Auxiliary device

Abstract

To efficiently generate a work-piece to be generated by machining.SOLUTION: An auxiliary device 20, for a working device 10 capable of performing a plurality of patterns of machining on an object, comprises a transfer unit that conveys a work-piece obtained by machining an object by a working device 10, first and second accommodating units 30, 43 that are allowed to accommodate the work-piece conveyed by the transfer unit, and a processor 202. The processor 202 acquires working pattern-based information of the object from the working device 10 and controls the transfer unit to convey the work-piece obtained by machining the object with the working pattern to anyone based on the information of the first and second accommodating units 30, 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to an auxiliary device for a processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method of automatically taking out a desired number of products of a desired type for each destination and automatically sorting them into a set number of products and fractional products.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a sorting device arranged at the unloading end of a conveying device that sequentially unloads articles one by one from the unloading end.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a conveyor-type article sorting device used in a sorting and packaging facility for fruits and vegetables.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The technology of the present disclosure aims to efficiently produce workpieces generated by machining.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The technology of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0008] (1) An auxiliary device for a processing apparatus capable of performing machining of a plurality of patterns on an object, a transport unit that transports a workpiece obtained by processing the object with the processing apparatus, a plurality of storage units capable of storing the workpiece transported by the transport unit, and a processor, and the processor acquires information based on the processing pattern of the object from the processing apparatus, and controls the transport unit to transport the workpiece obtained by processing the object in the processing pattern to any one of the plurality of storage units based on the information. An auxiliary device.

[0009] (2) The auxiliary device according to (1), the plurality of patterns include a first processing pattern for cutting a long object to obtain a workpiece of a first length, and a second processing pattern for cutting a long object to obtain a workpiece of a second length different from the first length, when the processor acquires information based on the first processing pattern, the processor controls the transport unit to transport the workpiece to a first storage unit among the plurality of storage units, and when the processor acquires information based on the second processing pattern, the processor controls the transport unit to transport the workpiece to a second storage unit different from the first storage unit among the plurality of storage units. An auxiliary device.

[0010] (3) The auxiliary device according to (2), wherein the first storage unit and the second storage unit are provided at different positions in the vertical direction. An auxiliary device.

[0011] (4) The auxiliary device according to (3), wherein the first length is greater than the second length, and the first storage unit is provided at a higher position in the vertical direction than the second storage unit. An auxiliary device.

[0012] (5) The auxiliary device according to any one of (2) to (4), The conveying unit includes a first conveyor on which the workpiece can be placed, a second conveyor provided separately on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first conveyor, and a movable member capable of switching between a first state in which a gap between the first conveyor and the second conveyor is closed and a second state in which the gap is opened. The first storage unit is provided adjacent to the second conveyor. The second storage unit is provided below the gap. When the processor acquires information based on the first processing pattern, the processor controls the movable member to the first state, operates the first conveyor and the second conveyor, and conveys the workpiece to the first storage unit. When the processor acquires information based on the second processing pattern, the processor controls the movable member to the second state, operates the first conveyor, and drops the workpiece from the gap into the second storage unit. The auxiliary device.

[0013] (6) The auxiliary device according to (1) or (2), The plurality of storage units include a first storage unit and a second storage unit provided at different positions in the vertical direction. The auxiliary device.

[0014] (7) The auxiliary device according to (6), A plurality of the second storage units are provided, and the auxiliary device is configured to be able to change the relative position with respect to the processing device.

[0015] (8) The auxiliary device according to (1) or (2), The processing device has a placement surface on which the object is placed during processing. The plurality of storage units are provided below the placement surface and are configured to be able to change the relative position with respect to the processing device. The auxiliary device.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] (1) According to this, when generating a plurality of types of processed products obtained with a plurality of processing patterns in a flow operation, the plurality of types of processed products generated can be automatically sorted for each type. It becomes possible to sort the processed products without manual labor, and the generation of processed products by machining can be efficiently performed.

[0017] (2) According to this, when generating long processed products and short processed products, the generation of the processed products can be efficiently performed. The sorting of the processed products obtained by cutting a long object can significantly reduce the labor compared to the case of manual operation, and the effect of improving the efficiency of generating the processed products can be obtained more strongly.

[0018] (3) According to this, since the conveyance destinations of the processed products are divided in the vertical direction, it is possible to improve the space efficiency of the auxiliary device and the conveyance efficiency of the processed products.

[0019] (4) According to this, since long processed products are conveyed to the upper storage part and short processed products are conveyed to the lower storage part, the effects of improving the space efficiency of the auxiliary device and the conveyance efficiency of the processed products can be obtained more strongly.

[0020] (5) According to this, since the conveyance direction of the processed products by the conveyance part can be made to substantially coincide with the longitudinal direction of the object, the conveyance efficiency can be increased.

[0021] (6) According to this, since the conveyance destinations of the processed products are divided in the vertical direction, it is possible to improve the space efficiency of the auxiliary device and the conveyance efficiency of the processed products.

[0022] (7) According to this, since a plurality of second storage parts are provided, it becomes possible to sort more types of processed products. Also, the space efficiency of the auxiliary device can be improved.

[0023] (8) According to this, for example, by simply dropping the processed product downward from the mounting surface of the processing device, the processed product can be conveyed to a desired storage part, so the conveyance efficiency can be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

[0025] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure. The processing system 100 includes a processing device 10 capable of performing machining of a plurality of patterns on an object, and an auxiliary device 20 of the processing device 10. FIG. 2 is a side view of the processing system 100 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, a vertical direction Z combining the vertically downward direction and the vertically upward direction is shown. Hereinafter, two directions parallel to a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and orthogonal to each other are described as a direction X and a direction Y, respectively. One side of the direction X is described as a direction X1, and the other side of the direction X is described as a direction X2. One side of the direction Y is described as a direction Y1, and the other side of the direction Y is described as a direction Y2.

[0026] The material of the object to be processed by the processing device 10 is not particularly limited, but may be metal, resin, wood, or the like. Also, the shape of this object is not particularly limited, but may be a rod shape such as a prismatic shape or a cylindrical shape, or a flat plate shape or the like.

[0027] The machining performed by the machining device 10 includes those that change the shape of the object to obtain a machined product, those that change the surface state of the object to obtain a machined product, or those that change the internal physical properties of the object to obtain a machined product, etc. This machining is, for example, cutting machining that cuts the object with a saw blade or a laser, etc., cutting machining that forms holes or grooves in the object with a drill or the like, forming machining that forms the object with a forming die or the like, or machining that performs painting or heat treatment on the object, etc.

[0028] When the machining device 10 performs cutting machining, the cutting machining patterns include a plurality of patterns with different lengths of the obtained machined products. For example, the cutting machining patterns include a first machining pattern that cuts a long object to obtain a machined product with a first length L1, and a second machining pattern that cuts a long object to obtain a machined product with a second length L2 different from the first length L1 (specifically, a machined product shorter than the first length L1).

[0029] When the machining device 10 performs cutting machining, the cutting machining patterns include, for example, a plurality of patterns with different positions, numbers, or sizes of the holes and grooves formed in the object.

[0030] When the machining device 10 performs forming machining, the forming machining patterns include, for example, a plurality of patterns with different forming dies used.

[0031] When the machining device 10 performs painting machining, the painting machining patterns include, for example, a plurality of patterns with different types of paints used or coating thicknesses of the paints. The machining device 10 may also execute a combination of two or more of cutting machining, cutting machining, forming machining, and painting machining.

[0032] The technology of the present disclosure can be particularly preferably applied to NC machining of long objects. Hereinafter, an example in which the processing apparatus 10 at least cuts an object will be described. Further, hereinafter, as a particularly preferred embodiment, an example in which the object is a long object made of metal in a rod shape such as round steel or flat bar will be described.

[0033] The processing apparatus 10 includes a base 11 including a placement surface 11A on which a long object 50 is placed, a columnar guide member 12 extending in the direction X supported by the base 11, a holding member 13 supported by the guide member 12 so as to be movable in the direction X and capable of holding an end portion of the object 50 on the X1 side, a processing unit 14 supported by the guide member 12 so as to be movable in the direction X and including a cutting blade 14A therein, and a pair of holding members 15 provided on the placement surface 11A for holding the object 50 during processing by the processing unit 14.

[0034] The object 50 is placed on the placement surface 11A in a state where its longitudinal direction coincides with the direction X, and the end portion on the X1 side thereof is held by the holding member 13. The holding member 13 holding the end portion of the object 50 on the X1 side moves in the direction X2 along the guide member 12 and stops when the processing planned location on the object 50 reaches between the pair of holding members 15. In this state, the pair of holding members 15 sandwich the object 50, thereby fixing the position of the object 50. The processing unit 14 moves in the direction X1 along the guide member 12 to the position of the processing planned location of the object 50 sandwiched by the pair of holding members 15, and then cuts the processing planned location of the object 50 with the cutting blade 14A. By the above operations, the object 50 can be cut to obtain a processed product having a desired length.

[0035] The auxiliary device 20 is arranged adjacent to the processing device 10 on the X2 side. The auxiliary device 20 includes a base 21 extending in the X direction, a second conveyor 22 provided on the upper surface of the base 21 and capable of conveying an object in the X2 direction, a movable member 23 rotatably supported at the end of the base 21 on the X1 side and including a plurality of free rollers arranged in the X direction, a first conveyor 24 provided between the movable member 23 and the base 11 of the processing device 10 and capable of conveying an object in the X2 direction, a limit switch 25 provided adjacent to the second conveyor 22 on the X2 side on the upper surface of the base 21, a cylinder 26 provided adjacent to the second conveyor 22 on the Y1 side on the upper surface of the base 21, a first storage portion 30 provided adjacent to the second conveyor 22 on the Y2 side on the upper surface of the base 21 and capable of accommodating a workpiece obtained by processing the object 50 with the processing device 10, and a storage device 40 including a second storage portion 43 capable of accommodating a workpiece obtained by processing the object 50 with the processing device 10.

[0036] In the vertical direction Z, the positions of the upper surfaces of the second conveyor 22, the movable member 23, and the first conveyor 24 are substantially the same as the position of the mounting surface 11A. The movable member 23 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the Y direction.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the movable member 23 has rotated from the state shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the movable member 23 can be switched between a first state in which the gap between the second conveyor 22 and the first conveyor 24 is closed and a second state in which the gap is opened, as shown in FIG. 3, by rotation.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the state of the processing system 100 immediately before the object 50 is processed. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which processing is performed from the state shown in FIG. 4 and the workpiece is being conveyed to the first storage portion 30. FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the workpiece has moved to the first storage portion 30 from the state shown in FIG. 5.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 4, in the processing apparatus 10, with the object 50 held by the holding member 15, the edge of the object 50 on the X2 side protrudes from the base 11 toward the X2 side. Therefore, in this state, at least a part of the object 50 is placed on the upper surface of the first conveyor 24. Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, after the cutting process by the processing unit 14 is performed to generate the workpiece 50B of the first length L2 from the object 50, by driving the first conveyor 24 on which a part of the workpiece 50B is placed, the workpiece 50B can be conveyed to the second conveyor 22 via the free roller of the movable member 23. Further, by driving the second conveyor 22, the workpiece 50B can be conveyed to a position where it abuts against the limit switch 25.

[0040] The first accommodating portion 30 is composed of a flat plate member, and the height in the vertical direction Z of the edge on the Y1 side and the height in the vertical direction Z of the upper surface of the second conveyor 22 are substantially the same. The first accommodating portion 30 has an inclined structure in which the height in the vertical direction Z decreases from the edge on the Y1 side toward the edge on the Y2 side. A protrusion for holding the workpiece is provided at the edge on the Y2 side of the first accommodating portion 30.

[0041] A plate member 26A for pushing out the workpiece is provided at the tip of the cylinder 26. When the limit switch 25 detects contact with the workpiece 50B, the cylinder 26 moves the plate member 26A in the Y2 direction. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, the workpiece 50B that has abutted against the limit switch 25 moves from the second conveyor 22 to the first accommodating portion 30 and is held here.

[0042] The housing device 40 includes a base 41 provided below the base 21, a track-shaped rail 42 for land sports provided on the upper surface of the base 41, and a plurality (ten in the example of FIG. 1) of second housing parts 43 supported by the rail 42 so as to be movable in one direction (clockwise in the example of FIG. 1) along the rail 42, and a detection sensor 44. The rail 42 has a portion disposed below the gap between the second conveyor 22 and the first conveyor 24. By moving the second housing part 43 along the rail 42, any one of the plurality of second housing parts 43 can be disposed in this portion. The second housing part 43 is composed of a box-shaped container with an open upper surface.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, when the first conveyor 24 on which a part of the workpiece 50A having the second length L2 obtained by processing by the processing device 10 is placed is driven in a state where the movable member 23 opens the gap between the second conveyor 22 and the first conveyor 24, the workpiece 50A falls downward from the above gap and is accommodated in the second housing part 43 located in the standby location below the gap between the second conveyor 22 and the first conveyor 24 and held here.

[0044] The detection sensor 44 is disposed near the standby location below the gap between the second conveyor 22 and the first conveyor 24. The detection sensor 44 is provided to detect whether any one of the second housing parts 43 has reached this standby location. Further, the detection sensor 44 is provided to identify the second housing part 43 that has reached this standby location. The detection sensor 44 is composed of, for example, a proximity sensor.

[0045] The second housing part 43 includes, for example, an identification metal plate provided in a pattern determined individually for each second housing part 43, and a position detection metal plate provided in common for all the second housing parts 43. When the detection sensor 44 detects the approach of the position detection metal plate provided on the second housing part 43, the detection sensor 44 outputs standby position arrival information indicating that the second housing part 43 has reached the above standby position. When the detection sensor 44 detects the approach of the identification metal plate provided on the second housing part 43, the detection sensor 44 outputs information corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the identification metal plate as identification information of the second housing part 43.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a block configuration of the processing system 100. The auxiliary device 20 further includes a first conveyor drive unit 24A that drives the first conveyor 24, a movable member drive unit 23A that drives the movable member 23, a second conveyor drive unit 22A that drives the second conveyor 22, a cylinder drive unit 26B that drives the cylinder 26, a second storage unit drive unit 42A that moves the second storage unit 43 along the rail 42, and a control unit 201 that performs overall control. The first conveyor drive unit 24A, the movable member drive unit 23A, the second conveyor drive unit 22A, the cylinder drive unit 26B, the second storage unit drive unit 42A, the second conveyor 22, the movable member 23, the first conveyor 24, and the cylinder 26 constitute a transport unit that transports the workpiece obtained by processing the object 50 by the processing device 10.

[0047] The control unit 201 includes a processor 202 such as a CPU (central processing unit) and a memory 203. The memory 203 stores programs and the like executed by the processor 202.

[0048] The processing device 10 is configured to be able to transmit information based on the processing pattern of the object 50 to the processor 202. The information based on the processing pattern of the object 50 is, for example, information specifying the transport destination of the workpiece obtained by processing with the processing pattern.

[0049] When the processor 202 acquires the information specifying the transport destination from the processing device 10, the processor 202 controls the first conveyor drive unit 24A, the movable member drive unit 23A, the second conveyor drive unit 22A, the cylinder drive unit 26B, and the second storage unit drive unit 42A so that the workpiece is transported to the specified transport destination (either the first storage unit 30 or one of the ten second storage units 43).

[0050] When the processor 202 acquires information designating the first storage unit 30 as the destination based on the first processing pattern, it controls the first conveyor drive unit 24A, the movable member drive unit 23A, the second conveyor drive unit 22A, the cylinder drive unit 26B, and the second storage unit drive unit 42A to convey the workpiece 50B to the first storage unit 30. Specifically, after the long workpiece 50B is generated, the processor 202 controls the movable member 23 to the first state shown in FIG. 2, activates the first conveyor 24 on which the workpiece 50B is partially placed, activates the second conveyor 22, and conveys the workpiece 50B until it abuts against the limit switch 25. Then, when the processor 202 detects that the limit switch 25 has been turned on, it activates the cylinder 26 to move the workpiece 50B to the first storage unit 30.

[0051] When the processor 202 acquires information designating a specific second storage unit 43 as the destination based on the second processing pattern, it controls the first conveyor drive unit 24A, the movable member drive unit 23A, the second conveyor drive unit 22A, the cylinder drive unit 26B, and the second storage unit drive unit 42A to convey the workpiece 50A to the specific second storage unit 43 determined based on that information among the ten second storage units 43. Specifically, the processor 202 drives the second storage unit drive unit 42A so that the second storage unit 43 in which the workpiece 50A is to be stored moves to the standby location based on the information output from the detection sensor 44. Then, after the short workpiece 50A is generated, the processor 202 controls the movable member 23 to the second state shown in FIG. 3, activates the first conveyor 24 on which the workpiece 50A is partially placed, and drops the workpiece 50A into the second storage unit 43 at the standby location.

[0052] Note that the information based on the processing pattern of the object 50 may be information indicating the content of the processing pattern.

[0053] In this case, when the processor 202 acquires, from the processing device 10, information indicating the content of the processing pattern as information based on the processing pattern of the object 50, based on that information, it determines to which of the first storage unit 30 and the ten second storage units 43 the processed object obtained after processing by the processing device 10 should be conveyed.

[0054] In the form in which the information on the processing pattern is transmitted from the processing device 10 to the processor 202, a data table associating the information on the processing pattern and the conveyance destination of the processed object is stored in the memory 203. For example, the information on the first processing pattern is stored in association with the first storage unit 30 as the conveyance destination, and the information on the second processing pattern is stored in association with any one of the second storage units 43 as the conveyance destination. When the processor 202 acquires the information on the processing pattern, it specifies the corresponding conveyance destination in the data table, and controls the first conveyor drive unit 24A, the movable member drive unit 23A, the second conveyor drive unit 22A, the cylinder drive unit 26B, and the second storage unit drive unit 42A so that the processed object is conveyed to the specified conveyance destination.

[0055] In this way, the long processed object 50B is conveyed to the first storage unit 30, and the short processed object 50A is conveyed to a specific second storage unit 43 provided at a position lower than the first storage unit 30, so that the upper and lower spaces can be effectively utilized, and the processed objects can be efficiently conveyed. Also, the installation space of the auxiliary device 20 can be reduced.

[0056] In the auxiliary device 20, a plurality of second storage units 43 are provided in the storage device 40, and their relative positions with respect to the processing device 10 are configured to be changeable. Therefore, the processed objects can be sorted and conveyed to three or more conveyance destinations, and it is possible to cope with the case where processing with various processing patterns is performed in a flow operation.

[0057] Note that the processor 202 may control to convey the remaining material obtained by cutting the object 50 (the remaining part of the object 50 other than the processed object 50A or the processed object 50B) to the first storage unit 30. For example, after the processed object obtained by cutting the object 50 is conveyed to a predetermined storage unit, the processing device 10 moves the holding member 13 in the direction X2 to the position where the remaining material is placed on the first conveyor 24, and releases the holding of the remaining material by the holding member 13. In this state, the processor 202 controls the movable member 23 to the first state shown in FIG. 2, activates the first conveyor 24 and the second conveyor 22, and conveys the remaining material until it abuts against the limit switch 25. Then, when the processor 202 detects that the limit switch 25 is turned on, it activates the cylinder 26 to move the remaining material to the first storage unit 30. In this way, since the remaining material can be conveyed to a predetermined location, the working efficiency when processing a large number of objects 50 in a flow operation can be improved. Note that the conveyance destination of the remaining material may also be changed according to its length. The processor 202 may control, for example, to convey long remaining materials to the first storage unit 30 and short remaining materials to the second storage unit 43 for the remaining materials.

[0058] The conveyance unit included in the auxiliary device 20 is not limited to the configuration described so far, and various configurations can be adopted. For example, the base 21, the second conveyor 22, the movable member 23, the limit switch 25, the cylinder 26, and the first storage unit 30 may be deleted, and the auxiliary device 20 may have only the storage device 40 as the conveyance unit. In this case, the processor 202 may control the second storage unit drive unit 42A so that the processed object obtained by processing in the processing pattern is conveyed to the second storage unit 43 determined according to the processing pattern (for example, the length of the processed object). Further, the rail 42 of the storage device 40 may be circular, or may be linear or curved with both ends not connected.

[0059] The housing device 40 is configured to move any one of the plurality of second housing portions 43 to a standby location, but it may also be configured to have only one second housing portion 43 provided at the standby location. Even in this case, the first housing portion 30 and this one second housing portion 43 can sort the two types of processed products generated by the two processing patterns.

[0060] The auxiliary device 20 may be configured to have, for example, a hand and an arm, and have a transport robot that moves these to transport an object as a transport unit. In this case, when the processor 202 determines one housing portion as a transport destination based on the information from the processing device 10, the transport robot may be controlled to transport the processed product to that housing portion. The configuration in this case is, for example, a configuration in which the movable member 23, the limit switch 25, the cylinder 26, the first housing portion 30, and the housing device 40 are deleted, and the first conveyor 24 and the second conveyor 22 are arranged close to each other. After the processed product is transported from the first conveyor 24 to the second conveyor 22, it is gripped by the transport robot and transported to a predetermined transport destination.

[0061] The auxiliary device 20 may be configured to have, for example, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) as a transport unit. In this case, when the processor 202 determines one housing portion as a transport destination based on the information from the processing device 10, the automated guided vehicle may be controlled to transport the processed product to that housing portion. The configuration in this case is, for example, a configuration in which the movable member 23, the second conveyor 22, the limit switch 25, the cylinder 26, the first housing portion 30, and the housing device 40 are deleted. The processed product is transported in the direction X2 by the first conveyor 24 and falls downward, and is housed in the automated guided vehicle waiting at the falling destination. Thereafter, the automated guided vehicle transports the processed product to the transport destination designated by the processor 202.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 10 Processing device 11, 21, 41 Base 11A Mounting surface 12 Guide member 13, 15 Holding member 14 Processing Unit 14A Cutting Edge 20 Auxiliary Device 22 Second Conveyor 22A Second Conveyor Driving Unit 23 Movable Member 23A Movable Member Driving Unit 24 First Conveyor 24A First Conveyor Driving Unit 25 Limit Switch 26 Cylinder 26A Sheet Material 26B Cylinder Driving Unit 30 First Storage Unit 43 Second Storage Unit 40 Storage Device 42 Rail 42A Second Storage Unit Driving Unit 44 Detection Sensor 50 Object 50A, 50B Workpiece 100 Processing System 201 Control Unit 202 Processor 203 Memory

Claims

1. An auxiliary device for a processing apparatus capable of performing machining on an object in a plurality of patterns, comprising: a conveying unit configured to convey a workpiece obtained by machining the object with the processing apparatus; a plurality of storage units capable of storing the workpiece conveyed by the conveying unit; a processor; wherein the processor acquires information based on the machining pattern of the object from the processing apparatus, and controls the conveying unit to convey the workpiece obtained by machining the object in the machining pattern to any one of the plurality of storage units based on the information.

2. The auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of patterns include a first machining pattern for cutting a long object to obtain a workpiece having a first length, and a second machining pattern for cutting the long object to obtain a workpiece having a second length different from the first length, and when the processor acquires information based on the first machining pattern, the processor controls the conveying unit to convey the workpiece to a first storage unit among the plurality of storage units, and when the processor acquires information based on the second machining pattern, the processor controls the conveying unit to convey the workpiece to a second storage unit different from the first storage unit among the plurality of storage units.

3. The auxiliary device according to claim 2, wherein the first storage unit and the second storage unit are provided at different positions in the vertical direction.

4. The auxiliary device according to claim 3, wherein the first length is greater than the second length, and the first storage unit is provided at a higher position in the vertical direction than the second storage unit.

5. The auxiliary device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the conveying unit includes a first conveyor on which the workpiece can be placed, a second conveyor provided downstream of the first conveyor in the conveying direction and spaced apart therefrom, and a movable member capable of switching between a first state in which a gap between the first conveyor and the second conveyor is closed and a second state in which the gap is opened, wherein the first storage unit is provided adjacent to the second conveyor, and the second storage unit is provided below the gap. When the processor acquires information based on the first processing pattern, it controls the movable member to the first state, operates the first conveyor and the second conveyor, and conveys the workpiece to the first storage unit. When the processor acquires information based on the second processing pattern, it controls the movable member to the second state, operates the first conveyor, and drops the workpiece from the gap into the second storage unit. An auxiliary device.

6. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of storage units include a first storage unit and a second storage unit provided at different positions in the vertical direction. An auxiliary device.

7. The auxiliary device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the second storage units are provided and are configured to be able to change the relative position with respect to the processing device. An auxiliary device.

8. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing device has a placement surface on which the object is placed during processing, and the plurality of storage units are provided below the placement surface and are configured to be able to change the relative position with respect to the processing device. An auxiliary device.

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