PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a processing device, which is particularly designed for processing workpieces made of wood or wood-based materials. State of the art

[0002] In the woodworking industry, processing machines are known that move and machine plate-shaped workpieces in a through-direction. It is known to determine the width of the workpieces at specific points to verify whether a defined material removal has occurred during machining of a narrow surface. EP3546163A discloses the preamble of the first claim. Description of the invention

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of providing a machining device and a method with which a high machining quality can be ensured.

[0004] Claim 1 provides such a processing device.

[0005] Further preferred embodiments are described below or listed in the dependent claims.

[0006] The machining device is set up for machining a plate-shaped workpiece and comprises: a first sensor device for detecting a first side of the workpiece, a second sensor device for detecting a second side of the workpiece and a motion device for bringing about a relative movement between the workpiece and the first and second sensor devices such that the first side of the workpiece can be detected by means of the first sensor device and the second side of the workpiece can be detected by means of the second sensor device.Furthermore, the machining device comprises a control unit which is connected to the first and second sensor devices and is configured to determine the path of the first and second sides of the workpiece along its length based on the detection results of the first and second sensor devices, and further comprises one or more machining devices for machining the first and / or second side of the workpiece, wherein the first and second sensor devices are arranged downstream of the at least one machining device.

[0007] The machining device according to the invention has, among other advantages, the ability to support the user, particularly during the initial setup phase, thus ensuring high machining quality. Measurement protocols can also be generated and documented. Furthermore, data on the actual production quality can be determined. It is also possible to monitor the quality over the machine's lifetime based on the recorded data. This allows, for example, the determination of when the quality of individual wear components of the machining device deteriorates and when, for instance, a specific component, such as a conveyor chain, needs to be replaced.

[0008] The user of the machining device can perform automated quality control of the workpieces as well as the machining device itself.

[0009] Furthermore, the quality of the machine's basic settings can be improved, and this high-quality result is achieved in a significantly shorter time. It is also possible to document these settings and compare them with a later machine state, for example, after production has started.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the first sensor device and / or the second sensor device comprises a tactile sensor element. Accordingly, the workpiece is scanned by contact. Such a design is less susceptible to interference, such as localized machining residues or pores in the workpiece surface being scanned.

[0011] According to another embodiment, the motion device is a transport device for moving the workpiece. Relatively high production volumes can be manufactured with a so-called continuous flow machine. In this context, it is further preferred that the transport device be a conveyor chain.

[0012] The control unit of the machining device can be configured to perform a comparison of the detection results in order to determine the straightness of the first and second sides, an angle of the first and second sides of the workpiece relative to the direction of the relative movement or relative to the other side of the workpiece.

[0013] The second sensor device can be moved in the direction of the relative movement during a detection process in order to adapt to a changing workpiece width.

[0014] It is preferred that the second sensor device is movable by adjusting the machining device to accommodate a workpiece width. Thus, according to this embodiment, the second sensor device is mounted on a movable machine part. This machine part can be moved to adjust to a specific workpiece width. The position of the second sensor device is changed, in particular, in conjunction with a change in the position of an alignment device on which the workpiece is aligned.

[0015] It is preferred that the processing device further comprises a first detection device which is arranged prior to the first sensor device and a second detection device which is arranged subordinate to the second sensor device.

[0016] In this context, "primary" means that the workpiece is detected by the first detection device before the first sensor device in the process sequence. If the motion device is designed as a transport device for moving the workpiece, the first detection device is arranged before the first sensor device in the direction of travel. "Subordinate" accordingly means that the workpiece is detected by the second detection device after the second sensor device in the process sequence.

[0017] The second detection device is configured to detect a transport system comprising two conveyor chains for moving the workpiece at the outlet of the machining device and to record interruption signals from the transport system. Furthermore, the control device is configured to compensate for the resulting average difference between interruption signals by adjusting at least one of the conveyor chains and to detect the transport system comprising the two conveyor chains with the first detection device at the inlet of the machining device and to correct any potential deviation.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the transport device can be mounted on the left and right sides of a double-sided machine.

[0019] It is preferred that the machining device has a first alignment device for aligning the workpiece on the first side. According to a further embodiment, the machining device has a second alignment device for aligning the workpiece on the second side.

[0020] Furthermore, a method for operating a machining device is provided according to the invention. Features of the device described above can be used within the framework of this method, and vice versa. Regarding the advantages of the method, reference is made to the above explanations and the following description.

[0021] The method comprises the following steps: inducing a relative movement between the workpiece and a first and second sensor device such that the first side of the workpiece is detected by means of the first sensor device and the second side of the workpiece is detected by means of the second sensor device, wherein, based on the detection result of the first and second sensor devices, a contour of the first and second side of the workpiece is determined along the length of the workpiece, wherein the machining device includes one or more machining devices for machining the first and / or second side of the workpiece, wherein the first and second sensor devices are arranged downstream of the at least one machining device.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the method comprises the following step: comparing the measurement results to determine the straightness of the first and second sides, the angle of the first and second sides of the workpiece relative to the direction of the relative movement, or relative to the opposite side of the workpiece. Thus, for example, the straightness of a machined side and the parallelism of the two opposite sides can be detected and assessed.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, which is carried out in combination with the method described above, a method for operating a machining device is provided, comprising the following steps: detecting a transport device comprising two conveyor chains for moving the workpiece with a second detection device at the outlet of the machining device and recording interruption signals from the transport device; compensating for the resulting mean difference between the interruption signals by adjusting at least one of the conveyor chains; detecting the transport device comprising two conveyor chains with the first detection device at the inlet of the machining device and correcting the deviations. Within the scope of the method, a machining device according to any of the aspects described above can be used.If the method is combined with the method described above, it is preferred that the method mentioned here be carried out first, in particular to adjust the machining device.

[0024] In this context, it is possible to record the chain lengths and to equalize the chain lengths by tensioning a transport chain / conveyor chain.

[0025] When the first detection device captures the transport system comprising two conveyor chains, either one or both conveyor chains can be captured. If compensating for the resulting average difference has not yet eliminated all errors, then compensating for individual cams could further improve the result.

[0026] The interruption signals can arise in particular from the position of cams of the transport device, which is especially designed as a conveyor chain. These cams protrude from the conveyor chain. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show: Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of a modification of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of a second embodiment. Description of embodiments

[0028] Identical reference symbols listed in different figures name identical, corresponding, or functionally similar elements.

[0029] According to a first embodiment, a processing device 1 is provided for processing a plate-shaped workpiece made of wood or wood-based materials. Such a workpiece can be, for example, a furniture component, a floor or ceiling panel, a kitchen worktop, or the like.

[0030] The processing device 1 comprises a first sensor device 20, which is configured to detect a first side (narrow surface) of a workpiece W. The first sensor device 20 comprises a roller that rolls along the first side of the workpiece and thus performs detection along the length of the workpiece W.

[0031] Opposite the first sensor device 20, a second sensor device 30 is provided, which is configured to detect a second side of the workpiece W. For this purpose, the second sensor device 30 also includes a roller that comes into contact with the second side of the workpiece W and rolls along the second side of the workpiece.

[0032] In order to provide a relative movement between the workpiece and the first / second sensor device 20, 30, the machining device 1 includes a transport device (in particular a conveyor chain / transport chain) with which the plate-shaped workpiece W can be picked up and moved in a through-direction.

[0033] Furthermore, the processing device 1 comprises a control unit 50, which is connected to the first sensor unit 20 and the second sensor unit 30. The control unit 50 includes a program with which the acquisition results of the first control unit 20 and the second control unit 30 can be processed.

[0034] In particular, the acquisition results are processed in such a way that a profile of the first and second sides of the workpiece can be created. Along the length of the workpiece, the orientation of the first / second side W relative to the direction of travel D is determined.

[0035] In this way, it is possible to determine any deviation in the angle of one side of the workpiece W. The measurement signals from the first and second sensor units can also be used to determine the actual width of the workpiece along its path. Comparing both measurement signals in the direction of travel yields the parallelism of the workpiece. Furthermore, the difference between each of the two measurement signals in the direction of travel D can be used to calculate the angular error of the first and second sides of the measured workpiece, assuming that the workpiece W is positioned at a right angle to the feed direction on the chain at the angle measurement point and that the straightness of the format cut is guaranteed.

[0036] The machining device 1 comprises a first machining tool 15a and a second machining tool 15b, which are arranged such that a second side of the workpiece W can be machined by machining with the machining tools 15a, 15b. In particular, the machining tools 15a, 15b are milling cutters.

[0037] Furthermore, the machining device includes an alignment device 11, which is arranged such that the workpiece W comes into contact with the alignment device 11 on its first side and can be aligned accordingly on the first side before machining by the machining tools 15a, 15b.

[0038] The second sensor unit 30 of the machining device 1 is movable along a guide 31 perpendicular to the direction of travel D, so that the second sensor unit 30 can be adapted to workpieces of different widths and positioned accordingly. The positioning of the second sensor unit 30 can be carried out during a pass of the workpiece W through the machining device 1.

[0039] During operation of the machining device 1, the workpiece W is moved in the through-direction D by the transport device 10 and is first aligned at the alignment device 11. Subsequently, the workpiece W enters the area of ​​the machining devices 15a, 15b and is machined on the second side.

[0040] After machining, the workpiece continues to move in the direction of travel D and comes into contact with the first sensor device 20. The second sensor device 30 is then moved along the guide 31, allowing the second side of the workpiece W to be scanned. During movement of the workpiece W in the direction of travel D, the first side is scanned by the first sensor device 20 and the second side by the second sensor device 30, and the measured values ​​are transmitted to the control unit 50. This allows for the determination of any deviation of the angle of the first and second sides of the workpiece W from a direction parallel to the direction of travel D. The measurement signals from the first and second sensor devices 20 and 30 can also be used to determine the parallelism and the actual width of the workpiece W along its path.

[0041] Fig. 2Figure 1 shows a modification of a machining device 1' for machining plate-shaped workpieces. The components of the machining device 1' that are similar to or correspond to those of the machining device 1 according to the first embodiment are provided with similar reference numerals. In addition to the following explanations, reference is also made to the descriptions of the first embodiment.

[0042] In particular, the processing device 1' comprises a transport device 10', which in this case is designed as two conveyor chains arranged parallel to each other. Furthermore, a first alignment device 11a' and a second alignment device 11b' are provided in the infeed area of ​​the processing device 1' in order to align the workpiece W' section by section on both sides as it enters the processing device 1'.

[0043] Similar to the machining device 1 of the first embodiment, the machining device 1' also comprises a first machining device 15a' and a second machining device 15b', which are arranged one after the other in the through-direction D. Furthermore, a first sensor device 20' and a second sensor device 30' are provided, wherein the sensor devices are connected to a control device 50'.

[0044] The first sensor device 20' is essentially identical to the sensor device 20 of the first embodiment. The second sensor device 30' is similar to the first sensor device 20'.

[0045] The control unit 50' includes a program with which the acquisition results of the first control unit 20' and the second control unit 30' can be processed. The processing of the acquisition results of the first control unit 20' and the second control unit 30' is similar to that of the first embodiment, so reference is made to the explanations above.

[0046] Fig. 3 Figure 1 shows a second embodiment of a machining device 1”. Components that are designed similarly to the first and / or second embodiment are provided with similar reference numerals.

[0047] The processing device 1" comprises a transport device 10", which is similar to the modification of the first embodiment ( Fig. 2) is formed by two conveyor chains arranged parallel to each other. In the infeed area of ​​the machine there is a first alignment device 11a" and a second alignment device 11b", Thus, a workpiece W", moving in the through-direction D, can be aligned section by section on both sides.

[0048] The machining device 1" is designed as a double-sided machining device and therefore comprises a first machining unit 15a" and a second machining unit 15b", which are configured to machine a second side of a workpiece W". On an opposite side, a third machining unit 15c" and a fourth machining unit 15d" are provided, which are configured to machine a first side of the workpiece W".

[0049] Similar to the first and second embodiments, a first sensor device 20" is also provided, which is configured to detect a first side of the workpiece W" and a second side of the workpiece W". The sensor devices 20" and 30" are connected to a control device 50".

[0050] Furthermore, the processing device 1" has a first detection device 40" which, viewed in the direction of travel D, is arranged with priority over the first sensor device 20". In the area of ​​the outlet of the processing device 1" a second detection device 45" is provided, which is arranged with priority over the second sensor device 30". The detection devices 40" and 45" are designed as laser light barriers and are connected to the control unit 50". The respective light barrier of the detection devices 40" and 45" is set perpendicular to the direction of travel D, and the movable side, equipped with a reflector, is movable. The laser spot can be adjusted so that it points towards the center of the reflector.

[0051] The 40" and 45" detection devices can be used for the additional functionality of the machining device 1" described below: First, the second detection device 45" is evaluated at the outlet of the machining device 1". For this purpose, all cams of the transport device (conveyor chain) 10" are first activated on the first side of the machine and then on the second side, and the chains are traversed at a slow speed for one complete chain revolution. The interruption signals of the second detection device 45" are recorded for each cam, left and right, along with the respective chain position.

[0052] Based on the recorded cams, it has been determined that the conveyor chains do not run in the same direction. Therefore, an individual adjustment can be made to a cam screw on each chain. Subsequently, another measurement run is performed, and the interruption signals are recorded during this process.

[0053] The data are then compared, and the average difference from left to right is evaluated. The individual difference data is also visualized to rule out the possibility that a cam pair (for example, cam 3 left / right) is misaligned and thus distorting the measurement result. The resulting average difference must then be compensated for, either manually or, in the case of an electronic shaft, automatically by rotating / recalibrating the reference positions of the individual servo axes of the electronic shaft.

[0054] In this context, recording the measurement data in a single measurement run can calculate all three compensation values ​​and derive the recommended actions. Therefore, the described sequence can be deviated from.

[0055] The first 40" measuring device at the inlet is then evaluated via a further measurement run, and any deviations are corrected. This can be done either manually or automatically via the chain tension or the front shaft (in the case of the electric shaft, this can also be automated at the inlet).

[0056] A further test run is then performed using both light barriers, and the values ​​are recorded and visualized. The adjustment is complete when the deviations between the front and rear measurements fall below a defined limit. Any remaining differences between the individual cam pairs, which are constant, must be mechanically compensated for individually for each cam, as the basic chain setting is adjusted accordingly.

[0057] The component quality can also be compared to the machine / chain quality using the additional sensors (first sensor unit 20" and second sensor unit 30"). For information on the functionality of the first sensor unit 20" and the second sensor unit 30", please refer to the explanations of the first embodiment and the aforementioned modification.

[0058] It is evident to a person skilled in the art that individual features described in different embodiments can also be implemented in a single embodiment, provided they are not structurally incompatible. Likewise, various features described within a single embodiment can also be provided individually or in any suitable subcombination in several embodiments.

Claims

1. Machining device (1-1") for machining a planar workpiece (W-W"), comprising: a first sensor means (20-20") for detecting a first side of the workpiece (W-W"), a second sensor means (30-30") for detecting a second side of the workpiece (W-W"), a movement means (10-10") for bringing about a relative movement between the workpiece (W-W") and the first and second sensor means (20-20", 30-30'') in such a way that the first side of the workpiece can be detected by the first sensor means (20-20") and the second side of the workpiece can be detected by the second sensor means (30-30‴), and a control means (50-50") which is connected to the first and second sensor means (20-20'', 30-30'') and is configured to determine a course of the first and second side of the workpiece (W-W") along the length of the workpiece based on the detection result of the first and second sensor means (20-20", 30-30"), further comprising one or more machining means (15a-15a"; 15b-15b"; 15c", 15d") for machining the first and / or second side of the workpiece (W-W"), characterised in that the first and second sensor means (20-20"; 30-30") are arranged subordinately to the at least one machining means (15a-15a"; 15b-15b''; 15c", 15d").

2. Machining device (1-1") according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor means (20-20'') and / or the second sensor means (30-30") comprises or comprise a tactile sensor element.

3. Machining device (1-1") according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the movement means (10-10") is a transport means for moving the workpiece, wherein it is preferred that the transport means is a conveyor chain.

4. Machining device (1-1") according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control means (50-50") is configured to compare the detection results in order to determine the straightness of the first and second side, an angle of the first and second side of the workpiece relative to the direction of the relative movement or relative to the other side of the workpiece.

5. Machining device (1; 1") according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second sensor means (30; 30") can be moved in the direction of the relative movement during a detection process.

6. Machining device (1') according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the sensor means (30') can be moved by adjusting the machining device for a workpiece width setting.

7. Machining device (1") according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a first detection means (40") which is arranged subordinately to the first sensor means (20"), and a second detection means (45") is arranged subordinately to the sensor means (30").

8. Machining device (1-1") according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the machining device (1-1") has a first orientation means (11, 11a'-11a") for orienting the workpiece on the first side, wherein it is further preferred that the machining device (1-1") has a second orientation means (11b', 11b") for orienting the workpiece on the second side.

9. Method for operating a machining device (1-1"), comprising: bringing about a relative movement between the workpiece (W-W") and a first and second sensor means (20-20", 30-30") in such a way that the first side of the workpiece is detected by the first sensor means (20-20") and the second side of the workpiece is detected by the second sensor means (30-30"), wherein a contour of the first and second side of the workpiece (W-W") is determined along the length of the workpiece based on the detection result of the first and second sensor means (20-20", 30-30"), wherein the machining device (1-1'') has one or more machining means (15a-15a''; 15b-15b"; 15c", 15d") for machining the first and / or second side of the workpiece (W-W"), wherein the first and second sensor means (20-20"; 30-30") are arranged subordinately to the at least one machining means (15a-15a"; 15b-15b''; 15c", 15d").

10. Method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: comparing the detection results in order to determine the straightness of the first and second side, an angle of the first and second side of the workpiece relative to the direction of the relative movement or relative to the other side of the workpiece.

11. Method for operating a machining device (1") according to claim 9 or 10, comprising the steps of: detecting a transport means (10") comprising two conveyor chains for moving the workpiece (W'') using a second detection means (45") at the outlet of the machining device (1") and recording interruption signals of the transport means (10"), compensating for the resulting average distance between the interruption signals by adjusting at least one of the conveyor chains, detecting the transport means (10") comprising two conveyor chains using the first detection means (40") at the inlet of the machining device (1") and correcting the deviations.