Control method for processing apparatus and processing system

Abstract

This invention provides a processing apparatus that can perform more optimal cleaning operations by changing the cleaning operation depending on the processing material and the workpiece. [Solution] To solve the above problems, a machining apparatus 100 is provided that performs machining on a workpiece W fixed to a support mechanism 40 using a tool 12 attached to a spindle 11, wherein the support mechanism 40 is capable of performing a cleaning operation, and the cleaning operation is performed according to the material of the workpiece to be cleaned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus that performs processing on a workpiece, and a control method for a processing system including the processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a processing apparatus, when chips generated during processing a workpiece accumulate, there is a possibility that a problem such as the chips being caught when the spindle grips the tool may occur, which becomes a cause of errors and processing defects. In addition, chips clogging the female thread of the support mechanism that holds the workpiece at the end of processing may cause play during workpiece mounting, or create the trouble of performing cleaning work. In order to continue processing while maintaining processing accuracy and easily remove the workpiece at the end of processing, it is preferable to perform cleaning operations during and after processing and regularly clean the milling machine to prevent chips from accumulating on the tool magazine and the workpiece. A processing apparatus that performs a cleaning operation at the end of processing is known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the cleaning operation may take an excessive amount of time.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, a machining apparatus is provided that performs machining on a workpiece fixed to a support mechanism using a tool attached to a spindle, wherein the support mechanism is capable of performing a cleaning operation, and the cleaning operation is performed according to the material of the workpiece to be cleaned. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, efficient cleaning is possible by eliminating unnecessary movements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] External perspective view of a processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view of the internal configuration of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the internal structure of a machining device, showing the relationship between the housing, spindle, and holding section. [Figure 4] A control block diagram of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] A control flowchart for executing a cleaning operation according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Control flowchart for determining the cleaning operation mode. [Figure 7] A top view of the support mechanism 40 according to the embodiment during speed mode cleaning. [Figure 8] A top view of the support mechanism 40 according to the embodiment during standard mode cleaning. [Figure 9] A top view of the support mechanism 40 according to the embodiment during thorough cleaning mode. [Figure 10] A top view of the tool magazine 70 during cleaning according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating combinations of material and type of workpiece according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments.

[0009] <Embodiment> A processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In this embodiment, the processing system consists of a processing device 100 and an external terminal 300.

[0010] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the processing apparatus according to this embodiment. An air compressor 200 (not shown) that generates air is fitted with a pressure boosting valve 90, and the pressure boosting valve 90 uses the increased pressure of the air to unclam the chuck. An air pressure detection sensor 91 is provided downstream of the pressure boosting valve 90. The air pressure detection sensor 91 may be installed inside the machine tool to measure how much pressure is applied to the tool chuck.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the processing device 100 houses the main body of the processing device within an outer cover 101. The outer cover 101 has an opening / closing door 102, and the workpiece can be replaced by opening the opening / closing door 102. The opening / closing door 102 is provided with a translucent window 103. An opening / closing rod 104 is connected to the portion of the opening / closing door 102 where the window 103 is not provided.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the internal configuration of the processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The processing apparatus 100 comprises a frame 1 as a support member for the moving mechanism, a first moving mechanism 10, a second moving mechanism 20, and a third moving mechanism 30 supported on the frame 1, a support mechanism 40 for supporting the workpiece W as the object to be processed, a first rotating mechanism 50 and a second rotating mechanism 60 that can rotate the support mechanism 40, a tool magazine 70, and an electrical unit 80.

[0013] Frame 1 is placed on a base 2 which has a hollow interior, and consists of a first frame section 3 and a second frame section 4 which is bent at a right angle from the end of the first frame section 3.

[0014] The first moving mechanism 10 is supported by the first surface 3a of the first frame portion 3 of the frame 1 via the second moving mechanism 20, and is capable of moving the main spindle 11 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction, first direction). A processing tool 12 is detachably attached to the main spindle 11 via a tool holder (clamp). The main spindle 11 is rotationally driven by a motor 13. The first moving mechanism 10 has a motor 14 and a guide shaft (not shown) arranged in the Z-axis direction, and the driving of the motor 14 causes the main spindle 11 to reciprocate (ascend and descend) in the Z-axis direction along the guide shaft. The main spindle 11 is movably supported along the guide shaft via a Z-axis support member (not shown). For example, the guide shaft is a ball screw, and the Z-axis support member is a member that moves along the guide shaft (ball screw) that rotates by the driving of the motor 14. The guide shaft and the Z-axis support member are covered by a cover 17.

[0015] The second moving mechanism 20 is supported by the first surface 3a of the first frame portion 3 of the frame 1, and is capable of moving the main spindle 11 together with the first moving mechanism 10 in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction, second direction) orthogonal to the Z-axis direction. The second moving mechanism 20 has a motor 21 and a guide shaft (not shown) arranged in the X-axis direction, and the driving of the motor 21 causes the first moving mechanism 10 to reciprocate in the X-axis direction along the guide shaft.

[0016] The third moving mechanism 30 is supported by the second surface 4a of the second frame portion 4 of the frame 1, and is capable of moving the support mechanism 40 in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction, third direction) orthogonal to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction. The third moving mechanism 30 has a motor (not shown) and a guide shaft (not shown) arranged in the Y-axis direction, and the driving of the motor causes the support mechanism 40 to reciprocate in the Y-axis direction along the guide shaft.

[0017] Further, the third moving mechanism 30 includes a support plate portion 31 that supports the second rotating mechanism 60, and the support plate portion 31 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction along the guide shaft.

[0018] The support mechanism 40 supports a workpiece W, which is an object to be cut by a processing tool 12, such as a dental prosthesis. Such a support mechanism 40 has a holding part 41 that holds the workpiece W, and a support part 42 whose both ends are connected to the rotating part 51 of the first rotating mechanism 50, and which supports the workpiece W via the holding part 41. The holding part 41 is fixed to the support part 42 with screws.

[0019] The first rotation mechanism 50 is rotatable about the a-axis, which is a rotation axis perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the support mechanism 40. In this embodiment, the a-axis is parallel to the X-axis direction. Such a first rotation mechanism 50 includes a support frame 53 that rotatably supports a rotating part 51 and a motor that rotationally drives the rotating part 51. The support frame 53 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to surround the support mechanism 40 and consists of a first support part 53a that supports the motor and the rotating part 51, a second support part 53b that supports a rotating part (not shown) provided opposite the rotating part 51, and a connecting part 53c that connects the first support part 53a and the second support part 53b.

[0020] The rotating part 51 supported by the first support part 53a and the rotating part supported by the second support part 53b are arranged to face each other in the a-axis direction and to be rotatable with the a-axis as the axis of rotation.

[0021] The first rotation mechanism 50 is rotatable at least 180° and can reverse the front and back sides of the workpiece W supported by the support mechanism 40.

[0022] The second rotation mechanism 60 is capable of rotatable support mechanism 40 about a b-axis, which is another axis of rotation perpendicular to the Z-axis and a-axis. In this embodiment, the b-axis is parallel to the Y-axis. Such a second rotation mechanism 60 has a rotating part to which the support frame 53 of the first rotation mechanism 50 is attached, and a motor that rotates the rotating part 61. The connecting part 53c of the support frame 53 is attached to the rotating part 61, and the motor 62 rotates the support frame 53, allowing it to rotate about the b-axis.

[0023] The tool magazine 70, which serves as a tool holder, is capable of holding multiple workpieces and is positioned adjacent to the first rotating mechanism 50. It is also supported so as not to rotate together with the second rotating mechanism 60. Furthermore, the tool magazine 70 is movable in the Y-axis direction together with the support mechanism 40 and the like by the third moving mechanism 30.

[0024] The tool magazine 70 holds multiple types of workpieces, each integrally formed with the tool holder 12a, arranged in multiple rows along the Y-axis. The workpieces attached to the spindle 11 are interchangeable.

[0025] When changing workpieces automatically, the second and third moving mechanisms 20 and 30 move the empty space in the tool magazine 70 below the spindle 11. Then, the first moving mechanism 10 lowers the spindle 11 and operates a chuck or other attachment / detachment device on the spindle 11 to remove the workpiece 12 attached to the spindle 11 and place it in the empty space in the tool magazine 70. Next, the first moving mechanism 10 raises the spindle 11, and the second and third moving mechanisms 20 and 30 move the position in the tool magazine 70 where the workpiece 12 to be replaced is located below the spindle 11. Then, the first moving mechanism 10 lowers the spindle 11 again and operates the attachment / detachment device to mount the workpiece 12 to be replaced onto the spindle 11. The workpiece 12 may be, for example, a drill or an end mill.

[0026] The processing device 100 includes an external terminal 300 equipped with a CPU 310 and memory 311.

[0027] Furthermore, the machining apparatus 100 of this embodiment is an NC machining apparatus that performs automatic machining under computer control. NC stands for numerical control. An NC machining apparatus is a machine tool equipped with a numerical control device. Specifically, machining data is created using a CAD / CAM system with an external terminal 300 such as a personal computer, and the workpiece W is machined based on this data using numerical control. A CAD / CAM system is a system that performs design, manufacturing, and control of machine tools on a computer. For this purpose, an external terminal such as a personal computer that issues commands to the machining apparatus 100 is connected to the control board of the machining apparatus 100 so as to be able to communicate. The external terminal 300 may be configured to create NC files according to conditions and transmit them to the control board. In addition, the machining apparatus 100 itself may be equipped with a computer that has a CPU, memory, and display capable of numerical control.

[0028] For example, when creating a dental prosthesis using the processing device 100, data of the dental prosthesis measured by a 3D measuring instrument is transferred to a CAD / CAM system, and the CAD / CAM system creates an NC file containing the processing data. An NC file is a file that includes numerical control commands and instructs the mechanical movements of a machine tool. Based on this NC file, the processing device 100 is controlled to cut the workpiece W with the processing tool 12, thereby creating the dental prosthesis.

[0029] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the internal configuration of the machining apparatus 100, showing the relationship between the housing section 400, the spindle 11, and the holding section 41, in order to explain the configuration in which the Z-axis drive mechanism is housed inside the machine body (housing section 400). The housing section 400 is provided inside the outer cover 101 of the machining apparatus 100 (see Figure 1). The tip side of the spindle 11, the holding section 41, the tool magazine 70, etc. are arranged inside the housing section 400, forming a machining space for the tool. When the opening / closing door 102 (see Figure 1) of the outer cover 101 is opened, an opening 401 is formed that allows access to the machining space. An opening 402 is also formed on the upper side to allow the first moving mechanism 10 to move in the X-axis direction. A roll curtain 403 that moves with the movement of the spindle 11 is provided to close the opening 402. Chips tend to flow out of the housing section 400 from the machining space through the opening 402, so the roll curtain 403 is installed to prevent this.

[0030] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the control configuration within the electrical unit 80 of the processing apparatus 100. The electrical unit 80 includes a CPU 85 which is a calculation means, input / output ports (I / O) 86i, control units 84x, 84y, and 84z for each motor, a control unit 84c for the spindle, a control unit 84a for the a-axis, and a control unit 84b for the b-axis. The CPU 85, located on the control board, performs various calculations based on input data and signals and information stored in the memory 86m, and transmits instructions for rotational speed and position to the control units 84x, 84y, 84z, 84a, 84b, and 84c, which act as connected servo amplifiers.

[0031] The I / O 86i is connected to the air blow unit 87, dust collector 88, and tool length sensor 96 of the processing machine body. As described above, the air blow unit 87 blows air onto the tool, and the removed chips are collected by the dust collector 88. The tool length sensor 96 detects the length of the tool and sends a signal to the CPU 85.

[0032] The control units 84x, 84y, and 84z for each motor drive the X, Y, and Z motors based on commands from the CPU 85. Each of the control units 84x, 84y, and 84z for each motor is equipped with an encoder. The encoder detects, for example, the number of rotations, rotation angle, and rotation direction of the rotation axis of each motor control unit 84x, 84y, and 84z. It also detects the amount (position) that each stage x, y, and z has moved as a result of the drive of each motor control unit 84x, 84y, and 84z.

[0033] The control unit 84c controls a motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 11 to control the rotational speed of the spindle. In addition, the control units 84a and 84b for the a and b axes drive the motors for the a and b axes, respectively, based on commands from the CPU 85.

[0034] By controlling each part of the processing device 100 with the CPU 85 in this manner, the workpiece W held as described above is subjected to predetermined processing.

[0035] In this embodiment, each of the means and processes described later is executed on the external terminal 300, but the processing device 100 itself may also be equipped with a display and executed on it. In that case, the CPU 85 loads the program into a storage means such as memory 86m and executes it.

[0036] The cleaning operation of the processing apparatus in this embodiment will be described below. By blowing air from the air blow unit 87 onto the workpiece W, the support mechanism 40, and the tool magazine 70, chips adhering to the workpiece W, the support mechanism 40, and the tool magazine 70 can be removed.

[0037] Figure 5 shows a control flowchart for executing a cleaning operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The execution flow from the start to the end of the cleaning operation of the processing device in this embodiment is described below.

[0039] First, in S1, the mode of the cleaning operation is determined. In S2, as a preliminary operation for the cleaning operation, the current coordinate position is stored in memory 86m as the return coordinate position. In S3, the control unit 84z raises the spindle 11, and in S4, the rotation of the spindle 11 is stopped. In S5, the control unit 84z moves the spindle 11 so that the workpiece 12 is stored in the tool magazine 70, and then releases the workpiece 12. In S6, the control unit 84z raises the spindle 11 while the workpiece 12 is not being held. In S7, the control units 84x and 84y move the spindle 11 to the cleaning operation start point of the workpiece support mechanism 40. In this embodiment, the cleaning operation start point is the fixed part 410a at the lower right of the support mechanism 40 as shown in Figure 7, but it may also be the left front, left rear, or right rear corner of the support mechanism 40.

[0040] Next, in S8, the control unit 84z lowers the spindle 11 to a height above the support mechanism 40 where air is blown, and in S9, cleaning is started in the cleaning mode determined in S1. At this time, the position of the spindle 11 is such that the chips accumulated in the fixed part of the support mechanism 40 can be blown away by the air blow discharge, and the closer it is to the support mechanism 40, the stronger the air blow hits the support mechanism 40. While blowing air at the maximum possible flow rate, the spindle 11 is moved as shown in the trajectory (arrow) 410 in Figure 7, the trajectory (arrow) 411 in Figure 8, or the trajectory (arrow) 412 in Figure 9, blowing away the chips accumulated in the support mechanism 40. In S10, once the spindle 11 has been moved to the end point of the cleaning operation of the support mechanism 40, the cleaning operation is terminated in S11, and in S12, the control unit 84z raises the spindle 11 to terminate the operation.

[0041] <Embodiment 1> Figure 6 shows a flowchart of the control for mode determination in a cleaning operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Table 1 shows an example of an NC file.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] The cleaning mode is executed by a predetermined M code, such as M30, within the executed NC file. An M code controls the machine other than cutting movement and is set to correspond to the execution of the cleaning operation. Although an M code was used in this case, any code within the NC file can be used.

[0045] First, load the NC file using S401.

[0046] In S402, search for a string of text that describes the material of the workpiece. For example, search for the comment "COMMENT" and determine if the material of the workpiece is "HR" based on the material information written there. "HR" stands for Hybrid Resin material.

[0047] If the workpiece material is "HR", the speed mode is determined. If the workpiece material is not "HR", S403 determines whether the workpiece material is "PMMA", "Zr", or "other". "PMMA" refers to resin material. "Zr" refers to zirconia material. "Other" refers to material that is neither "HR", "PMMA", nor "Zr".

[0048] If the material of the workpiece is "PMMA", S404 determines whether the type of workpiece is "denture". "Denture" refers to a complete denture. If the type of workpiece is "denture", the cleaning operation in careful mode is performed. If the type of workpiece is anything other than "denture", the standard mode is determined.

[0049] If the workpiece material is "Zr" or "Other," S405 determines whether the workpiece type is "In." "In" refers to an inlay. If the workpiece type is "In," the standard cleaning operation is performed. If the workpiece type is anything other than "In," the careful mode is determined.

[0050] The cleaning operation in speed mode in this embodiment will be described below.

[0051] Figure 7 shows the trajectory of the workpiece W cleaning operation in speed mode. In speed mode cleaning, the spindle 11 moves above the fixed parts 410a to 410f, which are the fixed parts of the support mechanism 40, and the air blown from the air blow unit 87 blows away the chips from the fixed parts 410a to 410f.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, the cleaning operation in speed mode cleans only the fixed parts 410a to 410f of the support mechanism 40 that supports the workpiece W, and does not clean the tool magazine 70.

[0053] When processing "HR" material, which is classified as speed mode, only a small amount of small chips are generated, which allows for a reduction in the time required for cleaning during and after processing compared to other materials.

[0054] The cleaning operation in standard mode in this embodiment is described below.

[0055] Figure 8 shows the trajectory of the cleaning operation of the workpiece W in standard mode. In standard mode cleaning, the spindle 11 moves along the scanning line above the workpiece W in addition to the fixed parts 410a to 410f, and the air blown from the air blow unit 87 blows away chips from the fixed parts 410a to 410f and the workpiece W.

[0056] In standard cleaning mode, after cleaning the fixed parts 410a to 410f and the workpiece W, the tool magazine 70 is also cleaned.

[0057] When machining in "In" mode, which is determined to be the standard mode, the machining range is narrow due to the small size of the workpiece itself, and due to the shape of the workpiece, there are fewer areas where chips can accumulate inside the workpiece, such as the inner surface of the teeth. Therefore, there is a high possibility that less chip accumulation will occur compared to machining other workpieces.

[0058] Compared to the thorough cleaning mode described later, the time required for cleaning can be reduced by decreasing the number of back-and-forth cleaning movements.

[0059] The cleaning operation in the thorough mode of this embodiment will be described below.

[0060] Figure 9 shows the trajectory of the cleaning operation of the workpiece W in careful mode. In careful mode, the spindle 11 moves multiple times along the scanning line above the workpiece W in addition to the fixed parts 410a to 410f, and the air blown from the air blow unit 87 blows away chips from the fixed parts 410a to 410f and the workpiece W. Compared with the standard mode in Figure 8, the operation in careful mode in Figure 9 takes more time to clean the workpiece W, blowing away chips more thoroughly from the workpiece W.

[0061] Figure 10 shows the trajectory of the tool magazine cleaning operation. In thorough cleaning mode, after cleaning the fixed parts 410a to 410f and the workpiece W, the tool magazine 70 is also cleaned.

[0062] When machining PMMA material, which is judged to require careful machining, a large amount of large chips are generated. Furthermore, PMMA material is electrostatically charged, which can cause chips to accumulate in the tool magazine 70, and there is a high possibility that the spindle 11 will stick to the magazine.

[0063] Furthermore, when processing "Zr" material, which is determined to be in "careful mode," a large amount of powdery chips accumulates.

[0064] Furthermore, when processing "dentures," which are classified as requiring careful processing, a large amount of large chips are generated compared to processing other workpieces because a wide area is processed.

[0065] When machining PMMA, Zr, or dentures, it is preferable to take ample time to carefully perform cleaning operations during and after machining. Furthermore, since there is a high possibility of chip accumulation in the tool magazine 70, it is also preferable to clean the tool magazine 70. If the spindle 11 grips the tool while chips have accumulated in the tool magazine 70, there is a possibility that the spindle will trap the chips. Therefore, the cleaning operation of the workpiece W should be performed first, followed by the cleaning operation of the tool magazine 70.

[0066] The thorough cleaning mode, compared to the standard cleaning mode, enables a more thorough cleaning by increasing the number of back-and-forth cleaning motions.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the cleaning mode is the same, different cleaning operations may be performed depending on the material being processed. For example, if the material being processed is "Zr," the number of reciprocating strokes in the cleaning operation in the careful mode may be doubled compared to "HR" or "PMMA," or the amount of air discharged may be increased.

[0068] Furthermore, when cleaning the support mechanism 40, the workpiece W is tilted to the opposite side of the tool magazine 70, and the cleaning operation is performed. It is even preferable to tilt the b-axis 15 to 20 degrees to the left of the device. By tilting the workpiece W and performing the cleaning operation from top to bottom, it is possible to efficiently remove the chips accumulated on the workpiece W, preventing chips from flying into the tool magazine 70 and preventing chips from getting into the gaps of the support mechanism 40.

[0069] Furthermore, when cleaning the tool magazine 70, the workpiece W is tilted and the cleaning operation is performed. This can be done multiple times as long as the workpiece W is tilted in a way that allows the chips to slide off easily. By tilting the workpiece W and performing the cleaning operation of the tool magazine 70, it is possible to prevent chips from accumulating on the workpiece W while the tool magazine 70 is being cleaned.

[0070] This control system enables continuous machining while maintaining machining accuracy and prevents errors caused by chips.

[0071] In this embodiment, the material and type of the workpiece were used, but since the size and amount of chips produced also change depending on the diameter and shape of the tool used, information about the tool used may also be used.

[0072] <Embodiment 2> The following describes Embodiment 2 of the processing apparatus according to the present invention. Since this embodiment shares many of the same components as Embodiment 1, the explanation will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In Embodiment 1, the material and type of the workpiece were determined in stages, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the cleaning mode is determined by referring to the material and type of the workpiece. Here, the cleaning mode is determined by dividing the workpiece material into three stages: "HR", "Zr / other", and "PMMA", and the type of workpiece into three stages: "In", "Zr", and "Denture / Br". "Br" refers to a bridge.

[0073] When the workpiece material is "Zr" and the type is "Cr" or "Denture / Br", the workpiece itself is large and powdery chips tend to accumulate on the inside of the workpiece, so a careful mode is executed, which allows more time for cleaning operations during and after machining.

[0074] Furthermore, when the workpiece material is "Zr" and the type is "In," although the chips are powdery, the workpiece itself is small, resulting in a narrow machining area. Due to the shape of the workpiece, there are fewer areas where chips accumulate, such as the inner surface of the teeth. Therefore, it is highly likely that chip accumulation will be less compared to machining other workpieces. For this reason, the standard mode will be executed.

[0075] When the workpiece material is "PMMA" and the type is "Denture / Br," a large amount of large chips are generated compared to when processing other workpieces because a wide area is being machined, so the thorough cleaning mode is executed.

[0076] If the workpiece material is "PMMA" and the type is "In" or "Cr," the workpiece itself is smaller compared to a "denture," but the chips are larger, and cleaning the inner surface of the tooth is not necessary, so the standard mode is used.

[0077] When the workpiece material is "HR," a small amount of small chips are generated, which reduces the time required for cleaning during and after machining compared to other materials. Therefore, speed mode is used.

[0078] In this embodiment, the material and type of the workpiece were set in three stages, but it is not limited to three stages; any number of stages may be used.

[0079] <Embodiment 3> The following describes Embodiment 3 of the processing apparatus according to the present invention. Since this embodiment shares many of the same components as Embodiment 1, the explanation will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In Embodiment 1, a cleaning operation is performed based on the mode determination result, but in this embodiment, the user is configured to select the desired cleaning operation.

[0080] In this embodiment, the user can freely set the mode for each cleaning operation, and if possible, the cleaning operation in the mode selected by the user will be prioritized.

[0081] First, a cleaning mode is selected based on the mode determination result of Embodiment 1. If a cleaning mode has been selected by the user, the cleaning operation selected by the user is executed instead of the cleaning operation based on the determination result.

[0082] <Embodiment 4> The following describes Embodiment 4 of the processing apparatus according to the present invention. Since this embodiment shares many of the same components as Embodiment 3, the explanation will be omitted, and only the differences will be described. In Embodiment 3, the cleaning operation in the mode selected by the user is given priority. However, in this embodiment, the configurable cleaning modes are limited based on the material and type of workpiece, as described in Embodiment 2.

[0083] For example, if the workpiece is a "denture," a large amount of chips are generated compared to other workpieces, so the speed mode selection is made impossible. Similarly, if the workpiece material is "Zr" and the workpiece type is "Cr," the shape of the workpiece makes it easy for powdery chips to accumulate on the inner surface of the tooth, so the speed mode selection is made impossible. The workpiece itself is larger than "In," and due to its shape, powdery chips tend to accumulate on the inner surface of the tooth, so the selectable modes are limited depending on the workpiece to provide a more optimal cleaning operation.

[0084] Furthermore, if the workpiece material is "Other" and not "HR," "Zr," or "PMMA," there are no restrictions on selectable modes, and the standard mode is selected as the default. Note that the default mode may also be selectable by the user.

[0085] In the embodiments described above, the cleaning operation was performed using an M code from the machining information, but any code may be used. Alternatively, the system may be configured so that when a specific code is executed at a specific location or in a specific order, the M code for the cleaning operation is executed internally. Furthermore, by linking tool information with cleaning operations and storing them, cleaning operations may be performed according to the tool being used. Additionally, cleaning operations may be performed only when a tool that generates a large amount of chips is used depending on the tool diameter used for machining. Moreover, machining area information may be read from the NC data, and cleaning operations may be performed according to the machining range.

[0086] In the embodiments described above, the cleaning operation was performed using only the discharge of air blow, but the cleaning operation may also be performed using only the discharge of coolant. Alternatively, the cleaning operation may be performed using both the discharge of air blow and the discharge of coolant.

[0087] Each embodiment described above is an example of a processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and various modifications can be applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the cleaning mode may be determined by combining embodiments 1 to 4.

[0088] Furthermore, an imaging device such as a camera may be installed inside the processing apparatus to take photographs of the inside of the processing chamber. If the captured images show that a certain amount or more of chips remain in the support mechanism 40, the cleaning mode determined in the above embodiment may be changed from the next time onward. For example, if the cleaning mode performed was standard mode, it may be changed to careful mode, or if it was speed mode, it may be changed to a cleaning operation of either standard mode or careful mode, and a cleaning operation that matches the amount of chips generated may be performed.

[0089] Alternatively, mode determination may be performed based on the image captured by the imaging device.

[0090] Alternatively, the cleaning operation may be controlled while monitoring the chip condition with an imaging device. For example, the timing of blowing air from the air blow unit 87 onto the workpiece W, support mechanism 40, and tool magazine 70, as well as the trajectory of the cleaning operation, may be controlled. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 10 1st movement mechanism 11 Spindle 12 Processing tools 20 Second movement mechanism 30 Third movement mechanism 40 Support mechanism 41 Holding part 50 First Rotation Mechanism 60. Second Rotation Mechanism 85 CPU 86MB memory 100 Processing equipment 200 Air Compressor 300 External terminals 310 CPU 311 memory

Claims

1. A machining apparatus that performs machining on a workpiece fixed to a support mechanism using a tool attached to the main spindle, The support mechanism is capable of performing a cleaning operation. The processing apparatus is characterized in that the cleaning operation is performed according to the material of the workpiece to be cleaned.

2. A machining apparatus that performs machining on a workpiece fixed to a support mechanism using a tool attached to the main spindle, The support mechanism is capable of performing a cleaning operation. The processing apparatus is characterized in that the cleaning operation is performed according to the type of workpiece to be cleaned.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cleaning operation is performed based on information regarding the material and type of the workpiece contained in the NC file.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cleaning operation changes the operation of each cleaning mode for each material of the workpiece.

5. A control method for a machining system including a machining apparatus that performs machining on a workpiece fixed to a support mechanism using a tool, The support mechanism is capable of performing a cleaning operation. A method for controlling a processing system, characterized in that the cleaning operation restricts the user-selectable cleaning modes depending on at least one of the material and type of the workpiece to be cleaned.

Images