Assembly and apparatus for machining machine parts

Abstract

The assembly (100) comprises a parallel robot (101) and a servo spindle (102). The parallel robot (101) is attached to an end flange (301) of the articulated robot (30) and comprises one or more axes. The servo spindle (102) is attached to the parallel robot (101) and configured to drive a machining tool (103) in rotation. The parallel robot (101) is configured to drive the servo spindle (102) to translate relative to the parallel robot (101) along one or more axes. During machining, the articulated robot (30) can remain stationary at a certain position and only the parallel robot (101) drives the servo spindle (102) to translate along one or more axes. In this way, the flexibility and rigidity of machining can be improved in situations where machining accuracy requirements are met. The present disclosure also discloses an apparatus for machining a machine part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of machining of machine parts, and more specifically, to assemblies and apparatuses for machining machine parts.

Background Art

[0002] Milling is a common process for machining parts. In the conventional milling mode, a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine or a machining center is used to machine machine parts. During milling, first, a blank of the machine part is fixed to the CNC milling machine or the machining center. Then, using a high-speed rotating milling cutter, the required shapes and features are cut on the blank.

[0003] Currently, the most popular milling mode is the one using a machining center for milling. Although a machining center for milling can achieve high-precision machining, it has several drawbacks at the same time. First, since the operating range of the machining center for milling is limited, it can only be used for machining small and medium-sized machine parts, and cannot machine large machine parts such as aluminum workpieces. Second, unless a machining center with 5 axes is used, it is impossible to easily machine machine parts with complex curved surfaces, which leads to a decrease in machining efficiency. Third, to support the machining of larger-sized machine parts, usually a large-scale machining center or a gantry machining center is required, and as a result, the cost of the machining center becomes relatively high. Fourth, since the machining center occupies a large area, it is difficult to cooperate with other automated equipment to realize an automated production line. Fifth, in a machining center, special dedicated or customized fixture tooling is required to machine various machine parts. Therefore, the flexibility of the machining center is not at a satisfactory level.

[0004] Another common milling mode is to hold a milling cutter using an industrial robot (e.g., a 6-axis articulated robot) to machine mechanical parts. However, since a 6-axis articulated robot includes a plurality of joints, when the axes of the 6-axis articulated robot move or rotate during milling, the rigidity of the 6-axis articulated robot will decrease. In this case, it will have an adverse effect on the accuracy of milling by the 6-axis articulated robot.

[0005] Therefore, an improved solution for milling mechanical parts is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] In view of the above problems, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an assembly and apparatus for machining mechanical parts, reducing the difficulty and cost of the mechanical machining process of the parts, and improving the efficiency, flexibility and rigidity of the mechanical machining process of the parts.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0007] In a first aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an assembly for machining mechanical parts. The assembly includes a parallel robot attached to an end flange of an articulated robot and having one or more axes, and a servo spindle attached to the parallel robot and configured to rotationally drive a machining tool. The parallel robot is configured to drive the servo spindle to translate the parallel robot parallel to the one or more axes. In these embodiments, the articulated robot can remain stationary relative to a specific machining position of the mechanical part during machining of the mechanical part, and only the parallel robot drives the servo spindle to translate parallel to the one or more axes. Thereafter, the machining tool can cut the required shape and features at a specific machining position of the mechanical part. In this way, in a situation where machining accuracy meets the requirements, mechanical parts can be machined with high flexibility and rigidity.

[0008] In some embodiments, the parallel robot is a single-axis robot. The single-axis robot is configured to drive a servo spindle to translate the parallel robot parallel to a predetermined axis. In these embodiments, in order to cut the required shape and features of the mechanical part, the parallel robot can drive the servo spindle to translate parallel to a predetermined axis while the articulated robot remains stationary.

[0009] In some embodiments, the parallel robot is an orthogonal robot. The orthogonal robot is configured to drive a servo spindle to translate the parallel robot parallel to three mutually perpendicular axes. In these embodiments, in order to cut the required shape and features of the mechanical part, the parallel robot can drive the servo spindle to translate parallel to one or more of the three axes while the articulated robot remains stationary.

[0010] In some embodiments, the assembly further comprises a machining tool. The machining tool is held by a servo spindle and is configured to rotate by driving the servo spindle.

[0011] In some embodiments, the machining tool comprises a drilling tool or a milling tool. In these embodiments, in a situation where the accuracy of machining meets the requirements, the milling or drilling of mechanical parts can be performed with high flexibility and rigidity.

[0012] In a second aspect, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for machining a mechanical part. The apparatus comprises an articulated robot with an end flange and an assembly according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, and the parallel robot is disposed on the end flange. The apparatus according to the second aspect of the present disclosure can provide advantages similar to those of the assembly according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the articulated robot is a six-axis articulated robot.

[0014] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a positioning device. The positioning device is disposed near the articulated robot and is configured to hold a machine part to be machined and adjust the orientation of the machine part. In these embodiments, by using the positioning device for fixing the machine part, the accessibility of the articulated robot can be enhanced.

[0015] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a tool changer. The tool changer is configured to exchange a machining tool held by a servo spindle. In these embodiments, the machining tool held by the servo spindle can be automatically exchanged for different applications or for different types of holes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a lubrication device. The lubrication device is configured to supply a lubricant to the machining tool. In these embodiments, the lubricant supplied by the lubrication device can not only protect the machining tool from wear but also prevent overheating of the machining tool.

[0017] The drawings described in this specification are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and their descriptions are for the purpose of explaining the present disclosure and do not unduly limit the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

[0020] Next, the principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, the description of these embodiments is only for the purpose of making it easier for those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and it should be understood that it does not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0021] The terms "comprise" or "include" and their variants are construed as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to...". The term "or" is construed as "and / or" unless clearly indicated otherwise in the context. The term "based on..." is construed as "at least partially based on...". The term "operable" refers to the function, operation, movement, or state being achievable by an operation by a user or an external mechanism. The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are construed as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is construed as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may indicate different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included in the following text. The definitions of the terms are consistent throughout the specification unless clearly indicated otherwise in the context.

[0022] In embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to overcome typical drawbacks of a machining center and limitations when using a 6-axis industrial robot independently, an assembly and apparatus for machining mechanical parts are provided to reduce the difficulty and cost of the mechanical part machining process and improve the efficiency, flexibility, and rigidity of the mechanical part machining process. As will be described in detail in the following paragraphs, the above concept can be implemented in various ways.

[0023] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the principle of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0024] First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus 200 for machining mechanical parts according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Further, FIG. 2 shows a partial schematic view of the apparatus 200 for machining the mechanical parts shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 200 described in this specification generally includes an articulated robot 30 and an assembly 100 for machining mechanical parts. The assembly 100 is attached to the end flange 301 of the articulated robot 30.

[0025] In some embodiments, the articulated robot 30 is a 6-axis articulated robot. The 6-axis articulated robot can provide six degrees of freedom. The assembly 100 is attached to the end flange 301 of the 6-axis articulated robot. It should be understood that the 6-axis articulated robot is only an exemplary embodiment of the articulated robot 30 and does not imply any limitation regarding the scope of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, other types of articulated robots 30 can be used.

[0026] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly 100 includes a parallel robot 101, a servo spindle 102, and a machining tool 103. The parallel robot 101 is attached to the end flange 301 of the articulated robot 30. The parallel robot 101 includes one or more axes, thereby enabling translational movement along the one or more axes. The servo spindle 102 is attached to the parallel robot 101 and may be driven by the parallel robot 101 to translate along the one or more axes with respect to the parallel robot 101 (i.e., with respect to the end flange 301 of the articulated robot 30). The machining tool 103 is held by the servo spindle 102 and can rotate by driving the servo spindle 102.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the articulated robot 30 can remain stationary with respect to a specific machining position of the machine part during machining of the machine part, and only the parallel robot 101 drives the servo spindle 102 to translate along the one or more axes. This solution ideally reduces the dynamic influence of the external force causing the side effect of the reaction force on the transmission mechanism of the device 200. Thereafter, the machining tool 103 can cut the required shape and features at a specific machining position of the machine part. In this way, the machine part can be machined with high flexibility and rigidity.

[0028] Also, by using the articulated robot 30 together with the assembly 100, the device 200 is suitable for machining machine parts having complex curved surfaces or different thicknesses, such as milling and drilling.

[0029] Furthermore, in the device 200, the problems regarding the complexity and high cost of the customized device in the conventional machining process of the machine part are solved. Therefore, the applicability, versatility, and economy are higher, and the operation difficulty and cost are significantly reduced.

[0030] Furthermore, the machining accuracy of the apparatus 200 can meet the requirements. For example, when using the apparatus 200 to drill a screw hole, the drilling accuracy of the screw hole is about -0.1 mm to +0.1 mm.

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the parallel robot 101 is a single-axis robot, and is configured to drive the servo spindle 102 to translate the parallel robot 101 along a predetermined axis X in parallel. In these embodiments, in order to cut the required shapes and features such as circular holes or screw holes in the machine parts, the parallel robot 101 can drive the servo spindle 102 to translate along the predetermined axis X while the articulated robot 30 remains stationary.

[0032] In some embodiments, the parallel robot 101 is an orthogonal robot, and is configured to drive the servo spindle 102 to translate the parallel robot 101 in parallel along three mutually perpendicular axes. In these embodiments, in order to cut the required shapes and features such as waist-shaped holes in the machine parts, the parallel robot 101 can drive the servo spindle 102 to translate along one or more of these three axes while the articulated robot 30 remains stationary.

[0033] It should be understood that the single-axis robot and the orthogonal robot are only exemplary embodiments of the parallel robot 101 and do not imply any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the parallel robot 101 may be of other types having, for example, two axes perpendicular to each other.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the servo spindle 102 can be driven to rotate the machining tool 103 at high speed in order to cut the required shapes and features in the machine parts. The servo spindle 102 may have various structures that are conventional or will be available in the future. It is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited in this regard.

[0035] In an embodiment, the machining tool 103 includes a milling tool for performing a milling process on a machine part. In another embodiment, the machining tool 103 includes a drilling tool for performing a drilling process on a machine part. It should be understood that the milling tool and the drilling tool are merely exemplary embodiments of the machining tool 103 and do not imply any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the machining tool 103 may be of other types.

[0036] It should be understood that in some embodiments, the assembly 100 may be provided separately rather than being attached to the articulated robot 30. That is, the assembly 100 may be manufactured or sold independently, but when it is necessary to perform a machining process on a machine part, the assembly can be attached to the end flange 301 of the articulated robot 30. Also, at the time of manufacturing or selling the assembly 100, the machining tool 103 may not be provided in the assembly 100, but it should be understood that the user can attach the corresponding machining tool 103 to the servo spindle 102 according to actual needs.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 200 for machining a machine part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the articulated robot 30 and the assembly 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 200 further includes several other devices / elements, as will be described in detail below.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 200 further comprises a positioning device 34 configured to hold the machine part 33 to be machined. The positioning device 34 can be arranged near the articulated robot 30 such that the machining tool 103 can reach the machine part 33. The positioning device 34 can adjust the orientation of the machine part 33 during the machining process. For example, when the machining of one side of the machine part 33 is completed, the machine part 33 can be rotated by the positioning device 34 so that the other side can be machined by the machining tool 103. In these embodiments, by using the positioning device 34 that fixes the machine part 33 and adjusts the orientation of the machine part 33, the accessibility of the articulated robot 30 can be improved.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the positioning device 34 for fixing the machine part 33 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the positioning device 34 can clamp the machine part 33 from both sides of the machine part 33. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the positioning device 34 may support the machine part 33 in other ways. It is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited in this regard.

[0040] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 may comprise two articulated robots 30 and corresponding assemblies 100 attached to the end flanges 301 of the two articulated robots 30. In such an arrangement, one of the articulated robots 30 and the corresponding assembly 100 can be used to machine one side of the machine part 33, and the other of the articulated robots 30 and the corresponding assembly 100 can be used to machine the other side of the machine part 33. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the apparatus 200 may comprise two or more articulated robots 30 and corresponding assemblies 100. It is not intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited in this regard.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 200 further includes a tool changer 36. The tool changer is configured to exchange a machining tool 103 held by the servo spindle 102. Different types of machining tools may be arranged in the tool changer for use with the servo spindle 102. In these embodiments, the machining tool 103 held by the servo spindle 102 can be automatically exchanged for different uses or for different types of holes.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 200 further includes a lubrication device 35, which is configured to supply a lubricant to the machining tool 103. For example, the lubrication device 35 may include a minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) device. During the machining process of mechanical parts, the lubricant can be sprayed onto the machining tool 103. In these embodiments, the lubricant supplied by the lubrication device 35 can not only protect the machining tool 103 from wear, but also prevent overheating of the machining tool 103. In addition, by supplying the lubricant, the machining speed of mechanical parts can be increased.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 200 further includes a robot controller 31 that communicates with the articulated robot 30. The movement of the arm of the articulated robot 30 is controlled by the robot controller 31, including kinematic and dynamic control. For example, the robot controller 31 can control the moving speed, position, and acceleration of the arm of the articulated robot 30.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 200 further includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) 32 that communicates with the robot controller 31. The entire machining process is controlled by the PLC 32. Specifically, the operations of the articulated robot 30, the parallel robot 101, the servo spindle 102, the lubrication device 35, and other electrical or electronic devices are controlled by the PLC 32.

[0045] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure detailed above are for the purpose of exemplifying, explaining, or interpreting the principles of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the appended claims of the present disclosure cover all variations and modifications belonging to the scope and equivalents of the claims and their boundaries, or the scope and boundaries. The invention described in the original claims of the present application is appended below. [1] A parallel robot (101) attached to the end flange (301) of an articulated robot (30) and having one or more axes, A servo spindle (102) attached to the parallel robot (101) and configured to rotationally drive a machining tool (103), comprising: The parallel robot (101) is configured to drive the servo spindle (102) to cause parallel movement of the parallel robot (101) along the one or more axes. An assembly (100) for machining a machine part (33). [2] The parallel robot (101) is a single-axis robot, The single-axis robot is configured to drive the servo spindle (102) to cause parallel movement of the parallel robot (101) along a predetermined axis. The assembly (100) according to [1]. [3] The parallel robot (101) is an orthogonal robot, The orthogonal robot is configured to drive the servo spindle (102) to cause parallel movement of the parallel robot (101) along three mutually perpendicular axes. The assembly (100) according to [1]. [4] Further comprising the machining tool (103), The machining tool is held by the servo spindle (102) and configured to rotate by driving of the servo spindle (102). The assembly (100) according to [1]. [5] The machining tool (103) comprises a drilling tool or a milling tool. The assembly (100) according to [4]. [6] An articulated robot (30) comprising an end flange (301), The assembly (100) according to any one of [1] to [5], comprising: The parallel robot (101) is disposed on the end flange (301). A device (200) for machining a machine part (33). [7] The articulated robot (30) is a 6-axis articulated robot. The device (200) according to [6]. [8] Further comprising a positioning device (34) disposed near the articulated robot (30), the positioning device (34) being configured to hold the machine part (33) to be machined and adjust the orientation of the machine part (33). The device (200) according to [6]. [9] Further comprising a tool changer (36) configured to replace the machining tool (103) held by the servo spindle (102). [6] The apparatus (200) according to [6].

[10] Further comprising a lubrication device (35) configured to supply a lubricant to the machining tool (103). [6] The apparatus (200) according to [6].

Claims

1. A parallel robot (101) attached to an end flange (301) of an articulated robot (30), A servo spindle (102) attached to the parallel robot (101) and configured to rotationally drive a machining tool (103), Comprising: The parallel robot (101) is an orthogonal robot configured to drive the servo spindle (102) to move in parallel along three mutually perpendicular axes, The machining tool (103) is held by the servo spindle (102) and configured to rotate by the drive of the servo spindle (102), The machining tool (103) consists of a milling tool, An assembly (100) for machining a machine part (33).

2. An articulated robot (30) having an end flange (301), The assembly (100) according to claim 1, Comprising: The parallel robot (101) is a device (200) for machining a machine part (33) disposed on the end flange (301).

3. The articulated robot (30) is a 6-axis articulated robot, The device (200) according to claim 2.

4. Further comprising a positioning device (34) disposed near the articulated robot (30), The positioning device (34) is configured to hold the machine part (33) to be machined and adjust the orientation of the machine part (33), The device (200) according to claim 2.

5. Further comprising a tool changing device (36) configured to replace the machining tool (103) held by the servo spindle (102), The device (200) according to claim 2.

6. Further comprising a lubrication device (35) configured to supply a lubricant to the machining tool (103), The device (200) according to claim 2.

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