Machining process development support device, machining process development support system, machining system, machining process development support method, and machining method

Abstract

The machining process development support device (100) includes a shape input unit (102) that receives input of shape data of a raw material shape and a product shape, a remaining area extraction unit (103) that extracts a remaining area (403) which is an area to be machined based on the raw material shape and the product shape input by the shape input unit (102), a remaining area division unit (104) that divides the remaining area (403) extracted by the remaining area extraction unit (103) into a plurality of machining areas (404), a machining process development unit (105) that supports the development of a machining process for machining the machining area (404) based on the shape information of the machining area (404) formed by the remaining area division unit (104), and a machining process output unit (106) that outputs the machining process developed with the support of the machining process development unit (105) as a machining program (107).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a machining process development support device, a machining process development support system, a machining system, a machining process development support method, and a machining method that support the development of machining processes. [Background technology]

[0002] In machining equipment equipped with a numerical control device, the numerical control device executes a machining program to machine a material called a workpiece into a desired product shape. The machining program is composed of, for example, multiple G-codes. The numerical control device is also called an NC (Numerical Control) device.

[0003] In recent years, a technique has become known in which a machining program is created using CAD (Computer Aided Design) data in order to easily create the machining program (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 is a device that generates a machining program using CAD data. Based on information about a tool selected by a user, the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 extracts from the CAD data a shape that can be machined using the tool. Next, the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 extracts one or more G-codes that can be used to machine a workpiece for the shape extracted from the CAD data. The user selects one G-code from the one or more extracted G-codes. Furthermore, the user inputs parameter values ​​necessary for machining, such as the thickness, depth, and length of the shape. The numerical control device described in Patent Document 1 generates each block of G-code using the parameter values ​​input by the user, and creates a machining program by sequentially adding the generated G-code blocks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 091896 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1, the user must manually select a tool based on the shape and position of the machining area to be machined, manually select one G-code from the extracted G-codes, and manually input parameter values, which places a heavy burden on the user.

[0007] Furthermore, in the numerical control device described in Patent Document 1, when generating a machining program, only CAD data of the product shape is used, and the shape of the material called the workpiece (hereinafter referred to as the material shape) is not taken into consideration. Therefore, the automatically generated machining program cannot be used as is, and the user must manually edit the machining program based on the material shape. Furthermore, it can be difficult for inexperienced users to perform appropriate editing.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a machining process development support device that can realize simplification of machining program generation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a cutting tool that includes a GUI unit including a user interface that displays a remaining area that is an area to be machined and accepts user operations, and a method for manufacturing a cutting tool that includes shape data of a material shape and a product shape. The shape data is read from a database that stores the shape data in advance, or the shape data is input via the user interface by the user's operation. a shape input unit that receives an input of the shape was accepted The aforementioned Shape Data a remaining area extraction unit that extracts the remaining area, which is the difference between the material shape and the product shape, based on the above; and dividing the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit into a plurality of processing areas. Then, the processing area is displayed on the user interface, an operation by the user is accepted via the user interface, and the processing area selected based on the operation by the user is output. a residual region dividing unit for dividing the remaining region; a processing step information storage unit that stores a plurality of processing steps in advance; The remaining area dividing section is output from The processing area is processed based on the shape information of the processing area. By extracting the processing steps from the processing step information storage unit, This is a machining process development support device characterized by comprising a machining process development unit that supports the development of machining processes, and a machining process output unit that outputs the machining processes developed with the support of the machining process development unit as a machining program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The machining process development support device according to the present disclosure has the effect of making it possible to easily generate machining programs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of a machining process development support system and a machining system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a material shape, a product shape, and an initial remaining area in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for dividing a remaining area in a remaining area dividing unit provided in the machining process development supporting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure for dividing a remaining area in a remaining area dividing unit provided in the machining process development supporting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a machining area and a machining process in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a machining area and a machining process in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a machining area and a machining process in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 9]1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for processing to support development of a machining process in a machining process development unit provided in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of machining process information in a machining process development support device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a tool data table in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a machining program generated by the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 14] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which an initial remaining area is divided into a plurality of sub-remaining areas in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 22]FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 23] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 25] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 27] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 28] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 29] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of a GUI unit in a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 30] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing a machining process development support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 31] 1 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a machining process development support method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 32] 1 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a processing method according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Below, a machining process development support device, a machining process development support system, a machining system, a machining process development support method, and a machining method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of configurations shown in the following embodiments and their variations. In addition, in each drawing, identical symbols indicate identical or equivalent components, and this applies throughout the specification. Note that the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of each component in each drawing may differ from those in the actual product. In addition, in each drawing, the X-axis and Z-axis intersect with each other. The extension direction of the X-axis may be, for example, vertical, or may be perpendicular. The extension direction of the Z-axis may be, for example, horizontal. The Y-axis intersects both the X-axis and the Z-axis, and the extension direction of the Y-axis may be, for example, horizontal.

[0013] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a machining process development support device according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configurations of a machining process development support system and a machining system according to embodiment 1.

[0014] 1, the machining process development support device 100 includes a GUI (Graphical User Interface) unit 101, a shape input unit 102, a remaining area extraction unit 103, a remaining area division unit 104, a machining process development unit 105, a machining process output unit 106, and a machining process information storage unit 108. These modules will be described later.

[0015] 1 and 2, the machining process development support device 100 is communicably connected to a numerical control device 200 as necessary. A machining program 107 generated by the machining process development support device 100 is input to, for example, the numerical control device 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the machining process development support device 100 and the numerical control device 200 configure a machining process development support system 600 according to the first embodiment.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the machining process development support device 100, the numerical control device 200, and the machining device 300 configure a machining system 700 according to the first embodiment.

[0017] The numerical control device 200 receives the machining program 107 transmitted from the machining process development support device 100, and executes the machining program 107 to generate machining commands. The numerical control device 200 also generates a control signal indicating the generated machining command, and outputs the control signal to the machining device 300. The numerical control device 200 may also be called an NC device.

[0018] The processing device 300 has a drive unit 301 and a tool 302. The tool 302 is sometimes called a processing tool. The processing device 300 receives a control signal from the numerical control device 200 and drives the tool 302 via the drive unit 301 in accordance with the control signal to process the workpiece 400. The workpiece 400 is a workpiece to be processed by the processing device 300. The workpiece 400 is also called a material. Hereinafter, the shape of the workpiece 400, i.e., the initial shape of the workpiece 400 before processing, is called the material shape. Furthermore, the product generated by processing the workpiece 400 by the processing device 300 is called the product, and the shape of the product is called the product shape or the final product shape.

[0019] Each module of the machining process development support device 100 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a material shape, a product shape, and an initial remaining area in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3(a) shows a two-dimensional image displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. Fig. 3(a) shows cross-sectional shapes when cut along a virtual plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape and the product shape. The virtual plane is a plane parallel to the XZ plane. Meanwhile, Fig. 3(b) is a perspective view showing the material shape, the product shape, and the shape of the initial remaining area.

[0020] The GUI unit 101 shown in FIG. 1 has a user interface 101a that accepts operations by the user 500. The user interface 101a has a display screen and displays various data on the screen. The user interface 101a is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a display, or a touch panel. In this way, the user interface 101a has an input device 1001 (see FIG. 30) and a display 1005 (see FIG. 30).

[0021] The shape input unit 102 shown in FIG. 1 accepts input of shape data of a material shape 401 and shape data of a product shape 402. The shape data input to the shape input unit 102 is, for example, three-dimensional CAD data. The shape data is stored in a database in advance and is read by the shape input unit 102. Alternatively, the shape data may be input directly to the shape input unit 102 using, for example, the GUI unit 101. When inputting the shape data directly, for example, a user 500 draws the shape data using the GUI unit 101.

[0022] The remaining area extraction unit 103 shown in FIG. 1 extracts an initial remaining area 403 based on the material shape 401 and product shape 402 input by the shape input unit 102. The remaining area 403 indicates the area of ​​the entire material shape 401 that is to be machined using the machining device 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the remaining area extraction unit 103 extracts the initial remaining area 403 by performing a subtraction operation to subtract the product shape 402 from the material shape 401. That is, the remaining area extraction unit 103 extracts the initial remaining area 403 by comparing the shape data of the material shape 401 and the shape data of the product shape 402. In the example of FIG. 3, the material shape 401 is cylindrical. Note that the material shape 401 is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may be a polygonal prism shape. Also, in the example of FIG. 3, the product shape 402 is generally cylindrical with a cylindrical hole formed in one end face. Furthermore, the outer diameter dimension of the product shape 402 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the material shape 401. Furthermore, the length of the product shape 402 in the Z direction is smaller than the length of the material shape 401 in the Z direction. The Z direction is the extension direction of the central axis 800. Therefore, the initial remaining region 403 is the region indicated by hatching in the rightmost diagram in FIG. 3( a). In other words, to form the product shape 402 from the material shape 401, for example, three machining processes are required: a turning process in which the material shape 401 is cut in the outer diameter direction by a certain thickness; an end face machining process in which one end face of the material shape 401 is cut; and a hole machining process in which a hole is formed in one end face of the material shape 401.

[0023] The remainder area dividing unit 104 shown in FIG. 1 divides the initial remainder area 403 extracted by the remainder area extraction unit 103 into multiple machining areas 404 (see FIG. 5). The remaining area dividing unit 104 divides the remainder area 403 into machining areas, for example, as follows. The remainder area dividing unit 104 first divides the initial remainder area 403 extracted by the remainder area extraction unit 103 into multiple sub-remaining areas (see 403a to 403l in FIG. 17). The sub-remaining areas are formed by cutting the remainder area 403 with virtual straight lines parallel to the X-axis and Z-axis. The remainder area dividing unit 104 combines one or more sub-remaining areas to form one machining area. The sub-remaining areas used in the combination are adjacent to each other and continuous with each other. Note that other methods may be used to divide the remainder area 403 into machining areas. The machining device 300 machines the workpiece 400 for each machining area. The remaining area dividing unit 104 may present only one division pattern for dividing the remaining area 403 into processing areas, or may present two or more division patterns as candidates. When the remaining area dividing unit 104 presents two or more division patterns, the user 500 selects one of the division patterns and inputs it to the GUI unit 101. The division pattern candidates include one or more processing area candidates.

[0024] The machining operation expansion unit 105 shown in FIG. 1 supports the expansion of machining operations based on the shape information of the machining area 404 formed by the remaining area division unit 104. The shape information of the machining area 404 includes the shape pattern, X-coordinate value, Z-coordinate value, Y-coordinate value, etc. of the machining area 404. The shape pattern is information indicating the position and shape of the machining area 404, such as the end face position and hole position, as shown in FIG. 12. The X-coordinate value includes the coordinate values ​​of two points on the X-axis: the start point X where the machining area 404 starts and the end point X where the machining area 404 ends. The same applies to the Z-coordinate value and the Y-coordinate value. Note that the shape information of the machining area 404 does not need to include all of the information described here, and it is sufficient to include only necessary information. The shape information of the machining area 404 may also include information other than the information described here. A method for supporting the expansion of machining operations in the machining operation expansion unit 105 will be described later. The processing step expansion refers to extracting one or more processing steps capable of processing the processing area from a plurality of processing steps pre-stored in a database, and setting values ​​of processing step parameters for each of the processing steps. The information stored in the database will be referred to as processing step information hereinafter. The processing step information is pre-stored in the processing step information storage unit 108. As such, the processing step information includes a plurality of processing steps and items of processing step parameters required for each of the processing steps. For details of the processing step information, please refer to FIG. 10 described below.

[0025] 1 outputs the machining process expanded with the support of the machining process expansion unit 105 as a machining program 107. When the machining process expansion support device 100 is connected to a numerical control device 200, the machining program 107 is output to the numerical control device 200.

[0026] As described above, the processing step information storage unit 108 shown in Fig. 1 stores processing step information in advance. The processing step information storage unit 108 is configured by, for example, a memory.

[0027] Next, a method for dividing the remaining area 403 into working areas 404 in the remaining area dividing unit 104 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 8. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for dividing the remaining area in the remaining area dividing unit provided in the working process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the procedure for dividing the remaining area in the remaining area dividing unit provided in the working process development support device according to the first embodiment. Each of Figs. 5(a) to (l) shows only the upper half of the rightmost diagram in Fig. 3(a). Figs. 6 to 8 are diagrams showing an example of working areas and working processes in the working process development support device according to the first embodiment.

[0028] The process of dividing the remaining area into machining areas is a process of breaking down the remaining area into machining units in which continuous machining is performed using the same spindle and the same tool. Therefore, the machining areas formed by the division process are areas in which continuous machining operations can be performed in the same machining direction and using the same tool. On the other hand, the process of expanding the machining process is a process of breaking down the flow of a series of machining operations for machining a material to produce a product into machining units in which continuous machining is performed using the same spindle and the same tool. The flow of a series of machining operations includes, for example, turning, face machining, hole machining, groove machining, corner machining, and copying.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5(a), in step S1 of FIG. 4, the remaining area dividing unit 104 displays the remaining area 403 on the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. Here, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the initial remaining area 403 extracted by the remaining area extracting unit 103 is displayed on the screen. In the example of FIG. 5(a), the hatched U-shaped portion is the initial remaining area 403 displayed on the screen. At this stage, the remaining area 403 has not been divided and is therefore a single area indicated by the reference symbol (1). The user 500 selects and inputs the remaining area 403 indicated by the reference symbol (1) using the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. As a result, the remaining area 403 indicated by the reference symbol (1) is selected.

[0030] In step S2 of Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the remaining area dividing unit 104 extracts possible machining directions for the workpiece 400 based on the material shape 401 and the product shape 402. In the example of Fig. 5(b), three possible machining directions are extracted: the outer diameter direction, the inner diameter direction, and the end face direction. These machining directions are displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101.

[0031] In step S3 of Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. 5(b), one machining direction is selected from the multiple machining directions extracted in step S2 by a selection input by the user 500. Specifically, the user 500 selects and inputs one machining direction from the multiple machining directions extracted in step S2 using the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. In the example of Fig. 5(b), the user 500 selects and inputs an end face direction. As a result, the end face direction is determined as the machining direction.

[0032] In step S4 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the remaining area division unit 104 extracts all machining areas that can be machined from the selected machining direction, the end face direction. In the example of FIG. 5(c), three machining areas 404 indicated by reference numerals (1), (2), and (3) are extracted. That is, in the example of FIG. 5(c), the remaining area 403 shown in FIG. 5(a) is divided into three machining areas 404. The number of machining areas 404 generated by division is not limited to three and may be any number greater than or equal to one. In the example of FIG. 5(c), the machining area 404 indicated by reference numeral (1) is shown as a vertically elongated rectangle, but in reality, it has a disk-like shape as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6(a). Also, in the example of FIG. 5(c), the machining area 404 indicated by reference numeral (2) is shown as a horizontally elongated rectangle, but in reality, it has a cylindrical shape as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7(a). In addition, in the example of Fig. 5(c), the processing area 404 indicated by the reference symbol (3) is shown as a horizontally elongated rectangle, but in reality, it has a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 8(a). Note that the processing area 404 shown in Figs. 5 to 8 is merely an example, and is not limited to these shapes, and may be any shape.

[0033] In step S5 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(c), one machining area is selected from the plurality of machining areas extracted in step S4 by a selection input by the user 500. Specifically, the user 500 selects one machining area from the plurality of machining areas (1), (2), and (3) extracted in step S4 using the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. In the example of FIG. 5(c), the user 500 selects and inputs the machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (1). As a result, the machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (1) is selected as the "first machining area." The machining process of the selected "first machining area" is expanded by the machining process expansion unit 105.

[0034] In step S6 of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5(d), the remaining area dividing unit 104 updates the remaining area 403 to the latest one using the shape of the first machining area in which the machining process has been expanded by the machining process expanding unit 105 and the shape of the initial remaining area 403. In the example of FIG. 5(d), the machining areas 404 other than the machining area designated by reference symbol (1) selected by the user 500, i.e., the two machining areas 404 designated by reference symbols (2) and (3), become the new remaining area 403. Hereinafter, the new remaining area will be referred to as the current remaining area. In this way, the remaining area dividing unit 104 updates the remaining area 403 each time a machining area 404 is selected.

[0035] In step S7 of FIG. 4, the remaining area division unit 104 determines whether or not there is an unselected remaining area 403. That is, the remaining area division unit 104 determines whether or not there is a machining area 404 for which a machining operation has not been expanded by the machining operation expansion unit 105. If the result of the determination in step S7 shows that there is a remaining area 403, the remaining area division unit 104 returns to the processing of step S1. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S7 shows that there is no remaining area 403, the remaining area division unit 104 ends the processing of the flow in FIG. 4. In the example of FIG. 5(d), two machining areas 404 indicated by the symbols (2) and (3) remain as remaining areas 403. Therefore, the remaining area division unit 104 returns to the processing of step S1.

[0036] 5(e) to (h), the processing of steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 4 is performed again. In FIG. 5(e), two machining areas 404 indicated by reference numerals (2) and (3) are displayed on the screen as the current remaining area 403. When the user 500 selects and inputs the machining area 404 indicated by reference numeral (3) in step S1, the outer diameter direction and the end face direction are extracted as possible machining directions in step S2, as shown in FIG. 5(f). In contrast, when the user 500 selects and inputs the outer diameter direction in step S3, the machining area 404 indicated by reference numeral (3) is extracted as the "second machining area" as the possible machining area 404 in step S4, as shown in FIG. 5(g). In response to this, when the user 500 selects and inputs the machining area 404 indicated by reference numeral (3) in step S5, the remaining area 403 is updated in step S6. 5(h), one processing area 404 indicated by the reference symbol (2) becomes the new remaining area 403. Therefore, in step S7, the remaining area dividing unit 104 determines that there is a remaining area 403, and returns to the processing of step S1.

[0037] 5(i) to (l), the processing of steps S1 to S7 in FIG. 4 is performed again. In FIG. 5(i), one machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (2) is displayed on the screen as the current remaining area 403. When the user 500 selects and inputs the machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (2) in step S1, the inner diameter direction and the end face direction are extracted as possible machining directions in step S2, as shown in FIG. 5(j). In response to this, when the user 500 selects and inputs the inner diameter direction in step S3, the machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (2) is extracted as a "third machining area" as the possible machining area 404 in step S4, as shown in FIG. 5(k). In response to this, when the user 500 selects and inputs the machining area 404 indicated by the symbol (2) in step S5, the remaining area 403 is updated in step S6. In the example of FIG. 5(l), the processing steps have been developed for all processing areas, so the remaining area dividing unit 104 determines in step S7 that there is no remaining area 403, and ends the processing of the flow in FIG.

[0038] Next, a method for supporting the development of machining processes in the machining process development unit 105 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 and Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a processing for supporting the development of machining processes in the machining process development unit provided in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of machining process information in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a tool data table in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a machining program generated by the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment.

[0039] The machining-step development unit 105 supports development of machining steps based on the shape information of the machining area formed by the remaining area division unit 104. In the machining-step development process, first, for each machining area, one or more machining steps capable of machining the machining area are extracted from a plurality of machining steps pre-stored in the machining-step information storage unit 108 based on the shape data of the machining area. At this time, the machining steps are extracted so that machining can be performed continuously for each machining area in the same machining direction and with the same tool. Then, in the machining-step development process, values ​​of machining step parameters are set for each machining step based on the machining-step information pre-stored in the machining-step information storage unit 108. The machining-step information is pre-stored in the machining-step information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1. The machining-step information includes multiple machining steps and items of machining step parameters required for each of the machining steps. As shown in FIG. 10, the machining-step parameter items include the shape pattern of the machining area, the positions of the start and end points in the X direction, and the positions of the start and end points in the Z direction.

[0040] The machining process development unit 105 performs a machining process development process for each machining region in accordance with the flow of Fig. 9, but before performing the process of Fig. 9, the machining process information is stored in advance in the machining process information storage unit 108 shown in Fig. 1. That is, the machining process development unit 105 stores in advance in the machining process information storage unit 108 machining process information including a plurality of machining processes and items of machining process parameters required for each of the machining processes.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 9, in step S11, the machining operation development unit 105 determines whether or not a machining area has been selected by the remaining area division unit 104 in step S5 in the flow of Fig. 4. That is, the machining operation development unit 105 determines whether or not a signal indicating the selected machining area has been input from the remaining area division unit 104.

[0042] If it is determined in step S11 that a signal indicating a processing area has been input, the process proceeds to step S12; otherwise, the process of step S11 is repeated at a preset cycle.

[0043] In step S12, the machining process development unit 105 extracts one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area input in step S11 from among multiple machining processes pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 based on the shape information of the machining area. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of machining process information pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. In the example of FIG. 10, the database of machining process information stores multiple machining process types. The database of machining process information also includes data items such as a machining process ID, machining process, machining direction, tool number of the tool 302 used in the machining process, and machining process parameters for each machining process. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a tool data table pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. In the example of FIG. 11, data for multiple tools is stored in the tool data table. The tool data table is pre-stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 shown in FIG. 1. The tool data table includes data such as a tool ID, tool number, machining type, and application for each tool. In this way, in step S12, the machining process development unit 105 extracts one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area, based on the shape of the machining area, using the machining process data table and the tool data table.

[0044] Here, a specific example will be described. When the machining area 404 has a disk shape as shown in Fig. 6(a), the machining process development unit 105 extracts machining processes capable of machining the machining area 404 from the machining process information database based on the shape information of the machining area 404. In the case of Fig. 6(a), the machining area 404 can be machined by end face machining, so the machining process development unit 105 extracts end face machining as a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404, as shown in Fig. 6(b). End face machining is a process of cutting one end face of the workpiece 400 by a length L1 and shaping the cut surface into a flat surface.

[0045] Furthermore, when the machining area 404 has a cylindrical hole shape as shown in FIG. 7(a), the machining process development unit 105 extracts machining processes capable of machining the machining area 404 from the machining process information database based on the shape information of the machining area 404. In the case of FIG. 7(a), the machining area 404 can be machined by drilling, so the machining process development unit 105 extracts drilling as a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404, as shown in FIG. 7(b). Alternatively, the machining process development unit 105 may extract two machining processes, drilling and boring, as shown in FIG. 7(b), as machining processes capable of machining the machining area 404. Drilling is a process for forming a hole using a tool such as a drill. Boring is a process for enlarging a hole formed by drilling. Boring is used for machining holes with large inner diameters or for finishing the inner surfaces of holes.

[0046] Furthermore, when the machining area 404 has a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 8(a), the machining process development unit 105 extracts, from the database of machining process information, machining processes that can machine the machining area 404 based on the shape of the machining area 404. In the case of Fig. 8(a), the machining area 404 can be machined by turning, so the machining process development unit 105 extracts turning as a machining process that can machine the machining area 404, as shown in Fig. 8(b). Turning is a process that cuts the outer periphery of the material shape 401 to reduce the outer diameter of the material shape 401.

[0047] In step S13, the user 500 selects one processing step from one or more processing steps extracted by the processing step development unit 105, and inputs the selected processing step to the processing step development unit 105 via the GUI unit 101.

[0048] In step S14, machining process parameters are set for the machining area selected in step S13 based on the machining process information stored in the machining process information storage unit 108 and the shape information of the machining area.

[0049] Here, the setting of the machining process parameters will be explained using a specific example. When the machining area 404 has a disk-shaped shape as shown in Fig. 6(a), as described above, end face machining is extracted as a machining process that can machine the machining area 404. At this time, the machining process parameters include, as a shape pattern, "end face position", start point X, start point Z, end point X, end point Z, length L1 in the Z direction, outer diameter length L2 of the material shape 401, etc. The values ​​of these machining process parameters can be obtained by the machining process development unit 105 from the shape information of the machining area 404, so there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0050] 7(a), as described above, hole drilling, or hole drilling and boring, is extracted as a machining process that can process the machining area 404. In this case, the machining process parameters include the "hole position," start point Z, end point Z, length L3 in the Z direction, etc. as a shape pattern. The values ​​of these machining process parameters can be obtained by the machining process development unit 105 from the shape information of the machining area 404, so there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0051] 8(a), when the machining area 404 has a cylindrical shape, as described above, turning is extracted as a machining process capable of machining the machining area 404. In this case, the machining process parameters include, as a shape pattern, an "outer diameter position," start point X, start point Z, end point X, end point Z, the outer diameter length L2 of the blank shape 401, and the radial length L4 which is the thickness to be turned. The values ​​of these machining process parameters can be obtained by the machining process development unit 105 from the shape information of the machining area, so there is no need for the user 500 to input them.

[0052] The processing of the flow in Fig. 9 is executed by the processing operation expansion unit 105 every time the processing area 404 is selected in step S5 in Fig. 4. Then, the processing operation expansion unit 105 outputs the processing operations for which the expansion processing of the processing operations has been completed to the processing operation output unit 106 in order or collectively for each product.

[0053] The machining process output unit 106 outputs the machining processes expanded with the support of the machining process expansion unit 105 as a machining program 107. FIG. 12 shows an example of a machining program. As shown in FIG. 12, the machining program 107 includes a process sequence indicating the order of processing of the machining processes, as well as information such as the process type, tool, and shape setting. The example of FIG. 12 shows an example of a machining program 107 for machining from the end face direction. In the example of FIG. 12, the machining program 107 includes an initial setting machining program 107a, an end face machining program 107b (see FIG. 6(b)), a hole machining program 107c (see FIG. 7(b)), and an end setting machining program 107d. These four machining programs, i.e., machining processes, can be executed in the same direction, i.e., from the end face direction. However, since the machining program 107b for end face machining and the machining program 107c for hole machining have different machining regions 404 to be machined, after the machining program 107b is executed, the tool 302 is replaced and the machining program 107c is executed.

[0054] Next, the GUI unit 101 will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 29. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a material shape and a product shape in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 14 shows a cross-section taken along a virtual plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape 401 and the product shape 402. Figs. 15 to 16 and Figs. 18 to 29 are front views showing an example of a display screen of a user interface of the GUI unit in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example in which an initial remaining area in the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment is divided into a plurality of sub-remaining areas.

[0055] Here, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , a cylindrical metal rod-shaped blank is used as the blank shape 401. The product shape 402 has a cylindrical hole 402b provided in the center of one end surface 402a and a groove 402c disposed radially outward from the hole 402b. The groove 402c is formed around the entire circumferential circumference. Therefore, the groove 402c has a doughnut shape when viewed from the end surface 402a. As shown in FIG. 14 , the depth of the groove 402c is shallower than that of the hole 402b. The groove 402c is disposed radially outward from the hole 402b with a gap therebetween. Therefore, a doughnut-shaped flat portion is formed between the hole 402b and the groove 402c, and the hole 402b and the groove 402c are not connected to each other. Furthermore, the product shape 402 has a constricted portion 402d midway along the Z direction. The outer diameter of the constricted portion 402d is smaller than that of the other portions. The first end 402e adjacent to the constricted portion 402d in the Z direction has a disk shape. The end face of the first end 402e is the end face portion 402a described above. The first end 402e has a larger outer diameter than the constricted portion 402d. The second end 402f is located on the opposite side of the first end 402e in the Z direction with respect to the constricted portion 402d and is adjacent to the constricted portion 402d. The second end 402f has a disk shape. The end face of the second end 402f is flat. The second end 402f has a larger outer diameter than the first end 402e. The length of the second end 402f in the Z direction is greater than that of the constricted portion 402d and the first end 402e.

[0056] 15 to 29 show cross sections taken along an imaginary plane passing through the central axis 800 of the material shape 401 and the product shape 402, but only the upper half of the cross sections shown in FIG. 14 are shown.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 15, the GUI unit 101 first displays a material shape 401 and a product shape 402 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 15, the material shape 401 is indicated by a dashed line, and the product shape 402 is indicated by a solid line. As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of buttons 101d are provided at the bottom of the main display 101b. If the user interface 101a is configured as a touch panel, the buttons 101d are configured as virtual buttons electronically displayed on the main display 101b. On the other hand, if the user interface 101a is configured as a display such as an LCD display, the buttons 101d are configured as hard switches installed on the frame or body of the main display 101b. Above each button 101d, an operation explanation presentation unit 101c is provided, which displays an explanation of the operation of each button 101d. On the screen of FIG. 15, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c that displays "Show remains (remaining area display)," the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 16.

[0058] 16, the GUI unit 101 displays an initial remaining area 403 calculated by the remaining area extraction unit 103 shown in Fig. 1 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In Fig. 16, the dashed line indicates the initial remaining area 403. In the case of Fig. 16, there is one initial remaining area, but the number of initial remaining areas is not limited.

[0059] The initial remaining area 403 is divided into a plurality of sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l by the remaining area dividing unit 104 shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 17. A method for forming the sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l will be described. The remaining area 403 shown in FIG. 16 is divided by imaginary lines parallel to the X-axis and imaginary lines parallel to the Z-axis. These imaginary lines pass through at least one of the bending points at which the broken lines forming the remaining area 403 bend. In the example of FIG. 17, the initial remaining area 403 is divided into 12 sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l.

[0060] The remaining area division unit 104 combines one or more sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l to generate one processing area 404. The combination of the sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l that constitutes the processing area 404 requires that the sub-remaining areas are contiguous, but any combination may be used as long as this condition is met. Each of these combinations becomes a candidate for a division pattern proposed by the remaining area division unit 104. The process of generating the processing area 404 by the remaining area division unit 104 is not limited to this method. In other words, the method of dividing the remaining area 403 into multiple sub-remaining areas and combining the sub-remaining areas to generate the processing area 404 as shown in FIG. 17 is merely one example. The remaining area division unit 104 may generate the processing area 404 using other methods.

[0061] When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c that displays "Select remains" on the screen of FIG. 16, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 18.

[0062] 18 to 20 are examples of screens for selecting a processing direction by the user 500. The processing on the screens shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 is the processing of step S2 in the flow of FIG.

[0063] In the example screen of FIG. 18, the outer diameter direction is displayed as the default value as the machining direction in which the remaining area 403 can be machined. The GUI unit 101 displays a machining area 404a representing the outer diameter direction, which was generated by the remaining area dividing unit 104, on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 18, the machining area 404 indicated by a thick solid line is the machining area 404a displayed as the machining area representing the outer diameter direction. The machining area 404a is the machining area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, and 403d of FIG. 17. Note that, although the outer diameter direction is set as the default value as the initial machining direction in FIG. 18, this is not limiting.

[0064] When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of Fig. 18, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in Fig. 19. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "<" on the screen of Fig. 18, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in Fig. 20.

[0065] An example screen of FIG. 19 will be described. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with ">" on the screen of FIG. 18, the remaining area division unit 104 determines that the inner diameter direction has been selected as the machining direction. Then, the remaining area division unit 104 generates one machining area 404a as a machining area representing the inner diameter direction. As shown in FIG. 19, the GUI unit 101 displays the machining area 404b generated by the remaining area division unit 104 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a. In FIG. 19, the machining area 404 indicated by a thick solid line is the machining area 404b displayed as a machining area that can be machined in the inner diameter direction. The machining area 404b is the machining area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining area 403k and the sub-remaining area 403l of FIG. 17.

[0066] An example screen of FIG. 20 will be described. The remaining area dividing unit 104 determines that the end face direction has been selected as the machining direction when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "<" on the screen of FIG. 18. Then, the remaining area dividing unit 104 generates one machining area 404c as a machining area representing the end face direction. The GUI unit 101 displays the machining area 404c generated by the remaining area dividing unit 104 on the main display 101b of the user interface 101a, as shown in FIG. 20. In FIG. 20, the machining area 404 indicated by a thick solid line is the machining area 404c displayed as a machining area that can be machined in the inner diameter direction. The machining area 404c is the machining area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, and 403l of FIG. 17.

[0067] When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 20, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the "outer diameter direction" screen shown in FIG. 18. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "<" on the screen of FIG. 20, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the "inner diameter direction" screen shown in FIG. 19. Furthermore, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "Select direction (machining direction selection)," the "end face direction" is determined as the machining direction, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 21. The machining direction is determined by the process of step S3 in the flow of FIG. 4.

[0068] 21 to 26 are example screens for user 500 to select the processing area. The processing on the screens shown in Fig. 21 to 26 is the processing of step S4 in the flow of Fig. 4. Fig. 21 to 26 each show candidates for division patterns for user 500 to select as the processing area 404.

[0069] 21, a candidate cutting area 405a is displayed as a "first candidate" for the cutting area 404. The candidate cutting area 405a is the cutting area 404 formed by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, and 403l shown in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displaying "<" on the screen shown in FIG. 21, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "second candidate" shown in FIG. 22. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displaying "Select region (select cutting area)," the "first candidate" is determined as the cutting area, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen shown in FIG. 27. The determination of the cutting area is the process of step S5 in the flow shown in FIG. 4.

[0070] 22, a processing area candidate 405b is displayed as a "second candidate" for the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405b is the processing area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403c, 403d, 403f, 403g, 403j, and 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with ">" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with "<" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "third candidate" shown in FIG. 23. Furthermore, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 22, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0071] 23, a processing area candidate 405c is displayed as a "third candidate" for the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405c is the processing area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403j, and 403l shown in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c marked with ">" on the screen shown in FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "second candidate" shown in FIG. 22. On the other hand, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c marked with "<" on the screen shown in FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "fourth candidate" shown in FIG. 24. Furthermore, when the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of FIG. 23, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0072] 24, a processing area candidate 405d is displayed as a "fourth candidate" for the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405d is the processing area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403j, and 403l shown in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c marked with ">" on the screen shown in FIG. 24, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "third candidate" shown in FIG. 23. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c marked with "V" on the screen shown in FIG. 24, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0073] 25, a processing area candidate 405e is displayed as a "fifth candidate" for the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405e is the processing area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403i, 403j, and 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "Λ" on the screen of FIG. 25, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "second candidate" shown in FIG. 22. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as ">" on the screen of FIG. 25, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed as "V" on the screen of Figure 25, the screen of the main display 101b switches to a screen showing the "sixth candidate" shown in Figure 26.

[0074] 26, a processing area candidate 405f is displayed as the "sixth candidate" of the processing area 404. The processing area candidate 405f is the processing area 404 configured by combining the sub-remaining areas 403d, 403g, 403j, 403k, and 403l in FIG. 17. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with ">" on the screen of FIG. 26, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with "Λ" on the screen of FIG. 26, the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen showing the "fifth candidate" shown in FIG. 25.

[0075] Assume that the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with ">" on the screen of FIG. 26. Then, the screen of the main display 101b returns to the screen showing the "first candidate" shown in FIG. 21. When the user 500 operates the button 101d corresponding to the operation explanation presentation section 101c displayed with "Select region (machining area selection)" on the screen of FIG. 21, the "first candidate" machining area candidate 405a is selected as the machining area, and the screen of the main display 101b switches to the screen shown in FIG. 27. The machining area is determined by the process of step S5 in the flow of FIG. 4. Furthermore, the machining area candidate 405a selected as the machining area 404 has machining operations expanded by the machining operation expansion section 105 of FIG. 1 according to the flow of FIG. 9. The shape pattern of the machining area candidate 405a is the end face position, and the machining direction is the end face direction. Therefore, the machining process development unit 105 selects, for example, "end face machining" (see FIG. 10) as a machining process capable of machining the machining area candidate 405a from among a plurality of machining processes stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. Furthermore, the machining process development unit 105 extracts items of machining process parameters necessary for "end face machining" stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. Then, the machining process development unit 105 sets values ​​for each of the extracted machining process parameter items (start point X, start point Z, end point X, end point Z, etc.) based on the shape data of the machining area candidate 405a. In this way, a machining process for machining the machining area candidate 405a is determined, and the machining process is output as a machining program 107 by the machining process output unit 106.

[0076] In the screen of FIG. 27, the machining area candidate 405a, in which the machining process has already been expanded by the machining process expanding unit 105 of FIG. 1, is indicated by a dashed line because it is the machining area 404c in which the machining process has already been expanded. The remaining area dividing unit 104 extracts the current remaining area 403 using the shape of the machining area 404c in which the machining process has already been expanded and the initial remaining area 403 extracted by the remaining area extracting unit 103 of FIG. 1. In this way, the remaining area 403 is updated to the current remaining area 403. In the example of FIG. 27, the current remaining area 403 is composed of three remaining areas 403A, 403B, and 403C. In this way, the process of the remaining area dividing unit 104 updating the current remaining area 403 is the process of step S6 of the flow of FIG. 4. In the first embodiment, the remaining area 403 is always updated to the latest one every time the user 500 selects a machining area. Furthermore, the updated remaining area 403 is displayed on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101, as shown in Fig. 27. This allows the user 500 to easily select a processable area using the screen of the user interface 101a. Furthermore, as shown in step S7 of the flow in Fig. 4, the processes of steps S1 to S6 of the flow in Fig. 4 are repeated until the remaining area 403 is exhausted.

[0077] 27 to 29 are example screens for user 500 to select remaining area 403 in step S1 of the flow in Fig. 4. Fig. 27 to 29 show remaining areas 403A, 403B, and 403C, respectively, which are candidates for remaining areas that user 500 can select as remaining area 403.

[0078] For example, assume that the user 500 selects the remaining area 403A on the screen of FIG. 27. In this case, the remaining area division unit 104 generates multiple machining area candidates by arbitrarily combining the sub-remaining areas 403a, 403b, 403c, 403e, 403f, and 403h shown in FIG. 17 for each machining direction. These machining area candidates are displayed in order on the screen of the user interface 101a of the GUI unit 101. When the user 500 selects one of these machining area candidates, a machining process is determined for that candidate. By repeating this process, machining processes are determined for all sub-remaining areas 403a to 403l that make up the initial remaining area 403. The determined series of machining processes becomes a machining program for generating the product shape 402 from the material shape 401.

[0079] As described above, the machining process development support device 100 according to the first embodiment supports the selection and development of possible machining processes based on the selection of the remaining area 403. In the machining process development support device 100, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the user 500 simply selects a machining direction using the GUI unit 101, and candidate machining areas that can be machined from the selected machining direction are displayed on the screen. When the user 500 selects one machining area from the candidate machining areas, the machining process development unit 105 extracts machining processes and tools that can machine the selected machining area from the machining process information storage unit 108 based on the shape information of the machining area. Therefore, in the machining process development support device 100, the user 500 does not need to select the tools and machining processes to be used; the tools and machining processes to be used are automatically selected based on the shape information of the selected machining area. This significantly reduces the burden on the user 500 compared to the technology described in Patent Document 1.

[0080] Furthermore, in the machining process development support device 100 according to the first embodiment, the current remaining area 403 indicating the machining area that has not yet been developed is updated every time the machining process of one machining area is developed. In this way, in the machining process development support device 100, the current remaining area 403 is always updated and is displayed on the screen by the GUI unit 101, so that the user 500 can easily select a machining area that has not yet been developed from the remaining area 403.

[0081] The machining program of Patent Document 1 does not take into account the actual material shape, so the user had to manually edit the automatically generated machining program. On the other hand, in Embodiment 1, the machining process development support device 100 has a shape input unit 102 that accepts input of the actual material shape 401 and product shape 402. Therefore, the machining process development support device 100 can calculate an accurate remaining area 403 based on the actual material shape 401 and product shape 402. Furthermore, because the machining process is determined and the machining program is generated based on the accurate remaining area 403, the user 500 does not have to manually edit the machining program.

[0082] Furthermore, in the machining process development support device 100 according to the first embodiment, the machining process development unit 105 develops machining processes based on shape information of the machining area 404. The shape information of the machining area 404 includes a shape pattern of the machining area 404 and values ​​of machining process parameters used in the machining processes. Furthermore, in the machining process development support device 100 according to the first embodiment, the machining process information storage unit 108 stores in advance a plurality of machining processes and items of machining process parameters required for those machining processes. Therefore, based on the shape information of the machining area 404, the machining process development unit 105 extracts one or more machining processes that can machine the machining area 404 from the plurality of machining processes stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. Furthermore, based on the shape information of the machining area 404, the machining process development unit 105 sets values ​​of machining process parameters for each item of the machining process parameters stored in the machining process information storage unit 108. As described above, in the machining process development support device 100 according to the first embodiment, the user 500 does not need to specify a tool and a machining process, and the machining process development unit 105 automatically determines a machining process based on the shape information of the machining area 404, and further sets values ​​of machining process parameters required for the machining process. This makes it possible to easily generate a machining program.

[0083] Next, a hardware configuration for realizing the machining process development support device 100 will be described. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing the machining process development support device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 30, the machining process development support device 100 includes, as hardware, an input device 1001, a processing circuit 1004 including a processor 1002 and a memory 1003, a display 1005, and a transmission / reception device 1006. Of the modules of the machining process development support device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the shape input unit 102, the remaining area extraction unit 103, the remaining area division unit 104, the machining process development unit 105, and a part of the machining process output unit 106 are realized by the processor 1002 and the memory 1003. Furthermore, the machining process information storage unit 108 is realized by the memory 1003. The processor 1002 and the memory 1003 constitute the processing circuit 1004. Furthermore, a part of the GUI unit 101 shown in FIG. 1 is realized by the input device 1001. The input device 1001 includes, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel. Another part of the GUI unit 101 in FIG. 1 is realized by a display 1005. Another part of the processing step output unit 106 is realized by a transmitting / receiving device 1006.

[0084] The processor 1002 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1002 may be an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The memory 1003 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, or an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0085] The memory 1003 also stores an assistance program for implementing the machining process development assistance method. The processor 1002 reads the assistance program from the memory 1003 and executes it to implement the functions of each module in FIG. 1 described above. The memory 1003 is also used as a temporary memory when the processor 1002 executes each function. The assistance program executed by the processor 1002 may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium. In this case, the storage medium is attached to the machining process development assistance device 100, and the assistance program is copied to the memory 1003. Alternatively, the assistance program can be downloaded to the memory 1003 from another computer or a cloud computer system via another communication path, such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or the Internet.

[0086] 31 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the machining process development support method according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 31, in step S21, a plurality of machining processes are stored in advance in the machining process information storage unit 108. In step S22, input of shape data of a material shape 401 and a product shape 402 is accepted using the shape input unit 102. In step S23, a remaining area 403 is extracted based on the material shape 401 and the product shape 402. In step S24, the remaining area 403 is divided into a plurality of machining areas 404. In step S25, development of the machining processes is supported based on the shape information of the machining areas 404. In step S26, the developed machining processes are output as a machining program. Details of the processing in each step are as described above in the description of the machining process development support device 100, and therefore will not be described here.

[0087] Fig. 32 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the machining method according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 32, in the machining method, steps S27 and S28 are added to steps S21 to S26 in Fig. 31. Steps S21 to S26 are the same as those in Fig. 31, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. In step S27, the machining program 107 is executed to generate a machining command, and a control signal indicating the machining command is generated. In step S28, the drive unit 301 of the machining device 300 drives the tool 302 in accordance with the control signal, and the workpiece 400 is machined. Details of the processing in each step are as described above in the explanations of the machining process development support device 100, the numerical control device 200, and the machining device 300, and therefore will not be explained here.

[0088] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 100 Machining process development support device, 101 GUI unit, 101a user interface, 101b main display, 101c operation explanation presentation unit, 101d button, 102 shape input unit, 103 remaining area extraction unit, 104 remaining area division unit, 105 machining process development unit, 106 machining process output unit, 107, 107a, 107b, 107c, 107d machining program, 108 machining process information storage unit, 200 numerical control device, 300 machining device, 301 drive unit, 302 tool, 400 workpiece, 401 material shape, 402 product shape, 402a end face portion, 402b hole, 402c groove, 402d constricted portion, 402e first end portion, 402f second end portion, 403, 403A, 403B, 403C Remaining area, 403a, 403b, 403c, 403d, 403e, 403f, 403g, 403h, 403i, 403j, 403k, 403l sub-remaining area, 404, 404a, 404b, 404c machining area, 405a, 405b, 405c, 405d, 405e, 405f machining area candidate, 500 user, 600 machining process deployment support system, 700 machining system, 800 central axis, 1001 input device, 1002 processor, 1003 memory, 1004 processing circuit, 1005 display, 1006 transmitter / receiver.

Claims

1. a GUI unit including a user interface that displays a remaining area that is an area to be processed and accepts user operations; a shape input unit that reads shape data from a database that stores shape data of a material shape and a product shape in advance, or that receives input of the shape data via the user interface through an operation by the user; a remaining area extraction unit that extracts the remaining area, which is a difference between the material shape and the product shape, based on the shape data received by the shape input unit; a remaining area dividing unit that divides the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extracting unit into a plurality of processing areas, displays the processing areas on the user interface, accepts an operation by the user via the user interface, and outputs the processing area selected based on the operation by the user; a processing step information storage unit that stores a plurality of processing steps in advance; a machining process development unit that extracts machining processes for machining the machining area from the machining process information storage unit based on shape information of the machining area output from the remaining area division unit, thereby supporting development of the machining processes; a machining process output unit that outputs the machining process expanded with the support of the machining process expansion unit as a machining program; A processing process development support device comprising:

2. The remaining region dividing unit extracting one or more machining directions capable of machining each of the remaining areas displayed on the user interface, and displaying the machining directions on the user interface; When an operation by the user to select one of the processing directions is received via the user interface, the remaining area that can be processed in the processing direction selected by the user operation is extracted as a processing area, and the processing area is displayed on the user interface.

2. The machining process development support device according to claim 1.

3. The processing step development section includes: storing in advance in the processing step information storage unit processing step information including a plurality of processing steps and items of processing step parameters required for each of the processing steps; When an operation of the user is received via the user interface, for each of the machining areas selected based on the operation of the user, one or more machining processes capable of machining the machining area are extracted from the plurality of machining processes stored in the machining process information storage unit based on shape information of the machining area; setting values ​​of the machining process parameters for each of the machining areas based on the machining process information stored in the machining process information storage unit and shape information of the machining area; 3. The machining process development support device according to claim 2.

4. The remaining region dividing unit extracting a current remaining area using the shape of a machining area in which the machining process has already been expanded by the machining process expansion unit and the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit; 2. The machining process development support device according to claim 1.

5. The remaining region dividing unit extracting a current remaining area using the shape of a machining area in which the machining process has already been expanded by the machining process expansion unit and the remaining area extracted by the remaining area extraction unit; 4. The machining process development support device according to claim 3.

6. The GUI unit displaying the remaining area extracted by either the remaining area extraction unit or the remaining area division unit on the user interface; 3. The machining process development support device according to claim 2.

7. The GUI unit displaying the remaining area extracted by either the remaining area extraction unit or the remaining area division unit on the user interface; 5. The machining process development support device according to claim 4.

8. The GUI unit displaying the remaining area extracted by either the remaining area extraction unit or the remaining area division unit on the user interface; 6. The machining process development support device according to claim 5.

9. A processing process development support system, A machining process development support device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a numerical control device that receives the machining program transmitted from the machining process development support device, executes the machining program to generate a machining command, generates a control signal indicating the machining command, and outputs the control signal; A processing process development support system comprising:

10. 1. A processing system comprising: A machining process development support device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a numerical control device that receives the machining program transmitted from the machining process development support device, executes the machining program to generate a machining command, generates a control signal indicating the machining command, and transmits the control signal; a machining device having a machining tool, receiving the control signal, and driving the machining tool in accordance with the control signal to machine a workpiece; A processing system comprising:

11. A plurality of processing steps are stored in advance in a processing step information storage unit, The shape data is read from a database in which shape data of a material shape and a product shape are stored in advance, or the shape data is input via a user interface operated by a user; extracting a remaining area, which is a difference between the material shape and the product shape, based on the shape data; Displaying the remaining area on the user interface; Dividing the remaining area into a plurality of processing areas; Displaying the processing area on the user interface; accepting an operation from the user via the user interface, and extracting a machining process for machining the machining area from the machining process information storage unit based on shape information of the machining area selected based on the operation of the user, thereby supporting the development of the machining process; outputting the machining process expanded by the support as a machining program; A manufacturing process development support method characterized by:

12. The machining process development support method according to claim 11, Execute the machining program to generate a machining command, and generate a control signal indicative of the machining command; and machining a workpiece by driving a machining tool in accordance with the control signal. A processing method characterized by:

Images