Cutting device

Abstract

To provide a cutting device which can prevent cutting work from being performed in a state that a cutting blade is not fixed sufficiently.SOLUTION: A cutting device cuts a workpiece and has: a cutting unit which has a spindle and a blade mount fixed to a tip of the spindle and cuts the workpiece with a cutting blade attached to the blade mount; a blade exchange unit which removes the cutting blade from the blade mount and attaches the cutting blade to the blade mount; a determination part; and a notification part. The determination part determines whether or not a fixing nut reaches a fixing position which is suitable for fixture of the cutting blade and the notification part notifies a user of a determination result by the determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device for cutting a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] A wafer on which a plurality of devices are formed is divided and diced to produce a plurality of device chips each including a device. A package substrate is obtained by mounting a plurality of device chips on a predetermined substrate and covering the mounted device chips with a sealing material (mold resin) made of resin. A package substrate is divided and diced to produce a plurality of packaged devices each including a plurality of packaged device chips. The device chips and packaged devices are incorporated into various electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers.

[0003] A cutting device is used when dividing a workpiece such as a wafer or a package substrate. The cutting device includes a chuck table that holds the workpiece and a cutting unit that performs cutting on the workpiece. The cutting unit includes a spindle and a blade mount that is fixed to the tip of the spindle, and an annular cutting blade that cuts the workpiece is attached to the blade mount.

[0004] When cutting a workpiece with a cutting device, the cutting blade is fixed to the blade mount by a fixing nut (see Patent Document 1). Then, with the cutting blade attached to the blade mount, the spindle is rotated and the rotating cutting blade is caused to cut into the workpiece held by the chuck table, thereby cutting and dividing the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-132701 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cutting blades attached to the cutting unit wear out during the processing of the workpiece, so they must be replaced periodically. When replacing a cutting blade, first loosen and remove the fixing nut that secures the cutting blade, and then remove the used cutting blade from the blade mount. Then, attach a replacement cutting blade (an unused cutting blade) to the blade mount and secure it with the fixing nut.

[0007] Manually replacing the cutting blade is time-consuming and there is a risk that the cutting blade or the fixing nut may accidentally fall off during the operation. Therefore, the cutting device may be equipped with a blade replacement unit that automatically detaches and replaces the cutting blade. The blade replacement unit includes a plurality of blade holders that hold the cutting blades and a fixing nut holder that holds the fixing nut.

[0008] When a cutting blade is attached to a cutting unit by the blade changing unit, the cutting blade held by the blade holder is first attached to the blade mount. Next, the fixing nut held by the fixing nut holder is positioned in front of the blade mount. After that, when the fixing nut holder is rotated, the fixing nut rotates and screws into the blade mount, and the cutting blade is clamped between the blade mount and the fixing nut.

[0009] However, when the fixing nut is positioned in front of the blade mount, various factors may cause the fixing nut to be unintentionally positioned slightly tilted relative to the blade mount, making it difficult to rotate the fixing nut to a position suitable for fixing the cutting blade (fixed position).

[0010] If the cutting blade does not reach the fixed position, the cutting blade is not securely fixed to the blade mount, and if cutting of the workpiece is continued with the cutting blade insufficiently fixed state, poor machining of the workpiece or damage to the cutting blade may occur.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide a cutting device that can prevent cutting processing from being performed in a state where the cutting blade is not sufficiently fixed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cutting device for cutting a workpiece includes a cutting unit having a spindle and a blade mount fixed to a tip of the spindle, the cutting unit cutting the workpiece with a cutting blade attached to the blade mount, a blade replacement unit removing the cutting blade from the blade mount and attaching the cutting blade to the blade mount, a determination unit, and an alarm unit, the blade mount including a boss portion having a male thread portion and inserted into a through hole provided in the cutting blade, a flange portion protruding from an end of the boss portion and supporting the cutting blade, and a fixed nut screwed to the male thread portion and clamping the cutting blade with the flange portion, the blade replacement unit including a blade holding portion for holding the cutting blade, a fixed nut holding portion for holding the fixed nut, a rotating portion connected to the blade holding portion and the fixing nut holding portion; a motor that rotates the fixing nut holding portion; and a moving portion that moves the blade holding portion and the fixing nut holding portion, the rotating portion rotates about a rotation axis that is a straight line passing through the inside of the rotating portion, and the blade holding portion and the fixing nut holding portion are disposed so as to face outward with respect to the rotation axis while being spaced apart from each other around the rotation axis, A cutting device is provided in which the judgment unit judges whether the fixing nut has reached a fixed position suitable for fixing the cutting blade when the fixing nut, which is held by the fixing nut holding portion and positioned in an initial position facing the boss portion, is rotated by the motor to screw it into the male threaded portion, and the notification unit notifies the result of the judgment made by the judgment unit.

[0013] Preferably, the determination unit determines whether the fixing nut has reached the fixed position based on the time from when the fixing nut starts to rotate until the torque of the motor reaches a threshold value. Also, preferably, the determination unit determines whether the fixing nut has reached the fixed position based on the number of rotations of the fixing nut from when the fixing nut starts to rotate until the torque of the motor reaches a threshold value. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The cutting device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a determination unit that determines whether the fixing nut, which is positioned at an initial position, reaches a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade when the fixing nut is rotated and screwed into the male thread portion provided on the boss portion of the blade mount. This makes it possible to check whether the cutting blade is properly fixed by the fixing nut when processing a workpiece with the cutting device. As a result, it is possible to avoid cutting processing being performed in a state where the cutting blade is not sufficiently fixed, and to prevent poor processing of the workpiece and damage to the cutting blade. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a blade replacement unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(A) is a side view showing the exchange device, and FIG. 6(B) is a front view showing the exchange device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(A) is a front view showing the blade holding portion, and FIG. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the blade holding portion. [Figure 8]Figure 8(A) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the replacement blade holding step, Figure 8(B) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the fixing nut removal step, Figure 8(C) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the first retraction step, and Figure 8(D) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the used cutting blade holding step. [Figure 9] Figure 9(A) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the second retraction step, Figure 9(B) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the cutting blade attachment step, Figure 9(C) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the third retraction step, and Figure 9(D) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device in the fixing nut attachment step. [Figure 10] 4 is a front view, partially in section, showing the blade mount and the fixing nut holding portion. FIG. [Figure 11] Figure 11(A) is a partially cross-sectional front view showing the blade mount and the fixing nut holding portion when the fixing nut has reached the fixed position, and Figure 11(B) is a partially cross-sectional front view showing the blade mount and the fixing nut holding portion when the fixing nut has not reached the fixed position. [Figure 12] Figure 12(A) is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation time of the fixing nut and the torque of the motor when the fixing nut reaches the fixed position, and Figure 12(B) is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation time of the fixing nut and the torque of the motor when the fixing nut does not reach the fixed position. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit. [Figure 14] 6 is a flowchart showing a method for determining the screwing state of a fixing nut. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a configuration example of a cutting device according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a cutting device 2. In Fig. 1, the X-axis direction (processing feed direction, first horizontal direction, front-rear direction) and the Y-axis direction (indexing feed direction, second horizontal direction, left-right direction) are perpendicular to each other. Also, the Z-axis direction (vertical direction, up-down direction, height direction) is perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0017] The cutting device 2 includes a base 4 that supports or houses each of the components that make up the cutting device 2. An elevator 6 is provided at a front corner of the base 4. The elevator 6 includes a lifting platform 8 and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that moves (raises and lowers) the lifting platform 8 along the Z-axis direction. A cassette 10 capable of housing a plurality of workpieces 11 to be cut by the cutting device 2 is placed on the lifting platform 8.

[0018] The cassette 10 has a pair of side surfaces facing each other. A plurality of guide rails 10a are fixed to each side surface of the cassette 10 and are arranged at a predetermined interval along the height direction of the cassette 10. A frame unit (workpiece unit) 17 including the workpiece 11 is supported by the pair of guide rails 10a fixed to both side surfaces of the cassette 10 at the same height.

[0019] For example, the workpiece 11 is a disk-shaped wafer made of a semiconductor material such as silicon, and includes a front surface and a back surface that are generally parallel to each other. The workpiece 11 is divided into a plurality of rectangular regions by a plurality of planned division lines (streets) that are arranged in a lattice pattern so as to intersect with each other. Devices such as ICs (Integrated Circuits), LSIs (Large Scale Integration), LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) devices are formed on the front surface (upper surface) side of the regions divided by the planned division lines. The workpiece 11 is cut and divided along the planned division lines to manufacture a plurality of device chips, each of which includes a device.

[0020] However, there are no limitations on the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 11. For example, the workpiece 11 may be a wafer made of a semiconductor other than silicon (GaAs, InP, GaN, SiC, etc.), glass, ceramics, resin, metal, etc. In addition, there are no limitations on the type, number, shape, structure, size, arrangement, etc. of devices formed on the workpiece 11, and no devices may be formed on the workpiece 11. Furthermore, the workpiece 11 may be a package substrate such as a CSP (Chip Size Package) substrate or a QFN (Quad Flat Non-leaded package) substrate.

[0021] A circular tape (dicing tape) 13 having a diameter larger than that of the workpiece 11 is attached to the back surface (lower surface) of the workpiece 11. The tape 13 may be a sheet having a circular film-like substrate and an adhesive layer (glue layer) provided on the substrate. For example, the substrate may be made of a resin such as polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene terephthalate, and the adhesive layer may be made of an epoxy-, acrylic-, or rubber-based adhesive. The adhesive layer may be made of an ultraviolet-curable resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

[0022] The outer periphery of the tape 13 is attached to an annular frame 15. The frame 15 is made of a metal such as SUS (stainless steel), and a cylindrical opening penetrating the frame 15 in the thickness direction is provided in the center of the frame 15. The diameter of the opening of the frame 15 is larger than the diameter of the workpiece 11, and the workpiece 11 is placed inside the opening of the frame 15.

[0023] When the center portion of the tape 13 is attached to the workpiece 11 and the outer periphery of the tape 13 is attached to the frame 15, the workpiece 11 is supported by the frame 15 via the tape 13. In this way, a frame unit 17 including the workpiece 11, the tape 13, and the frame 15 is formed. Then, one or more frame units 17 are housed in the cassette 10.

[0024] A cylindrical opening 4a is provided in an area of ​​the top surface of the base 4 adjacent to the elevator 6 in the X-axis direction. A cleaning unit 12 that cleans the workpiece 11 is disposed inside the opening 4a. The cleaning unit 12 includes a spinner table 14 that holds the workpiece 11, and a nozzle (not shown) that is disposed above the spinner table 14 and supplies a cleaning liquid such as pure water.

[0025] A rotation drive source (not shown), such as a motor, that rotates the spinner table 14 around a rotation axis that is approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction is connected to the spinner table 14. With the workpiece 11 held by the spinner table 14, the workpiece 11 is cleaned by supplying a cleaning liquid to the workpiece 11 from a nozzle while rotating the spinner table 14. Note that the cleaning liquid may be a gas-liquid mixture fluid in which a liquid (e.g., pure water) and a gas (e.g., air) are mixed.

[0026] A pair of guide rails 16 supporting a frame unit 17 are provided along the X-axis direction above the cleaning unit 12. A movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the pair of guide rails 16 toward and away from each other along the Y-axis direction is connected to the pair of guide rails 16. The frame unit 17 is sandwiched between the pair of guide rails 16, thereby adjusting the position of the frame unit 17 in the Y-axis direction.

[0027] A rectangular parallelepiped opening 4b is provided in an area on the top surface of the base 4 adjacent to the guide rail 16 in the Y-axis direction, with its longitudinal direction aligned with the X-axis direction. A flat table cover 18 is provided inside the opening 4b. In addition, bellows-shaped dust-proof and drip-proof covers 20 that are expandable and contractible in the X-axis direction are provided on both sides of the table cover 18 in the X-axis direction.

[0028] A chuck table (holding table) 22 that holds the workpiece 11 is provided on the table cover 18. The upper surface of the chuck table 22 is a flat surface that is approximately parallel to the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) and constitutes a holding surface that holds the workpiece 11. In addition, a plurality of clamps 24 that grip and fix the frame 15 are provided around the periphery of the chuck table 22.

[0029] For example, the chuck table 22 includes a cylindrical frame (not shown) made of a metal such as stainless steel. A circular recess is formed on the upper surface side of the center of the frame, and a disk-shaped porous member made of a porous material such as porous ceramics is fitted into this recess. The holding surface of the chuck table 22 is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as an ejector via the porous member, a flow path (not shown) provided inside the chuck table 22, a valve (not shown), and the like.

[0030] For example, the frame unit 17 is placed on the chuck table 22 so that the front side of the workpiece 11 is exposed upward and the back side (the tape 13 side) of the workpiece 11 faces the holding surface of the chuck table 22. In addition, the frame 15 is fixed by a plurality of clamps 24. In this state, when negative pressure from a suction source is applied to the holding surface of the chuck table 22, the workpiece 11 is sucked and held by the chuck table 22 via the tape 13.

[0031] In addition, a pair of sub-tables (holding tables) 26 are provided adjacent to the chuck table 22 on the table cover 18. The pair of sub-tables 26 are disposed on the rear side of the chuck table 22 and spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction.

[0032] The upper surface of the sub-table 26 constitutes a flat holding surface for holding a plate-shaped member (board) used for cutting setup, inspection, evaluation, etc. For example, the holding surface of the sub-table 26 is formed in a rectangular shape, and is connected to a suction source (not shown) such as an ejector via a flow path (not shown), a valve (not shown), etc. provided inside the sub-table 26. A dressing board and an inspection board, which will be described later, are held by the sub-table 26.

[0033] A moving unit (not shown) and a rotation drive source (not shown) are provided below the table cover 18. The moving unit is constituted by a ball screw type moving mechanism or the like, and moves the chuck table 22 and the sub-table 26 along the X-axis direction together with the table cover 18. The rotation drive source is constituted by a motor or the like, and rotates the chuck table 22 around a rotation axis roughly parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0034] The front side of the opening 4b (the area adjacent to the opening 4a) corresponds to a transport area where the workpiece 11 is loaded and unloaded. The rear side of the opening 4b corresponds to a processing area where the workpiece 11 is processed. The chuck table 22 and the sub-table 26 can be positioned in the transport area or the processing area by moving the chuck table 22 and the sub-table 26 along the X-axis direction by the moving unit.

[0035] A processing chamber (cover) 28 that forms a space in which the workpiece 11 is cut is provided above the processing area. In Fig. 1, the outline of the processing chamber 28 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The processing chamber 28 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape from metal or the like, and is disposed so as to cover the processing area. In addition, an entrance / exit (opening) 28a through which an exchange device 100 (see Fig. 4, etc., described below) can pass is provided on the side surface of the processing chamber 28 on the transport area side. Then, a pair of cutting units 30 that cut the workpiece 11 are provided inside the processing chamber 28.

[0036] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the cutting unit 30. An annular cutting blade 36 is attached to the cutting unit 30. The cutting unit 30 cuts the workpiece 11 by rotating the cutting blade 36 to cut into the workpiece 11.

[0037] The cutting unit 30 includes a cylindrical housing 32. The housing 32 accommodates a columnar spindle 34 arranged along the Y-axis direction. A tip portion (one end side) of the spindle 34 is exposed to the outside of the housing 32, and a screw hole 34a is provided at the tip portion of the spindle 34. A rotation drive source such as a motor is connected to a base end portion (the other end side) of the spindle 34.

[0038] A cutting blade 36 is attached to the tip of the spindle 34. The cutting blade 36 attached to the tip of the spindle 34 rotates by power transmitted from a rotary drive source via the spindle 34. For example, the cutting blade 36 is a hub-type cutting blade (hub blade) that is integrally formed with an annular base 38 made of metal or the like and an annular cutting edge 40 formed along the outer periphery of the base 38. A cylindrical through hole (opening) 36a that penetrates the cutting blade 36 (base 38) in the thickness direction is provided in the center of the cutting blade 36.

[0039] The base 38 has a front surface (first surface) 38a and a back surface (second surface) 38b that are generally parallel to each other. The front surface 38a of the base 38 corresponds to a held surface that is held when the cutting blade 36 is attached or detached. A cutting blade 40 is provided on the back surface 38b side of the base 38. The cutting blade 40 is formed so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the base 38 toward the outside in the radial direction of the base 38. For example, the cutting blade 40 is formed of an electroformed grinding stone in which abrasive grains made of diamond or the like are fixed by a bonding material such as a nickel plating layer.

[0040] A blade mount 42 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 34. The blade mount 42 includes a cylindrical boss portion (support shaft) 44 and a disk-shaped flange portion 46 connected to an end portion (base end portion) of the boss portion 44. The flange portion 46 is formed so as to protrude from the end portion of the boss portion 44 toward the outside in the radial direction of the boss portion 44. That is, the boss portion 44 is formed so as to protrude from the center portion of a surface 46a of the flange portion 46. In addition, the boss portion 44 and the flange portion 46 are provided with a cylindrical through hole (opening) 42a that penetrates the center portion of the boss portion 44 and the center portion of the flange portion 46.

[0041] A male thread (thread groove) 44a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the boss portion 44. In addition, an annular protrusion 46b protruding from a surface 46a of the flange portion 46 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 46. The tip surface of the protrusion 46b is a flat surface roughly parallel to the surface 46a, and constitutes an annular support surface 46c that supports the cutting blade 36.

[0042] Furthermore, the blade mount 42 includes an annular fixing nut 48 that fixes the cutting blade 36 to the blade mount 42. The fixing nut 48 is screwed onto a male thread portion 44a formed on the boss portion 44 and fastened.

[0043] The fixing nut 48 has a cylindrical through hole (opening) 48a at its center, which penetrates the fixing nut 48 in its thickness direction. The through hole 48a is formed to have approximately the same diameter as the boss portion 44. A female thread portion (thread groove) corresponding to the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44 is provided on the side surface (inner peripheral surface) of the fixing nut 48 exposed at the through hole 48a. Furthermore, the fixing nut 48 has a plurality of (four in FIG. 2) cylindrical through holes 48b penetrating the fixing nut 48 in its thickness direction, which are formed at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the fixing nut 48.

[0044] The blade mount 42 is fixed to the tip of the spindle 34 by inserting the screw 50 through the through hole 42a of the blade mount 42 and screwing it into the screw hole 34a and tightening it. Furthermore, when the boss portion 44 is inserted into the through hole 36a of the cutting blade 36, the cutting blade 36 is attached to the blade mount 42. In this state, when the fixing nut 48 is screwed into the male threaded portion 44a of the boss portion 44 and tightened, the cutting blade 36 is clamped between the support surface 46c of the flange portion 46 and the fixing nut 48 and fixed to the blade mount 42.

[0045] A washer-type cutting blade (washer blade) may be attached to the cutting unit 30. The washer blade is composed only of an annular cutting edge in which abrasive grains are fixed with a bonding material such as a metal bond, a resin bond, or a vitrified bond.

[0046] The cutting blades 36 are attached to the pair of cutting units 30 shown in Fig. 1, respectively. That is, the cutting device 2 is a so-called facing dual spindle type cutting device in which the pair of cutting blades 36 are arranged to face each other. However, the number of cutting units 30 included in the cutting device 2 may be one pair.

[0047] An imaging unit 52 is attached to each of the pair of cutting units 30 to capture an image of the workpiece 11 held by the chuck table 22. For example, the imaging unit 52 is composed of a visible light camera equipped with an imaging element that receives visible light and converts it into an electrical signal, an infrared camera equipped with an imaging element that receives infrared light and converts it into an electrical signal, etc. Based on the image captured by the imaging unit 52, the alignment of the workpiece 11 and the cutting unit 30 is performed.

[0048] Furthermore, a first transport unit 54 for transporting the workpiece 11 is provided above the base 4. A moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the first transport unit 54 along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is connected to the first transport unit 54. The first transport unit 54 is also equipped with an air cylinder, and the air cylinder incorporates a rod that moves up and down along the Z-axis direction.

[0049] A holding unit 54a that holds the frame unit 17 is fixed to the lower end of the rod of the air cylinder. For example, the holding unit 54a has a plurality of suction pads that suck and hold the upper surface side of the frame 15. In addition, a gripping mechanism 54b that grips the end of the frame unit 17 (the end of the frame 15) is provided at the end of the holding unit 54a on the elevator 6 side.

[0050] A second transport unit 56 that transports the workpiece 11 is provided above the holding unit 54a. A moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the second transport unit 56 along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is connected to the second transport unit 56. The second transport unit 56 also includes an air cylinder that incorporates a rod that moves up and down along the Z-axis direction. A holding unit 56a that holds the frame unit 17 is fixed to the lower end of the air cylinder rod. The configuration of the holding unit 56a is the same as that of the holding unit 54a of the first transport unit 54.

[0051] Further, a blade replacement unit 58 for replacing the cutting blade 36 (see FIG. 2) attached to the cutting unit 30 is provided on the side of the chuck table 22. The blade replacement unit 58 removes the cutting blade 36 from the blade mount 42 (see FIG. 2) and attaches the cutting blade 36 to the blade mount 42. The blade replacement unit 58 will be described in detail later.

[0052] A plate-shaped cover 60 is provided on the edge of the base 4 on the side of the blade replacement unit 58. One end of the cover 60 is connected to the base 4 via a hinge 62 arranged along the edge of the base 4, and the cover 60 is rotatable around the hinge 62.

[0053] When the cutting unit 30 processes the workpiece 11, the cover 60 is in an upright state (open state) along the Z-axis direction, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 1. On the other hand, when the blade replacement unit 58 replaces the cutting blade 36, the cover 60 is in a lying state (closed state) along the X-axis and Y-axis directions, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 1.

[0054] A stock unit 64 for storing various tools used in the cutting device 2 is provided in front of the opening 4b of the base 4. The stock unit 64 includes a rotatable mounting table 66 on which tools such as the cutting blade 36 are placed.

[0055] 3 is a perspective view showing the stock unit 64. For example, the mounting table 66 is a plate-like member formed into a disk shape. The upper surface of the mounting table 66 is a flat surface that is approximately parallel to the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) and constitutes a mounting surface 66a on which various tools are placed.

[0056] For example, a replacement cutting blade 36 (unused cutting blade 36) is placed on the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66. Specifically, a plurality of blade storage units 68 for storing the cutting blades 36 are fixed on the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66. For example, the blade storage unit 68 is formed of a plastic case (blade case) capable of accommodating the cutting blade 36, and is fixed on the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66. The plurality of blade storage units 68 are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the mounting table 66.

[0057] 3 shows, as an example, a blade storage section 68 having a circular bottom surface and an annular side wall protruding from the outer periphery of the bottom surface in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. A columnar protrusion 68a protruding from the bottom surface is provided in the center of the blade storage section 68. When storing the cutting blade 36 in the blade storage section 68, the cutting blade 36 is placed in the blade storage section 68 so that the protrusion 68a is inserted into the through hole 36a of the cutting blade 36.

[0058] A rotating part (shaft) 70 that rotates by power transmitted from a rotation drive source (not shown) such as a motor is connected to the underside of the center of the mounting table 66. When the rotating part 70 is rotated by the rotation drive source, the mounting table 66 rotates around a rotation axis that is approximately parallel to the Z axis.

[0059] A reading unit 72 is provided below the mounting table 66 to read the identification mark attached to the cutting blade 36. For example, the cutting blade 36 is attached with an identification mark including information related to the cutting blade 36. The cutting blade 36 is stored in the blade storage section 68 so that the surface with the identification mark faces the mounting surface 66a.

[0060] Examples of the identification mark include a barcode and a two-dimensional code. The identification mark may be directly printed on the cutting blade 36, or a sticker on which the identification mark is printed may be attached to the cutting blade 36. For example, the identification mark attached to the cutting blade 36 includes information such as the type of the cutting blade 36 (hub type or washer type), the outer diameter, the inner diameter, the thickness, the material and particle size of the abrasive grains, the material of the binder, and a serial number.

[0061] The reading unit 72 is composed of, for example, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, or the like, and reads the identification mark attached to the cutting blade 36 through the mounting table 66 and the blade storage section 68. Therefore, the materials of the mounting table 66 and the blade storage section 68 are selected according to the type of the reading unit 72.

[0062] For example, when the reading unit 72 is a visible light camera, the whole or part of the mounting table 66 and the blade storage section 68 are made of a material that transmits visible light. Specifically, the mounting table 66 can be a substrate made of a transparent material such as plastic or glass (e.g., quartz glass or borosilicate glass). The blade storage section 68 can be a case made of a transparent material such as plastic.

[0063] However, the materials of the mounting table 66 and the blade storage section 68 can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of the reading unit 72. For example, when the reading unit 72 is an infrared camera, the mounting table 66 and the blade storage section 68 are made of a material that transmits infrared rays.

[0064] The reading unit 72 is disposed directly below one of the blade storage units 68. The reading unit 72 reads the identification mark affixed to the cutting blade 36 stored in the blade storage unit 68 disposed directly above the reading unit 72. The blade storage unit 68 disposed directly above the reading unit 72 can be changed by rotating the mounting table 66. This makes it possible to read the identification mark affixed to any cutting blade 36 mounted on the mounting table 66.

[0065] The reading unit 72 may be provided above the mounting table 66. In this case, the cutting blade 36 is stored in the blade storage section 68 so that the surface with the identification mark is exposed upward.

[0066] 1, the cutting device 2 is provided with a display section (display unit, display device) 74 that displays information. The display section 74 is composed of various displays, and displays various information related to the cutting device 2 (processing conditions, processing status, image of the workpiece 11, etc.).

[0067] A touch panel, for example, is used as the display unit 74. In this case, an operation screen for operating the cutting device 2 is displayed on the display unit 74, and an operator of the cutting device 2 can input information to the cutting device 2 by touching the display unit 74. In other words, the display unit 74 also functions as an input unit (input unit, input device) for inputting various information to the cutting device 2, and is used as a user interface. However, the input unit may be a mouse, a keyboard, etc. that are provided separately and independently from the display unit 74.

[0068] The cutting device 2 also includes an indicator light (warning light) 76. For example, the indicator light 76 lights up in a predetermined color or pattern when an abnormality occurs in the cutting device 2. The cutting device 2 may also be equipped with a speaker (not shown) that emits sound or voice.

[0069] The information displayed on the display unit 74, the information corresponding to the lighting color or lighting pattern of the indicator lights 76, and the information emitted by the speaker are notified to the operator. In other words, the display unit 74, the indicator lights 76, and the speaker correspond to an alarm unit (announcement unit, announcement device) that notifies the operator of information.

[0070] Furthermore, the cutting device 2 includes a control unit (control unit, control device) 78 that controls the cutting device 2. The control unit 78 is connected to each component that configures the cutting device 2 (e.g., the elevator 6, the cleaning unit 12, the guide rail 16, the chuck table 22, the clamp 24, the sub-table 26, the cutting unit 30, the imaging unit 52, the first transport unit 54, the second transport unit 56, the blade replacement unit 58, the stock unit 64, the display unit 74, the indicator light 76, etc.). The control unit 78 generates control signals for controlling the operation of each component of the cutting device 2, and controls the operation of the cutting device 2.

[0071] For example, the control unit 78 is configured by a computer. Specifically, the control unit 78 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs calculations necessary for the operation of the cutting device 2, and a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores various information (data, programs, etc.) used for the operation of the cutting device 2.

[0072] The cutting device 2 performs cutting processing on the workpiece 11. When processing the workpiece 11, first, a frame unit 17 including the workpiece 11 to be processed is housed in a cassette 10. Then, the cassette 10 is placed on the lifting platform 8 of the elevator 6.

[0073] The frame unit 17 accommodated in the cassette 10 is carried out of the cassette 10 by the first transport unit 54. Specifically, the first transport unit 54 moves along the X-axis direction so as to move away from the cassette 10 while gripping an end of the frame 15 with the gripping mechanism 54b. As a result, the frame unit 17 is pulled out of the cassette 10 and placed on the pair of guide rails 16. Then, the frame unit 17 is sandwiched between the pair of guide rails 16, and the frame unit 17 is aligned.

[0074] Next, the first transport unit 54 holds the upper side of the frame 15 with the holding unit 54a, and transports the frame unit 17 onto the chuck table 22 arranged in the transport area. Then, the chuck table 22 moves from the transport area to the processing area while suction-holding the back side (tape 13 side) of the workpiece 11. As a result, the workpiece 11 is positioned inside the processing chamber 28.

[0075] Then, the workpiece 11 and the cutting unit 30 are aligned based on an image acquired by imaging the workpiece 11 with the imaging unit 52, and then the workpiece 11 is cut by the cutting unit 30. For example, the workpiece 11 is cut along the planned division lines by a cutting blade 36 (see FIG. 2) and divided into a plurality of device chips.

[0076] When the cutting process is completed, the chuck table 22 moves to the transport area. Then, the second transport unit 56 holds the upper surface side of the frame 15 with the holding unit 56a, and transports the frame unit 17 from the chuck table 22 to the cleaning unit 12. Then, the workpiece 11 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 12.

[0077] When cleaning of the workpiece 11 is completed, the first transport unit 54 holds the frame 15 with the holding unit 54a and transports the frame unit 17 onto the pair of guide rails 16. Then, the frame unit 17 is sandwiched between the pair of guide rails 16, and the frame unit 17 is aligned. Thereafter, the first transport unit 54 moves toward the cassette 10 while holding the frame 15 with the holding mechanism 54b, and stores the frame unit 17 in the cassette 10.

[0078] When processing the workpiece 11 with the cutting blade 36 (see FIG. 2), dressing may be performed by intentionally wearing down the tip of the cutting blade 36 in order to modify the shape of the cutting blade 36 or ensure the sharpness of the cutting blade 36. This dressing is performed by cutting the cutting blade 36 into a dressing board. For example, the dressing board is formed by fixing abrasive grains made of green carborundum (GC), white alundum (WA), or the like, with a binder such as a resin bond or a vitrified bond.

[0079] When dressing is performed, the binder of the cutting blade 36 comes into contact with the dressing board and is worn down, the shape of the cutting blade 36 is adjusted to be concentric with the spindle 34 (rounding), and the abrasive grains are appropriately exposed from the binder (sharpening). By using the dressed cutting blade 36, the quality of the cutting process is improved.

[0080] Furthermore, when the workpiece 11 is processed by the cutting blade 36, the cutting blade 36 may be cut into an inspection board to inspect the shape of the cutting blade 36 and correct the position. For example, the cutting blade 36 is cut into the inspection board, and a groove (cut groove) formed in the inspection board is observed to inspect whether the tip of the cutting blade 36 has a desired shape. Furthermore, the position of the bottom end of the cutting blade 36 (cut depth) is calculated based on the length of the cut groove formed in the inspection board, and the height position of the cutting blade 36 is adjusted.

[0081] The inspection board may be, for example, a plate-shaped member made of silicon (silicon board). However, there is no limitation on the material of the inspection board as long as the inspection board can be cut by the cutting blade 36. Examples of the material of the inspection board are the same as those of the workpiece 11.

[0082] The dressing board and the inspection board are held by a pair of sub-tables 26 and cut by a cutting blade 36. One of the sub-tables 26 holds a dressing board or an inspection board to be cut by a cutting blade 36 attached to one of the cutting units 30, and the other sub-table 26 holds a dressing board or an inspection board to be cut by a cutting blade 36 attached to the other cutting unit 30. That is, the pair of sub-tables 26 are provided corresponding to the pair of cutting units 30.

[0083] A program describing a series of operations of the cutting device 2 is stored in the memory of the control unit 78. Then, when an operator instructs the cutting device 2 to cut the workpiece 11, the dressing board, or the inspection board, the control unit 78 reads and executes the program, and sequentially generates control signals for controlling the operations of each component of the cutting device 2.

[0084] The cutting blade 36 attached to the cutting unit 30 is gradually worn down by cutting the workpiece 11, and is therefore periodically replaced. In the cutting device 2, the cutting blade 36 is automatically replaced by the blade replacement unit 58.

[0085] 4 is a perspective view showing the blade replacement unit 58. The blade replacement unit 58 includes a moving section 80 and a replacement device (replacement mechanism) 100 that replaces the cutting blade 36. The moving section 80 is a moving mechanism (moving unit) that moves the replacement device 100 to position it at an arbitrary position, and includes a lifting mechanism 82 that moves (lifts and lowers) the replacement device 100 along the Z-axis direction, and a multi-joint arm 86 that moves the replacement device 100 along the horizontal direction (XY plane direction).

[0086] The lifting mechanism 82 includes a flat support member 84 arranged along the Z-axis direction, and moves the articulated arm 86 in the Z-axis direction along the support member 84. For example, the lifting mechanism 82 includes a motor (not shown) provided at the bottom of the support member 84 and having a drive pulley fixed to its output shaft, and a driven pulley (not shown) provided at the top of the support member 84. A toothed endless belt (not shown) is hung between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a first support 88A made of metal or the like is fixed to the toothed endless belt.

[0087] When the output shaft of the motor is rotated in a first direction, the first support 88A rises, and when the output shaft of the motor is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the first support 88A falls, causing the first support 88A to rise and fall along the Z-axis direction.

[0088] However, there are no limitations on the configuration of the lifting mechanism 82 as long as it is possible to raise and lower the first support 88A. For example, the lifting mechanism 82 may be a ball screw type lifting mechanism. The ball screw type lifting mechanism has a pair of guide rails (not shown) arranged along the Z-axis direction. In addition, a flat moving plate (not shown) is attached to the pair of guide rails in a state where it can slide along the guide rails.

[0089] A first support 88A is fixed to the front surface (first surface) of the movable plate. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface (second surface) of the movable plate. This nut portion is screwed into a ball screw arranged generally parallel to the pair of guide rails. A pulse motor (not shown) is connected to one end of the ball screw, and when this pulse motor is rotated, the first support 88A moves up and down along the Z-axis direction.

[0090] A first rotation mechanism 90A having a rotation drive source such as a motor is fixed to the first support 88A. This rotation drive source is provided so that the rotation axis is disposed approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction. One end of a first arm 92A disposed along the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) is attached to the first rotation mechanism 90A.

[0091] A second rotation mechanism 90B is attached to the other end of the first arm 92A. The second rotation mechanism 90B has a rotation drive source such as a motor whose rotation axis is arranged substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction. One end of a second arm 92B arranged along the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) is attached to the second rotation mechanism 90B.

[0092] A third rotation mechanism 90C is attached to the other end of the second arm 92B. The third rotation mechanism 90C has a rotation drive source such as a motor whose rotation axis is arranged approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction. A metal second support 88B is attached to the third rotation mechanism 90C. An exchange device 100 for exchanging the cutting blade 36 is attached to the second support 88B.

[0093] When the cutting device 2 cuts the workpiece 11, the exchange device 100 is disposed at a position (retracted position) adjacent to the support member 84 (see FIG. 1). When the cutting blade 36 is replaced, the exchange device 100 is raised and lowered along the Z-axis direction by the lifting mechanism 82, and moved along the horizontal direction (XY plane direction) by the articulated arm 86 to be positioned at an arbitrary position.

[0094] Next, a configuration example of the exchange device 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the exchange device 100. Fig. 6(A) is a side view showing the exchange device 100, and Fig. 6(B) is a front view showing the exchange device 100. Note that in Fig. 6(B), coupling members 114a and 114b, which will be described later, are omitted. Below, the configuration of the exchange device 100 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 5.

[0095] The replacement device 100 includes an attachment / detachment unit 102 for attaching and detaching the cutting blade 36 and the fixing nut 48 (see FIG. 2). In addition, a rotation mechanism 104 for rotating the attachment / detachment unit 102 is connected to the attachment / detachment unit 102.

[0096] The rotation mechanism 104 includes a rotating part (shaft) 106 connected to the detachable unit 102, and a motor (rotation drive source, not shown) that rotates the rotating part 106 around a rotation axis 106a passing through the inside of the rotating part 106. The motor rotates the rotating part 106 in both directions (a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction) around the rotation axis 106a. When the rotating part 106 rotates, the detachable unit 102 connected to the rotating part 106 rotates around the rotation axis 106a in conjunction with the rotating part 106.

[0097] The mounting / removing unit 102 includes a frame 110 connected to a rotating portion 106 of the rotating mechanism 104. The frame 110 includes a pair of plate-shaped support members 112a and 112b made of metal or the like and arranged generally parallel to each other.

[0098] Between the support members 112a and 112b, rectangular parallelepiped connecting members 114a and 114b are provided. The connecting member 114a is fixed to one end (the rotating unit 106 side) of the support members 112a and 112b, and the connecting member 114b is fixed to the other end (the opposite side to the rotating unit 106) of the support members 112a and 112b. In other words, the support members 112a and 112b are connected to each other via the connecting members 114a and 114b.

[0099] A fixed nut attaching / detaching unit 120 is attached to the frame 110, which holds and rotates a fixed nut 48 (see FIG. 2) for attaching the cutting blade 36 to the cutting unit 30. The fixed nut attaching / detaching unit 120 includes a fixed nut holding portion 122 that holds the fixed nut 48, and a columnar rotating portion (shaft) 124 (see FIG. 6(B)) connected to the fixed nut holding portion 122.

[0100] The rotating part 124 is accommodated in a cylindrical housing 126. One end side (tip end) of the rotating part 124 is exposed from the housing 126, and the fixed nut holding part 122 is connected to one end side of the rotating part 124. In addition, a motor (rotation drive source) 128 that rotates the fixed nut holding part 122 and the rotating part 124 is connected to the other end side (base end) of the rotating part 124.

[0101] The motor 128 rotates (spins) the rotating part 124 in two directions (a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction) around a rotating shaft 124a that passes through the inside of the rotating part 124. When the rotating part 124 rotates, the fixed nut holding part 122 connected to the rotating part 124 rotates around the rotating shaft 124a in conjunction with the rotating part 124.

[0102] An opening (not shown) is provided in the center of the support member 112a, penetrating the support member 112a in the thickness direction, and an opening (not shown) is provided in the center of the support member 112b, penetrating the support member 112b in the thickness direction. One end of the rotating part 124 exposed from the housing 126 is inserted into the opening of the support member 112a and protrudes from the support member 112a toward the outside of the frame body 110. The other end of the rotating part 124 is inserted into the opening of the support member 112b together with the end of the housing 126, and protrudes from the support member 112b toward the outside of the frame body 110.

[0103] One end of the rotating part 124 is connected to the fixed nut holding part 122 outside the frame body 110. The other end of the rotating part 124 is connected to the motor 128 outside the frame body 110. As a result, the frame body 110 is sandwiched between the fixed nut holding part 122 and the motor 128, and the fixed nut attaching / detaching unit 120 is attached to the frame body 110. The fixed nut attaching / detaching unit 120 is disposed such that the rotation axis (rotation axis 124a) of the fixed nut holding part 122 is aligned perpendicular to the rotation axis 106a of the rotating part 106.

[0104] The fixed nut holding portion 122 includes a cylindrical rotating member 130 fixed to one end side of the rotating portion 124. The rotating member 130 is biased toward the opposite side to the supporting member 112a by a spring or the like, and moves toward the supporting member 112a side when an external force is applied.

[0105] The rotating member 130 also has a surface 130a located on the opposite side to the support member 112a. The rotating member 130 has a plurality of (four in FIG. 5) retaining pins 132 protruding from the surface 130a and provided at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the surface 130a.

[0106] The retaining pins 132 are formed to correspond to the through holes 48b (see FIG. 2) of the fixing nut 48, and are capable of being inserted into the through holes 48b. The number, size, arrangement, etc. of the retaining pins 132 are appropriately set according to the through holes 48b.

[0107] A plurality of gripping members 134 (four in FIG. 5) that grip the fixing nuts 48 are disposed around the rotating member 130 at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating member 130. Each of the gripping members 134 is formed in a columnar shape, and a base end (one end side) of the gripping members 134 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member 130.

[0108] The tip (the other end) of the gripping member 134 protrudes from the surface 130a of the rotating member 130, and this tip is formed with a claw portion 134a that is bent toward the center of the rotating member 130. The gripping member 134 is biased toward the outside in the radial direction of the rotating member 130 by a spring or the like, and the claw portion 134a moves toward the inside in the radial direction of the rotating member 130 when an external force is applied.

[0109] Furthermore, a cover 136 formed in a hollow cylindrical shape is provided around the rotating member 130. The cover 136 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 124a independently of the rotating member 130, and is disposed so as to surround the rotating member 130 and the base end side of the multiple gripping members 134. When the surface 130a of the rotating member 130 is pressed toward the inside of the cover 136 (the support member 112a side), a spring or the like that biases the rotating member 130 is compressed, and the rotating member 130 is pushed into the inside of the cover 136 together with the multiple gripping members 134.

[0110] When the rotating member 130 is pressed and pushed inside the cover 136, the tip sides (claw portions 134a side) of the multiple gripping members 134 come into contact with the inner wall of the cover 136 and are pressed, and the springs or the like that bias the gripping members 134 are compressed. As a result, the tip sides of the multiple gripping members 134 move toward the inside in the radial direction of the rotating member 130. Then, the multiple gripping members 134 are placed in a state in which their length direction is along the inner wall of the cover 136 (closed state). At this time, the claw portions 134a of the gripping members 134 are placed, for example, radially inward of the outer circumferential edge of the rotating member 130.

[0111] On the other hand, when the pressure on the rotating member 130 is released, the rotating member 130 moves toward the outside of the cover 136, and the state in which the tip sides of the gripping members 134 are pressed by the inner wall of the cover 136 is released. As a result, the tip sides of the multiple gripping members 134 move toward the outside in the radial direction of the rotating member 130. Then, the tip sides of the multiple gripping members 134 are placed in a state (open state) that is located more radially outward from the rotating member 130 than in the closed state. At this time, the claw portions 134a of the gripping members 134 are placed, for example, radially outward from the outer circumferential edge of the rotating member 130.

[0112] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member 130 is provided with a plurality of (for example, four) pins 138 that protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member 130. The cover 136 is also provided with a plurality of (for example, four) openings 136a that penetrate the cover 136 from the outer circumferential surface to the inner circumferential surface (inner wall). The tip portions of the pins 138 are inserted into the openings 136a.

[0113] An end of the opening 136a located on the opposite side to the support member 112a is formed in a stepped shape and includes a first pin receiving portion 136b and a second pin receiving portion 136c. The second pin receiving portion 136c is disposed at a position farther from the surface 130a of the rotating member 130 (toward the support member 112a) than the first pin receiving portion 136b.

[0114] In the initial state of the fixed nut holding portion 122, the pin 138 is in contact with the first pin receiving portion 136b. When the rotating member 130 is pressed and pushed into the inside of the cover 136, the pin 138 moves away from the first pin receiving portion 136b. When the rotating portion 124 is rotated in the first direction in this state, the pin 138 moves from the first pin receiving portion 136b side to the second pin receiving portion 136c side.

[0115] Thereafter, when the pressure on the rotating member 130 is released, the pin 138 comes into contact with the second pin receiving portion 136c and is supported by the second pin receiving portion 136c. This maintains the state in which the rotating member 130 is pressed into the inside of the cover 136, and the multiple gripping members 134 are maintained in the closed state.

[0116] On the other hand, when the rotating member 130, which has been pressed into the inside of the cover 136, is pressed further into the inside of the cover 136, the pin 138 moves away from the second pin receiving portion 136c. When the rotating portion 124 is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction in this state, the pin 138 moves from the second pin receiving portion 136c side to the first pin receiving portion 136b side.

[0117] Thereafter, when the pressure on the rotating member 130 is released, the pin 138 comes into contact with the first pin receiving portion 136b and is supported by the first pin receiving portion 136b. As a result, the rotating member 130 is pushed out from the inside of the cover 136, and the multiple gripping members 134 are in the open state.

[0118] The above-mentioned fixing nut attachment / detachment unit 120 rotates while holding the fixing nut 48. Specifically, first, the surface 130a of the rotating member 130 comes into contact with the fixing nut 48 so that the holding pin 132 is inserted into the through hole 48b (see FIG. 2) of the fixing nut 48. When the rotating member 130 is pushed into the inside of the cover 136 in this state, the multiple gripping members 134 are brought into a closed state, and the claws 134a come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fixing nut 48 to grip the fixing nut 48.

[0119] When the rotating part 124 (see FIG. 6(B)) is rotated by the motor 128 while the fixed nut 48 is held by the multiple gripping members 134, the rotating member 130 connected to the rotating part 124 rotates, and the fixed nut 48 held by the gripping members 134 also rotates.

[0120] By holding and rotating the fixing nut 48 with the fixing nut attachment / detachment unit 120, the fixing nut 48 can be automatically removed and tightened when replacing the cutting blade 36 attached to the cutting unit 30.

[0121] For example, when removing the fixing nut 48 (see FIG. 2) attached to the blade mount 42 of the cutting unit 30, first, the exchange device 100 is moved by the lifting mechanism 82 and the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4) and placed inside the processing chamber 28 through the entrance 28a (see FIG. 1) of the processing chamber 28. Then, the attachment / detachment unit 102 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 104 to bring the fixing nut holding part 122 into opposition to the blade mount 42.

[0122] Thereafter, the fixing nut holding portion 122 is moved toward the blade mount 42. As a result, the surface 130a side of the rotating member 130 is pressed against the fixing nut 48 attached to the blade mount 42. At this time, the multiple holding pins 132 provided on the rotating member 130 are inserted into the through holes 48b of the fixing nut 48.

[0123] Then, the rotating member 130 is pressed by the fixing nut 48, so that the rotating member 130 is pushed inside the cover 136, and the multiple gripping members 134 are brought into a closed state. As a result, the fixing nut 48 is gripped by the claw portions 134a of the multiple gripping members 134.

[0124] Next, the motor 128 rotates the rotating part 124 (see FIG. 6(B)), and rotates the rotating member 130 around the rotating shaft 124a in a first direction (a direction to loosen the fixing nut 48). As a result, the fixing nut 48 gripped by the multiple gripping members 134 rotates and loosens, and is removed from the boss portion 44 of the blade mount 42. When the rotating member 130 rotates in the first direction while pressed inside the cover 136, the pin 138 moves from the side of the first pin receiving portion 136b to the side of the second pin receiving portion 136c.

[0125] Thereafter, the fixing nut holding portion 122 is moved in a direction away from the blade mount 42. At this time, the pin 138 is supported by the second pin receiving portion 136c, so that the rotating member 130 is maintained in a state pressed into the inside of the cover 136. This maintains the state in which the multiple gripping members 134 grip the fixing nut 48 (closed state).

[0126] On the other hand, when attaching the fixing nut 48 to the blade mount 42 of the cutting unit 30, first, the fixing nut holding part 122 holding the fixing nut 48 is brought into opposition to the blade mount 42, and the fixing nut holding part 122 is moved toward the blade mount 42. As a result, the fixing nut 48 held by the fixing nut holding part 122 is positioned at the tip of the boss part 44 of the blade mount 42, and the rotating member 130 is pressed into the inside of the cover 136.

[0127] Next, the motor 128 rotates the rotating part 124 (see FIG. 6(B)), and rotates the rotating member 130 around the rotating shaft 124a in a second direction (the direction in which the fixing nut 48 is tightened) opposite to the first direction. This causes the fixing nut 48 to rotate and be tightened into the male thread portion 44a formed on the boss portion 44 of the blade mount 42, and the blade mount 42 is attached to the blade mount 42. When the rotating member 130 rotates in the second direction while pressed inside the cover 136, the pin 138 moves from the second pin receiving portion 136c side to the first pin receiving portion 136b side.

[0128] Thereafter, the fixing nut holding portion 122 is moved in a direction away from the blade mount 42. At this time, the pin 138 is supported by the first pin receiving portion 136b. Then, the rotating member 130 is pushed out from the inside of the cover 136, and the gripping of the fixing nut 48 by the multiple gripping members 134 is released.

[0129] The method of maintaining the multiple gripping members 134 in the closed or open state is not limited to the above. For example, instead of providing the pin 138 on the rotating member 130, an actuator that moves the cover 136 along the height direction of the cover 136 may be provided on the mounting / removal unit 102. For example, the actuator is constituted by an air cylinder or the like, and is fixed to the support member 112a. By moving the cover 136 with this actuator, the multiple gripping members 134 can be freely switched between the closed state and the open state.

[0130] Between the support members 112a and 112b, an annular member 140 made of metal or the like is provided. The annular member 140 surrounds the housing 126 (rotating portion 124) and is disposed generally parallel to the support members 112a and 112b so as not to come into contact with the housing 126.

[0131] The annular member 140 is connected to the support member 112a via a plurality of elastic bodies (elastic members) 142a, and is connected to the support member 112b via a plurality of elastic bodies (elastic members) 142b. That is, the annular member 140 is suspended by the elastic bodies 142a and 142b, and is held in a state where it is not in contact with the support members 112a and 112b (see FIG. 6(B)).

[0132] For example, the elastic bodies 142a and 142b are made of an expandable member such as a spring, rubber, etc. When an external force is applied to the annular member 140, the elastic bodies 142a and 142b expand and contract, causing the annular member 140 to move or rotate in any direction.

[0133] A blade holding portion (first blade holding portion) 150A and a blade holding portion (second blade holding portion) 150B that hold the cutting blade 36 are connected to the outer circumferential surface of the annular member 140. The blade holding portions 150A and 150B are disk-shaped members made of resin, metal, or the like, and hold the cutting blade 36 on the side of a circular surface 150a facing away from the annular member 140. The blade holding portions 150A and 150B are arranged such that the surface 150a of the blade holding portion 150A and the surface 150a of the blade holding portion 150B face the outside of the frame 110 and face each other across the frame 110.

[0134] The blade holding parts 150A and 150B are each disposed so as to be separated by 90° from the fixed nut holding part 122 in the circumferential direction (rotation direction) of the rotating part 106 of the rotation mechanism 104. The fixed nut holding part 122, the surface 150a of the blade holding part 150A, and the surface 150a of the blade holding part 150B are disposed so as to face the opposite side to the rotation shaft 106a while being separated from each other around the rotation shaft 106a of the rotating part 106.

[0135] Next, a configuration example of the blade holding parts 150A and 150B will be described. Fig. 7(A) is a front view showing the blade holding part 150A, and Fig. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the blade holding part 150A. Note that, although the configuration and function of the blade holding part 150A will be described below, the configuration and function of the blade holding part 150B are the same as those of the blade holding part 150A.

[0136] The blade holding part 150A has a disk-shaped frame 152 made of resin, metal, or the like. The frame 152 has a front surface (first surface) 152a and a back surface (second surface) 152b that are generally parallel to each other. The front surface 152a side of the frame 152 corresponds to the front surface 150a side of the blade holding part 150A. A circular first groove (first recess) 152c is provided in the center of the front surface 152a side of the frame 152. The diameter of the first groove 152c is larger than the diameter of the front surface 38a of the base 38 of the cutting blade 36 (see FIG. 7(B)).

[0137] Furthermore, a circular second groove (second recess) 152d is provided at the center of the bottom of the first groove 152c. Then, an annular third groove (third recess) 152e is formed at the bottom of the second groove 152d along the outer periphery of the second groove 152d with a predetermined width.

[0138] An annular elastic member 154 is fitted into the third groove 152e. The elastic member 154 is made of an elastic material capable of elastic deformation, such as rubber or resin. The elastic member 154 includes a base 154a embedded inside the third groove 152e and a pair of lip portions 154b protruding from the base 154a. One of the lip portions 154b is disposed along a side wall of the third groove 152e located on the radially outer side of the frame body 152. The other lip portion 154b is disposed along a side wall of the third groove 152e located on the radially inner side of the frame body 152.

[0139] The pair of lip portions 154b are inclined with respect to the surface 152a of the frame body 152 so as to be spaced apart from each other as they move away from the base portion 154a. That is, the pair of lip portions 154b are each disposed from the inside toward the outside of the third groove 152e in the width direction of the third groove 152e. In addition, the tips of the pair of lip portions 154b protrude from the surface 152a of the frame body 152 in the thickness direction of the frame body 152.

[0140] A plurality of through holes 154c penetrating the base 154a are provided in a region of the base 154a that overlaps with the space between the pair of lip portions 154b. For example, as shown in Fig. 7(A), six through holes 154c are formed in the base 154a at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the elastic member 154. One end side of the through holes 154c opens on the surface 152a side of the frame 152, and the other end side of the through holes 154c is connected to an annular fourth groove (fourth recess) 152f provided at the bottom of the third groove 152e.

[0141] One end of a flow path 156 formed of a tube, a pipe, or the like is connected to the fourth groove 152f. The other end of the flow path 156 is connected to a suction source 160 via a valve 158. For example, the valve 158 is formed of a solenoid valve whose opening and closing is electrically controlled, and the suction source 160 is formed of an ejector. When the valve 158 is opened, the negative pressure of the suction source 160 acts on the space between the pair of lip portions 154b via the fourth groove 152f of the frame body 152 and the through-hole 154c of the elastic member 154.

[0142] A pressure gauge (pressure sensor) 162 that measures the pressure of the flow path 156 is connected to a region of the flow path 156 between the fourth groove 152f and the valve 158. For example, the pressure gauge 162 measures the negative pressure inside the flow path 156 based on a gauge pressure (the difference between absolute pressure and atmospheric pressure). The pressure value of the flow path 156 measured by the pressure gauge 162 is output to and stored in the control unit 78 (see FIG. 1).

[0143] When replacing the cutting blade, the cutting blade (used cutting blade) 36 mounted on the blade mount 42 (see FIG. 2), or the replacement cutting blade (unused cutting blade) 36 stored in the stock unit 64 (see FIG. 1), is held by the blade holding portion 150A.

[0144] When the cutting blade 36 is held by the blade holding part 150A, first, the valve 158 is opened and the negative pressure of the suction source 160 is applied to the space between the pair of lip parts 154b. Then, with the surface 150a side of the blade holding part 150A facing the cutting blade 36, the blade holding part 150A is brought close to the base 38 of the cutting blade 36. When the surface 38a of the base 38 comes into contact with the tips of the pair of lip parts 154b, the space between the pair of lip parts 154b is sealed and reduced in pressure by the negative pressure of the suction source 160. As a result, the cutting blade 36 is suction-held by the blade holding part 150A.

[0145] Whether or not the desired object is properly held by the blade holding part 150A can be determined by measuring the pressure in the flow path 156 with the pressure measuring device 162. For example, when the cutting blade 36 is held by the blade holding part 150A, the space between the pair of lip parts 154b is sealed. Therefore, the pressure P1 in the flow path 156 when the blade holding part 150A holds the cutting blade 36 is different from the pressure P2 (>P1) in the flow path 156 when the blade holding part 150A is not in contact with the cutting blade 36. Therefore, by comparing the pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 162 with a preset threshold value P th (P a <P th <P2), it can be determined whether or not the cutting blade 36 is held by the blade holding part 150A.

[0146] The above determination is made, for example, by storing the threshold value P th in advance in the control unit 78 (see FIG. 1) and causing the control unit 78 to execute a process of comparing the pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 162 with the threshold value P th . In this case, a program in which a process of comparing the measured pressure with the threshold value P th is described is stored in the control unit 78. Then, the control unit 78 reads out and executes the program to compare the measured pressure with the threshold value P th .

[0147] As described above, the cutting blade 36 is held by the blade holding part 150A. Note that the procedure when the cutting blade 36 is held by the blade holding part 150B is the same as that of the blade holding part 150A.

[0148] A cylindrical fifth groove (fifth recess) 152g is provided in an area inside the fourth groove 152f on the front surface 152a side of the frame 152. The diameter of the fifth groove 152g is set to be larger than the diameter of the boss portion 44 (see FIG. 2) of the blade mount 42. As a result, when the blade holding portions 150A, 150B are brought close to the cutting unit 30, the tip portion of the boss portion 44 is inserted into the fifth groove 152g, and contact between the blade holding portions 150A, 150B and the cutting unit 30 is avoided.

[0149] Note that the blade holding parts 150A, 150B do not necessarily have to be provided with the elastic member 154. For example, two O-rings with different diameters may be concentrically arranged instead of the elastic member 154. In this case, one O-ring is provided along the side wall of the third groove 152e located on the radially outer side of the frame body 152, and the other O-ring is provided along the side wall of the third groove 152e located on the radially inner side of the frame body 152.

[0150] 5 and 6(B), the blade holding parts 150A and 150B are connected to the rotating part 106 of the rotating mechanism 104 via the elastic bodies 142a and 142b. This allows the front surface 150a of each of the blade holding parts 150A and 150B to be maintained in a tiltable state. In other words, when an external force is applied to the blade holding parts 150A and 150B, the front surface 150a can be freely tilted in any direction.

[0151] Therefore, when the cutting blade 36 comes into contact with the surface 150a of the blade holding parts 150A, 150B, the blade holding parts 150A, 150B are inclined so that the surface 150a is arranged parallel to the surface 38a of the cutting blade 36. This allows the surface 150a of the blade holding parts 150A, 150B to appropriately come into contact with the cutting blade 36, and the cutting blade 36 is reliably held by suction.

[0152] The above-described replacement device 100 replaces the cutting blade 36. The cutting blade 36 is replaced by removing the used cutting blade 36 attached to the cutting unit 30 and then attaching a replacement cutting blade 36 to the cutting unit 30. The replacement cutting blade 36 is stocked in advance in the stock unit 64 (see FIG. 1).

[0153] Next, a specific example of a blade replacement method for replacing the cutting blade 36 attached to the cutting unit 30 of the cutting device 2 will be described. When replacing the cutting blade 36, the fixing nut holding part 122 and the blade holding parts 150A, 150B (see FIG. 5, etc.) of the replacement device 100 are moved by the moving part 80 (see FIG. 4) to attach and detach the cutting blade 36 and the fixing nut 48.

[0154] First, the replacement cutting blade 36 is placed (preparation step) on the placement surface 66a of the placement table 66 (see FIG. 3) included in the stock unit 64. Specifically, the replacement cutting blade 36 (unused cutting blade 36) is stored in each of the multiple blade storage units 68 fixed on the placement surface 66a of the placement table 66.

[0155] Next, the replacement cutting blade 36 placed on the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66 is held by the blade holding portion 150B of the replacement device 100 (replacement blade holding step). Fig. 8(A) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the replacement blade holding step.

[0156] In the replacement blade holding step, first, the replacement device 100 is moved by the lifting mechanism 82 and the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4) and placed on the mounting table 66 of the stock unit 64. In addition, the frame 110 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 104 (see FIG. 5, etc.) to bring the blade holding part 150B into opposition to the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66.

[0157] Next, the replacement device 100 is lowered, and the blade holding portion 150B is brought into contact with the replacement cutting blade 36 arranged on the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66. Then, the replacement cutting blade 36 is sucked and held by the blade holding portion 150B.

[0158] Thereafter, the replacement device 100 is raised, and the blade holding portion 150B is moved in a direction away from the mounting surface 66a of the mounting table 66. As a result, the replacement cutting blade 36 is lifted by the blade holding portion 150B.

[0159] In the replacement blade holding step, the identification mark attached to the replacement cutting blade 36 may be read by the reading unit 72 (see FIG. 3). In this case, information contained in the identification mark is output to the control unit 78 (see FIG. 1). Then, the control unit 78 selects the replacement cutting blade 36 to be held by the blade holding unit 150B based on the information contained in the identification mark.

[0160] Next, the fixing nut 48 attached to the blade mount 42 of the cutting unit 30 is removed from the blade mount 42 (fixing nut removing step). Fig. 8(B) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the fixing nut removing step.

[0161] In the fixing nut removing step, first, the replacement device 100 is moved by the lifting mechanism 82 and the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4) and placed in the processing chamber 28 (see FIG. 1). In addition, the fixing nut holding portion 122 of the replacement device 100 is made to face the blade mount 42 with the cutting blade 36 and the fixing nut 48 attached thereto.

[0162] Then, the fixing nut 48 attached to the blade mount 42 is held and rotated by the fixing nut holding portion 122. Specifically, with the fixing nut 48 held by a plurality of holding members 134 (see FIG. 5, etc.), the rotating member 130 (see FIG. 5, etc.) is rotated by the motor 128 to rotate the fixing nut 48 in a first direction (a direction in which the fixing nut 48 loosens). As a result, the fixing nut 48 loosens and is removed from the blade mount 42.

[0163] Next, the fixing nut holding portion 122 and the blade mount 42 are separated from each other (first retraction step). Fig. 8(C) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the first retraction step.

[0164] In the first retraction step, the exchange device 100 is moved by the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4) toward the opposite side to the blade mount 42. As a result, the fixing nut holding portion 122 moves in a direction away from the blade mount 42 while holding the fixing nut 48.

[0165] Next, the cutting blade 36 attached to the blade mount 42 of the cutting unit 30 is held by the blade holding portion 150A of the replacement device 100 (used cutting blade holding step). Fig. 8(D) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the used cutting blade holding step.

[0166] In the used cutting blade holding step, first, the rotating part 106 (see FIG. 5, etc.) of the rotating mechanism 104 is rotated to make the surface 150a side (see FIG. 7(A), etc.) of the blade holding part 150A face the blade mount 42. Then, the replacement device 100 is moved toward the blade mount 42, and the blade holding part 150A is brought into contact with the used cutting blade 36 attached to the blade mount 42. Then, the used cutting blade 36 is sucked and held by the blade holding part 150A.

[0167] Next, the blade holding portion 150A and the blade mount 42 are separated from each other (second retraction step). Fig. 9(A) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the second retraction step.

[0168] In the second retraction step, the replacement device 100 is moved toward the opposite side to the blade mount 42 by the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the blade holding part 150A moves in a direction away from the blade mount 42 while holding the used cutting blade 36, and the used cutting blade 36 is removed from the blade mount 42.

[0169] Next, the replacement cutting blade 36 held by the blade holding portion 150B of the replacement device 100 is attached to the blade mount 42 (cutting blade attachment step). Fig. 9(B) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the cutting blade attachment step.

[0170] In the cutting blade attachment step, first, the rotating portion 106 (see Figure 5, etc.) of the rotating mechanism 104 is rotated so that the surface 150a (see Figure 7(A), etc.) of the blade holding portion 150B holding the replacement cutting blade 36 faces the blade mount 42.

[0171] Then, the replacement device 100 is moved to the blade mount 42 side, and the replacement cutting blade 36 is positioned so that the boss portion 44 (see FIG. 2) of the blade mount 42 is inserted into the through hole 36a (see FIG. 2) of the replacement cutting blade 36. In this state, when the suction hold of the replacement cutting blade 36 by the blade holding portion 150B is released, the replacement cutting blade 36 is attached to the blade mount 42.

[0172] Next, the blade holding portion 150B and the blade mount 42 are separated from each other (third retraction step). Fig. 9(C) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the third retraction step.

[0173] In the third retraction step, the replacement device 100 is moved by the articulated arm 86 (see FIG. 4) toward the opposite side to the blade mount 42. As a result, the blade holding part 150B moves in a direction away from the blade mount 42, and away from the replacement cutting blade 36 attached to the blade mount 42.

[0174] Next, the fixing nut 48 held by the fixing nut holding portion 122 is attached to the blade mount 42 (fixing nut attaching step). Fig. 9(D) is a schematic diagram showing the replacement device 100 in the fixing nut attaching step.

[0175] In the fixing nut attachment step, first, the rotating portion 106 (see FIG. 5, etc.) of the rotating mechanism 104 is rotated to bring the fixing nut holder 122 holding the fixing nut 48 into opposition to the blade mount 42. In addition, the replacement device 100 is moved toward the blade mount 42, and the fixing nut 48 is positioned at the tip of the boss portion 44 (see FIG. 2) of the blade mount 42.

[0176] Then, the rotating member 130 (see FIG. 5, etc.) is rotated by the motor 128 to rotate the fixing nut 48 held by the multiple holding members 134 (see FIG. 5, etc.) in a second direction (the direction in which the fixing nut 48 is tightened). As a result, the fixing nut 48 is tightened to the boss portion 44 (see FIG. 2) of the blade mount 42 and attached to the blade mount 42. As a result, the cutting blade 36 is clamped between the blade mount 42 and the fixing nut 48, and fixed to the tip of the spindle 34.

[0177] Through the above procedure, the cutting blade 36 attached to the blade mount 42 is replaced. Then, the used cutting blade 36 held by the blade holding portion 150A is placed in the blade storage portion 68 of the stock unit 64.

[0178] The blade mount 42 and the replacement device 100 may be moved closer to and farther away from each other by moving the cutting unit 30 (blade mount 42). For example, in the first retraction step, the second retraction step, and the third retraction step, the cutting unit 30 may be moved along the Y-axis direction away from the replacement device 100, thereby separating the replacement device 100 and the blade mount 42 from each other.

[0179] Next, a detailed description will be given of the operation of the replacement device 100 when the fixing nut 48 is attached to the blade mount 42 (fixing nut attaching step, see FIG. 9(D)). FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the blade mount 42 of the cutting unit 30 and the fixing nut holding part 122 of the replacement device 100. The cutting blade 36 is attached to the blade mount 42. The fixing nut holding part 122 holds the fixing nut 48, and the fixing nut 48 has a support surface 48c that comes into contact with the cutting blade 36 to support the cutting blade 36.

[0180] When attaching the fixing nut 48 to the blade mount 42, first, the fixing nut 48 held by the fixing nut holding portion 122 is positioned at an initial position facing the boss portion 44 of the blade mount 42. For example, the fixing nut 48 is positioned concentrically with the tip surface of the boss portion 44 so as to contact the tip portion of the boss portion 44. The position in the Y-axis direction (the length direction of the boss portion 44) of the support surface 48c of the fixing nut 48 positioned at the initial position is defined as position Pi.

[0181] Next, the fixing nut holder 122 and the fixing nut 48 are rotated by the power of the motor 128. As a result, the fixing nut 48 screws into the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44, and moves toward the flange portion 46 while rotating. The fixing nut 48 rotates until it reaches a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36. Specifically, the fixing nut 48 rotates until the support surface 48c comes into contact with the cutting blade 36 (the surface 38a of the base 38), and is tightened to the boss portion 44.

[0182] 11(A) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the blade mount 42 and the fixing nut holder 122 when the fixing nut 48 has reached the fixed position. The position of the support surface 48c of the fixing nut 48 positioned at the fixed position in the Y-axis direction (the length direction of the boss portion 44) is designated as position Pf.

[0183] When the fixing nut holder 122 is rotated and the fixing nut 48 is advanced toward the flange portion 46 until it reaches the fixed position, the support surface 48c moves from position Pi to position Pf, and the cutting blade 36 is clamped between the flange portion 46 and the fixing nut 48. As a result, the cutting blade 36 is fixed to the blade mount 42.

[0184] When positioning the fixing nut 48 in the initial position, various factors such as aging of the moving part 80 (see FIG. 4) may cause the fixing nut 48 to be unintentionally positioned slightly tilted with respect to the tip surface of the boss part 44, i.e., with the radial direction of the fixing nut 48 misaligned with the radial direction of the boss part 44. In this case, even if the fixing nut 48 is rotated, the fixing nut 48 may not be properly screwed into the male thread part 44a of the boss part 44, and tightening of the fixing nut 48 may be hindered.

[0185] 11(B) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the blade mount 42 and the fixing nut holder 122 when the fixing nut 48 has not yet reached the fixed position. If the fixing nut 48 rotates while being inclined with respect to the tip surface of the boss portion 44, the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44 and the female thread portion of the fixing nut 48 will not mesh properly, preventing the fixing nut 48 from rotating. As a result, the fixing nut 48 stops rotating before it reaches the fixed position.

[0186] If the fixing nut 48 does not reach the fixed position, the cutting blade 36 will not be securely fixed to the blade mount 42. If cutting of the workpiece 11 is continued with the cutting blade 36 remaining in an insufficiently fixed state, poor machining of the workpiece 11 and damage to the cutting blade 36 will be likely to occur.

[0187] Therefore, in this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36. This makes it possible to prevent the processing of the workpiece 11 from being started without noticing that the cutting blade 36 is not sufficiently fixed.

[0188] Whether or not the fixing nut 48 has reached the fixed position can be determined based on the rotation time or number of rotations of the fixing nut 48. For example, whether or not the fixing nut 48 has reached the fixed position is determined based on the rotation time or number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 until the torque of the motor 128 (see FIG. 10, etc.) that rotates the fixing nut 48 and the fixing nut holder 122 reaches a predetermined threshold value.

[0189] Fig. 12(A) is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation time of the fixing nut 48 (fixing nut holding portion 122) and the torque of the motor 128 when the fixing nut 48 reaches the fixed position. When the fixing nut 48 is placed in the initial position (see Fig. 10) and the fixing nut holding portion 122 is rotated by the motor 128, the fixing nut 48 starts to rotate at a predetermined rotation speed (time t0). Then, the torque of the motor 128 gradually increases until the fixing nut 48 reaches the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44 and the fixing nut 48 and the male thread portion 44a mesh with each other (time t1).

[0190] Thereafter, the fixing nut 48 rotates while meshing with the male thread portion 44a and moves toward the flange portion 46, approaching the cutting blade 36. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed from time t1, the support surface 48c of the fixing nut 48 comes into contact with the cutting blade 36, and the cutting blade 36 is sandwiched between the flange portion 46 and the fixing nut 48 (see FIG. 11(A)). As a result, the torque of the motor 128 increases rapidly (time t2).

[0191] Here, a value between the torque value at time t1 and the torque value at time t2 (for example, the torque value immediately before time t2), or the torque value at time t2, is a torque threshold T th In addition, when the torque of the motor 128 reaches the threshold value Tth The time required to reach the reference value of the rotation time of the fixing nut 48 (reference time t ref When the fixing nut 48 is correctly placed in the initial position and is properly screwed into the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44, the reference time t ref When time has elapsed, the torque of the motor 128 reaches the threshold T th reaches.

[0192] Fig. 12(B) is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation time of the fixing nut 48 (fixing nut holding portion 122) and the torque of the motor 128 when the fixing nut 48 does not reach the fixed position. Even when the fixing nut 48 is screwed onto the male threaded portion 44a of the boss portion 44 while tilted with respect to the tip face of the boss portion 44, the torque of the motor 128 gradually increases from when the fixing nut 48 starts to rotate (time t0) until the fixing nut 48 and the male threaded portion 44a mesh (time t1), as in Fig. 12(A).

[0193] However, because the locking nut 48 is improperly threaded onto the male threaded portion 44a of the boss portion 44, the locking nut 48 is prevented from rotating after it reaches the male threaded portion 44a. As a result, the locking nut 48 stops rotating before it reaches the locking position and contacts the cutting blade 36. As a result, the locking nut 48 stops rotating after the reference time t ref Before the time t has elapsed, the torque of the motor 128 increases rapidly and exceeds the threshold T th (time t3).

[0194] Therefore, when the torque of the motor 128 reaches the threshold value T th The time required to reach the preset reference time t ref By comparing this, it can be determined whether the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36.

[0195] Instead of the nut rotation time, the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 from when the fixing nut 48 starts to rotate until the torque of the motor 128 reaches a threshold value (nut rotation number) may be measured. In this case, the reference value of the rotation number of the fixing nut 48 (reference rotation number R ref ) is set in advance. ref When the fixing nut 48 is normally screwed into the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44 (see FIG. 11A), the torque of the motor 128 is equal to or greater than the threshold value T th This corresponds to the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 until the rotation reaches the set value.

[0196] When the fixing nut 48 is correctly placed in the initial position and is properly screwed into the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44, the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 is equal to the reference number of rotations R ref When the torque of the motor 128 reaches the threshold T th On the other hand, if the fixing nut 48 is disposed in a state where it is slightly inclined with respect to the tip surface of the boss portion 44, the fixing nut 48 will be improperly screwed into the male thread portion 44a, and the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 will reach the reference number of rotations R. ref Before reaching the threshold T th Therefore, the nut rotation speed and the reference rotation speed R ref By comparing this, it can be determined whether the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36.

[0197] The operation of the fixing nut holding part 122 and the determination of the position of the fixing nut 48 are controlled by the control part 78. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the control part 78. Note that Fig. 13 shows blocks showing some of the components of the cutting device 2 (the display part 74, the indicator light 76, and the motor 128 of the replacement device 100) in addition to blocks showing the functional configuration of the control part 78. The control part 78 includes a determination part 200 that determines whether the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36, and a memory part 202 that stores information (data, programs, etc.) used for the determination by the determination part 200.

[0198] When the fixing nut 48 is rotated to screw into the male thread portion 44a of the boss portion 44, the torque value of the motor 128 is sequentially input from the motor 128 to the control unit 78. In addition, the memory unit 202 stores a threshold value T th (See FIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B)).

[0199] The determination unit 200 determines the torque of the motor 128 and the threshold T th The torque comparison unit 200a receives the torque measurement value from the motor 128 and also receives the torque threshold value T th The torque comparison unit 200a then compares the measured torque with the threshold T th By comparing the torque of the motor 128 with the threshold T th It is determined whether or not

[0200] The determination unit 200 also includes a measurement unit 200b that measures time, and a screwing determination unit 200c that determines the screwing state of the fixing nut 48. The storage unit 202 also includes a reference value storage unit 202b that stores a reference value used to determine the screwing state. For example, the reference value storage unit 202b stores a reference time t ref (See FIG. 12(A) and FIG. 12(B)) is stored as the judgment value.

[0201] When the fixing nut 48 starts to rotate, the measuring unit 200b measures the time that has elapsed since the fixing nut 48 started to rotate. Then, the time measured by the measuring unit 200b (measured time) is input to the screwing determination unit 200c. In addition, the reference value storage unit 202b inputs the reference time t ref is entered.

[0202] The torque of the motor 128 exceeds the threshold T th When the torque reaches the threshold value T thWhen the threshold reaching signal is input to the screwing determination unit 200c, the screwing determination unit 200c compares the time measured by the measurement unit 200b (measured time) with the reference time t stored in the reference value storage unit 202b. ref Compare with.

[0203] The measurement time is time t ref When the measured time reaches time t ref If it is less than this, the screwing determination unit 200c determines that the fixing nut 48 has not reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36. In this manner, the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is determined by the determination unit 200.

[0204] The result of the determination by the determination unit 200 (screw engagement determination unit 200c), i.e., information on whether the fixing nut 48 has reached the fixed position, is output to a notification unit 204 and a notification control unit 206 included in the control unit 78. Then, the notification unit 204 notifies the determination result by transmitting the result of the determination by the determination unit 200 to an external computer, server, or the like.

[0205] The notification control unit 206 also controls the display unit 74 and the indicator light 76 to notify the result of the determination by the determination unit 200 through the display unit 74 and the indicator light 76. For example, the notification control unit 206 generates a control signal for causing the display unit 74 to display a message or the like indicating the determination result, and outputs it to the display unit 74. The notification control unit 206 also generates a control signal for causing the indicator light 76 to light up in a color or pattern corresponding to the determination result, and outputs it to the indicator light 76. As described above, the cutting device 2 may also be equipped with a speaker. In this case, the notification control unit 206 generates a control signal for causing the speaker to emit a sound or voice indicating the determination result, and outputs it to the speaker. As a result, the display unit 74, the indicator light 76, and the speaker function as a notification unit that notifies the operator of the screwed state of the fixing nut 48.

[0206] The determination unit 200 can also determine the screwed state based on the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 instead of the rotation time of the fixing nut 48. In this case, the measurement unit 200b counts the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 from when the rotation of the fixing nut 48 starts until the torque of the motor 128 reaches a threshold value, and sequentially outputs the number of rotations to the screwed determination unit 200c. The number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 may be measured by the motor 128, and input from the motor 128 to the screwed determination unit 200c. The reference value storage unit 202b stores a reference value of the number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 (reference number of rotations R ref ) is stored as the judgment value.

[0207] When a threshold reaching signal is input from the torque comparison unit 200a to the screw engagement determination unit 200c, the screw engagement determination unit 200c compares the rotation speed of the fixing nut 48 measured by the motor 128 or the measurement unit 200b (measured rotation speed) with the reference rotation speed R stored in the reference value storage unit 202b. ref Then, the measured rotation speed is compared with the reference rotation speed R ref When the measured rotation speed reaches the reference rotation speed R, the screwing determination unit 200c determines that the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36. On the other hand, when the measured rotation speed reaches the reference rotation speed R ref If it is less than this, the screwing determination unit 200c determines that the fixing nut 48 has not reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36.

[0208] The torque value of the motor 128, the rotation time and number of rotations of the motor 128, the result of the determination by the determination unit 200, and the determination time may be stored in the storage unit 202 or an external server, etc. This allows information on the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 to be accumulated, and can be used to identify the cause when poor processing of the workpiece 11 or damage to the cutting blade 36 occurs.

[0209] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a method for determining the screwed state of the fixing nut 48. Below, a procedure for determining the screwed state of the fixing nut 48 will be described mainly with reference to Figs. 13 and 14. Note that the method for determining the screwed state of the fixing nut 48 described below is performed in the above-mentioned fixing nut installation step (see Fig. 9(D)).

[0210] In the fixing nut attachment step, first, the fixing nut 48 is placed in an initial position (step S1). Specifically, the position of the fixing nut holding part 122 is adjusted by the moving part 80 (see FIG. 4) and the rotating mechanism 104 (see FIG. 5, etc.), and the fixing nut 48 held by the fixing nut holding part 122 is placed so as to face the tip surface of the boss part 44 of the blade mount 42 (see FIG. 10).

[0211] Next, rotation of the fixing nut 48 is started (step S2). Specifically, the fixing nut holding portion 122 is rotated by the power of the motor 128, and the fixing nut 48 held by the fixing nut holding portion 122 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed.

[0212] When the rotation of the fixing nut 48 starts, measurement of the torque of the motor 128 also starts (step S3), and the measured torque value is input to the torque comparison unit 200a. In addition, the rotation time or number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 after the rotation of the fixing nut 48 starts (the rotation time or number of rotations of the motor 128) is measured by the motor 128 or the measurement unit 200b.

[0213] Next, the torque of the motor 128 and the threshold T th The torque comparison unit 200a compares the torque of the motor 128 with the threshold value T th If the torque of the motor 128 has not reached the threshold value (NO in step S4), the rotation of the fixing nut 48 and the measurement of the torque of the motor 128 are continued. On the other hand, if the torque of the motor 128 has reached the threshold value (YES in step S4), a threshold value arrival signal is input from the torque comparison unit 200a to the screwing determination unit 200c, and the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is determined by the screwing determination unit 200c (step S5).

[0214] When it is determined that the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is normal and that the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36 (YES in step S5), the fact that the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is normal is notified by the display unit 74, the indicator light 76, the notification unit 204, etc. (step S6), and the installation of the fixing nut 48 is completed.

[0215] On the other hand, if it is determined that the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is abnormal and that the fixing nut 48 has not reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36 (NO in step S5), the rotation of the fixing nut 48 is urgently stopped (step S7). This makes it possible to avoid damage to the male threaded portion 44a of the boss portion 44 and the female threaded portion of the fixing nut 48 due to continued tightening of the fixing nut 48 that is not properly screwed into the boss portion 44. Then, the fact that the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is abnormal is notified by the display unit 74, the indicator light 76, the notification unit 204, etc. (step S8).

[0216] When it is notified that the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is abnormal, measures are taken to eliminate the abnormal screwing of the fixing nut 48 (step S9). For example, an operator of the cutting device 2 inspects the cutting unit 30 and manually removes the fixing nut 48 if necessary. The fixing nut 48 may be removed from the boss portion 44 by rotating the fixing nut holding portion 122 in the opposite direction to that used when the fixing nut 48 was tightened.

[0217] After the abnormal screwing of the fixing nut 48 is eliminated, the fixing nut 48 is placed in the initial position again (step S1), and mounting of the fixing nut 48 is resumed. Also, if the fixing nut 48 has been manually removed by the operator, the operator may then manually screw the fixing nut 48 correctly onto the boss portion 44.

[0218] As described above, the cutting device 2 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 78 (determination unit 200) that determines whether or not the fixing nut 48, which is positioned at the initial position, has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36 when the fixing nut 48 is rotated and screwed into the male thread portion 44a provided on the boss portion 44 of the blade mount 42. This makes it possible to check whether or not the cutting blade 36 is properly fixed by the fixing nut 48 when the workpiece 11 is processed by the cutting device 2. As a result, it is possible to avoid cutting being performed in a state in which the cutting blade 36 is insufficiently fixed, and the occurrence of poor processing of the workpiece 11 and damage to the cutting blade 36 is prevented.

[0219] In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 is determined based on the torque of the motor 128 and the rotation time or number of rotations of the fixing nut 48. However, the determination unit 200 can also determine the screwing state of the fixing nut 48 based on other information.

[0220] For example, the rotation of the fixing nut 48 is forcibly stopped when the fixing nut 48 that is normally screwed onto the boss portion 44 reaches a fixed position, or when the fixing nut 48 that is not properly screwed onto the boss portion 44 is tightened onto the male thread portion 44a. Therefore, it is also possible to determine whether the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixed position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36 based on the rotation time or number of rotations of the fixing nut 48 from when the fixing nut 48 starts to rotate until it stops (until the rotation speed of the motor 128 becomes zero).

[0221] Also, instead of the rotation time and number of rotations of the fixing nut 48, the moving distance of the fixing nut 48 may be measured. Specifically, when the rotation of the fixing nut 48 starts, the moving distance of the fixing nut 48 (the moving distance in the length direction of the boss portion 44) is measured by the motor 128 or the measuring unit 200b. Then, the moving distance of the fixing nut 48 required for the fixing nut 48 to reach the fixing position is compared with the actual moving distance of the fixing nut 48, thereby determining whether the fixing nut 48 has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade 36.

[0222] In addition, the structures, methods, etc. according to the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0223] 11 Workpiece 13 Tape (dicing tape) 15 Frames 17 Frame unit (workpiece unit) 2 Cutting equipment 4 Foundation 4a,4b opening 6. Elevator 8 Lifting platform 10 Cassettes 10a Guide rail 12 Cleaning unit 14 Spinner Table 16 Guide rail 18 Table Cover 20 Dust-proof / water-proof cover 22 Chuck table (holding table) 24 Clamp 26 Subtable (retention table) 28 Processing room (cover) 28a Entrance / exit (opening) 30 Cutting unit 32 Housing 34 Spindle 34a screw hole 36 Cutting Blade 36a Through hole (opening) 38 Foundation 38a Surface (first side) 38b Back side (2nd side) 40 Cutting blade 42 Blade Mount 42a Through hole (opening) 44 Boss part (support shaft) 44a Male thread (thread groove) 46 Flange part 46a surface 46b Convex part 46c Support surface 48 Fixing nut 48a Through hole (opening) 48b Through hole 48c support surface 50 Screw 52 Imaging unit 54 First transport unit 54a Holding unit 54b Gripping mechanism 56 Second transport unit 56a Holding unit 58 Blade Replacement Unit 60 Cover 62 Hinge 64 Stock Units 66 Placement table 66a Placement surface 68 Blade Storage Unit 68a Convex 70 Rotating part (shaft) 72 Reading unit 74 Display section (display unit, display device) 76 Indicator light (warning light) 78 Control section (control unit, control device) 80 Mobile Part 82 Lifting mechanism 84 Support member 86 Articulated Arm 88A 1st support 88B 2nd support 90A First Rotation Mechanism 90B Second Rotation Mechanism 90C 3rd Rotation Mechanism 92A 1st Arm 92B 2nd Arm 100 Exchange device (exchange mechanism) 102 Detachable unit 104 Rotation mechanism 106 Rotating part (shaft) 106a Rotating shaft 110 Frame 112a, 112b Support member 114a, 114b Connecting member 120 Fixing nut attachment / detachment unit 122 Fixing nut holder 124 Rotating part (shaft) 124a Rotating shaft 126 Housing 128 Motor (rotary drive source) 130 Rotating parts 130a surface 132 Retaining pin 134 Gripping member 134a Claw part 136 Cover 136a aperture 136b First pin receiving part 136c Second pin receiving part 138 pin 140 Annular member 142a, 142b Elastic body (elastic member) 150A Blade holder (first blade holder) 150B Blade holding part (second blade holding part) 150a surface 152 Frame 152a Surface (first side) 152b Back side (2nd side) 152c First groove (first recess) 152d Second groove (second recess) 152e Third groove (third recess) 152f 4th groove (4th recess) 152g 5th groove (5th recess) 154 Elastic Members 154a base 154b Lip 154c through hole 156 Flow Path 158 Valve 160 Suction source 162 Pressure measuring instrument (pressure sensor) 200 Judgment section 200a Torque comparison section 200b Measurement section 200c Threading judgment part 202 Storage section 202a Threshold memory unit 202b Reference value storage unit 204 Information Department 206 Notification control section

Claims

1. A cutting device for cutting a workpiece, comprising: a cutting unit having a spindle and a blade mount fixed to a tip of the spindle, the cutting unit cutting the workpiece with a cutting blade attached to the blade mount; a blade replacement unit for removing the cutting blade from the blade mount and attaching the cutting blade to the blade mount; A determination unit; A notification unit, The blade mount comprises: a boss portion having a male thread portion and being inserted into a through hole provided in the cutting blade; a flange portion protruding from an end of the boss portion and supporting the cutting blade; a fixing nut that is screwed into the male threaded portion and that clamps the cutting blade and the flange portion, The blade replacement unit comprises: A blade holder that holds the cutting blade; A fixing nut holding portion that holds the fixing nut; a rotating portion connected to the blade holding portion and the fixing nut holding portion; A motor that rotates the fixing nut holding portion; a moving unit that moves the blade holding unit and the fixing nut holding unit, the rotating portion rotates about a rotation axis that is a straight line passing through the inside of the rotating portion, the blade holder and the fixing nut holder are disposed apart from each other around the rotation shaft and facing outward relative to the rotation shaft; the determination unit determines whether or not the fixing nut has reached a fixing position suitable for fixing the cutting blade when the fixing nut, which is held by the fixing nut holding unit and positioned at an initial position facing the boss portion, is rotated by the motor to be screwed into the male thread portion; The cutting device is characterized in that the notification unit notifies a result of the determination made by the determination unit.

2. 2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the fixing nut has reached the fixing position based on the time from when the fixing nut starts to rotate until the torque of the motor reaches a threshold value.

3. The cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination unit determines whether the fixing nut has reached the fixed position based on the number of rotations of the fixing nut from when the fixing nut starts to rotate until the torque of the motor reaches a threshold value.

Images