Cutting machine

Abstract

To appropriately hold a cutting object in a holding device.SOLUTION: A holding device 66 holds a cutting object 5. A position of the cutting object 5 relative to the holding device 66 when another end portion 8b of the cutting object 5 comes into contact with a first arm 101 and a second arm 102 is defined as a reference position P10. A control device 150 of a cutting machine 100 comprises: a first movement control unit 168 that, when the cutting object 5 is placed at the reference position P10, moves the holding device 66 relative to the cutting object 5 by a predetermined movement amount V1 to the other side in a first direction D1 so that the second arm 102 and the cutting object 5 do not overlap in a plan view; and a second movement control unit 169 that moves the holding device 66 relative to the cutting object 5 by the movement amount V1 to one side in the first direction D1 after the control by the first movement control unit 168.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting machine. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cutting machine that includes a C-shaped clamp that holds the workpiece 5 during cutting, a transport unit that transports the workpiece toward the clamp, and a case body with an internal space that houses the clamp and transport unit. The transport unit includes a pair of hooks that grip and transport the workpiece. In the cutting machine, the workpiece gripped by the pair of hooks is transported so that it fits into the clamp, allowing the clamp to hold the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-89763 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described cutting machine, the internal space of the case body may be tilted downward toward the rear. Therefore, the clamp and the conveying unit may be tilted downward toward the rear, following the internal space. Even if the holding device, such as the clamp, is tilted in this way, it is preferable to properly attach the workpiece to the holding device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting machine that can properly hold a workpiece in a holding device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a cutting machine that includes a holding device that holds a workpiece during cutting, a movement mechanism that moves the holding device in a first direction relative to the workpiece not held by the holding device, and a control device. The first direction is a direction that slopes downward from one side to the other. The holding device includes a first arm that extends in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, a second arm that is arranged alongside the first arm along the first direction on the other side of the first arm in the first direction, extends in the second direction, and is capable of sandwiching the workpiece together with the first arm, a first guide portion that is provided on one side of the first arm in the second direction and guides the movement of the workpiece, and a second guide portion that is provided on one side of the second arm in the second direction and guides the movement of the workpiece. The first arm has a first placement portion located on one side of the first guide portion in the second direction. The second arm has a second placement portion located on one side of the second guide portion in the second direction. A reference position is a position of the workpiece relative to the holding device when an end of the workpiece on the other side in the second direction comes into contact with the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion from one side in the second direction. The control device includes a first movement control unit that moves the holding device a predetermined movement amount relative to the workpiece in the other side in the first direction so that the second arm and the workpiece do not overlap in a plan view when the workpiece is placed at the reference position, and a second movement control unit that moves the holding device by the movement amount relative to the workpiece in the one side in the first direction after control by the first movement control unit.

[0007] With the cutting machine, for example, when the workpiece is positioned at the reference position, the end of the workpiece on the other side in the first direction may ride up on the second arm. Even in such a case, the first movement control unit moves the holding device to the other side in the first direction relative to the workpiece so that the workpiece does not overlap with the second arm in a plan view, thereby releasing the workpiece from riding up on the second arm. Therefore, by releasing the workpiece from riding up on the second arm, the second movement control unit moves the holding device to one side in the first direction relative to the workpiece, allowing the workpiece to be properly held by the holding device between the first arm and the second arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cutting machine that can properly hold a workpiece on a holding device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cutting machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view equivalent to FIG. 1, showing the cutting machine with the door open. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a stocker and a conveying device. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the cutting device with the cover open. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tool magazine, a rotary support member, and a holding device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the holding device when not holding an object to be cut. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a holding device that holds an object to be cut. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view of the holding device taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cutting machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 is a front view schematically showing a holding device in a reference position and an object to be cut held by a holding hook. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for mounting an object to be cut on a holding device. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a holding device in an inclined position. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the holding device is in an inclined position and the workpiece is placed at a reference position. [Figure 17] 10 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the attitude of the holding device is a reference attitude and the workpiece is placed at a reference position. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which the workpiece is placed at a reference position. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing the state after the holding device has moved rearward by a movement amount relative to the workpiece. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for removing the workpiece held by the holding device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, one embodiment disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described here is not intended to particularly limit the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cutting machine 100 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the side away from the cutting machine 100 when viewed from the front of the cutting machine 100 is referred to as the front, and the side approaching the cutting machine 100 is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the left, right, top, and bottom of the cutting machine 100 refer to the left, right, top, and bottom of the cutting machine 100 when viewed from the front of the cutting machine 100. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings refer to the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom of the cutting machine 100, respectively. The cutting machine 100 is arranged in an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system.

[0012] Here, the X-axis direction D1 is the front-to-rear direction. The X-axis direction D1 is inclined at a predetermined angle from the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction D1 is inclined downward toward the rear. The predetermined angle by which the X-axis direction D1 is inclined is not particularly limited, but is 5 to 45 degrees, preferably 10 to 30 degrees, for example, 20 degrees. The Y-axis direction D2 is the left-to-right direction. Here, the left side of the Y-axis direction D2 is referred to as "one side." The right side of the Y-axis direction D2 is referred to as "the other side." The Z-axis direction D3 is the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the Z-axis direction D3 is inclined at a predetermined angle from the vertical direction. However, the Z-axis direction D3 may also be vertical. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction D1 is an example of a first direction. The Y-axis direction D2 is an example of a second direction. The above-mentioned directions are merely defined for convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation mode of the cutting machine 100 or the present invention in any way.

[0013] The cutting machine 100 cuts a workpiece 5 (see FIG. 2 ) to produce an object. The type of the object is not particularly limited, but examples include dental molded products such as crown prostheses, artificial teeth, and denture bases. Examples of crown prostheses include crowns, bridges, copings, inlays, onlays, veneers, and custom abutments. In this embodiment, the cutting machine 100 is used in the dental field and produces dental molded products from the workpiece 5. However, the field in which the cutting machine 100 is used is not limited to the dental field.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the workpiece 5. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the workpiece 5. The workpiece 5 is, for example, plate-shaped. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the workpiece 5 includes a workpiece body 6 and an adapter 7. The workpiece body 6 is machined by a cutting machine 100. Here, the workpiece body 6 is machined to produce an object such as a dental molded product. That is, the object is manufactured from the workpiece body 6. Here, the workpiece body 6 is disk-shaped. The workpiece body 6 is formed from various materials, such as resin materials such as PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate resin), PEEK (polyetheretherketone resin), hybrid resin, and glass fiber reinforced resin; ceramic materials such as glass ceramics and zirconia; metal materials such as cobalt chromium sintered metal; wax; and gypsum. When zirconia is used as the material for the workpiece body 6, semi-sintered zirconia is preferable. However, the shape and material of the body 6 to be cut are not particularly limited.

[0015] The adapter 7 is attached to the body 6 to be cut. The adapter 7 supports the body 6 to be cut. The adapter 7 has a fitting hole 7a formed therein that is shaped (circular in this case) along the outer edge of the body 6 to be cut in a plan view. The body 6 to be cut is attached to the adapter 7 by fitting into the fitting hole 7a. Note that in this embodiment, the adapter 7 and the body 6 to be cut are separate bodies, but they may also be formed integrally.

[0016] In the following description of the workpiece 5, the orientation of the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 (see FIG. 6) of the transport device 30, which will be described later, is used as the reference. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the workpiece 5 has one end 8a and the other end 8b. The one end 8a constitutes the end of the workpiece 5 on one side (here, the left side) in the Y-axis direction D2. The other end 8b constitutes the end of the workpiece 5 on the other side (here, the right side) in the Y-axis direction D2. The other end 8b is the end opposite to the one end 8a in the Y-axis direction D2.

[0017] The workpiece 5 has a first engagement recess 9a and a second engagement recess 9b. The first engagement recess 9a and the second engagement recess 9b are formed at one end 8a of the workpiece 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the first engagement recess 9a is formed at the front end of the workpiece 5 at one end 8a and is recessed from the front end toward the rear. As shown in FIG. 2, the second engagement recess 9b is formed at the rear end of the workpiece 5 at one end 8a and is recessed from the rear end toward the front. The first engagement recess 9a and the second engagement recess 9b are shaped to be line-symmetrical with respect to a central axis A2 that passes through the center of the X-axis direction D1 of the workpiece 5 and extends in the Y-axis direction D2. In this embodiment, the first engagement recess 9a and the second engagement recess 9b are formed in the adapter 7. However, the first engagement recess 9a and the second engagement recess 9b may also be formed in the workpiece body 6.

[0018] The workpiece 5 has a first guide protrusion 9c and a second guide protrusion 9d. The first guide protrusion 9c is formed at the front end of the workpiece 5 and extends in the Y-axis direction D2. The first guide protrusion 9c protrudes forward from the front end of the workpiece 5. The second guide protrusion 9d is formed at the rear end of the workpiece 5 and extends in the Y-axis direction D2. The second guide protrusion 9d protrudes rearward from the rear end of the workpiece 5. The first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d extend in the Y-axis direction D2, for example, from one end 8a to the other end 8b of the workpiece 5. The first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d are shaped symmetrically with respect to the central axis A2 of the workpiece 5. Here, the first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d are formed on the adapter 7, but they may also be formed on the workpiece body 6. In this embodiment, the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 includes the end on the other side (here, the right side) of the first guide protrusion 9c in the Y-axis direction D2 and the end on the other side of the second guide protrusion 9d in the Y-axis direction D2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , the workpiece 5 has a first fitted portion 9e and a second fitted portion 9f. The first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f are formed at the other end 8b of the workpiece 5. The first fitted portion 9e is formed at the front of the other end 8b of the workpiece 5. The second fitted portion 9f is formed at the rear of the other end 8b of the workpiece 5, and is disposed behind the first fitted portion 9e. The first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f are recessed from the right end to the left. The first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f are shaped to be line-symmetrical with respect to the central axis A2 of the workpiece 5. In this embodiment, the first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f are formed on the adapter 7, but they may also be formed on the workpiece body 6.

[0020] 1, the cutting machine 100 is a cutting machine with a so-called disc changer. The cutting machine 100 includes a storage device 10, a transport device 30 (see FIG. 6), a cutting device 60, and a control device 150.

[0021] 4 is a view equivalent to FIG. 1 and is a perspective view showing a state in which the door 12 of the cutting machine 100 is open. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage device 10 is a device that stores a plurality of workpieces 5. The storage device 10 is configured so that a plurality of workpieces 5 can be stored therein. The storage device 10 includes a storage case main body 11, a door 12, and a stocker 13.

[0022] The storage case body 11 is formed in a box shape and has an internal space. A stocker 13 is disposed in the internal space of the storage case body 11. An opening 17 is formed in the front of the storage case body 11. This opening 17 connects the internal space of the storage case body 11 with the outside. The door 12 is provided so as to be able to open and close the opening 17 of the storage case body 11. Here, the door 12 is supported by the storage case body 11. The door 12 is configured to be rotatable, for example, around a right end portion 12a (see FIG. 1) as an axis.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the stocker 13 is attached to the inner wall of the door 12. The stocker 13 includes a stocker main body 21 and a plurality of storage sections 22 provided in the stocker main body 21. The stocker main body 21 is box-shaped and extends in the Z-axis direction D3. A transport hole 23 is formed in the wall surface of the stocker main body 21, connecting the internal space of the storage case main body 11 with the internal space of a cutting case main body 61 of the cutting device 60, which will be described later. When the door 12 is closed and the opening 17 is closed, the transport hole 23 is open toward the cutting device 60.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the multiple storage sections 22 are arranged in a straight line in the Z-axis direction D3. Each of the multiple storage sections 22 has a space inside. One workpiece 5 is stored in one storage section 22. The number of storage sections 22 that the stocker 13 has is not particularly limited, but here there are six. Therefore, six workpieces 5 can be stored in the stocker 13. However, the number and arrangement positions of the storage sections 22 are not particularly limited.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a front view schematically illustrating the stocker 13 and the transport device 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the transport device 30 selects one workpiece 5 from among the multiple workpieces 5 stored in the stocker 13 and transports the selected workpiece 5 to the cutting device 60 (see FIG. 1). The transport device 30 also transports the workpiece 5 cut by the cutting device 60 to the stocker 13 of the storage device 10. The transport device 30 is a device that realizes a so-called auto-disk changer (an automatic exchange mechanism for the workpieces 5), which can automatically exchange multiple workpieces 5. The transport device 30 is configured to remove the workpiece 5 stored in the storage section 22 of the stocker 13 from the stocker 13 and transport it to the cutting device 60. The transport device 30 is configured to store the workpiece 5 removed from the cutting device 60 in the storage section 22 of the stocker 13.

[0026] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the transport device 30. Fig. 6 shows a state in which the workpiece 5 is gripped by the transport device 30. As shown in Fig. 6, the transport device 30 includes a transport body 31, a gripping hook 32, a first transport mechanism 37, and a second transport mechanism 38.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the transfer body 31 is disposed, for example, in the space inside the storage case body 11 of the storage device 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer body 31 has a plate-shaped first transfer body 31a and a box-shaped second transfer body 31b. The first transfer body 31a is configured to be movable in the Y-axis direction D2. Here, the first transfer body 31a is provided with a first shaft 41 and a second shaft 42 that protrude upward. The first shaft 41 and the second shaft 42 are disposed to face each other in the X-axis direction D1. The first shaft 41 is disposed in front of the second shaft 42. The second transfer body 31b is configured to be able to accommodate the first transfer body 31a.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the gripping hook 32 is configured to pinch and grip the workpiece 5. The gripping hook 32 has a first hook 32a, a second hook 32b, a first spring 34, and a second spring 35. The first hook 32a and the second hook 32b are configured to pinch and grip the workpiece 5 in the X-axis direction D1. The first hook 32a and the second hook 32b are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction D1. Here, the first hook 32a and the second hook 32b can pinch one end 8a (here, the left end) of the workpiece 5 in the Y-axis direction D2. The first hook 32a is arranged in front of the second hook 32b.

[0029] The first hook 32a is supported by a first shaft 41 and is rotatable around the first shaft 41. The tip end (here, the right end) of the first hook 32a engages with a first engagement recess 9a of the workpiece 5. The second hook 32b is supported by a second shaft 42 and is rotatable around the second shaft 42. The tip end (here, the right end) of the second hook 32b engages with a second engagement recess 9b of the workpiece 5.

[0030] In this embodiment, as described above, the X-axis direction D1 is inclined downward toward the rear (hereinafter also referred to as a rearward and downward inclination). Therefore, the conveyance device 30 is inclined rearward and downward. Here, of the first hook 32a and the second hook 32b arranged side by side in the X-axis direction D1, the second hook 32b is arranged at a lower position than the first hook 32a. The conveyance main body 31 is inclined rearward and downward.

[0031] The first spring 34 applies an elastic force to the first hook 32a. The first spring 34 applies an elastic force in a direction in which the tip of the first hook 32a moves toward the second hook 32b. The second spring 35 applies an elastic force to the second hook 32b. The second spring 35 applies an elastic force in a direction in which the tip of the second hook 32b moves toward the first hook 32a. In this embodiment, the first hook 32a and the second hook 32b clamp and grip one end 8a of the workpiece 5 using the first spring 34 and the second spring 35, respectively. However, the mechanism of the gripping hook 32 described here is merely an example, and the configuration of the gripping hook 32 is not particularly limited. The gripping hook 32 may be configured to grip the workpiece 5, for example, by electrical control.

[0032] The first transport mechanism 37 is a mechanism that transports the transport body 31 and the gripping hooks 32 in the Z-axis direction D3. As shown in FIG. 5, the first transport mechanism 37 is disposed inside the storage case body 11 of the storage device 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the first transport mechanism 37 includes a pair of first rails 37a and a first drive motor 37b. The pair of first rails 37a are disposed so as to face each other in the X-axis direction D1. As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of first rails 37a extend in the Z-axis direction D3. The pair of first rails 37a face each other in the Y-axis direction D2 with the stocker 13 of the storage device 10.

[0033] The conveying body 31 (more specifically, the second conveying body 31b) is slidably mounted on the pair of first rails 37a. As shown in FIG. 6, the conveying body 31 is disposed between the pair of first rails 37a. The first drive motor 37b is a motor that moves the conveying body 31 and the gripping hook 32 in the Z-axis direction D3. Here, the first drive motor 37b is connected to the conveying body 31 (more specifically, the second conveying body 31b), and moves the conveying body 31 in the Z-axis direction D3 along the pair of first rails 37a, thereby moving the gripping hook 32 in the Z-axis direction D3. However, the configuration of the first conveying mechanism 37 is not particularly limited, and the first conveying mechanism 37 may be a so-called ball screw mechanism.

[0034] The second transport mechanism 38 transports the first transport body 31a and the gripping hook 32 in the Y-axis direction D2. The second transport mechanism 38 transports the workpiece 5 to the cutting device 60 (see FIG. 4) through a transport hole 23 (see FIG. 5) formed in the stocker body 21. As shown in FIG. 6, the second transport mechanism 38 includes a pair of second rails 38a and a second drive motor 38b. The pair of second rails 38a are rails that are extendable and retractable in the Y-axis direction D2. The pair of second rails 38a are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction D1. The second rails 38a include a fixed rail 39a, a movable rail 39b, and an intermediate rail 39c.

[0035] The fixed rail 39a is fixed to the second transport body 31b. The intermediate rail 39c connects the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b and is disposed between the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b. The intermediate rail 39c is provided so as to be slidable relative to the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b. However, the configuration of the second transport mechanism 38 is not particularly limited. The first transport body 31a and the gripping hook 32 are disposed between the pair of movable rails 39b. Here, the first transport body 31a is fixed to the pair of movable rails 39b.

[0036] The second drive motor 38b is a motor that moves the first conveying body 31a and the gripping hook 32 of the conveying body 31 in the Y-axis direction D2. The second drive motor 38b is connected to the first conveying body 31a. However, the second drive motor 38b may also be connected to a pair of second rails 38a. In this case, the driving of the second drive motor 38b changes the distance between the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b. For example, when the distance between the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b widens, the first conveying body 31a mounted on the movable rail 39b and the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 are transported to the cutting device 60 through the transport hole 23 (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, when the distance between the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b narrows and the fixed rail 39a and the movable rail 39b overlap, the first conveying body 31a and the gripping hook 32 are housed within the second conveying body 31b.

[0037] Next, a cutting device 60 shown in Fig. 1 will be described. The cutting device 60 cuts the workpiece 5 (more specifically, the workpiece body 6) (see Fig. 2). The cutting device 60 is formed integrally with the storage device 10. A portion of the cutting device 60 communicates with the storage device 10. The configuration of the cutting device 60 is not particularly limited.

[0038] Fig. 7 is a front view showing the cutting device 60. Fig. 7 shows a state in which the cover 62 is open. As shown in Fig. 7, the cutting device 60 includes a cutting case main body 61, a cover 62, a spindle 63, a tool magazine 64, a rotation support member 65, a holding device 66 (see Fig. 8), and a rotation mechanism 68 (see Fig. 8).

[0039] The cutting case body 61 is formed in a box shape and has a space inside. An opening 67 is formed in the front of the cutting case body 61. The space inside the cutting case body 61 communicates with the outside through the opening 67. The cover 62 is provided so as to be able to open and close the opening 67. Here, the cover 62 is supported by the cutting case body 61 so as to be slidable in the Z-axis direction D3.

[0040] The spindle 63 rotates the cutting tool 8. The spindle 63 rotates the cutting tool 8 and brings it into contact with the workpiece 5 (more specifically, the workpiece body 6) (see FIG. 2), thereby cutting the workpiece 5. The cutting tool 8 is rod-shaped and has a cutting tool portion at the bottom. The cutting tool 8 includes a tool for cutting the workpiece 5 and a tool for polishing the workpiece 5.

[0041] 7, the spindle 63 has a tool gripping portion 71 and a tool rotating portion 72. The tool gripping portion 71 is configured to be able to grip the upper end portion of the cutting tool 8. The tool gripping portion 71 is, for example, a collet chuck.

[0042] The tool rotation unit 72 rotates the cutting tool 8 held by the tool holding unit 71. The tool rotation unit 72 is provided at the upper end of the tool holding unit 71 and is fixed to the tool holding unit 71. The tool rotation unit 72 extends in the Z-axis direction D3. A third drive motor 72a (see FIG. 12) is connected to the tool rotation unit 72. When the third drive motor 72a is driven, the tool rotation unit 72 rotates around the Z-axis. As the tool rotation unit 72 rotates, the cutting tool 8 held by the tool holding unit 71 rotates around the Z-axis. As a result, the cutting tool 8 rotates about a central axis extending in the Z-axis direction D3. Although not shown in the figure, the tool rotation unit 72 is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction D1 and the Y-axis direction D2 by a first drive mechanism.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the tool magazine 64, the rotation support member 65, and the holding device 66. As shown in FIG. 8, the tool magazine 64 is capable of accommodating a plurality of cutting tools 8. The tool magazine 64 is formed in a box shape. Here, a plurality of holes 81 for accommodating the cutting tools 8 are formed in the upper surface of the tool magazine 64. The cutting tools 8 are inserted into the holes 81 with their upper portions exposed. When replacing the cutting tools 8, the cutting tools 8 held by the tool gripping portion 71 (see FIG. 7) are returned to the holes 81. Then, the tool gripping portion 71 is moved to a position above the next cutting tool 8 to be used, and the tool gripping portion 71 grips the upper end of the cutting tool 8 positioned below the tool gripping portion 71.

[0044] In this embodiment, the tool magazine 64 is provided with a rotation shaft 83 that rotatably supports the rotation support member 65. The rotation shaft 83 extends in the Y-axis direction D2 and is connected to the rotation support member 65. Here, the rotation shaft 83 extends leftward from the left surface of the tool magazine 64. Although not shown, the tool magazine 64 is provided with a second drive mechanism. The rotation shaft 83 is rotated around the Y-axis by the second drive mechanism. The rotation of the rotation shaft 83 around the Y-axis causes the rotation support member 65 to rotate around the Y-axis.

[0045] The rotation support member 65 rotatably supports the holding device 66. There are no particular limitations on the shape or configuration of the rotation support member 65. In this embodiment, the rotation support member 65 is formed in a substantially U-shape in a plan view. The rotation support member 65 is connected to the rotation shaft 83. The rotation support member 65 includes a first portion 91 extending in the X-axis direction D1, a second portion 92 extending leftward from the rear end of the first portion 91, and a third portion 93 extending leftward from the front end of the first portion 91. The holding device 66 is supported by the second portion 92 and the third portion 93 so as to be rotatable around the X-axis.

[0046] 9 and 10 are plan views showing the holding device 66. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the holding device 66 is not holding the workpiece 5. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the holding device 66 is holding the workpiece 5. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the holding device 66 taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 10. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the holding device 66 detachably holds the workpiece 5. Here, the holding device 66 holds the workpiece 5 to be cut during cutting. The holding device 66 is a so-called clamp.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the holding device 66 includes a first arm 101, a second arm 102, and a connecting portion 103. The first arm 101 and the second arm 102 extend in the Y-axis direction D2. The second arm 102 is disposed to face the first arm 101 in the X-axis direction D1. Here, the second arm 102 is aligned with the first arm 101 in the X-axis direction D1 but spaced apart from it. The second arm 102 is disposed behind the first arm 101. The first arm 101 and the second arm 102 are parallel to each other. The connecting portion 103 connects the first arm 101 and the second arm 102. The connecting portion 103 extends in the X-axis direction D1. The front end of the connecting portion 103 is connected to the right end of the first arm 101, and the rear end of the connecting portion 103 is connected to the right end of the second arm 102. Here, a substantially C-shape is formed by the first arm 101, the second arm 102, and the connecting portion 103. The first arm 101 and the second arm 102 are configured to be line-symmetrical with respect to the central axis A1 of the holding device 66 extending in the Y-axis direction D2. In other words, the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 are identical except that they are alternated with respect to the X-axis direction D1.

[0048] In this embodiment, as described above, the X-axis direction D1 is inclined downward toward the rear. Therefore, the holding device 66 is inclined backward and downward. Here, the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction D1, and the second arm 102 is arranged at a lower position than the first arm 101. The connecting portion 103 extending in the X-axis direction D1 is inclined backward and downward.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 11, the first arm 101 has a first guide groove 105 that engages with the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5, and a first guide pin 111. The first guide groove 105 is formed by the first arm 101 (here, the upper surface of the first arm 101) and the first guide pin 111. As shown in FIG. 9, the first guide pin 111 is provided at one end of the first arm 101 in the Y-axis direction D2 (here, the tip end (in other words, the left end) of the first arm 101). The first guide pin 111 is an example of a first guide portion. As shown in FIG. 11, the first guide pin 111 has a first shaft portion 111a extending upward from the upper surface of the first arm 101 and a first head portion 111b provided at the upper end of the first shaft portion 111a. The first head portion 111b has a larger diameter than the first shaft portion 111a. The first head 111b may be, for example, a roller and may be configured to be rotatable. In this embodiment, a first guide groove 105 is formed between the upper surface of the first arm 101 and the first head 111b. The first guide pin 111 guides the movement of the workpiece 5 between the first head 111b and the first arm 101 (more specifically, the movement of the workpiece 5 in the Y-axis direction D2).

[0050] The second arm 102 has a second guide groove 106 that engages with the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5, and a second guide pin 112. The second guide groove 106 is formed by the second arm 102 (here, the upper surface of the second arm 102) and the second guide pin 112. As shown in FIG. 9, the second guide pin 112 is provided at one end of the second arm 102 in the Y-axis direction D2 (here, the tip end (in other words, the left end) of the second arm 102). The second guide pin 112 is an example of a second guide portion. As shown in FIG. 11, the second guide pin 112 has a second shaft portion 112a extending upward from the upper surface of the second arm 102 and a second head portion 112b provided at the upper end of the second shaft portion 112a. The second head portion 112b has a larger diameter than the second shaft portion 112a. The second head 112b may be, for example, a roller and may be configured to be rotatable. In this embodiment, a second guide groove 106 is formed between the upper surface of the second arm 102 and the second head 112b. The second guide pin 112 is located between the second head 112b and the second arm 102 and guides movement of the workpiece 5 in the Y-axis direction D2.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106 are both formed to face the inside of the holding device 66. In other words, the first guide groove 105 faces the second arm 102 side. The second guide groove 106 faces the first arm 101 side. The first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106 face each other.

[0052] 9, the first arm 101 has a first mounting portion 101a located on one side (here, the left side) of the first guide pin 111 in the Y-axis direction D2. The first mounting portion 101a is located to the left of the first guide pin 111. Similarly, the second arm 102 has a second mounting portion 102a located on one side of the second guide pin 112 in the Y-axis direction D2. The second mounting portion 102a is located to the left of the second guide pin 112. Here, the upper surfaces of the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a are not so-called chamfered but are flat surfaces extending in the Y-axis direction D2. The upper surfaces of the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a are surfaces that extend linearly. In other words, the upper and lower surfaces of the first mounting portion 101a are parallel to each other, and the upper and lower surfaces of the second mounting portion 102a are parallel to each other.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the holding device 66 includes a first fitting portion 121 and a second fitting portion 122. As shown in FIG. 10 , the first fitting portion 121 is a portion that fits with the first fitted portion 9e of the workpiece 5 to position the workpiece 5 and the holding device 66. The second fitting portion 122 is a portion that fits with the second fitted portion 9f of the workpiece 5 to position the workpiece 5 and the holding device 66. Here, the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 are provided on the connecting portion 103. The first fitting portion 121 is configured to fit with the first fitted portion 9e of the workpiece 5 when the workpiece 5 engages with the first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106 and abuts against the connecting portion 103. The second fitting portion 122 is configured to fit with the second fitting portion 9f of the workpiece 5 when the workpiece 5 engages with the first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106 and abuts against the connecting portion 103.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9 , the first fitting portion 121 is provided at the front of the connecting portion 103. The second fitting portion 122 is provided at the rear of the connecting portion 103. The second fitting portion 122 is configured symmetrically to the first fitting portion 121 with respect to the central axis A1 of the connecting portion 103 extending in the Y-axis direction D2, and has a similar configuration to the first fitting portion 121. The first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 are, for example, rollers provided on the upper surface of the connecting portion 103. Parts of the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 protrude leftward from the connecting portion 103. As shown in FIG. 10 , the portion of the first fitting portion 121 protruding leftward from the connecting portion 103 fits into the first fitted portion 9e of the workpiece 5. The portion of the second fitting portion 122 protruding leftward from the connecting portion 103 fits into the second fitted portion 9f of the workpiece 5. In this embodiment, when the workpiece 5 engages with the first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106, and is fitted into the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 and abuts against the connecting portion 103, the workpiece 5 is held between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 of the transport device 30 is transported by the transport device 30 and held by the holding device 66 as shown in Fig. 10. When the workpiece 5 fits into the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 of the holding device 66 and is sandwiched between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102, the holding device 66 is configured to fix and hold the position of the workpiece 5. Therefore, when the transport device 30 transports the gripping hook 32, for example, to the left, while the gripping hook 32 is gripping the workpiece 5 and the holding device 66 is holding the workpiece 5, the workpiece 5 is removed from the gripping hook 32.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation mechanism 68 is a mechanism that rotates the holding device 66. Here, the rotation mechanism 68 rotates the holding device 66 around a rotation axis extending in the X-axis direction D1 (i.e., around the X-axis). The configuration of the rotation mechanism 68 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 68 includes a first rotation shaft 68a, a second rotation shaft 68b, and a fourth drive motor 68c. The first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b extend in the X-axis direction D1. The first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction D1. The first rotation shaft 68a is connected to the first arm 101. Here, one end of the first rotation shaft 68a is connected to the front surface of the first arm 101 (for example, the central portion of the first arm 101 in the Y-axis direction D2), and the other end of the first rotation shaft 68a is connected to the third portion 93 of the rotation support member 65 (see FIG. 8). The second rotating shaft 68b is connected to the second arm 102. Here, one end of the second rotating shaft 68b is connected to the rear surface of the second arm 102 (for example, the central portion of the second arm 102 in the Y-axis direction D2), and the other end of the second rotating shaft 68b is connected to the second portion 92 (see FIG. 8) of the rotation support member 65. In this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 68a and the second rotating shaft 68b are examples of the rotating shafts of the present invention.

[0057] The fourth drive motor 68c rotates the holding device 66 around the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b. The fourth drive motor 68c is an example of a drive unit of the present invention. In this embodiment, the fourth drive motor 68c is connected to, for example, the first rotation shaft 68a. However, the fourth drive motor 68c may also be connected to the second rotation shaft 68b. Here, when the fourth drive motor 68c is driven, the first rotation shaft 68a rotates around the X-axis. As a result, the holding device 66 connected to the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b rotates around the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b.

[0058] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the cutting machine 100 includes an X-axis movement mechanism 95. The X-axis movement mechanism 95 moves the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the transport device 30 (in other words, the workpiece 5 held by the transport device 30). The X-axis movement mechanism 95 is a mechanism that changes the relative positional relationship between the transport device 30 and the holding device 66. In this embodiment, the X-axis movement mechanism 95 moves the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the transport device 30. The X-axis movement mechanism 95 is a mechanism that moves the tool magazine 64 and the rotation support member 65 together with the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1. However, the X-axis movement mechanism 95 may be configured to move the workpiece 5 held by the transport device 30 in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the holding device 66. The configuration of the X-axis movement mechanism 95 is not particularly limited. Although not shown here, the X-axis movement mechanism 95 includes a rail extending in the X-axis direction D1, a drive motor, and the like. The holding device 66 is engaged with the rail via other members, etc. When driven by the drive motor, the holding device 66 is configured to be movable along the rail in the X-axis direction D1. In this embodiment, the X-axis moving mechanism 95 is an example of a moving mechanism.

[0059] The control device 150 shown in Fig. 1 is a device that controls the cutting of the workpiece 5. The control device 150 is made up of a microcomputer and is provided inside the cutting machine 100. The control device 150 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM that stores programs to be executed by the CPU, and a RAM. Here, the control device 150 controls the cutting of the workpiece 5 using the programs stored in the microcomputer.

[0060] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a cutting machine 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, a control device 150 is communicatively connected to the transfer device 30 and the cutting device 60. Here, the control device 150 is communicatively connected to the first transfer mechanism 37 (specifically, the first drive motor 37b) of the transfer device 30, the second transfer mechanism 38 (specifically, the second drive motor 38b) of the transfer device 30, the spindle 63 (specifically, the third drive motor 72a connected to the tool rotation unit 72) of the cutting device 60, and the rotation mechanism 68 (specifically, the fourth drive motor 68c) of the cutting device 60. The control device 150 controls the first transfer mechanism 37 to control the movement of the transfer device 30 (specifically, the gripping hook 32) in the Z-axis direction D3. The control device 150 controls the second transfer mechanism 38 to control the movement of the transfer device 30 (specifically, the gripping hook 32) in the Y-axis direction D2. The control device 150 controls the spindle 63 to control the rotation of the cutting tool 8 held by the tool holding part 71. The control device 150 also controls the rotation mechanism 68 to control the rotation of the holding device 66 about the X-axis. In this embodiment, the control device 150 is communicatively connected to the X-axis movement mechanism 95. The control device 150 controls the X-axis movement mechanism 95 to control the relative movement of the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 with respect to the workpiece 5 held by the transfer device 30.

[0061] The configuration of the cutting machine 100 according to this embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, the holding device 66 holds the workpiece 5 transported by the transport device 30, and cutting is performed on the workpiece 5 held by the holding device 66. When cutting is completed, the workpiece 5 held by the holding device 66 is removed from the holding device 66 by the transport device 30 and transported to the storage device 10. In this way, the workpiece 5 is attached to and detached from the holding device 66 by the transport device 30.

[0062] FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing the holding device 66 in the reference position P1 and the workpiece 5 held by the gripping hook 32. When the holding device 66 is viewed from the front in FIG. 13 and in FIGS. 15 to 17 described later, the second arm 102 is positioned behind the first arm 101, and therefore the second arm 102 overlaps and is hidden by the first arm 101. Therefore, the reference position P1 is omitted in FIGS. 13 and 15 to 17. In the following description, the position of the holding device 66 in which the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 extend in the Y-axis direction D2, as shown in FIG. 13, is referred to as the reference position P1. When the holding device 66 is in the reference position P1, the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 are parallel to and not tilted from a plane extending in the X-axis direction D1 and the Y-axis direction D2. In the following description, the state in which the workpiece 5 is held by the holding device 66 will also be referred to as the workpiece 5 being attached to the holding device 66.

[0063] In this embodiment, with the attitude of the holding device 66 being in the reference attitude P1, the workpiece 5 is attached to the holding device 66 or detached from the holding device 66. For example, when the workpiece 5 is attached to the holding device 66, the workpiece 5 is held by the holding device 66 by being transported by the transport device 30 from one side in the Y-axis direction D2 (here, the left side) toward the holding device 66.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 13 , when the workpiece 5 is gripped by the gripping hook 32 of the transport device 30, one end 8a of the workpiece 5 is clamped. Therefore, due to the weight of the workpiece 5, the workpiece 5 may tilt so that the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 is lower than the one end 8a. Note that in FIG. 13 , the tilt angle of the workpiece 5 is exaggerated for clarity. In reality, the tilt angle of the workpiece 5 is small, and the workpiece 5 may be slightly tilted. As such, when the workpiece 5 is held by the holding device 66, if the workpiece 5 is transported in a tilted state toward the holding device 66 in the reference position P1, the workpiece 5 may get caught on the first arm 101, the second arm 102, the first guide pin 111 (e.g., the first head 111b), or the second guide pin 112 (e.g., the second head 112b) (see FIG. 9 ) of the holding device 66. If such a catch occurs on the workpiece 5, the workpiece 5 may not be transported properly, and the holding device 66 may not be able to hold the workpiece 5 properly.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the X-axis direction D1 is tilted backward and downward. Therefore, both the transport device 30 and the holding device 66 are tilted backward and downward. That is, in the reference posture P1, the holding device 66 is tilted so that the second arm 102 is positioned slightly lower than the first arm 101. If the holding device 66 holds the workpiece 5 in this state, there is a risk that the workpiece 5 will ride up on the second arm 102, which is positioned behind the holding device 66. Specifically, because the transport device 30 and the holding device 66 are tilted backward and downward along the X-axis direction D1, when the workpiece 5 transported by the transport device 30 is held by the holding device 66, the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5 may not engage with the second guide groove 106 and may ride up on the second guide pin 112 (e.g., the second head 112b). Therefore, in this embodiment, the holding device 66 is able to properly hold the workpiece 5.

[0066] 12, the control device 150 includes a memory unit 151, a first mounting / rotation control unit 161, a first mounting / transport control unit 163, a second mounting / rotation control unit 165, and a second mounting / transport control unit 167. The control device 150 also includes a first movement control unit 168 and a second movement control unit 169. The control device 150 further includes a first removal / rotation control unit 171, a first removal / transport control unit 173, a second removal / rotation control unit 175, and a second removal / transport control unit 177. Each of the above-mentioned units of the control device 150 may be implemented by one or more processors, or may be incorporated into a circuit.

[0067] Next, the procedure for attaching the workpiece 5 to the holding device 66 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 14. Here, step S101 in Fig. 14 is executed in a state where the workpiece 5 is not attached to the holding device 66 and the workpiece 5 is not being held. Furthermore, step S101 is executed in a state where the attitude of the holding device 66 is the reference attitude P1 (see Fig. 13).

[0068] FIG. 15 is a front view schematically illustrating the holding device 66 in the inclined posture P2. First, in step S101 of FIG. 14, the holding device 66 is inclined as shown in FIG. 15. Here, the first mounting and rotation control unit 161 of FIG. 12 rotates the holding device 66 by a predetermined angle R1 from the reference posture P1 in the direction of arrow A31, as shown in FIG. 15, without the workpiece 5 being held by the holding device 66. The first mounting and rotation control unit 161 rotates the holding device 66 so that one end (here, the left end) of the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66 on one side in the Y-axis direction D2 is positioned lower than the other end (here, the right end) on the other side in the Y-axis direction D2. In this embodiment, the posture of the holding device 66 after being rotated by the predetermined angle R1 from the reference posture P1 is referred to as the inclined posture P2. When the holding device 66 is in the inclined posture P2, the upper surfaces of the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 face diagonally upward and forward.

[0069] In this embodiment, the predetermined angle R1 is an acute angle. The predetermined angle R1 is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, preferably 0 degrees to 70 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 degrees to 60 degrees. For example, even if the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 is supported by the gripping hook 32 at an inclination downward, the holding device 66 can lift the workpiece 5 to make it parallel, and from the viewpoint of minimizing the time required for the holding device 66 to reach the reference position P1, the predetermined angle R1 may be, for example, 20 degrees. However, if the holding device 66 does not interfere with other components and the time required for the holding device 66 to reach the reference position P1 is not a consideration, the predetermined angle R1 may be an obtuse angle. The predetermined angle R1 is preset and pre-stored in the memory unit 151 of FIG. 12.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first mounting and rotation control unit 161 controls the rotation mechanism 68 (more specifically, the fourth drive motor 68c) (see FIG. 9) to rotate the holding device 66 around the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b. This rotates the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66, and rotates the holding device 66 from the reference posture P1 to the inclined posture P2. As shown in FIG. 15, in the inclined posture P2, the first mounting portion 101a (or the second mounting portion 102a) is positioned below the first rotation shaft 68a (or the second rotation shaft 68b).

[0071] FIG. 16 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the attitude of the holding device 66 is in the inclined attitude P2 and the workpiece 5 is arranged at the reference position P10. FIG. 17 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the attitude of the holding device 66 is in the reference attitude P1 and the workpiece 5 is arranged at the reference position P10. Next, in step S103 of FIG. 14, the workpiece 5 to be held by the holding device 66 is transported so that it is arranged at the reference position P10. Here, the first mounting and transport control unit 163 of FIG. 12 controls the transport device 30 so that the workpiece 5 is arranged at the reference position P10 after the attitude of the holding device 66 becomes the inclined attitude P2 by the first mounting and rotation control unit 161.

[0072] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17 , the reference position P10 refers to the position of the workpiece 5 relative to the holding device 66 when the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 (specifically, the right ends of the first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d) contacts the first placement portion 101a and the second placement portion 102a from one side in the Y-axis direction D2 while the holding device 66 is in the reference posture P1. FIG. 18 is a plan view schematically showing the state in which the workpiece 5 is positioned at the reference position P10. As shown in FIG. 18 , the positional relationship between the workpiece 5 and the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 at the reference position P10 is such that, when viewed from the Z-axis direction D3, the central axis A1 of the holding device 66 extending in the Y-axis direction D2 coincides with the central axis A2 of the workpiece 5 extending in the Y-axis direction D2. Here, it is assumed that the coincidence of the central axis A1 and the central axis A2 includes some error. As shown in Figure 16, when the holding device 66 is in an inclined posture P2 and the workpiece 5 is positioned at the reference position P10, a portion of the workpiece 5 (in this embodiment, the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 (for example, the portion of the first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d located at the other end 8b)) overlaps with the first mounting portion 101a of the first arm 101 and the second mounting portion 102a of the second arm 102 in a planar view.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first mounting and transport control unit 163 grips the workpiece 5 (see FIG. 5) stored in the storage section 22 of the stocker 13 of the storage device 10 with the gripping hook 32 of the transport device 30 and removes it from the stocker 13, as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, the first mounting and transport control unit 163 controls the first transport mechanism 37 (see FIG. 5) of the transport device 30 so that the workpiece 5 is positioned at the same height as the reference position P10. At this time, the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 is positioned to the left of the holding device 66. Thereafter, the first mounting and transport control unit 163 controls the second transport mechanism 38 (see FIG. 6) of the transport device 30 to transport the workpiece 5 together with the gripping hook 32 to the right in the Y-axis direction D2 toward the holding device 66. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the first mounting and transport control unit 163 stops driving the second transport mechanism 38 when the workpiece 5 is positioned at the reference position P10.

[0074] When the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10 in step S103, the workpiece 5 is held by the gripping hooks 32 (specifically, the first hook 32a and the second hook 32b). Therefore, the workpiece 5 held by the gripping hooks 32 may be tilted by its own weight so that the other end 8b is positioned lower than the one end 8a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, when the holding device 66 is in the tilted posture P2 and the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10, the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 is spaced apart from the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a of the holding device 66, but at least a portion of the other end 8b may be in contact with the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a.

[0075] Next, in step S105 of Fig. 14, the holding device 66 is rotated so that it assumes the reference posture P1, as shown in Fig. 17. Here, when the holding device 66 is in the inclined posture P2 as shown in Fig. 16 and the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10, the second mounting and rotation control unit 165 of Fig. 12 rotates the holding device 66 so that it assumes the reference posture P1, as shown in Fig. 17. The second mounting and rotation control unit 165 rotates the holding device 66 in the inclined posture P2 by a predetermined angle R1 (see Fig. 15) in the opposite direction from that at step S101, thereby setting the posture of the holding device 66 to the reference posture P1. When the workpiece 5 is positioned at the reference position P10 and the attitude of the holding device 66 changes from the inclined attitude P2 to the reference attitude P1, the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 (more specifically, the portions of the first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d located at the other end 8b) is placed on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 101a of the first arm 101 and the upper surface of the second mounting portion 102a of the second arm 102. Furthermore, when the workpiece 5 is placed on the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a, the other end 8b of the workpiece 5 is pushed up by the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a. Therefore, the workpiece 5, which was inclined so that the other end 8b was lower than the one end 8a, extends in the Y-axis direction D2 and becomes parallel to the first arm 101 and the second arm 102. At this time, in the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32, the height of one end 8a and the other end 8b are the same.

[0076] 14 is performed, the holding device 66 and the transport device 30 are tilted backward and downward, so the workpiece 5 (more specifically, the second guide protrusion 9d) may be riding on the second arm 102 (more specifically, the second guide pin 112) of the holding device 66. Therefore, steps S107 and S109 in FIG. 14 are performed in order.

[0077] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , a distance D11 in the X-axis direction D1 from the first guide protrusion 9c to the second guide protrusion 9d in the workpiece 5 is shorter than a distance D12 in the X-axis direction D1 from the first guide groove 105 to the second guide groove 106 in the holding device 66. Here, the distance D11 is the distance in the X-axis direction D1 from the front end of the first guide protrusion 9c to the rear end of the second guide protrusion 9d. The distance D12 is the distance in the X-axis direction D1 from the rear end of the first shaft portion 111a to the front end of the second shaft portion 112a. Because the distance D11 is shorter than the distance D12, the workpiece 5 can move slightly in the X-axis direction D1 between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 at the reference position P10.

[0078] 14, the first movement control unit 168 in FIG. 12 moves the holding device 66 to the other side (here, the rear side) in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5 gripped by the transport device 30. Here, the first movement control unit 168 controls the X-axis movement mechanism 95 to move the holding device 66 to the other side in the X-axis direction D1. As a result, the workpiece 5 moves to one side (here, the front side) in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the holding device 66 between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102.

[0079] 19 is a plan view, equivalent to FIG. 18, schematically illustrating a state after the holding device 66 has moved rearward by a movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5. In this embodiment, when the workpiece 5 is disposed at the reference position P10 and the holding device 66 is in the reference posture P1, the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 by a predetermined movement amount V1 toward the other side in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5 so that the second arm 102 and the workpiece 5 do not overlap in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 19. Here, the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 by the movement amount V1 toward the other side in the X-axis direction D1 so that the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5 does not overlap with the second arm 102 in a plan view. When the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 rearward by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the central axis A1 of the holding device 66 is spaced apart from the central axis A2 of the workpiece 5 by the movement amount V1 when viewed from the Z-axis direction D3. This movement amount V1 is pre-stored in the memory unit 151 of the control device 150 (see FIG. 12). The specific value of the movement amount V1 is set appropriately depending on the distance D11 (see FIG. 11) from the first guide protrusion 9c to the second guide protrusion 9d on the workpiece 5 and the distance D12 (see FIG. 11) from the first guide groove 105 to the second guide groove 106 on the holding device 66.

[0080] In this manner, when the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the workpiece 5 is positioned forward of the second arm 102 in the X-axis direction D1. Therefore, even if the workpiece 5 is riding on the second arm 102, the riding state of the workpiece 5 is released. In addition, in this embodiment, when the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 is configured to engage with the first guide groove 105. After control by the first movement control unit 168, the first guide protrusion 9c and the first guide groove 105 are positioned in an appropriate positional relationship. Note that, after control by the first movement control unit 168, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 may abut against the first shaft portion 111a of the first guide pin 111 of the first arm 101 and be pressed against the first shaft portion 111a. Alternatively, after control by the first movement control unit 168, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 may be separated from the first shaft portion 111a of the first guide pin 111 without abutting against the first shaft portion 111a.

[0081] Next, in step S109 of Fig. 14, after control by the first movement control unit 168, the second movement control unit 169 of Fig. 12 moves the holding device 66 to one side (here, the front side) in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5. Here, the second movement control unit 169 controls the X-axis movement mechanism 95 to move the holding device 66 to one side in the X-axis direction D1. As a result, the workpiece 5 moves to the other side (here, the rear side) in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the holding device 66 between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102.

[0082] In this embodiment, the second movement control unit 169 moves the holding device 66 by a movement amount V1 to one side in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5. Here, the movement amount of the holding device 66 to the other side in the X-axis direction D1 under the control of the first movement control unit 168 is the same as the movement amount of the holding device 66 to one side in the X-axis direction D1 under the control of the second movement control unit 169. Therefore, when the holding device 66 is moved forward by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the central axis A1 of the holding device 66 coincides with the central axis A2 of the workpiece 5 when viewed from the Z-axis direction D3, as shown in FIG. 18 .

[0083] In this way, when the second movement control unit 169 moves the holding device 66 forward by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5 is configured to engage with the second guide groove 106 of the second arm 102. Furthermore, even when the second movement control unit 169 moves the holding device 66 forward by the movement amount V1 relative to the workpiece 5, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 remains engaged with the first guide groove 105 of the first arm 101. Therefore, after control by the second movement control unit 169, the workpiece 5 is appropriately positioned between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102.

[0084] Next, in step S111 of FIG. 14, the workpiece 5 is mounted on the holding device 66. Here, after the second mounting and rotation control unit 165 sets the attitude of the holding device 66 to the reference attitude P1, and after control by the second movement control unit 169, the second mounting and transport control unit 167 of FIG. 12 controls the transport device 30 so that the workpiece 5 is positioned between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66, as shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, the position of the workpiece 5 relative to the holding device 66 when the workpiece 5 is sandwiched between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 is referred to as the holding position P11. The holding position P11 is located to the right of the reference position P10. When the workpiece 5 is positioned at the holding position P11, the workpiece 5 is mounted on the holding device 66. When the workpiece 5 is placed at the holding position P11, the first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f of the workpiece 5 are fitted into the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 of the holding device 66, respectively.

[0085] In this embodiment, the second mounting and conveying control unit 167 controls the second conveying mechanism 38 (see FIG. 6) of the conveying device 30 to convey the workpiece 5, which is gripped by the gripping hook 32 and placed at the reference position P10, in the direction of the arrow A32, i.e., to the right, as shown in FIG. 17. At this time, the workpiece 5 is less likely to be caught on the first guide pin 111 and the second guide pin 112 of the holding device 66, and is conveyed along the first guide groove 105 and the second guide groove 106. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, when the first fitted portion 9e and the second fitted portion 9f of the workpiece 5 are fitted into the first fitting portion 121 and the second fitting portion 122 of the holding device 66, respectively, the second mounting and conveying control unit 167 stops the rightward movement of the conveying device 30. As a result, the workpiece 5 is held by the holding device 66 at the holding position P11. With the workpiece 5 held by the holding device 66 in this manner, the workpiece 5 is cut using a cutting tool 8 (see FIG. 7) held by the tool holding portion 71 of the spindle 63.

[0086] Next, the procedure for removing the workpiece 5 held by the holding device 66 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 20. Here, as shown in Fig. 10, the workpiece 5 is attached to the holding device 66, and step S201 in Fig. 20 is executed in a state in which the workpiece 5 is being held.

[0087] First, in step S201, the holding device 66 is rotated so that its posture becomes the reference posture P1 (see FIG. 17). Here, the first external rotation control unit 171 in FIG. 12 rotates the holding device 66, which holds the workpiece 5, so that it becomes the reference posture P1. The first external rotation control unit 171 controls the rotation mechanism 68 shown in FIG. 9 (more specifically, the drive of the fourth drive motor 68c) to rotate the holding device 66 about the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b, thereby changing the posture of the holding device 66 to the reference posture P1.

[0088] Next, in step S203 of FIG. 20, the workpiece 5 is transported to the reference position P10, as shown in FIG. 17. Here, the first external transfer control unit 173 of FIG. 12 controls the transport device 30 so that the workpiece 5 is transported from the holding position P11 to the reference position P10 after the first external rotation control unit 171 sets the attitude of the holding device 66 to the reference position P1. In this embodiment, the first external transfer control unit 173 first controls the first transport mechanism 37 and the second transport mechanism 38 so that the gripping hook 32 of the transport device 30 grips the workpiece 5 held by the holding device 66 in the reference position P1. Then, with the gripping hook 32 gripping the workpiece 5, the first external transfer control unit 173 controls the second transport mechanism 38 to transport the gripping hook 32 to the left. For example, the first external transfer control unit 173 transports the gripping hook 32 and the workpiece 5 in the direction of arrow A33 in FIG. 17. At this time, the workpiece 5 is transported leftward together with the gripping hook 32 from the holding position P11 toward the reference position P10. When the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10, the first external transport control unit 173 stops the leftward movement of the gripping hook 32. When the movement of the gripping hook 32 stops, the gripping hook 32 is in a state of gripping the workpiece 5, as shown in FIG.

[0089] Next, in step S205 of FIG. 20, the holding device 66 is rotated so that its posture is an inclined posture P2. Here, as shown in FIG. 17, when the holding device 66 is in the reference posture P1 and the workpiece 5 has moved from the holding position P11 to the reference position P10, the second external rotation control unit 175 of FIG. 12 rotates the holding device 66 so that the holding device 66 assumes an inclined posture P2 as shown in FIG. 16. The second external rotation control unit 175 rotates the holding device 66 by a predetermined angle R1 (see FIG. 15) from the reference posture P1 to set the holding device 66 to an inclined posture P2. The second external rotation control unit 175 rotates the holding device 66 so that one end (here, the left end) on one side of the Y-axis direction D2 of the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66 is positioned lower than the other end (here, the right end) on the other side of the Y-axis direction D2. The second external rotation control unit 175 controls the rotation mechanism 68 (more specifically, the fourth drive motor 68c) shown in FIG. 9 to rotate the holding device 66 around the first rotation shaft 68a and the second rotation shaft 68b. This causes the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66 to rotate. As a result, the holding device 66 can be rotated from the reference position P1 to the inclined position P2. As shown in FIG. 16, when the position of the holding device 66 becomes the inclined position P2, the workpiece 5 disposed at the reference position P10 is no longer placed on the first placement portion 101a of the first arm 101 or the second placement portion 102a of the second arm 102, but is separated from the first placement portion 101a and the second placement portion 102a.

[0090] Next, in step S207 of FIG. 20, the workpiece 5 is transported to the left in the Y-axis direction D2. Here, the second detachment transfer control unit 177 of FIG. 12 controls the transfer device 30 so that, after the attitude of the holding device 66 has become the inclined attitude P2 by the second detachment rotation control unit 175, the workpiece 5 is transported from the reference position P10 to one side (here, the left side) in the Y-axis direction D2. The second detachment transfer control unit 177 controls the second transfer mechanism 38 of the transfer device 30 (see FIG. 6) so that the gripping hook 32 and the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 are transported linearly to the left. For example, the second detachment transfer control unit 177 transports the gripping hook 32 and the workpiece 5 in the direction of arrow A34 in FIG. 13. As a result, the workpiece 5 is positioned to the left of the holding device 66 and removed from the holding device 66, as shown in FIG. 13. After the workpiece 5 is removed from the holding device 66, the second detachment transfer control unit 177 controls the first transfer mechanism 37 and the second transfer mechanism 38 to store the workpiece 5 held by the gripping hooks 32 in the storage section 22 (see FIG. 5) of the storage device 10. This allows the workpiece 5 to be removed from the holding device 66 and stored in the storage section 22.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, the cutting machine 100 includes a holding device 66 that holds the workpiece 5 during cutting, an X-axis movement mechanism 95 (see FIG. 8) that moves the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5 that is not held by the holding device 66, and a control device 150 (see FIG. 1), as shown in FIG. 10. The X-axis direction D1 slopes downward from one side (the front side in this case) to the other side (the rear side in this case). As shown in FIG. 10, the holding device 66 includes a first arm 101, a second arm 102, a first guide pin 111, and a second guide pin 112. The first arm 101 extends in the Y-axis direction D2 that intersects with the X-axis direction D1. The second arm 102 is disposed alongside the first arm 101 along the X-axis direction D1 on the other side of the first arm 101 in the X-axis direction D1, extends in the Y-axis direction D2, and is capable of sandwiching the workpiece 5 together with the first arm 101. The first guide pin 111 is an example of a first guide portion, is provided on one side (here, the left side) of the first arm 101 in the Y-axis direction D2, and guides the movement of the workpiece 5. The second guide pin 112 is an example of a second guide portion, and is provided on one side of the second arm 102 in the Y-axis direction D2 and guides the movement of the workpiece 5. The first arm 101 has a first mounting portion 101a located on one side of the first guide pin 111 in the Y-axis direction D2. The second arm 102 has a second mounting portion 102a located on one side of the second guide pin 112 in the Y-axis direction D2. 18, the position of the workpiece 5 relative to the holding device 66 when the ends of the workpiece 5 on the other side (here, the right side) in the Y-axis direction D2 (more specifically, the right ends of the first guide protrusion 9c and the second guide protrusion 9d in the Y-axis direction D2) come into contact with the first mounting portion 101a and the second mounting portion 102a from one side in the Y-axis direction D2 is defined as a reference position P10. As shown in FIG. 12, the control device 150 includes a first movement control unit 168 and a second movement control unit 169.In step S107 of Fig. 14, when the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10, the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 relative to the workpiece 5 to the other side (here, the rear side) in the X-axis direction D1 by a predetermined movement amount V1 so that the second arm 102 and the workpiece 5 do not overlap in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 19. In step S109 of Fig. 14, after control by the first movement control unit 168, the second movement control unit 169 moves the holding device 66 relative to the workpiece 5 to one side (here, the front side) in the X-axis direction D1 by the movement amount V1, as shown in Fig. 18.

[0092] For example, when the workpiece 5 is positioned at the reference position P10, it is possible that the end of the workpiece 5 on the other side (here, the rear side) in the X-axis direction D1 runs up onto the second arm 102. Even in such a case, the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 to the other side in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5 so that the workpiece 5 does not overlap with the second arm 102 in a plan view, thereby releasing the workpiece 5 from running up onto the second arm 102. Therefore, by releasing the state in which the workpiece 5 runs up onto the second arm 102, the second movement control unit 169 moves the holding device 66 to one side in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5, thereby allowing the workpiece 5 to be appropriately held by the holding device 66 between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102.

[0093] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the cutting machine 100 includes a transport device 30 that transports the workpiece 5 from one side (here, the left side) in the Y-axis direction D2 toward the holding device 66. As shown in FIG. 12, the control device 150 includes a first mounting transport control unit 163 and a second mounting transport control unit 167. The first mounting transport control unit 163 controls the transport device 30 so that the workpiece 5 is placed at the reference position P10 in step S103 of FIG. 14. The second mounting transport control unit 167 controls the transport device 30 in step S111 of FIG. 14, after control by the second movement control unit 169, so that the workpiece 5 is placed at the holding position P11 (see FIG. 10) between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 of the holding device 66. In this way, the transport device 30 automatically transports the workpiece 5 to the reference position P10 and the holding position P11, thereby allowing the workpiece 5 to be transported to an appropriate position.

[0094] 6, the transport device 30 includes a first hook 32a and a second hook 32b that is arranged alongside the first hook 32a along the X-axis direction D1 on the other side (here, the rear side) of the first hook 32a in the X-axis direction D1 and that can clamp, together with the first hook 32a, an end of the workpiece 5 on one side (here, the left side) in the Y-axis direction D2. In this way, the workpiece 5 can be transported towards the holding device 66 while being gripped by the first hook 32a and the second hook 32b.

[0095] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18 , the workpiece 5 has a first guide protrusion 9c that protrudes from an end on one side (here, the front side) in the X-axis direction D1 toward one side in the X-axis direction D1 and extends in the Y-axis direction D2. As shown in FIG. 11 , the first guide pin 111 has a first shaft portion 111a that extends upward from the upper surface of the first arm 101 and a first head portion 111b provided at the upper end of the first shaft portion 111a. A first guide groove 105 is formed between the first arm 101 and the first head portion 111b. When the first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 relative to the workpiece 5 toward the other side in the X-axis direction D1 by a movement amount V1, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 is configured to engage with the first guide groove 105. In this way, by executing control by the first movement control unit 168, the first guide protrusion 9c of the workpiece 5 can be engaged with the first guide groove 105. Therefore, the first guide protrusion 9c can be placed at an appropriate position relative to the first guide groove 105 by the control of the first movement control unit 168.

[0096] 18 , the workpiece 5 has a second guide protrusion 9d that protrudes from an end portion on the other side (rear side in this case) in the X-axis direction D1 toward the other side in the X-axis direction D1 and extends in the Y-axis direction D2. The first movement control unit 168 moves the holding device 66 relative to the workpiece 5 toward the other side in the X-axis direction D1 by a movement amount V1 so that the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5 does not overlap with the second arm 102 in a plan view. In this way, by moving the holding device 66 in the X-axis direction D1 relative to the workpiece 5 so that the second guide protrusion 9d of the workpiece 5 is positioned so that it does not overlap with the second arm 102 in a plan view, the state in which the workpiece 5 rides on the second arm 102 can be more reliably released.

[0097] 18, in the present embodiment, at the reference position P10, the central axis A1 extending in the Y-axis direction D2 of the holding device 66 coincides with the central axis A2 extending in the Y-axis direction D2 of the workpiece 5 in a plan view. As a result, after control by the second movement control unit 169, the workpiece 5 can be stably held between the first arm 101 and the second arm 102 at the reference position P10.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the first guide pin 111 is an example of a first guide portion, and the second guide pin 112 is an example of a second guide portion. However, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are not limited to a pin configuration as long as they guide the movement of the workpiece 5. For example, the first guide portion may be a rail-shaped first guide rail provided on one side of the first arm 101 in the Y-axis direction D2 and extending in the Y-axis direction D2. Similarly, the second guide portion may be a rail-shaped second guide rail provided on one side of the second arm 102 in the Y-axis direction D2 and extending in the Y-axis direction D2. Even in this case, the workpiece 5 can move in the Y-axis direction D2 while being sandwiched between the first guide rail and the second guide rail and guided by the first guide rail and the second guide rail.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the cutting machine 100 includes the storage device 10 and the transport device 30. The transport device 30 transports the workpiece 5 gripped by the gripping hook 32 to the holding device 66, and the holding device 66 holds the workpiece 5. However, the storage device 10 and the transport device 30 may be omitted. In this case, for example, a user may grasp the workpiece 5 with their hand and have the holding device 66 hold the workpiece 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 5 Workpiece 8a One end 8b Other end 9c First guide protrusion 9d Second guide protrusion 30 Conveyor device 32a First hook 32b 2nd hook 66 Holding device 100 cutting machine 101 First Arm 101a First mounting portion 102 Second Arm 102a Second mounting portion 105 First guide groove 106 Second guide groove 111 First guide pin (first guide part) 111a 1st shaft part 111b 1st head 112 Second guide pin (second guide part) 112a 2nd shaft part 112b 2nd head 150 control device 163 First mounting and transport control section 167 Second mounting and transport control section 168 First movement control section 169 Second movement control section D1 X-axis direction (first direction) D2 Y-axis direction (second direction) P10 Reference position P11 Holding position V1 Travel amount

Claims

1. a holding device for holding the workpiece during cutting; a movement mechanism that moves the holding device in a first direction relative to the workpiece that is not held by the holding device; a control device; Equipped with the first direction is a direction that slopes downward from one side to the other side, The holding device a first arm extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a second arm that is arranged alongside the first arm along the first direction on the other side of the first arm in the first direction, extends in the second direction, and is capable of sandwiching the workpiece together with the first arm; a first guide portion provided on one side of the first arm in the second direction and configured to guide movement of the workpiece; a second guide portion provided on one side of the second arm in the second direction and configured to guide movement of the workpiece; Equipped with the first arm has a first placement portion located on one side of the first guide portion in the second direction, the second arm has a second placement portion located on one side of the second guide portion in the second direction, When the end of the workpiece on the other side in the second direction comes into contact with the first placement portion and the second placement portion from one side in the second direction, the position of the workpiece relative to the holding device is set as a reference position, The control device a first movement control unit that moves the holding device relative to the workpiece by a predetermined movement amount toward the other side in the first direction so that the second arm and the workpiece do not overlap in a plan view when the workpiece is disposed at the reference position; a second movement control unit that moves the holding device by the movement amount relative to the workpiece in one side of the first direction after control by the first movement control unit; A cutting machine equipped with

2. a conveying device that conveys the workpiece from one side of the second direction toward the holding device, The control device a first mounting and transport control unit that controls the transport device so that the workpiece is placed at the reference position; a second mounting and transport control unit that controls the transport device so that the workpiece is placed at a holding position between the first arm and the second arm of the holding device after control by the second movement control unit; The cutting machine according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The conveying device is A first hook; a second hook arranged along the first direction on the other side of the first hook in the first direction, and capable of clamping an end of the workpiece on one side in the second direction together with the first hook; 3. The cutting machine according to claim 2, comprising:

4. the workpiece has a first guide protrusion that protrudes from an end portion on one side in the first direction toward the one side in the first direction and extends in the second direction; The first guide portion is a first shaft portion extending upward from an upper surface of the first arm; a first head portion provided at an upper end portion of the first shaft portion; and a first guide groove is formed between the first arm and the first head; 2. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein when the first movement control unit moves the holding device relative to the workpiece by the movement amount to the other side in the first direction, the first guide protrusion of the workpiece engages with the first guide groove.

5. the workpiece has a second guide protrusion that protrudes from an end portion on the other side in the first direction toward the other side in the first direction and extends in the second direction; 2. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein the first movement control unit moves the holding device relative to the workpiece by the movement amount in the other side of the first direction so that the second guide protrusion of the workpiece does not overlap with the second arm in a plan view.

6. 2. The cutting machine according to claim 1, wherein, when in the reference position, a central axis extending in the second direction of the holding device coincides with a central axis extending in the second direction of the workpiece in a plan view.

Images