WOODWORKING MACHINE AND PROCESS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a woodworking machine, in particular a panel saw or an edge banding machine, with a processing tool which serves to process a workpiece fed to the woodworking machine.

[0002] Woodworking machines of the type known as panel saws are established technology. Panel saws are used to cut workpieces, especially sheet materials, profiles, and the like, to precise dimensions using a circular saw blade. Edge banding machines are typically designed to glue edge material, such as solid wood, veneer edges, or PVC edges, to sheet materials.

[0003] Modern woodworking machines have a variety of adjustment mechanisms that allow users to manually adjust operating parameters. However, during a sawing or edgebanding operation, it is usually not possible for the user to

[0004] Changing the settings of the woodworking machine is often necessary because it is frequently required to hold and / or guide the workpiece with both hands. Therefore, changes to the settings of the woodworking machine should always be made before or after the actual sawing or edgebanding process.

[0005] Although woodworking machines known from the state of the art have proven their worth for many years, there is still room for improvement in terms of ease of use and overall operating options.

[0006] German patent DE 10 2017 103 866 A1 discloses a method for operating a workpiece machining system and the workpiece machining system itself. The document generally proposes the use of speech recognition. However, this is not configured to make specific adjustments to the workpiece machining system during operation.

[0007] DE 201 08 813 U1 concerns a sawn material handling device in which handling robots can be controlled by a speech recognition system. However, this speech recognition system is not designed to make specific adjustments to the workpiece processing system during operation.

[0008] DE 10 2012 206 712 A1 describes a woodworking machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0009] Against this background, the invention was based on the objective of further developing a woodworking machine of the type described above in such a way as to eliminate the disadvantages found in the prior art as far as possible. In particular, a woodworking machine was to be provided that offers improved ease of use and adjustment options for the user even when both hands are occupied with processing the workpiece.

[0010] According to the invention, the problem is solved in a woodworking machine of the type mentioned above by a voice control device which is designed to receive a tool signal indicating the movement of a machining tool or the standstill of the machining tool, and to receive a voice command and compare it with a predetermined first list of voice commands when the tool signal indicates a standstill of the machining tool, and to compare it with a predetermined second list of voice commands when the tool signal indicates a movement of the machining tool, and to execute the voice command when a match has been found between the received voice command and the predetermined voice command of the first or second list.

[0011] This enables safe operation on potentially hazardous machining equipment by differentiating between voice command settings when the tool is stationary and when it is running. This prevents the user from triggering a voice command during an ongoing machining operation that could lead to a hazard, as this voice command may only be executed when the machining tool is stationary. The second list typically contains fewer voice commands than the first, and in special cases, the second list may be completely empty, thus disabling the execution of voice commands during ongoing machining.

[0012] Advantageous further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0013] The invention is further developed in that the woodworking machine is designed as a panel saw, which includes a workpiece table with a horizontal workpiece support surface and a saw slot, as well as a saw unit with a circular saw blade that is arranged to protrude from the saw slot, and a workpiece stop movably arranged above the workpiece support surface for lateral guidance of the workpiece.

[0014] According to the invention, it is now proposed for the first time in a sliding table saw, contrary to existing advantages, to provide a voice control device as described above.

[0015] The invention is further developed by the fact that the voice control device includes an output means configured to issue instructions to the user. In other words, the voice control device thus enables not only the reception of voice commands and their corresponding processing, but also the output of instructions to the user. This allows for interactive voice control and provides support to the user through the output of instructions.

[0016] Preferably, the voice control device has a data interface which is configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device, in particular with an external

[0017] Audio devices can communicate mono- and / or bidirectionally. In this way, for example, existing personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of communication headsets can be used by the user to communicate, preferably wirelessly, with the voice control device via the data center. When using such wireless solutions, the user can move freely around the woodworking machine and will not be bothered by any cable connection. Furthermore, existing communication headsets can also be used to communicate with the woodworking machine.

[0018] The invention is further developed by configuring the data center to communicate using at least one of the following data transmission standards: Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT). The described data transmission standards have proven particularly effective for secure data transmission, especially of audio data, bidirectionally to and from the voice control device.

[0019] The voice control device can be further enhanced by including a filter to suppress background noise and / or by developing a learning capability to focus on the voice commands of a single user, for example, by recognizing a voice tone, pitch, rhythm, or timbre, or a combination of these parameters. To this end, the voice control device can, in particular, perform speech type analysis using artificial intelligence, thereby differentiating the voice commands of the single user from other received signals. This can improve operational safety and prevent the erroneous execution of voice commands, which might be triggered, for example, by shouts from other people in a workshop.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, the voice control device is configured to recognize at least one of the following voice commands from a user and to generate control signals for controlling the woodworking machine from the voice commands: initial input and / or modification of setting parameters of axes of the woodworking machine, in particular dimension values ​​of the axes, actuation of a clamping tool of the woodworking machine, in particular an electric clamping tool, actuation of a compressed air supply device, actuation of a suction device, exposing a workpiece, in particular by extending a parallel fence against which the workpiece rests.

[0021] The aforementioned voice commands for controlling the relevant properties have proven particularly suitable for use with a voice control device. These voice commands typically do not concern highly safety-relevant parameters, such as saw blade operation, saw blade speeds, and the like, but they significantly relieve the user of otherwise manual adjustment tasks.

[0022] The invention is further developed in that the woodworking machine has a graphical user interface and the voice control device is configured to recognize the following voice commands from a user and to control the user interface based on these voice commands as follows: selection of and / or navigation within menus displayed by means of the user interface, voice control of a user support system, in particular a cutting optimization support system. In other words, in conjunction with a graphical user interface, the voice control device can be used to control the user interface, for example in the form of menu navigation or by voice control of a support system, which, for example, serves cutting optimization.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, the voice control device is configured to automatically adjust at least one stop and / or one processing parameter of the woodworking machine after the user voices the material to be processed. Thus, it is no longer necessary for the user to remember a specific numerical value and manually set it on the woodworking machine; rather, simply stating the material to be processed is sufficient to adjust processing parameters of the woodworking machine, such as a cutting speed (in the case of a circular saw, for example, a saw blade speed), or, by voicespoofing a workpiece description or processing step, to adjust the stops of the woodworking machine to the desired value based on stored values. This reduces the user's mental workload and the risk of incorrect settings.

[0024] In addition to the option of setting machining parameters or stop positions before machining the workpiece, it is also advantageous to be able to make certain adjustments via voice control during machining. For example, it is often desirable to change a machining parameter or a stop position shortly before the end of a machining operation to achieve a good machining result or to reduce the risk of injury to the operator. For instance, the cutting speed or the feed rate can be increased or decreased by voice command shortly before the end of the machining operation. Furthermore, a stop, such as the parallel fence of a circular saw, can be disengaged by voice command shortly before the end to prevent the risk of injury from a kickback effect on the workpiece clamped between the tool and the fence.

[0025] The invention is further developed by configuring the voice control device to issue action recommendations to the user. Such action recommendations support the user in processing the desired workpieces and reduce the training effort for new operators. According to a preferred embodiment, the action recommendations include at least one of the following: action recommendations concerning the workpiece to be processed, action recommendations concerning the operation of the woodworking machine, training information, in particular concerning measures to increase occupational safety and / or the position of the workpiece. In other words, the output of action recommendations makes it possible even for less trained users to process workpieces with high efficiency using the woodworking machine in a short time and without extensive training.

[0026] Preferably, the voice control system is configured to issue action recommendations depending on one or more user states, where the user states correlate in particular with the user's level of training. In other words, the voice control system is thus able to react selectively to different user training levels. For example, if a user state of an experienced skilled worker is selected, action recommendations are preferably only issued when, for instance, a rarely used or complex workpiece is to be processed. If, for example, a user state of an inexperienced user is selected, the number of action recommendations is preferably significantly increased, and an action recommendation is also issued for routine tasks, which would, however, be disruptive for the experienced user.In this respect, the selection of user states allows for the number of action recommendations to be adjusted as needed, depending on the user's level of training.

[0027] The invention is further developed by the fact that the woodworking machine is configured to detect a fault condition, and the voice control device is configured to issue instructions to the user and / or process the user's voice commands depending on the fault condition. Fault conditions of the machine can thus be transmitted to the user via an acoustic output. This allows the user to be informed of potential fault conditions even if, for example, their gaze is not currently directed at the graphical user interface. Furthermore, the voice control device can be used to request information from the user or to provide the user with information on how to deal with the fault condition.

[0028] The invention is further developed by including in the instructions the verification of setting parameters, in particular a multi-step verification of setting parameters in the manner of a fault tree. In other words, the voice control device is configured to guide the user through a fault-solving logic in a voice-based manner and in the manner of a fault tree. This often allows errors to be resolved more quickly because consulting a manual or similar document may be unnecessary.

[0029] According to a preferred further development, the voice control system is configured to establish contact with a service technician. This allows, for example, direct contact with a service technician in cases where the fault cannot be detected or rectified, without the need to identify a service telephone number and contact the technician via a mobile device or similar means. In particular, the woodworking machine is also configured to provide the technician with operating parameters of the woodworking machine.

[0030] The invention is further developed in that the woodworking machine is designed as an edgebanding machine, and the voice control device is configured to recognize at least one of the following voice commands from a user and to generate control signals for controlling the edgebanding machine from the voice commands: selection of an operating mode of the edgebanding machine, in particular glue pot and / or Airtronic operation, wherein the Airtronic operation in particular includes a temperature selection, setting of a joint milling thickness, setting of an edge thickness, setting of a workpiece height, individual switching on and / or off of individual milling cutters of the edgebanding machine, setting of a milling thickness of the edgebanding machine.

[0031] The above configuration of the voice control system takes advantage of the understanding that the aforementioned voice commands are particularly helpful in improving the user-friendliness of an edgebanding machine when they can be transmitted to the machine in the form of voice commands. This relieves the user compared to manual input and increases overall processing efficiency.

[0032] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the attached claims and the following description, in which exemplary embodiments are explained in detail with reference to schematic drawings.

[0033] Specifically, we show: Fig. 1 An exemplary embodiment of a woodworking machine designed as a panel saw with a voice control device in a perspective view; Fig. 2an embodiment of a graphical user interface of a woodworking machine according to the invention; Fig. 3 an exemplary embodiment of a recommended course of action for a woodworking machine according to the invention in a schematic representation; and Fig. 4 An embodiment of a woodworking machine according to the invention, which is designed as an edge banding machine, is shown in a schematic representation. Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a woodworking machine 2, configured as a panel saw 4. The panel saw 4 has a machining tool 8. The machining tool 8 is configured to machine a workpiece 10 fed to the panel saw 4. The panel saw 4 also has a voice control device 12. The voice control device 12 is configured to process voice commands 14 from a user of the panel saw 4 and to generate control signals 16 from the voice commands 14 for controlling the panel saw 4. The panel saw 4 is also configured to be controlled based on the control signals 16.

[0034] The panel saw 4 has a workpiece table 58. The workpiece table 58 has a horizontal support surface 60 and a saw slot 62. The panel saw 4 also has a saw unit with a circular saw blade 64, which is arranged to protrude from the saw slot 62. A workpiece stop 44 is movably arranged above the workpiece support surface 60. The workpiece stop 44 serves to guide the workpiece 10 laterally.

[0035] The voice control unit 12 has an output device 18, which is configured to issue instructions 20 to the user. The voice control unit 12 also has a data interface 22, which is configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device 24, in particular with an external audio device 24, in a monodirectional and / or bidirectional manner. The data interface 22 is configured to communicate using at least one of the following data transmission standards: Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT).

[0036] The voice control device 12 is further configured to recognize at least one of the following voice commands 14 from a user and to generate control signals 16 for controlling the sliding table saw 4 from the voice commands 14: initial entry and / or change of setting parameters 26 of axes 28 of the sliding table saw 4, in particular of dimension values ​​of the axes 28, actuation of a clamping tool 30 of the sliding table saw 4, in particular of an electric clamping tool 30, actuation of a compressed air supply device 32, actuation of a dust extraction device 34, and / or exposure of the workpiece 10.

[0037] The sliding table saw 4 also features a graphical user interface 38. The voice control 12 is configured to recognize voice commands 14 from a user and, based on these voice commands 14, to operate the user interface 38 as described in Fig. 2 shown how to control it.

[0038] The voice control device 12 is configured to automatically adjust at least one stop 44 of the sliding table saw 4 after voice input specifying the material to be processed. The woodworking machine 2, in particular the sliding table saw 4, is configured to detect a fault condition 56. Depending on the fault condition 56, the voice control device 12 is configured to issue instructions 20 to the user and / or process voice commands 14 from the user.

[0039] Instructions 20 include the verification of setting parameters 26, in particular a multi-step verification of setting parameters in the manner of a fault tree. The voice control device 12 is also configured to establish contact with a service technician.

[0040] Fig. 2Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the user interface 38. The user interface 38 has an operating menu 40 and a user support system 42 in the form of a cutting optimization support system 42. The voice control device 12 is configured to recognize voice commands 14 from a user aimed at selecting operating menus 40 and / or navigating within the operating menus 40 and / or performing voice control of the user support system 42.

[0041] Fig. 3This concerns a schematic representation of action recommendations 46. The action recommendations 46 include action recommendations 48 concerning the workpiece 10 to be processed, action recommendations 50 concerning the operation of the woodworking machine 2, and / or training information 52, in particular concerning measures to increase occupational safety and / or the position of a workpiece 10. The voice control device 12 is configured to output action recommendations 46 depending on one or more user states 54, whereby the user states 54 correlate in particular with a user's level of training.

[0042] Fig. 4Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a woodworking machine 102, configured as an edgebanding machine 104. The edgebanding machine 104 has a processing tool 108 and a voice control device 112. The voice control device 112 is configured to recognize at least one of the following voice commands 114 from a user and to generate control signals 116 for controlling the edgebanding machine 104 from the voice commands 114: selection of an operating mode 162 of the edgebanding machine 104, in particular glue pot operation and / or Airtronic operation, wherein Airtronic operation includes in particular a temperature selection; setting a jointing thickness 164; setting an edge thickness 166; setting a workpiece height 168; individual switching on and / or off of individual milling cutters 170 of the edgebanding machine 104; setting a milling thickness 172 of the edgebanding machine 104. Reference symbol list

[0043] 2 Woodworking machine 4 Panel saw 8 Machining tool 10 Workpiece 12 Voice control device 14 Voice command 16 Control signal 18 Output device 20 Instructions to the user 22 Data interface 24 External device (audio device) 26 Setting parameters 28 Axis 30 Clamping tool 32 Compressed air supply device 34 Extraction device 36 Parallel fence 38 Graphical user interface 40 Operating menu 42 Cutting optimization support system 44 Workpiece stop 46 Action recommendation 48 Action recommendation regarding the workpiece to be machined50 Recommendations for operating the woodworking machine 52 Training information 54 User states 56 Error state 58 Workpiece table 60 Workpiece support surface 62 Saw slot 64 Circular saw blade 66 Workpiece stop surface 102 Woodworking machine 104 Edge banding machine 108 Machining tool 112 Voice control device 114 Voice commands 116 Control signals 162 Operating mode of the edge banding machine 164 Jointing thickness 166 Edge thickness 168 Workpiece height 170 Milling cutter 172 Milling thickness

Claims

1. Woodworking machine (2, 102), in particular a sliding table saw (4) or edge banding machine (104), with a tool (8, 108) which serves to tool a workpiece (10) fed to the woodworking machine (2, 102), and a voice control device (12, 112) which is designed to process voice commands (14, 114) from a user of the woodworking machine (2, 102) and to generate control signals (16, 116) for controlling the woodworking machine (2, 102)from the voice commands (14, 114), wherein the woodworking machine (2, 102) is designed to be controlled on the basis of the control signals (16, 116), characterized in that the voice control device is designed to receive a tool signal which signals the movement of a tool or the standstill of the tool, and to receive a voice command and compare it with a predetermined first list of voice commands if the tool signal signals a standstill of the machining tool, and to compare it with a predetermined second list of voice commands if the tool signal signals a movement of the machining tool, and to execute the voice command if a match between the received voice command and the predetermined voice command of the first or second list has been detected.

2. Woodworking machine (2) according to claim 1, wherein the woodworking machine (2) is designed as a sliding table saw (4), which comprises: - a workpiece table (58) with a horizontal workpiece support surface (60) and a saw slot (62), - a saw unit with a circular saw blade (64) that is arranged so that it can protrude from the saw slot (62), - a workpiece stop (44) arranged movably above the workpiece support surface (60) for lateral guidance of the workpiece (10).

3. Woodworking machine (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the voice control device (12) has an output means (18) which is designed to output instructions (20) to the user.

4. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device (12, 112) has a data interface (22) which is designed to communicate wirelessly with an external device (24), in particular with an external audio device (24), mono- and / or bidirectionally, in particular wherein the data interface (22) is adapted to communicate using at least one of the following data transmission standards: - Bluetooth, - wireless local area network (WLAN), - Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT).

5. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device (12, 112) is designed to recognize at least one of the following voice commands (14) from a user and to generate control signals (16) for controlling the woodworking machine (2) from the voice commands (14): - Initial input and / or modification of setting parameters (26) of axes (28) of the woodworking machine (2), in particular of dimensional values of the axes (28), - Actuation of a clamping tool (30) of the woodworking machine (2), in particular an electric clamping tool (30), - Actuation of a compressed air supply means (32), - Actuation of an extraction device (34), - Releasing of a workpiece (10), in particular by disengaging a rip fence against which the workpiece rests (36),6. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the woodworking machine (2) has a graphical user interface (38) and wherein the voice control device (12) is designed to recognize the following voice commands (14) from a user and to control the user interface (38) on the basis of the voice commands (14) as follows: - Selection of and / or navigation within operating menus (40) displayed by means of the user interface (38), - Voice control of a user support system (42), in particular a cutting optimization support system (42).

7. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device is designed to automatically set at least one stop and / or one machining parameter of the woodworking machine after voice input of an identifier for a material to be machined or a workpiece to be machined.

8. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device (12) is designed to issue recommendations for action (46) to the user, in particular wherein the recommendations for action (46) comprise at least one of the following: - Recommendations for action (48) concerning the workpiece (10) to be machined, - Recommendations for action (50) concerning the operation of the woodworking machine (2), - Instruction information (52), in particular concerning measures to increase work safety and / or the position of the workpiece (10).

9. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device (12) is designed to output recommendations for action (46) depending on one or more user states (54), wherein the user states (54) correlate in particular with a level of training of the users, and / or wherein the woodworking machine (2) is designed to detect an error state (56) and wherein the voice control device (12) is designed to issue instructions (20) to the user and / or process voice commands (14) from the user depending on the error state (56) and / or to process voice commands (14) from the user, in particular wherein the instructions (20) comprise checking setting parameters (26), in particular a multi-step check of setting parameters (26) in the manner of a fault tree.

10. Woodworking machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device (12) is designed to establish contact with a service technician.

11. Woodworking machine (102) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the woodworking machine (102) is designed as an edge banding machine (104), and the voice control device (112) is designed to recognize at least one of the following voice commands (114) from a user and to generate control signals (116) for controlling the edge banding machine (104) from the voice commands (114): - Selection of an operating mode (162) of the edge banding machine (104), in particular glue pot and / or Airtronic operation, wherein the Airtronic operation in particular comprises a temperature selection, - Setting of a joint milling thickness (164), - setting an edge thickness (166), - setting a workpiece height (168), - individually switching individual milling cutters (170) of the edge banding machine (104) on and / or off, - setting a milling depth (172) of the edge banding machine (104).

12. Woodworking machine (102) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device comprises a filter for filtering out background noise and / or has a learning ability to focus on voice commands from an individual user, for example by recognizing a voice pitch, voice tone, voice rhythm, or voice color, or a combination of these parameters,13. Woodworking machine (102) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the voice control device is designed to make certain settings during processing.

14. Woodworking method, wherein a woodworking machine (102) according to one of the preceding claims is used wherein a supplied workpiece (10) is machined by a tool (8, 108) of the woodworking machine (2, 102), characterized by at least one voice control step (12, 112) in which a voice command (14, 114) from a user of the woodworking machine (2, 102) is received and processed and a control signal (16, 116) for controlling the woodworking machine (2, 102) is generated from the voice commands (14, 114), and wherein the woodworking machine (2, 102) is controlled on the basis of the control signal (16, 116).

15. Use of a voice control system for controlling a woodworking machine, in particular for setting a machining parameter or a position of a workpiece stop, on a woodworking machine according to any one of claims 1-13.