JPH0694103B2 - Tool transport control system and its device in FMS - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool transfer control system and an apparatus therefor in an FMS (Flexible Manufacturing System).

(Prior art) FMS has been put into practical use for the purpose of improving productivity and reducing downtime, and is aiming to promote higher functionality and automation. Among them, automatic transfer of tools has been put into practical use and rationalized in the sense of eliminating the intervention of an operator.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional tool transport control device in an FMS, in which the data of the current tool layout of the tool magazine and the data of the next tool layout are compared by the tool layout comparison unit 1 and the next machining is performed. The necessary / unnecessary tool list creation unit 2 creates a list of tools necessary for parts and a list of unnecessary tools. And
A table including a supply tool and a return tool to be transported is created by the tool transport table creation unit 3 based on these lists, and the tool transport control unit 4 controls the tool transport device according to the tool transport table. There is.

In such a configuration, the operation example will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
(Numerical control) Compare the tool layout data of the tool currently installed in the tool magazine of the machine tool with the tool layout data of the tool for machining the next part (step S1), and based on this comparison result, necessary / Unnecessary tool list creation unit 2 sets the tools used in the next machining part that are not currently mounted in the tool magazine to the required tool list, and the tools currently mounted in the tool magazine are processed next. Set unused tools in tools and empty pots in the tool magazine to the unnecessary tool list (step S
2). The tool transfer table creation unit 3 determines that the tool set first in the required tool list is the supply tool (step S3), and checks whether there is a tool to be replaced or an empty pot in the unnecessary tool list. (Step S4), if there is no corresponding tool or empty pot, an error is output (Steps S5, S6), and all processing is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a corresponding tool or an empty pot, it is determined that the corresponding tool is a return tool, and the tool transfer table creation unit 3
Creates a tool transport table including the previously determined supply tool and the return tool determined here (step S7), and confirms whether all necessary tool lists have been checked (step S8). If all the required tool lists have not been checked, the process returns to step S3 and the above operation is repeated. If all the required tool lists have been checked, the tool transfer control unit 4 carries out the tool transfer according to the created tool transfer table. , Replace with the specified tool magazine pot (step S
9), finish all processing.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above-described conventional tool transport control method for FMS, only standard tools are targeted, and special tools such as large-diameter tools and long tools are not targeted. It is fixedly placed in the tool magazine pot to prevent tool changes. However, with the diversification of machined parts, flexible tool replacement for special tools has been desired. In order to meet such a demand with the conventional tool transport control system in the FMS, the number of tool magazine pots must be increased, which causes a problem of increasing capital investment.

The present invention has been made from the circumstances as described above, and an object of the present invention is a tool in an FMS that enables not only standard tools but also special tools to be replaced without increasing the number of tool magazine pots. An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer control system and its apparatus.

(Means for Solving the Problem) The present invention relates to a tool transfer control system and an apparatus therefor in an FMS, and the above object of the present invention is to determine the type of a supply tool and to determine the tool based on the determination result. By determining the address of the magazine pot, by transporting the supply tool and exchanging it with the return tool of the determined address, a means for determining the type of the supply tool, and the tool magazine pot of the tool based on the determination result. Determine the address,
Means for transporting the supply tool and exchanging it with the return tool at the determined address.

(Operation) Since the tool transport control system and its device in the FMS of the present invention determine whether the tool is a special tool or a standard tool and search for a tool magazine pot suitable for it, various tool The exchange can be reliably performed.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a tool transportation control device in an FMS of the present invention in correspondence with FIG. 12, and the same components will be assigned the same reference numerals and explanations thereof will be omitted. In this tool conveyance control device, the tool type of the tool in the necessary tool list from the necessary / unnecessary tool list creation unit 2 is determined by the tool type determination unit 11, and in the unnecessary tool list corresponding to each determined tool type The tool magazine pot is searched and assigned by the tool magazine assigning unit 12, and a table including supply tools and return tools to be transported is created by the tool transport table creating unit 13 by determining the tool type and assigning the tool magazine pot. It is like this.

In such a configuration, an operation example thereof will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2. The tool layout comparison unit 1 processes the tool layout data of the tool currently mounted in the tool magazine of the NC machine tool and the next part. The tool layout data of the tool of (step S11), and the necessary / unnecessary tool list creation unit 2 based on the comparison result,
Set the tools that are used in the next machining part and that are not currently mounted in the tool magazine to the required tool list, and specify the tools that are currently mounted in the tool magazine and that are not used in the next machining part and the tool magazine. An empty pot is set in the unnecessary tool list (step S12). The unnecessary tool list at this time is divided into a list A of tools that can be carried during machining and a list B of tools that are used for the part currently being machined and that can be carried after machining is completed. The tool type determination unit 11 determines the type of the tool (standard tool, large-diameter tool, super-long large-diameter tool, super-long tool) set at the top of the required tool list (step S13).

When it is determined in step S13 that the tool is a standard tool, the tool magazine allocation unit 12 checks whether there is a tool to be replaced or an empty pot in the unnecessary tool list (step
S14), if there is no corresponding tool or empty pot, an error is output (steps S15, S16), and all processing is terminated. If there is an applicable tool or empty pot, the process proceeds to step S28.

If it is determined to be a large-diameter tool in step S13,
Since the large diameter tool has a large diameter, it interferes with the tools on both sides.
Therefore, the tool magazine assigning unit 12 confirms whether or not there are three consecutive empty pots in the unnecessary tool list (step S17), and there is no three consecutive empty pots in the unnecessary tool list. In this case, check whether there is a large-diameter tool or ultra-long large-diameter tool in the unnecessary tool list (step S1
8). Then, if there is no large-diameter tool or ultra-long large-diameter tool in the unnecessary tool list, an error is output (step S19), all processing is terminated, and three consecutive unnecessary tool tools are added to the unnecessary tool list. If there is an empty pot, large-diameter tool, or ultra-long large-diameter tool, the process proceeds to step S28.

When it is determined that the tool is an ultra-long large-diameter tool in step S13, the tool magazine assigning unit 12 checks whether the tool magazine equipped in the NC machine tool is a multiple magazine (step S20), and the tool magazine is If the magazine is not a multiple magazine, the process proceeds to step S17 and the same processing as that for the large diameter tool is performed. On the other hand, if the tool magazine is a multiple magazine, mounting an ultra-long large-diameter tool on the inner tool magazine will cause interference with the outer tool magazine. Is the outermost tool magazine (step S21), and if the tool to be replaced or empty pot in the unnecessary tool list is the outermost tool magazine, Goes to step S17 to perform the same processing as in the case of the large diameter tool. On the other hand, if the tool to be replaced or the empty pot in the unnecessary tool list is not the outermost tool magazine, an error is output (step S22), and all processing is terminated.

When it is determined in step S13 that the tool is an ultra-long tool, the tool magazine assigning unit 12 checks whether the tool magazine provided in the NC machine tool is a multiple magazine (step S23), and the tool magazine is If it is not a continuous magazine, it is checked whether there is a tool to be replaced or an empty pot in the unnecessary tool list (step S25),
If there is no corresponding tool or empty pot, an error is output (steps S26, S27) and all processing is terminated.
If there is a corresponding tool or empty pot, step S2
Go to 8. On the other hand, when the tool magazine is a multiple magazine, mounting an ultra-long tool on the inner tool magazine causes interference with the outer tool magazine, so the tools or empty pots to be replaced in the unnecessary tool list are It is checked whether the tool magazine is the outermost tool magazine (step S24). If the tool to be replaced in the unnecessary tool list or the empty pot is not the outermost tool magazine, an error occurs. Is output (step S27), all the processes are terminated, and if the tool to be replaced in the unnecessary tool list or the empty tool pot is the outermost equipped tool magazine, the process proceeds to step S28.

Then, the tool transport table creation unit 13 creates a tool transport table consisting of the supply tool and the return tool determined by the determination of the tool type and the allocation of the tool magazine pot (step S28), and all necessary tool lists are checked. It is confirmed whether or not (step S29). If all the required tool lists have not been checked, the process returns to step S13 and the above-described operation is repeated. If all the required tool lists have been checked, the tool transport control unit 4 carries out tool transport in accordance with the created tool transport table. , And replace it with a predetermined tool magazine pot (step S30), and complete all processing.

A specific example will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the current tool layout of the tool magazine installed in the NC machine tool, and the pot numbers 1 to 17
The pots are equipped with tools with tool names A1 to 7, B1, C1, D1 to 4. In the figure, the ◎ mark is the tool used for the part currently being machined, the O mark is the tool not used for the part currently being machined,
● indicates an empty pot, A indicates a standard tool, B indicates a large-diameter tool, C indicates an ultra-long large-diameter tool, and D indicates an ultra-long tool. The tool of this current tool layout and the tool for the next machining part shown in FIG. 4 are compared, and a tool which does not exist in the current tool layout among the tools for the next machining part is found, and as shown in FIG. Create a required tool list consisting of tool names and tool types. Next, from the tools of the current tool layout, find the tool that is not used for the next machining part and
An unnecessary tool list including a pot number, a tool name (including empty), a tool type, and used / unused is created as shown in the figure. Then, in the unnecessary tool list, only the tools that are not used in the current machining, that is, the tools that are specified as unused are listed to create the unnecessary tool list A as shown in FIG. In the list, only the tools that are used in the current machining and are not used in the next machining, that is, the tools that are specified as being in use, are listed to create an unnecessary tool list B as shown in FIG.

First, the tool name A8 raised at the head of the necessary tool list is taken out and compared with the unnecessary tool A. Since the tool name A8 is a standard tool, pot number 5 is searched for, and A8 is determined as the supply tool and A2 is determined as the return tool. Next, the second tool name B2 in the necessary tool list is taken out and compared with the unnecessary tool list A. Since the tool name B2 is a large-diameter tool, a pot number 8 with empty spaces on both sides is searched for, and B2 is determined as the supply tool and C1 is determined as the return tool. Then, the third tool name C2 in the necessary tool list is taken out and compared with the unnecessary tool list A. Since the tool name C2 is an ultra-long large-diameter tool, empty pots are required on both sides, but there are no empty pots on both sides in the unnecessary tool list A, so it is compared with the unnecessary tool list B. Then, the pot number 2 is searched, and C2 is determined as the supply tool and B1 is determined as the return tool. Finally, the fourth tool name A9 in the required tool list
Take out and compare with unnecessary tool list A. Since the tool name A9 is a standard tool, pot number 13 is searched for, and A9 is determined as the supply tool and A6 is determined as the return tool. From the above, a tool transport table including a supply tool and a return tool as shown in FIG. 9 is created. When exchanging with the tool shown in the unnecessary tool list A, the tool is not used in the current machining, so the tool can be exchanged during the current machining. After the replacement, the tool shown in Fig. 10 can be used. It becomes the layout. Further, when exchanging with the tool shown in the unnecessary tool list B, since the tool is used in the current machining, the tool must be exchanged after the current machining, and the tool layout after the exchange is the 11th. As shown in the figure.

In the case of multiple magazines, it is sufficient to manage the numbers of multiple magazines and create the tool transport table so that the ultra-long tools and the ultra-long large-diameter tools are arranged in the outermost magazines.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the tool transport control system and its apparatus in the FMS of the present invention, various tools can be automatically replaced, so that a wide variety of parts can be processed without lowering the operation rate. It is possible to construct a more flexible production system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a tool transfer control device in an FMS of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining an operation example thereof, and FIGS. 3 to 11 are for explaining a concrete example of the operation. FIG. 12 and FIG. 12 are block diagrams showing an example of a conventional tool transport control device in an FMS, and FIG. 13 is a flow chart for explaining an operation example thereof. 1 ... Tool layout comparison unit, 2 ... Necessary / unnecessary tool list creation unit, 3,13 ... Tool transport table creation unit, 4 ...
Tool transport control section, 11 ... Tool type determination section, 12 ... Tool magazine allocation section.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An FMS comprising a plurality of numerically controlled machine tools, a work transfer device, a tool transfer device, and a computer for managing them in a unified manner. When the tool is transferred to replace the tool, the supply tool is It is determined whether the tool is a standard tool that does not interfere with the adjacent tool or the tool magazine when it is attached to the tool magazine pot, or a special tool that interferes with it, and the address of the tool magazine pot is determined based on the determination result. A method for controlling a tool transport in an FMS, characterized in that the supply tool is transported and is exchanged with a return tool having the determined address. 2. When the supply tool is a special tool that interferes,
2. The address according to claim 1, wherein the tool magazine pots adjacent to both sides determine the address of the empty tool magazine pot.
Tool transport control method in FMS. 3. The FMS tool according to claim 1, wherein when the tool magazine is a multiple magazine and the supply tool interferes with a special tool, the address of the outermost tool magazine pot is determined. Transport control method. 4. A tool transfer control device in an FMS comprising a plurality of numerically controlled tool machines, a work transfer device, a tool transfer device, and a computer for managing them in a unified manner, when a supply tool is mounted in a tool magazine pot. Means to determine whether it is a standard tool that does not interfere with the adjacent tool or tool magazine or a special tool that interferes, and the address of the tool magazine pot is determined based on the determination result, and the relevant supply tool is transported. And a means for exchanging the returned tool of the determined address with the tool transfer control device in the FMS.