Processing device and processing method

Abstract

To form a machining mark on an arcuate surface with an arcuate cross section toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface.SOLUTION: A machining device includes: a chuck table 10 that fixes a workpiece 200; a machining unit that forms a cut groove in the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10; a machining-feed unit that moves the chuck table 10 in an X direction; an indexing-feed unit that moves the machining unit in a Y direction; a cutting-feed unit that cutting-feeds the machining unit in a Z direction; and a control unit. The chuck table 10 has a fixing portion 12 to which the workpiece 200 with the exposed arcuate surface 201 is fixed so as to be rotatable about an axis 131 in the X direction as a rotational axis. After the cut groove is formed in the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 in which a ridge of the arcuate surface 201 is fixed to the fixing portion 12 along the X direction, the fixing portion 12 is rotated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] A processing device (dicer) is known that cuts a cutting blade into a plate-shaped workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer or a resin package substrate with micron-level accuracy to form a cutting groove (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Usually, the workpiece is plate-shaped, and is fixed to a flat chuck table directly or via a dicing tape, and then cut. The height from the holding surface (upper surface) of the chuck table to the tip (lower end) of the cutting blade is controlled in micron units, and a groove of a specified depth is formed in the workpiece, or the dicing tape is diced while leaving several tens of microns uncut. The chuck table is formed with an in-plane height variation of, for example, within 5 to 10 um, and the height of the cutting blade during cutting is basically always controlled to be constant.

[0003] However, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for forming cutting grooves of the same cutting depth on the arcuate surface of a workpiece that has an arcuate cross section. Workpieces for which this type of processing is required include ultrasonic transducers (piezoelectric elements) mounted on the probes of ultrasonic diagnostic devices, and there is a demand for forming narrow grooves, which are thin processing marks, at close intervals along the ridges of the arcuate surface of the probe, which is called a convex type (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-27052 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6091755 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, the processing device shown in Patent Document 1 has the problem that when a workpiece having an arc-shaped cross-section is fixed to a flat chuck table and processed, it is necessary to change the height of the cutting blade in accordance with changes in the height of the arc-shaped surface, and it is also not possible to form a groove toward the center of curvature of the arc-shaped surface.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its object is to provide a processing device and a processing method that can form processing marks on an arcuate surface that has an arc-shaped cross section toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the processing apparatus of the present invention is a processing apparatus for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section on an outer surface of a workpiece, and includes a chuck table for fixing the workpiece, a processing unit for forming a processing mark on the workpiece fixed to the chuck table, a processing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction, an indexing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, and a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction. The present invention is provided with an imaging unit which images a workpiece fixed to the chuck table, and a control unit which controls each of the constituent elements, the chuck table having a fixing portion to which the workpiece having the exposed arcuate surface is rotatably fixed with an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and which fixes the workpiece such that the center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis, the control unit forms the machining marks along the X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing portion with the machining unit, rotates the fixing portion by a predetermined angle, and each time a predetermined number of the machining marks are formed, images the workpiece by the imaging unit. The machining marks formed on the arcuate surface Based on the image obtained by capturing the processed mark, Whether the width exceeds the allowable value, whether the interval between the processing marks exceeds the allowable value, or whether the processing marks are tilted The present invention is characterized in that it determines

[0008] The present invention processing equipment Place , a processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among the outer surface of a workpiece, the processing device comprising: a chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit for forming a processing mark on the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a processing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; and a control unit for controlling each component; the chuck table has a fixing portion to which the workpiece with the exposed arcuate surface is fixed so as to be rotatable about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and which fixes the workpiece such that the center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; The fixing portion includes a rod for fixing the workpiece by being inserted into a hole provided in an end surface of the workpiece that is connected to the arc surface of the outer surface of the workpiece. the control unit forms the machining marks along the X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part by the machining unit, the ridge of the arcuate surface being aligned along the X direction, and then rotates the fixed part by a predetermined angle, and judges whether the machining marks are good or bad based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the machining marks are formed. .

[0009] The present invention processing equipment Place , A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among the outer surface of a workpiece, the processing device comprising: a chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit for forming a processing mark on the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a processing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; and a control unit for controlling each of the constituent elements. The chuck table is fixed to the workpiece with the exposed arcuate surface so as to be rotatable about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis. a fixing portion for fixing the workpiece such that the center of the circle formed by the arc surface coincides with the rotation axis, the fixing portion including a holding unit for holding the workpiece and having a hole on an end surface of the end in the X direction, and a rod for fixing the workpiece by being inserted into the hole. the control unit forms the machining marks along the X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part by the machining unit, the ridge of the arcuate surface being aligned along the X direction, and then rotates the fixed part by a predetermined angle, and judges whether the machining marks are good or bad based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the machining marks are formed. .

[0010] The present invention processing equipment Place , a processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among the outer surface of a workpiece, the processing device comprising: a chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit for forming a processing mark on the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a processing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit for relatively moving the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; and a control unit for controlling each component; the chuck table has a fixing portion to which the workpiece with the exposed arcuate surface is fixed so as to be rotatable about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and which fixes the workpiece such that the center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; The chuck table has a recessed portion formed on the upper surface thereof, and the fixing portion has a support member arranged at a position where the center portion in the longitudinal direction on which the workpiece is placed overlaps with the recessed portion. the control unit forms the machining marks along the X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part by the machining unit, the ridge of the arcuate surface being aligned along the X direction, and then rotates the fixed part by a predetermined angle, and judges whether the machining marks are good or bad based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the machining marks are formed. .

[0011] In the processing device, the processing unit is a cutting unit having an axis in the Y direction and equipped with a spindle on which a cutting blade is attached, and the cutting blade of the processing unit is moved in the cutting feed direction, and the cutting blade is equipped with a reference base having a reference surface with which the tip of the cutting blade comes into contact, and a height measuring device that measures the difference in height between the reference surface and the upper end of the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixed part, and the height of the tip of the cutting blade and the arcuate surface is determined based on the height of the reference surface, and the cutting depth of the cutting blade into the arcuate surface is controlled.

[0012] The machining method of the present invention is a machining method for forming machining marks on an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section of an outer surface of a workpiece by using the machining apparatus, and is characterized by comprising: a workpiece fixing step of rotatably fixing the workpiece to the fixing part on the chuck table so that a ridge of the arcuate surface is along the X-direction; a machining step of forming machining marks along the X-direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a rotating step of rotating the workpiece by the predetermined angle after the machining step; and a workpiece removing step of removing the workpiece from the chuck table after the machining step and the rotation step are performed. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The present invention provides an advantage in that a groove can be formed in a circular arc surface having an arcuate cross section toward the center of curvature of the circular arc surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a chuck table of the processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixing portion and a rotation driving portion of the chuck table shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an end view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the positional relationship between the arcuate surface of the workpiece and the rotation axis of the rotary drive unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an end view of a workpiece illustrating the initial machining step of the machining method shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an end view of a workpiece illustrating the processing steps after multiple iterations of the processing method illustrated in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a workpiece in which a cut groove is formed in a machining step after the machining method shown in FIG. 5 has been repeated multiple times. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 8 after it has been rotated by a predetermined angle in the rotating step of the processing method shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 9, in which a cut groove is formed on the arcuate surface of the workpiece in the machining step. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an end view of the workpiece after the final machining step of the machining method shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixing unit and a rotation driving unit of a chuck table of a processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] The form (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiment. Furthermore, the components described below include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0016] [Embodiment 1] A processing device and a processing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the chuck table of the processing device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the fixing part and the rotary drive part of the chuck table shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an end view of the workpiece shown in FIG. 3, showing the positional relationship between the arc surface of the workpiece and the rotation axis of the rotary drive part. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing method according to the first embodiment.

[0017] (workpiece) The processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment is a cutting device that cuts (corresponding to processing) an arc surface 201 of an outer surface 206 of a workpiece 200 with a cutting blade 21 to form cutting grooves 210 (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1) which are a plurality of processing marks on the arc surface 201. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 is mounted on a probe of an ultrasonic diagnostic device and is composed of an ultrasonic transducer (piezo element). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the workpiece 200 has an arc surface 201 having an arc shape in cross section formed on the outer surface 206. The arc surface 201 is formed in an arc shape convex in the outer periphery direction of the workpiece 200, and has a constant cross-sectional shape in the ridge direction. The ridge direction is a direction parallel to the center of curvature of the arc surface 201.

[0018] In the first embodiment, the workpiece 200 includes a pair of side surfaces 202 that are connected to both ends of the arcuate surface 201, are formed flat, and are parallel to the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201; a pair of end surfaces 203 that are connected to the arcuate surface 201 and the pair of side surfaces 202, are formed flat, and are parallel to each other; and a flat bottom surface 204 that is connected to the pair of side surfaces 202 and the pair of end surfaces 203 and is parallel to the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201. The pair of side surfaces 202, the pair of end surfaces 203, and the bottom surface 204, together with the arcuate surface 201, constitute an outer surface 206 of the workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 has holes 205 for positioning the workpiece 200 in each end surface 203. In the first embodiment, the holes 205 are formed in a circular flat shape, and two holes 205 are provided at an interval on each end surface 203.

[0019] (Processing equipment) As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment at least includes a chuck table 10 for fixing a workpiece 200, a processing unit 20 having an axis in the Y direction parallel to the horizontal direction and equipped with a spindle 22 on which a cutting blade 21, which is a processing tool that cuts the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10 while supplying cutting water thereto, an imaging unit 30 for imaging the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, a moving unit 40 which is a moving means for moving the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 relative to each other, and a control unit 100 for controlling each component.

[0020] The moving unit 40 at least includes a rotational drive source (not shown) that rotates the chuck table 10 around an axis parallel to the Z direction parallel to the vertical direction, a processing feed unit 41 that moves the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 relatively in the X direction perpendicular to the Y direction and parallel to the horizontal direction, an index feed unit 42 that moves the chuck table 10 and the processing unit 20 relatively in the Y direction, and a cutting feed unit 43 that cuts and feeds the processing unit 20 in the Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction.

[0021] 1 and 2, the chuck table 10 includes a disk-shaped table body 11 supported by a rotary drive source, a fixed portion 12 provided on the table body 11, and a rotary drive portion 13 provided on the table body 11. The table body 11 has a flat upper surface and is disposed parallel to the horizontal direction. The table body 11 is provided with a recess 111 recessed from the upper surface.

[0022] 2 and 3, the fixed portion 12 includes a support member 121 and a pair of shaft bodies 123. The support member 121 is formed in a straight line, and its longitudinal direction is arranged parallel to the radial direction of the table body 11. The support member 121 is arranged at a position where its longitudinal center portion overlaps with the recess 111 of the table body 11. In the first embodiment, the thickness of the central portion is formed to be thicker than the thickness of both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] A rod 124 is fixed to each of the pair of shaft bodies 123. The pair of shaft bodies 123 are attached to both ends of the support member 121 so that the rods 124 face each other. The rod 124 is formed in a cylindrical shape that is thinner than the shaft bodies 123, and has an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the hole 205.

[0024] Further, two rods 124 are provided on each shaft body 123. The fixing unit 12 fixes the workpiece 200 by inserting the rods 124 of the pair of shaft bodies 123 into holes 205 of the workpiece 200 whose bottom surface 204 is placed on the support member 121. Further, the fixing unit 12 releases the fixation of the workpiece 200 by the rods 124 of the pair of shaft bodies 123 coming out of the holes 205, thereby allowing the workpiece 200 to be removed from the chuck table 10. Note that in the present invention, the rods 124 may be detachable from the shaft body 123, or the rods 124 may be fixed to the workpiece 200 and then fixed to the shaft body 123. Alternatively, rod 124 may be movable forward and backward relative to shaft body 123. In this case, workpiece 200 may be placed on support member 121, and rod 124 may be inserted into hole 205 in workpiece 200. Also, in Fig. 2, the upper end of shaft body 123 is positioned higher than workpiece 200, but in reality, it is preferable that shaft body 123 is formed so that the upper end is lower than workpiece 200 so that cutting blade 21 does not collide with shaft body 123.

[0025] The rotation drive unit 13 rotates the fixed part 12 around a rotation axis 131 (indicated by a dashed line in Figs. 2 and 3) that is parallel to the X direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotation drive unit 13 includes a pair of bearing units 132 that support the fixed part 12 on the table main body 11 so as to be rotatable around the axis 131, and a motor 133 that rotates the fixed part 12 around the axis 131.

[0026] The bearing units 132 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the shaft bodies 123. The bearing units 132 are attached to the table body 11 and support the corresponding shaft bodies 123 rotatably about the axis 131. The motor 133 is attached to the table body 11 and rotates one of the shaft bodies 123 about the axis 131. In the first embodiment, the motor 133 is covered by a waterproof cover 134 which is attached to the table body 11 together with the one of the bearing units 132. The waterproof cover 134 prevents cutting water from adhering to the motor 133.

[0027] The chuck table 10 fixes the workpiece 200 with the fixing part 12, thereby fixing the workpiece 200 with the arc surface 201 exposed. The chuck table 10 rotates the fixing part 12, to which the workpiece 200 is fixed, about the axis 131, thereby fixing the workpiece 200 rotatably around the axis 131. In this manner, the workpiece 200 with the arc surface 201 exposed is fixed to the fixing part 12 rotatably around the axis 131. In addition, in the chuck table 10, as shown in FIG. 4, the center of curvature of the arc surface 201 is the axis 131, which is the rotation axis of the workpiece 200. For this reason, even if the fixing part 12, to which the workpiece 200 is fixed, is rotated about the axis 131, the position in the Z direction, i.e., the height, of the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 does not change.

[0028] The processing unit 20 is a cutting unit that cuts the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10 to form a cut groove 210 in the workpiece 200. The processing unit 20 includes a cutting blade 21, a spindle 22 to which the cutting blade 21 is attached, and a spindle housing 23 that rotatably supports the spindle 22 and is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction by an indexing feed unit 42 and is provided so as to be movable in the Z direction by a cutting feed unit 43. The processing unit 20 is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction by the indexing feed unit 42 and is provided so as to be movable in the Z direction by the cutting feed unit 43 with respect to the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10.

[0029] The machining unit 20 can position the cutting blade 21 at any position on the top surface of the table body 11 of the chuck table 10 by the indexing feed unit 42 and the cutting feed unit 43. The cutting blade 21 is an extremely thin cutting grindstone having a substantially ring shape. The spindle 22 cuts the workpiece 200 by rotating the cutting blade 21. The spindle housing 23 accommodates the spindle 22 so that it can rotate freely around its axis. The machining unit 20 rotatably holds the cutting blade 21 by mounting the cutting blade 21 on the spindle 22. The axes of the spindle 22 and the cutting blade 21 of the machining unit 20 are set parallel to the Y direction.

[0030] The imaging unit 30 is fixed to the processing unit 20 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20. The imaging unit 30 includes an imaging element that images an area to be divided of the workpiece 200 before cutting held on the chuck table 10. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) imaging element or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) imaging element. The imaging unit 30 images the workpiece 200 held on the chuck table 10 to obtain an image for performing alignment to align the workpiece 200 with the cutting blade 21, and outputs the obtained image to the control unit 100.

[0031] 1 which supports the chuck table 10 and the rotary drive source, in the X direction, thereby feeding the chuck table 10 and the machining unit 20 relatively along the X direction. The indexing feed unit 42 indexes and feeds the chuck table 10 and the machining unit 20 relatively along the Y direction by moving the machining unit 20 in the Y direction which is the indexing feed direction. The cutting feed unit 43 cuts and feeds the chuck table 10 and the machining unit 20 relatively along the Z direction by moving the machining unit 20 in the Z direction which is the cutting feed direction.

[0032] The processing feed unit 41, the indexing feed unit 42 and the cutting feed unit 43 each include a well-known ball screw that is rotatable about its axis, a well-known motor that rotates the ball screw about its axis, and a well-known guide rail that supports the chuck table 10 or the processing unit 20 so that it can move freely in the X-direction, Y-direction or Z-direction.

[0033] The processing device 1 also includes an X-direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the chuck table 10 in the X direction, a Y-direction position detection unit (not shown) for detecting the position of the processing unit 20 in the Y direction, and a Z-direction position detection unit for detecting the position of the processing unit 20 in the Z direction. The X-direction position detection unit and the Y-direction position detection unit can be configured with a linear scale parallel to the X direction or the Y direction, and a reading head. The Z-direction position detection unit detects the position of the processing unit 20 in the Z direction by a motor pulse. The X-direction position detection unit, the Y-direction position detection unit, and the Z-direction position detection unit output the position of the chuck table 10 in the X direction and the position of the processing unit 20 in the Y direction or the Z direction to the control unit 100.

[0034] The processing apparatus 1 also includes a reference base 50, a reference position detection means (not shown), and a height measuring device 60. In the first embodiment, the reference base 50 is attached to the moving plate 14. The reference base 50 has a flat reference surface 51 along the horizontal direction.

[0035] The reference position detection means detects the reference position in the Z direction of the cutting blade 21 where the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 contacts the reference surface 51. In the embodiment, the reference position detection means detects the electrical conduction between the cutting blade 21 and the reference base 50 when the cutting blade 21 moved in the Z direction, which is the cutting feed direction, contacts the reference surface 51. When the reference position detection means detects the electrical conduction between the cutting blade 21 and the reference base 50, it outputs a signal indicating that the conduction has been detected to the control unit 100, and the control unit 100 detects the detection result of the Z-direction position detection unit when it receives the signal as the reference position. In this way, the reference surface 51 moves the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 in the Z direction, which is the cutting feed direction, and brings the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 into contact.

[0036] The height measuring device 60 measures the height difference between the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the fixing portion 12. In Embodiment 1, the height measuring device 60 is fixed to the processing unit 20 so as to move integrally with the processing unit 20 in the same manner as the imaging unit 30.

[0037] The height measuring device 60 irradiates laser light toward the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the fixing portion 12, and receives the reflected light of the laser light, thereby detecting the distance to the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the fixed workpiece 200 and outputting the detection result to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 refers to the detection result of the Z-direction position detection unit and detects the positions in the Z direction of the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 based on the detection result of the height measuring device 60. In Embodiment 1, the height measuring device 60 is a non-contact sensor that irradiates laser light to detect the distance, but in the present invention, it is not limited to those that irradiate laser light. In the present invention, the height measuring device 60 may be a so-called contact-type sensor provided with a probe that contacts the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 to detect these positions in the Z direction. In the present invention, a camera may be used as the height measuring device 60, and in that case, the position in the Z-axis direction, which is the height, may be detected using focus adjustment or the like.

[0038] The control unit 100 controls each of the above-mentioned components of the processing device 1 to cause the processing device 1 to perform a processing operation on the workpiece 200. The control unit 100 is a computer having an arithmetic processing device having a microprocessor such as a CPU (central processing unit), a storage device having a memory such as a ROM (read only memory) or a RAM (random access memory), and an input / output interface device. The arithmetic processing device of the control unit 100 performs arithmetic processing according to a computer program stored in the storage device, and outputs control signals for controlling the processing device 1 to the above-mentioned components of the processing device 1 via the input / output interface device.

[0039] The control unit 100 is also connected to a display unit 101, which is configured with a liquid crystal display device or the like that displays the status and images of the machining operation, an input unit 102 that the operator uses to register machining content information, and an alarm unit (not shown). The input unit 102 is configured with a touch panel provided on the display unit 101. The alarm unit emits at least one of sound and light to alarm the operator of the machining device.

[0040] The processing method according to the first embodiment is a method of forming, using a processing device 1, cut grooves 210 parallel to ridges in a circular arc surface 201 having a circular arc shape in cross section on the outer periphery of a workpiece 200, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the circular arc surface 201. The processing method according to the first embodiment is also a method of forming cut grooves 210 extending toward the axis 131 in the cross section perpendicular to the axis 131 in the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the processing method according to the first embodiment includes a workpiece fixing step ST1, a processing step ST2, a rotating step ST4, and a workpiece removing step ST5.

[0042] (Workpiece fixing step) The workpiece fixing step ST1 is a step of fixing the workpiece 200 to the fixing part 12 on the chuck table 10 so as to be rotatable around the axis 131, with the ridge of the arcuate surface 201 aligned along the X-direction. In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 receives processing content information via the input unit 102 and stores it in a storage device, and the chuck table 10 is placed on a rotary drive source by an operator or the like. The processing content information includes the width of the cut grooves 210, the distance between adjacent cut grooves 210, the depth of each cut groove 210 from the arcuate surface 201 to the groove bottom, and the tolerances thereof, and the number of cut grooves 210.

[0043] In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the bottom surface 204 of the workpiece 200 is placed on the support member 121 of the fixing part 12, and the rod 124 of the processing device 1 is extended to insert the rod 124 into the hole 205, thereby fixing the workpiece 200 to the fixing part 12 of the chuck table 10. Thus, in the workpiece fixing step ST1, the workpiece 200 is fixed to the fixing part 12 of the chuck table 10 with the center of the circle formed by the circumferential surface of the arcuate surface 201 coinciding with the axis 131 which is the rotation axis of the fixing part 12.

[0044] In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing device 1 positions the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 on the reference surface 51 of the reference base 50, lowers the cutting blade 21 along the Z direction to contact the reference surface 51, and the control unit 100 detects the reference position and stores it in the storage device. In the workpiece processing step ST2, the processing device 1 positions the height measuring device 60 on the reference surface 51 of the reference base 50, measures the distance to the reference surface 51 with the height measuring device 60, and the control unit 100 detects the position of the reference surface 51 in the Z direction from the detection results of the height measuring device 60 and the Z direction position detection unit, and stores it in the storage device.

[0045] In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing apparatus 1 positions the height measuring device 60 above the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, measures the distance to the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 with the height measuring device 60, and the control unit 100 detects the Z-direction position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 from the detection results of the height measuring device 60 and the Z-direction position detection unit, and stores it in the storage device. Thus, in the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 measures the distance to the reference surface 51 with the height measuring device 60, and thereby determines the Z-direction position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 based on the Z-direction position of the reference surface 51. In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the control unit 100 detects the difference in height between the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 from the Z-direction position of the reference surface 51 and the Z-direction position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200.

[0046] In the workpiece fixing step ST1, the processing device 1 positions the imaging unit 30 above the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10, causes the imaging unit 30 to capture an image of the workpiece 200 on the chuck table 10, and controls the rotation drive source to perform alignment between the workpiece 200 and the cutting blade 21 so that the ridge of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, i.e., the axis 131 which is the rotation axis of the rotation drive unit 13, is positioned parallel to the X direction.

[0047] (Processing step, rotation step) FIG. 6 is an end view of a workpiece showing the first machining step of the machining method shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an end view of a workpiece showing the machining step after the machining method shown in FIG. 5 is repeated multiple times. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a workpiece in which a cutting groove is formed in a machining step after the machining method shown in FIG. 5 is repeated multiple times. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a workpiece in which the workpiece shown in FIG. 8 is rotated by a predetermined angle in a rotation step of the machining method shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a workpiece in which a cutting groove is formed in a machining step on a circular arc surface of the workpiece shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is an end view of a workpiece after the last machining step of the machining method shown in FIG. 5.

[0048] Processing step ST2 is a step of forming a cutting groove 210 along the X direction in the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10. In processing step ST2, the fixing part 12 is rotated around the axis so that the position where the cutting groove 210 is first formed in the workpiece 200 fixed to the chuck table 10 is located at the upper end of the arcuate surface 201.

[0049] In processing step ST2, cutting water is supplied to the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 while the cutting blade 21 is rotated by the spindle 22, and the workpiece 200 is positioned relative to the cutting blade 21 so that the position where the first cutting groove 210 is formed in the workpiece 200 is aligned in the X direction with respect to the cutting blade 21.

[0050] In processing step ST2, when a processing start command is received from the input unit 102, the cutting feed unit 43 is controlled based on the reference position, the height of the reference surface 51 in the Z direction, the Z direction position of the upper end of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, the detection result of the Z direction position detection unit, etc., to position the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 to a position in the Z direction where a cutting groove 210 of the depth determined by the processing content information can be formed. Thus, in processing step ST2, the processing device 1 determines the Z direction positions of the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 and the arcuate surface 201 based on the Z direction position of the reference surface 51, and controls the cutting depth of the cutting blade 21 into the arcuate surface 201. In processing step ST2, the processing device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in one direction in the X direction using the processing feed unit 41 toward the cutting blade 21, and causes the cutting blade 21 to cut into the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, as shown in Figure 6, to form a cutting groove 210.

[0051] In the processing method, when the processing device 1 forms the cut grooves 210 over the entire length of the workpiece 200 in the X direction, it determines whether or not all the cut grooves 210 defined in the processing content information have been formed (step ST3). In the processing method, if it is determined that all the cut grooves 210 defined in the processing content information have not been formed (step ST3: No), the processing method proceeds to a rotation step ST4.

[0052] The rotation step ST4 is a step of rotating the workpiece 200 by a predetermined angle after the processing step ST2 is performed. In the rotation step ST4, the processing device 1 once raises the cutting blade 21 to a position in the Z direction where the cutting blade 21 does not contact the arc surface 201. In addition, in the rotation step ST4, the processing device 1 rotates the workpiece 200 by a predetermined angle using the rotation drive unit 13 such that the interval between the cut groove 210 already formed and the cut groove 210 to be formed next becomes the interval between the cut grooves 210 determined by the processing content information, and returns to the processing step ST2. Thus, in the rotation step ST4, the control unit 100 rotates the fixed part 12 by a predetermined angle after forming the cut groove 210 along the X direction by the processing unit 20 on the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200, whose ridge of the arc surface 201 is fixed to the fixed part 12 along the X direction.

[0053] In the second or later processing step ST2, the processing device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in the other direction opposite to the one direction in the X direction, and then positions the workpiece 200 relative to the cutting blade 21 at a position where the position where the cutting groove 210 is formed next to the workpiece 200 is aligned in the X direction with respect to the rotating cutting blade 21. In the second or later processing step ST2, as in the first processing step ST2, the cutting feed unit 43 is controlled to position the lower end of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 21 of the processing unit 20 at a position in the Z direction where the cutting groove 210 of the depth determined by the processing content information can be formed. In the second or later processing step ST2, the processing device 1 moves the chuck table 10 in one direction in the X direction by the processing feed unit 41 in a direction approaching the cutting blade 21, and cuts the cutting blade 21 into the circular arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 to form the cutting groove 210.

[0054] In this way, in the processing method, the processing device 1 forms a plurality of cut grooves 210 in the arc surface 201 with the width, depth, and intervals determined by the processing content information, as shown in FIG. 7. After forming the cut grooves 210 at the upper end of the arc surface 201 in the processing step ST2, as shown in FIG. 8, the processing device 1 rotates the workpiece 200 by a predetermined angle in the rotation step ST4, as shown in FIG. 9, to position the position at which the next cut groove 210 is to be formed on the arc surface 201 at the upper end, and forms the next cut groove 210 at the upper end of the arc surface 201 in the next processing step ST2, as shown in FIG. 10. In this way, the processing device 1 repeats the processing step ST2 and the rotation step ST4 until all the cut grooves 210 determined by the processing content information are formed. Note that in FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10, the cut grooves 210 are shown in white, and the arc surface 201 where the cut grooves 210 are not formed is shown in shaded areas.

[0055] In addition, in the processing method of the first embodiment, every time a predetermined number of cut grooves 210 are formed, that is, after performing the processing step ST2 a predetermined number of times, the quality of the cut grooves 210 is judged. When judging the quality of the cut grooves 210, the imaging unit 30 is positioned above the workpiece 200 in which the cut grooves 210 are formed, and the imaging unit 30 captures the workpiece 200 in which the cut grooves 210 are formed. The control unit 100 performs well-known image processing on the image captured by the imaging unit 30 to extract the cut grooves 210, and judges whether the width of the cut grooves 210, the interval between the cut grooves 210, etc. exceed the allowable value, whether the cut grooves 210 are tilted, etc. If the control unit 100 judges that the allowable value has not been exceeded and that the cut grooves 210 have not been tilted, the process proceeds to the rotation step ST4. If the control unit 100 judges that the allowable value has been exceeded or that the cut grooves have been tilted, the notification unit is operated to notify the operator, and the processing method is temporarily stopped.

[0056] 11, when it is determined that all the cut grooves 210 defined in the processing content information have been formed (step ST3: Yes), the processing method proceeds to workpiece removal step ST5. The cut grooves 210 thus formed are formed by cutting the cutting blade 21 into the upper end of the arc surface 201, and therefore extend toward the axis 131 in the cross section of the workpiece 200.

[0057] (Workpiece removal step) Workpiece removal step ST5 is a step of removing the workpiece 200 from the chuck table 10 after the processing step ST2 and the rotation step ST4 are performed. In workpiece removal step ST5, the processing device 1 once raises the cutting blade 21 to a position in the Z direction where it does not contact the arcuate surface 201, and then moves the chuck table 10 away from below the processing unit 20 and retracts the rod 124. An operator or the like removes the workpiece 200 with the cut groove 210 formed therein from the chuck table 10, and the processing method ends.

[0058] As described above, in the processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to the first embodiment, the rotary drive unit 13 of the chuck table 10 rotates the workpiece 200 around the axis 131 that coincides with the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed by the fixing unit 12. As a result, the processing apparatus 1 and processing method can form the cut grooves 210 with the same cutting depth along the ridges of the arcuate surface 201 of the workpiece 200, and can form the cut grooves 210 toward the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 201 in the cross section of the arcuate surface 201.

[0059] In addition, the processing device 1 is equipped with a reference base 50 having a reference surface 51 with which the cutting blade 21 can contact, and a height measuring device 60 capable of measuring the Z-direction height between the reference surface 51 and the upper end of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200, so that the cutting depth of the cutting blade 21 into the workpiece 200 can be easily controlled.

[0060] [Embodiment 2] A processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a fixing unit and a rotation drive unit of a chuck table of the processing device according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 12, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] The processing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2 is the same as embodiment 1, except that the fixed portion 12 of the chuck table 10 is fixed to the longitudinal center of the support member 121, the holding unit 15 holds the workpiece 200, and the holding unit 15 is provided with a hole 205 through which the rod 124 enters.

[0062] In the processing apparatus 1 and processing method of embodiment 2, the rotation drive unit 13 of the chuck table 10 rotates the workpiece 200 around the axis 131 that coincides with the center of curvature of the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200 fixed by the fixing unit 12, so as in embodiment 1, it is possible to form a cutting groove 210 in the arc surface 201 having an arc-shaped cross section toward the center of curvature of the arc surface 201.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments, the processing device 1 is a cutting device. However, in the present invention, the processing device is not limited to a cutting device, and may be, for example, a laser processing device that irradiates a laser beam having an absorbent wavelength to the workpiece 200 to form a laser groove, which is a processing mark, on the arc surface 201 of the workpiece 200. In this case, the laser beam application unit that irradiates the laser beam corresponds to the lowering unit and the processing tool.

[0064] In addition, in the present invention, the method of fixing the workpiece 200 by the fixing part 12 is not limited to those described in the first and second embodiments. For example, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 may not include the shaft body 123, but may allow the rod 124, which can enter the hole 205, to advance and retreat by a spring (not shown), and may fix the workpiece 200 by inserting the rod 124 into the hole 205 by the biasing force of the spring. In addition, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 may include a pair of abutting members that abut against both end faces 203 of the workpiece 200, and a spring or the like that biases each abutting member toward the workpiece 200, and may clamp and fix the workpiece 200 between the pair of abutting members by the biasing force of the spring. In addition, in the present invention, the fixing part 12 may include a permanent magnet or the like embedded in the center of the support member 121, and may fix the bottom surface 204 of the workpiece 200 by attracting it to the surface of the support member 121 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet. In addition, in the present invention, the fixing portion 12 may have a suction hole connected to a vacuum suction source in the center of the support member 121, and the vacuum suction source may fix the workpiece 200 by sucking and holding the bottom surface 204 superimposed on the center of the support member 121 through the suction hole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 Processing equipment 10 Chuck table 12 Fixed part 20 Processing unit (cutting unit) 21 Cutting blade (machining tool) 22 Spindle 41 Processing feed unit 42 Indexing feed unit 43 Cutting feed unit 50 Standards Based 51 Reference plane 60 Height Measuring Instrument 100 Control Unit 131 Axial center 200 Workpiece 201 Circular surface 206 External surface 210 Cutting groove (machining mark) ST1 Workpiece fixing step ST2 Processing step ST4 Rotation Step ST5 Workpiece removal step

Claims

1. A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among an outer surface of a workpiece, comprising: A chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit which forms processing marks on a workpiece fixed to a chuck table; a processing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging a workpiece fixed to the chuck table; A control unit for controlling each of the components, The chuck table is a workpiece having an exposed arcuate surface is rotatably fixed about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and the workpiece is fixed to a fixing portion such that a center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; The control unit After forming the machining mark along the X direction by the machining unit on the arc surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing part, the ridge of the arc surface being along the X direction, The fixing portion is rotated by a predetermined angle, The processing device determines, each time a predetermined number of the processing marks are formed, whether or not the width of the processing marks exceeds an allowable value, whether or not the spacing between the processing marks exceeds an allowable value, or whether or not the processing marks are tilted, based on an image obtained by imaging the processing marks formed on the arcuate surface of the workpiece with the imaging unit.

2. A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among an outer surface of a workpiece, comprising: A chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit which forms processing marks on a workpiece fixed to a chuck table; a processing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging a workpiece fixed to the chuck table; A control unit for controlling each of the components, The chuck table is a workpiece having an exposed arcuate surface is rotatably fixed about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and the workpiece is fixed to a fixing portion such that a center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; the fixing portion includes a rod for fixing the workpiece by being inserted into a hole provided in an end surface of the workpiece that is continuous with the arcuate surface of the outer surface of the workpiece; The control unit After forming the machining mark along the X direction by the machining unit on the arc surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing part, the ridge of the arc surface being along the X direction, The fixing portion is rotated by a predetermined angle, The processing device judges the quality of the processed marks based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the processed marks are formed.

3. A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among an outer surface of a workpiece, comprising: A chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit which forms processing marks on a workpiece fixed to a chuck table; a processing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging a workpiece fixed to the chuck table; A control unit for controlling each of the components, The chuck table is a workpiece having an exposed arcuate surface is rotatably fixed about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and the workpiece is fixed to a fixing portion such that a center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; the fixing portion includes a holding unit that holds the workpiece and has a hole on an end surface of the end in the X direction, and a rod that is inserted into the hole to fix the workpiece; The control unit After forming the machining mark along the X direction by the machining unit on the arc surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing part, the ridge of the arc surface being along the X direction, The fixing portion is rotated by a predetermined angle, The processing device judges the quality of the processed marks based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the processed marks are formed.

4. A processing device for processing an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section among an outer surface of a workpiece, comprising: A chuck table for fixing the workpiece; a processing unit which forms processing marks on a workpiece fixed to a chuck table; a processing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in an X direction; an indexing feed unit that relatively moves the chuck table and the processing unit in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; a cutting feed unit for cutting the processing unit in a Z direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction; an imaging unit for imaging a workpiece fixed to the chuck table; A control unit for controlling each of the components, The chuck table is a workpiece having an exposed arcuate surface is rotatably fixed about an axis in the X direction as a rotation axis, and the workpiece is fixed to a fixing portion such that a center of a circle formed by the arcuate surface coincides with the rotation axis; The chuck table has a recessed portion formed on an upper surface thereof, the fixing portion includes a support member arranged at a position where a central portion in a longitudinal direction on which the workpiece is placed overlaps with the recessed portion, The control unit After forming the machining mark along the X direction by the machining unit on the arc surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing part, the ridge of the arc surface being along the X direction, The fixing portion is rotated by a predetermined angle, The processing device judges the quality of the processed marks based on an image obtained by imaging the workpiece with the imaging unit every time a predetermined number of the processed marks are formed.

5. The processing unit is a cutting unit having an axis in the Y direction and including a spindle to which a cutting blade is attached, A reference base having a reference surface with which the cutting blade of the processing unit is moved in a cutting feed direction and the tip of the cutting blade comes into contact; a height measuring device for measuring a difference in height between the reference surface and an upper end of the arc surface of the workpiece fixed to the fixing portion, 5. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the tip of the cutting blade and the arcuate surface is calculated based on the height of the reference surface, and the cutting depth of the cutting blade into the arcuate surface is controlled.

6. A processing method for forming a processing mark on an arcuate surface having an arcuate cross section of an outer surface of a workpiece by using the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the steps of: a workpiece fixing step of rotatably fixing the workpiece to the fixing portion of the chuck table such that the ridge of the arcuate surface is aligned along the X direction; a machining step of forming a machining mark along an X direction on the arcuate surface of the workpiece fixed to the chuck table; a rotating step of rotating the workpiece by the predetermined angle after the processing step is performed; and a workpiece removing step of removing the workpiece from the chuck table after the machining step and the rotating step are performed.

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