Machine tool

Abstract

To provide a machine tool capable of measuring a workpiece in the state where the workpiece is held by the machine tool with no chips present in the vicinity of a portion to be measured.SOLUTION: A machine tool 100 can measure a machined workpiece in a state of being held by the machine tool 100, by using a measurement device including a probe so as to move the probe into contact with the workpiece. The machine tool 100 executes a process of cleaning the machined workpiece in a state where the workpiece is held by the machine tool 100; and after the cleaning process, executes a process of capturing, with a camera provided on an automatic working device 20, a portion to be measured of the cleaned workpiece. When determining, on the basis of the captured image, whether or not any chip is present on a movement path along which the probe is to be moved, results in that no chip is present on the movement path of the probe, the machine tool 100 executes measurement of the workpiece by using the probe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine tool that is capable of measuring a workpiece machined by the machine tool while it is held by the machine tool, in other words, within the machine tool. [Background technology]

[0002] A method disclosed in JP 2014-237204 A (Patent Document 1 below) is known as a method for measuring the dimensions of a workpiece machined by a machine tool inside the machine tool. In this method, a workpiece held on a spindle via a chuck in an NC lathe is machined using a tool attached to a turret, and then a touch probe also attached to the turret is brought into contact with a measurement portion of the workpiece, and dimensions such as the outer diameter and inner diameter of a hole of the workpiece are measured from the scale reading when contact by the touch probe is detected.

[0003] However, if chips generated during machining adhere to the measurement portion of the workpiece, it is impossible to measure the accurate dimensions of the measurement portion. Therefore, in the past, before measurement, the measurement portion of the workpiece was cleaned by applying coolant to the measurement portion to wash away the chips, or by blowing compressed air onto the measurement portion to blow the chips away. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-237204 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, depending on the material of the workpiece and the processing conditions, chips that curl in a spiral shape may be generated. For example, when drilling holes, if curled chips are generated, the curled chips may become stuck inside the hole and cannot be discharged to the outside. In most cases, chips that become stuck inside the hole in this way cannot be easily discharged to the outside by processes such as discharging coolant or blowing compressed air.

[0006] If cutting chips remain inside the hole, not only cannot the dimensions of the hole, such as its inner diameter, be measured accurately, but when a touch probe is inserted into the hole, there is a risk that the touch probe will come into contact with the cutting chips and be damaged.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and has an object to provide a machine tool that can measure a workpiece that has been machined by the machine tool and held by the machine tool in a state where cutting chips have been removed from the measurement area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A measurement method for measuring a workpiece machined by a machine tool using a measuring device equipped with a measuring element, by moving the measuring element to contact the workpiece while the machine tool is holding the workpiece, comprising the steps of: an imaging step of imaging a measurement portion of the workpiece with a camera; a determination step of processing the image captured by the camera to determine whether or not chips are present on a moving path along which the measuring element moves, The present invention relates to a measuring method in which, in the determination step, when there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring piece, measurement of the workpiece is performed using the measuring piece.

[0009] According to this measuring method, first, in the imaging step, an image of a measurement portion of a workpiece is captured by a camera. For example, when the measurement portion is the outer periphery of the workpiece, the outer periphery is imaged by the camera, and when the measurement portion is a hole in the workpiece, the hole is imaged by the camera.

[0010] Next, in the judgment step, the image captured by the camera is processed to judge whether or not there are chips on the moving path of the stylus. The image processing is performed, for example, by binarizing the image, and the presence or absence of chips is judged by taking the difference between a previously acquired binarized reference image without chips and the current binarized image.

[0011] Then, in the judgment step, if it is judged that there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring probe, the measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is performed. Note that in the above-mentioned image processing, even if chips are present in the image, if the chips are not on the movement path of the measuring probe, that is, if the measuring probe does not interfere with the chips when it moves, it is judged that there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring probe, and the measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is performed. As a typical example, when a hole portion of a workpiece is the measurement portion, even if the presence of chips is recognized in a portion other than the hole in the image, if there are no chips in the hole, it is judged that there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring probe.

[0012] As described above, according to this measurement method, measurement of the workpiece using the probe is performed only when there are no chips on the movement path of the probe, so that the workpiece, for example its dimensions, can be measured accurately and damage to the touch probe due to the probe coming into contact with chips can be reliably prevented.

[0013] In addition, the present invention further includes a removing step of removing the chips from the movement path when it is determined in the determining step that the chips are present on the movement path, After the removing step, the imaging step and the determining step are carried out again, In the second judgment process, if it is determined that there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring probe, measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is performed, and on the other hand, if it is determined that chips are present on the movement path, measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is discontinued.

[0014] According to this aspect, if it is determined in the determination process that chips are present on the movement path of the measuring probe, a removal process is carried out to remove the chips from the movement path, and after the removal process, the imaging process and determination process are carried out again.If it is determined in the second determination process that there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring probe, measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is performed, whereas if it is determined that chips are present on the movement path, measurement of the workpiece using the measuring probe is discontinued.

[0015] Thus, according to this aspect, when chips are present on the movement path of the measuring probe, a removal process is carried out to remove the chips from the movement path, so that a single judgment process can prevent the workpiece from being classified as a retained item, thereby improving the workpiece yield.

[0016] In addition, in the imaging process, a camera provided on a movable body of the machine tool can be used. In this case, the camera can be moved to an imaging position by the movable body to image the measurement portion of the workpiece.

[0017] Alternatively, in the imaging step, a camera provided on a manipulator that attaches and detaches a workpiece to and from a workpiece holder of a machine tool can be used, and the camera can be moved to an imaging position by the operation of the manipulator to image the measurement portion of the workpiece. In addition, a manipulator capable of autonomous travel can be used as the manipulator.

[0018] The present invention also provides a machine tool for machining a workpiece, the machine tool including a control device, and capable of measuring the workpiece while holding the workpiece by moving a measuring element and bringing it into contact with the machined workpiece under the control of the control device, the machine tool comprising: The control device includes: An instruction (execution instruction) is given to operate a camera provided on the machine tool, to capture an image of the measurement portion of the workpiece after machining by the camera, and to process the obtained image to determine whether or not chips are present on the movement path along which the measuring tool moves (determination process), or an instruction (execution instruction) is given to capture an image of the measurement portion of the workpiece after machining by a camera provided on an external device (imaging process), and to process the obtained image to determine whether or not chips are present on the movement path along which the measuring tool moves (determination process), The present invention relates to a machine tool that measures the workpiece by moving the measuring piece when no chips are present on the moving path of the measuring piece.

[0019] The above-mentioned post-machining work refers to a work that is placed (held) on a machine tool, machined (including subtractive machining and additional machining) by the machine tool, and is not removed from the machine tool after machining, but is still held by the machine tool. The work in this state is then imaged by the camera.

[0020] As described above, the control device can cause an external device to execute an image capture process, and in this case, the control device issues an execution instruction by transmitting an instruction signal such as an image capture start signal to the external device. In this case, the control device can cause the external device or another device to execute the judgment process based on the captured image, and in this case, the control device issues an execution instruction by transmitting an instruction signal such as a processing start signal to the external device or another device. Alternatively, the control device can execute the judgment process itself, and even in this case, the control device issues an execution instruction by transmitting an instruction signal such as a processing start signal to an internal processing unit. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the measurement method of the present invention, measurement of the workpiece using the measuring device is performed only when there are no chips on the movement path of the measuring device, so that the workpiece can be measured accurately and it is possible to reliably prevent the touch probe from being damaged by the measuring device coming into contact with chips. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a production system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a device configuration of a production system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic working device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a measurement process procedure according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a checking operation performed by the automatic working device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a measurement process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a measurement process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a removal process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a measurement process procedure according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a production system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a measurement process procedure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a production system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing a measurement process procedure according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing a measurement process procedure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] (First embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the production system 1 of this example is composed of two machine tools 100 (100A, 100B) as production devices, a material stocker 125 for storing materials before processing, a product stocker 126 for storing products after processing, two automatic operating devices 20 (20A, 20B) that perform operations on each of the machine tools 100, the material stocker 125, and the product stocker 126, and a management device 10 that issues operation instructions to each of the machine tools 100 and the automatic operating devices 20 and manages the operations of each of the machine tools 100 and the automatic operating devices 20. The management device 10, the automatic operating devices 20, and the machine tools 100 are connected to each other via a network 15 by wire or wirelessly as appropriate. Needless to say, the device configuration shown in Fig. 1 is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0025] All known conventional machine tools having a communication function for connecting to the network 15, such as an NC lathe or a machining center, can be applied to the machine tool 100, but in this example, an NC lathe is applied as the machine tool 100 (100A, 100B). As shown in Fig. 2, in this example, two machine tools 100A, 100B are installed side by side with an appropriate distance between them, but it goes without saying that the number and arrangement of the machine tools 100 installed are not limited to this.

[0026] Further, disposed near each machine tool 100 (100A, 100B) are a material stocker 120 (120A, 120B) for storing material, a product stocker 121 (121A, 121B) for storing products, and a reserved product stocker 122 (122A, 122B) for storing reserved products including defective products. The material stocker 125 and the product stocker 126 have a larger storage capacity than the material stocker 120 and the product stocker 121, and are disposed at a position away from the machine tool 100.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic operating device 20 is composed of an automatic guided vehicle 35, a robot 25 mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 35, a control device for controlling the automatic guided vehicle 30 and the robot 25, and the like.

[0028] The automated guided vehicle 35 has the robot 25 mounted on a placement surface 36, which is its upper surface. The automated guided vehicle 35 is also equipped with a sensor (for example, a distance measuring sensor using laser light) capable of recognizing its own position within the factory, and is configured to travel without a track within the factory including the area in which the machine tools 100 and the like are disposed under the control of the control device, and in this example, passes through each of the work positions set for each of the machine tools 100, the material stocker 125, and the product stocker 126. In this example, the control device is provided within the automated guided vehicle 35.

[0029] The robot 25 is a multi-joint robot having three arms, a first arm 26, a second arm 27, and a third arm 28, which are manipulator parts, and the first arm 26, the second arm 27, and the third arm 28 are connected by joints so as to be connected in series, and a hand 29 and a camera 30 are attached to the tip of the third arm 28 as end effectors. The robot 25 moves the hand 29 and the camera 30 in a three-dimensional space under the control of the control device. The structure of the robot 25 is not limited to such a multi-joint type, and any known structure that can be used can be adopted.

[0030] The control device is connected to the automated guided vehicle 35 and robot 25 constituting its own automated working apparatus 20, and is also connected to the management device 10, the control devices of the respective machine tools 100, and the control devices of the other automated working apparatuses 20 via the network 15. The management device 10, the control devices of the machine tools 100, and the control devices of the automated working apparatuses 20 are each composed of a computer including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc.

[0031] The management device 10 has a function of connecting to the control devices of the machine tools 100 and the automatic operating devices 20 via a network 15 and managing their operating states according to a predetermined machining schedule. For example, the management device 10 issues work instructions to instruct each machine tool 100 and each automatic operating device 20 to perform work according to the predetermined machining schedule. Specifically, according to the machining schedule, the management device 10 issues an instruction to a predetermined machine tool 100 to machine a predetermined product, and issues an instruction to a predetermined automatic operating device 20 to perform an attachment / detachment operation to remove the machined product from the corresponding machine tool 100 and attach a new material, thereby managing the machining in each machine tool 100.

[0032] The mounting and detaching work corresponds to the work of taking out a machined product from within the machine tool 100, storing it in product stocker 121 if the product is a non-defective product, or storing it in reserved product stocker 122 if the product is a reserved product, and then taking out the material from material stocker 120 and supplying it to the machine tool 100. When performing this mounting and detaching work, in this example, the automatic operating device 20 moves to the corresponding working position of the machine tool 100 and performs the mounting and detaching work.

[0033] Furthermore, the management device 10 instructs a predetermined automatic operating device 20 to perform a material supplying operation of removing materials accommodated in the material stocker 125 from the material stocker 125 and supplying them to the material stocker 120 of each machine tool 100, and a product retrieving operation of removing products stored in the product stocker 121 of each machine tool 100 and retrieving them to the product stocker 126, in accordance with the machining schedule. In the material supplying operation and product retrieving operation, the automatic operating device 20 moves between the material stocker 120 and product stocker 121 attached to each machine tool 100 and the material stocker 25 and product stocker 126 to perform the operation. The products stored in the reserved product stocker 122 are appropriately retrieved after the operator has confirmed their condition.

[0034] The positioning errors of the automatic operating devices 20 relative to the machine tools 100, material stockers 125 and product stockers 126 are detected, for example, by capturing an image of an identification figure provided on each machine tool with a camera 30 provided on each automatic operating device 20 and analyzing the captured image in each control device. Then, based on the detected positioning errors, the working postures of the robots 25 operating under the control of each control device in the above-mentioned operations, i.e., the attachment / detachment operation, material supply operation and product recovery operation, are corrected.

[0035] In addition, in the machine tool 100 of this example, after the machining of a product (workpiece) is completed, the dimensions of the machined product (workpiece) are measured in-machine, in other words, the machined product (workpiece) is not removed and is held in the machine tool 100 as it is. The in-machine measurement can be performed using a conventionally known method, for example, a touch probe 110 as a measuring tool as shown in FIG. 7 is attached to a tool spindle or a turret, and the tool spindle or the turret is moved under the control of a control device of the machine tool 100 to bring the touch probe 110 into contact with a measurement portion of the machined product (workpiece W), and the control device calculates the dimensions of the measurement portion based on the scale reading at the time of contact. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the machined product is referred to as the workpiece W. The scale is provided along the moving axis of the tool spindle or the moving axis of the turret. Examples of the measurement portion include the outer diameter dimension and the inner diameter dimension of the workpiece W.

[0036] However, if chips generated during machining are attached to the workpiece W, accurate dimensional measurement cannot be performed. For this reason, in the past, before measurement, a cleaning process was performed in which coolant was applied to the workpiece W to wash away the chips, and then compressed air was blown onto the workpiece W to blow away the coolant and chips attached to the workpiece W. However, while chips attached to the outer surface of the workpiece W can be relatively easily removed by the cleaning process, chips remaining in the hole of the workpiece W may not be removed even by the above-mentioned cleaning process. In particular, curled chips are difficult to remove from inside the hole. If curled chips remain inside the hole, not only is accurate measurement impossible, but in some cases, the touch probe 110 may be damaged by contact with the chips.

[0037] Therefore, in this example, a camera 30 provided on the automatic working device 20 is used to capture an image of a measurement portion of the workpiece W, and the obtained image is analyzed to confirm whether or not chips are attached to the measurement portion of the workpiece W. Below, a specific procedure for in-machine measurement in this example will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that in Fig. 4, each process is executed in the control device of the machine tool 100, the control device of the automatic working device 20, and the management device 10, but in the following, for simplicity of explanation, the control device of the machine tool 100 will be referred to simply as the machine tool 100, and the control device of the automatic working device 20 will be referred to simply as the automatic working device 20.

[0038] 4, when the machine tool 100 finishes machining the workpiece W, it subsequently starts the measurement process (step S1), and first sends a confirmation preparation request (sends an execution signal) to the management device 10 via the network 15 (step S2), and then executes the cleaning process (step S3). Then, the management device 10, which has received the confirmation preparation request, recognizes an automatic operating device 20 that can handle the task, and then issues a work instruction for a confirmation task (measurement support task) to the recognized automatic operating device 20 (step S11). The automatic operating device 20, which has received the work instruction, moves to a work position set for the machine tool 100 that is the target of the task (step S21), and then executes the measurement support task and the attachment / detachment task, which will be described later.

[0039] On the other hand, when the machine tool 100 completes the above-mentioned cleaning process, it opens the door separating the machining area from the outside (step S4), and then requests the corresponding automatic operating device 20 to perform a confirmation operation via the network 15 (transmission of an execution signal) (step S5), and the automatic operating device 20 that receives this executes the confirmation operation (step S22). Specifically, the automatic operating device 20 operates the robot 25 to cause the camera 30 to enter the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100 as shown in FIG. 5, and after the camera 30 assumes a posture for imaging the measurement portion of the workpiece W, as shown in FIG. 6, the image of the workpiece W is captured by the camera 30 (imaging step). In FIG. 5, reference numeral 101 denotes the spindle of the machine tool 100, and reference numeral 102 denotes a chuck that grips the workpiece W. In addition, reference numeral C denotes chips in FIG. 6, which have a curled shape and are in a state of being sandwiched inside a hole in the workpiece W.

[0040] Next, the automatic working device 20 analyzes the captured image to determine whether or not chips are present on the path along which the touch probe 110 moves, in other words, whether or not measurement is possible (step S23) (determination step). Needless to say, if chips are present on the path, measurement is impossible, and if no chips are present on the path, measurement is possible. The image is analyzed, for example, by binarizing the image, and the presence or absence of chips is determined by taking the difference between the current binarized image and a binarized image (reference image) previously obtained as a reference without chips. In the above-mentioned image analysis, even if chips are present in the image, if the chips are not on the path along which the touch probe 110 moves, that is, if the chips do not interfere with the chips when the touch probe 110 moves, it is determined that no chips are present on the path along which the touch probe 110 moves. As a typical example, when a measurement site is a hole in the workpiece W, even if the presence of chips is found in a site other than the hole in the image, if there are no chips in the hole, it is determined that there are no chips on the movement path of the touch probe 110.

[0041] The automated operating device 20 then evaluates the image analysis results, for example, on the following four-point scale. a) Measurable (when no chips are present) b) Re-cleaning required (if chips are found to be attached but only partially present on the travel path. For example, if chips are found to be present in only a part of the hole.) c) Removal operation required (if present throughout the travel path. For example, if chips are present throughout the hole.) d) Measurement is not possible (if chips are still present on the moving path even after performing the re-cleaning or removal operation described below).

[0042] Next, if the evaluation result indicates that re-cleaning is required, the automatic operating device 20 instructs the machine tool 100 to perform re-cleaning (step S24), if the evaluation result indicates that a removal operation is required, it instructs the machine tool 100 to perform the removal operation (step S25), and if the evaluation result indicates that measurement is possible, it transmits a measurement possible signal to the machine tool 100 (step S26). If the evaluation result indicates that measurement is impossible because chips are found to be present on the movement path even after re-cleaning or the removal process (removal step) of the removal operation is performed, the automatic operating device 20 removes the workpiece W from the machine tool 100 and stores it in the reserved product stocker 122, removes a new material from the material stocker 120 and has it gripped by the chuck 102 of the machine tool 100 (step S27), and then transmits an attachment / detachment completion signal to the machine tool 100 (step S28).

[0043] On the other hand, when the machine tool 100 receives an instruction to clean again from the automatic operating device 20, it closes the door (step S6), performs the above cleaning process again (step S3), and then performs the process from step S4 onwards. When the machine tool 100 receives an instruction to perform a removal operation from the automatic operating device 20, it performs the removal operation (step S7), and then performs the process of step S5 again. The removal operation can be performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, by rotating a removal tool 111 attached to a turret or a tool spindle (FIG. 8(a)), inserting it into a hole in the workpiece W (FIG. 8(b)), entangling chips C in a hook-shaped part provided at the tip of the tool, and then retracting the removal tool 111 from the hole (FIG. 8(c)). Note that the removal tool 111 and the removal operation are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0044] Furthermore, when the machine tool 100 receives a measurement possible signal from the automatic operating device 20, it performs the measurement operation using the touch probe 110 described above (step S8), then transmits the measurement result to the automatic operating device 20 (step S9), and ends the measurement process (step S10). Depending on the measurement result, the machine tool 100 can correct machining errors when machining the next workpiece.

[0045] After receiving the measurement results from the machine tool 100, the automatic working device 20 removes the workpiece W from the machine tool 100, and if the workpiece W is a pass / fail product, stores it in the product stocker 121, or if it is a defective product, stores it in the reserved product stocker 122. Thereafter, the automatic working device 20 removes new material from the material stocker 120 and has it held by the chuck 102 of the machine tool 100 (step S27), and then transmits an attachment / detachment completion signal to the machine tool 100 (step S28).

[0046] Then, when machine tool 100 receives a mounting / detachment completion signal from automatic operating device 20 through the process of step S28, it processes the next workpiece, and when the processing is completed, it executes the measurement process, that is, the process from step S1 onwards.

[0047] As described above, according to the in-machine measurement method of this example, the measurement portion of the workpiece W after machining is imaged using the camera 30 provided on the automatic working device 20, and the obtained image is analyzed to determine whether or not chips are present at the measurement portion, in other words, whether or not chips are present on the movement path of the touch probe 110. Only when it is determined that no chips are present on the movement path, is dimensional measurement of the workpiece W performed using the touch probe 110. This makes it possible to accurately measure the dimensions of the workpiece W and also to reliably prevent the touch probe 110 from being damaged by coming into contact with the chips.

[0048] Furthermore, in this example, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S23 that chips are present on the movement path of the touch probe 110, the machine tool 100 performs a removal process to remove the chips on the movement path, i.e., a re-cleaning process (step S3) or a removal operation (step S7).This makes it possible to avoid the workpiece W being uniformly determined to be unmeasurable by a single confirmation operation (judgment process) and being classified as a reserved item, thereby enabling measurements to be performed with a high yield.

[0049] (Modification 1 of the first embodiment) In the above example, the measurement feasibility determination in step S23 is executed by the automatic operating device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, in step S22, image data of the workpiece W captured by the camera 30 of the automatic operating device 20 may be transmitted to the management device 10, and the measurement feasibility determination in step S23 may be executed in the management device 10. When the measurement feasibility determination in step S23 is executed by the control device of the automatic operating device 20, a computer with high processing power must be used for the control device of the automatic operating device 20, so that the size of the automatic control device 20 becomes large and mobility is reduced. However, by executing the process of the measurement feasibility determination in step S23 in the management device 10, it is possible to prevent the control device of the automatic operating device 20 from becoming excessively large, and thus the mobility of the automatic control device 20 can be made appropriate without impairing it.

[0050] 9 are also executed in the control device of the machine tool 100, the control device of the automatic operating device 20, and the management device 10. The measurement feasibility determination in step S12 may be performed in the management device 100 by transmitting a processing start signal (instruction signal) from the control device of the machine tool 100 to the management device 100. The processing of steps S24-S26 in the automatic operating device 20 may be executed in the management device 10. Alternatively, the measurement feasibility determination and the processing of steps S24-S26 may be executed by a device other than the control device of the automatic operating device 20 and the management device 10.

[0051] (Modification 2 of the first embodiment) 4 and 9, the machine tool 100 requests the automatic operating device 20 to prepare for confirmation via the management device 10, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the machine tool 100 may directly request the automatic operating device 20 to prepare for confirmation. In this case, a mode can be adopted in which the automatic operating device 20 in a standby state performs work on the machine tool 100.

[0052] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the above embodiment, the imaging process and the judgment process are performed by an autonomously traveling automatic working device 20 composed of a robot 25 and an unmanned guided vehicle 35, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the imaging process and the judgment process may be performed by a fixed robot 25 as shown in Fig. 10. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the same components as those shown in Fig. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] 10, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which two machine tools 100 (100A, 100B) are arranged to face each other, and a robot 25 is arranged between the machine tools 100A, 100B. In this example, the robot 25 is fixed to the floor surface, not to the mounting surface 36 of the automatic guided vehicle 35. In addition, around the robot 25, a material stocker 120A, a product stocker 121A, and a reserved item stocker 122A are arranged for the machine tool 100A, and a material stocker 120B, a product stocker 121B, and a reserved item stocker 122B are arranged for the machine tool 100B.

[0054] In this example, the robot 25 also performs the workpiece mounting and demounting operation, including the imaging process and the judgment process, in response to a request from the machine tool 100. This operation procedure is shown in FIG. 11. The operation procedure shown in FIG. 11 is almost the same as the procedures shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 described above, but the outline of the process will be described below, although some explanation will be repeated. In this embodiment, the machine tool 100 and the robot 25 each have a control device, and their operations are controlled by each control device. Each process shown in FIG. 11 is also executed by the control device of the machine tool 100 and the control device of the robot 25, but in the following, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the control device of the machine tool 100 will be referred to simply as the machine tool 100, and the control device of the robot 25 will be referred to simply as the robot 25.

[0055] 11, when the machine tool 100 finishes machining the workpiece W, it starts the measurement process (step S51) and first issues a confirmation preparation request (sends an execution signal) to the robot 25 (step S52), and then executes the cleaning process (step S53). Then, upon receiving the confirmation preparation request, the robot 25 transitions to the working posture set for the machine tool 100 to be operated, i.e., executes preparation for the confirmation operation (step S61).

[0056] On the other hand, when the machine tool 100 completes the above cleaning process, it opens the door (step S54) and then requests the robot 25 to perform a confirmation operation (sends an execution signal) (step S55), and upon receiving this, the robot 25 executes the confirmation operation (step S62). Specifically, the camera 30 is caused to enter the machining area of ​​the machine tool 100 and assumes a position for imaging the measurement portion of the workpiece W, and then the image of the workpiece W is captured by the camera 30 (imaging process).

[0057] Next, the robot 25 analyzes the captured image and determines whether or not there are chips on the path along which the touch probe 110 moves, in other words, whether or not measurement is possible, by processing similar to that in the above example (step 63) (determination process).

[0058] If the evaluation result indicates that re-cleaning is required, the robot 25 instructs the machine tool 100 to perform re-cleaning (step S64), if the evaluation result indicates that a removal operation is required, the robot 25 instructs the machine tool 100 to perform the removal operation (step S65), and if the evaluation result indicates that measurement is possible, the robot 25 transmits a measurement possible signal to the machine tool 100 (step S66). If the evaluation result indicates that measurement is not possible because chips are found to be present on the movement path even after re-cleaning or the removal operation has been performed, the robot 25 removes the workpiece W from the machine tool 100 and stores it in the reserved product stocker 122, removes a new material from the material stocker 120, and has it gripped by the chuck 102 of the machine tool 100 (step S67), and then transmits an attachment / detachment completion signal to the machine tool 100 (step S68).

[0059] On the other hand, when machine tool 100 receives an instruction from robot 25 to clean again, it closes the door (step S56), performs the cleaning process again (step S53), and then performs the processes in step S54 and after. Also, when machine tool 100 receives an instruction from robot 25 to perform a removal operation, it performs a removal operation similar to step S7 described above (step 57), and then performs the process in step S55 again.

[0060] Furthermore, when machine tool 100 receives a measurement possible signal from robot 25, it performs the measurement operation using touch probe 110 described above (step S58), then transmits the measurement results to robot 25 (step S59), and terminates the measurement process (step S60).

[0061] Meanwhile, after receiving the measurement results from the machine tool 100, the robot 25 removes the workpiece W from the machine tool 100, and if the workpiece W is a pass / fail product, stores it in the product stocker 121, or if it is a defective product, stores it in the reserved product stocker 122. Thereafter, the robot 25 takes out new material from the material stocker 120 and has it grasped by the chuck 102 of the machine tool 100 (step S67), and then performs a process of transmitting an attachment / detachment completion signal to the machine tool 100 (step S68).

[0062] Then, when machine tool 100 receives a mounting / detachment completion signal from robot 25 through the process of step S68, it processes the next workpiece, and when the processing is completed, it executes the measurement process, that is, the process from step S51 onwards.

[0063] Even in this embodiment, the camera 30 provided on the robot 25 is used to capture an image of the measurement area of ​​the workpiece W after machining, and the obtained image is analyzed to determine whether or not there are chips on the movement path of the touch probe 110. Only when it is determined that there are no chips on the movement path, is dimensional measurement of the workpiece W performed using the touch probe 110. This makes it possible to accurately measure the dimensions of the workpiece W and also to reliably prevent the touch probe 110 from being damaged by coming into contact with the chips.

[0064] Furthermore, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S63 that chips are present on the movement path of the touch probe 110, the machine tool 100 performs a removal process to remove the chips on the movement path, i.e., a re-cleaning process (step S53) or a removal operation (step S57).This makes it possible to avoid the workpiece W being uniformly determined to be unmeasurable based on a single confirmation operation (judgment process) and being classified as a reserved item, thereby enabling measurements to be performed with a high yield.

[0065] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the robot is provided separately from the machine tool, but this is not limited to this, and the robot may be attached to the machine tool as shown in Fig. 12. In Fig. 12, reference numeral 120 denotes the machine tool, 130 denotes the robot, and 150 denotes a cover. In this embodiment, the machine tool 120 and the robot 130 each have a control device, and their operations are controlled by the respective control devices.

[0066] The machine tool 120 includes a bed 121, a headstock 122, a column 125, and a tool rest 127, which are arranged on the bed 121. A horizontally arranged spindle 123 is rotatably held on the headstock 122, and a chuck 124 is attached to the tip of the spindle 123, and a workpiece W is gripped by this chuck 124. The tool rest 127 is arranged to be movable in the X-axis and Z-axis directions, and a turret 128 is provided on its side facing the spindle 123, and appropriate tools are attached to the turret 128, as well as a touch probe 110 and a removal tool (the same removal tool 111 as in the above example) along the Z-axis direction.

[0067] The column 125 is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, and a tool spindle 126 is provided on the column 125 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. The tool spindle 126 holds a tool T so as to be rotatable.

[0068] With the tool attached to the turret 128 indexed to the machining position, the tool rest 127 is moved appropriately along the X-axis and Z-axis directions to machine the workpiece W, and the column 125 is moved appropriately along the Z-axis direction and the tool spindle 126 is moved appropriately along the X-axis direction to machine the workpiece W. Then, with the touch probe 110 attached to the turret 128 indexed to the machining position, the tool rest 127 is moved appropriately along the X-axis and Z-axis directions to bring the touch probe 110 into contact with a measurement portion of the workpiece W, thereby measuring the dimensions of the workpiece W. With the removal tool 111 indexed to the machining position, a removal operation similar to that in the above example is performed.

[0069] The robot 130 is attached to the underside of the movable stage 141. The movable stage 141 engages with a beam 142 supported horizontally along the Z-axis direction by supports 143, 143, and is provided to move along the beam 142. The beam 142 is provided so as to straddle the inside and outside of the machining area partitioned by a partition member 151, and the robot 130 moves back and forth between the inside of the machining area and a standby position outside the machining area by the movable stage 131 moving in the Z-axis direction. The robot 130 is a six-axis articulated robot, and a hand 131 and a camera 132 are provided at the tip of the robot 130 as end effectors. An opening is provided in the partition member 151, and the beam 142 is provided so as to be inserted through the opening, and the robot 130 moves in the Z-axis direction through the opening. The opening is provided so that the portion of the opening through which the robot 130 moves in the Z-axis direction is opened and closed by a shutter as appropriate.

[0070] Further, at a standby position outside the machining area, below the robot 130, a mounting table 145 is provided, and on this mounting table 145, a material stocker 146, a product stocker 147, and a reserved item stocker 148 are arranged.

[0071] In this embodiment as well, robot 130 performs the workpiece mounting and dismounting operations including the imaging process and the judgment process in response to a request from machine tool 120, but in this embodiment, the procedure shown in Fig. 13 is executed. Each process shown in Fig. 13 is also executed in the control device of machine tool 120 and the control device of robot 130, but in the following, for simplicity of explanation, the control device of machine tool 120 will be referred to simply as machine tool 120, and the control device of robot 130 will be referred to simply as robot 130.

[0072] When the machine tool 120 finishes machining the workpiece W, it starts a measurement process (step S71), executes a cleaning process (step S72), and then opens the shutter (step S73), after which it requests the robot 130 to perform a confirmation operation (sends an execution signal) (step S74), and upon receiving this, the robot 130 executes the confirmation operation (step S81). Specifically, the robot 130 enters the machining area through an opening provided in the partition member 151, and then assumes a posture for imaging the measurement portion of the workpiece W with the camera 132, and captures an image of the workpiece W with the camera 132 (imaging process).

[0073] Next, the robot 130 analyzes the captured image and determines whether or not there are chips on the path along which the touch probe 110 moves, in other words, whether or not measurement is possible by processing similar to that in the above example (step 82) (determination process).

[0074] If the evaluation result indicates that re-cleaning is required, the robot 130 instructs the machine tool 120 to perform re-cleaning (step S83), and then returns to a standby position outside the machining area through the opening of the partition member 151. If the evaluation result indicates that a removal operation is required, the robot 130 instructs the machine tool 120 to perform the removal operation (step S84), and then retreats to an appropriate position within the machining area. If the evaluation result indicates that measurement is possible, the robot 130 transmits a measurement possible signal to the machine tool 120 (step S85). If the evaluation result indicates that measurement is impossible because chips are found to exist on the movement path even after re-cleaning or the removal operation is performed, the robot 130 removes the workpiece W from the chuck 123 of the machine tool 120, transports it to the reserved product stocker 148 and stores it therein, and then removes a new material from the material stocker 146, transports it, and has the chuck 123 of the machine tool 120 hold it (step S86), and then returns to a standby position outside the machining area and transmits a mounting / removal completion signal to the machine tool 120 (step S87).

[0075] On the other hand, when machine tool 120 receives an instruction to clean again from robot 130, it closes the shutter (step S75), performs the cleaning process again (step S73), and then performs the processes from step S74 onwards. Also, when machine tool 120 receives an instruction to perform a removal operation from robot 130, it performs a removal operation similar to step S7 described above (step 76), and then performs the process of step S74 again.

[0076] Furthermore, when the machine tool 120 receives a measurement possible signal from the robot 130, it performs the measurement operation using the touch probe 110 described above (step S77), then transmits the measurement results to the robot 130 (step S78), and terminates the measurement process (step S79).

[0077] Then, after receiving the measurement results from the machine tool 120, the robot 130 removes the workpiece W from the chuck 123 of the machine tool 120, and if the workpiece W is a pass, it transfers it to the product stocker 147 and stores it, or if it is a fail, it transfers it to the reserved product stocker 148 and stores it, and then removes new material from the material stocker 146, transfers it, and has it grasped by the chuck 123 of the machine tool 120 (step S86), and then returns to a waiting position outside the machining area and transmits a removal completion signal to the machine tool 120 (step S87).

[0078] Then, when machine tool 120 receives a mounting / detachment completion signal from robot 130 through the process of step S87, it processes the next workpiece, and when the processing is completed, it executes the measurement process, that is, the process from step S71 onwards.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the camera 132 provided on the robot 130 is used to capture an image of the measurement area of ​​the workpiece W after machining, and the obtained image is analyzed to determine whether or not there are chips on the movement path of the touch probe 110. Only when it is determined that there are no chips on the movement path, is dimensional measurement of the workpiece W performed using the touch probe 110. This makes it possible to accurately measure the dimensions of the workpiece W and also reliably prevent the touch probe 110 from being damaged by coming into contact with the chips.

[0080] Furthermore, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S82 that chips are present on the movement path of the touch probe 110, the machine tool 120 performs a removal process to remove the chips on the movement path, i.e., a re-cleaning process (step S72) or a removal operation (step S76).This makes it possible to avoid the workpiece W being uniformly determined to be unmeasurable based on a single confirmation operation (judgment process) and being classified as a reserved item, thereby enabling measurements to be performed with a high yield.

[0081] (Modification of the third embodiment) In the third embodiment described above, the robot 130 is attached to the outside of the machine tool 120, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, in the aspect shown in Fig. 12, the robot 130 may be disposed on the side of the headstock 122, for example, on the headstock 122. In this case, components such as the movable table 141, the beam 142, the supports 143, 143, the mounting table 145, the material stocker 146, the product stocker 147, and the reserved product stocker 148 are omitted.

[0082] In this embodiment, similarly, the robot 130 performs the workpiece mounting and dismounting operations including the imaging process and the judgment process in response to a request from the machine tool 120, but among the procedures shown in FIG. 13, steps S73 and S75 are omitted.

[0083] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the imaging step and the judgment step are performed by the robot 25, 130, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In the third embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the configuration related to the robot 130, i.e., the configuration of the robot 130, the movable table 141, the beam 142, the supports 143, 143, the mounting table 145, the material stocker 146, the product stocker 147, the reserved item stocker 148, etc. may be omitted, and the camera 132 may be attached to a movable body such as the turret 128 or the tool spindle 126 of the machine tool 120 to perform the imaging step and the judgment step. However, the movable body is not limited to the turret 128 or the tool spindle 126, and any suitable movable body provided in the machine tool 120 may be applied.

[0084] In this case, the measurement process is executed by the control device of machine tool 120 in the procedure shown in Fig. 14. In the following, for ease of explanation, the control device of machine tool 120 will be collectively referred to simply as machine tool 120.

[0085] That is, when the machine tool 120 finishes machining the workpiece W, it starts a measurement process (step S91), executes a cleaning process (step S92), and then executes a confirmation operation (sends an execution signal to the processing unit) (step S93). Specifically, the machine tool 120 appropriately moves a moving body to which the camera 132 is attached, and captures an image of the measurement portion of the workpiece W with the camera 132 (imaging process).

[0086] Next, the machine tool 120 analyzes the captured image to determine whether or not chips are present on the path along which the touch probe 110 is moving, that is, to send a processing start signal (execution signal) to a processing unit that performs processing similar to that in the above example to execute the processing and determine whether or not measurement is possible (step 94) (determination process).

[0087] If the evaluation result indicates that re-cleaning is required, the machine tool 120 executes the re-cleaning process (step S95), i.e., the process from step S92 onwards; if the evaluation result indicates that a removal operation is required, the machine tool 120 executes a removal operation similar to the above example (step S96) and then executes the process from step S93 onwards; if the evaluation result indicates that measurement is possible, the machine tool 120 executes a measurement operation (step S97) and then terminates the measurement process (step S98).

[0088] Furthermore, if, in determining whether measurement is possible after performing the re-cleaning or removal operation (step S94), the machine tool 120 finds that chips are still present on the movement path even after performing the re-cleaning or removal operation, making measurement impossible, it stops the measurement and ends the measurement process (step S98).

[0089] In this embodiment, too, the camera 132 is used to capture an image of the measurement area of ​​the workpiece W after machining, and the obtained image is analyzed to determine whether or not there are chips on the movement path of the touch probe 110. Only when it is determined that there are no chips on the movement path, is dimensional measurement of the workpiece W performed using the touch probe 110. This makes it possible to accurately measure the dimensions of the workpiece W and also reliably prevent the touch probe 110 from being damaged by coming into contact with the chips.

[0090] Furthermore, if it is determined in the judgment process of step S94 that chips are present on the movement path, the machine tool 120 performs a removal process to remove the chips on the movement path, i.e., a re-cleaning process (steps S95, S92) or a removal operation (step S96).This makes it possible to avoid the workpiece W being uniformly determined to be unmeasurable based on a single confirmation operation (judgment process) and being classified as a reserved item, thereby enabling measurements to be performed with a high yield.

[0091] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications and changes. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention includes modifications from the embodiments within the scope of the claims and the scope equivalent thereto. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Production System 10 Management device 20 Automatic Work Device 25 Robot 30 Camera 35 Automated Guided Vehicle 100 Machine tools 110 Touch Probe 111 Removal tool 120 Material Stocker 121 Product Stocker 122 Reserved Item Stocker C Chips Double work

Claims

1. A method for removing chips from a workpiece processed by a machine tool, A step of moving the removal tool from a predetermined position to the area where chips are present while rotating it, thereby bringing the chips into contact with the removal tool, A method for removing chips from a workpiece, comprising the step of moving the removal tool to a predetermined position while the chips are in contact with the removal tool.

2. The removal tool is provided with a hook-shaped portion at its tip, The chip removal method according to claim 1, wherein the step of bringing the chips into contact with the removal tool is the step of trapping the chips in the hook-shaped portion.

3. The chip removal method according to claim 1, wherein the removal tool is mounted on a turret or a tool spindle.

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