State monitoring system for a wire saw, wire saw, and state monitoring method for a wire saw

Abstract

A state monitoring system of a wire saw that has a first processing roller and a second processing roller, a wire that is stretched between the first processing roller and the second processing roller, and a moving member that moves the workpiece in such a manner that the workpiece is pressed against the wire between the first processing roller and the second processing roller while the wire is being moved, the state monitoring system of the wire saw comprising a detection data acquisition unit that acquires detection data of a first wire sensor that detects the amount of wire fed to the first processing roller and detection data of a second wire sensor that detects the amount of wire fed from the second processing roller, an inference unit that infers the state of the wire based on the amount of wire fed and the amount of wire fed, and an output unit that outputs the inference result of the inference unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a condition monitoring system for a wire saw, a wire saw, and a method for monitoring the condition of a wire saw. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of wire sawing technology, wire bending monitoring systems, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1, are known.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-060397 Summary of the Invention

[0004] A wire saw cuts by pressing the workpiece against a moving metal wire. Using a poor-quality metal wire to cut the workpiece can result in a decrease in the quality of the cut workpiece or a decrease in the wire saw's productivity.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to monitor the condition of metal wires.

[0006] According to this disclosure, a status monitoring system for a wire saw is provided, wherein the wire saw includes: a first processing roller and a second processing roller; a metal wire mounted on the first processing roller and the second processing roller; and a moving member that moves to press a workpiece onto the metal wire between the first processing roller and the second processing roller while the metal wire is moving. The status monitoring system for the wire saw includes: a detection data acquisition unit for acquiring detection data from a first metal wire sensor and detection data from a second metal wire sensor, wherein the first metal wire sensor detects the amount of metal wire fed into the first processing roller and the second metal wire sensor detects the amount of metal wire discharged from the second processing roller; an inference unit for inferring the status of the metal wire based on the amount fed in and the amount discharged; and an output unit for outputting the inference result of the inference unit.

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to monitor the condition of the metal wire. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wire saw of an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the implementation of a wire saw.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the status monitoring system of a wire saw in an implementation embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the wire saw in the implementation method.

[0012] Figure 5This is a graph used to illustrate the relationship between the state of the metal wire and the amount of deflection in the implementation method.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a graph used to illustrate the relationship between the state of the metal wire and the amount of deflection in the implementation method.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a graph illustrating the difference between the amount of metal wire fed in and the amount of metal wire fed out in the implementation method.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the status monitoring method for a wire saw in an implementation scheme.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating the implementation of a computer system.

[0017] Figure 10 This is a diagram schematically illustrating a portion of a wire saw according to another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. The constituent elements of the embodiments described below can be appropriately combined. In addition, there are cases where some constituent elements are not used.

[0019] Wire saw

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the wire saw 1. Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the implementation of a wire saw 1. The wire saw 1 is used to cut a workpiece W. The wire saw 1 is used to slice the workpiece W. Examples of workpiece W include silicon ingots, synthetic quartz, crystal, and magnets.

[0021] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wire saw 1 includes a processing roller 2, a roller motor 3, a metal wire 4, a moving part 5, a bobbin 6, a reel motor 7, a traverser 8, a tension adjusting roller 9, a tension adjusting motor 10, a guide roller 11, a metal wire sensor 12, and a controller 13.

[0022] The processing roller 2 rotates while supporting the metal wire 4. Multiple parallel grooves are provided on the surface of the processing roller 2. At least a portion of the metal wire 4 is disposed inside the grooves.

[0023] At least two processing rollers 2 are provided. In this embodiment, two processing rollers 2 are provided. The processing rollers 2 include processing roller 2A and processing roller 2B. Alternatively, three processing rollers 2 or four processing rollers 2 may be provided.

[0024] Roller motor 3 generates rotational force to rotate processing roller 2. Roller motor 3 is connected to processing roller 2. Processing roller 2 rotates in both the forward and reverse directions via roller motor 3. In an embodiment, roller motor 3 includes roller motor 3A and roller motor 3B, roller motor 3A being connected to processing roller 2A and roller motor 3B being connected to processing roller 2B. Processing roller 2A and processing roller 2B rotate synchronously in either the forward or reverse direction.

[0025] Metal wire 4 is mounted on processing rollers 2A and 2B. At least a portion of metal wire 4 is positioned between processing rollers 2A and 2B. By rotating processing roller 2A in the forward direction, metal wire 4 between the upper parts of processing roller 2A and the upper parts of processing roller 2B moves from processing roller 2A toward processing roller 2B in one direction. By rotating processing roller 2A in the reverse direction, metal wire 4 between the upper parts of processing roller 2A and the upper parts of processing roller 2B moves from processing roller 2B toward processing roller 2A in the other direction.

[0026] The metal wire 4 is used to cut the workpiece W. In this embodiment, the wire saw 1 slices the workpiece W using a fixed abrasive grain method. The fixed abrasive grain method refers to the method of cutting the workpiece W using a metal wire 4, which includes a core wire and abrasive grains fixed to the surface of the core wire. The core wire of the metal wire 4 is, for example, made of carbon steel. Diamond abrasive grains can be used as an example of abrasive grains. Alternatively, the wire saw 1 can also use a loose abrasive method, that is, cutting the workpiece W using the metal wire 4 while simultaneously supplying slurry to the moving metal wire 4.

[0027] The moving member 5 moves to press the workpiece W against the metal wire 4 between processing rollers 2A and 2B while the metal wire 4 is moving. In this embodiment, the moving member 5 is positioned above the metal wire 4 between processing rollers 2A and 2B. The moving member 5 moves up and down while holding the workpiece W in place. The workpiece W is fixed to the lower surface of the moving member 5. The moving member 5 moves downward, thereby pressing the workpiece W held by the moving member 5 against the moving metal wire 4 between the upper parts of processing rollers 2A and 2B. The workpiece W is pressed against the moving metal wire 4, thereby being cut by the metal wire 4.

[0028] The spool 6 is used to feed or wind the metal wire 4. The metal wire 4 is wound on the spool 6. Two spools 6 are provided. The spool 6 includes spool 6A and spool 6B. One end of the metal wire 4 is connected to spool 6A. The other end of the metal wire 4 is connected to spool 6B.

[0029] A reel motor 7 generates rotational force to rotate the spool 6. The reel motor 7 is connected to the spool 6. In one embodiment, the reel motor 7 includes a reel motor 7A and a reel motor 7B, with reel motor 7A connected to spool 6A and reel motor 7B connected to spool 6B. Reel motors 7A and 7B rotate synchronously and alternately in the forward or reverse direction.

[0030] When the processing roller 2 rotates in the forward direction, the spool 6A rotates to feed out the metal wire 4, and the spool 6B rotates to wind up the metal wire 4. The metal wire 4 fed out from the spool 6A is conveyed to the processing roller 2A. The metal wire 4 fed out from the processing roller 2B is wound up by the spool 6B.

[0031] When the processing roller 2 rotates in the reverse direction, the spool 6B rotates to feed the metal wire 4, and the spool 6A rotates to wind the metal wire 4. The metal wire 4 fed from the spool 6B is conveyed to the processing roller 2B. The metal wire 4 fed from the processing roller 2A is wound up by the spool 6A.

[0032] The wire guide 8 is used to adjust the position of the metal wire 4 when wound by the spool 6. Two wire guides 8 are provided. The wire guide 8 includes wire guide 8A and wire guide 8B. Wire guide 8A is used to adjust the position of the metal wire 4 when wound by the spool 6A, and wire guide 8B is used to adjust the position of the metal wire 4 when wound by the spool 6B. The wire guide 8 has a traverse roller 14, which is movable axially along the spool 6 in a position opposite to the spool 6. The traverse roller 14 moves axially along the spool 6 by a driving force generated by a wire actuator (not shown).

[0033] The guide roller 14 adjusts the axial position of the metal wire 4 on the bobbin 6 by moving axially along the bobbin 6. The guide roller 14 is positioned between the processing roller 2 and the bobbin 6. Two guide rollers 14 are provided. Each guide roller 14 includes guide roller 14A and guide roller 14B; guide roller 14A is provided in guide roller 8A, and guide roller 14B is provided in guide roller 8B. Guide roller 14A is positioned between the processing roller 2A and the bobbin 6A. Guide roller 14B is positioned between the processing roller 2B and the bobbin 6B. The metal wire 4 contacts the guide roller 14. The guide roller 14 is a driven roller that rotates as the metal wire 4 moves.

[0034] The tension adjusting roller 9 adjusts the tension of the metal wire 4 by oscillation. The tension adjusting roller 9 is rotatably supported at the front end of the tension adjusting arm 15. The tension adjusting roller 9 is positioned between the processing roller 2 and the wire spool 6. The tension adjusting roller 9 is positioned between the processing roller 2 and the guide roller 14. Two tension adjusting rollers 9 are provided. The tension adjusting roller 9 includes tension adjusting roller 9A and tension adjusting roller 9B. Tension adjusting roller 9A is positioned between the processing roller 2A and the wire spool 6A, and tension adjusting roller 9B is positioned between the processing roller 2B and the wire spool 6B. Tension adjusting roller 9A is positioned between the processing roller 2A and the guide roller 14A. Tension adjusting roller 9B is positioned between the processing roller 2B and the guide roller 14B. The metal wire 4 contacts the tension adjusting roller 9. The tension adjusting roller 9 is a driven roller that rotates as the metal wire 4 moves.

[0035] The tension adjusting motor 10 generates a driving force that causes the tension adjusting roller 9 to oscillate via the tension adjusting arm 15. The tension adjusting motor 10 is connected to the tension adjusting arm 15. In an embodiment, the tension adjusting motor 10 includes a tension adjusting motor 10A and a tension adjusting motor 10B. The tension adjusting motor 10A is used to oscillate the tension adjusting roller 9A, and the tension adjusting motor 10B is used to oscillate the tension adjusting roller 9B. The tension of the metal wire 4 is adjusted by oscillating the tension adjusting roller 9 through the driving force of the tension adjusting motor 10.

[0036] Guide roller 11 is used to guide the metal wire 4. Guide roller 11 is disposed between the processing roller 2 and the wire spool 6. Guide roller 11 is disposed between the processing roller 2 and the tension adjusting roller 9. At least two guide rollers 11 are provided. In an embodiment, the guide roller 11 includes guide roller 11A and guide roller 11B. Guide roller 11A is disposed between the processing roller 2A and the wire spool 6A, and guide roller 11B is disposed between the processing roller 2B and the wire spool 6B. Guide roller 11A is disposed between the processing roller 2A and the tension adjusting roller 9A. Guide roller 11B is disposed between the processing roller 2B and the tension adjusting roller 9B. The metal wire 4 contacts the guide roller 11. The guide roller 11 is a driven roller that rotates as the metal wire 4 moves.

[0037] Alternatively, two or more guide rollers 11 may be provided. For example, four guide rollers 11 may be provided, or six guide rollers 11 may be provided. Two or more guide rollers 11 may also be arranged between the processing roller 2A and the tension adjusting roller 9A. Two or more guide rollers 11 may also be arranged between the processing roller 2B and the tension adjusting roller 9B.

[0038] The metal wire sensor 12 is used to detect the amount of movement of the metal wire 4. Two metal wire sensors 12 are provided. The metal wire sensor 12 includes a metal wire sensor 12A and a metal wire sensor 12B. The metal wire sensor 12A is used to detect the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 relative to the processing roller 2A, and the metal wire sensor 12B is used to detect the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 relative to the processing roller 2B.

[0039] When the processing roller 2 moves in the forward direction, the metal wire sensor 12A detects the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A. When the processing roller 2 moves in the forward direction, the metal wire sensor 12B detects the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B.

[0040] When the processing roller 2 moves in the reverse direction, the metal wire sensor 12B detects the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2B. When the processing roller 2 moves in the reverse direction, the metal wire sensor 12A detects the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2A.

[0041] The amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2 refers to the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 as it enters the rotating processing roller 2. The amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2 refers to the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 discharged from the rotating processing roller 2. The amount of movement of the metal wire 4 can also be the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 per unit time. The amount of movement of the metal wire 4 can also be the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 in the third state described below.

[0042] In this embodiment, the metal wire sensor 12 includes a rotary encoder capable of detecting the rotational speed of the guide roller 11. As described above, the guide roller 11 is a driven roller that rotates as the metal wire 4 moves. The amount of movement of the metal wire 4 corresponds one-to-one with the rotational speed of the guide roller 11. The higher the rotational speed of the guide roller 11, the more the metal wire 4 moves; the lower the rotational speed of the guide roller 11, the less the metal wire 4 moves. The metal wire sensor 12 detects the amount of movement of the metal wire 4 by detecting the rotational speed of the guide roller 11. The rotational speed of the guide roller 11 can be a rotational speed per unit time. The rotational speed of the guide roller 11 can also be the number of rotations of the guide roller 11 in the third state described below.

[0043] The wire sensor 12 can be a magnetic encoder or an optical encoder. When the wire sensor 12 is a magnetic encoder, a permanent magnet is provided in the guide roller 11. The wire sensor 12 detects the rotational speed of the guide roller 11 by detecting the changing magnetic field as the guide roller 11 rotates.

[0044] When the processing roller 2 moves in the forward direction, the metal wire sensor 12A detects the rotational speed of the guide roller 11A, and uses this as the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A. When the processing roller 2 moves in the forward direction, the metal wire sensor 12B detects the rotational speed of the guide roller 11B, and uses this as the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B.

[0045] When the processing roller 2 moves in the reverse direction, the metal wire sensor 12B detects the rotational speed of the guide roller 11B, and uses this as the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2B. When the processing roller 2 moves in the reverse direction, the metal wire sensor 12A detects the rotational speed of the guide roller 11A, and uses this as the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2A.

[0046] The controller 13 is used to control the wire saw 1. The controller 13 includes a computer system having at least one processor.

[0047] Status monitoring system

[0048] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the state monitoring system 20 of the wire saw 1 according to an embodiment. The state monitoring system 20 is used to monitor at least the state of the metal wire 4. The state monitoring system 20 infers the state of the metal wire 4 based on the detection data of the metal wire sensor 12. The state of the metal wire 4 includes the amount of deflection of the metal wire 4 between the processing roller 2A and the processing roller 2B.

[0049] The status monitoring system 20 includes a metal wire sensor 12, a processing unit 21, and an output unit 22. The processing unit 21 performs computational processing. The processing unit 21 includes a computer system with at least one processor. The output unit 22 outputs the computational results of the processing unit 21. The output unit 22 includes an output device capable of outputting display data. Furthermore, the output unit 22 may also include an audio output device capable of outputting audio data. Additionally, the output unit 22 may output control signals for controlling the wire saw 1 based on the computational results of the processing unit 21.

[0050] The processing device 21 has a detection data acquisition unit 23, an inference unit 24, and an output unit 25.

[0051] The detection data acquisition unit 23 is used to acquire detection data from the metal wire sensor 12A and the metal wire sensor 12B. When the processing roller 2 rotates in the forward direction, the detection data from the metal wire sensor 12A represents the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A, and the detection data from the metal wire sensor 12B represents the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B. When the processing roller 2 rotates in the reverse direction, the detection data from the metal wire sensor 12B represents the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2B, and the detection data from the metal wire sensor 12A represents the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2A.

[0052] The inference unit 24 infers the state of the metal wire 4 based on the amount of metal wire 4 fed in and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged. In this embodiment, the inference unit 24 infers the state of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed in and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged. As for the state of the metal wire 4, the inference unit 24 infers the amount of deflection of the metal wire 4 between the processing roller 2A and the processing roller 2B. The inference unit 24 infers the state of the metal wire 4 during the processing of the workpiece W.

[0053] Output unit 25 is used to output the inference result of inference unit 24. Output unit 25 is used to output the deflection amount of metal wire 4 inferred by inference unit 24. Output unit 25 causes output device 22 to output the inference result of inference unit 24. Output unit 25 can also output a control signal for controlling wire saw 1 based on the deflection amount of metal wire 4 inferred by inference unit 24.

[0054] Inference of the state of the metal wire

[0055] Next, the method for inferring the state of the metal wire 4 in the embodiment will be explained. In the following description, it is assumed that the processing roller 2 rotates in the forward direction.

[0056] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the operation of the wire saw 1 in the embodiment. When cutting the workpiece W with the metal wire 4, the controller 13 drives the roller motor 3 and the reel motor 7 to move the metal wire 4. While the metal wire 4 is moving, the controller 13 controls the moving part 5 to change the workpiece W from a first state through a second state to a third state. The moving part 5 moves downward at a predetermined speed. The moving part 5 can move downward at a constant speed or it can move downward while changing its speed in stages.

[0057] The first state is that the workpiece W is separated from the metal wire 4 by a certain distance. In the first state, the workpiece W, held by the moving part 5, is positioned above the metal wire 4 between the processing rollers 2A and 2B. In the first state, the metal wire 4 between the processing rollers 2A and 2B is not bent.

[0058] The second state is the instant when the workpiece W, moving towards the metal wire 4, comes into contact with it. The moving part 5, holding the workpiece W, moves downwards towards the metal wire 4, thereby changing the workpiece W from the first state to the second state. In the second state, the workpiece W is in contact with the metal wire 4 located between the upper parts of processing roller 2A and processing roller 2B. In the second state, the metal wire 4 between processing roller 2A and processing roller 2B is not bent.

[0059] The third state is the state in which the workpiece W, having contacted the metal wire 4, moves in a manner that causes the metal wire 4 to flex. After the workpiece W contacts the metal wire 4, the moving part 5 moves further downward, thereby changing the workpiece W from the second state to the third state. In the third state, the metal wire 4 between the upper parts of the processing roller 2A and the upper parts of the processing roller 2B flexes downward. In the third state, as the workpiece W moves downward, the metal wire 4 between the processing roller 2A and the processing roller 2B gradually flexes. In the third state, as the workpiece W moves downward, the amount of flexing of the metal wire 4 gradually increases.

[0060] As the deflection of the metal wire 4 gradually increases, when the pressure exerted by the workpiece W on the metal wire 4 reaches a certain value and cutting of the workpiece W begins, the change in the deflection of the metal wire 4 will decrease. That is, when cutting of the workpiece W begins, the deflection of the metal wire 4 will change from an unstable state to a stable state.

[0061] In the first and second states, the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A is equal to the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from the processing roller 2B.

[0062] In the third state, due to the change in the deflection of the metal wire 4 between processing rollers 2A and 2B, the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from processing roller 2B is less than the amount fed into processing roller 2A. After the workpiece W comes into contact with the metal wire 4, during the period when the deflection of the metal wire 4 gradually increases due to the movement of the workpiece W, the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from processing roller 2B is less than the amount fed into processing roller 2A. Because the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from processing roller 2B is less than the amount fed into processing roller 2A, the rotational speed of guide roller 11B decreases.

[0063] When the pressure applied by the workpiece W to the metal wire 4 reaches a certain value and cutting of the workpiece W begins, the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from the processing roller 2B is close to the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A. That is, when the deflection of the metal wire 4 reaches a stable state, the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A is substantially equal to the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from the processing roller 2B.

[0064] That is, in the third state where the deflection of the metal wire 4 is unstable, the change in the deflection will cause a difference between the feed rate and the output rate of the metal wire 4. When the deflection changes from an unstable state to a stable state, the greater the deflection of the metal wire 4, the greater the difference between the feed rate and the output rate; the smaller the deflection, the smaller the difference between the feed rate and the output rate.

[0065] Figure 5 and Figure 6 These are graphs illustrating the relationship between the state of the metal wire 4 and the amount of deflection in the implementation method. Figure 5 This indicates the amount of deflection of metal wire 4 when it is in good condition. Figure 6 This indicates the amount of deflection of metal wire 4 when its condition is poor.

[0066] The good condition of metal wire 4 means that metal wire 4 is in a state where it can easily cut workpiece W. For example, when metal wire 4 is brand new, or when there are enough abrasive grains on the surface of the core wire of metal wire 4, metal wire 4 can easily cut workpiece W.

[0067] The poor condition of metal wire 4 means that metal wire 4 is in a state where it is difficult to cut workpiece W. For example, when metal wire 4 is in a state of deterioration due to use, or when the core surface of metal wire 4 does not have enough abrasive grains attached, the metal wire will have difficulty cutting workpiece W.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, when the metal wire 4 is in good condition, even in the third state where the pressure of the workpiece W on the metal wire 4 is relatively small, cutting of the workpiece W will begin. That is, because an easily cut metal wire 4 is used, cutting of the workpiece W will begin simply by gently pressing the workpiece W against the metal wire 4. Therefore, as... Figure 5 As shown, when the metal wire 4 is in good condition, the deflection of the metal wire 4 is small when cutting the workpiece W with the metal wire 4.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, when the metal wire 4 is in poor condition, in order to cut the workpiece W in the third state, it is necessary to increase the pressing force of the workpiece W on the metal wire 4. That is, because the metal wire 4, which is difficult to cut, is used, in order to start cutting the workpiece W, it is necessary to press the workpiece W forcefully against the metal wire 4. Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, when the metal wire 4 is in poor condition, the deflection of the metal wire 4 is large when cutting the workpiece W with the metal wire 4.

[0070] As described above, in the third state, the greater the deflection of the metal wire 4, the greater the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B; conversely, the smaller the deflection of the metal wire 4, the smaller the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B. Therefore, the inference unit 24 can infer the state of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into and discharged by the metal wire sensor 12 in the third state. When the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into and discharged is large, the inference unit 24 can infer that the state of the metal wire 4 is poor. When the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into and discharged is small, the inference unit 24 can infer that the state of the metal wire 4 is good.

[0071] Figure 7 This is a graph illustrating the difference between the feed rate and the output rate of the metal wire 4 in the embodiment. Figure 7In the graph shown, the horizontal axis represents the time elapsed since the start of the slicing process for workpiece W. The vertical axis represents the difference between the feed and output amounts of metal wire 4. The feed amount of metal wire 4 is detected by metal wire sensor 12A, and the output amount of metal wire 4 is detected by metal wire sensor 12B. The start time of the slicing process is the time when workpiece W is in its first state.

[0072] Figure 7 In the diagram, line La represents the relationship between the difference between the feed rate and the output rate of metal wire 4 and the elapsed time when performing slicing using metal wire 4 in good condition. Line Lb represents the relationship between the difference between the feed rate and the output rate of metal wire 4 and the elapsed time when performing slicing using metal wire 4 in poor condition.

[0073] like Figure 7 As shown, when the workpiece W is in the first state, the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A is equal to the amount of metal wire 4 fed out from the processing roller 2B. Therefore, the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into and the amount of metal wire 4 fed out is zero.

[0074] Figure 7 In this context, time point t1 is the time point at which workpiece W changes from the first state to the second state. After workpiece W changes from the first state to the second state, workpiece W moves downward in a manner that causes the metal wire 4 to flex. As a result, after time point t1, the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed in and the amount of metal wire 4 fed out gradually increases.

[0075] When metal wire 4 is in good condition, the maximum difference between the input and output amounts of metal wire 4 is the value Da. When metal wire 4 is in poor condition, the maximum difference between the input and output amounts of metal wire 4 is the value Db. The value Db is greater than the value Da. That is, when metal wire 4 is in good condition, the difference between the input and output amounts of metal wire 4 in the third state is small. When metal wire 4 is in poor condition, the difference between the input and output amounts of metal wire 4 in the third state is large.

[0076] The difference between the feed amount and the output amount of the metal wire 4 corresponds one-to-one with the deflection amount of the metal wire 4. The detection data acquisition unit 23 is used, at least in the third state, to acquire detection data from the metal wire sensor 12A that detects the feed amount of the metal wire 4 to the processing roller 2A and detection data from the metal wire sensor 12B that detects the output amount of the metal wire 4 from the processing roller 2B. The inference unit 24 can infer the state of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the feed amount and the output amount of the metal wire 4 acquired by the detection data acquisition unit 23 in the third state. When the difference between the feed amount and the output amount of the metal wire 4 in the third state is small, the inference unit 24 can infer that the state of the metal wire 4 is good. When the difference between the feed amount and the output amount of the metal wire 4 in the third state is large, the inference unit 24 can infer that the state of the metal wire 4 is poor.

[0077] Furthermore, the deflection of the metal wire 4 may vary depending on the processing conditions of the workpiece W. For example, if the descent speed of the moving part 5 is increased in order to slice the workpiece W in a short time, the deflection of the metal wire 4 in the third state will be greater even if the metal wire 4 is in good condition. When inferring the state of the metal wire 4 based on the maximum difference between the feed amount and the output amount of the metal wire 4, the processing conditions (descent speed of the moving part 5) of the workpiece W at the time of inferring the state of the metal wire 4 need to be set to the same conditions.

[0078] Status monitoring methods

[0079] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the state monitoring method of the wire saw 1 according to an embodiment. When cutting workpiece W using the metal wire 4, the controller 13 drives the roller motor 3 and the reel motor 7 to move the metal wire 4. While the metal wire 4 is moving, the controller 13 controls the moving part 5 to change the workpiece W from a first state through a second state to a third state.

[0080] Metal wire sensor 12A detects the rotational speed of guide roller 11A. Metal wire sensor 12B detects the rotational speed of guide roller 11B. Detection data acquisition unit 23 acquires the detection data of metal wire sensor 12A and metal wire sensor 12B (step S1).

[0081] Based on the detection data obtained in step S1, the inference unit 24 calculates the difference between the rotational speed of guide roller 11A and the rotational speed of guide roller 11B. By calculating the difference between the rotational speed of guide roller 11A and guide roller 11B, the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into processing roller 2A and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from processing roller 2B is calculated (step S2).

[0082] The inference unit 24 infers the amount of deflection of the metal wire 4 between the processing roller 2A and the processing roller 2B based on the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed in and the amount of metal wire 4 calculated in step S2 (step S3).

[0083] The output unit 25 causes the output device 22 to output the estimated value of the deflection amount in step S3, that is, the estimated deflection amount (step S4).

[0084] The operator or administrator of the wire saw 1 can identify the condition of the metal wire 4 by confirming the estimated deflection amount output to the output device 22. When the estimated deflection amount is small, the operator or administrator of the wire saw 1 can identify that the metal wire 4 is in good condition. When the estimated deflection amount is large, the operator or administrator of the wire saw 1 can identify that the metal wire 4 is in poor condition. For example, when the estimated deflection amount is less than the preset deflection amount, the operator or administrator of the wire saw 1 can identify that the metal wire 4 is in good condition. For example, when the estimated deflection amount is greater than the preset deflection amount, the operator or administrator of the wire saw 1 can identify that the metal wire 4 is in poor condition.

[0085] Furthermore, in step S4, the output unit 25 may also output a control signal for controlling the wire saw 1 based on the estimated deflection amount. For example, when the metal wire 4 is in poor condition, the output unit 25 may also output a control signal for changing the processing conditions of the wire saw 1 or stopping the wire saw 1. For example, when the estimated deflection amount is greater than a preset deflection amount, the output unit 25 may also output a control signal for reducing the descent speed of the moving part 5, or output a control signal for stopping the moving part 5. When the estimated deflection amount is less than a preset deflection amount, the output unit 25 may also output a control signal for increasing the descent speed of the moving part 5.

[0086] Computer System

[0087] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 1000 according to an implementation method. The controller 13 and processing device 21 described above each comprise the computer system 1000. The computer system 1000 includes: a processor 1001, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit); main memory 1002, which includes non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory); memory 1003; and an interface 1004, which includes input / output circuitry. The functions of each of the controller 13 and processing device 21 are stored as computer programs in memory 1003. The processor 1001 reads the computer program from memory 1003 and loads it into main memory 1002, executing the aforementioned processing according to the program. Furthermore, the computer program can also be transmitted to the computer system 1000 via a network.

[0088] The computer program or computer system 1000 can perform the following according to the above-described embodiment: using the metal wire sensor 12A to detect the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A; using the metal wire sensor 12B to detect the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B; inferring the state of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the amount of metal wire fed by the metal wire sensor 12A and the amount of metal wire discharged by the metal wire sensor 12B; and outputting the inference result.

[0089] Effect

[0090] As described above, according to the embodiment, the condition monitoring system 20 can monitor the condition of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B. When it is determined that the condition of the metal wire 4 is unsatisfactory, measures such as replacing the metal wire 4 can be taken to suppress the decline in the quality of the cut workpiece W or the decline in the productivity of the wire saw 1.

[0091] The state of the metal wire 4 includes the amount of deflection of the metal wire 4. For example, when the amount of deflection of the metal wire 4 is detected by a displacement sensor, it may be difficult to install the displacement sensor at a position opposite to the metal wire 4 between the processing rollers 2A and 2B, or the installation of the displacement sensor may be time-consuming. In the embodiment, the metal wire sensor 12 can be easily installed at a position away from the processing rollers 2A and 2B.

[0092] Another implementation method

[0093] In the above embodiment, the metal wire sensor 12 is used to detect the rotational speed of the guide roller 11. The metal wire sensor 12 can also be used to detect the rotational speed of the tension adjusting roller 9, and can also be used to detect the rotational speed of the wire guide roller 14.

[0094] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of a wire saw 1 according to another embodiment. In the above embodiment, a metal wire sensor 12 is used to detect the rotational speed of a driven roller, such as a guide roller 11. Figure 10 As shown, the metal wire sensor 16 may also include a detection device capable of detecting the movement speed of the metal wire 4. The detection device may also be a laser device. Figure 10In the example shown, when the processing roller 2 rotates in the forward direction, the metal wire sensor 16 includes: a metal wire sensor 16A for detecting the travel speed of the metal wire 4 traveling towards the processing roller 2A; and a metal wire sensor 16B for detecting the travel speed of the metal wire 4 exiting from the processing roller 2B. The metal wire sensor 16A is disposed between the guide roller 11A and the processing roller 2A and is used to detect the travel speed of the metal wire 4 traveling from the guide roller 11A towards the processing roller 2A. The metal wire sensor 16B is disposed between the processing roller 2B and the guide roller 11B and is used to detect the travel speed of the metal wire 4 traveling from the processing roller 2B towards the guide roller 11B. The inference unit 24 can infer the state of the metal wire 4 based on the difference between the travel speed of the metal wire 4 traveling towards the processing roller 2A and the travel speed of the metal wire 4 exiting from the processing roller 2B. In addition, the inference unit 24 can infer the amount of metal wire 4 fed into the processing roller 2A and the amount of metal wire 4 discharged from the processing roller 2B based on the traveling speed of the metal wire 4.

[0095] In the above embodiments, the wire saw 1 may also include a status monitoring system 20. The controller 13 and the processing device 21 may also be composed of a single piece of hardware. The status monitoring system 20 may also include a network connected to the wire saw 1 or the controller 13.

[0096] Explanation of symbols

[0097] 1… Wire saw, 2… Processing roller, 2A… Processing roller, 2B… Processing roller, 3… Roller motor, 3A… Roller motor, 3B… Roller motor, 4… Metal wire, 5… Moving parts, 6… Wire spool, 6A… Wire spool, 6B… Wire spool, 7… Reel motor, 7A… Reel motor, 7B… Reel motor, 8… Wire guide, 8A… Wire guide, 8B… Wire guide, 9… Tension adjusting roller, 9A… Tension adjusting roller, 9B… Tension adjusting roller, 10… Tension adjusting motor, 10A… Tension adjusting motor, 10B… Tension adjusting motor, 11… Guide roller, 11A… Guide roller, 11B… Guide roller 12… wire guide roller, 12A… wire guide roller, 12B… wire guide roller, 13… controller, 14… guide roller, 14A… guide roller, 14B… guide roller, 15… tension adjusting arm, 16… wire guide roller, 16A… wire guide roller, 16B… wire guide roller, 20… status monitoring system, 21… processing device, 22… output device, 23… detection data acquisition unit, 24… inference unit, 25… output unit, 1000… computer system, 1001… processor, 1002… main memory, 1003… memory, 1004… interface, W… workpiece.

Claims

1. A status monitoring system for a wire saw, wherein, The wire saw includes: a first processing roller and a second processing roller; a metal wire mounted on the first processing roller and the second processing roller; and a moving part that moves to press a workpiece onto the metal wire between the first processing roller and the second processing roller while the metal wire is moving. The status monitoring system of the wire saw is characterized by having: The detection data acquisition unit is used to acquire detection data from a first metal wire sensor and detection data from a second metal wire sensor. The first metal wire sensor is used to detect the amount of metal wire fed into the first processing roller, and the second metal wire sensor is used to detect the amount of metal wire discharged from the second processing roller. The inference unit infers the state of the metal wire based on the input amount and the output amount; as well as The output section is used to output the inference result of the inference section.

2. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inference unit infers the state of the metal wire based on the difference between the input amount and the output amount.

3. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 1, characterized in that, The state of the metal wire includes the amount of deflection of the metal wire between the first processing roller and the second processing roller.

4. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inference unit infers the state of the metal wire during the workpiece processing.

5. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 4, characterized in that, The moving component is controlled to cause the workpiece to change from a first state separated from the metal wire, through a second state in contact with the metal wire, to a third state in which the metal wire is moved in a flexing manner. The inference unit infers the state of the metal wire based on the input and output amounts obtained in the third state.

6. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wire saw includes: a first spool for feeding the metal wire fed to the first processing roller; a second spool for winding the metal wire fed from the second processing roller; and a first driven roller disposed between the first processing roller and the first spool, rotating as the metal wire moves. And a second driven roller, which is disposed between the second processing roller and the second spool, rotates as the metal wire moves. The first metal wire sensor detects the rotational speed of the first driven roller as the feed amount. The second metal wire sensor detects the rotational speed of the second driven roller as the feed amount.

7. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first driven roller and the second driven roller are guide rollers used to guide the metal wire.

8. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first metal wire sensor and the second metal wire sensor each include a rotary encoder.

9. The status monitoring system for wire saws according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first metal wire sensor and the second metal wire sensor each include a detection device capable of detecting the migration speed of the metal wire.

10. A wire saw, characterized in that, The system includes the status monitoring system for the wire saw as described in claim 1.

11. A method for monitoring the status of a wire saw, wherein, The wire saw includes: a first processing roller and a second processing roller; a metal wire mounted on the first processing roller and the second processing roller; and a moving part that moves to press a workpiece onto the metal wire between the first processing roller and the second processing roller while the metal wire is moving. The method for monitoring the state of the wire saw is characterized by including: The amount of metal wire fed into the first processing roller is detected using a first metal wire sensor. The amount of metal wire fed from the second processing roller is detected using a second metal wire sensor. The state of the metal wire is inferred based on the difference between the input amount detected by the first metal wire sensor and the output amount detected by the second metal wire sensor; and Output the inference results.

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