Processing process development support device, processing process development support system, processing system, processing process development support method, and processing method

Abstract

The machining process development support device (100) includes a shape input unit (102) that receives input of shape data of a raw material shape and a product shape, a remaining area extraction unit (103) that extracts a remaining area (403) which is an area to be machined based on the raw material shape and the product shape input by the shape input unit (102), a remaining area division unit (104) that divides the remaining area (403) extracted by the remaining area extraction unit (103) into a plurality of machining areas (404), a machining process development unit (105) that supports the development of a machining process for machining the machining area (404) based on the shape information of the machining area (404) formed by the remaining area division unit (104), and a machining process output unit (106) that outputs the machining process developed with the support of the machining process development unit (105) as a machining program (107).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a machining process development support device, a machining process development support system, a machining system, a machining process development support method, and a machining method for supporting the development of machining processes.

Background Art

[0002] In a machining apparatus equipped with a numerical control device, the numerical control device executes a machining program to machine a workpiece, which is a material, into a desired product shape. The machining program is composed of, for example, a plurality of G-codes. The numerical control device is also called an NC (Numerical Control) device.

[0003] In recent years, in order to easily create a machining program, a technique for creating a machining program using CAD (Computer Aided Design) data is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 is a device that generates a machining program using CAD data. The numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 extracts, from the CAD data, a shape that can be machined using the tool based on the information of the tool selected by the user. Next, the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 extracts one or more G-codes that can be used to machine the workpiece for the shape extracted from the CAD data. The user selects one G-code from the one or more extracted G-codes. Further, the user inputs values of parameters that are information necessary for machining, such as the thickness, depth, and length of the shape. The numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 generates each block of the G-code using the values of the parameters input by the user, and creates a machining program by sequentially adding the generated blocks of the G-code.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1 International Publication No. 2022 / 091896 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 above, the user has to manually select a tool based on the shape and position of the machining area to be machined, manually select one G-code from the extracted G-codes, and also manually input the values of the parameters, which places a heavy burden on the user.

[0007] Furthermore, in the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 above, when generating a machining program, only the CAD data of the product shape is used, and the shape of the material called the workpiece (hereinafter referred to as the material shape) is not considered. Therefore, the automatically generated machining program cannot be used as it is, and the user has to manually edit and rework the machining program based on the material shape. Also, it may be difficult for inexperienced users to perform appropriate editing.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to obtain a machining process development support device capable of facilitating the generation of a machining program. Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present disclosure provides a shape input unit that receives input of shape data of a material shape and a product shape, and based on the material shape and the product shape input by the shape input unit, a remaining area extraction unit that extracts a remaining area that is an area to be processed, a remaining area division unit that divides the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit into a plurality of processing areas, a processing process development unit that supports the development of a processing process for processing the processing area based on the shape information of the processing area formed by the remaining area division unit, and a processing process output unit that outputs the processing process developed with the support of the processing process development unit as a processing program. A processing process development support apparatus characterized by comprising:

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the processing process development support apparatus according to the present disclosure, there is an effect that it is possible to facilitate the generation of a processing program.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a machining process development support device, a machining process development support system, a machining system, a machining process development support method, and a machining method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Further, the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of the configurations shown in the following embodiments and their modifications. Also, in each figure, those denoted by the same reference numerals are the same or corresponding ones, which is common throughout the entire specification. Note that in each drawing, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of the respective components may be different from the actual ones. Also, in each figure, the X-axis and the Z-axis intersect each other. The extending direction of the X-axis is, for example, the vertical direction and may be the perpendicular direction. The extending direction of the Z-axis is, for example, the horizontal direction. The Y-axis intersects each of the X-axis and the Z-axis, and the extending direction of the Y-axis is, for example, the horizontal direction.

[0013] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a machining process development support device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a machining process development support system and a machining system according to Embodiment 1.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the machining process development support device 100 includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) unit 101, a shape input unit 102, a remaining area extraction unit 103, a remaining area division unit 104, a machining process development unit 105, a machining process output unit 106, and a machining process information storage unit 108. These modules will be described later.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machining process development support device 100 is communicably connected to a numerical control device 200 as necessary. The machining program 107 generated by the machining process development support device 100 is input to the numerical control device 200, for example. As shown in FIG. 2, the machining process development support device 100 and the numerical control device 200 constitute a machining process development support system 600 according to Embodiment 1.

[0016] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the machining process development support device 100, the numerical control device 200, and the machining device 300 constitute a machining system 700 according to Embodiment 1.

[0017] The numerical control device 200 receives the machining program 107 transmitted from the machining process development support device 100, executes the machining program 107 to generate a machining command. Further, the numerical control device 200 generates a control signal indicating the generated machining command and outputs the control signal to the machining device 300. Note that the numerical control device 200 may be called an NC device.

[0018] The machining device 300 includes a drive unit 301 and a tool 302. The tool 302 may be called a machining tool. The machining device 300 receives a control signal from the numerical control device 200 and drives the tool 302 via the drive unit 301 according to the control signal to machine the workpiece 400. The workpiece 400 is an object to be machined by the machining device 300. The workpiece 400 is also called a material. Hereinafter, the shape of the workpiece 400, that is, the initial shape of the workpiece 400 before machining is called the material shape. Also, the product generated by the machining device 300 machining the workpiece 400 is called a product, and the shape of the product is called the product shape or the final product shape.

[0019] Hereinafter, each module of the machining process development support device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the material shape, the product shape, and the initial remaining area in the machining process development support device according to Embodiment 1. Note that FIG. 3(a) shows a two-dimensional image displayed on the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. FIG. 3(a) shows a cross-sectional shape when cut by a virtual plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape and the product shape. The virtual plane is a plane parallel to the XZ plane. On the other hand, FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view showing the shapes of the material shape, the product shape, and the initial remaining area.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the GUI unit 101 has a user interface 101a that accepts operations from the user 500. The user interface 101a has a display screen and displays various data on the screen. The user interface 101a is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a display, or a touch panel. Thus, the user interface 101a has an input device 1001 (see FIG. 30) and a display 1005 (see FIG. 30).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the shape input unit 102 accepts input of the shape data of the material shape 401 and the shape data of the product shape 402. The shape data input to the shape input unit 102 is, for example, 3D CAD data. The shape data is stored in a database in advance and read by the shape input unit 102. Alternatively, the shape data may be directly input to the shape input unit 102 using, for example, the GUI unit 101. When directly inputting the shape data, for example, the user 500 draws the shape data using the GUI unit 101.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the remaining area extraction unit 103 extracts an initial remaining area 403 based on the material shape 401 and the product shape 402 input by the shape input unit 102. The remaining area 403 indicates the area of the entire area of the material shape 401 that should be processed using the processing device 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the remaining area extraction unit 103 performs a subtraction operation of subtracting the product shape 402 from the material shape 401 to extract the initial remaining area 403. That is, the remaining area extraction unit 103 extracts the initial remaining area 403 by comparing the shape data of the material shape 401 and the shape data of the product shape 402. In the example of FIG. 3, the material shape 401 is a cylindrical shape. Note that the material shape 401 is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may be a polygonal prism shape. Also, in the example of FIG. 3, the product shape 402 is generally a cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical hole is provided in one end face. Further, the outer diameter dimension of the product shape 402 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the material shape 401. Furthermore, the length of the product shape 402 in the Z direction is smaller than the length of the material shape 401 in the Z direction. The Z direction is the extending direction of the central axis 800. Therefore, the initial remaining area 403 is the area indicated by the hatching in the rightmost figure of FIG. 3(a). That is, in order to form the product shape 402 from the material shape 401, for example, three processing steps are required: a turning process of cutting the outer diameter direction of the material shape 401 by a certain thickness, an end face processing process of cutting one end face of the material shape 401, and a hole processing process of forming a hole in one end face of the material shape 401.

[0023] The remaining area division unit 104 shown in FIG. 1 divides the initial remaining area 403 extracted by the remaining area extraction unit 103 into a plurality of processing areas 404 (see FIG. 5). The method of dividing the remaining area 403 into processing areas in the remaining area division unit 104 is performed, for example, as follows. The remaining area division unit 104 first divides the initial remaining area 403 extracted by the remaining area extraction unit 103 into a plurality of sub-remaining areas (see 403a to 403l in FIG. 17). The sub-remaining areas are formed by cutting the remaining area 403 with virtual lines parallel to the X-axis and the Z-axis. The remaining area division unit 104 combines one or more sub-remaining areas to form one processing area. The sub-remaining areas used in the combination are adjacent to each other and continuous. Note that other methods may be used for the method of dividing the remaining area 403 into processing areas. The processing device 300 processes the workpiece 400 for each processing area. Note that the remaining area division unit 104 may present only one division pattern in dividing the remaining area 403 into processing areas, or may present two or more division patterns as candidates. When the remaining area division unit 104 presents two or more division patterns, the user 500 selects one division pattern from among them and inputs it to the GUI unit 101. The candidates for the division pattern include one or more processing area candidates.

[0024] The machining process development unit 105 shown in FIG. 1 supports the development of machining processes based on the shape information of the machining area 404 formed by the remaining area division unit 104. The shape information of the machining area 404 includes the shape pattern of the machining area 404, the X coordinate value, the Z coordinate value, the Y coordinate value, and the like. As shown in FIG. 12, the shape pattern is information indicating the position and shape of the machining area 404, such as the end face position and the hole position. The X coordinate value includes the coordinate values of two points on the X axis, namely, the starting point X where the machining area 404 starts and the ending point X where the machining area 404 ends. The same applies to the Z coordinate value and the Y coordinate value. Note that the shape information of the machining area 404 does not necessarily have to include all the information described here, and it may include only the necessary information. Also, the shape information of the machining area 404 may include other information other than the information described here. The method of supporting the development of machining processes in the machining process development unit 105 will be described later. The development of machining processes means extracting one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area from among a plurality of machining processes stored in advance in a database, and setting the values of machining process parameters for each of the machining processes. The information stored in the database is hereinafter referred to as machining process information. The machining process information is stored in advance in the machining process information storage unit 108. Thus, the machining process information includes a plurality of machining processes and the items of machining process parameters required for each of these machining processes. Refer to FIG. 10, which will be described later, for the machining process information.

[0025] The machining process output unit 106 shown in FIG. 1 outputs the machining processes developed with the support of the machining process development unit 105 as a machining program 107. When the machining process development support device 100 is connected to the numerical control device 200, the machining program 107 is output toward the numerical control device 200.

[0026] As described above, the machining process information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1 stores the machining process information in advance. The machining process information storage unit 108 is composed of, for example, a memory.

[0027] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, a method for dividing the remaining region 403 into machining regions 404 in the remaining region dividing section 104 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for dividing the remaining region in the remaining region dividing section provided in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the procedure for dividing the remaining region in the remaining region dividing section provided in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment. In each of FIGS. 5(a) to (l), only the upper half of the rightmost figure in FIG. 3(a) is shown. FIGS. 6 to 8 are diagrams showing an example of the machining region and the machining process in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0028] The process of dividing the remaining region into machining regions is a process of decomposing the remaining region into machining units in which continuous machining is performed using the same main axis and the same tool. Therefore, the machining regions formed by the dividing process are regions where continuous machining operations can be performed in the same machining direction and using the same tool. On the other hand, the process of developing the machining process is a process of decomposing the flow of a series of machining operations for processing a material to produce a product into machining units in which continuous machining is performed using the same main axis and the same tool. The flow of a series of machining operations includes, for example, turning, end face machining, hole machining, groove machining, chamfering, profiling, etc.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5(a), in step S1 of FIG. 4, the remaining region dividing section 104 displays the remaining region 403 on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI section 101. Here, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the initial remaining region 403 extracted by the remaining region extraction section 103 is displayed on the screen. In the example of FIG. 5(a), the U-shaped portion indicated by hatching is the initial remaining region 403 displayed on the screen. At this stage, since the remaining region 403 is not divided, it is one region indicated by reference numeral (1). The user 500 selects and inputs the remaining region 403 indicated by reference numeral (1) using the user interface 101a of the GUI section 101. Thereby, the remaining region 403 indicated by reference numeral (1) is selected.

[0030] In step S2 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the remaining area division unit 104 extracts a processable processing direction for the workpiece 400 based on the material shape 401 and the product shape 402. In the example of FIG. 5(b), three processing directions, namely the outer diameter direction, the inner diameter direction, and the end face direction, are extracted as the processable processing directions. These processing directions are displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101.

[0031] In step S3 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(b), one processing direction is selected from among the plurality of processing directions extracted in step S2 by the selection input of the user 500. Specifically, the user 500 uses the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101 to select and input one processing direction from among the plurality of processing directions extracted in step S2. In the example of FIG. 5(b), the end face direction is selected and input by the user 500. Thereby, the end face direction is determined as the processing direction.

[0032] In step S4 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the remaining area division unit 104 extracts all the processable processing areas from the selected end face direction as the processing direction. In the example of FIG. 5(c), three processing areas 404 indicated by reference numerals (1), (2), and (3) are extracted. That is, in the example of FIG. 5(c), the remaining area 403 shown in FIG. 5(a) is divided into three processing areas 404. The number of the processing areas 404 generated by the division is not limited to three, and may be any number of one or more. In the example of FIG. 5(c), the processing area 404 indicated by reference numeral (1) is shown as a vertically long rectangle, but actually has a disk shape as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6(a). Also, in the example of FIG. 5(c), the processing area 404 indicated by reference numeral (2) is shown as a horizontally long rectangle, but actually has a cylindrical shape as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7(a). Also, in the example of FIG. 5(c), the processing area 404 indicated by reference numeral (3) is shown as a horizontally long rectangle, but actually has a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 8(a). Note that the processing areas 404 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 are merely examples, and are not limited to these shapes, and may have any shape.

[0033] In step S5 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(c), one processing area is selected from the plurality of processing areas extracted in step S4 by the selection input of user 500. Specifically, user 500 uses user interface 101a of GUI unit 101 to select one processing area from the plurality of processing areas (1), (2), and (3) extracted in step S4. In the example of FIG. 5(c), processing area 404 indicated by reference numeral (1) is selected and input by user 500. Thereby, processing area 404 indicated by reference numeral (1) is selected as the "first processing area". The selected "first processing area" has its processing steps developed by processing step development unit 105.

[0034] In step S6 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(d), remaining area division unit 104 updates remaining area 403 to the latest one using the shape of the first processing area whose processing steps have been developed by processing step development unit 105 and the shape of initial remaining area 403. In the example of FIG. 5(d), processing areas 404 other than the processing area indicated by reference numeral (1) selected by user 500, that is, the two processing areas 404 indicated by reference numerals (2) and (3), become new remaining area 403. Hereinafter, the new remaining area is referred to as the current remaining area. Thus, remaining area division unit 104 updates remaining area 403 every time one processing area 404 is selected.

[0035] In step S7 of FIG. 4, remaining area division unit 104 determines whether there is an unselected remaining area 403. That is, remaining area division unit 104 determines whether there is a processing area 404 whose processing steps have not been developed by processing step development unit 105. As a result of the determination in step S7, if there is remaining area 403, remaining area division unit 104 returns to the process of step S1. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S7, if there is no remaining area 403, remaining area division unit 104 ends the process of the flow in FIG. 4. In the example of FIG. 5(d), the two processing areas 404 indicated by reference numerals (2) and (3) remain as remaining area 403. Therefore, remaining area division unit 104 returns to the process of step S1.

[0036] In FIGS. 5(e) to 5(h), the processes of steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 4 are performed again. In FIG. 5(e), as the current remaining area 403, two processing areas 404 indicated by reference signs (2) and (3) are displayed on the screen. In step S1, when the user 500 selects and inputs the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (3), in step S2, as shown in FIG. 5(f), the outer diameter direction and the end face direction are extracted as the processable processing directions. On the other hand, in step S3, when the user 500 selects and inputs the outer diameter direction, in step S4, as shown in FIG. 5(g), the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (3) is extracted as the "second processing area" as the processable processing area 404. In response to this, in step S5, when the user 500 selects and inputs the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (3), the remaining area 403 is updated in step S6. In the example of FIG. 5(h), one processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (2) becomes the new remaining area 403. Therefore, the remaining area dividing unit 104 determines in step S7 that there is a remaining area 403 and returns to the process of step S1.

[0037] In FIGS. 5(i) to 5(l), the processes of steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 4 are performed again. In FIG. 5(i), as the current remaining area 403, one processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (2) is displayed on the screen. In step S1, when the user 500 selects and inputs the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (2), in step S2, as shown in FIG. 5(j), the inner diameter direction and the end face direction are extracted as the processable processing directions. In response to this, in step S3, when the user 500 selects and inputs the inner diameter direction, in step S4, as shown in FIG. 5(k), the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (2) is extracted as the "third processing area" as the processable processing area 404. In response to this, in step S5, when the user 500 selects and inputs the processing area 404 indicated by reference sign (2), the remaining area 403 is updated in step S6. In the example of FIG. 5(l), since the processing steps have been developed for all the processing areas, the remaining area dividing unit 104 determines in step S7 that there is no remaining area 403 and ends the processing of the flow in FIG. 4.

[0038] Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 and FIGS. 6 to 8, a method for supporting the development of machining processes in the machining process development unit 105 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the machining process development support process in the machining process development unit provided in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of machining process information in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a tool data table in the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a machining program generated by the machining process development support apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0039] The machining process development unit 105 supports the development of machining processes based on the shape information of the machining areas formed by the remaining area division unit 104. In the machining process development process, first, for each machining area, based on the shape data of the machining area, one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area are extracted from a plurality of machining processes pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. At this time, for each machining area, the machining processes are extracted so that machining can be continuously performed in the same machining direction and with the same tool. Then, in the machining process development process, based on the machining process information pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108, the values of the machining process parameters are set for each of the machining processes. The machining process information is pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1. The machining process information includes a plurality of machining processes and the items of machining process parameters required for each of these machining processes. As shown in FIG. 10, the items of the machining process parameters include the shape pattern of the machining area, the positions of the start point and the end point in the X direction, and the positions of the start point and the end point in the Z direction.

[0040] The processing process development unit 105 performs the development process of the processing process for each processing area according to the flow of FIG. 9. Before performing the process of FIG. 9, the processing process information is stored in advance in the processing process information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1. That is, the processing process development unit 105 stores in advance in the processing process information storage unit 108 the processing process information including a plurality of processing processes and the items of the processing process parameters required in each of these processing processes.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 9, in step S11, the processing process development unit 105 determines whether or not a processing area has been selected by the remaining area division unit 104 in step S5 in the flow of FIG. 4. That is, the processing process development unit 105 determines whether or not a signal indicating the selected processing area has been input from the remaining area division unit 104.

[0042] If, in the determination of step S11, there is an input of a signal indicating a processing area, the process proceeds to step S12; otherwise, the process of step S11 is repeated at a preset cycle.

[0043] In step S12, the processing process development unit 105 extracts one or more processing processes capable of processing the processing area from among a plurality of processing processes pre-stored in the processing process information storage unit 108 based on the shape information of the processing area with respect to the processing area input in step S11. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of the processing process information pre-stored in the processing process information storage unit 108. In the example of FIG. 10, types of a plurality of processing processes are stored in the database of the processing process information. Further, in the database of the processing process information, data such as a processing process ID, a processing process, a processing direction, a tool number of a tool 302 used in the processing process, and items of processing process parameters are included for each processing process. Also, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a tool data table pre-stored in the processing process information storage unit 108. In the example of FIG. 11, data of a plurality of tools are stored in the tool data table. The tool data table is pre-stored in the processing process information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1. The tool data table includes data such as a tool ID, a tool number, a type of processing, and a use for each tool. Thus, in step S12, the processing process development unit 105 extracts one or more processing processes capable of processing the processing area by using the processing process data table and the tool data table based on the shape of the processing area.

[0044] Here, a specific example will be given for explanation. When the processing area 404 has a disk-shaped shape as shown in FIG. 6(a), the processing process development unit 105 extracts a processing process capable of processing the processing area 404 from the database of the processing process information based on the shape information of the processing area 404. In the case of FIG. 6(a), since the processing area 404 can be processed by end face machining, the processing process development unit 105 extracts end face machining as a processing process capable of processing the processing area 404 as shown in FIG. 6(b). End face machining is a process of shaving one end face of the workpiece 400 by a length L1 and making the cutting surface flat.

[0045] Also, when the machining area 404 has a cylindrical hole shape as shown in Fig. 7(a), the machining process development unit 105 extracts, from the machining process information database, a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404 based on the shape information of the machining area 404. In the case of Fig. 7(a), since the machining area 404 can be machined by drilling, the machining process development unit 105 extracts drilling as a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404, as shown in Fig. 7(b). Alternatively, the machining process development unit 105 may extract two processes, drilling and boring, as machining processes capable of machining the machining area 404, as shown in Fig. 7(b). Drilling is a process of forming a hole using a tool such as a drill. Boring is a process of enlarging the hole formed by drilling. Boring is used for machining a hole with a large inner diameter or for finishing the inner surface of a hole.

[0046] Also, when the machining area 404 has a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 8(a), the machining process development unit 105 extracts, from the machining process information database, a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404 based on the shape of the machining area 404. In the case of Fig. 8(a), since the machining area 404 can be machined by turning, the machining process development unit 105 extracts turning as a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404, as shown in Fig. 8(b). Turning is a process of cutting the outer periphery of the material shape 401 to reduce the outer diameter of the material shape 401.

[0047] In step S13, the user 500 selects one machining process from the one or more machining processes extracted by the machining process development unit 105 and inputs it to the machining process development unit 105 via the GUI unit 101.

[0048] In step S14, machining process parameters are set for the machining area selected in step S13 based on the machining process information stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 and the shape information of the machining area.

[0049] Here, regarding the setting of the processing step parameters, a specific example will be given for explanation. When the processing area 404 has a disk shape as shown in Fig. 6(a), as described above, face machining is extracted as the processing step capable of machining the processing area 404. At this time, the processing step parameters include, as the shape pattern, "face position", starting point X, starting point Z, ending point X, ending point Z, length L1 in the Z direction, length L2 of the outer diameter of the material shape 401, etc. Since the values of these processing step parameters can be obtained by the processing step expansion unit 105 from the shape information of the processing area 404, there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0050] Also, when the processing area 404 has a cylindrical hole shape as shown in Fig. 7(a), as described above, hole machining, or hole machining and counterboring, are extracted as the processing steps capable of machining the processing area 404. At this time, the processing step parameters include, as the shape pattern, "hole position", starting point Z, ending point Z, length L3 in the Z direction, etc. Since the values of these processing step parameters can be obtained by the processing step expansion unit 105 from the shape information of the processing area 404, there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0051] Also, when the processing area 404 has a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 8(a), as described above, turning is extracted as the processing step capable of machining the processing area 404. At this time, the processing step parameters include, as the shape pattern, "outer diameter position", starting point X, starting point Z, ending point X, ending point Z, length L2 of the outer diameter of the material shape 401, radial length L4 which is the thickness to be turned, etc. Since the values of these processing step parameters can be obtained by the processing step expansion unit 105 from the shape information of the processing area, there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0052] The process of the flow in Fig. 9 is executed by the processing step expansion unit 105 every time the processing area 404 is selected in step S5 of Fig. 4. Then, the processing step expansion unit 105 outputs the processed steps for which the expansion process of the processing steps has been completed, either sequentially or grouped by product, to the processing step output unit 106.

[0053] The processing process output unit 106 outputs the processing process developed with the assistance of the processing process development unit 105 as a processing program 107. FIG. 12 shows an example of a processing program. As shown in FIG. 12, the processing program 107 includes a process sequence indicating the order of processing of the processing process, and information such as process type, tool, shape setting, etc. In the example of FIG. 12, an example of the processing program 107 for performing processing from the end face direction is shown. In the example of FIG. 12, the processing program 107 includes an initial setting processing program 107a, a processing program 107b for end face processing (see FIG. 6(b)), a processing program 107c for hole processing (see FIG. 7(b)), and a final setting processing program 107d. These four processing programs, that is, the processing processes, can be executed in the same direction, that is, from the end face direction. However, since the processing areas 404 of the processing targets are different between the processing program 107b for end face processing and the processing program 107c for hole processing, the tool 302 is replaced after the execution of the processing program 107b, and the processing program 107c is executed.

[0054] Next, the GUI unit 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 29. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in the processing process development support device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in the processing process development support device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 shows a cross-section when cut by a virtual plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape 401 and the product shape 402. FIGS. 15 to 16 and FIGS. 18 to 29 are front views showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of the GUI unit in the processing process development support device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example in which an initial remaining area in the processing process development support device according to the first embodiment is divided into a plurality of sub-remaining areas.

[0055] Here, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, as the material shape 401, the shape of a cylindrical metal rod-shaped material is taken as an example. Also, the product shape 402 has one cylindrical hole 402b provided at the center of one end face portion 402a, and a groove 402c disposed radially outside the hole 402b. The groove 402c is formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the groove 402c has a donut shape when viewed from the end face portion 402a side. The depth of the groove 402c is shallower than the hole 402b, as shown in FIG. 14. Also, the groove 402c is disposed at a radial outer side of the hole 402b with a gap therebetween. Therefore, there is a donut-shaped flat portion between the hole 402b and the groove 402c, and the hole 402b and the groove 402c do not communicate with each other. Further, the product shape 402 has a constricted portion 402d in the middle of the Z direction. The outer diameter of the constricted portion 402d is smaller than that of the other portions. The first end portion 402e adjacent to the constricted portion 402d in the Z direction has a disk shape. The end face of the first end portion 402e is the above-described end face portion 402a. Also, the first end portion 402e has an outer diameter larger than that of the constricted portion 402d. The second end portion 402f is disposed on the opposite side of the first end portion 402e in the Z direction with respect to the constricted portion 402d and is adjacent to the constricted portion 402d. The second end portion 402f has a disk shape. The end face of the second end portion 402f is flat. Also, the second end portion 402f has an outer diameter larger than that of the first end portion 402e. The length of the second end portion 402f in the Z direction is larger than that of the constricted portion 402d and the first end portion 402e.

[0056] In FIGS. 15 to 29, cross-sections are shown when cutting along a virtual plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape 401 and the product shape 402, and only the upper half portion shown in FIG. 14 of the cross-sections is shown.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 15, first, the GUI unit 101 displays the material shape 401 and the product shape 402 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 15, the dashed line indicates the material shape 401, and the solid line indicates the product shape 402. As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of buttons 101d are provided at the lower end of the main display 101b. When the user interface 101a is composed of a touch panel, the button 101d is composed of virtual buttons electronically displayed on the main display 101b. On the other hand, when the user interface 101a is composed of a display such as a liquid crystal display, the button 101d is composed of hard switches installed on the frame or the main body of the main display 101b. Above each button 101d, an operation explanation presentation unit 101c for displaying the operation explanation of each button 101d is provided. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation unit 101c displayed as "Show remains (remaining area display)" on the screen of FIG. 15, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 16.

[0058] In FIG. 16, the GUI unit 101 displays the initial remaining area 403 obtained by the calculation of the remaining area extraction unit 103 shown in FIG. 1 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 16, the dashed line indicates the initial remaining area 403. In the case of FIG. 16, there is one initial remaining area, but the number of initial remaining areas is not limited.

[0059] The initial remaining area 403 is divided into a plurality of sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l as shown in FIG. 17 by the remaining area division unit 104 shown in FIG. 1. The method of forming the sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l will be described. The remaining area 403 shown in FIG. 16 is divided by virtual lines parallel to the X axis and virtual lines parallel to the Z axis. These virtual lines pass through at least one of the bending points where the dashed line forming the remaining area 403 bends. In the example of FIG. 17, the initial remaining area 403 is divided into 12 sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l.

[0060] The remaining area division unit 104 generates one processing area 404 by combining one or more sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l. The combination of the sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l that make up the processing area 404 is required to have the sub-remaining areas be continuous with each other. However, any combination is acceptable as long as this condition is met. Each of these combinations serves as a candidate for the division pattern proposed by the remaining area division unit 104. Note that the process for the remaining area division unit 104 to generate the processing area 404 is not limited to this method. That is, the method of dividing the remaining area 403 into a plurality of sub-remaining areas as shown in FIG. 17 and then combining those sub-remaining areas to generate the processing area 404 is merely an example. The remaining area division unit 104 may use other methods to generate the processing area 404.

[0061] When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation unit 101c displayed as "Select remains" on the screen of FIG. 16, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 18.

[0062] FIGS. 18 to 20 are example screens for the user 500 to select the processing direction. The processing on the screens shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 is the processing of step S2 in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0063] In the example of the screen in FIG. 18, the outer diameter direction, which is the default value, is shown as the processing direction in which the remaining area 403 can be processed. The GUI unit 101 displays on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a the processing area 404a representing the outer diameter direction, which is generated by the remaining area division unit 104. In FIG. 18, among the processing areas 404, the processing area 404 indicated by the thick solid line is the processing area 404a displayed as the processing area representing the outer diameter direction. The processing area 404a is the processing area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, and 403d in FIG. 17. Note that in FIG. 18, the outer diameter direction is set as the default value for the initial processing direction, but this is not the only case.

[0064] On the screen of FIG. 18, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “>” is displayed, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 19. On the other hand, on the screen of FIG. 18, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “<” is displayed, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 20.

[0065] An example of the screen in FIG. 19 will be described. The remaining area division section 104 determines that the inner diameter direction is selected as the processing direction when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “>” is displayed on the screen of FIG. 18. Then, the remaining area division section 104 generates one processing area 404a as the processing area representing the inner diameter direction. As shown in FIG. 19, the GUI section 101 displays the processing area 404b generated by the remaining area division section 104 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 19, the processing area 404 indicated by the thick solid line is the processing area 404b displayed as the processing area processable in the inner diameter direction. The processing area 404b is the processing area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403k and 403l in FIG. 17.

[0066] An example of the screen in FIG. 20 will be described. The remaining area division section 104 determines that the end face direction is selected as the processing direction when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “<” is displayed on the screen of FIG. 18. Then, the remaining area division section 104 generates one processing area 404c as the processing area representing the end face direction. As shown in FIG. 20, the GUI section 101 displays the processing area 404c generated by the remaining area division section 104 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 20, the processing area 404 indicated by the thick solid line is the processing area 404c displayed as the processing area processable in the inner diameter direction. The processing area 404c is the processing area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, and 403l in FIG. 17.

[0067] On the screen of FIG. 20, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c where “>” is displayed, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the “outer diameter direction” screen shown in FIG. 18. On the other hand, on the screen of FIG. 20, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c where “<” is displayed, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the “inner diameter direction” screen shown in FIG. 19. Also, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c where “Select direction (processing direction selection)” is displayed, the “end face direction” is determined as the processing direction, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 21. The determination of the processing direction is the process of step S3 in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0068] FIGS. 21 to 26 are examples of screens for the user 500 to select a processing area. The processing on the screens shown in FIGS. 21 to 26 is the process of step S4 in the flowchart of FIG. 4. FIGS. 21 to 26 respectively show candidates for the division pattern for the user 500 to select as the processing area 404.

[0069] On the screen of FIG. 21, the processing area candidate 405a is displayed as the “first candidate” of the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405a is the processing area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, 403l in FIG. 17. On the screen of FIG. 21, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c where “<” is displayed, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the “second candidate” shown in FIG. 22. Also, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c where “Select region (processing area selection)” is displayed, the “first candidate” is determined as the processing area, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 27. The determination of the processing area is the process of step S5 in the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0070] On the screen of FIG. 22, the machining area candidate 405b is displayed as the "second candidate" of the machining area 404. The machining area candidate 405b is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403c, 403d, 403f, 403g, 403j, 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as "<" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "third candidate" shown in FIG. 23. Further, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0071] On the screen of FIG. 23, the machining area candidate 405c is displayed as the "third candidate" of the machining area 404. The machining area candidate 405c is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403j, 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "second candidate" shown in FIG. 22. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as "<" on the screen of FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fourth candidate" shown in FIG. 24. Further, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0072] On the screen of FIG. 24, as the "fourth candidate" of the machining area 404, the machining area candidate 405d is displayed. The machining area candidate 405d is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403j, 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 24, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "third candidate" shown in FIG. 23. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 24, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0073] On the screen of FIG. 25, as the "fifth candidate" of the machining area 404, the machining area candidate 405e is displayed. The machining area candidate 405e is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403i, 403j, 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c displayed as "Λ" on the screen of FIG. 25, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "second candidate" shown in FIG. 22. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 25, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt part 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 25, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "sixth candidate" shown in FIG. 26.

[0074] On the screen of FIG. 26, the machining area candidate 405f is displayed as the "sixth candidate" of the machining area 404. The machining area candidate 405f is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, 403k, 403l of FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 26, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c displayed as "Λ" on the screen of FIG. 26, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0075] Assume that on the screen of FIG. 26, the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “>” is displayed. Then, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing “the first candidate” as shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation prompt section 101c where “Select region (processing region selection)” is displayed on the screen of FIG. 21, the processing region candidate 405a of “the first candidate” is selected as the processing region, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 27. The determination of the processing region is the process of step S5 in the flowchart of FIG. 4. Also, the processing region candidate 405a selected as the processing region 404 has a shape pattern at the end face position and a processing direction in the end face direction. Therefore, the processing process development unit 105 selects, as a processing process capable of processing the processing region candidate 405a, for example, “end face processing” (see FIG. 10) from among the plurality of processing processes stored in the processing process information storage unit 108. Further, the processing process development unit 105 extracts the items of the processing process parameters required for “end face processing” stored in the processing process information storage unit 108. Then, based on the shape data of the processing region candidate 405a, the processing process development unit 105 sets values for each of the extracted items of the processing process parameters (starting point X, starting point Z, ending point X, ending point Z, etc.). Thereby, the processing process for processing the processing region candidate 405a is determined, and the said processing process is output as a processing program 107 by the processing process output unit 106.

[0076] On the screen of FIG. 27, the machining area candidate 405a in which the machining process has already been developed by the machining process development unit 105 in FIG. 1 is the machining area 404c in which the machining process has been developed, and thus is indicated by a dashed line. The remaining area division unit 104 extracts the current remaining area 403 using the shape of the machining area 404c in which the machining process has been developed and the initial remaining area 403 extracted by the remaining area extraction unit 103 in FIG. 1. In this way, the remaining area 403 is updated to the current remaining area 403. In the example of FIG. 27, the current remaining area 403 is composed of three remaining areas 403A, 403B, and 403C. In this manner, the process in which the remaining area division unit 104 updates the current remaining area 403 is the process of step S6 in the flowchart of FIG. 4. In the first embodiment, every time a machining area is selected by the user 500, the remaining area 403 is always updated to the latest one. Also, the updated remaining area 403 is displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101 as shown in FIG. 27. Thereby, the user 500 can easily select a machinable machining area using the screen of the user interface 101a. Also, as shown in step S7 of the flowchart of FIG. 4, the processes of steps S1 to S6 of the flowchart of FIG. 4 are repeated until the remaining area 403 disappears.

[0077] FIGS. 27 to 29 are examples of screens for the user 500 to select the remaining area 403 in step S1 of the flowchart of FIG. 4. FIGS. 27 to 29 show the remaining areas 403A, 403B, and 403C, which are candidates for the remaining area to be selected by the user 500 as the remaining area 403, respectively.

[0078] For example, assume that on the screen of FIG. 27, the user 500 selects the remaining area 403A. In this case, the remaining area division unit 104 arbitrarily combines the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, 403e, 403f, 403h shown in FIG. 17 for each processing direction to generate a plurality of candidates for the processing areas. These candidates for the processing areas are sequentially displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. When the user 500 selects one candidate from among these candidates for the processing areas, the processing steps for the said candidate are determined. By repeating this process, the processing steps are determined for all the sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l that make up the initial remaining area 403. The determined series of processing steps becomes a processing program for generating the product shape 402 from the material shape 401.

[0079] As described above, the processing step development support device 100 according to Embodiment 1 supports the selection and development of processable processing steps based on the selection of the remaining area 403. In the processing step development support device 100, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the user 500 uses the GUI unit 101 to simply select the processing direction, candidates for the processing areas that can be processed from the said processing direction are displayed on the screen. When the user 500 selects one processing area from among these candidates for the processing areas, the processing step development unit 105 extracts, from the processing step information storage unit 108, the processing steps and tools that can process the said processing area based on the shape information of the processing area. Therefore, in the processing step development support device 100, it is not necessary for the user 500 to select the tools and processing steps to be used, and based on the shape information of the selected processing area, the tools and processing steps to be used are automatically selected. As a result, compared with the above Patent Document 1, the load on the user 500 is significantly reduced.

[0080] Also, in the processing process development support device 100 according to Embodiment 1, every time the processing process of one processing area is developed, the current remaining area 403 indicating the processing areas that have not yet been developed is updated. In this way, in the processing process development support device 100, the current remaining area 403 is always updated, and the current remaining area 403 is displayed on the screen by the GUI unit 101. Therefore, the user 500 can easily select the processing areas that have not yet been developed from the remaining area 403.

[0081] In the processing program of Patent Document 1 described above, since the actual material shape is not considered, it was necessary for the user to manually edit the automatically generated processing program. On the other hand, in Embodiment 1, the processing process development support device 100 has a shape input unit 102 that receives the input of the actual material shape 401 and the product shape 402. Therefore, in the processing process development support device 100, an accurate remaining area 403 can be obtained based on the actual material shape 401 and the product shape 402. Also, based on the accurate remaining area 403, since the processing process is determined and the processing program is generated, there is no need for the user 500 to manually edit the processing program.

[0082] Also, in the machining process development support device 100 according to Embodiment 1, the machining process development unit 105 develops a machining process based on the shape information of the machining area 404. The shape information of the machining area 404 includes the shape pattern of the machining area 404 and the values of the machining process parameters used in the machining process. Also, in the machining process development support device 100 according to Embodiment 1, the machining process information storage unit 108 stores in advance a plurality of machining processes and the items of machining process parameters required for those machining processes. Therefore, the machining process development unit 105 extracts one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area 404 from among the plurality of machining processes stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 based on the shape information of the machining area 404. Further, the machining process development unit 105 sets the values of the machining process parameters for each of the items of machining process parameters stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 based on the shape information of the machining area 404. Thus, in the machining process development support device 100 according to Embodiment 1, the user 500 does not need to specify a tool and a machining process, and the machining process development unit 105 automatically determines the machining process based on the shape information of the machining area 404 and further sets the values of the machining process parameters required for the machining process. Thereby, a machining program can be easily generated.

[0083] Next, the hardware configuration for realizing the processing process development support device 100 will be described. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration for realizing the processing process development support device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 30, the processing process development support device 100 includes, as hardware, an input device 1001, a processor 1002, a processing circuit 1004 including a memory 1003, a display 1005, and a transmission / reception device 1006. Among the modules of the processing process development support device 100 shown in FIG. 1, a part of the shape input unit 102, the remaining area extraction unit 103, the remaining area division unit 104, the processing process development unit 105, and the processing process output unit 106 is realized by the processor 1002 and the memory 1003. Further, the processing process information storage unit 108 is realized by the memory 1003. The processor 1002 and the memory 1003 constitute the processing circuit 1004. Also, a part of the GUI unit 101 in FIG. 1 is realized by the input device 1001. The input device 1001 includes, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel. Another part of the GUI unit 101 in FIG. 1 is realized by the display 1005. Another part of the processing process output unit 106 is realized by the transmission / reception device 1006.

[0084] The processor 1002 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1002 may also be an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory 1003 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, or an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0085] The memory 1003 also stores a support program for implementing the processing step development support method. The processor 1002 reads out and executes the support program from the memory 1003, thereby implementing the functions of each module in FIG. 1 described above. Further, the memory 1003 is also used as a temporary memory when the processor 1002 executes each function. Note that the support program executed by the processor 1002 may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium. In that case, the storage medium is attached to the processing step development support device 100, and the support program is copied to the memory 1003. Alternatively, the support program can also be downloaded to the memory 1003 from another computer or a cloud computer system via another communication path such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or the Internet.

[0086] FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the processing step development support method according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 31, in step S21, a plurality of processing steps are stored in advance in the processing step information storage unit 108. In step S22, the shape input unit 102 is used to receive the input of the shape data of the raw material shape 401 and the product shape 402. In step S23, the remaining region 403 is extracted based on the raw material shape 401 and the product shape 402. In step S24, the remaining region 403 is divided into a plurality of processing regions 404. In step S25, the development of the processing steps is supported based on the shape information of the processing region 404. In step S26, the developed processing steps are output as a processing program. Since the details of the processing in each step are as described above in the description of the processing step development support device 100, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0087] FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the processing method according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 32, in the processing method, steps S27 and S28 are further added to steps S21 to S26 in FIG. 31. Since steps S21 to S26 are the same as those in FIG. 31, the description thereof is omitted. In step S27, the processing program 107 is executed to generate a processing command and a control signal indicating the processing command. In step S28, the drive unit 301 of the processing device 300 drives the tool 302 according to the control signal, and the workpiece 400 is processed. Details of the processing in each step are as described above in the description of the processing process development support device 100, the numerical control device 200, and the processing device 300, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

[0088] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine the embodiments with each other, or omit or change a part of the configuration without departing from the gist.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0089] 100 Processing process development support device, 101 GUI unit, 101a User interface, 101b Main display, 101c Operation description presentation unit, 101d Button, 102 Shape input unit, 103 Remaining area extraction unit, 104 Remaining area division unit, 105 Processing process development unit, 106 Processing process output unit, 107, 107a, 107b, 107c, 107d Processing program, 108 Processing process information storage unit, 200 Numerical control device, 300 Processing device, 301 Driving unit, 302 Tool, 400 Workpiece, 401 Material shape, 402 Product shape, 402a End face part, 402b Hole, 402c Groove, 402d Constricted part, 402e First end part, 402f Second end part, 403, 403A, 403B, 403C Remaining area, 403a, 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403h, 403i, 403j, 403k, 403l Sub-remaining area, 404, 404a, 404b, 404c Processing area, 405a, 405b, 405c, 405d, 405e, 405f Processing area candidate, 500 User, 600 Processing process development support system, 700 Processing system, 800 Central axis, 1001 Input device, 1002 Processor, 1003 Memory, 1004 Processing circuit, 1005 Display, 1006 Transceiver.

Claims

1. A shape input unit that receives input of shape data of a material shape and a product shape; A remaining area extraction unit that extracts a remaining area, which is an area to be processed, based on the material shape and the product shape input by the shape input unit; A remaining area division unit that divides the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit into a plurality of processing areas; A processing process development unit that supports the development of a processing process for processing the processing area based on the shape information of the processing area formed by the remaining area division unit; A processing process output unit that outputs the processing process developed by the support of the processing process development unit as a processing program; A processing process development support device, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The processing process development unit: Stores in advance in a processing process information storage unit, processing process information including a plurality of processing processes and items of processing process parameters required in each of the processing processes; For each of the processing areas formed by the remaining area division unit, based on the shape information of the processing area, extracts one or a plurality of processing processes capable of processing the processing area from the plurality of processing processes stored in the processing process information storage unit; For each of the processing areas, sets the values of the processing process parameters based on the processing process information stored in the processing process information storage unit and the shape information of the processing area. The processing process development support device according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The remaining area division unit: Extracts the current remaining area using the shape of the processing area for which the processing process has already been developed by the processing process development unit and the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit. The processing process development support device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. Comprises a GUI unit including a user interface that receives a user's operation; The GUI unit: Displays the remaining area extracted by either the remaining area extraction unit or the remaining area division unit on the user interface. The processing process development support device according to Claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The remaining area division unit: For each of the remaining areas displayed on the user interface, extracts one or a plurality of processing directions capable of processing the remaining area, and displays the processing directions on the user interface. When receiving the operation of the user for selecting one processing direction from the processing directions via the user interface, extracting the remaining area processable in the processing direction selected by the operation of the user as a processing area, and displaying the processing area on the user interface The processing process development support device according to claim 4, characterized in that

6. The remaining area dividing unit When receiving the operation of the user for selecting one processing area from the processing areas via the user interface, outputs the selected processing area to the processing process development unit The processing process development support device according to claim 5, characterized in that

7. A processing process development support system, comprising The processing process development support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 A numerical control device that receives a processing program transmitted from the processing process development support device, executes the processing program to generate a processing command, generates a control signal indicating the processing command, and outputs the control signal A processing process development support system, characterized by comprising

8. A processing system, comprising The processing process development support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 A numerical control device that receives a processing program transmitted from the processing process development support device, executes the processing program to generate a processing command, generates a control signal indicating the processing command, and transmits the control signal A processing device having a processing tool, receiving the control signal, and driving the processing tool according to the control signal to process a workpiece A processing system, characterized by comprising

9. Storing a plurality of processing steps in advance in a processing step information storage unit Receiving input of shape data of a material shape and a product shape using a shape input unit Extracting a remaining area based on the material shape and the product shape Dividing the remaining area into a plurality of processing areas Supporting the development of a processing process based on the shape information of the processing area Outputting the developed processing process as a processing program A processing process development support method, characterized by

10. Including the processing process development support method according to claim 9 Executing the processing program to generate a processing command, and generating a control signal indicating the processing command Including driving a processing tool according to the control signal to process a workpiece A processing method, characterized by

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