Mold setup information creation device, mold setup information creation method, and mold setup information creation program

Abstract

To create a mold stage layout which improves working efficiency of an operator.SOLUTION: A mold setup information creation device includes: a bending order determination part for determining a bending order of workpiece based on development data; a mold selection part for selecting a bending mold used in bending steps for each of the bending orders; and a mold stage layout information creation part for determining a mounting position of the selected bending mold, wherein the mold stage layout information creation part includes a moving amount calculation part for calculating an estimated moving amount of the workpiece among each of the bending steps, a moving amount determination part for determining whether the estimated moving amount exceeds a prescribed regulated moving amount, and a layout correction part for correcting the mounting position of the bending mold so as to set to be a moving amount smaller than the estimated moving amount when it is determined that the estimated moving amount exceeds the regulated moving amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mold setup information creating device, a mold setup information creating method, and a mold setup information creating program. [Background technology]

[0002] In bending a plate material (workpiece) such as sheet metal, a bending die set consisting of a punch and a die is generally attached to a processing device such as a press brake, and the workpiece is sandwiched between the punch and the die and pressurized to plastically deform it, thereby performing the bending process. Prior to such bending, a development of the workpiece (product) including bending lines taking into consideration the material, thickness, and bending conditions of the plate material is created. Then, the plate material is cut, etc., based on the created development data, and the workpiece before bending is formed. In addition, the bending order, the length of the bending die, its arrangement (layout), etc., of the bending process are determined based on the development data.

[0003] When forming a workpiece including multiple bends, it is necessary to select a bending order that provides good workability and determine the length and arrangement of the dies, but a die setup information creation device that automatically performs this process has been known for some time (see Patent Document 1). This die setup information creation device determines the bending order based on development data, selects the bending dies to be used in each bending process, and calculates the gap length and the amount of interference at both ends of the bending line in each bending process.

[0004] In addition, the length of the die to be used is calculated in accordance with the length of the bending line in each bending process, and the die stage information that satisfies the predetermined conditions related to the calculated length of the die to be used and the gap length is created by combining the length and number of the die to be used registered in the die database.Finally, the layout information of the die stages is created to determine the mounting positions of the created die stages in consideration of the material handling operations.

[0005] The die stage layout based on the layout information created by this die setup information creation device is basically intended to enable many bending processes to be performed while minimizing the number of bending dies used, and is therefore created in a way that avoids adding die stages as much as possible.

[0006] Therefore, the die stages are created by repeatedly changing (extending) the length of the die stages used in the previous bending process without affecting (interfering with) them. When it is determined that the process is impossible even with the die stage change using this method, a die stage is added, and finally, a die stage layout is created. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-61879 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the creation of the mold stage layout by the mold setup information creation device disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, the only factor used for the determination of the additional conditions of the mold stage is whether or not there is a machining effect (interference) due to the change (extension) of the length of the mold stage. Therefore, the ease of material handling work considering the movement of the worker (user) is not taken into consideration at all, and depending on the machining situation, a long movement from one end of the long mold stage to the other may occur. In this case, there is a risk that the work efficiency of the worker will deteriorate.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a mold setup information creation device, a mold setup information creation method, and a mold setup information creation program that are capable of creating a mold stage layout that improves the work efficiency of an operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A tool setup information creation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a bending sequence determination unit that determines the order of bending processing of a workpiece based on development view data, a tool selection unit that selects a bending tool to be used in a bending process for each bending sequence, and a tool stage layout information creation unit that determines an installation position of the selected bending tool, and the tool stage layout information creation unit includes a movement amount calculation unit that calculates an expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending process, a movement amount determination unit that determines whether the expected movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount, and a layout correction unit that corrects the installation position of the bending tool so that the movement amount is less than the expected movement amount when it is determined that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount.

[0011] According to the die setup information creation device of one aspect of the present invention, for the bending order of the workpiece determined based on the development view data, a bending die to be used in each bending step is selected, and when determining the mounting position of the selected bending die, an expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending step is calculated. In addition, it is determined whether the expected movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount, and when it is determined that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount, the mounting position of the bending die is corrected so that the movement amount is smaller than the expected movement amount. Therefore, the movement amount of the workpiece is reduced, and the work efficiency of the worker is improved accordingly. Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to create a mold stage layout that improves the work efficiency of an operator. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic configuration of a mold setup information creation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system using the die setup information creating device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of the die setup information creating device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bending line of a workpiece based on development view data. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the length of each bending line in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a process diagram for explaining the layout of the die stage, the workpiece arrangement, and the associated movement amount when creating the normal layout of the workpiece shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the layout determination process of the mold stage taking into consideration the processing movement amount. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the UI screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the movement amount determination process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a process diagram for explaining the layout of the die stage, the workpiece arrangement, and the associated movement amount when creating a layout taking into account the machining movement amount of the workpiece shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the layout determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the mold setup information creation device, the mold setup information creation method, and the mold setup information creation program according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to each claim, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In addition, in the following embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0015] [Embodiment of the mold setup information creation device] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a basic configuration of a mold setup information creation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system using the mold setup information creation device. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a functional configuration of the mold setup information creation device.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the die setup information creation device 1 according to this embodiment includes a bending sequence determination unit 2 which determines the bending sequence of the workpiece based on the development view data, a die selection unit 3 which selects the bending die to be used in the bending process for each bending sequence, and a die stage layout information creation unit 4 which determines the mounting position of the selected bending die. The die stage layout information creation unit 4 includes a movement amount calculation unit 5 which calculates the expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending process, a movement amount determination unit 6 which determines whether the expected movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount, and a layout correction unit 7 which, when it is determined that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount, corrects the mounting position of the bending die so that the movement amount is less than the expected movement amount.

[0017] The development view data is graphic data from a CAD (computer aided design) system (not shown) and includes various information such as the shape of the workpiece, the thickness of the workpiece, and the length of the bending line of the workpiece. The development view data can be stored and temporarily stored in a storage unit 8 (described later). The die setup information creation device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to realize all of the functions realized by the die setup information creation device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-61879 already proposed by the present applicant.

[0018] 2, the die setup information creation device 1 is configured with a general-purpose workstation or a personal computer, and is configured to be able to communicate data with a press brake 9 or the like as an actual machine that actually bends a workpiece. The die setup information creation device 1 can create a processing simulation of the bending length of each bending process, the bending die (die to be used), die length, die stage interval and die layout, bending processing position, processing procedure (bending order), and the like, which are calculated based on development view data while avoiding situations such as processing impossibility and interference.

[0019] Then, for example, if a user judges the created processing simulation to be satisfactory, CAM (computer aided manufacturing) data including tool setup information such as tool length, tool stage interval, and tool layout based on this processing simulation is output from the tool setup information creating device 1 to a press brake 9 or the like as processing information. In the press brake 9 or the like, a tool layout (attachment of a bending tool) is performed in accordance with the tool setup information based on this processing information, and bending processing is performed.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the tool setup information creating device 1 includes, in more detail, an input unit 10 for inputting development view data, and a storage unit 8 for storing development view data including the position and length of the bending line of the workpiece, the shape and plate thickness of the workpiece, and the like. The input unit 10 includes an input device such as an input interface (I / F), a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel. The storage unit 8 also stores a tool database (DB) in which tool information including, for example, at least tool number and tool length information and capable of identifying various bending tools is registered. This tool DB may be constructed in an external device or a recording medium. The storage unit 8 also stores a tool setup information creating program according to this embodiment, and the tool setup information creating program is read out and started by a central processing unit such as a CPU provided in the tool setup information creating device 1, thereby realizing the tool setup information creating method according to this embodiment.

[0021] The die setup information creating device 1 also includes a selection / determination unit 11 that determines the bending order and selects the bending dies to be used based on the development data. This selection / determination unit 11 includes the functions of the bending sequence determination unit 2 and the die selection unit 3. That is, in the selection / determination unit 11, the bending sequence determination unit 2 determines the bending order for bending lines, including parallel bending, for multiple bending lines arranged on the same straight line on the development, based on the development data. Also, the die selection unit 3 selects bending dies to be used in the bending process for each bending sequence based on the determined bending sequence.

[0022] Furthermore, the die setup information creation device 1 includes an extraction / detection unit 12. The extraction / detection unit 12 extracts numerical values ​​such as plate thickness, bending line length, bending one-sided elongation value, etc. from the development view data stored in the memory unit 8. The extraction / detection unit 12 also detects an obstacle form for a selected bend, which is caused by a preceding bend for an arbitrarily selected bend on the development view and an area not targeted by the selected bend.

[0023] The die setup information creating device 1 also includes a calculation unit 13. The calculation unit 13 calculates a gap length, which is a non-interfering area at both ends of a bending line to be machined in the work, and an interfering object amount, which is an interference area, in each bending process determined by the selection / decision unit 11. The calculation unit 13 also calculates a theoretical length of a die to be used (die to be used length) according to the length of the bending line to be machined in the work, in each bending process.

[0024] Moreover, the mold setup information creating device 1 includes a creating unit 14 that creates various information and CAM data. This creating unit 14 includes the functions of the above-mentioned mold stage layout information creating unit 4. The creating unit 14 creates mold stage information that satisfies a predetermined condition related to the calculated mold length to be used and the gap length by combining the mold length to be used and the number of molds based on the mold information registered in the mold DB.

[0025] The die stage information may be created, for example, from among combinations of die length and number of dies used that satisfy predetermined conditions, by using a combination that results in the smallest number of dies. When the die stage information relates to a punch die, for example, the die stage information is information that assigns a mounting position and die length at which the punch die can be attached to a punch holder of the press brake 9 or the like.

[0026] In the creation unit 14, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 creates layout information for arranging a plurality of mold stages at their mounting positions, i.e., for determining the mounting positions, based on the created mold stage information. When creating a normal layout, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 creates layout information for arranging the mounting positions of the mold stages so as to minimize the amount of movement of the workpiece between a series of bending processes, for example. Here, the amount of movement refers to the distance associated with the movement of the workpiece in the left-right direction of the mold stage.

[0027] On the other hand, when creating a layout taking into consideration the movement amount (processing movement amount) associated with processing, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 calculates the predicted movement amount of the work between each bending process by the movement amount calculation unit 5 in order to determine whether or not to add a specific processing stage (specific stage), and determines whether or not the predicted movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount by the movement amount determination unit 6. Then, if it is determined that the predicted movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount, the layout correction unit 7 corrects the mounting position of the bending mold so that the movement amount is less than the predicted movement amount, and creates layout information.

[0028] That is, although the specific details will be described later, the layout correction unit 7 of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 corrects the mounting position of the bending molds to be used in the pre-bending process (previous process) and the next bending process (next process), which were the basis for calculating the corrected movement amount, so that they are reinstalled on a separate mold stage separated from the original mold stage.

[0029] 1, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 may further include a classification unit 4a that classifies the bending length in each bending process of the workpiece into a plurality of classes, and the movement amount determination unit 6 may be configured to perform a determination using an expected movement amount when a part classified into a predetermined class by the classification unit 4a moves to a bending process, or an expected movement amount when a part classified into a predetermined class moves from a bending process. The mold stage layout information creation unit 4 may then perform a machining simulation based on various layout information.

[0030] Additionally, the creation unit 14 may have a function of recreating, for example, a single die stage among a plurality of die stages arranged based on the layout information created by the die stage layout information creation unit 4, a die stage in which there is no continuous interfering object between each die stage. Although the recreating of die stages is well known and will not be described in detail, the punch die and the die die may be created independently of each other.

[0031] Furthermore, the mold setup information creation device 1 includes an output unit 15 that outputs various information, and a display unit 16 that displays various information on a display screen of a display device. The output unit 15 includes an output interface (I / F) and outputs CAM data including mold setup information such as mold length, mold stage interval, and mold layout obtained by each of the above components to the outside as data for workpiece machining. The display unit 16 is configured with a display device such as a display or a touch panel, and displays, for example, a user interface screen (UI screen) described later on which various information can be input on the display screen.

[0032] Next, the operation of this mold setup information creating device 1 will be described. First, an example of a workpiece to be bent when creating layout information will be described. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of bending lines of a work based on development view data. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the length of each bending line in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a process diagram for explaining the layout of the die stage, the work arrangement, and the associated movement amount when creating a normal layout of the work shown in Fig. 4.

[0033] The development data generated in the CAD system includes bending line information that defines the position and length of each bending line in addition to the workpiece shape information described above. For example, in the case of a long strip-shaped workpiece W as shown in Fig. 4, the bending line information includes the positions and lengths of bending lines 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 that are assigned numbers (1) to (5).

[0034] As shown in Fig. 5, the bend line 21 numbered (1) is defined to have a length of 1398.20 mm, the bend line 22 numbered (2) is defined to have a length of 1500.00 mm, the bend line 23 numbered (3) is defined to have a length of 1495.77 mm, and the bend lines 24 and 25 numbered (4) and (5) are defined to have lengths of 148.20 mm, respectively.

[0035] When the selection / decision unit 11 to the creation unit 14 perform normal layout creation for the workpiece W configured in this way to create processing information, according to a processing simulation, a die stage 30, which is a processing stage dedicated to a single long bending, is laid out in the first to fifth steps shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(e). Also, the workpiece W is arranged so that the bending lines 21 to 25 are bent in the bending order of number (1) → number (2) → number (3) → number (4) → number (5).

[0036] Here, in normal layout creation, for example, tool information such as tool number, shape, division length possessed, number possessed for each division length, etc. is acquired from the tool DB based on development drawing data input and temporarily stored in storage unit 8 constituted by a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD) or the like via input unit 10. In selection / determination unit 11, bending order determination unit 2 determines bending orders for each bending line 21-25 included in the development drawing data, and tool selection unit 3 selects bending tools to be used for each bending order.

[0037] The bending sequence determination unit 2 generates an internal model using shape information of the development view data, selects a suitable die number by checking interference with the part model, and determines the bending order for each of the bending lines 21 to 25. Then, this bending order is added to the attribute data of each of the bending lines 21 to 25, and bending sequence information is created independently.

[0038] At this time, the bending sequence determination unit 2 may also determine whether or not parallel bending, which simultaneously bends multiple bending lines arranged on the same straight line, can be performed. If parallel bending can be performed, the same bending order may be assigned to multiple bending lines that form a set of parallel bends. The bending sequence determination unit 2 realizes the function of a known so-called bending sequence planner.

[0039] The extraction / detection unit 12 extracts the plate thickness, the length (line length) of each bending line 21-25, and the bending one-sided elongation value from the development view data. In addition, the bending lines 21-25 are selected, and it is determined whether or not there is a bending obstacle at both ends of the selected bending lines 21-25, that is, whether or not there is a bending obstacle at each end of each bending line 21-25, together with the obstacle status. An obstacle status parameter is set according to the determined obstacle status, and the length (distance) of the extension line from the end of each bending line 21-25 to the obstacle is calculated.

[0040] In the calculation unit 13, the gap length (the distance from both ends of the bending line to the obstacle) which is the length of the non-interference area at both ends of the bending lines 21 to 25 to be processed in each bending process is calculated for use in determining the bending order and in calculating the length of the die to be used, which will be described later. Also, the interference amount which is the length of the interference area is calculated.

[0041] In this way, when determining the bending sequence, selecting dies, and calculating the amount of non-interference and interference material, an internal model is generated using shape information contained in the die information and product information, and the appropriate die numbers and bending sequence are selected while performing interference checks.In addition, when the bending sequence is determined, information on the gap length for each bending process is also output.

[0042] The calculation unit 13 calculates the length of the die to be used taking into consideration the gap length and the inner R value. For example, when there is no interference on both ends of the bend line to be used, the length of the die to be used is set to the minimum length that is longer than the bend line and divisible by a predetermined value (a value obtained in the reference length unit of the die length). When there is an interference on one side of the bend line to be used, the length of the die to be used is set to the minimum length that is longer than the bend line and divisible by the predetermined value.

[0043] At this time, the inner R value is taken into consideration when calculating the bending offset position (the distance from the interfering object to the end of the die). If the inner R value is equal to or greater than the thickness of the workpiece W, the bending die is offset to a position with a clearance equal to the inner R value. If the inner R value is smaller than the thickness of the workpiece W, the bending die is offset to a position with a clearance equal to the thickness of the workpiece W.

[0044] Furthermore, if there are interferences on both ends of the bend line, the length obtained by subtracting the clearance from the inner dimension of the interference (bend length + left and right gap length) is divided by a specified value, and the quotient is the integer value (for example, a number with the decimal point rounded down) x the specified value, which is the length of the die to be used. At this time, the inner R value is taken into consideration when calculating the clearance.

[0045] As the calculation method disclosed in JP 2007-61879 A can be used for the calculation of the clearance, the inner R value, etc., a description thereof will be omitted here. Note that, in order to calculate the length of the die to be used, the calculation is performed within the range of the maximum die length (maximum die length) taking into consideration the various lengths of the bending dies supplied to be used in the actual bending process of the workpiece W.

[0046] The creation unit 14 creates die stage information that satisfies the predetermined conditions related to the calculated die length and gap length described above by combining the die length and number registered in the die DB. At this time, the die stage is shared based on the calculated die length and gap length calculated by the calculation unit 13.

[0047] That is, the bending processes that can be performed with the same (single) die stage are grouped together, taking into consideration the gap length in each bending process. As a result, the bending range and the minimum left and right gap length in each die stage are calculated. Based on this, die stages that can be used in common for each bending line 21 to 25, or die stages that cannot be used in common, can be selected.

[0048] However, in reality, it is necessary to combine the usable mold length and number of molds based on the data of the mold length and number registered in the mold DB to match the length of each mold stage calculated above. In other words, it is necessary to combine the mold length and number of molds to be used so that it is equal to or greater than the length of each mold stage calculated above and equal to or less than the maximum mold length.

[0049] At this time, it is advisable to calculate the length of each mold stage as close as possible to the calculated length above while giving priority to reducing the number of mold combinations used, that is, the mold length that results in the minimum number of divisions within the range of the maximum mold length, as per the "Minimum number of mold divisions processing" disclosed in JP 2007-61879 A.

[0050] Based on the mold stage information created in this manner, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 of the creation unit 14 creates layout information for arranging multiple mold stages at their mounting positions. In the process according to the machining simulation shown in Fig. 6, in which a single mold stage 30 is laid out by creating the normal layout as described above, bending is performed as follows.

[0051] First, as shown in Fig. 6(a), in the first process, the bending line 21 of the workpiece W is set on the die stage 30 and bending is performed. At this time, it is assumed that the worker sets the workpiece W at a position near the center in the left-right direction of the die stage 30. Next, as shown in Fig. 6(b), in the second process, the bending line 22 of the workpiece W is set on the die stage 30 and bending is performed. Since the workpiece W does not move in the left-right direction in the second process, the expected movement amount of the workpiece W between the first process and the second process calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 of the die stage layout information creation unit 4 is 0.00 mm from the previous process (first process).

[0052] Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), in the third step, the bending line 23 of the work W is set on the die stage 30 and bending is performed, so the work W does not move in the left-right direction as in the second step. Therefore, the movement amount from the previous step (second step) in the third step is also 0.00 mm as the expected movement amount between the second step and the third step calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 of the die stage layout information creation unit 4. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(d), in the fourth step, the bending line 24 of the work W is set, for example, on the right end side of the die stage 30 and bending is performed. The movement amount from the previous step (third step) in this fourth step is, as shown by the white arrow R in the figure, the work W moves from near the center in the left-right direction to the right end, so the expected movement amount between the third step and the fourth step calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 of the die stage layout information creation unit 4 is, for example, 761.61 mm.

[0053] Finally, as shown in FIG. 6(e), in the fifth step, the bending line 25 of the workpiece W is set, for example, on the left end side of the die stage 30, and bending is performed. The movement amount from the previous step (fourth step) in this fifth step is, as shown by the outline arrow L in the figure, the workpiece W moves from the right end side to the left end side in the left-right direction, so the predicted movement amount between the fourth step and the fifth step calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 of the die stage layout information creation unit 4 is, for example, 1523.22 mm. The predicted movement amount calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 refers to, for example, the distance from the installation position of the workpiece W in the previous step to the installation position of the workpiece W in the next step. Here, the installation position of the workpiece W is set to the center position of the bending line to be bent in that step. Therefore, for example, when there is no interference between the workpiece W and the die stage 30 during bending (for example, the first step to the third step), the installation position of the workpiece W is the center position of that die stage 30. Furthermore, for example, when the workpiece W is placed close to the end of the die stage 30 in consideration of interference between the workpiece W and the die stage 30 during bending (for example, in the fourth and fifth steps), the placement position of the workpiece W is the center of the bend line position taking into consideration the allowable amount from the position where the end of the die stage 30 and the end of the bend line are aligned. The allowable amount can be calculated taking into consideration the inner radius of the flange of the workpiece W that is the interfering object, the dimensions of the interfering object (punch, die), the range of the interfering object, the presence or absence of an adjacent die stage, the bend line length, the plate thickness of the workpiece W, various parameters (various information) that can be input via a UI screen described later, and the like.

[0054] In this way, in bending processing based on processing information created in normal layout, no additional die stages are required, but for example, from the 4th process to the 5th process, the workpiece W moves significantly (the amount of movement is large) as shown by the white arrow L in the figure. This can result in extremely poor work efficiency for the worker.

[0055] In response to this, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 creates a layout taking into consideration the amount of machining movement, and when it is determined that a large movement of the workpiece W will occur such that the expected amount of movement exceeds a specified amount of movement, it can create layout information that can reduce the amount of movement of the workpiece W. As a result, the mold setup information creation device 1 of this embodiment is configured to create mold setup information that realizes a layout of the mold stage that can improve the work efficiency of the worker, and to be able to output machining information including this.

[0056] Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the layout determination process of the mold stage taking into consideration the machining movement amount Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a UI screen. As shown in FIG. 7, in order to determine the layout of the mold stage taking into consideration the machining movement amount, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 of the creation unit 14 acquires existing layout information at the time of creating a normal layout that has already been created and temporarily stored, for example, in the memory unit 8, based on the mold stage information created by each of the components described above (step S10).

[0057] Next, based on the presence or absence of an operation input from an operator inputted via the input unit 10, for example, it is determined whether the judgment process of various parameters (parameters related to the mold layout, parameters related to the placement of the work W, etc.) contained in this existing layout information is ON or not (step S11). If it is determined that the judgment process is OFF (NO in step S11), mold setup information in which a mold layout and the work W are placed are created using normal layout information created by normal layout creation (step S17), and processing information including this is output by the output unit 15, and the process is terminated.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined that the judgment process is ON (YES in step S11), a judgment / determination process is performed to determine whether various items set by various parameters of the existing layout information are suitable for the layout judgment of the mold stage taking into account the machining movement amount. In the judgment / determination process of various items, for example, it is determined whether the mold layout is suitable, whether the work W to be placed is suitable, and whether the amount of interference is suitable. If the various items are not OK (NO in step S12), the process proceeds to step S17 and the normal layout information is used as described above.

[0059] If the various items are OK (YES in step S12), a movement amount determination process is performed by the movement amount determination unit 6 of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4. In this movement amount determination process, various parameters used in the movement amount determination process can be set and input via a UI screen 40 displayed on the display screen of the display unit 16 shown in FIG. 8 so that the operator's intention regarding the movement amount can be understood.

[0060] 8, the UI screen 40 includes a check box 41 for instructing execution of a "stage addition based on machining movement amount" process based on the movement amount determination process, and an item display area 42 for displaying various parameter items. The UI screen 40 also includes a designation frame 43 for designating a "classification reference length" for class classification by the classification unit 4a, and a designation frame 44 for designating the longest bend line length "BLmax", both displayed in the item display area 42. The UI screen 40 also includes a designation frame 45 for designating a "length ratio" of long bend line length minimum / short bend line length maximum (BL(L)min / BL(S)max), both displayed in the item display area 42, and a designation frame field 46 for designating a "prescribed movement amount" that serves as a criterion for movement amount determination.

[0061] Here, the classification standard length refers to a length that serves as a standard for an operator to distinguish between long and short bend lines. The longest bend line length refers to a length for classifying workpieces W that require consideration of the amount of movement without confusing workpieces W of the same shape but different scales. The length ratio refers to a ratio for classifying workpieces W that clearly have a large amount of movement when bending the workpieces W.

[0062] In this way, the die setup information creating device 1 includes a display unit 16 that displays a UI screen 40 configured to be able to display (in an item display area 42) classification criteria for classifying at least bending lengths into a plurality of classes, and the classification criteria are configured to be able to be designated (as classification standard lengths) via (a designation frame 43 of) the UI screen 40. Also, the specified movement amount is configured to be able to be set via (a designation frame 46 of) the UI screen 40.

[0063] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the classification reference length for classifying the bending lines 21 to 25 in the workpiece W shown in FIG. 4 into a plurality of classes, long bending lines and short bending lines (long / short), is specified as "750.00 (mm)" in the specification frame 43. The longest bending line length is specified as "1300.00 (mm) or more" in the specification frame 44. Furthermore, the length ratio between the minimum length value of those classified as long bending lines and the maximum length value of those classified as short bending lines (minimum long bending line length / maximum short bending line length) is specified as "5 (or more)" in the specification frame 45. The specified movement amount is set to "650.00 (mm) or more" in the specification frame 46. The classification reference length and the specified movement amount can be arbitrarily set by the worker as absolute values, but relative values ​​may be automatically set based on the dimensions of each part of the press brake 9, etc.

[0064] Since the check box 41 is checked and the execution of the "stage addition by machining movement amount" process is instructed, the classification unit 4a of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 classifies each bending line 21 to 25 of the workpiece W into a long bending line or a short bending line based on the numerical value (750.00 (mm)) specified in the specification frame 43 of the UI screen 40. According to this classification, the bending line 21 with number (1), the bending line 22 with number (2), and the bending line 23 with number (3) are each longer than the specified numerical value, and therefore are classified as long bending lines. On the other hand, the bending lines 24 and 25 with numbers (4) and (5) are each shorter than the specified numerical value, and therefore are classified as short bending lines. The classification by the classification unit 4a is performed in advance prior to the movement amount determination process.

[0065] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the movement amount determination process. If the above-mentioned items are OK (YES in step S12), as shown in Fig. 9, in the movement amount determination process, first, it is determined whether or not the processing information including the existing layout information is one setup as a whole. The determination of whether or not it is one setup is provided to determine the movement amount in one series of bending operations. This is because, if multiple setups are allowed, bending operations can be performed by appropriately devising the layout of the die stages without considering the movement amount in the first place.

[0066] If it is determined that the entire process is not one setup (NO in step S20), the process proceeds to step S17 described above, and normal layout information is used as described above. If it is determined that the entire process is one setup (YES in step S20), it is determined whether the bending order of each bending line 21-25 is suitable for "adding a stage by processing movement amount". Here, the bending order suitable for "adding a stage by processing movement amount" refers to a bending order in which bending lines 21-23 classified as long bending lines are all performed first, and then bending lines 24 and 25 classified as short bending lines are performed.

[0067] If it is determined that the bending order is not OK (NO in step S21), the process proceeds to step S17. If it is determined that the bending order is OK (YES in step S21), the process proceeds to step S17. If it is determined that a special processing stage (specific stage) for short bending has been created, for example, the process proceeds to step S17. If it is determined that a specific stage has been created (NO in step S22), a stage has been added in one setup, so the process proceeds to step S17.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined that a specific stage has not been created (YES in step S22), no stage has been added in one setup, so it is determined whether the length of the longest bend line among the bend lines 21 to 23 classified as long bend lines is equal to or greater than the setting value specified in the specification frame 44 on the UI screen 40.

[0069] If it is determined that the longest bend line length is less than the set value (NO in step S23), the process proceeds to step S17. Specifically, in the workpiece W in FIG. 4, the length of the bend line 22 numbered (2) is 1500.00 mm, which is the longest and is greater than or equal to the set value (1300.00 mm) in the designation frame 44, and therefore this determination condition is met (YES in step S23).

[0070] Furthermore, it is determined whether the length ratio (minimum long bend line length / maximum short bend line length) represented by the minimum bend line length among the bend lines 21 to 23 classified as long bend lines and the maximum bend line length among the bend lines 24, 25 classified as short bend lines is equal to or greater than the set value specified in the specification frame 45 of the UI screen 40.

[0071] If it is determined that the length ratio is less than the set value (NO in step S24), the process proceeds to step S17. Specifically, in the workpiece W in FIG. 4, the length of the bending line 21 numbered (1) is 1398.20 mm, which is the shortest among the long bending lines, and the length of the bending line 24 numbered (4) is 148.20 mm, which is the shortest among the short bending lines, so the length ratio is 9.43. Note that the bending line 25 numbered (5) is also the same length as the bending line 24 numbered (4), but in this determination process, for example, the bending line with the smaller number may be selected preferentially. In this way, the length ratio is 9.43, which is equal to or greater than the set value (5) in the designation frame 45, so this determination condition is met (YES in step S24).

[0072] Finally, it is determined whether the largest of the above-mentioned expected movement amounts calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 is equal to or greater than the set value set in the designation frame 46 of the UI screen 40. If it is determined that the expected movement amount is less than the set value (NO in step S25), the process proceeds to step S17. Specifically, the expected movement amount between the fourth and fifth steps described above is 1523.22 mm, which is equal to or greater than the set value (650.00 mm) in the designation frame 46, and it is determined that the expected movement amount is equal to or greater than the set value (YES in step S25), so that this determination condition is met. For this reason, the movement amount in the movement amount determination process is determined to be "large" (YES in step S13), and it is determined that the expected movement amount has finally exceeded the specified movement amount, so the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7 in order to create processing information (involving the addition of a stage) that takes into account the movement amount of the workpiece W. If it is determined that the amount of movement is not "large" (the amount of movement is "small") (NO in step S13), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0073] The movement amount determination unit 6 may perform the determination by preferentially using, for example, the predicted movement amount when the part of the workpiece W classified as a short bend line by the classification unit 4a moves to the bending process (here, the predicted movement amount from the third process to the fourth process, or the fourth process to the fifth process) as the predicted movement amount used for the determination. The movement amount determination unit 6 may perform the determination by preferentially using, for example, the predicted movement amount when the part of the workpiece W classified as a short bend line by the classification unit 4a moves from the bending process (here, the predicted movement amount from the fourth process to the fifth process) as the predicted movement amount used for the determination. In this way, by excluding the movement amount related to the part classified as a long bend line and focusing on the movement amount related to the part classified as a short bend line, the calculation burden related to the determination can be reduced and the movement amount determination can be performed efficiently.

[0074] 7, in response to the result of the movement amount determination process that the movement amount is "large," the layout correction unit 7 of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 corrects the layout information (step S14). That is, in step S14, the mounting position of the bending mold (mold stage) is corrected so that the movement amount is smaller than the above-mentioned expected movement amount, and layout information is created. In this embodiment, the mounting position of the bending mold is corrected so that, for example, a specific stage is added.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a process diagram for explaining the layout of the die stage, the workpiece arrangement, and the associated movement amount when creating a layout taking into account the machining movement amount of the workpiece shown in FIG. As shown in Fig. 10, the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 performs a processing simulation based on the corrected layout information. According to this processing simulation, compared to when a normal layout is created, a processing stage dedicated to short bending is added as a specific stage to the right of the mold stage 30 in the first to fifth steps shown in Figs. 10(a) to (e). The bending order remains the same, being number (1) → number (2) → number (3) → number (4) → number (5), and the workpiece W is arranged so that the bending lines 21 to 25 are bent in these steps.

[0076] First, as shown in Fig. 10(a) to (c), in the first to third steps, similarly to the first to third steps shown in Fig. 6(a) to (c), the bending lines 21 to 23 of the workpiece W are set on the die stage 30, respectively, and bending is performed. At this time, since the worker sets the workpiece W in a position near the center in the left-right direction of the die stage 30, the workpiece W does not move in the left-right direction. Therefore, the movement amount from the previous step in each of the first to third steps is 0.00 mm as the expected movement amount calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5.

[0077] 10(d), in the fourth step, the bending line 24 of the workpiece W is set on the right end side of the adjacent die stage (specific stage) 31 on the right side of the die stage 30, and bending is performed. Since the workpiece W moves from near the center in the left-right direction of the die stage 30 to the right end side of the adjacent die stage 31, the expected movement amount between the third step and the fourth step calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 is, for example, 1126.61 mm.

[0078] 10(e), in the fifth step, the bending line 25 of the workpiece W is set, for example, at the left end side of the die stage 31, and bending is performed. Since the workpiece W moves from the right end side to the left end side of the die stage 31, the expected movement amount between the fourth and fifth steps calculated by the movement amount calculation unit 5 in this fifth step from the previous step (fourth step) is, for example, 53.22 mm.

[0079] Therefore, in bending processing based on processing information at the time of creating a layout taking into account the processing movement amount, although the die stage 31 is added to the die stage 30, the movement amount is reduced as follows compared to when creating a normal layout. That is, the movement amount from the third process to the fourth process increases by 365.00 mm, from 761.61 mm to 1126.61 mm, but the movement amount from the fourth process to the fifth process decreases by 1470.00 mm, from 1523.22 mm to 53.22 mm. Therefore, the overall movement amount of the workpiece W in one setup is relatively reduced and becomes small. Therefore, the movement of the worker associated with this is also reduced, and it is expected that the work efficiency will improve.

[0080] 10 is configured so that the worker can visually confirm each process (first process to fifth process) by displaying them on the display screen of the display unit 16. Therefore, if the bending process presented by the processing simulation does not meet the worker's desire, the worker can take various measures, such as recreating the layout information.

[0081] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the layout determination process. As described above, after the layout information corrected by the layout correction unit 7 of the mold stage layout information creation unit 4 is created, a layout determination process based on this layout information is performed. In the layout determination process, the judgment and determination process of various items in the above step S12 is performed in parallel, and a determination process similar to the judgment of whether it is one setup or not and the judgment of the bending order in the movement amount determination process in the movement amount determination unit 6 described above (the judgment results are the same, YES, NO) is performed. Therefore, a description of these judgment processes is omitted in FIG. 11.

[0082] In other words, if it is determined that the entire process is one setup (YES in step S20), and the bending order is determined to be OK (YES in step S21), and then it is determined that a specific stage needs to be created (NO in step S22), this means that a specific stage (a processing stage dedicated to short bending) has been created to reduce the amount of movement.

[0083] 11, first, it is determined whether the specific stage (die stage 31) is located on the right side of the die stage 30. This determination of whether it is on the right side is due to the fact that bending usually proceeds from the left to right in the left-right direction. However, if the worker desires the stage to be located on the left side, it is sufficient to determine whether the stage is located on the left side.

[0084] If it is determined that the placement position of the specific stage is not to the right of the mold stage 30 (NO in step S30), the process proceeds to step S17 described above. If it is determined that the placement position of the specific stage is to the right of the mold stage 30 (YES in step S30), it is determined whether or not the layout placement range of the mold stages 30, 31 is within the stage layout placement range of a target machine such as a press brake 9. The stage layout placement range refers to a range within which the layout placement of the mold stage is permitted in the target machine.

[0085] If it is determined that the layout layout range is not within the range (NO in step S31), the process proceeds to step S17. If it is determined that the layout layout range is within the range (YES in step S31), it is determined whether or not the processing placement range of the workpiece W (workpiece processing placement range) is within the workpiece processing placement range of a target machine such as a press brake 9. The workpiece processing placement range refers to the range within which the workpiece W is allowed to be placed when bending the workpiece W in the target machine.

[0086] If it is determined that the workpiece machining arrangement range is not within the range (NO in step S32), the process proceeds to step S17. If it is determined that the workpiece machining arrangement range is within the range (YES in step S32), the determination condition of this layout determination process is met. Therefore, the layout determination in the layout determination process is determined to be OK (YES in step S15), and as shown in FIG. 7, the creation unit 14 decides to use the corrected layout information created by creating the layout of the mold stage taking into account the machining movement amount (step S16), and ends the layout determination process of the mold stage taking into account the machining movement amount shown in FIG. 7. Note that if it is determined that the layout determination is not OK (NO in step S15), the process proceeds to step S17 and decides to use the normal layout information.

[0087] After step S16, the creation unit 14 creates CAM data including the above-mentioned die setup information using the corrected layout information, and after step S17, the creation unit 14 creates CAM data including the above-mentioned die setup information using the normal layout information. The die setup information creating device 1 outputs the CAM data created in this way to the press brake 9 or the like via the output unit 15.

[0088] As described above, according to the die setup information creation device 1 of this embodiment, by focusing on the amount of movement of the workpiece W during a series of bending processes in one step, it is possible to automatically perform the layout of the die stages (including adding stages) and the arrangement of the workpiece W, taking into consideration the reduction in the amount of movement of the worker associated with this amount of movement.

[0089] This reduces the amount of movement required by workers during bending work, improving work efficiency and productivity. In addition, because layouts with reduced movement are automatically created, compared to when the work is done entirely manually, it is possible to minimize human error caused by human intervention and effectively avoid injuries to workers and machine breakdowns.

[0090] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0091] For example, in the above embodiment, in bending a workpiece W having specific characteristics such as a long bend line and a short bend line, a layout is created with a movement amount determination that takes into account the processing movement amount for a specific die layout and workpiece arrangement in which a processing stage dedicated to long bending is laid out, and a die layout and workpiece arrangement that enable a reduction in the movement amount are realized by deliberately adding a specific stage, but this is not limited to this. In other words, regardless of the workpiece W having specific characteristics, the specific die layout, and the workpiece arrangement, the die setup information creation device 1 of the above embodiment can also realize a die layout and workpiece arrangement that aim to reduce the movement amount.

[0092] The mold setup information creating method described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a mold setup information creating program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. This mold setup information creating program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as an HDD, SSD, CD-ROM, DVD, or memory card, and may be read out from the recording medium and executed by the computer, and may also be a transmission medium that can be distributed via a network such as the Internet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Mold setup information creation device 2 Bending order determination section 3. Mold Selection Section 4. Mold stage layout information creation section 4a Classification section 5. Movement amount calculation section 6 Movement amount determination section 7 Layout Modification Section 8 Memory section 10 Input section 11 Selection and decision section 12 Extraction and detection section 13 Calculation section 14 Creation Department 15 Output section 16 Display section 21~25 Bending lines 40 UI screens

Claims

1. a bending order determination unit that determines a bending order of the workpieces based on the development view data; a tool selection unit for selecting a bending tool to be used in the bending process for each bending sequence; a die stage layout information creation unit for determining a mounting position of the selected bending die; Equipped with The mold stage layout information creation unit A movement amount calculation unit that calculates an expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending process; a movement amount determination unit that determines whether the expected movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount; a layout correction unit that corrects an attachment position of the bending tool so that the movement amount is smaller than the expected movement amount when it is determined that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount; A die setup information creation device including:

2. The layout correction unit corrects the mounting position so that the bending dies to be used in the previous bending process and the next bending process, which are the calculation basis for the corrected movement amount, are reinstalled on a different die stage separated from the die stage before the correction.

2. The mold setup information creating device according to claim 1.

3. The die stage layout information creation unit further includes a classification unit that classifies bending lengths in each bending process of the workpiece into a plurality of classes, The movement amount determination unit performs the determination using the predicted movement amount when a part classified into a predetermined class by the classification unit transitions to a bending process, or the predicted movement amount when a part classified into the predetermined class transitions from a bending process.

3. The mold setup information creating device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a display unit that displays a UI screen configured to be able to display classification criteria for classifying at least the bending lengths into the plurality of classes, The classification criteria are configured to be able to be specified via the UI screen.

4. The die setup information creating device according to claim 3.

5. The specified movement amount can be set via the UI screen.

5. The die setup information creating device according to claim 4.

6. a bending sequence determination step of determining a bending sequence of the workpieces based on the development view data by a bending sequence determination unit; a die selection step of selecting a bending die to be used in the bending step for each bending sequence by a die selection unit; a die stage layout information creation step of determining an attachment position of the selected bending die by a die stage layout information creation unit; Equipped with The die stage layout information creating step includes: a movement amount calculation step of calculating an expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending step by a movement amount calculation unit; a movement amount determination step of determining whether or not the predicted movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount by a movement amount determination unit; a layout correction step of correcting an attachment position of the bending tool so that the movement amount is smaller than the expected movement amount when the layout correction unit determines that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount; How to create mold setup information, including:

7. In the layout correction process, the mounting positions of the bending dies to be used in the previous bending process and the next bending process, which are the calculation basis for the corrected movement amount, are corrected so that they are re-installed on a different die stage separated from the die stage before the correction.

7. The mold setup information creating method according to claim 6.

8. The die stage layout information creation step further includes a classification step of classifying bending lengths in each bending step of the workpiece into a plurality of classes by a classification unit, In the movement amount determination step, the determination is performed using the predicted movement amount when the part classified into the predetermined class in the classification step transitions to a bending step, or the predicted movement amount when the part classified into the predetermined class transitions from the bending step.

8. The mold setup information creating method according to claim 6 or 7.

9. a display step of displaying a UI screen configured to be capable of displaying classification criteria for classifying at least the bending lengths into the plurality of classes by a display unit; The classification criteria are configured to be able to be specified via the UI screen. The mold setup information creating method according to claim 8.

10. The specified movement amount can be set via the UI screen. The mold setup information creating method according to claim 9.

11. A bending order determination process for determining a bending order of the workpieces based on the development diagram data; a tool selection process for selecting a bending tool to be used in the bending process for each bending sequence; A die stage layout information creation process for determining the mounting positions of the selected bending die; The die setup information creation device executes the above. The die stage layout information creation process includes: A movement amount calculation process for calculating an expected movement amount of the workpiece between each bending process; a movement amount determination process for determining whether the expected movement amount exceeds a predetermined specified movement amount; a layout correction process for correcting an attachment position of the bending tool so that the movement amount is smaller than the expected movement amount when it is determined that the expected movement amount exceeds the specified movement amount; Includes a program for creating mold setup information.

12. In the layout correction process, the mounting positions of the bending dies to be used in the previous bending process and the next bending process, which are the calculation basis for the corrected movement amount, are corrected so that they are re-installed on a different die stage separated from the die stage before the correction.

12. The die setup information generating program according to claim 11.

13. The die stage layout information creation process further includes a classification process of classifying bending lengths in each bending process of the workpiece into a plurality of classes, In the movement amount determination process, the determination is performed using the predicted movement amount when a part classified into a predetermined class in the classification process transitions to a bending process, or the predicted movement amount when a part classified into the predetermined class transitions from a bending process.

13. The die setup information generating program according to claim 11 or 12.

14. a display process for displaying a UI screen configured to be capable of displaying classification criteria for classifying at least the bending lengths into the plurality of classes; The classification criteria are configured to be able to be specified via the UI screen.

14. The die setup information creating program according to claim 13.

15. The specified movement amount can be set via the UI screen.

15. The die setup information creating program according to claim 14.

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