Transport system and information processing device

Abstract

To prevent products disposed adjacently to each other from being overlappingly loaded, when a plurality of products cut out from a work-piece are loaded on.SOLUTION: A conveying system 1 comprises a loader device 3 that conveys products Pr cut out from a work-piece W by a laser beam machine 6 and a control device 10 that controls motion of the loader device 3. The control device 10 comprises: a memorizing part 101 that memorizes coordinate information about sections partitioned in mesh shapes of a product loading area LA on which the products Pr are loaded and a preset movement parameter; a calculating part 102 that calculates a shift amount of each of the plurality of products Pr, with respect to position information about a conveyance destination according to positional relations between the plurality of products Pr in the work-piece W, using the coordinate information about one section determined from positions of the products Pr in the work-piece W and the movement parameter; and a driving control part 103 that activates the loader device 3 on the basis of the position information having the shift amount added thereto, so that the products Pr are loaded on the product loading area LA.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport system and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a loader device is known that transports a product cut out from a plate-shaped workpiece by a laser processing machine to a predetermined location. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the product cut out from the workpiece is transported by the loader device and placed on a product pallet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6794770 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a laser processing machine, when cutting out multiple products from one workpiece, common bar width processing including a cutting line common to the multiple products may be performed. In addition, a loader device may transport multiple products one by one to a product pallet. In such a case, if the loader device loads the products onto the product pallet while maintaining the positional relationship of the multiple products in the processed workpiece, there is a possibility that adjacent products will be loaded onto the product pallet with some of them overlapping. To prevent this problem, the worker manually moves the products by visual inspection, but this places an excessive burden on the worker.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a conveying system and information processing device that can prevent adjacent products from being stacked on top of each other when multiple products cut out from a workpiece are stacked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A conveying system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a conveying system having a loader device that conveys products cut out from a workpiece by a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on the workpiece, and a control device that controls the operation of the loader device.The control device includes a memory unit that stores coordinate information of each section when the product loading area in which the products are loaded is divided into a mesh shape and predetermined movement parameters, a calculation unit that uses the coordinate information of one section determined from the position of the product in the workpiece and the movement parameters to calculate a shift amount for each of multiple products relative to destination position information that conforms to the positional relationship of the multiple products in the workpiece, and a drive control unit that operates the loader device based on the position information to which the shift amount has been added, and loads the products in the product loading area.

[0007] In addition, an information processing device according to an aspect of the present invention is a device that processes information sent to a control device that controls the operation of a loader device that transports products cut out from a workpiece by a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on the workpiece, and is equipped with a memory unit that stores coordinate information of each section when the product loading area in which the products are loaded is divided into a mesh shape and predetermined movement parameters, and a calculation unit that uses the coordinate information of one section determined from the position of the product in the workpiece and the movement parameters to calculate a shift amount for each of multiple products relative to destination position information that conforms to the positional relationship of the multiple products in the workpiece, and generates position information by adding the shift amount. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the conveying system and information processing device of the present invention, the shift amount of the position information of the product loaded in the product loading area is calculated using the coordinate information of each section when the loading area is divided into a mesh and the movement parameters, and the loader device is controlled based on the position information to which the shift amount is added. As a result, multiple products cut out from the workpiece are prevented from being loaded in a state where adjacent products partially overlap, and the workload of the worker to move the products can be reduced. In addition, since the coordinate information of each section when the product loading area is divided into a mesh and the movement parameters are used, the calculation process in the calculation unit is light, and the burden on the control device can be reduced.

[0009] In the conveying system of the above aspect, the calculation unit may use a predetermined corner of the smallest rectangle that contains the product as a reference point and calculate the shift amount using coordinate information of one section that includes the reference point. According to this aspect, even if the shape of the product is not rectangular and at least a portion of adjacent products is cut along a common cutting line, the shift amount can be appropriately calculated and overlapping of adjacent products can be prevented. In the conveying system of the above aspect, each section may be smaller than the minimum dimension of the product. According to this aspect, since each section is smaller than the minimum dimension of the product, it is possible to avoid the same coordinate information being used between different products.

[0010] In the conveying system of the above aspect, the calculation unit may calculate the shift amount by multiplying the value of the coordinate information by a movement parameter. According to this aspect, the shift amount for each product can be easily calculated. In the conveying system of the above aspect, the product loading area may be provided on the upper surface of a movable product pallet. According to this aspect, a new product loading area can be easily formed by moving the product pallet. In the conveying system of the above aspect, the control device may include a correction unit that corrects the position information to which the shift amount is added so that multiple products can fit in the product loading area, and the drive control unit may operate the loader device based on the corrected position information to load products in the product loading area. According to this aspect, the correction unit corrects the shift amount so that multiple products can fit in the product loading area, so that products can be prevented from being loaded outside the product loading area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a laser processing system to which a transfer system according to an embodiment is applied; [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing an example of a laser processing system to which a transfer system according to an embodiment is applied. [Diagram 3]1A and 1B show an example of a processing pallet and a lift device, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a state in which a plate material is supported by the processing pallet, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a state in which the plate material is supported by the lift device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a state in which products are loaded in a product loading area. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a product loading area. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a reference point of each product and coordinate information. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of loading in which a shift amount is added to position information of each product. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the reference point of each product and the coordinate information. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example in which a shift amount is added to the position information of each product. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the reference point of each product and the coordinate information. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example in which a shift amount is added to the position information of each product. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which products are loaded by correcting position information by adding a shift amount. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process performed by a control device. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the process performed by the control device. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In the drawings, in order to explain the embodiments, the scale may be appropriately changed, such as by enlarging, reducing, or emphasizing a part, and the dimensions, shapes, etc. of the actual members and products may differ. In the drawings, the directions in the drawings may be described using an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. In the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system, the vertical direction is the Z direction, and the horizontal directions are the X direction and the Y direction. In each direction, the direction indicated by the arrow is referred to as the + direction, and the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow is referred to as the - direction.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conveying system 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a conveying system 1 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the conveying system 1 is applied to a laser processing system 100. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the laser processing system 100 includes a stocker 2, a gripper device 4, a processing pallet 5, a laser processing machine 6, a pallet changer 7, a lift device 8, and a product pallet 13 in addition to a loader device 3 and a control device 10 that constitute the conveying system 1.

[0014] In the laser processing system 100, the conveying system 1 conveys a plurality of products Pr cut out from a plate-shaped workpiece W by a laser processing machine 6 from the processing pallet 5 to a product loading area LA by a loader device 3. Details of the loader device 3 and the conveying of the products Pr will be described later. The conveying system 1 places an unprocessed workpiece W stored in a stocker 2 in the product loading area LA, and conveys the unprocessed workpiece W from the product loading area LA onto the processing pallet 5. Details of the stocker 2 and the conveying of the workpiece W will be described later.

[0015] Each part of the laser processing system 100 will be described. The stocker 2 is disposed on the -Y side of the product loading area LA. The stocker 2 includes a plurality of storage shelves 11 arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction) and an elevator 12. The storage shelf 11 stores, for example, a material pallet (not shown) on which a plurality of unprocessed workpieces W are placed. The elevator 12 moves up and down by a drive device (not shown). The elevator 12 takes out the material pallet from the storage shelf 11 and raises and lowers the material pallet. The stocker 2 places the material pallet on which a plurality of unprocessed workpieces W are placed in the product loading area LA. The unprocessed workpieces W are transported from the product loading area LA to the processing pallet 5 by the loader device 3. The unprocessed workpieces W do not have to be stored in the stocker 2, and may be stored in a place other than the stocker 2. The unprocessed workpieces W do not have to be transported to the processing pallet 5 by the loader device 3. For example, the unmachined workpiece W may be transported to the processing pallet 5 by a transport device different from the loader device 3, or manually by an operator.

[0016] The storage shelf 11 also stores a product pallet 13 on which the products Pr are loaded. The elevator 12 removes the product pallet 13 from the storage shelf 11 and raises and lowers the product pallet 13. The stocker 2 places the product pallet 13 in the product loading area LA. The product Pr after laser processing is transported from the processing pallet 5 to the product pallet 13 by the loader device 3. The product Pr is loaded onto the product pallet 13 by the loader device 3. The stocker 2 transfers the product pallet 13 on which the products Pr are loaded from the product loading area LA to the storage shelf 11.

[0017] The loader device 3 transports the product Pr or the unmachined workpiece W. The loader device 3 includes a Y rail 15, a Y traveling carriage 16, an X rail 17, an X moving body 18, a lifting rod 19, and an adsorption unit 20. The Y rail 15 is provided extending in the Y direction. The Y traveling carriage 16 is provided so as to be able to run on the Y rail 15 by a drive unit (not shown). The X rail 17 is provided so as to extend in the X direction on the upper part of the Y traveling carriage 16. The X rail 17 is provided above the processing pallet 5 carried out from the laser processing machine 6 and above the product loading area LA. The X moving body 18 is provided so as to be able to move along the X rail 17 by a drive unit (not shown). The lifting rod 19 is provided on the X moving body 18 and is provided so as to be able to move in the vertical direction (up and down direction) by a drive unit (not shown). The adsorption unit 20 is provided at the lower end of the lifting rod 19 and includes a plurality of adsorption pads on the lower surface side.

[0018] The loader device 3 can move the suction unit 20 in the Y direction by the Y traveling cart 16, in the X direction by the X moving body 18, and in the vertical direction by the lifting rod 19. Note that the above-mentioned configuration of the loader device 3 is one example, and instead of the above-mentioned configuration, any configuration capable of transporting the product Pr from the processing pallet 5 to the product loading area LA can be applied.

[0019] The gripper device 4 is disposed above the processing pallet 5 carried out from the laser processing machine 6. The gripper device 4 is movable in the Y direction and can be retreated from above the processing pallet 5. Note that Figs. 1 and 2 show a state in which the gripper device 4 is retreated to the +Y side of the processing pallet 5. The gripper device 4 holds and carries out a skeleton Sk, which is a residual material, from the processed workpiece W placed on the processing pallet 5. The gripper device 4 has a plurality of gripping parts 4a that grip the skeleton Sk. The plurality of gripping parts 4a are provided so as to be capable of ascending and descending. The gripper device 4 removes the skeleton Sk after the workpiece W is lifted from the processing pallet 5 by the lift device 8, for example, before the product Pr is transported by the loader device 3.

[0020] When performing the skeleton Sk removal operation, the gripper device 4 is positioned with respect to the workpiece W so that the multiple gripping parts 4a are disposed above the workpiece W near its outer periphery. In this state, the multiple gripping parts 4a descend to grip the skeleton Sk, and then ascend to remove (lift) the skeleton Sk from the workpiece W. The gripper device 4 moves to the -Y side to above the residual material recovery section 42 while gripping the skeleton Sk with the gripping parts 4a. The multiple gripping parts 4a release their grip on the skeleton Sk, causing the skeleton Sk to fall and be stored in the residual material recovery section 42. After the skeleton Sk is removed, the product Pr remains on the arm 8b of the lift device 8. The loader device 3 adsorbs the product Pr with the suction part 21 and transports it to the product loading area LA. A product pallet 13 is placed in the product loading area LA by the stocker 2, and the loader device 3 transfers all of the multiple products Pr formed on the workpieces W onto the product pallet 13 by multiple transfer processes.

[0021] The processing pallet 5 can move in and out of the laser processing machine 6 along the rails 28. The rails 28 extend from the laser processing machine 6 to the pallet changer 7. The processing pallet 5 includes a frame 5a and a plurality of support plates 5b. The plurality of support plates 5b are provided inside the frame 5a, each extending in the Y direction, and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the X direction. Each of the plurality of support plates 5b has an upper end formed in a sawtooth shape. The plurality of support plates 5b supports the lower surface of the workpiece W at a plurality of points (tips of the sawtooth). The processing pallet 5 can move with the workpiece W, including the product Pr and skeleton Sk cut by laser processing, placed on the plurality of support plates 5b.

[0022] The laser processing machine 6 irradiates laser light onto the unprocessed workpiece W placed on the processing pallet 5, and performs laser processing (cutting) on ​​the workpiece W. Although the laser processing may cause welding between the workpiece W and the support plate 5b of the processing pallet 5, since the support plate 5b supports the workpiece W at multiple points, the welded parts between the support plate 5b and the workpiece W can be reduced.

[0023] The pallet changer 7 switches the processed pallet 5 to be carried in and out of the laser processing machine 6. The pallet changer 7 also delivers the processed pallet 5 to and from the laser processing machine 6. The pallet changer 7 transports the processed pallet 5 along the rails 28, for example, by pulling the processed pallet 5. For example, a hook connected to a wire is hung on the processed pallet 5, and the wire is wound up on a drive unit to pull the processed pallet 5. The mechanism for moving the processed pallet 5 can be changed as appropriate, and for example, the processed pallet 5 may be self-propelled.

[0024] The lift device 8 lifts the processed workpiece W placed on the processing pallet 5 from the processing pallet 5. The lift device 8 is disposed directly below the processing pallet 5 carried out from the laser processing machine 6. The lift device 8 can move up and down between a position below the processing pallet 5 and a position for lifting the workpiece W on the processing pallet 5. FIG. 3 shows an example of the processing pallet 5 and the lift device 8, in which (A) is a perspective view of a state in which the workpiece W is supported by the processing pallet 5, and (B) is a perspective view of a state in which the workpiece W is supported by the lift device 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the lift device 8 includes a movable plate 8a and a plurality of arms 8b. The movable plate 8a can be moved in the vertical direction by a driving device (not shown). The plurality of arms 8b are provided on the upper surface of the movable plate 8a. The plurality of arms 8b extend in the Y direction in a plan view, and are arranged in parallel to each other.

[0025] The arm 8b is, for example, plate-shaped and extends vertically upward from the upper surface of the movable plate 8a. The arm 8b may have a shape other than a plate shape, for example, a column shape. The arm 8b can be inserted between two adjacent support plates 5b in the processing pallet 5. When the lift device 8 rises from a state in which it is positioned below the processing pallet 5 as shown in FIG. 3(A), the upper surface of the arm 8b protrudes upward beyond the support plate 5b as shown in FIG. 3(B), and the workpiece W is transferred from the processing pallet 5 to the lift device 8. That is, the workpiece W is supported by the lift device 8 (arm 8b). In addition, for example, a suction portion may be provided on the upper surfaces of the multiple arms 8b.

[0026] The loader device 3 individually transports the multiple products Pr supported by the arm portion 8b onto the product pallet 13. The loader device 3 transports each product Pr to the product pallet 13 based on a destination that conforms to the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the workpiece W, for example. In other words, when multiple products Pr are cut out from one workpiece W, for example, lined up in the X direction, the multiple products Pr are placed on the product pallet 13 in a state lined up in the X direction as in the workpiece W.

[0027] The control device 10 controls the operation of each of the stocker 2, the loader device 3, the gripper device 4, the laser processing machine 6, the pallet changer 7, and the lift device 8. That is, the control device 10 controls the laser processing system 100 including the conveying system 1. For example, the control device 10 reads a predetermined program and data stored in the storage unit 101, or controls the operation of each part based on a program and data sent from an information processing device 200, which is a higher-level device. The control device 10 and the information processing device 200 are connected by wire or wirelessly. Note that, in this embodiment, the control device 10 controls the laser processing system 100 including the conveying system 1, but is not limited to this. For example, the control device 10 may control the conveying system 1 and control the systems other than the conveying system 1 by another control device.

[0028] FIG. 4(A) is a diagram showing a configuration example of the control device 10, and FIG. 4(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the product Pr is loaded in the product loading area LA. As shown in FIG. 4(A), the control device 10 has a storage unit 101, a calculation unit 102, a drive control unit 103, and a correction unit 104. Note that in FIG. 4(A), the connection between the loader device 3 and the laser processing machine 6 is shown in the control device 10, and the connection with other devices (e.g., the stocker 2, etc.) is omitted. The storage unit 101 stores coordinate information of each section when the product loading area LA in which the product Pr is loaded is divided into a mesh shape, and a movement parameter set in advance. The calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount of each of the multiple products Pr with respect to the position information of the transport destination in accordance with the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the work W, using the coordinate information of one section determined from the position of the product Pr in the work W and the movement parameter. The drive control unit 103 operates the loader device 3 based on the position information including the shift amount, and loads the product Pr in the product loading area LA. The correction unit 104 will be described later.

[0029] In this embodiment, the calculation unit 102 of the control device 10 calculates the shift amount for each of the multiple products Pr, so that when the products Pr are loaded in the product loading area LA as shown in Fig. 4(B), it is possible to prevent the products Pr from overlapping with each other. In other words, when the products Pr are loaded in the product loading area LA in the same order as the multiple products Pr in the workpiece W after laser processing, the products Pr are loaded with a gap between them, and the products Pr do not overlap with each other. The specific positions at which the multiple products Pr are loaded will be described later.

[0030] Here, the product loading area LA will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the product loading area LA. As shown in FIG. 5, the product pallet 13 is arranged in the product loading area LA, and the upper surface of the product pallet 13 is set to include the product loading area LA. In this embodiment, the product pallet 13 will be described as an example in which the upper surface is 3050 mm in the X direction and 1520 mm in the Y direction. The product loading area LA will be described as an example in which the upper surface of the product pallet 13 is 3030 mm in the X direction and 1460 mm in the Y direction. In addition, the minimum dimension of the product Pr will be described as an example in which the minimum dimension is 200 mm in the X direction and 90 mm in the Y direction.

[0031] We will now explain each section when the product loading area LA is divided into a mesh. Since the X direction of the product loading area LA is 3050 mm and the minimum dimension of the product Pr in the X direction is 200 mm, the resolution in the X direction must be smaller than "3030 / 200 = 15.5 ≒ 15". Similarly, the Y direction of the product loading area LA is 1460 mm and the minimum dimension of the product Pr in the Y direction is 90 mm, the resolution in the Y direction must be smaller than "1460 / 90 = 16.2 ≒ 16".

[0032] For example, if the product loading area LA is divided into 15 x 16 sections in the X direction x Y direction, then "3030 / 15=202" and "1460 / 16=91.25 ≒ 91", and it is possible that the minimum dimension product Pr (200 x 90) may fit inside. In this case, there is a possibility that multiple products Pr may be assigned to the same section, so this must be avoided. For this reason, the resolution in the X direction and Y direction is counted up by 1 each, and the product loading area LA is made into a 16 x 17 mesh in the X direction x Y direction. In other words, each section is set to be smaller than the minimum dimension of the product Pr.

[0033] 6 and 7 show an example of the calculation of the shift amount. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the reference point RP and the coordinate information of each product Pr. As shown in FIG. 6, when the destinations of the multiple products Pr (hereinafter, they may be individually referred to as products Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4) loaded in the product loading area LA are loaded in accordance with the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the workpiece W (i.e., when the shift amount is not added to the position information of the destination), the products Pr1 and Pr2, the products Pr2 and Pr3, and the products Pr3 and Pr4 are loaded in the product loading area LA close to each other, so that the products Pr may be loaded in a state where they are partially overlapped (see FIG. 4(B)). In this embodiment, in order to prevent the products Pr from overlapping each other, the shift amount for the position information of the original destination of the products Pr is calculated, and each product Pr is transported to the destination with the position information to which the shift amount is added.

[0034] The calculation unit 102 of the control device 10 calculates the shift amount of the position information of the product Pr by using the coordinate information of each section including the reference point RP, with a specific corner of the smallest rectangle that contains the product Pr as the reference point RP. The calculation unit 102 calculates the smallest rectangle that contains each product Pr, and selects the corner of the calculated rectangle that is closest to the reference coordinates (1,1) among all sections as the reference point RP. Note that, although the example shown in FIG. 6 shows a case where the products Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4 are rectangular, each product Pr may not be rectangular. In this case, the calculation unit 102 calculates the smallest rectangle that contains the product Pr and is parallel to the X and Y directions.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 6, the reference point RP1 of product Pr1 is included in the coordinates (2,2) of the section. The reference point RP2 of product Pr2 is included in the coordinates (4,2) of the section. The reference point RP3 of product Pr3 is included in the coordinates (7,2) of the section. The reference point RP4 of product Pr4 is included in the coordinates (9,2) of the section. The calculation unit 102 reads out the coordinate information (coordinate values) of these reference points RP1, RP2, RP3, and RP4 in the section and the movement parameters that are preset for products Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4 from the memory unit 101, and calculates the shift amount relative to the position information of the transfer destination of products Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4.

[0036] In this embodiment, the case where the movement parameter of the product Pr is 3 mm will be described as an example. Note that the same value is used for all products Pr as the movement parameter, but this is not limited to the embodiment. A different value of the movement parameter for each product Pr may be stored in the storage unit 101 and read out and used for each product Pr. For product Pr1, the calculation unit 102 multiplies the coordinate value and the movement parameter using the value of the coordinate (2,2) in the section of the reference point RP1 and the movement parameter 3 mm. The calculation unit 102 calculates "2×3=6" and "2×3=6" to calculate a shift amount of "6 mm" in the X direction and "6 mm" in the Y direction.

[0037] The calculation unit 102 calculates a shift amount of "12 mm" in the X direction and "6 mm" in the Y direction for the product Pr2 using the value of the coordinate (4,2) in the section of the reference point RP2 and the movement parameter 3 mm, based on "4×3=12" and "2×3=6". The calculation unit 102 calculates a shift amount of "21 mm" in the X direction and "6 mm" in the Y direction for the product Pr3 using the value of the coordinate (7,2) in the section of the reference point RP3 and the movement parameter 3 mm, based on "7×3=21" and "2×3=6". The calculation unit 102 calculates a shift amount of "27 mm" in the X direction and "6 mm" in the Y direction for the product Pr4 using the value of the coordinate (9,2) in the section of the reference point RP4 and the movement parameter 3 mm, based on "9×3=27" and "2×3=6". The shift amount of each product Pr may be stored in the storage unit 101.

[0038] That is, product Pr1 is transported to new position information (X1+6, Y1+6) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X1, Y1) that conforms to the positional relationship of multiple products Pr in the work W. Similarly, product Pr2 is transported to new position information (X2+12, Y2+6) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X2, Y2). Product Pr3 is transported to new position information (X3+21, Y3+6) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X3, Y3). Product Pr4 is transported to new position information (X4+27, Y2+6) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X4, Y4).

[0039] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example in which the position information of each product Pr is added with a shift amount and the products Pr are loaded. As shown in FIG. 7, based on the calculation result of the shift amount by the calculation unit 102, new transport destinations of each product Pr are set so that the product Pr1 and the product Pr2 have a distance of "12-6=6 mm" in the X direction, the product Pr2 and the product Pr3 have a distance of "21-12=9 mm" in the X direction, and the product Pr3 and the product Pr4 have a distance of "27-21=6 mm" in the X direction. In addition, the same shift amount of 6 mm is added to the products Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4 in the Y direction, and new position information of the transport destination is set. That is, the products Pr are transported with the shift amount added to the position information of the transport destinations adjacent to each other in the X direction, and are loaded in the product loading area LA with a space between them in the X direction.

[0040] Note that the coordinate values ​​used in multiplication with the movement parameter do not have to be used as is. For example, the calculation unit 102 may subtract "-1" from the coordinate values ​​before multiplying them by the movement parameter. For example, the calculation unit 102 may subtract "-1" from the coordinate (2,2) values ​​in the section of the reference point RP1 for the product Pr1, and use the new coordinate (1,1) value to calculate a shift amount of "3 mm" in the X direction and "3 mm" in the Y direction, based on "1 x 3 = 3" and "1 x 3 = 3".

[0041] In this case, for product Pr2, the calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the value of the coordinate (4,2) in the section of the reference point RP2, and calculates a shift amount of "9 mm" in the X direction and "3 mm" in the Y direction using the new coordinate (3,1) based on "3×3=9" and "1×3=3". Similarly, the calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the value of the coordinate (7,2) in the section of the reference point RP3 for product Pr3, and calculates a shift amount of "18 mm" in the X direction and "3 mm" in the Y direction using the new coordinate (6,1) based on "6×3=18" and "1×3=3". Similarly, for product Pr4, the calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the values ​​of the coordinates (9,2) in the section of reference point RP4, and using the new coordinates (8,1), calculates a shift amount of "24 mm" in the X direction and "3 mm" in the Y direction, based on "8 x 3 = 24" and "1 x 3 = 3".

[0042] Even when new coordinates are used, the shift amount of the position information of each product Pr is calculated so that the distance between product Pr1 and product Pr2 is "9-3=6mm", the distance between product Pr2 and product Pr3 is "18-9=9mm", and the distance between product Pr3 and product Pr4 is "24-18=6mm". In this way, by subtracting the coordinate values ​​and using new coordinates, the shift amount for the destination position information of each product Pr can be reduced. The following describes an example in which the coordinate values ​​in the section of the reference point RP are each subtracted by "-1".

[0043] 8 and 9 show other examples of calculation of the shift amount. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the reference point RP and the coordinate information of each product Pr. As shown in Fig. 8, if the shift amount is not added to the position information of the products Pr (hereinafter, each product may be individually referred to as products Pr5, Pr6, Pr7, and Pr8) loaded in the product loading area LA, products Pr5 and Pr6, products Pr6 and Pr7, and products Pr7 and Pr8 are loaded in the product loading area LA close to each other, so that, as in the above, in order to prevent the products Pr from overlapping with each other, the shift amount for the position information of the original destination of the products Pr is calculated, and each product Pr is transported to the destination with the position information to which the shift amount is added.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 8, the reference point RP5 of product Pr5 is included in the coordinates (1,1) of the section. The reference point RP6 of product Pr6 is included in the coordinates (1,4) of the section. The reference point RP7 of product Pr7 is included in the coordinates (1,7) of the section. The reference point RP8 of product Pr8 is included in the coordinates (1,10) of the section. The calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount relative to the position information of the transfer destination of products Pr5, Pr6, Pr7, Pr8 using the coordinate information (coordinate values) of these reference points RP5, RP6, RP7, RP8 in the section and the movement parameters preset for products Pr5, Pr6, Pr7, Pr8.

[0045] The calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the coordinates (1,1) of the section of the reference point RP5 for the product Pr5, and calculates a shift amount of "0 mm" in the X direction and "0 mm" (no shift) in the Y direction using the new coordinates (0,0) and "0x3=0" and "0x3=0". The calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the coordinates (1,4) of the section of the reference point RP6 for the product Pr6, and calculates a shift amount of "0 mm" in the X direction and "9 mm" in the Y direction using the new coordinates (0,3) and "0x3=0" and "3x3=9". The calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the coordinates (1,7) of the section of the reference point RP7 for the product Pr7, and calculates a shift amount of "0 mm" in the X direction and "18 mm" in the Y direction using the new coordinates (0,6) and "0×3=0" and "6×3=18". The calculation unit 102 subtracts "-1" from the coordinates (1,10) of the section of the reference point RP8 for the product Pr8, and calculates a shift amount of "0 mm" in the X direction and "27 mm" in the Y direction using the new coordinates (0,9) and "0×3=0" and "9×3=27".

[0046] That is, product Pr5 is transported to new position information (X5+0, Y5+0) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X5, Y5) that conforms to the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the work W. Similarly, product Pr6 is transported to new position information (X6+0, Y6+9) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X6, Y6). Product Pr7 is transported to new position information (X7+0, Y7+18) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X7, Y7). Product Pr8 is transported to new position information (X8+0, Y8+27) obtained by adding a shift amount to the destination position information (X8, Y8).

[0047] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example in which products Pr are loaded by adding a shift amount to the position information of each product Pr. As shown in Fig. 9, new destinations for each product Pr are set so that products Pr5 and Pr6 have a distance of "9-0 = 9 mm" in the Y direction, products Pr6 and Pr7 have a distance of "18-9 = 9 mm" in the Y direction, and products Pr7 and Pr8 have a distance of "27-18 = 9 mm" in the Y direction. In addition, no shift amount is added to products Pr5, Pr6, Pr7, and Pr8 in the X direction. In other words, each product Pr is transported with a shift amount added to the position information of the destinations adjacent to each other in the Y direction, and is loaded in the product loading area LA with a distance between them in the Y direction.

[0048] The drive control unit 103 controls the loader device 3 based on the position information to which the shift amount has been added, and loads the products Pr in the product loading area LA. Specifically, the drive control unit 103 adds the shift amount calculated by the calculation unit 102 to the position information of each product Pr, controls the operation of the loader device 3 based on the new position information, transports each product Pr placed on the processing pallet 5 to the product pallet 13, and loads each product Pr in the product loading area LA. In this way, the calculation unit 102 only needs to calculate the shift amount for each of the multiple products Pr based on the destination position information in accordance with the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the workpiece W, so that the new destination can be calculated by a simple calculation, and the burden on the calculation unit 102 (control device 10) can be reduced.

[0049] 10 to 12 show an example of calculating the shift amount for the position information of each product Pr. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the reference point RP and the coordinate information of each product Pr. As shown in FIG. 10, the calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount of the position information of each product Pr for products Pr9 to Pr18 using the coordinate values ​​of the sections of the reference points RP9 to RP18 (which may be values ​​obtained by subtracting "-1" from these values) and the movement parameter "3 mm." Note that the calculation of the shift amount by the calculation unit 102 is the same as the above-mentioned process, and therefore details will be omitted.

[0050] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing another example in which products Pr are loaded by adding a shift amount to the position information of each product Pr. As shown in Fig. 11, a shift amount is calculated for the position information of each product Pr so that adjacent products Pr are spaced apart in both the X and Y directions. At this time, as shown in Fig. 11, when products Pr13, Pr17, and Pr18 are loaded based on new position information to which the shift amount has been added, a part of each product will protrude from the product loading area LA (or product pallet 13). In this case, if the product pallet 13 is moved, there is a risk that the part protruding from the product loading area LA may interfere with other members (e.g., the stocker 2, etc.), so it is necessary to correct the new transfer position.

[0051] The control device 10 is equipped with a correction unit 104 (see FIG. 4(A)). When the product Pr is loaded at the transfer position to which the shift amount has been added, the correction unit 104 judges whether or not a part of the product Pr will protrude from the product loading area LA. When it is judged that a part of the product Pr will protrude from the product loading area LA, the correction unit 104 corrects new position information to which the shift amount has been added so that all of the product Pr fits within the product loading area LA. For example, the correction unit 104 calculates the protrusion amount in the +X direction from the product loading area LA based on the shift amount in the X direction for the product Pr13 and previously acquired shape information of the product Pr13 (e.g., design data, etc.).

[0052] Similarly, the correction unit 104 calculates the amount of overflow in the +Y direction from the product loading area LA based on the shift amount in the Y direction for product Pr17 and the shape information of product Pr17 acquired in advance. The correction unit 104 also calculates the amount of overflow in the +X direction and the +Y direction from the product loading area LA based on the shift amount in the X direction and the Y direction for product Pr18 and the shape information of product Pr18 acquired in advance. The correction unit 104 determines the maximum amount of overflow in the X direction and the maximum amount of overflow in the Y direction from the product loading area LA based on products Pr13, Pr17, and Pr18.

[0053] Then, the correction unit 104 obtains a correction value "XS" in the X direction and a correction value "YS" in the Y direction that make the overhang amount 0 or less (for example, -2), and sets position information (corrected position information) obtained by subtracting the correction value in the X direction and the Y direction from the new position information of each product Pr to which the shift amount has been added. Note that the correction values ​​"XS" and "YS" can be any numerical value that makes the overhang amount 0 or less.

[0054] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example in which the product Pr is loaded after correcting the position information by adding the shift amount. As shown in Fig. 12, based on the position information corrected by the correction unit 104, the drive control unit 103 controls the loader device 3 to load each product Pr in the product loading area LA. In this way, the correction unit 104 corrects the position information of the destination of each product Pr, thereby preventing a part of the product Pr from protruding from the product loading area LA. Note that it is optional whether or not the control device 10 includes the correction unit 104. In other words, the control device 10 does not need to include the correction unit 104.

[0055] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the control device 10. As shown in Fig. 13, the calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount for the position information of each product Pr by using coordinate values ​​and movement parameters for the position information of the destination conforming to the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the workpiece W (step S101). As described above, the calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount for the position information of each product Pr by using the coordinate values ​​of the section including the reference point RP of the product Pr in the product loading area LA divided into a mesh shape and the preset movement parameters.

[0056] Next, the drive control unit 103 controls the loader device 3 based on the position information to which the shift amount has been added (step S102). The drive control unit 103 controls the operation of the loader device 3 based on new position information obtained by adding the shift amount calculated by the calculation unit 102 to the position information of each product Pr, and transports each product Pr placed on the processing pallet 5 to the product pallet 13 arranged in the product loading area LA, and loads each product Pr onto the product pallet 13.

[0057] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing by the control device 10. Fig. 14 shows an example of the flow of processing to correct the position information to which the shift amount has been added. The processing in steps S201 to S204 shown in Fig. 14 is executed after the processing in step S101 in Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 14, the correction unit 104 judges whether the product Pr fits into the product loading area LA with the position information to which the shift amount has been added (step S201). The correction unit 104 judges whether or not the product Pr protrudes from the product loading area LA based on the position information to which the shift amount of each product Pr has been added and the shape information of the product Pr.

[0058] Next, when the correction unit 104 determines that the product Pr fits within the product loading area LA (step S201: YES), the drive control unit 103 controls the loader device 3 based on the position information to which the shift amount has been added (step S202). This step S202 is the same as step S102 in FIG. 13 described above. On the other hand, when the correction unit 104 determines that the product Pr does not fit within the product loading area LA (step S201: NO), the correction unit 104 corrects the position information to which the shift amount has been added so that the product Pr fits within the product loading area LA (step S203). The correction unit 104 obtains correction values ​​in the X and Y directions from the overhang amount of the product Pr that overhangs the product loading area LA, and subtracts the correction values ​​in the X and Y directions from the position information to which the shift amount has been added for all the products Pr, to set the corrected position information.

[0059] Next, the drive control unit 103 controls the loader device 3 based on the corrected position information (step S204). The drive control unit 103 controls the operation of the loader device 3 based on the position information corrected by the correction unit 104, and transports each product Pr placed on the processing pallet 5 to the product pallet 13 arranged in the product loading area LA, and loads each product Pr on the product pallet 13.

[0060] In this way, the conveying system 1 calculates the shift amount of the position information of the product Pr loaded in the product loading area LA using the coordinate information (coordinate value) of each section when the product loading area LA is divided into a mesh shape and the movement parameters of the product Pr, and controls the loader device 3 based on the position information to which the calculated shift amount is applied. Therefore, when the product Pr cut out from the workpiece W is loaded, it is possible to prevent adjacent products Pr from being stacked. In addition, since the calculation unit 102 calculates the shift amount using the coordinate information and movement parameters of each section, the load required for calculation is light, and the processing load of the control device 10 can be reduced. In addition, the conveying system 1 calculates the shift amount using coordinate information including the reference point RP, with a predetermined corner of the smallest rectangle that contains the product Pr as the reference point RP, so that even if the shape of the product Pr is not rectangular, the shift amount can be appropriately calculated.

[0061] Furthermore, the conveying system 1 sets each section of the product loading area LA into a mesh shape to be smaller than the minimum dimension of the product Pr, thereby preventing the shift amounts from being the same between different products Pr and reliably preventing adjacent products Pr loaded in the product loading area LA from overlapping. Furthermore, the conveying system 1 determines whether all products Pr can be contained in the product loading area LA using the position information to which the shift amounts have been added, and then corrects the position information so that the products Pr can be contained in the product loading area LA, thereby preventing the products Pr from being loaded outside the product loading area LA.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the control device 10 that controls the operation of the loader device 3 includes the storage unit 101, the calculation unit 102, and the correction unit 104, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the information processing device 200, which is a higher-level device of the control device 10, may include the storage unit 201, the calculation unit 202, and the correction unit 204, and the control device 10 may include the drive control unit 103. The information processing device 200 processes information sent to the control device 10 that controls the operation of the loader device 3 that conveys the product Pr cut out from the workpiece W by the laser processing machine 6 that performs laser processing on the workpiece W. In this embodiment, information for controlling the operation of the loader device 3 is generated by the information processing device 200, and the control device 10 controls the operation of the loader device 3 by the drive control unit 103 based on the information sent from the information processing device 200.

[0063] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an information processing device 200 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the information processing device 200 includes a storage unit 201, a calculation unit 202, and a correction unit 204. The storage unit 201 and the calculation unit 202 are the same as the storage unit 101 and the calculation unit 102 in the above-described embodiment. In the information processing device 200, the storage unit 201 stores coordinate information of each section when the product loading area LA in which the products Pr are loaded is divided into a mesh shape, and a preset movement parameter, and then, the calculation unit 102 calculates a shift amount for each of the multiple products Pr with respect to the position information of the destination in accordance with the positional relationship of the multiple products Pr in the work W using the coordinate information of one section determined from the position of the product Pr in the work W and the movement parameter, and generates position information by adding the shift amount.

[0064] The information processing device 200 sends the position information to which the shift amount has been added to the control device 10. The control device 10 controls the operation of the loader device 3 by the drive control unit 103 based on the information sent from the information processing device 200. As a result, similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, when the products Pr cut out from the workpiece W are loaded, it is possible to prevent adjacent products Pr from being stacked on top of each other. In this way, by generating the position information to which the shift amount has been added by the information processing device 200, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the control device 10.

[0065] Moreover, the information processing device 200 may include a correction unit 204 as shown in FIG. 15. The correction unit 204 is the same as the correction unit 104 in the above-described embodiment. When the correction unit 204 determines that the product Pr does not fit in the product loading area LA, it obtains correction values ​​in the X and Y directions from the amount of the product Pr protruding from the product loading area LA, subtracts the correction values ​​in the X and Y directions from the position information to which the shift amount has been added for all the products Pr, and sets the corrected position information (see steps S201 to S203 above). As a result, it is possible to prevent the product Pr from being loaded so as to protrude from the product loading area LA. In this way, the information processing device 200 includes the correction unit 204, and thus the processing load on the control device 10 can be further reduced.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the control device 10 or the information processing device 200 includes, for example, a computer system. The control device 10 or the information processing device 200 reads out various programs stored in the storage units 101 and 201, and executes various processes according to the programs. One of the programs causes the computer to, for example, calculate a shift amount for the position information of the destination of the product Pr loaded in the product loading area LA using coordinate information of each section when the product loading area LA in which the product Pr cut out from the workpiece W is loaded, when the product loading area LA is divided into a mesh shape, and a movement parameter of the product Pr, and controls the loader device 3 that transports the product Pr based on the position information to which the shift amount is added, and loads the product Pr in the product loading area LA. This program may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. One or more of the requirements described in the above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, the requirements described in the above-mentioned embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the execution order of each process shown in this embodiment can be realized in any order as long as the output of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process. Furthermore, even if the operations in the above-mentioned embodiments are described using "first," "next," "followed," etc. for convenience, it is not essential to carry them out in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Transport system 3. Loader device 6. Laser processing machine 10. Control device 101, 201...Storage section 102, 202... Calculation section 103 Drive control unit 104,204...Correction section LA...Product loading area Pr...Product RP...Reference point Sk···Skeleton W... Work

Claims

1. A conveying system having a loader device that conveys a product cut out from a workpiece by a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on the workpiece, and a control device that controls an operation of the loader device, The control device includes: a storage unit that stores coordinate information of each section when a product loading area in which the products are loaded is divided into a mesh shape, and preset movement parameters; a calculation unit that calculates a shift amount for each of the plurality of products with respect to destination position information according to a positional relationship between the plurality of products in the workpiece, using the coordinate information of one section determined from the position of the product in the workpiece and the movement parameters; a drive control unit that operates the loader device based on the position information to which the shift amount has been added, and loads the product in the product loading area.

2. The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the shift amount by using the coordinate information of the section including a predetermined corner of a smallest rectangle that contains the product as a reference point.

3. 3. A conveying system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each compartment is smaller than a smallest dimension of the product.

4. The transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the shift amount by multiplying a value of the coordinate information by the movement parameter.

5. The conveying system of claim 1 , wherein the product loading area is provided on an upper surface of a movable product pallet.

6. The control device includes a correction unit that corrects the position information by adding the shift amount so that the plurality of products are accommodated in the product loading area, The conveying system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit operates the loader device based on the corrected position information to load the product in the product loading area.

7. A device for processing information sent to a control device that controls the operation of a loader device that transports a product cut out from a workpiece by a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on the workpiece, a storage unit that stores coordinate information of each section when a product loading area in which the products are loaded is divided into a mesh shape, and preset movement parameters; an information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that uses the coordinate information of a section determined from the position of the product within the workpiece and the movement parameters to calculate a shift amount for each of the multiple products with respect to destination position information that conforms to the positional relationship of the multiple products within the workpiece, and generates the position information by adding the shift amount.

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