magazine. To. If the mother tool To of the selected pot has a small diameter tool t, move the return pot of the sub tool magazine 20 and the pot of the main tool magazine 6 containing the selected mother tool To to tool exchange positions B and C, respectively. Indexing, small diameter tool changing device 2
2, remove the small diameter tool t from the mother tool To and store it in the return pot of the sub tool magazine 20. If there is no small diameter tool t in the mother tool To of the selected pot, the return operation is not performed.

Next, the sub tool magazine 20 indexes the commanded small diameter tool t to the tool exchange position B, and the small diameter tool changer 22 indexes the small diameter tool t to the mother tool To located at the tool exchange position C of the main tool magazine 6. Installing. Next, main tool magazine 6
The mother tool To with the small-diameter tool t attached thereto is indexed to the spindle tool change position A, and the spindle tool changer 8 operates as described above to change the mother tool To.
is gripped by the gripper 10 of the arm 9 of the intermediate pot and stopped at the standby position. The steps up to this point are performed using the T code command. Further, the above-described operation for replacing the small diameter tool t is performed while the tool T or To of the spindle 5 is machining.

In the above-mentioned standby state, the spindle tool changer 8 is activated by the tool change command (M6 command),
The intermediate pot mother tool To and the tool T or To in the spindle 5 are exchanged.

As is clear from the above explanation, even if the sub-tool magazine 20 is attached to the main tool magazine 6, it can be called by the same T code command as the conventional machine and small-diameter tools t can be exchanged, making it easy to manage a large number of small-diameter tools t. Can be exchanged.

In the above embodiment, a horizontal tool magazine has been described, but it goes without saying that the tool changing device of the present invention can also be implemented in a vertical tool magazine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a front view of a machining center equipped with an automatic tool changer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the main part of the mother tool, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the main part showing the unclamped state, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the tool exchange operation. 1... Machine tool main body, 5... Main spindle, 6... Main tool magazine, 8... Main spindle tool changer, 20... Sub tool magazine, 22... Small diameter tool changer, T... Tool, To... Mother tool, t... Small diameter tool.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A main tool magazine for accommodating a large number of large-diameter or standard tools T to be attached to the main shaft of a machine tool body, and a main tool magazine located adjacent to the main tool magazine for accommodating a large number of small-diameter tools T. A tool holder which is housed in the main tool magazine like the tool T and whose main body has the same shape as the tool T so that it can be attached to the main spindle, and a tool holder whose tip part has the same shape as the tool T, and the small diameter tool T can be attached to and detached from the tip. a plurality of mother tools To having fitting holes that can be fitted freely; and a spindle tool changer for exchanging the tools T housed in the main tool magazine or the mother tools To and the tools mounted on the spindle. and a small-diameter tool changer for exchanging the small-diameter tool t housed in the sub-tool magazine with the small-diameter tool t mounted on the mother tool To according to a T code command; and the tool T or an indexing control device that indexes the mother tool To to a spindle tool changing position corresponding to the spindle tool changing device, and indexes the mother tool To and the small diameter tool t to small diameter tool changing positions corresponding to the small diameter tool changing device; An automatic tool changer in a machining center, characterized in that the small-diameter tool changer is configured to operate while a tool on the main spindle is machining.