Machining system and product manufacturing method

Abstract

This machining system, which machines a material to be conveyed, is provided with: a shape measurement device (4) that is provided in a conveyance path for the material to be conveyed and that measures the shape of the material to be conveyed; a processing device (7) that is provided downstream of the shape measuring device in the conveyance path and that mechanically processes the material to be processed using a processing member (10); and a control device (6) that adjusts the position of the workpiece in advance on the basis of the measurement result of the shape measurement device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to machining systems and methods for manufacturing products. In particular, this disclosure relates to machining systems and methods for manufacturing materials such as steel products being transported. Background Technology

[0002] For example, in steel product manufacturing production lines, the material is often cut online after the rolling process. During the cutting process, burrs and other defects are often generated on the cut surface of the material, but in the past, these defects were removed off-line through operator-based grinding.

[0003] Here, methods for online defect removal and other machining processes are investigated. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that includes a fixing roller to fix the position of a product during transport, and a grinding tool is pressed against the end face of the product fixed by the fixing roller by a cylinder to process the product. Patent Document 2 discloses a system that measures the shape and position of the product during pauses between materials during product transport, corrects the robot arm's movements, and grinds away burrs generated on the cut surface.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6120543

[0005] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 2802187

[0006] In the system described in Patent Document 1, the product is processed while being held in place by a fixed roller, thus enabling high-precision processing. However, while the fixed roller system is inexpensive and economical for relatively lightweight products with small cross-sectional areas, such as rails or right-angled unequal-sided steel, it becomes large-scale and expensive to implement when the product is a large-section H-beam, sheet pile, or thick plate.

[0007] In the system of Patent Document 2, the product needs to be stopped when the burrs are removed by grinding. Therefore, the stopping process used for cutting becomes a bottleneck and risks reducing productivity. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product that can perform high-precision machining of a material during material handling without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[0009] (1) One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a machining system for machining object materials being transported, characterized in that it comprises:

[0010] A shape measuring device is installed along the transport path of the object material to measure the shape of the object material.

[0011] A processing apparatus, located downstream of the shape measuring device along the transport path, uses processing components to mechanically process the object material; and

[0012] The control device adjusts the position of the processing component in advance based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device.

[0013] (2) As one embodiment of this disclosure, based on (1),

[0014] The machined part is equipped with a holding device that holds the workpiece in a constant manner during the execution of the machining process, by means of a constant pressure exerted on the workpiece by the workpiece.

[0015] (3) As one embodiment of this disclosure, based on (1) or (2),

[0016] The aforementioned processing component is a grinding component used for grinding the aforementioned object material.

[0017] (4) A method for manufacturing a product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure manufactures the product by machining the material being transported, characterized in that it includes the following steps:

[0018] Upstream of the material transport path, a shape measurement process is performed to measure the shape of the material.

[0019] An adjustment process based on the measured shape of the aforementioned object material, and the pre-adjustment of the position of the processing components of the processing device located downstream of the aforementioned transport path; and

[0020] The machining process involves adjusting the position of the aforementioned machining components to perform the machining of the aforementioned object material.

[0021] (5) As one embodiment of this disclosure, based on (4),

[0022] In the above processing steps, the processing component is held in a constant manner while the object material is machined.

[0023] According to this disclosure, a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product can be provided that can perform high-precision machining of a material during material handling without increasing the size of the apparatus. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1This is a diagram illustrating the material of the object.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an outline of a machining system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3A This diagram illustrates the shape measurement and position adjustment of machined parts.

[0027] Figure 3B This diagram illustrates the shape measurement and position adjustment of machined parts.

[0028] Figure 3C This diagram illustrates the shape measurement and position adjustment of machined parts.

[0029] Figure 3D This diagram illustrates the shape measurement and position adjustment of machined parts.

[0030] Figure 3E This is an example of a processing procedure.

[0031] Figure 4A This is a diagram illustrating the holding device.

[0032] Figure 4B This diagram illustrates the shape changes of the retaining device.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an application to multiple steel plates.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a graph illustrating the effect of reducing work time. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are labeled with the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or equivalent parts will be appropriately omitted or simplified.

[0036] <Machining System>

[0037] The machining system described in this embodiment performs machining on a material being transported. Machining is the process of using machinery to shape a material into a target form; specific examples include grinding and cutting. In this embodiment, grinding is performed as a machining operation, and the material being ground is the material being ground. In this embodiment, burrs, defects, and poorly shaped parts on the surface of the material being ground are specifically addressed in the machining of object 3 (see reference 3). Figure 1The removal of burrs, defects, and irregularities on the surface of the material being ground will be explained. However, as mentioned above, machining is not limited to grinding; for example, it can be cutting. Furthermore, the machining system described in this embodiment is used on a production line to manufacture products by machining the material being processed. For example, machining is performed to remove burrs, defects, and irregularities from the surface of the material being ground, thereby transforming the machined material into a product. Here, the machining is performed on the production line (online) without stopping the transport of the material.

[0038] Figure 1 Examples of object materials having processing object 3 are shown. Examples of object materials include H-beams 1 and thick plates 2 transported on a production line. In this embodiment, burrs, defects, and shape defects continuously generated parallel to the transport direction at the end of the object material are called processing object 3. Here, processing object 3 is not limited to burrs, defects, and shape defects continuously generated parallel to the transport direction, but can also be burrs, defects, and shape defects generated on the cut surface (segmentation surface) of the object material perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0039] Figure 2 This illustrates an example of a system disclosed herein. Figure 2 In this embodiment, H-beam 1 is used as the object material. The machining system includes: a shape measuring device 4, a control device 6, a machining device 7, and a machining component 10. As in this embodiment, the machining system may also include: a measurement result processing device 5, a holding device 8, and a grinding machine 9. The machining device 7 may be, for example, a robot, but it is not limited to a specific type of device as long as it uses the machining component 10 to machine the object material. In this embodiment, the machining device 7 is described as a multi-joint robot. In addition, the control device 6 controls the movement of the machining device 7 as one of the controls in the machining system. Therefore, the control device 6 can be called a robot motion control device. The machining component 10 may be, for example, a grinding component for grinding the object material. In this embodiment, the machining component 10 is described as a grinding wheel used on the grinding machine 9. However, the machining component 10 is not limited to a grinding component, and may be, for example, a cutting component such as a cutting tool.

[0040] The shape measuring device 4 is installed along the transport path of the object material to measure the shape of the object material. As in this embodiment, the shape measuring device 4 can also measure the position of the object material. The shape measuring device 4 is, for example, a two-dimensional laser rangefinder, but is not limited thereto. The shape measuring device 4 is installed upstream of the transport path of the H-beam 1 to measure the range of the processed object 3 including the H-beam 1.

[0041] The measurement result processing device 5 determines the shape and position of the processing object 3 of the H-beam 1 based on the data measured by the shape measuring device 4, and calculates the inferred position 11 of the object material as a reference position (refer to...). Figure 3A The position offset is measured. The result processing device 5 determines the correction amount for the position of the machined part 10 based on this position offset and transmits it to the control device 6. The specific method for correcting the position offset will be described later.

[0042] The control device 6 adjusts the position of the machining part 10 by controlling the drive of the machining device 7. Details will be described later. Based on the measurement results from the shape measuring device 4, the control device 6 adjusts the position of the machining part 10 in advance, i.e., before performing machining. Here, the measurement result processing device 5 and the control device 6 can be any device capable of control and calculation, such as a computer. The measurement result processing device 5 and the control device 6 can be independent devices capable of sending and receiving information via a network, or they can be an integrated structure. For example, the control device 6 can be a computer integrated with the measurement result processing device 5, performing the calculations described above by the measurement result processing device 5.

[0043] The processing device 7 uses the processing component 10 to machine the workpiece material. The processing device 7 is located downstream of the shape measuring device 4 along the transport path. The processing device 7 and the shape measuring device 4 are spaced a certain distance apart to prevent interference between them. Here, as an example, the distance between the shape measuring device 4 and the processing device 7 is 3 m, but it can be appropriately determined based on the transport speed of the H-beam 1. That is, preferably a distance sufficient to allow for adjustments to the position of the processing component 10 based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device 4.

[0044] The machining device 7 has multiple axes (6 axes for example) to allow for flexible movement and easy adjustment of the positions of the grinding machine 9 and the machining component 10. The machining component 10 is mounted at the front end of the machining device 7 and is driven by the rotation of the grinding machine 9 to grind the workpiece 3 of the H-beam 1.

[0045] The holding device 8 is a device for holding the workpiece 10. In this embodiment, the holding device 8 not only holds the workpiece 10 via the grinding machine 9, but also controls the pressure acting on the workpiece material from the workpiece 10 to be constant during the execution of machining. That is, the holding device 8 has the function of a pressure control device. Figure 4A As shown, the holding device 8 has a cylinder portion 8A connected to one side of the processing device 7 and a stroke portion 8B connected to one side of the grinding machine 9. The stroke portion 8B moves (extends) relative to the cylinder portion 8A, thereby enabling fine-tuning of the position of the grinding machine 9 and the processing component 10 relative to the processing device 7 by an amount corresponding to the stroke.

[0046] <Product Manufacturing Method>

[0047] The manufacturing method for producing a product by grinding away the workpiece 3 of the H-beam 1 includes: a shape measurement process, an adjustment process, and a machining process.

[0048] First, the H-shaped steel 1, which is the object material, is transported along a transport path by a transport device (not shown). The transport device is configured to transport the object material with a sufficiently large driving force to overcome the reaction force generated during grinding. Therefore, the machining system is able to continuously remove material from the workpiece 3, which covers the entire length of the object material, while transporting the object material.

[0049] In the shape measurement process, the shape of the object material (H-shaped steel 1) is measured by the shape measuring device 4 on the upstream side of the transport path of the object material (H-shaped steel 1) during transport.

[0050] During the adjustment process, the measurement result processing device 5 pre-adjusts the position of the processing component 10 of the processing device 7, which is located downstream of the transport path, based on the shape of the object material measured by the shape measuring device 4 (shape measurement result). In other words, the measurement result processing device 5 calculates the positional offset of the processing device 7 based on the shape measurement result and outputs the calculated positional offset to the control device 6. The control device 6 drives the processing device 7 based on the positional offset, causing the grinding machine 9 and the processing component 10 to move towards the appropriate processing position.

[0051] In the processing step, the machining part 10, after being repositioned, performs machining on the object 3 to remove the target material. Here, as... Figure 2 As shown, a coordinate system is established with the direction parallel to the transport direction as y, the vertical direction of the material as z, and the width (horizontal) direction as x. x is the direction orthogonal to the transport direction and also the width (horizontal) direction of the transport line. This coordinate system also... Figures 3A to 3D This is commonly used in China. Here, in this embodiment, the direction of movement (extension) of the travel section 8B is the z-direction.

[0052] Figures 3A to 3D This diagram illustrates the shape measurement and position adjustment of the processing component 10. In this embodiment, the case where the processing object 3 exists at the upper end of the object material (H-beam 1) will be described. First, as... Figure 3AAs shown, based on the shape and size of the object material and the linear structure of the handling equipment, the assumed processing position (x0, z0) on the xz plane of the object 3 is set by calculation. The assumed processing position (x0, z0) is the position of the upper end of the object material where the object 3 is located. The inferred position 11 of the object material is the reference position of the H-beam 1 obtained by calculation. First, assuming that the object 3 and the processing part 10 are in contact at the assumed processing position (x0, z0), the drive (action) of the processing device 7 is set.

[0053] Next, as Figure 3B As shown, a shape measuring device 4 is pre-positioned at a location where the two-dimensional shape of the workpiece 3 can be measured. The shape measuring device 4 measures the shape of the markings on the actual workpiece 3. The measured position on the xz plane of the workpiece 3 is (x t z t The measured position 12 of the object material indicates the measured position of the H-beam 1.

[0054] Next, as Figure 3C As shown, the assumed processing position (x0, z0) of the processing object 3 differs from the measured position (x0, z0). t z t The difference between the two values, i.e., the position offset (Δx, Δz), is calculated using the following formula. Here, Δx is the difference in the x-direction, and Δz is the difference in the z-direction.

[0055] [Number 1]

[0056]

[0057] Next, as Figure 3D As shown, the control device 6 activates the processing device 7, causing the grinding machine 9 and the processing component 10 to move by an amount corresponding to the calculated positional offset (Δx, Δz). Through the above process, the position of the processing component 10 is adjusted.

[0058] Figure 3EThis is an example of the processing flow described above. First, a hypothetical processing position is set based on information such as the shape of the object material to be transported (step S1). Then, processing preparation is performed (step S2). Processing preparation includes, for example, turning on the power to the grinding machine 9 and the shape measuring device 4, and moving the shape measuring device 4 to the measuring position. After processing preparation is completed, the transport of the object material begins (step S3). After the transport of the object material begins, the control device 6 activates the processing device 7, thereby moving the processing part 10 to the processing position (step S4). If the transport of the object material is not completed (No in step S5), the shape of the vicinity of the object 3 to be processed is measured by the shape measuring device 4 (step S6). The measurement result processing device 5 calculates the position offset (Δx, Δz) (step S7). The control device 6 performs a correction process that adjusts the position of the processing part 10 to the amount corresponding to the calculated position offset (Δx, Δz) (step S8). The control device 6 activates the processing device 7, thereby moving the processing part 10 to the corrected processing position, and performs machining using the processing part 10 (step S9). Before the material handling is completed, repeat steps S6, S7, S8, and S9 to perform machining on object 3. If the material handling is completed (as in step S5), the series of processes ends.

[0059] Through the above processing, the processing object 3 is removed from the object material to manufacture the product. Here, based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device 4, the position of the processing component 10 is adjusted by the processing device 7 to handle object materials of various shapes or sizes. For example, it can flexibly handle shape changes such as bending or warping of the object material that occur during product manufacturing, and can remove burrs and the like throughout the entire length of the product. In this way, the machining system can pre-adjust the position of the processing component 10, and perform high-precision machining of the object material during material handling without making the device too large.

[0060] <Position Adjustment>

[0061] As described above, in the machining system, the position of the workpiece 3 (the material to be machined) is measured before machining, and the position of the machining component 10 is adjusted based on the measurement result. Therefore, the position of the machining component 10 can be corrected in advance (before machining) to match the actual position of the workpiece. However, to prevent interference between the machining device 7 and the shape measuring device 4, a certain distance is provided between them, which may cause a positional shift of the workpiece during transport from the measuring position to the machining position. In this embodiment, the machining system also performs fine-tuning of the position of the machining component 10 during machining.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 4AAs shown, the position of the machining part 10 is adjusted by the holding device 8. The holding device 8 uses hydraulic, pneumatic or electric power to make the stroke part 8B protrude to its maximum stroke state when the machining part 10 is not in contact with other objects.

[0063] Figure 4B This diagram illustrates the shape changes of the holding device 8. In the initial state, the machining component 10 is in contact with the workpiece (the material being ground). With the stroke portion 8B pressed in to a certain extent, the pressure (grinding pressure) is balanced with the hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power of the cylinder. At this time, a predetermined pressure is applied to the workpiece from the holding device 8 via the grinding machine 9 and the machining component 10. Here, if the workpiece is large, i.e., its height is higher than the assumed height (measured by the shape measuring device 4), the stroke portion 8B is pressed in compared to the initial state, and the position of the machining component 10 moves upward. At this time, the pressure remains the same as in the initial state, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the workpiece. On the other hand, if the workpiece is small, i.e., its height is lower than the assumed height, the stroke portion 8B extends compared to the initial state, and the position of the machining component 10 moves downward. At this time, the pressure remains the same as in the initial state, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the workpiece. Thus, by mounting the processing component 10 onto the processing apparatus 7 via the holding device 8, a control mechanism is created that automatically follows the position of the processing component 10 whenever there is a deviation in the size or position of the object material within its movable stroke range. The processing component 10 is held in a constant manner by the holding device 8 while the object material is machined. This allows for the absorption of deviations within the movable stroke range, resulting in more stable removal of the object 3 along its entire length.

[0064] <Variation Example>

[0065] Figure 5 This represents an example applied to a situation where the object material is multiple thick plates 2. Figure 2 In the example, assume that there are two machining objects 3 at the upper left and right ends of the cross-section of an H-beam 1. Figure 5 In the example, two thick plates are moved simultaneously along the same line. For example... Figure 5 As in the example, the shape measuring device 4 and the processing device 7 are set up in a way that avoids interference, so that multiple object materials 3 can be machined at the same time.

[0066] Figure 6This is a diagram illustrating the effect of reduced operation time. "Conventional" refers to the operation time for deburring rolled products performed offline by the operator. "This embodiment" refers to the operation time when the deburring operation is automated using the above-described machining system and method. The operation time in this embodiment is expressed relative to "conventional" (set to 100). Figure 6 As shown, automation can reduce work hours by approximately 82%.

[0067] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described based on the accompanying drawings and examples. However, it should be noted that various modifications or alterations can be easily made based on this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that such modifications or alterations are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each structural part or step (process) can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple structural parts or steps can be combined into one or divided. The embodiments involved in this disclosure can also be implemented as a program executed by a processor of a device or as a storage medium recording a program. It should be understood that these are also included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0068] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0069] 1…H-beam; 2…thick plate; 3…work object; 4…shape measuring device; 5…measurement result processing device; 6…control device; 7…processing device; 8…holding device; 8A…cylinder body; 8B…stroke part; 9…grinding machine; 10…processing component; 11…inferred position of object material; 12…measured position of object material.

Claims

1. A machining system for machining material being transported, characterized in that, have: A shape measuring device is installed along the transport path of the object material to measure the shape of the object material. A processing device is located downstream of the shape measuring device along the transport path, and uses processing components to mechanically process the object material; as well as The control device adjusts the position of the processed component in advance based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device.

2. The machining system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The machining component is equipped with a holding device that holds the machining component in a constant manner during the execution of the machining process, by means of a constant pressure exerted on the workpiece by the machining component.

3. The machining system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The processing component is a grinding component used for grinding the object material.

4. A method for manufacturing a product, comprising machining an object material being transported to manufacture the product, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: A shape measurement process for measuring the shape of the object material on the upstream side of the material transport path; An adjustment process based on the measured shape of the object material, and the pre-adjustment of the position of the processing components of the processing device located downstream of the transport path; and The machining process involves adjusting the position of the machining component to perform mechanical machining on the object material.

5. The method for manufacturing the product according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the processing step, the processing component is held in a constant manner while the object material is machined.

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