Tool changing device and tool changing method

Abstract

To provide a tool changing device having a tool support for preventing inclination of a tool during storage and capable of automatically adjusting a height, and a tool changing method.SOLUTION: A tool changing device 1 comprises: a tool holding part 3 that can accommodate a tool 5 at one end of which a shank 5a attachable to a tool attaching part M of a machine is provided and the other end of which is a tip in the axial direction of the shank 5a, and that holds the shank 5a side of the tool 5; a tool support 4 that supports the tool 5 from below and is closer to the tip side of the tool 5 than the tool holding part 3; and a base 2 having the tool holding part 3 and the tool support 4 and being movable in the axial direction of the shank 5a with a prescribed driving mechanism. The tool support 4 is provided with a biasing part 7 that can vertically move and biases the tool support 4 upward, and a stopper 8 that restricts or permits movement of the tool support 4 by operating an actuator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tool changing device and a tool changing method used in a machine tool, and more particularly to a tool changing device and a tool changing method suitable for a long tool having a long tool length. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in machine tools for performing multiple machining processes in one device, such as multitasking machines, an automatic tool changer (ATC) and a tool magazine capable of storing multiple tools are provided in order to enable the use of multiple tools. However, due to limitations in the ATC's exchange arm rotation capability and the storage space of the tool magazine, the tool length of the tools that can be mounted is limited to a certain length or less. On the other hand, long tools may be used to process long workpieces. In particular, when using long tools that cannot be stored in the tool magazine, a separate tool changer for long tools that can store the long tools and is compatible with the ATC is required.

[0003] As an example of an exchange device for long tools, Patent Document 1 discloses a tool exchange unit including a tool holding member that stores and holds a long tool in the longitudinal direction by a holding means, a base member that supports the tool holding member so that it slides in the longitudinal direction, and a control means that controls the sliding of the position of the tool holding member.

[0004] However, since the structure of the tool change unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 holds a long tool only at one end, it is conceivable that the stored long tool will tilt downward toward the side that is not being held due to its own weight. When changing a tool, the axial direction of the tool holding part on the machine tool side and the axial direction of the part to be held of the tool need to be parallel, but if the tool side is tilted, the axial direction will be misaligned, and there is a possibility that the tool cannot be changed.

[0005] In order to prevent the inclination of the long tool during tool replacement, it is possible to support the side of the long tool that is not held from below. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a bar height adjustment mechanism that includes a bar support member that supports the side of the line bar that is not held from below, a sloped cam member that is provided below the bar support member and allows the bar support member to move up and down, and a handle that can move the sloped cam member to adjust the position of the bar support member in the up and down direction. In the bar height adjustment mechanism, the handle adjusts the position of the bar support member in the up and down direction via the sloped cam member, thereby making it possible to maintain the parallelism of the axis of the spindle head and the axis of the line bar. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-193033 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-004504 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the bar height adjustment mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires an operator to manually move a handle to adjust the height of the line bar, and therefore the operator must approach the handle while the machining is stopped. However, from the viewpoint of the use of ATC, it is desirable that a tool changer for a long tool can support the tool gripping part of the machine tool and the gripped part of the tool so that they are parallel to each other, even when the diameter of the long tool is different, and can automatically adjust to maintain the parallelism. In addition, a similar problem exists with a heavy tool that is heavy even if the tool length is short, and tilts when only one end is held at one point like a long tool.

[0008] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a tool changing device and a tool changing method that have a tool support portion that allows automatic height adjustment and prevents the tool from tilting when stored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of the present disclosure is a tool exchange device having a shank portion at one end that can be attached to a tool mounting portion of a machine, and capable of accommodating a tool having the other end in the axial direction of the shank portion as a tip, and comprising a tool holding portion that holds the shank side of the tool, a tool support portion that supports the tool from below on the tip side of the tool holding portion, and a base portion that has the tool holding portion and the tool support portion and can be moved in the axial direction of the shank portion by a predetermined drive mechanism, and the tool support portion is movable in the vertical direction, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a biasing portion that biases the tool support portion upward, and a stopper that restricts or allows movement of the tool support portion by operation of an actuator. A second configuration of the present disclosure is a tool changing method, comprising: a tool holding section which has at one end a shank portion which can be attached to a tool mounting section of a machine; and which is capable of accommodating a tool having a tip end at the other end in the axial direction of the shank portion; a tool holding section which holds the shank side of the tool; a tool support section which supports the tip end side of the tool from below; and a base section which is provided with the tool holding section and the tool support section and which can be moved in the axial direction of the shank portion by a predetermined drive mechanism; the tool support section is provided so as to be movable in the up and down direction; and a biasing section which biases the tool support section upward; and a biasing section which operates an actuator to restrict or limit the movement of the tool support section. and a stopper that allows or restricts movement of the tool support part by operation of the actuator, the base part moves below the tool attached to the tool mounting part, the stopper allows movement of the tool support part by operation of the actuator, the tool holding part holds the shank side of the tool and the tool support part moves down by abutting against the tip side of the tool, the stopper restricts movement of the tool support part by operation of the actuator, and the tool changing device removes and stores the tool from the tool mounting part while maintaining parallelism between the axial direction of the tool mounting part and the axial direction of the shank part by restricting the movement of the tool support part. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the tool changer supports the stored tool at two points, the tool holding part and the tool support part. In addition, since the tool support part is vertically movable and the height at which the tool is supported can be adjusted according to the diameter of the tool, when the tool is stored, the parallelism between the axial direction of the tool attachment part and the axial direction of the shank part of the tool is maintained regardless of the tool diameter. Therefore, even if the stored tool is a long tool, it can be stored without tilting. In addition, smooth use of the ATC is possible, particularly with regard to the attachment and detachment of the tool. Furthermore, since the height adjustment of the tool support part to maintain the parallelism is performed automatically and mechanically, this contributes to reducing the manpower or labor required by the operator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a part of the tool exchange device as viewed from the shank side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tool support part in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a tool attached to a machine tool is placed on a tool exchange device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the tool is removed from the machine tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a tool exchange device 1. In the tool exchange device 1 shown in Fig. 1, various equipment including a cover is omitted, but various equipment not shown may be included. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the tool exchange device 1 as seen from the shank side. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tool support part 4 in the Z-axis direction.

[0013] In the embodiment, the tool 5 stored in the tool exchange device 1 is a columnar long tool having a shank portion 5a at one end that can be attached to a tool attachment portion M (FIGS. 4 and 5) of a machine tool and extending in the axial direction of the shank portion 5a with the other end as the tip. As shown in FIG. 1, the axial direction of the shank portion 5a of the stored tool 5 is the Z-axis direction. Note that the tool 5 is provided with, for example, a cutting blade for machining a workpiece, but this is omitted in the drawings of the present application.

[0014] The tool exchange device 1 is installed in association with a machine tool, such as a multi-tasking machine (not shown). The machine tool has an ATC, and its operation is controlled by a control device (not shown) including an NC device. The operation of the tool exchange device 1 is also controlled by the control device. The control device includes a CPU and a memory connected to the CPU, and realizes its operation by utilizing these.

[0015] 1, the tool exchange device 1 includes a plurality of base portions 2 formed in the shape of long flat plates, and a tool holding portion 3 and a tool support portion 4 provided on the upper surface of the base portions 2. The base portions 2 can be moved in the axial direction of the shank portions 5a of the tools 5 in a stored state by a drive mechanism including a cylinder 2a, a belt 2b, and a rail 2c. One tool 5 is stored in one base portion 2. Here, the drive mechanism is assumed to use air pressure as a power source, but other power sources such as hydraulic or electric power sources may also be used.

[0016] The tool holding part 3 is provided on the end of the base part 2 on the shank part 5a side when the tool 5 is stored, and has a V-shaped block 3a on the upper part as shown in Fig. 2. A part of the V-shaped block 3a is inserted into the tool groove 5b of the tool 5 from below, enabling the tool holding part 3 to stably hold the tool 5.

[0017] The tool support part 4 is provided on the base part 2, closer to the tip of the tool 5 than the tool holding part 3, so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The tool support part 4 has, at its upper part, a pair of walls 6a, 6a in a direction perpendicular to the Z axis, and is provided with a support part main body 6 that supports the tool 5 from below. The tool support part 4 also has a biasing part 7 extending downward from the support part main body 6, and a stopper 8.

[0018] 3, the urging part 7 has therein an elastic member 7a that urges the tool support part 4 upward. In the embodiment, the elastic member 7a is assumed to be a compression spring, but other members or mechanisms may be used as long as they are capable of generating an upward urging force.

[0019] The stopper 8 has a piston 8a that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the biasing portion 7, and an elastic member 8b that biases the piston 8a toward the biasing portion 7. The piston 8a has an actuator (not shown) and moves by switching the actuator. That is, the stopper 8 restricts or allows the movement of the tool support portion 4 by switching the piston 8a between contact with and release from the biasing portion 7 by operating the actuator. Here, it is assumed that the actuator uses air pressure as a power source, but other power sources such as hydraulic or electric power sources may also be used.

[0020] Next, a tool changing method using the tool changer 1, in particular, a method for storing a tool 5 attached to a machine tool, will be described. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a tool 5 attached to a machine tool is placed on the tool exchange device 1. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the tool 5 is removed from the machine tool. First, the tool mounting portion M of the machine tool to which the tool 5 is attached moves to the tool changing position. Meanwhile, in the tool exchange device 1, the empty base portion 2 moves to a position below the tool 5 that has moved to the tool changing position. In other words, the tool changing position is coaxial with and above the Z axis of the empty base portion 2 of the tool exchange device 1.

[0021] Next, in the tool support portion 4 of the tool exchange device 1, the stopper 8 allows the tool support portion 4 to move by operating the actuator. After the tool support part 4 is permitted to move, the ATC places the tool 5 from above on the tool holding part 3 and the tool support part 4. When placing the tool 5, the position where the V-shaped block 3a of the tool holding part 3 is inserted into the tool groove 5b of the tool 5 is determined.

[0022] When the tool 5 is placed on the tool holding part 3, as shown in FIG. 4, the V-shaped block 3a is inserted into the tool groove 5b, so that the tool holding part 3 holds the tool 5. On the other hand, the tool support part 4 is movable as described above. Therefore, the tool support part 4 moves downward to automatically adjust the height of the support part body 6 according to the tool diameter of the tool 5 that abuts against the support part body 6 from above. At this time, the tool support part 4 is biased upward by the biasing part 7, so that the tool support part 4 and the tool 5 do not separate. In addition, a constant biasing force is applied to the biasing part 7 by the elastic member 8b of the stopper 8, so that the tool support part 4 is prevented from descending excessively. Furthermore, the walls 6a, 6a also restrict movement in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction, so that the attitude of the tool 5 is maintained.

[0023] Then, after the tool 5 is placed on the tool support part 4, the stopper 8 is operated by operating the actuator to restrict the movement of the tool support part 4. By restricting the movement of the tool support part 4, as shown in Fig. 5, while the tool support part 4 remains in the position attached to the machine tool, i.e., while maintaining parallelism between the axial direction L1 of the tool mounting part M of the machine tool and the axial direction L2 of the shank part 5a, the tool mounting part M moves away from the tool 5 or the base part 2 moves, and the tool 5 is removed from the tool mounting part M. Thereafter, the base part 2 moves, and the tool changer 1 stores the tool 5.

[0024] In this way, since the tool support part 4 can move up and down and the height at which the tool 5 is supported can be adjusted according to the diameter of the tool 5, the parallelism of the axial direction L1 of the tool attachment part M of the machine tool and the axial direction L2 of the shank part 5a of the tool 5 is maintained regardless of the tool diameter. Therefore, even a long tool 5 can be stored without tilting when storing the tool. In addition, smooth use of the ATC is possible, particularly with regard to the attachment and detachment of the stored tool 5. Furthermore, the height adjustment of the tool support part 4 to maintain parallelism can be performed automatically and mechanically, which contributes to labor saving or labor saving of the operator.

[0025] The tool exchange device 1 configured as described above has a shank portion 5a at one end that can be attached to a tool mounting portion M of a machine, and is capable of accommodating a tool 5 having the other axial end of the shank portion 5a as its tip. The tool exchange device 1 comprises a tool holding portion 3 that holds the shank portion 5a side of the tool 5, a tool support portion 4 that supports the tool 5 from below on the tip side of the tool holding portion 3, and a base portion 2 that has the tool holding portion 3 and the tool support portion 4 and is movable along the axial direction of the shank portion 5a by a predetermined drive mechanism. The tool support portion 4 is movable in the vertical direction, and is further equipped with a biasing portion 7 that biases the tool support portion 4 upward, and a stopper 8 that restricts or allows the movement of the tool support portion 4 by operating an actuator.

[0026] Furthermore, when replacing the tool 5 attached to the tool mounting part M, the base part 2 moves below the tool 5, the stopper 8 allows the tool support part 4 to move by operating the actuator, the tool holding part 3 holds the shank part 5a side of the tool 5 while the tool support part 4 descends by abutting against the tip side of the tool 5, and the stopper 8 restricts the movement of the tool support part 4 by operating the actuator. By restricting the movement of the tool support part 4, the tool exchange device 1 removes the tool 5 from the tool mounting part M and stores it while maintaining parallelism between the axial direction L1 of the tool mounting part M of the machine and the axial direction L2 of the shank part 5a.

[0027] Therefore, the tool exchange device 1 supports the stored tool 5 at two points, the tool holding part 3 and the tool support part 4. In addition, since the tool support part 4 can move up and down and the height at which the tool 5 is supported can be adjusted according to the diameter of the tool 5, the parallelism of the axial direction L1 of the tool attachment part M of the machine tool and the axial direction L2 of the shank part 5a of the tool 5 is maintained regardless of the tool diameter when storing the tool. Therefore, even a long tool 5 can be stored without tilting. In addition, smooth use of the ATC is possible, particularly with regard to the attachment and detachment of the tool 5. Furthermore, the height adjustment of the tool support part 4 to maintain the parallelism is performed automatically and mechanically, which contributes to labor saving or labor saving of the operator.

[0028] The above is a description of the present disclosure based on the illustrated examples, and the technical scope is not limited thereto. For example, the shape of each part of the tool exchange device, the specifications of the drive mechanism, etc. can be arbitrarily designed within a range that can realize the same operation and effect as those described as the embodiment. Further, the number of tool support parts is not limited to one, and a plurality of tool support parts may be provided. Furthermore, the tool holding portion and the tool support portion may be made width adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the Z axis in accordance with the tool diameter. Furthermore, if tool replacement is not impeded, a plurality of tools may be stored in one base portion.

[0029] The tool changing device and tool changing method of the present invention also have the same effect on tools other than long tools, such as heavy tools, which tend to tilt toward the tip when the shank side is held at one point. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 tool changer, 2 base portion, 3 tool holding portion, 4 tool support portion, 5 tool, 5a shank portion, 7 biasing portion, 8 stopper, M tool attachment portion.

Claims

1. A tool can be housed at one end of the tool holder by providing a shank portion that can be attached to a tool attachment portion of a machine and accommodating a tool having a tip at the other end of the shank portion in the axial direction; a tool holding section that holds the shank side of the tool, a tool support section that supports the tool from below on a tip side of the tool from the tool holding section, and a base section that has the tool holding section and the tool support section and is movable along an axial direction of the shank section by a predetermined drive mechanism, a stopper that restricts or allows movement of the tool support part by operating an actuator, the stopper being configured to bias the tool support part upward and vertically movable;

2. A tool can be housed at one end of the tool holder by providing a shank portion that can be attached to a tool attachment portion of a machine and accommodating a tool having a tip at the other end of the shank portion in the axial direction; a tool holding section that holds the shank side of the tool, a tool support section that supports a tip side of the tool from below, and a base section on which the tool holding section and the tool support section are provided and which is movable along an axial direction of the shank section by a predetermined drive mechanism, The tool support portion is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction, and further includes a biasing portion that biases the tool support portion upward, and a stopper that restricts or allows movement of the tool support portion by operation of an actuator, The base portion moves below the tool attached to the tool attachment portion, The stopper allows the tool support part to move by operating the actuator, The tool holding portion holds the shank portion side of the tool, and the tool support portion is lowered by contacting with the tip side of the tool, the stopper restricts movement of the tool support part by operation of the actuator, a tool changing device that removes the tool from the tool mounting portion and stores it while maintaining parallelism between the axial direction of the tool mounting portion and the axial direction of the shank portion by restricting movement of the tool support portion.

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