Machine tool, and method for manufacturing machine tool

Abstract

To provide a machine tool whose configuration can easily be changed in the cases of use of a gas or a liquid as a medium for cleaning, and a manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: A machine tool includes: a solenoid valve unit provided with plural solenoid valves; a controller for controlling the solenoid valves; a gas supply part for supplying a gas to the solenoid valves; and a gas transportation member for transporting the gas supplied from the gas supply part via an arbitrary solenoid valve. When a gas nozzle for executing cleaning with a gas is attached, the gas transportation member is attached to the gas nozzle and the controller controls the arbitrary solenoid valve to inject the gas from the gas nozzle. When a liquid nozzle for executing cleaning with a liquid is attached, the gas transportation member is connected to a gas operation valve and the controller controls the arbitrary solenoid valve to open and close the gas operation valve. A tip of the gas transportation member is configured so as to be connectable to both of the gas nozzle and the gas operation valve via a connector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to switching of media used for cleaning machine tools.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various machine tools for cleaning chips adhering to tools with a cleaning liquid have been proposed. Patent Document 1 below describes a machine tool equipped with a cleaning mechanism that injects the cleaning liquid stored in a tank from two nozzles. This cleaning mechanism filters the used cleaning liquid stored in the first tank through the first and second filters and stores it in a storage tank. Also, the cleaning mechanism filters the cleaning liquid stored in the first tank through the second filter and stores it in the second tank. The cleaning mechanism injects the cleaning liquid stored in each of the storage tank and the second tank from each of the two nozzles onto the tool or the workpiece.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in addition to the method using the above-mentioned liquid, there is a method using gas for cleaning the workpiece or the tool. If a liquid is used as the injection medium, not only can the chips be washed away, but lubrication and cooling can also be performed. On the other hand, among the workpieces to be processed, there are those that do not want to be wetted with liquid and those that do not want to lower the temperature as much as possible from the viewpoint of hardening of metal by cooling. Since both liquid and gas media have advantages and disadvantages, at the design stage of the machine tool or at the stage where the user uses it, a choice is made between using liquid or gas as the medium to be used. However, the machine tool of Patent Document 1 described above is a machine tool specialized in using liquid as the cleaning mechanism. For this reason, a machine tool that can more easily use both liquid and gas is desired.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a machine tool and a method for manufacturing a machine tool that can more easily execute a configuration change between the case of using gas and the case of using liquid as the medium used for cleaning.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, this specification discloses a machine tool comprising a solenoid valve unit having a plurality of solenoid valves, a control unit for controlling the opening and closing operations of the plurality of solenoid valves, a gas supply unit connected to each of the plurality of solenoid valves for supplying gas to the plurality of solenoid valves, and a gas transport member having a base end connected to an arbitrary one of the plurality of solenoid valves for transporting the gas supplied from the gas supply unit through the arbitrary solenoid valve. When a gas nozzle for cleaning at least one of a workpiece and a tool with the gas is attached to the machine tool, the tip of the gas transport member is attached to the gas nozzle, and the control unit controls the arbitrary solenoid valve to inject the gas supplied from the gas supply unit from the gas nozzle. When a liquid nozzle for cleaning at least one of the workpiece and the tool with a liquid is attached to the machine tool, the tip of the gas transport member is connected to a gas operation valve, and the control unit controls the arbitrary solenoid valve to open and close the gas operation valve. The gas operation valve is a switching valve connected between a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid and the liquid nozzle, and the tip of the gas transport member is configured to be connectable to both the gas nozzle and the gas operation valve via a connector.

[0007] In addition, the content of the present disclosure is not limited to implementation as a machine tool, and it is extremely beneficial to implement it as a manufacturing method of a machine tool including a solenoid valve unit, a control unit, and a gas supply unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the machine tool of the present disclosure, when using gas as the medium for cleaning, by connecting the tip of the gas transfer member to the gas nozzle via a connector, the gas supplied from the gas supply device can be ejected from the gas nozzle to clean the workpiece or the like. Further, when using liquid as the medium for cleaning, the tip is connected to the gas-operated valve via a connector. The operating valve is opened by the gas supplied from the gas supply device, and the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit can be ejected from the liquid nozzle to clean the workpiece or the like. Therefore, the configuration can be changed more easily when using gas and when using liquid as the medium for cleaning.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the machine tool of the present application is embodied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The content of the present disclosure is not limited to implementation as a machine tool, but can also be implemented as a manufacturing method of a machine tool. In the following description, first, the case of implementing as a machine tool will be described, and then the case of implementing as a manufacturing method of a machine tool will be described.

[0011] (Machine Tool) Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the machine tool 10 of the present embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the machine tool 10 includes a control device 11, a processing device 13, a work holding device 15, a work transfer device 17, an inlet device 19, an outlet device 21, a table device 23, an operation panel 25, a solenoid valve unit 27, an air supply device 29, a coolant supply device 31, and the like. The control device 11 is a processing device including, for example, a CPU 33, a memory 35, etc., and executes numerical control and sequence control to comprehensively control the machine tool 10. The control device 11 is attached to, for example, a control panel provided with a breaker or the like for switching the power supplied to each device of the machine tool 10. Incidentally, the control device 11 may be configured to be provided at a location different from the control panel.

[0012] The memory 35 includes, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, etc. Various control programs and setting data are stored in the memory 35. The control program mentioned here is, for example, a program (such as an NC program) for controlling the processing device 13, the work transfer device 17, the solenoid valve unit 27, etc. described later. Also, the setting data is, for example, the set value of the pressure of the air supplied from the air supply device 29, the set value of the pressure of the coolant supplied from the coolant supply device 31, etc. The control device 11 controls the operations of the respective devices of the machine tool 10 while executing the control program stored in the memory 35 by the CPU 33 and referring to the setting data in the memory 35.

[0013] The processing device 13 is, for example, a lathe-type processing device and includes a turret to which tools (such as cutting tools and rotary tools) can be attached. Further, the work holding device 15 includes, for example, a plurality of jaws for chucking the work and rotates about the spindle with the work chucked. The processing device 13 performs processing on the work held by the work holding device 15. Note that the processing device 13 is not limited to a lathe-type processing device. For example, the processing device 13 may be a milling machine-type processing device that rotates tools such as drills and end mills, or a machining center-type processing device equipped with an ATC (automatic tool change function). In this case, the work holding device 15 may be a chuck device that fixes the position of the work with respect to the rotating tool of the processing device 13. Also, the number of processing devices 13 provided in the machine tool 10 is not limited to one, and two or more may be provided. Therefore, the machine tool 10 may include one or a plurality of processing spaces. And air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 described later may be provided for each of the plurality of processing devices 13 and processing spaces. Further, the processing device 13 may be configured to have both the functions of a lathe and a machining center.

[0014] The work transfer device 17 is, for example, a gantry-type work transfer device and includes a head for chucking the work, an X-axis slide mechanism for moving the head in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis slide mechanism for moving the head in the Z-axis direction, and the like. The work transfer device 17 performs the transfer of the work with the work holding device 15. The inlet device 19 is, for example, a device that receives the work from the previous-process machine tool and transfers it to the work transfer device 17. The work transfer device 17 transfers the work received from the inlet device 19 to the work holding device 15. Also, the outlet device 21 is a device that performs the transfer of the work with the next-process machine tool. The work transfer device 17 receives the work that has been processed by the processing device 13 from the work holding device 15 and transfers it to the outlet device 21. The stage device 23 is a device that includes a stage or the like on which the work processed by the processing device 13 is placed in order to check the processing state of the work and the like. The control device 11, for example, when there is an instruction from the user or every predetermined number of processing times, places the work that has been processed by the processing device 13 on the stage of the stage device 23 by the work transfer device 17.

[0015] Furthermore, the configurations of the workpiece transfer device 17, the inlet device 19, the outlet device 21, and the table device 23 described above are merely examples. For example, the machine tool 10 may be provided with an inversion device that inverts the workpiece received from the workpiece transfer device 17 and delivers it to a subsequent machine tool as a device for transferring workpieces between different machine tools. Additionally, the machine tool 10 may not be provided with the table device 23 and may be provided with a workpiece discharge chute for discharging defective workpieces.

[0016] The operation panel 25 is a user interface equipped with a touch panel, operation switches, etc. The operation panel 25 executes the display of information related to the machine tool 10 based on the control of the control device 11. Also, the operation panel 25 receives operation inputs from the user and outputs a signal corresponding to the received operation input to the control device 11.

[0017] (Workpiece and Tool Cleaning Mechanism) The machine tool 10 of this embodiment is provided with a mechanism for cleaning workpieces and tools (hereinafter referred to as workpieces, etc.). FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the mechanism for cleaning workpieces, etc. The machine tool 10 is provided with a plurality of air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 as a mechanism for cleaning. Note that FIG. 2 shows only one set of air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 in order to avoid making the drawing complicated. Also, as will be described later, the machine tool 10 can selectively connect one hose 49 to the air nozzle 41 or the coolant nozzle 43 by the user changing the connection of the hose 49. For this reason, in FIG. 2, as an example, the hose 49 connected to the air nozzle 41 is shown by a solid line, and the hose 49 connected to the coolant nozzle 43 (coolant valve 51) is shown by a dashed line.

[0018] The machine tool 10 is configured such that the user can switch between a configuration in which air is jetted from the air nozzle 41 to clean the workpiece or the like (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the air method), and a configuration in which coolant is jetted from the coolant nozzle 43 to clean the workpiece or the like (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the coolant method). That is, the machine tool 10 can switch the medium for cleaning the workpiece or the like between air and coolant. Air is an example of the gas of the present disclosure. Coolant is an example of the liquid of the present disclosure. Note that the gas and liquid of the present disclosure are not particularly limited. For example, the gas is not limited to a mixture of multiple types of gases such as air, and may be a single type of gas such as nitrogen. Further, the liquid is not limited to a liquid that can be used for lubrication and cooling in addition to cleaning such as coolant, and may be a cleaning liquid specialized for cleaning. Alternatively, the liquid may be a liquid in which a gas (such as a micronano valve) is mixed with the coolant or the cleaning liquid.

[0019] In addition, the installation locations of the air nozzle 41 and the coolant nozzle 43, that is, the locations within the machine tool 10 where cleaning of the workpiece or the like is performed are not particularly limited. For example, the machine tool 10 performs cleaning of the workpiece before loading, before processing, after processing, and before unloading. Specifically, the air nozzle 41 or the coolant nozzle 43 is attached at a position where the workpiece received from the inlet device 19 by the workpiece transfer device 17 passes. Further, the air nozzle 41 or the like may be attached at a position in the processing space of the processing device 13 or at a position where the workpiece received from the processing device 13 by the workpiece transfer device 17 passes. Alternatively, the air nozzle 41 or the like may be attached to the outlet device 21 or the mounting device 23, that is, a device that discharges to the outside of the device or near the device. Further, when the machine tool 10 includes a plurality of processing devices 13, the air nozzle 41 or the like may be attached to a path for transferring the workpiece from an arbitrary processing device 13 to another processing device 13. That is, cleaning of the workpiece transferred between the plurality of processing devices 13 may be performed.

[0020] Further, for example, if the processing device 13 is a lathe-type processing device, the air nozzle 41 or the like may be attached to a position where the tool attached to the turret can be cleaned. Further, for example, if the processing device 13 is a machining center-type processing device, the air nozzle 41 or the like may be attached to a position where the tool taken in and out by the automatic tool changer can be cleaned.

[0021] As described above, in the machine tool 10, air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 are attached to a plurality of installation locations within the device. For example, in the machine tool 10, a combination of an air nozzle 41 and a coolant nozzle 43 is provided at each installation location. And the air nozzle 41 and the coolant nozzle 43 at each installation location can be connected to the solenoid valve unit 27. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the solenoid valve unit 27 is a so-called manifold assembly, which is a device in which a plurality of solenoid valves 27A are unitized. An air supply device 29 is connected to the input port 27B of the solenoid valve unit 27.

[0022] The air supply device 29 includes, for example, a compressor, a switching valve, etc., and supplies air at a predetermined pressure P1 to the input port 27B based on the control of the control device 11. The control device 11 adjusts the pressure of the air supplied from the air supply device 29 to the pressure P1 based on, for example, the setting data set in the memory 35. This pressure P1 is a pressure equal to or higher than the pilot pressure P2 required to open the coolant valve 51 described later. Further, the air supply device 29 switches the start and stop of the air supply based on the control of the control device 11. The air supply device 29 is an example of the gas supply unit of the present disclosure. Note that the machine tool 10 may not include the air supply device 29. For example, the machine tool 10 may receive air supply from an air compressor in the factory (outside the machine) where the machine tool 10 is installed and supply it to the solenoid valve unit 27. In this case, the connection connector of the machine tool 10 connected to the air compressor in the factory is an example of the gas supply unit of the present disclosure.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 11 includes an I / OIF (abbreviation for interface) 45 that connects to external devices. The solenoid valve unit 27 is connected to the I / OIF 45 via a communication cable 47, and the opening and closing operations of each of the plurality of solenoid valves 27A are controlled based on the control of the control device 11. The communication cable 47 is a communication cable capable of communication conforming to the communication standard of a predetermined fieldbus (which can also be called a field network). The control device 11 functions as, for example, a master in the fieldbus and controls each of the plurality of slave solenoid valves 27A by fieldbus communication. The communication standard of the predetermined fieldbus is, for example, IO-Link (registered trademark). Thereby, the communication cable 47 connecting the control device 11 and the solenoid valve unit 27 can preferably be reduced to one or less, and the mechanism for cleaning can be simplified.

[0024] Note that the communication standard of the fieldbus of the present disclosure is not limited to IO-Link (registered trademark), and other communication standards such as EtherCAT (registered trademark), PROFINET (registered trademark), and MECHATROLINK (registered trademark)-III can be adopted. Also, the control device 11 and the solenoid valve unit 27 do not necessarily have to be connected by the fieldbus communication cable 47. For example, a multi-core cable directly connected to the control terminals provided in each of the plurality of solenoid valves 27A can be used as the communication cable 47, and the solenoid valves 27A can be individually controlled by multi-core cable communication without using a fieldbus.

[0025] The solenoid valve unit 27 is formed with, for example, a flow path (not shown) connected to the input port 27B. Each solenoid valve 27A has its input side connected to this flow path. Hoses 49 are respectively connected to the output ports 27D of each solenoid valve 27A. The hose 49 is formed of, for example, vinyl chloride or rubber and has a cylindrical shape capable of transporting air. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the machine tool 10 includes a coolant valve 51 connected to the coolant nozzle 43. The coolant valve 51 is a so-called air-operated switching valve, and its opening and closing are controlled according to the supply of operating air. The coolant valve 51, for example, closes the flow path in its normal state and opens the valve when air with a predetermined pilot pressure P2 or higher is supplied to the operating connector.

[0026] One end (base end side) of the hose 49 is connected to the output port 27D of the solenoid valve unit 27, and the other end (tip end side) is connected to the air nozzle 41 or the coolant valve 51. The output ports 27D of each solenoid valve unit 27 are provided with so-called one-touch joints. By inserting the base end portion of the hose 49, it becomes in a locked state, and by operating the locking mechanism, the lock of the hose 49 is released. Similarly, a connector 41A is provided on the input side of the air nozzle 41. Also, a connector 51A is provided on the connector for inputting the operating air of the coolant valve 51. The connectors 41A and 51A are so-called one-touch joints, and the tip end portion of the hose 49 can be easily attached and detached. Note that the above-described connection configuration of the hose 49 is an example. The output port 27D may be configured such that the hose 49 cannot be removed with one touch. For example, the output port 27D may be configured to fix the base end portion of the hose 49 with a screw or a metal fixing fixture.

[0027] The coolant valve 51 is connected to the coolant supply device 31 on the input side and to the coolant nozzle 43 on the output side. The coolant supply device 31 includes, for example, a pump for sending out coolant, a coolant tank for storing used coolant and removing foreign substances, and the like. The coolant is used not only for cleaning workpieces and tools but also for lubrication and cooling. For example, after the coolant is washed away together with chips and the like in the machining space of the machining device 13, the chips are removed by the coolant tank, and then the coolant is recovered by the pump and reused. Incidentally, the coolant supply device 31 may include a cooler or the like for cooling the coolant in addition to the coolant tank and the pump.

[0028] The set of air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 shown in FIG. 2 are arranged at the same installation location, for example, in the processing space of the processing apparatus 13. Similarly, although not shown, combinations of air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 connected to a plurality of other solenoid valves 27A are also arranged at different installation locations for each set. Taking the air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 shown in FIG. 2 as an example, when the hose 49 is arranged from the output port 27D of an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A to the connector 41A of the air nozzle 41, the length of the hose 49 is equal to or greater than the first length L1 required to arrange the hose 49 within the machine (see the solid line in FIG. 2). Further, when the hose 49 is arranged from the same output port 27D to the connector 51A of the coolant valve 51, the length of the hose 49 is equal to or greater than the second length L2 required to arrange the hose 49 within the machine (see the dashed line in FIG. 2). That is, for the air nozzles 41 and coolant nozzles 43 at the same installation location, the hose 49 has a length equal to or greater than the length that can be arranged for either the air nozzle 41 or the coolant valve 51 connected to the coolant nozzle 43. For this reason, when the user selects the air method, the user can easily change the medium used for cleaning by connecting the hose 49 to the connector 41A, and when the user selects the coolant method, the user can connect the hose 49 to the connector 51A. The hose 49 is an example of the gas transport member of the present disclosure. Note that the gas transport member of the present disclosure is not limited to a hose, and may be other members capable of transporting gas, such as metal piping. Further, the gas transport member of the present disclosure may have a configuration in which a part is formed of vinyl chloride or rubber and another part is formed of metal.

[0029] Based on the control program stored in the memory 35, the control device 11 injects a medium (air or coolant) from the air nozzle 41 or the coolant nozzle 43 in a predetermined operation step of the machine tool 10. When injecting air, the user connects an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A and the air nozzle 41 with a hose 49. The control device 11 opens an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A in a predetermined operation step, supplies air at pressure P1 from the air supply device 29 to the air nozzle 41, and can inject air from the air nozzle 41 toward the workpiece or the like to perform cleaning and cooling. Further, the control device 11 stops the supply of air from the air supply device 29 or closes an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A to stop the injection of air from the air nozzle 41.

[0030] Also, when injecting coolant, the user connects an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A and a coolant valve 51 with a hose 49 (refer to the arrow in Fig. 2). For example, the user removes the tip of the hose 49 from the connector 41A and reconnects the hose 49 to the connector 51A of the coolant valve 51 connected to the coolant nozzle 43 arranged at the installation location of the air nozzle 41 (at the same installation location). The control device 11 supplies air from the air supply device 29 in a predetermined operation process and opens an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A, thereby supplying air at pressure P1 to the coolant valve 51 via the solenoid valve 27A. As described above, this pressure P1 is set to a pressure equal to or higher than the pilot pressure P2 required to open the coolant valve 51. Therefore, the coolant valve 51 is in an open state by supplying air at pressure P1 to the operating connector 51A. The control device 11 controls the coolant supply device 31 to supply coolant at a predetermined pressure from the coolant supply device 31, and can inject the coolant from the coolant nozzle 43 to clean, lubricate, and cool the workpiece or the like. Further, the control device 11 closes the coolant valve 51 and stops the injection of the coolant from the coolant nozzle 43 by stopping the supply of air from the air supply device 29 or closing an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A. In the above-described configuration, it is not necessary to change the pressure P1 of the air supplied from the air supply device 29 between the air method and the coolant method. Therefore, the control content for the control device 11 to control the air supply device 29 can be unified for both the air method and the coolant method.

[0031] Here, there are respective advantages and disadvantages when using a gas such as the air method and when using a liquid such as the coolant method. For example, if air is used, the workpiece and the tool can be cleaned without wetting them. Also, if coolant is used, the chips can be washed away and lubrication can be performed. Therefore, a method that can more easily switch between the air method and the coolant method is required at the user's usage stage and at the manufacturing and design stages of the machine tool 10 described later.

[0032] As described above, the machine tool 10 includes an air nozzle 41, a coolant nozzle 43, a coolant supply device 31, and a coolant valve 51. Further, the hose 49 has a length equal to or greater than a first length L1 required for arranging from the solenoid valve 27A to the air nozzle 41, and a length equal to or greater than a second length L2 required for arranging from the solenoid valve 27A to the coolant valve 51. Each of the air nozzle 41 and the coolant valve 51 has connectors 41A and 51A to which the tip of the hose 49 can be connected. According to this, at the usage stage of the machine tool 10, the user can easily switch the medium to be used by reconnecting the hose 49 with the air nozzle 41 and the coolant valve 51. Further, even if the installation locations (such as the machining space and the inlet device) of the air nozzle 41 and the coolant nozzle 43 (coolant valve 51) connected to the same solenoid valve 27A are different, by ensuring a length of the hose 49 equal to or greater than the first lengths L1 and L2, the user can smoothly reconnect the air nozzle 41 and the coolant valve 51 without replacing or extending the hose 49.

[0033] Further, the control device 11 is connected to the solenoid valve unit 27 via a field bus, and controls the opening and closing operations of a plurality of solenoid valves 27A by communication of the field bus. Thereby, the wiring connecting the control device 11 and the solenoid valve unit 27 can be reduced, and the structure of the machine tool 10 can be simplified.

[0034] (Manufacturing method) Next, a manufacturing method of the above-described machine tool 10 will be described. The machine tool 10 of the above embodiment has a configuration including both the air nozzle 41 and the coolant nozzle 43, but the manufacturing method of the present disclosure can also be applied as a method for manufacturing the machine tool 10 including at least one of the air nozzle 41 and the coolant nozzle 43. That is, the machine tool 10 manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure may be a machine tool 10 having only one function of the air method or the coolant method.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows the cleaning mechanism of the machine tool 10 of the comparative example. The cleaning mechanism of FIG. 3 is configured without using the solenoid valve unit 27 and the coolant valve 51 shown in FIG. 2. In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 11 is connected to a terminal 63 via a multi-core cable 61. The terminal 63 has a plurality of terminals 63A to which each of a plurality of connectors 65 can be connected, and is a relay that connects the connector 65 connected to the terminal 63A and the I / OIF 45 of the control device 11.

[0036] The connector 65 is connected to a solenoid valve 69 via a signal line 67. This solenoid valve 69 is used as a switching valve that switches the supply of air to the air nozzle 41 and the supply of coolant to the coolant nozzle 43. The solenoid valve 69 is connected to the control device 11 via the signal line 67 and the terminal 63, and opens and closes based on the control of the control device 11. Further, when the solenoid valve 69 is connected to the air nozzle 41, it is connected between the air supply device 29 and the air nozzle 41. Further, when the solenoid valve 69 is connected to the coolant nozzle 43, it is connected between the coolant supply device 31 and the coolant nozzle 43.

[0037] As described above, each of the air method and the coolant method has advantages. For this reason, a manufacturing manufacturer that manufactures the machine tool 10 confirms with the customer, for example, at the stage of receiving an order for the production of the machine tool 10 from the user, whether the air method or the coolant method is desired. The manufacturing manufacturer selects one of the two methods according to the request, or selects the installation of both methods (see FIG. 3). When the installation of both methods is selected, the configuration of the above-described embodiment is obtained. Further, when the number of work locations for performing cleaning, lubrication, and cooling increases according to the configuration of the device and the request of the customer, the manufacturing manufacturer increases the installation locations of the air nozzles 41 and the coolant nozzles 43 according to the increase (see FIG. 3). For this reason, in the cleaning configuration of the comparative example in FIG. 3, the manufacturing manufacturer needs to largely customize the cleaning mechanism according to the individual requests of the user. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the machine tool 10 increases.

[0038] On the other hand, in the cleaning mechanism of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to respond more quickly and flexibly to changes in the method during the manufacturing stage and the development stage. Specifically, when it is determined to use air for cleaning at least one of the workpiece and the tool, the air nozzle 41 is attached to the machine tool 10, and an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A among the plurality of solenoid valves 27A of the solenoid valve unit 27 and the air nozzle 41 are connected by a hose 49. Then, under the control of the control device 11, air is supplied from the air supply device 29 to the air nozzle 41 via the solenoid valve 27A. Further, when adding an air nozzle 41, it is possible to add the air nozzle 41 only by connecting a new solenoid valve 27A and the air nozzle 41 with a hose 49. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly add air nozzles 41 according to the number of solenoid valves 27A of the solenoid valve unit 27.

[0039] Also, when coolant is used for cleaning at least one of the workpiece and the tool, the coolant nozzle 43, the coolant valve 51, and the coolant supply device 31 are attached to the machine tool 10. Further, an arbitrary solenoid valve 27A and the coolant valve 51 are connected by a hose 49, and the coolant valve 51 can be opened and closed by the air supplied from the air supply device 29. Furthermore, the coolant supply device 31 is connected to the coolant nozzle 43 via the coolant valve 51. Then, under the control of the control device 11, the coolant is supplied from the coolant supply device 31 to the coolant nozzle 43 via the coolant valve 51. In this manufacturing method, if a demand for switching from the air method to the coolant method occurs in the development of the machine tool 10 of the same type or the same series, it is possible to cope with the change on the downstream side of the hose 49. That is, it can be coped with by changing the air nozzle 41 to the coolant nozzle 43, and by installing the coolant valve 51 and the coolant supply device 31. In other words, the hose 49, the solenoid valve unit 27, the air supply device 29, and the communication cable 47 can be made into a common configuration, and it is possible to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost and development cost of the machine tool 10. Also, in the configuration of FIG. 3, when adding the air nozzle 41 or the coolant nozzle 43, electrical design changes such as arranging a new signal line 67 and connecting it to the terminal 63 of the connector 65, and wiring installation are required. On the other hand, in the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, the method can be changed by changing the non-electrical structure such as the hose 49, and the method can be easily changed. Also, not limited to the above change from the air method to the coolant method, a quick and flexible response is also possible when changing from the coolant method to the air method. In the case of changing the method from the coolant method to the air method, if coolant is not used after the change, it can be coped with by changing the coolant nozzle 43 to the air nozzle 41 and removing the coolant valve 51 and the coolant supply device 31.

[0040] In particular, by designing the hose 49 to have the above-described first length L1 and second length L2 or more, it becomes unnecessary to change the hose 49, and it is possible to cope with only by changing the connection of the connectors 41A and 51A. Further, by setting the pressure P1 of the air supplied from the air supply device 29 to be equal to or higher than the pilot pressure P2, it becomes unnecessary to change the control content of the air supply device 29, which is a configuration common to both the coolant method and the air method. For this reason, it is possible to further reduce the manufacturing and development costs. Further, by connecting the control device 11 and the solenoid valve unit 27 using a field bus, it is possible to reduce the wiring compared to the configuration of the comparative example shown in FIG. Specifically, it becomes possible to eliminate the signal line 67 that connects the terminal 63 and each solenoid valve 69. It is possible to reduce the electrical wiring man-hours during manufacturing and reduce the cost. Further, according to the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, by using the solenoid valve unit 27 in which a plurality of solenoid valves 27A are unitized, it is possible to cope with the addition of the air nozzles 41 and the coolant nozzles 43 up to the maximum number of the solenoid valves 27A provided in the solenoid valve 27A. In other words, it is possible to perform development and manufacturing for adding the air nozzles 41 and the like while using the solenoid valve units 27 of the same standard.

[0041] Incidentally, the control device 11 is an example of a control unit. The air supply device 29 is an example of a gas supply device. The coolant supply device 31 is an example of a liquid supply unit. The air nozzle 41 is an example of a gas nozzle. The coolant nozzle 43 is an example of a liquid nozzle. The hose 49 is an example of a gas transport member. The coolant valve 51 is an example of a gas operate valve.

[0042] As described above, the present embodiment described above has the following effects. The tip of the hose 49 of the machine tool 10, which is one aspect of the present application, can be connected to the air nozzle 41 via the connector 41A and can be connected to the coolant valve 51 via the connector 51A. Thereby, the user can easily switch between the air method and the coolant method only by changing the connection of the tip of the hose 49.

[0043] Moreover, the present application is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms with various changes and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the configuration of the processing device 13 of the present disclosure is not particularly limited. For example, as the processing device 13, various processing devices such as a lathe, a milling machine, a ball grinder, a milling cell, a turning center, and a machining center can be adopted. In addition, the number of processing devices 13 provided in the machine tool 10 may be one or a plurality. Also, although the connection between the air nozzle 41 and the coolant valve 51 is switched by one hose 49, it is not limited thereto. For example, a first hose connected to the air nozzle 41 and a second hose connected to the coolant valve 51 may be fixedly attached. Then, by selectively connecting the proximal end portion of the first hose or the second hose to the solenoid valve 27A, switching between the air method and the coolant method may be performed. Further, the air supply device 29 may change the pressure P1 of the air supplied to the solenoid valve unit 27 between the air method and the coolant method. In this case, the pressure P1 in the case of the air method may be set to be equal to or less than the pilot pressure P2. Moreover, when closing the coolant valve 51, the air supply device 29 may control the pressure P1 of the air supplied to the coolant valve 51 to be equal to or less than the pilot pressure P2 without stopping the air supply, thereby closing the coolant valve 51.

[0044] In addition, the connector of the present disclosure is not limited to a so-called one-touch joint. For example, a coaxial connector formed with a male thread may be attached to the tip of the hose 49, and a coaxial connector formed with a female thread may be attached to the air nozzle 41, and the hose 49 and the air nozzle 41 may be connected by screwing the two coaxial connectors together. Also, although the connector 41A is provided on the air nozzle 41 and the connector 51A is provided on the coolant valve 51, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, a one-touch joint may be attached to the tip of the hose 49. In this case, a hose for connecting to the one-touch joint of the hose 49 may be separately provided on the air nozzle 41 or the coolant valve 51.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0045] 10 Machine tool, 11 Control device (control unit), 27 Solenoid valve unit, 27A Solenoid valve, 29 Air supply device (gas supply device), 31 Coolant supply device (liquid supply unit), 41 Air nozzle (gas nozzle), 41A, 51A Connector, 43 Coolant nozzle (liquid nozzle), 49 Hose (gas conveyance member), 51 Coolant valve (gas operate valve), L1 First length, L2 Second length, P1 Pressure, P2 Pilot pressure.

Claims

1. A machine tool comprising: an electromagnetic valve unit including a plurality of electromagnetic valves; a control unit configured to control opening and closing operations of the plurality of electromagnetic valves; a gas supply unit connected to each of the plurality of electromagnetic valves and configured to supply gas to the plurality of electromagnetic valves; a gas transport member having a base end connected to an arbitrary one of the plurality of electromagnetic valves and configured to transport the gas supplied from the gas supply unit through the arbitrary electromagnetic valve; wherein when a gas nozzle for cleaning at least one of a workpiece and a tool with the gas is attached to the machine tool, a tip end of the gas transport member is attached to the gas nozzle, and the control unit controls the arbitrary electromagnetic valve to inject the gas supplied from the gas supply unit from the gas nozzle; when a liquid nozzle for cleaning at least one of a workpiece and a tool with a liquid is attached to the machine tool, the tip end of the gas transport member is connected to a gas operation valve, and the control unit controls the arbitrary electromagnetic valve to open and close the gas operation valve; the gas operation valve is a switching valve connected between a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid and the liquid nozzle and configured to switch the supply of the liquid; the tip end of the gas transport member is configured to be connectable to either the gas nozzle or the gas operation valve via a connector.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1, further comprising: the gas nozzle; the gas operation valve; and a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid, wherein the gas transport member has a length equal to or greater than a first length of the gas transport member when disposed from the arbitrary electromagnetic valve to the gas nozzle and equal to or greater than a second length of the gas transport member when disposed from the arbitrary electromagnetic valve to the gas operation valve, and each of the gas nozzle and the gas operation valve has a joint connectable to the tip end of the gas transport member as the connector.

3. The machine tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the gas nozzle is connected to the arbitrary electromagnetic valve, the control unit opens the arbitrary electromagnetic valve to supply the gas at a predetermined pressure to the gas nozzle through the gas transport member, and the predetermined pressure is a pressure equal to or greater than a pilot pressure required to open the gas operation valve.

4. The control unit, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is connected to the electromagnetic valve unit via a field bus and controls the opening and closing operations of a plurality of the electromagnetic valves by communication on the field bus.

5. An electromagnetic valve unit including a plurality of electromagnetic valves, A control unit that controls the opening and closing operations of the plurality of electromagnetic valves, A gas supply unit connected to each of the plurality of electromagnetic valves and supplying gas to the plurality of electromagnetic valves, A gas transport member having a base end connected to an arbitrary one of the plurality of electromagnetic valves and transporting the gas supplied from the gas supply unit through the arbitrary electromagnetic valve, A method for manufacturing a machine tool including: The tip of the gas transport member Is configured to be connectable to either a gas nozzle that injects the gas via a connector and a gas operation valve, When using the gas for cleaning at least one of the workpiece and the tool, Attach the tip of the gas transport member to the gas nozzle, connect the arbitrary electromagnetic valve and the gas nozzle, and configure to supply the gas from the gas supply unit to the gas nozzle through the electromagnetic valve, When using a liquid for cleaning at least one of the workpiece and the tool, Attach a liquid nozzle that injects the liquid, the gas operation valve, and a liquid supply unit to the machine tool, connect the tip of the gas transport member to the gas operation valve, configure to open and close the gas operation valve by the gas supplied from the gas supply unit, connect the liquid supply unit to the liquid nozzle through the gas operation valve, and configure to supply the liquid from the liquid supply unit to the liquid nozzle through the gas operation valve. A method for manufacturing a machine tool.

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