Wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus and control point acquisition method

Abstract

To provide a wire arc lamination shaping apparatus and a control point acquisition method capable of efficiently acquiring a control point.SOLUTION: The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus includes an additive manufacturing robot having a torch unit capable of adding a metal wire by arc welding and an arm unit capable of moving the torch unit, a first jig having a hemispherical portion that is hemispherically recessed, a second jig having a spherical portion that can be fitted to the hemispherical portion, and a control unit that controls the arm unit. The control unit acquires posture information of the laminating robot in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted to each other and arrangement information of the laminating robot arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the table, calculates a robot control point serving as a reference coordinate of the laminating robot based on the posture information, and calculates a table control point serving as a reference coordinate of the table based on the arrangement information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus and a control point acquisition method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a device configuration for WAAM (Wire arc additive manufacturing), a device that uses an arc welding robot to laminate metal materials is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] When controlling industrial robots used as arc welding robots, it is necessary to specify a control point called the Tool Center Point (TCP) to the robot. WAAM can improve the stability of stacking operations by improving the accuracy of control point acquisition.

[0004] Conventional methods for obtaining control points include attaching pin-shaped jigs to the table and welding torch and visually aligning the positions of the pin-shaped tips of the two jigs, or attaching a lever-type dial gauge to the welding torch to check the table level. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-144446 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6797324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional control point acquisition methods using pin-shaped jigs can have large errors and can result in poor control point acquisition accuracy, while conventional control point acquisition methods using lever-type dial gauges can take a long time to acquire control points.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus and a control point acquisition method that can efficiently acquire control points. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. The wire arc additive manufacturing device of the present invention comprises a stacking robot having a torch unit capable of stacking metal wire by arc welding and an arm unit capable of moving the torch unit, a first jig having a hemispherical concave hemispherical portion, a second jig having a spherical spherical portion that can fit into the hemispherical portion, and a control unit that controls the arm unit, wherein one of the first jig and the second jig is provided at the tip of the torch unit and the other is provided on the upper surface of a table on which the metal wire is stacked, and the control unit acquires posture information of the stacking robot in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted together and placement information of the stacking robot placed at a predetermined position with respect to the table, and calculates, based on the posture information, a robot control point that serves as the reference coordinate of the stacking robot when the stacking robot stacks the metal wire, and calculates, based on the placement information, a table control point that serves as the reference coordinate of the table when the stacking robot stacks the metal wire.

[0009] The control point acquisition method of the present invention is a control point acquisition method for acquiring control points of a wire arc additive manufacturing device comprising: a stacking robot that can move a torch unit capable of stacking metal wire by arc welding using an arm unit; a first jig having a hemispherical portion that is concave in a hemispherical shape; and a second jig having a spherical portion that can fit with the hemispherical portion, one of the first jig and the second jig being provided at the tip of the torch unit and the other being provided on the top surface of a table on which the metal wire is stacked. The control point acquisition method comprises: a fitting process for fitting the hemispherical portion with the spherical portion; an attitude acquisition process for acquiring attitude information of the stacking robot in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted together; and a robot reference coordinate calculation process for calculating, based on the attitude information, a robot control point, which is the control point that serves as the reference coordinate of the stacking robot when the stacking robot stacks the metal wire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the wire arc additive manufacturing device and control point acquisition method of the present invention, it is possible to provide a wire arc additive manufacturing device and control point acquisition method that can efficiently acquire control points. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a torch unit in the wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a first jig attached to the torch portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a view showing a second jig fitted with the first jig. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a control point acquisition method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a second attitude acquisition step in the control point acquisition method. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of an axis adjustment step in the control point acquisition method. [Figure 8]10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a height adjustment step in the control point acquisition method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.

[0014] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other, and the X-axis is defined as the horizontal front-rear direction, the Y-axis is defined as the horizontal left-right direction, and the Z-axis is defined as the vertical up-down direction.

[0015] The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus (stacking apparatus) 100 includes a table 10, a stacking robot 20, a control unit 30, a first jig 2 (see FIG. 3), and a second jig 40 (see FIG. 4).

[0016] The lamination device 100 is a device that performs lamination of metal materials using an arc welding robot by the WAAM (Wire arc additive manufacturing) method.

[0017] The table 10 is a platform on which metal wires are stacked on an upper surface 10a. In this embodiment, the table 10 is provided with its upper surface 10a perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and is rotatable about a table axis (rotation axis) O1 that extends in the Z-axis direction and passes through a table center C. The table center C is located on the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0018] The stacking robot 20 includes a torch unit 21 and an arm unit 22 .

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the torch unit 21. As shown in FIG. The torch unit 21 is a welding torch that is provided at the tip of the stacking robot 20 and that stacks wire (metal wire) W by arc welding. The wire W is a welding wire used in arc welding.

[0020] 2 indicates an object to be processed that is formed by the lamination device 100 laminating the wire W. The lamination device 100 continuously performs lamination processing of the wire W onto the workpiece WP, for example, on the upper surface 10a of the table 10, to form a workpiece WP having a desired shape.

[0021] 2, a torch tip portion 1 is provided at the tip of a torch portion 21 that layers the wire W. The torch tip portion 1 includes a contact tip CT that guides the wire W and supplies a welding current used for arc welding.

[0022] The contact tip CT is provided at the tip of the torch tip portion 1, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0023] A control point P1 shown in FIG. 2 indicates a TCP (Tool center point), which is a coordinate system that serves as a reference when the stacking robot 20 is operated.

[0024] The control point P1 is a control point of the stacking robot 20. In the following description, the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 is also referred to as the "robot control point P1."

[0025] In this embodiment, the robot control point P1 is a reference coordinate for the control unit 30 described later to control the operation of the stacking robot 20 that stacks the wire W, and is, for example, the coordinate of the tip of the wire W sent out from the torch unit 21.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the robot control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 that stacks the wire W on the upper surface of the workpiece WP is preferably located on the axis (torch axis) O2 of the torch unit 21.

[0027] Here, the distance in the Z-axis direction between the robot control point P1 and the torch tip 1 is referred to as the control point distance H. The control point distance H is, for example, the distance from the tip of the contact tip CT included in the torch tip 1 to the robot control point P1, and is also called the CTWD (Contact Tip Workpiece Distance).

[0028] The arm 22 is a robot arm having the torch 21 connected to its tip and capable of moving the torch 21 in any direction.

[0029] The stacking robot 20 is, for example, a six-axis articulated robot arm, and can assume various positions and postures by moving the torch unit 21 with the arm unit 22. The stacking robot 20 can operate stably by appropriately setting the coordinates of the robot control point P1.

[0030] The stacking robot 20 may be configured in any of various positions and postures as long as it can stack the wire W using the torch unit 21, and the configuration of the stacking robot 20 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0031] The control unit 30 is a control device that controls a part or the whole of the stacking device 100. The control unit 30 is, for example, a robot controller that can control the stacking robot 20.

[0032] The control unit 30 may be a programmable device (computer) equipped with a processor, a memory, a storage unit, etc. Each function of the control unit 30 is realized by one or more processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), executing a program stored in a program memory. However, all or part of these functions may be realized by hardware (e.g., circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). Furthermore, all or part of the above functions may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The storage unit may be realized by a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0033] The control unit 30 controls the stacking robot 20 and can cause the stacking robot 20 to assume various positions and postures.

[0034] The control unit 30 controls, for example, the arm unit 22 to move the torch unit 21 in any direction. The control unit 30 may control the welding operation of the torch unit 21, or may control the rotation operation of the table 10.

[0035] The stacking device 100 moves the torch unit 21 using the arm unit 22, feeds out the wire W from the torch unit 21, and stacks the wire W on the upper surface 10a of the table 10 by arc welding, thereby forming a metal object of any shape (e.g., a workpiece WP) on the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0036] As a preparation before stacking operation by the stacking device 100, it is necessary to instruct the stacking device 100 on the coordinates of the robot control point P1 and the control point (table control point) P2 of the table 10. By appropriately setting the robot control point P1 and the table control point P2 and maintaining the control point distance H constant, the stacking operation of the stacking device 100 becomes stable.

[0037] In the stacking device 100 used in the WAAM, the table control point P2 is preferably set on the upper surface 10a of the table 10 and on the table axis O1. That is, the table control point P2 is preferably located at the table center C as shown in FIG.

[0038] The first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are used to obtain the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 and the control point P2 of the table 10.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the first jig 2 attached to the torch part 21. As shown in FIG.

[0040] 3, the first jig 2 is attached to the torch unit 21. Here, in the direction in which the torch axis O2 extends (axial direction), the side where the torch unit 21 is attached to the arm unit 22 is referred to as the "base end side," and the opposite side is referred to as the "tip side."

[0041] The first jig 2 is provided on the axial tip side of the torch part 21. The first jig 2 is a cylindrical member with a bottom and a central axis that coincides with the torch axis O2.

[0042] The bottom surface 2a at the tip side of the first jig 2 is a plane perpendicular to the torch axis O2. The bottom surface 2a does not have to be strictly flat, but is preferably flat. A hemispherical portion 2b that is concave toward the base end is formed on the bottom surface 2a.

[0043] Hemispherical portion 2b is a hemispherical depression that opens toward the tip of torch axis O2 and has its center located on torch axis O2. The center of hemispherical portion 2b is located on an imaginary plane formed by extending bottom portion 2a into hemispherical portion 2b.

[0044] The first jig 2 may be attached to the torch part 21 from which the torch tip part 1 has been removed, or may be attached to the torch part 21 together with the torch tip part 1.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the second jig 40 fitted into the first jig 2. The stacking robot 20 shown in Fig. 4 is oriented such that the torch axis O2 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. That is, in the stacking robot 20 shown in Fig. 4, the torch axis O2 is perpendicular to the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0046] In the following description, the state of the stacking robot 20 in which the torch axis O2 is perpendicular to the upper surface 10a of the table 10 will be referred to as the "vertical state."

[0047] The second jig 40 includes a base portion 41, a connecting portion 42, and a spherical portion 43. The second jig 40 is provided on the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0048] The base portion 41 is fixed to the upper surface 10a of the table 10. The second jig 40 is fixed to the table 10 by attaching the base portion 41 to the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0049] The connecting portion 42 is a cylindrical member extending vertically upward from the base portion 41. The connecting portion 42 connects the base portion 41 and the spherical portion 43. The shape of the connecting portion 42 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a prismatic shape.

[0050] Spherical portion 43 is a spherical member connected to the end of connecting portion 42 opposite base portion 41. Spherical portion 43 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of hemispherical portion 2b of first jig 2, and has a shape that can fit into hemispherical portion 2b, as shown in FIG.

[0051] The second jig 40 is made of a hard material that is difficult to deform, such as metal.

[0052] When the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together, the center of the hemispherical portion 2b and the center of the spherical portion 43 coincide with each other.

[0053] The central axis of first jig 2 coincides with torch axis O2. As shown in Fig. 4, the dimension of first jig 2 in the Z-axis direction is set so that the center of hemispherical portion 2b coincides with robot control point P1 when first jig 2 is attached to stacking robot 20 in a vertical position.

[0054] The first jig 2 is preferably made of a transparent or semi-transparent material so that the fitting state between the hemispherical portion 2b and the spherical portion 43 can be visually confirmed.

[0055] Next, a method for acquiring control points in the stacking device 100 will be described.

[0056] The control point acquisition method described below is a method for acquiring the coordinates of the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 and the coordinates of the control point P2 of the table 10.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control point acquisition method according to this embodiment.

[0058] (Step S1) In the control point acquisition method according to this embodiment, first, step S1 (mounting step) is carried out to mount the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 in predetermined locations.

[0059] In step S1, first jig 2 is attached to the tip of torch unit 21. At this time, first jig 2 is attached to torch unit 21 so that the center of hemispherical portion 2b is positioned on torch axis O2. In this embodiment, first jig 2 is attached to torch unit 21 so that the central axis of first jig 2 coincides with torch axis O2.

[0060] Also, the second jig 40 is attached to the upper surface 10a of the table 10. At this time, the base portion 41 of the second jig 40 is attached to the upper surface 10a of the table 10, and the spherical portion 43 is attached so as to be spaced apart vertically above the upper surface 10a of the table 10.

[0061] (Step S2) After the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are properly installed in step S1, step S2 (posture adjustment step) is carried out.

[0062] In step S2, the posture of the stacking robot 20 is adjusted so that the torch axis O2 is perpendicular to the upper surface 10a of the table 10. In other words, the stacking robot 20 is brought into a vertical position.

[0063] For example, if the side of the first jig 2 extends parallel to the torch axis O2, a precision goniometer is used to adjust the posture of the stacking robot 20 so that the side of the first jig 2 is perpendicular to the top surface 10a of the table 10, thereby bringing the stacking robot 20 into a vertical position.

[0064] By using a goniometer, the angle between the torch axis O2 and the top surface 10a of the table 10 can be easily adjusted compared to the conventional method of checking the table level by attaching a lever-type dial gauge to the welding torch.

[0065] (Step S3) After the stacking robot 20 is set in a vertical position in step S2, step S3 (fitting step) is carried out.

[0066] In step S3, the hemispherical portion 2b of the first jig 2 attached to the torch portion 21 and the spherical portion 43 of the second jig 40 attached to the upper surface 10a of the table 10 are fitted together.

[0067] For example, the torch portion 21 of the stacking robot 20, which has been set in a vertical position in step S2, is placed vertically above the second jig 40, and the torch portion 21 is lowered so that the hemispherical portion 2b covers the spherical portion 43 from vertically above, thereby fitting the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 together.

[0068] At this time, first jig 2 is lowered to a position where the center of hemispherical portion 2b and the center of spherical portion 43 coincide with each other.

[0069] In this embodiment, the work of fixing the second jig 40 to the upper surface 10a of the table 10 is performed in step S1, but the second jig 40 may also be fixed to the upper surface 10a of the table 10 when the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together in step S3.

[0070] By performing step S3, the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are placed in the positions shown in FIG.

[0071] (Step S4) After the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together in step S3, step S4 (first attitude acquisition step) is carried out.

[0072] In step S4, posture information of the stacking robot 20 in a state where the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together and the stacking robot 20 is in a vertical state is acquired. The posture information is acquired, for example, by the control unit 30, which is a robot controller.

[0073] The posture information of the stacking robot 20 refers to information including position data, angle data, etc. that indicate the posture of the stacking robot 20. In the following description, posture information of the stacking robot 20 in a vertical state will be referred to as "vertical posture information."

[0074] (Step S5) After the vertical attitude information of the stacking robot 20 is acquired in step S4, step S5 (second attitude acquisition step) is carried out.

[0075] 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the second attitude acquisition step S5 in the control point acquisition method. In step S5, the torch unit 21 is tilted with respect to the second jig 40, and the stacking robot 20 is brought into a state in which the torch axis O2 is tilted at a predetermined angle from the vertical state (tilted state).

[0076] In the stacking robot 20 in the tilted state, the torch axis O2 is tilted at a predetermined angle from the Z-axis direction.

[0077] In step S5, for example, after acquiring vertical posture information in step S4, the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are disengaged, and the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 attached to the stacking robot 20 in an inclined state are re-engaged.

[0078] Specifically, the stacking robot 20, which is in a vertical position in step S4, is moved upward in the Z-axis direction to separate the first jig 2 from the second jig 40, thereby releasing the engagement between the first jig 2 and the second jig 40.

[0079] Next, the posture of the stacking robot 20 is changed so that the first jig 2 is tilted at a predetermined angle, and the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together so that the center of the hemispherical portion 2b of the first jig 2 in the tilted state coincides with the center of the spherical portion 43 of the second jig 40.

[0080] In step S5, posture information of the stacking robot 20 in a state where the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together and in a tilted state is acquired. The posture information is acquired, for example, by the control unit 30, which is a robot controller.

[0081] In the following description, the posture information of the stacking robot 20 in a tilted state will be referred to as “tilt posture information.” The first posture acquisition step S4 and the second posture acquisition step S5 will also be simply referred to as “posture acquisition steps.”

[0082] In step S5, the control unit 30 may acquire a plurality of pieces of tilt attitude information in which the torch axis O2 is tilted at different angles from the vertical state.

[0083] For example, in step S5, the torch unit 21 is tilted relative to the second jig 40, so that the stacking robot 20 is placed in five tilted states in which the torch axis O2 is tilted at different angles from the vertical state.

[0084] By acquiring the tilt posture information of the stacking robot 20 in these five tilt states by the control unit 30, it is possible to acquire information on five tilt postures in which the torch axis O2 is tilted at different angles from the vertical state.

[0085] In the control point acquisition method of this embodiment, vertical attitude information is acquired in step S4 and then tilt attitude information is acquired in step S5, but the order in which the vertical attitude information and tilt attitude information are acquired is not limited to this, and the vertical attitude information may be acquired after the tilt attitude information is acquired.

[0086] (Step S6) After the tilt attitude information is acquired in step S5, step S6 (robot reference coordinate calculation step) is carried out.

[0087] In step S6, the control unit 30 calculates the coordinates of the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 based on the vertical posture information and inclination posture information of the stacking robot 20 acquired in the posture acquisition process (first posture acquisition process S4 and second posture acquisition process S5).

[0088] The coordinates of the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 calculated here are coordinates that serve as a reference when the control unit 30 controls the posture of the stacking robot 20.

[0089] (Step S7) After the robot control point P1 is acquired in step S6, step S7 (axis adjustment step) is carried out.

[0090] 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the axis adjustment step S7 in the control point acquisition method. In step S7, the positions of the torch unit 21 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are adjusted so that the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 coincide with each other.

[0091] For example, a lever-type dial gauge is placed on the top surface 10a of the table 10, and while the table 10 is rotated around the table axis O1 as the center of rotation, the side portion 2c of the first jig 2 is measured using the lever-type dial gauge, and the position of the torch portion 21 is adjusted based on the measurement results so that the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 are aligned.

[0092] The control unit 30 acquires the position information of the stacking robot 20 when the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 are aligned. The position information of the stacking robot 20 indicates information including position data of the stacking robot 20 placed at a predetermined position.

[0093] The placement information of the stacking robot 20 may include information indicating the posture of the stacking robot 20, such as angle data.

[0094] In this embodiment, the placement information of the stacking robot 20 is information indicating the position of the stacking robot 20 that is placed at a predetermined position relative to the table 10.

[0095] In the following description, the placement information of the stacking robot 20 acquired by the control unit 30 in step S7 will be referred to as "horizontal placement information."

[0096] In step S7, the control unit 30 acquires the arrangement information (horizontal arrangement information) of the stacking robot 20 arranged at a predetermined position in the horizontal direction relative to the table 10.

[0097] Based on the horizontal arrangement information, the control unit 30 acquires the coordinates (horizontal coordinates) in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the torch axis O2 when the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 coincide with each other. These horizontal coordinates become the XY coordinates of the table center C. That is, the control unit 30 acquires the XY coordinates of the table center C based on the horizontal arrangement information of the stacking robot 20.

[0098] (Step S8) After acquiring the horizontal arrangement information in step S7, step S8 (height adjustment step) is carried out.

[0099] 8 is a diagram showing the operation of the height adjustment step S8 in the control point acquisition method. In step S8, the position of the torch unit 21 in the Z-axis direction is adjusted so that the bottom surface 2a of the first jig 2 and the upper surface 10a of the table 10 abut against each other.

[0100] The control unit 30 acquires the positioning information of the stacking robot 20 when the bottom surface 2a of the first jig 2 and the upper surface 10a of the table 10 come into contact with each other. In the following description, the positioning information of the stacking robot 20 acquired by the control unit 30 in step S8 will be referred to as "vertical positioning information."

[0101] In step S8, the control unit 30 acquires the placement information (vertical placement information) of the stacking robot 20 placed at a predetermined position in the vertical direction relative to the table 10.

[0102] Based on the vertical arrangement information, the control unit 30 acquires the coordinate in the Z-axis direction (vertical coordinate) of the bottom surface 2a of the first jig 2 when the bottom surface 2a and the upper surface 10a of the table 10 come into contact with each other. This vertical coordinate becomes the Z coordinate of the table center C. That is, the control unit 30 acquires the Z coordinate of the table center C based on the vertical arrangement information of the stacking robot 20.

[0103] In the control point acquisition method of this embodiment, horizontal placement information is acquired in step S7 and then vertical placement information is acquired in step S8, but the order in which the horizontal placement information and vertical placement information are acquired is not limited to this, and the horizontal placement information may be acquired after the vertical placement information is acquired.

[0104] In step S8, a block gauge may be placed on the upper surface 10a of the table 10, the bottom surface 2a may be abutted against the upper surface of this block gauge, and the Z coordinate of the bottom surface 2a may be obtained by acquiring vertical positioning information at this time.

[0105] In this case, the control unit 30 acquires a coordinate offset by the thickness of the block gauge from the acquired Z coordinate of the bottom surface portion 2a as the vertical coordinate of the bottom surface portion 2a. Specifically, the control unit 30 acquires a coordinate positioned vertically below the acquired Z coordinate of the bottom surface portion 2a by the thickness of the block gauge as the vertical coordinate of the bottom surface portion 2a.

[0106] The axis adjustment process S7 and height adjustment process S8 described above are processes for acquiring layout information of the stacking robot 20. In the following description, the axis adjustment process S7 and height adjustment process S8 are also simply referred to as "layout acquisition processes."

[0107] (Step S9) After the vertical arrangement information is acquired in step S8, step S9 (table reference coordinate calculation step) is carried out.

[0108] In step S9, the control unit 30 calculates the coordinates of the control point P2 of the table 10 based on the horizontal arrangement information acquired in the axis adjustment step S7 and the vertical arrangement information acquired in the height adjustment step S8.

[0109] In this embodiment, the table control point P2 acquired by the control unit 30 coincides with the coordinates of the table center C.

[0110] When second jig 40 is fixed to upper surface 10a of table 10, by positioning the center of spherical portion 43 on table axis O1, axis adjustment step S7 and height adjustment step S8 can be omitted.

[0111] In this case, in the attachment step S1, the second jig 40 is fixed to the upper surface 10a of the table 10 so that the center of the spherical portion 43 is positioned on the table axis O1.

[0112] For example, by providing a regulating shape on the upper surface 10a of the table 10 and the base portion 41 of the second jig 40 to position the second jig 40 in a predetermined position, the center of the spherical portion 43 can be positioned accurately on the table axis O1.

[0113] Next, the above-described attitude adjusting step S2 and fitting step S3 are performed. Because the center of the spherical portion 43 is located on the table axis O1, when the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are fitted together in the fitting step S3, the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 coincide with each other.

[0114] The control unit 30 can obtain the horizontal coordinate of the torch axis O2 when the table axis O1 and the torch axis O2 coincide with each other by obtaining the horizontal positioning information of the stacking robot 20 at this time. Therefore, the axis adjustment step S7 can be omitted in the subsequent steps.

[0115] Furthermore, when first jig 2 and second jig 40 are fitted together in fitting step S3, the center of hemispherical portion 2b and the center of spherical portion 43 coincide with each other.

[0116] The control unit 30 acquires vertical position information of the stacking robot 20 at this time. Based on the acquired vertical position information of the stacking robot 20, the control unit 30 calculates a coordinate that is located below the Z coordinate of the center of the hemispherical portion 2b by the distance in the Z axis direction from the upper surface 10a of the table 10 to the center of the spherical portion 43, thereby acquiring a coordinate that corresponds to the Z coordinate of the bottom portion 2a when the bottom portion 2a and the upper surface 10a of the table 10 come into contact. In other words, the control unit 30 can acquire the vertical coordinate of the bottom portion 2a. Therefore, in the subsequent steps, the height adjustment step S8 can be omitted.

[0117] For example, the memory unit or the like of the control unit 30 stores the dimension in the Z-axis direction from the bottom surface of the base 41 to the center of the spherical portion 43. The control unit 30 can use this dimension as the distance in the Z-axis direction from the top surface 10a of the table 10 to the center of the spherical portion 43.

[0118] In this way, the stacking device 100 may perform the fitting step S3 as an arrangement acquisition step for acquiring horizontal arrangement information and vertical arrangement information.

[0119] The stacking device 100 can stably perform the stacking operation of stacking the wire W on the upper surface 10a of the table 10 by accurately acquiring the robot control point P1 and the table control point P2 using the above-described control point acquisition method.

[0120] The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment comprises a stacking robot 20 having a torch unit 21 capable of stacking metal wire W by arc welding and an arm unit 22 capable of moving the torch unit 21, a first jig 2 having a hemispherical portion 2b that is concave in a hemispherical shape, a second jig 40 having a spherical spherical portion 43 that can fit into the hemispherical portion 2b, and a control unit 30 that controls the arm unit 22.

[0121] One of the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 is provided at the tip of the torch part 21, and the other is provided on the upper surface 10a of the table 10 on which the metal wire W is laminated.

[0122] The control unit 30 acquires posture information of the stacking robot 20 when the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are engaged, and based on the acquired posture information, calculates a robot control point P1 which is the reference coordinate of the stacking robot 20 when the stacking robot 20 stacks the metal wire W.

[0123] In addition, the control unit 30 acquires the placement information of the stacking robot 20 placed at a predetermined position relative to the table 10, and based on the acquired placement information, calculates a table control point P2 which is the reference coordinate of the table 10 when the stacking robot 20 stacks the metal wire W.

[0124] In addition, the control point acquisition method of this embodiment is a control point acquisition method for acquiring control points of the wire arc additive manufacturing device 100, and includes an engagement process S3 for engaging the hemispherical portion 2b with the spherical portion 43, an attitude acquisition process for acquiring attitude information of the stacking robot 20 in a state in which the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are engaged, and a robot reference coordinate calculation process S6 for calculating, based on the acquired attitude information, a robot control point P1 that becomes the reference coordinate of the stacking robot 20 when the stacking robot 20 stacks the metal wire W.

[0125] The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 can acquire posture information of the stacking robot 20 while maintaining the position of the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 due to the mechanical fit between the first jig 2 and the second jig 40, thereby eliminating as much as possible error factors other than position or posture errors of the stacking robot 20 and accurately acquiring posture information of the stacking robot 20. By acquiring posture information with high accuracy, the calculation accuracy of the control point P1 of the stacking robot 20 can be improved.

[0126] As a result, it is possible to provide a wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 and a control point acquisition method that can efficiently acquire control points.

[0127] By accurately acquiring the control points of the stacking robot 20 using the wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 and the control point acquisition method of this embodiment, the stability of the stacking operation of the wire W by the stacking robot 20 can be improved.

[0128] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the following modified examples can be appropriately combined to form a configuration.

[0129] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 includes the table 10, but the aspect of the wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this. The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus may not include the table 10, but may be configured to be used in conjunction with the table 10.

[0130] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, the first jig 2 and the second jig 40 are provided such that the first jig 2 is provided at the tip of the torch portion 21 and the second jig 40 is provided on the upper surface 10a of the table 10, but the configuration of the first jig and the second jig is not limited to this.

[0131] The second jig may be attached to the tip of the torch portion, and the first jig may be attached to the top surface of the table.

[0132] In this case, for example, the second jig is attached to the torch portion so that the center of the spherical portion of the second jig becomes the control point of the stacking robot.

[0133] In the height adjustment step S8, the spherical part of the second jig attached to the torch part may be brought into contact with the top surface of the table, and the Z coordinate of the control point may be obtained by offsetting the coordinate by the radius of the spherical part.

[0134] (Variation 3) In the above embodiment, the second jig 40 is made of a hard material, but the form of the second jig is not limited to this. The second jig may have a connecting portion that connects the base portion and the spherical portion, which is made of an elastic member such as a spring.

[0135] For example, in the fitting step S3, when the first jig is fitted to the second jig from vertically above, the connecting portion formed of the elastic member is pressed vertically downward by the first jig and contracts, thereby reducing interference between the first jig and the second jig and preventing scratches, breakage, etc., of the first jig and the second jig.

[0136] Furthermore, after the first jig and the second jig are fitted together, the position of the stacking robot can be adjusted so that there is no shrinkage or bending of the connecting portion, thereby allowing the first jig and the second jig to be positioned appropriately.

[0137] At this time, for example, by using a sensor that detects contraction or deflection of the second jig, the first jig and the second jig can be positioned more accurately.

[0138] The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 international goals adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. The wire-arc additive manufacturing apparatus 100 and control point acquisition method according to this embodiment can contribute to achieving one of the 17 SDGs, for example, goal 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, foster innovation and build resilient infrastructure." [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 100 Wire arc additive manufacturing device (addition device) 10 tables 10a Table top 20 Stacking Robot 21 Torch section 22 Arm section 30 Control Unit 2 First jig 2a Bottom part 2b Hemisphere 40 Second jig 43 Sphere O1 Table axis (rotation axis) O2 torch shaft P1 Stacking robot control point (robot control point) P2 Table control point (table control point) W wire (metal wire) S3 mating process S4 First attitude acquisition process (attitude acquisition process) S5 Second attitude acquisition process (attitude acquisition process) S6 Robot reference coordinate calculation process S7 Axis adjustment process (location acquisition process) S8 Height adjustment process (arrangement acquisition process) S9 Table reference coordinate calculation process

Claims

1. a stacking robot having a torch unit capable of stacking metal wires by arc welding and an arm unit capable of moving the torch unit; a first jig having a hemispherical portion that is concave in a hemispherical shape; a second jig having a spherical portion that can be fitted with the hemispherical portion; a control unit that controls the arm unit; Equipped with one of the first jig and the second jig is provided at the tip of the torch portion, and the other is provided on an upper surface of a table on which the metal wire is stacked; The control unit acquiring posture information of the stacking robot in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted together, and arrangement information of the stacking robot that is arranged at a predetermined position relative to the table; calculating a robot control point that is a reference coordinate of the stacking robot when the stacking robot stacks the metal wires based on the posture information; calculating, based on the placement information, a table control point that serves as a reference coordinate of the table when the stacking robot stacks the metal wires; Wire arc additive manufacturing equipment.

2. the first jig is provided at the tip of the torch portion, The center of the hemispherical portion is located on the axis of the torch portion and opens to the tip side in the axial direction of the torch portion. The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit In a state where the first jig and the second jig are fitted together, vertical posture information is acquired, which is posture information in a vertical state where the axis of the torch unit is perpendicular to the upper surface of the table, and inclined posture information is acquired, which is posture information in an inclined state where the axis of the torch unit is inclined at a predetermined angle from the vertical state, calculating the robot control point based on the vertical attitude information and the tilt attitude information; The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit acquire a plurality of pieces of tilt attitude information, each of which has a different angle at which the axis of the torch unit is tilted from the vertical state; calculating the robot control point based on the vertical attitude information and the plurality of pieces of inclined attitude information; The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit horizontal placement information, which is the placement information when the axis of the torch unit and the rotation axis of the table coincide, and vertical placement information, which is the placement information when the bottom surface of the hemispherical portion of the first jig is in contact with the top surface of the table, are acquired; calculating the table control point based on the horizontal arrangement information and the vertical arrangement information; The wire arc additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. a control point acquisition method for acquiring control points of a wire arc additive manufacturing device comprising: a stacking robot capable of moving a torch unit capable of stacking metal wire by arc welding using an arm unit; a first jig having a hemispherical portion that is concave in a hemispherical shape; and a second jig having a spherical portion that can fit into the hemispherical portion, wherein one of the first jig and the second jig is provided at a tip of the torch unit and the other is provided on an upper surface of a table on which the metal wire is stacked, a fitting step of fitting the hemispherical portion and the spherical portion together; a posture acquiring step of acquiring posture information of the stacking robot in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted together; a robot reference coordinate calculation step of calculating, based on the posture information, a robot control point that is the control point that serves as a reference coordinate of the stacking robot when the stacking robot stacks the metal wires; Equipped with How to obtain control points.

7. The attitude acquisition step includes: a first posture acquisition process for acquiring vertical posture information, which is posture information of a vertical state in which the axis of the torch unit is perpendicular to the upper surface of the table, in a state in which the first jig and the second jig are fitted together; a second attitude acquisition step of acquiring tilt attitude information, which is attitude information of an inclined state in which the axis of the torch unit is inclined at a predetermined angle from the vertical state; Equipped with the robot reference coordinate calculation step calculates the robot control point based on the vertical attitude information and the tilt attitude information; The control point acquisition method according to claim 6 .

8. The second attitude acquisition step acquires a plurality of pieces of tilt attitude information, each of which has a different angle at which the axis of the torch unit is tilted from the vertical state. The control point acquisition method according to claim 7 .

9. an axis adjustment step of acquiring a horizontal coordinate, which is a horizontal coordinate of the axis of the torch unit when the axis of the torch unit coincides with the rotation axis of the table; a height adjustment step of acquiring a vertical coordinate, which is a vertical coordinate of a bottom surface portion of the first jig provided at the tip of the torch unit, where the bottom surface portion is an opening of the hemispherical portion, when the bottom surface portion abuts against the top surface of the table; a table reference coordinate calculation step of calculating a table control point, which is the control point of the table, based on the horizontal coordinate acquired in the axis adjustment step and the vertical coordinate acquired in the height adjustment step; Equipped with The control point acquisition method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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