System and Program

Abstract

To provide a system and a program which can maintain accuracy in processing a work-piece, even when a grinding material is abraded.SOLUTION: A system, which is provided with at least one computer device, is further provided with: storing means that stores control information for controlling a position in a contacting direction in which a polishing tool contacts a work-piece at which loads acting on the polishing tool when polishing the work-piece under a condition for making the polishing tool polish the work-piece and / or variations of the loads are kept in a predetermined range or protruding amounts or cutting-in amounts in the contacting direction of a grinding material provided in the polishing tool, while associating the control information with information concerning the condition; input means that receives input of the condition for making the polishing tool polish the work-piece; and identifying means that identifies the control information corresponding to the received condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a program that enable the machining accuracy of a workpiece to be maintained even when an abrasive wears. [Background technology]

[0002] When a workpiece is machined using a machine tool, cutting, drilling, or other processes, metal fluffs called "burrs" may appear on the machined surface of the workpiece. It is known to perform processes to remove these burrs (hereinafter referred to as "deburring") or to cut away the corners where burrs have formed (hereinafter referred to as "chamfering").

[0003] These processes are performed manually or using numerically controlled (NC) machine tools. In processes using machine tools, an NC program (also called NC data) is used, and an operator directly inputs data into the machine tool. Alternatively, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software is used to specify the path of a tool attached to the machine tool using shape data of the workpiece designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] When a machine tool is used to perform processes such as deburring and chamfering, the abrasive material of the grinding tool attached to the machine tool gradually wears out. As the abrasive material wears out, the amount of cutting of the grinding tool into the workpiece decreases, making it difficult to maintain the machining accuracy of the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-150428 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a system and a program that enable the machining accuracy of a workpiece to be maintained even when the abrasive wears. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to [1] A system including at least one computer device, the system including: a storage means for storing information relating to conditions when a workpiece is polished with a polishing tool, in association with the information, and information relating to the wear rate of an abrasive material of the polishing tool under the conditions; an input means for receiving input of conditions when a workpiece is polished; and an identification means for identifying information relating to the wear rate of the abrasive material corresponding to the received conditions; [2] A system comprising at least one computer device, the system comprising: an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool; and an identification means for identifying information regarding the wear rate of an abrasive material under the received conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information regarding the conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and information regarding the wear rate of an abrasive material in the grinding tool under the conditions as output data; [3] The system according to [1] or [2], further comprising a generating means for generating control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the contact direction, based on information about the identified wear rate, so that the load and / or change in load applied to the grinding tool when grinding under the conditions is within a predetermined range; [4] The system according to [3] above, further comprising a control means for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the contact direction based on the generated control information; [5] The system according to [3] or [4], further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting the generated control information to another computer device different from the one computer device; [6] The system according to [1] or [2], further comprising a generating means for generating control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive in the contact direction so that the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece falls within a predetermined range, based on information about the identified wear rate; [7] The system according to [6] above, further comprising a control means for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the contact direction based on the generated control information; [8] The system according to [6] or [7], further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting the generated control information to another computer device different from the one computer device; [9] The system according to any one of [1] and [3] to [8], further comprising: a receiving means for receiving information relating to conditions when a workpiece is ground by a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first item, and information relating to the wear rate of an abrasive of the grinding tool under the conditions; and a storage means for storing the received information relating to the wear rate of the abrasive in association with the received information relating to the conditions;

[10] The system according to any one of [2] to [8], further comprising an information receiving means for receiving information on conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first device, and information on the wear rate of the abrasive of the grinding tool under the conditions, wherein the prediction model is machine-learned using the received information on the conditions as input data and the received information on the wear rate of the abrasive as output data;

[11] A system comprising at least one computer device, the system comprising: a storage means for storing control information associated with information on conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of an abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions; an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece; and an identification means for identifying the control information corresponding to the received conditions;

[12] A system comprising at least one computer device, the system comprising: a storage means for storing control information associated with information on conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of an abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions; an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece; and an identification means for identifying the control information corresponding to the received conditions;

[13] A system comprising at least one computer device, comprising: an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool; and an identification means for identifying control information for the received conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information on the conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions;

[14] A system comprising at least one computer device, comprising: an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool; and an identification means for identifying control information for the received conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information on the conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions;

[15] The system according to any one of

[11] to

[14] , further comprising a control means for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the contact direction based on the identified control information;

[16] The system according to any one of

[11] to

[15] , further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting the identified control information to another computer device different from the one computer device;

[17] The system according to any one of

[11] ,

[15] and

[16] , further comprising: information receiving means for receiving information relating to conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first item, and information relating to the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, which is required to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions; and a storage means for storing the received information relating to the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, in association with the received information relating to the conditions;

[18] The system according to any one of

[12] ,

[15] and

[16] , further comprising: information receiving means for receiving information regarding conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first item, and information regarding the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, which is required to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions; wherein the prediction model is machine-learned using the received information regarding the conditions as input data and the received information regarding the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool as output data;

[19] The system according to any one of

[13] ,

[15] and

[16] , further comprising: information receiving means for receiving information relating to conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first item, and information relating to the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, which is required to keep the cutting-in amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions; and a storage means for storing the received information relating to the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, in association with the information relating to the received conditions;

[20] A system according to any one of

[14] to

[16] , comprising an information receiving means for receiving information about conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool in a device other than the computer device of the first item, and information about the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece, or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, so as to keep the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions, wherein the prediction model is machine-learned using the received information about the conditions as input data and the received information about the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction, or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction, as output data;

[21] The system according to any one of [1] to

[20] , wherein the information on the conditions is information on the type of abrasive, the type of workpiece, the rotation speed of the polishing tool, the feed speed of the polishing tool, the state of the workpiece before polishing, and / or the state of the workpiece after polishing;

[22] A program executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to function as a storage means for storing information relating to conditions when a workpiece is polished with a polishing tool and information relating to the wear rate of an abrasive material of the polishing tool under said conditions, an input means for receiving input of conditions when a workpiece is polished, and an identification means for identifying information relating to the wear rate of an abrasive material corresponding to the received conditions;

[23] A program executed on a computer device, which causes the computer device to function as an input means for accepting input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, and as an identification means for identifying information about the wear rate of an abrasive material under the accepted conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information about the conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and information about the wear rate of an abrasive material in the grinding tool under the accepted conditions as output data;

[24] A program executed on a computer device, which causes the computer device to function as: a storage means for storing control information associated with information on conditions when a workpiece is ground with a grinding tool, for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions; an input means for receiving input of conditions when a workpiece is ground; and an identification means for identifying control information corresponding to the received conditions;

[25] A program executed in a computer device, which causes the computer device to function as: a storage means for storing control information associated with information on conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions; an input means for receiving input of conditions for grinding a workpiece; and an identification means for identifying control information corresponding to the received conditions;

[26] A program executed on a computer device, which causes the computer device to function as an input means for accepting input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, and as an identification means for identifying control information under the accepted conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information on the conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range when grinding under the conditions;

[27] A program executed on a computer device, which causes the computer device to function as an input means for accepting input of conditions for grinding a workpiece with a grinding tool, and as a specifying means for specifying control information under the accepted conditions using a machine-learned prediction model with information on the conditions for grinding the workpiece as input data and control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion amount or cutting amount of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the conditions; This can be achieved by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system and a program that make it possible to maintain the machining accuracy of a workpiece even when the abrasive wears. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of processing a workpiece using a grinding tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a grinding tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart of a process for generating control information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a material master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a state of burrs generated on a workpiece before machining according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a workpiece after machining according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an edge quality master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a grinding tool master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a wear rate master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a load and a change amount of the load according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a process for specifying control information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a control information master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate as long as it does not contradict the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the processes constituting the flowcharts described below are in no particular order as long as no contradictions or inconsistencies occur in the process content. Furthermore, some processes may be omitted or other processes may be added as long as no contradictions or inconsistencies occur in the process content.

[0011] (system) The system of the present invention includes at least one computer device. The computer device included in the system of the present invention may be only one computer device or multiple computer devices. The computer device included in the system of the present invention may be a computer device included in a machine tool. The computer device included in the machine tool can control the machine tool to perform machining of a workpiece (a workpiece).

[0012] Furthermore, the computer device provided in the system of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the computer device of the present invention) may not be a computer device provided in the machine tool, but may be a computer device that can be communicatively connected to a computer device provided in the machine tool.

[0013] The computer device of the present invention comprises at least a control unit, RAM, and storage unit, each connected by an internal bus. The control unit is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and executes programs stored in the storage unit to control the computer device. The control unit is equipped with an internal timer that measures time. The RAM (Random Access Memory) is the work area of ​​the control unit. The storage unit is a memory area for saving programs and data. The control unit reads the programs and data from the RAM and performs program execution processing.

[0014] The computer device of the present invention may include a display unit and / or an input unit. The display unit displays various information such as the results of calculations performed by the control unit. The display unit may be a touch panel equipped with a touch sensor. This touch panel functions as the input unit. A user can input information and operational instructions by operating the input unit.

[0015] The computer device of the present invention may include a communication interface. The communication interface can be connected to a communication network wirelessly or via a wire, and can transmit and receive data to and from other computer devices via the communication network. Data received via the communication interface is loaded into RAM, and arithmetic processing is performed by the control unit.

[0016] When the computer device of the present invention is a computer device provided in a machine tool, the display unit displays information such as menus for the user to operate the machine tool. The user can perform workpiece machining using the machine tool by selecting from these displayed menus. In addition, the computer device provided in the machine tool identifies control information, and can control the position of the machine tool's contact direction (the direction in which the abrasive of the grinding tool can be brought into contact with the workpiece and pushed into the workpiece) according to the identified control information.

[0017] The computer device of the present invention may also be provided in a grinding tool holder (described later). In this case, a microcomputer can be used as the computer device of the present invention. The computer device provided in the grinding tool holder identifies control information, and can control the amount of protrusion or cutting depth in the contact direction of the abrasive (the direction in which the abrasive of the grinding tool can be brought into contact with the workpiece and pressed into the workpiece) according to the identified control information.

[0018] (polishing tool) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing a workpiece using a grinding tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the grinding tool 1 includes a grinding tool holder 2 and a grinding material 6 detachably held by the grinding tool holder 2. The grinding tool holder 2 is composed of a large-diameter portion 3, a sleeve 4, and a shank 5. The grinding tool holder 2 holds the grinding material 6 so that an end of the grinding material 6 protrudes from the sleeve 4. When the grinding tool 1 is rotated and the workpiece 7 is pressed in the direction of the rotation axis (i.e., a direction parallel to the axial direction of the shank 5) to grind the workpiece 7, the rotation axis direction is the contact direction. However, hereinafter, the rotation axis direction will be referred to as the Z-axis direction (rotation axis direction).

[0019] The abrasive material 6 is used to polish the surface 8 to be processed of the workpiece 7, and may be, for example, a brush-like abrasive material formed by bundling a plurality of linear abrasive materials into a brush shape as shown in FIG. 1, or an elastic grindstone. The material of the workpiece 7 may be either metal or resin. The abrasive material 6 can be appropriately selected depending on the material of the workpiece 7.

[0020] When a workpiece 7 is subjected to cutting, grinding, drilling, or other processes using a machine tool, metal fluffs known as "burrs" may form on the machined surface of the workpiece 7. By connecting the grinding tool 1 to the machine tool and rotating the grinding tool 1 clockwise or counterclockwise around the shank 5 as an axis (rotation axis) while the abrasive material 6 is in contact with the workpiece 7, the machined surface 8 is polished, and burrs generated on the machined surface 8 can be removed. In this case, if the machined surface 8 is flat, it is preferable to bring the abrasive material 6 into contact with the workpiece 7 so that the rotation axis R is perpendicular to the machined surface 8. Furthermore, if the machined surface 8 is curved, it is preferable to bring the abrasive material 6 into contact with the workpiece 7 so that the rotation axis R is parallel to the normal to the machined surface 8 at the contact point between the abrasive material 6 and the workpiece.

[0021] (polishing) The grinding tool 1 is used with the shank 5 of the grinding tool 1 connected to the spindle of a machine tool. With the shank 5 of the grinding tool 1 connected to the spindle, the grinding tool 1 can be moved along a machining path by moving the spindle along a path set in advance by a program. As a result, the grinding tool 1 can grind the surface 8 to be machined of the workpiece 7. The grinding path of the grinding tool 1 can be controlled by the machine tool not only on the XY plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction, but also by controlling the position in the Z-axis direction.

[0022] In a polishing process, the amount by which the tip of the polishing tool 1 (the tip of the polishing tool 6 in the case of a polishing tool 1 having an abrasive material 6) is pressed into the surface 8 of the workpiece 7 in one polishing process (hereinafter referred to as the depth of cut) can be set to a predetermined value. For example, when using a polishing tool 1 having an abrasive material 6 with a protruding length of 5 mm, if the depth of cut is 2 mm, the distance from the surface 8 of the workpiece 7 to the tip of the sleeve 4 of the polishing tool holder 2 will be 3 mm. A depth of cut of 0 mm means, for example, when using a polishing tool 1 with an abrasive material 6 with a protruding length of 5 mm, the distance from the surface 8 of the workpiece 7 to the tip of the sleeve 4 of the polishing tool holder 2 is 5 mm (i.e., the tip of the abrasive material 6 is in contact with the surface 8 of the workpiece 7).

[0023] When polishing is performed, the abrasive material 6 wears and the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6 becomes shorter. If the position of the polishing tool 1 in the Z-axis direction remains the same, the amount of cut-in will become smaller as the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6 becomes shorter due to polishing. When the abrasive material 6 wears out and the amount of cut-in becomes zero, polishing cannot be performed. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the amount of cut-in within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value) according to the state of wear of the abrasive material 6 due to polishing.

[0024] Methods for adjusting this cutting depth within a predetermined range or for maintaining this cutting depth at a predetermined value include changing the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or changing the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6.

[0025] More specifically, one method for adjusting the cutting depth within a predetermined range is to move the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction by a predetermined distance toward the workpiece 7 when the cutting depth reaches a predetermined value through grinding. Another method for adjusting the cutting depth within a predetermined range is to use the grinding tool holder 2, which has a function for adjusting the protrusion amount of the abrasive material 6, to cause the abrasive material 6 to protrude by a predetermined amount from the sleeve 4 when the cutting depth reaches a predetermined value through grinding.

[0026] One method for maintaining the depth of cut at a predetermined value is to continuously move the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction toward the workpiece 7 in accordance with the rate at which the abrasive material 6 wears and shortens. Another method for maintaining the depth of cut at a predetermined value is to use the grinding tool holder 2, which has a function for adjusting the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6, and to continuously protrude the abrasive material 6 from the sleeve 4 in accordance with the rate at which the abrasive material 6 wears and shortens.

[0027] The load on the grinding tool 1 varies depending on the depth of cut. Generally, the greater the depth of cut, the greater the load on the grinding tool 1. Similarly, the smaller the depth of cut, the smaller the load on the grinding tool 1. Therefore, by maintaining the depth of cut of the grinding tool 1 within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value), the load and / or load change rate on the grinding tool 1 can be maintained within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value). Note that when the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 is worn and shortened, if grinding is performed with the same depth of cut as when the abrasive material is long, the load on the grinding tool 1 may increase regardless of the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6 from the sleeve 4. In this case, when the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 is worn and the load on the grinding tool 1 increases regardless of the amount of protrusion of the abrasive material 6 from the sleeve 4, a value corrected based on the measured load on the grinding tool 1 can be used as the load on the grinding tool 1. Different formulas for load correction are used depending on the diameter and type of wire of the abrasive material 6. The load change rate refers to, for example, the amount of load change per unit time.

[0028] The load applied to the grinding tool 1 and the amount of change in the load can be measured by any known method, and is not particularly limited. For example, the method described below can be used to measure the load applied to the grinding tool 1 and the amount of change in the load.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a grinding tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the grinding tool 1 taken along a plane including the rotation axis R. In FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the grinding material 6 is provided inside the large-diameter portion 3 and sleeve 4 of the grinding tool holder 2. The end of the grinding material 6 opposite the end protruding from the sleeve 4 is held by the grinding material holder 6a. The grinding material holder 6a has a through-hole 6b, through which a feed shaft 3a connected to the large-diameter portion 3 passes. The feed shaft 3a is coaxial with the shank 5 (rotation axis R). The grinding material holder 6a is detachably held inside the large-diameter portion 3 of the grinding tool holder 2 via an attachment portion.

[0030] The grinding tool 1 is equipped with a load detector D inside the large diameter portion 3. The load detector D can be, for example, a pressure sensor, a vibration detector, or a sound wave detector that detects the amplitude of sound generated in the grinding tool. When the load detector D is a pressure sensor, it contacts the feed shaft 3a from the rear Z1 and detects the pressure in the Z-axis direction applied to the feed shaft 3a.

[0031] The grinding tool holder 2 used to detect the load is equipped with a control system including at least a control unit with a CPU, a memory unit connected to the control unit, and a timer. A load detector D is connected to the input side of the control unit. A motor is connected to the output side of the control unit. The grinding tool holder 2 also includes a motor battery that supplies power to the motor, and a control battery that supplies power to the control unit and timer. The motor battery and control battery can be charged externally by connecting cables.

[0032] During grinding using the grinding tool 1, the control unit detects the output (load) from the load detector D and sequentially calculates the load change amount per predetermined unit time. More specifically, the control unit acquires the load output from the load detector D at regular intervals and acquires the load change amount per unit time from three loads acquired in order in chronological order. Here, the loads can be acquired at intervals of 0.001 to 1 second. The unit time for calculating the load change amount is three times the interval at which the load is acquired. The calculation of the load change amount is performed at the same interval as the interval at which the load is acquired.

[0033] (Control of the grinding tool position in the Z-axis direction) The grinding tool 1 is attached to the spindle of the machine tool. By rotating this spindle and thereby rotating the grinding tool 1, the workpiece 7 can be ground. The control unit of the machine tool controls the movement of the spindle in accordance with control information for the machining path of the grinding tool 1. By moving the spindle, the grinding tool 1 can be moved along the machining path. The machining path of the grinding tool 1 can be controlled not only on the XY plane, but also in the Z-axis direction.

[0034] (Control of abrasive protrusion amount) 2(a) and 2(b), the abrasive material 6 is provided inside the large diameter portion 3 and sleeve 4 of the grinding tool holder 2. The end of the abrasive material 6 opposite to the side protruding from the sleeve 4 is held by the abrasive material holder 6a. The abrasive material holder 6a has a through hole 6b, and a feed shaft 3a connected to the large diameter portion 3 passes through the through hole 6b. The feed shaft 3a is coaxial with the shank 5 (rotation axis R).

[0035] Fig. 2(a) shows the case where the total length of the abrasive material 6 provided inside the sleeve 4 of the grinding tool is La, and Fig. 2(b) shows the case where the total length of the abrasive material 6 provided inside the sleeve 4 of the grinding tool is Lb, which is shorter than La. When the total length of the abrasive material 6 becomes Lb, a case where the total length of the abrasive material 6 is changed so that the protrusion amount is the same as in the case of La will be described.

[0036] The amount of protrusion of the abrasive 6 can be changed by moving the abrasive holder 6a equipped with the abrasive 6 along the feed shaft 3a (rotation axis R) toward the large diameter portion 3 to which the sleeve 4 is connected (upward in FIG. 2, also referred to as the Z1 direction), or toward the opening side of the sleeve 4, i.e., the tip side of the abrasive 6 (downward in FIG. 2, also referred to as the Z2 direction) (see FIG. 2). As long as the abrasive holder 6a can be moved along the feed shaft 3a, its structure is not particularly limited. For example, a mechanism can be employed in which threads are cut into the feed shaft 3a and the through hole 6b of the abrasive holder 6a, and the abrasive holder 6a can be moved along the feed shaft 3a by turning the threads.

[0037] The protrusion amount can also be changed manually. When this is done manually, for example, the large diameter portion 3 can be equipped with a dial, and when the dial is turned, a screw turns and the abrasive holder 6a moves along the feed shaft 3a. When the protrusion amount is changed automatically, the grinding tool holder 2 can be equipped with a microcomputer including at least a control unit and a communication unit, and the large diameter portion 3 can be equipped with a battery and a motor. In this case, the protrusion amount can be changed by a mechanism in which the dial turns when the motor is driven by a battery based on instructions from the control unit of the microcomputer, and the abrasive holder 6a moves along the feed shaft 3a.

[0038] In FIG. 2(a), the abrasive holder 6a is at the highest position, and if the abrasive 6 has the same length, the protrusion amount is smallest. On the other hand, in FIG. 2(b), the abrasive holder 6a has moved downward. The protrusion amount of the abrasive 6 also varies depending on the length of the worn abrasive 6. Therefore, when the abrasive holder 6a as shown in FIG. 2(b) has moved downward from the highest position in FIG. 2(a), the protrusion amount or cutting depth of the abrasive 6, which will be described later, is controlled by controlling the movement amount of the abrasive holder 6a, i.e., the value of (Lb - La) (i.e., the movement amount of the abrasive holder 6a).

[0039] The systems according to the first and second embodiments described below are capable of specifying the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 according to the conditions when grinding a workpiece (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as processing conditions). In the case of a system that specifies the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 according to such processing conditions, by controlling the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion amount of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction based on the specified wear rate, it becomes possible to maintain the amount of cutting of the grinding tool 1 into the workpiece within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value), or to maintain the load on the grinding tool 1 or the change in the load per unit time within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value).

[0040] In a system capable of determining the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 according to the processing conditions, the machine tool to which the grinding tool 1 is attached may function as a computer device that determines the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1. In this case, the machine tool determines the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1, and further, based on the determined wear rate, the machine tool can control the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction so that the amount of cut into the workpiece 7 by the grinding tool 1 falls within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value), or so that the load applied to the grinding tool 1 or the change in the load per unit time falls within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value).

[0041] Furthermore, in a system capable of determining the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 according to the processing conditions, a computer device separate from the machine tool may function as the computer device that determines the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1. In this case, the computer device determines information related to the wear rate of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1, and based on the determined information on the wear rate, generates control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction, and transmits the generated control information to the machine tool or the grinding tool holder 2. The machine tool controls the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction according to the received control information. The grinding tool holder 2 controls the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction according to the received control information.

[0042] In this case, the machining conditions may be input into a machine tool or a device other than the machine tool, the input machining conditions may be transmitted to a computer device, and the computer device may identify information relating to the wear rate based on the received machining conditions and generate control information.

[0043] In addition, this computer device is capable of communicating with multiple machine tools, receiving machining conditions from multiple machine tools, and transmitting control information generated based on the received machining conditions to the corresponding machine tools.

[0044] Furthermore, in a system capable of determining the wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the grinding tool 1 according to the processing conditions, if a computer device separate from the machine tool functions as a device for determining the wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the grinding tool 1, information relating to the determined wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the grinding tool 1 may be transmitted to the machine tool. In this case, the machine tool generates control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive 6 in the Z-axis direction based on the received information on the wear rate, and can control the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive 6 in the Z-axis direction according to the generated control information.

[0045] In this case, the machining conditions may be input into a machine tool or a device other than the machine tool, the input machining conditions may be transmitted to a computer device, and information regarding the wear rate may be determined based on the received machining conditions in the computer device.

[0046] In addition, this computer device is capable of communicating with multiple machine tools, receiving machining conditions from multiple machine tools, and transmitting information regarding the wear rate determined based on the received machining conditions to the corresponding machine tools.

[0047] The systems according to the third and fourth embodiments described below are capable of specifying control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load applied to the grinding tool 1 within a predetermined range during grinding, depending on the processing conditions. Furthermore, the systems according to the third and fourth embodiments are capable of specifying control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction so as to keep the amount of cutting-in of the grinding tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range, depending on the processing conditions.

[0048] In such a system that specifies control information according to machining conditions, the machine tool to which the grinding tool 1 is attached may function as a computer device that specifies the control information. In this case, the machine tool controls the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction in accordance with the specified control information.

[0049] Furthermore, in such a system that specifies control information according to machining conditions, a computer device separate from the machine tool may function as the computer device that specifies the control information for the abrasive material 6 of the grinding tool 1. In this case, this computer device can transmit the specified control information to the machine tool or the grinding tool holder 2. The machine tool controls the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction according to the received control information. Furthermore, the grinding tool holder 2 controls the amount of protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction according to the received control information.

[0050] In this case, the machining conditions may be input into the machine tool or a device other than the machine tool, the input machining conditions may be transmitted to a computer device, and the computer device may generate control information based on the received machining conditions.

[0051] In addition, this computer device is capable of communicating with multiple machine tools, receiving machining conditions from multiple machine tools, and transmitting control information generated based on the received machining conditions to the corresponding machine tools.

[0052] In a system according to a first embodiment described below, a computer device stores information about the wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the abrasive 1 under the processing conditions associated with information about the processing conditions when a workpiece 7 is polished with the polishing tool 1 in a master table (a wear rate table described below), and the master table is referenced to determine the wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the polishing tool 1 according to the input processing conditions. The information about the processing conditions and the information about the wear rate stored in this master table may be added based on information received from another device. For example, polishing of a workpiece is performed in another device, and the information about the processing conditions at that time and the information about the measured wear rate are associated and added to and stored in the master table of the computer device. This increases the accuracy of the determined wear rate.

[0053] A system according to a second embodiment, which will be described later, uses a computer device to determine the wear rate of the abrasive 6 under the input processing conditions using a prediction model (learning model) trained by machine learning with information about the processing conditions when polishing the workpiece 7 as input data and information about the wear rate of the abrasive 6 of the polishing tool 1 under these processing conditions as output data. Information received from another device may also be used as training data for this prediction model. For example, when polishing the workpiece 7 is performed by another device, information about the processing conditions is used as input data, and information about the measured wear rate is used as output data. This increases the accuracy of the determined wear rate.

[0054] In a third embodiment of the system described below, a computer device stores control information for the processing conditions associated with information about the processing conditions when the workpiece 7 is polished with the polishing tool 1 in a master table (a control information table described below). The control information is then identified by referring to the master table in response to input processing conditions. The information about the processing conditions and the control information stored in the master table may be added based on information received from another device. For example, when polishing of a workpiece is performed in another device, information about the processing conditions is associated with control information obtained by controlling the Z-axis position of the workpiece 7 from the polishing tool 1 or the Z-axis protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive 6 so that the load and / or load change amount on the polishing tool 1 falls within a predetermined range, and the associated information is added to the master table of the computer device. Also, when polishing of a workpiece 7 is performed in another device, information about the processing conditions is associated with control information obtained by controlling the Z-axis position of the workpiece from the polishing tool 1 or the Z-axis protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive 6 so that the cutting depth falls within a predetermined range, and the associated information is added to the master table of the computer device. This increases the accuracy of the identified control information.

[0055] A system according to a fourth embodiment, described below, uses a computer device to input information about processing conditions for polishing a workpiece 7. The system uses a prediction model trained by machine learning to determine control information for the abrasive 6 under the input processing conditions, such as control information that can keep the load and / or load change amount on the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range or control information that can keep the depth of cut of the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range, as output data. Information received from another device may also be used as training data for this prediction model. For example, the system uses information about processing conditions when the workpiece 7 is polished by another device as input data, and control information that can keep the load and / or load change amount on the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range or control information that can keep the depth of cut of the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range, as output data. This makes it possible to obtain control information that keeps the load and / or load change amount on the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range or control information that keeps the depth of cut of the polishing tool 1 within a predetermined range, according to the input processing conditions.

[0056] First Embodiment The first embodiment relates to a system that stores information on the wear rate of an abrasive in a grinding tool under processing conditions in association with information on the processing conditions when a workpiece is ground with the grinding tool, and identifies the wear rate of the abrasive corresponding to the processing conditions when a workpiece is ground. Based on the identified wear rate, the system generates control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive in the contact direction so that the load and / or load change amount on the grinding tool when grinding under the processing conditions falls within a predetermined range, or so that the cutting-in amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece falls within a predetermined range.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for generating control information according to an embodiment of the present invention. The following describes a case in which a wear rate is identified and control information is generated in a computer device provided in a machine tool. First, a user inputs various machining conditions via a display unit provided in the machine tool. Any conditions can be input as the machining conditions to be input. The input machining conditions may be conditions that will be used when actually polishing a workpiece, or may be hypothetical conditions that will not actually be used to machine a workpiece but are intended to estimate the wear rate, etc.

[0058] Machining conditions are conditions for polishing a workpiece, and refer to conditions that may affect the machining of the workpiece and the wear of the abrasive. Examples of machining conditions include the material and physical properties of the workpiece, the type and physical properties of the abrasive tool used in machining, the state of the workpiece before machining, such as the state of burrs, and the quality of the workpiece after machining. In addition to these conditions, the machining conditions may also include conditions related to the environment in which the workpiece is machined (temperature, humidity, etc.). The input conditions are stored in the memory unit of the machine tool. Below, we will explain the case where information about the workpiece, the state of burrs before machining, and the quality after machining are input as machining conditions.

[0059] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Display screen 50 is configured so that, for each condition input by the user, conditions such as information about the workpiece 51, the state of burrs 52, and the quality after processing 53 can be input by numerical values ​​or by selecting numerical values ​​for the processing conditions. The input of each condition will be explained below.

[0060] The input of information 51 about the workpiece is accepted by the user operating the display unit (step S1). The information about the workpiece includes information about the hardness and / or tensile strength of the workpiece, and information about the specific cutting resistance. If the hardness value is proportional to the tensile strength value, the tensile strength may be calculated from the hardness, or the hardness may be calculated from the tensile strength, and the input of either information may be accepted. Furthermore, the input of information about the surface properties of the surface to be machined (whether it is a raw surface, surface roughness, etc.) may be accepted. In other words, the information about the workpiece includes material properties that represent the characteristics based on the material of the workpiece.

[0061] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a material master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. The material master table 60 is stored in a memory unit of a machine tool. The material master table 60 stores, for each workpiece material 61, a hardness 63, a tensile strength 64, and a specific cutting resistance 65 in association with a classification code 62. The workpiece material 61 is classified into seven groups based on the selection criteria for cemented carbide in ISO and JIS-B50431. The hardness 63, tensile strength 64, and specific cutting resistance 65 may each be set to values ​​measured using a predetermined measurement method. The material 61 and classification code 62 shown in FIG. 5 may be input as workpiece information 51 (FIG. 4). A user can set conditions by simply inputting the material 61 and classification code 62 according to the material master table 60, without having to input the various physical properties of the material 61.

[0062] Next, the user operates the display unit to accept input of information regarding the burr condition 52 of the workpiece before processing (step S2). Next, the user operates the display unit to accept input of information regarding the quality 53 after processing (step S3). Figure 6 is a diagram showing the state of burrs generated on a workpiece before processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6(a) shows a vertical burr, which is a burr protruding vertically from the top surface of the workpiece. In the case of a vertical burr, the length of the burr in the horizontal direction on the top surface of the workpiece is referred to as the "burr thickness," and the length of the burr in the vertical direction on the workpiece is referred to as the "burr height." Figure 6(b) shows a horizontal burr, which is a burr protruding horizontally from the top surface of the workpiece. In the case of a horizontal burr, the length of the burr in the horizontal direction on the top surface of the workpiece is referred to as the "burr height," and the length of the burr in the vertical direction on the top surface of the workpiece is referred to as the "burr thickness." Burrs generated by processes such as cutting and drilling can be classified as either vertical burrs or horizontal burrs.

[0063] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing a workpiece after machining according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the edge of the workpiece after machining as viewed horizontally. Here, the edge refers to the intersection of two surfaces, one parallel to the vertical direction of the workpiece and the other perpendicular to it. The intersection refers to a ridge line.

[0064] Figure 7(a) shows the state after machining when the workpiece is machined so that it has a gentler slope toward the top surface than toward the side. The workpiece in Figure 7(a) is machined so that the top surface quality, which is the length after machining in the horizontal direction of the top surface of the workpiece, is longer than the depth quality, which is the length after machining in the vertical direction of the top surface of the workpiece. Figure 7(b) shows the state after machining when the workpiece is machined so that it has a gentler slope toward the side surface than toward the top surface. The workpiece in Figure 7(b) is machined so that the depth quality is longer than the top surface quality.

[0065] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an edge quality master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. The edge quality master table 70 stores dimensions 72 in association with edge quality designations 71. The edge quality designation 71 represents the edge quality standard by defining the height and thickness dimensions of the burr before machining as positive values ​​and the top surface quality and depth quality dimensions after machining as negative values, assuming that the edge quality designation 71 is "0" based on the reference point where the top surface and side surface of the workpiece intersect, i.e., the angle between the top surface and side surface of the workpiece, i.e., the edge is a so-called pin angle. Edge quality is defined in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS B0721-2004), but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, an independently defined edge quality standard may be used.

[0066] To explain this in more detail using the edge quality master table 70, for example, if the edge quality designation 71 is "minus 2," this indicates that the dimension 72 is less than or equal to -0.2 mm when calculated from the reference point. Similarly, if the edge quality designation 71 is "plus 1," this indicates that the dimension 72 is greater than 0 and less than +0.2 mm when calculated from the reference point. If the height of the vertical burr shown in FIG. 6(a) is +0.3 mm and the thickness is +0.1 mm, the burr height is "plus 2" and the burr thickness is "plus 1." Similarly, if the top surface quality shown in FIG. 7(a) is -0.4 mm and the depth quality is -0.1 mm, the top surface quality is "minus 2" and the depth quality is "minus 1."

[0067] The information regarding the burr condition input in step S2 is, for example, information indicating which dimension 72 in the edge quality master table shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the burr thickness and burr height of the vertical burr shown in FIG. 6(a) or the horizontal burr shown in FIG. 6(b). In other words, the edge quality designation 71 corresponding to the corresponding dimension 72 can be set as the burr condition of the edge portion. For example, if the vertical burr height shown in FIG. 6(a) is +0.3 mm and the thickness is +0.1 mm, the burr height is input as "plus 2" and the burr thickness is input as "plus 1" in step S2. The size of the burr may be measured automatically using tracing control or a visual sensor, or manually by the user.

[0068] The information regarding the post-machining quality input in step S3 may, for example, indicate which dimension 72 in the edge quality master table shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the top surface quality or depth quality shown in FIG. 7(a) or 7(b), using an edge quality designation 71. That is, the edge quality designation 71 corresponding to the corresponding dimension 72 may be set as the state of the burr on the edge portion. Here, the user performing the machining may specify the post-machining quality by directly inputting the desired edge quality value or by selecting one of the edge quality designations 71 by referring to the dimension 72 stored in the edge quality master table 70. This design allows the user to perform the machining process while only considering the post-machining quality, thereby enabling intuitive and efficient setting of machining conditions.

[0069] If there are multiple sizes of burrs, the size of the burr may be used as the information to input the maximum size. Also, the system may be designed so that by inputting measured data, the edge quality is automatically selected by referring to the edge quality master table 70.

[0070] It should be noted that the information regarding the quality after processing cannot be set to information that sets a lower standard than the information regarding the burr condition received in step S2. The standards can be set, for example, with "minus 2" as the lowest and "plus 2" as the highest. In this case, if the burr condition is minus 1, the quality after processing cannot be set to plus 1. In other words, the quality after processing cannot be increased relative to the burr condition.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the processing conditions may include information about the grinding tool used for processing. The processing conditions may be selected based on information about the workpiece received in step S1 or information about the state of burrs received in step S2.

[0072] When entering information about the grinding tool used in processing as a processing condition, a grinding tool master table such as that shown in Fig. 9 can be prepared. In the grinding tool master table 80, for example, a grinding tool diameter 82, a wire type 83, a wire length 84, and a number of segments 85 are stored in association with a grinding tool No. 81.

[0073] The grinding tool diameter 82 indicates the diameter of the blade or brush portion of the grinding tool used to perform the processing. The wire type 83 indicates the material of the blade or brush portion used to perform the processing. The wire length 84 indicates the length of the blade or brush portion used to perform the processing. The number of segments 85 indicates the number of brush bundles if the grinding tool has a brush portion. In addition to this information, whether or not the grinding tool is suitable for use with the material 61 stored in the material master table 60 may be stored for each grinding tool number 81. The display unit displays information registered in the grinding tool master table for multiple grinding tools 1, such as the grinding tool number 81, grinding tool diameter 82, wire type 83, wire length 84, and / or number of segments 85, and allows the user to input which of these grinding tools 1 to use.

[0074] Next, the machine tool accepts input of grinding conditions 54 via the display unit (step S4). Specifically, the grinding conditions 54 determine the relative positional relationship and speed between the workpiece and the grinding tool used in processing, and include conditions such as the rotational speed of the workpiece or the grinding tool, the feed rate of the workpiece or the grinding tool, and the depth of cut. All of these grinding conditions 54 can be treated as variables, or, for example, it is also possible to treat one of the grinding conditions 54, such as the rotational speed of the grinding tool, as a variable and the other conditions as constants.

[0075] Rotational speed refers to the speed at which the workpiece or abrasive tool rotates per unit time, and is also called the number of revolutions. Feed rate refers to the relative speed in the XY plane between the abrasive tool used in processing and the workpiece. As explained above, cutting depth refers to the amount by which the tip of the abrasive tool is pressed into the surface of the workpiece in one processing.

[0076] When the machine tool receives the information input from steps S1 to S4, the control unit of the machine tool refers to the wear rate master table to identify information related to the abrasive wear rate corresponding to the received processing conditions (step S5). For example, if the workpiece material is "stainless steel," the burr height is "plus 2," the burr thickness is "plus 2," the top surface quality is "minus 2," the depth quality is "minus 2," and the polishing conditions are "4000 / min," and the input data in steps S1 to S4 identifies the wear rate per unit distance as 0.6 mm / mm. The "wear rate per unit distance" is calculated by dividing the amount of wear of the abrasive by the workpiece processing distance. Here, the workpiece processing distance is the distance the workpiece is processed by the polishing tool. For example, when the polishing tool is moved while the workpiece is fixed, the movement distance of the polishing tool on the XY plane is the workpiece processing distance. For example, when machining a workpiece by moving it while the grinding tool is fixed, the distance the grinding tool moves on the XY plane is the distance the workpiece is machined. If the grinding tool moves 10 mm on the XY plane while machining a fixed workpiece, and the abrasive material of the grinding tool wears down 5 mm during this machining, the wear rate per unit distance is calculated to be 0.5 mm / mm.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a wear rate master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wear rate table 90 stores, for example, a wear rate 95 associated with a workpiece material 91, a burr condition 92, a post-machining quality 93, and polishing conditions 94. The burr condition 92 includes a burr height 92a and a burr thickness 92b. The burr height 92a and the burr thickness 92b are registered using the edge quality designation 71. The post-machining quality 93 includes a top surface quality 93a and a depth quality 93b. The top surface quality 93a and the depth quality 93b are also registered using the edge quality designation 71. The polishing conditions 94 include elements of the polishing conditions 54 that affect the wear rate. The wear rate 95 is, for example, the length (or amount) of wear of the abrasive material of the grinding tool per unit distance, and is measured and stored in advance when the grinding tool is actually rotated to grind a workpiece under predetermined workpiece material 91, burr condition 92, post-processing quality 93, and grinding conditions 94. In step S5, the wear rate 95 corresponding to the grinding conditions input in steps S1 to S4 is identified. The wear rate 95 may be the length (or amount) of wear of the abrasive material of the grinding tool per unit time, measured and stored in advance when the grinding tool is actually rotated to grind a workpiece under predetermined workpiece material 91, burr condition 92, post-processing quality 93, and grinding conditions 94.

[0078] Based on the information regarding the identified wear rate, control information is generated to control the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive (i.e., the value of (Lb-La)) so that the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool can be maintained within a predetermined range (or predetermined value), or so that the cutting depth of the grinding tool can be maintained within a predetermined range (predetermined value) (step S6).

[0079] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a load and a change in the load according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the load of the abrasive 6 applied to the grinding tool. Polishing begins with the depth of cut input by the user as a processing condition. This depth of cut at the start of polishing becomes the upper limit of a predetermined range of the depth of cut. The predetermined range of the depth of cut may be automatically set based on the upper limit of the depth of cut, or the user may input not only the upper limit but also the lower limit of the depth of cut as a processing condition. When the lower limit of the depth of cut is automatically set based on the upper limit of the depth of cut, the lower limit may be a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the upper limit, or may be calculated by multiplying the upper limit by a coefficient greater than 0 and less than 1.

[0080] As shown in Figure 11, at the start of polishing, the load on the polishing tool 1 is at its upper limit. If the position of the polishing tool 1 in the Z-axis direction and the protrusion amount of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction are constant, as the polishing tool 1 continues polishing the workpiece 7, the abrasive material 6 wears and the depth of cut decreases. When the depth of cut decreases and reaches its lower limit, the load on the polishing tool 1 also reaches its lower limit. Here, to maintain polishing accuracy, the depth of cut increases and the load on the polishing tool 1 also increases by continuously controlling the position of the polishing tool 1 in the Z-axis direction to approach the workpiece 7 or by continuously controlling the protrusion amount of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction to increase.

[0081] As the cutting depth increases and reaches its upper limit, the load on the grinding tool 1 also reaches its upper limit. When the cutting depth reaches its upper limit, the cutting depth changes from increasing to decreasing by stopping the movement of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or by stopping the increase in the protrusion of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction. By repeating these controls, the cutting depth and the load on the grinding tool 1 and / or the change in load can be maintained within a predetermined range.

[0082] In step S6, based on the identified wear rate, for example, by repeating the above-described control, control information is generated regarding the position of the grinding tool 1 in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material 6 in the Z-axis direction, which can maintain the cutting-in amount within a predetermined range, or can maintain the load and the load change amount within a predetermined range. The machine tool performs machining of the workpiece in accordance with the control information.

[0083] In the first embodiment, the control unit of the machine tool receives input of the workpiece material, burr condition, post-machining quality, and polishing conditions, and then refers to the wear rate table to identify the information on wear rate stored in the wear rate table. However, for example, the memory unit of the machine tool may store a predetermined relational expression between the workpiece material, burr condition, post-machining quality, and polishing conditions and the information on wear rate, and the control unit of the machine tool may identify the information on wear rate based on the received input of the workpiece material, burr condition, post-machining quality, and polishing conditions and the stored relational expression.

[0084] In the first embodiment, the input reception in steps S1 to S4 has been described as being received via the display unit of the machine tool, but as described above, the input may be received in another device that can communicate with the machine tool via wired or wireless communication. In addition to performing the input operation at the workshop where the machine tool is located, the input operation may also be performed at a location other than the workshop (for example, the location of a client who requests processing from a workshop that has a machine tool). Furthermore, the input reception in steps S1 to S4 may be performed by reading in data.

[0085] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment relates to a system that uses information about processing conditions when grinding a workpiece as input data and information about the wear rate of the abrasive in the grinding tool under the above conditions as output data, and uses a machine-learned prediction model to identify information about the wear rate of the abrasive under actual processing conditions. Based on the identified wear rate, the system generates control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cut-in amount of the abrasive in the contact direction so that the load and / or load change amount on the grinding tool during grinding under the above processing conditions falls within a predetermined range, or so that the cut-in amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece falls within a predetermined range.

[0086] The following describes a case where a computer device provided in a machine tool identifies the wear rate and generates control information.

[0087] (Prediction model) In the second embodiment, a prediction model is stored in the memory unit of the machine tool, which is trained by machine learning using information on the processing conditions when polishing a workpiece as input data and information on the wear rate of the abrasive material in the polishing tool under those processing conditions as output data. The machine learning algorithm is not particularly limited, and any known algorithm can be used, such as linear regression, multiple regression analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, random forests, and deep learning using multilayer neural networks.

[0088] A multilayer neural network has an input layer, an output layer, and multiple intermediate layers. Weights are assigned to the edges connecting nodes in each layer. Weights corresponding to each input to the node are assigned to the edges, and the input to the node is multiplied by the weight corresponding to each input, and the value obtained by multiplying these weights is added to a bias. The value obtained by the addition is subjected to nonlinear transformation using an activation function to calculate an activation value. The calculated activation value becomes the input value passed to the node in the next layer. The number of intermediate layers can be designed as appropriate. The weights are optimized using the above training data.

[0089] The input data includes information about the processing conditions for polishing a workpiece, such as the material of the workpiece, the state of the burr (burr height, burr thickness), the quality after processing (top surface quality, depth quality), information about the polishing tool, and / or the polishing conditions. On the other hand, the output data includes information about the wear rate of the abrasive when the workpiece is actually polished under these processing conditions.

[0090] (Control information specific processing) As in the first embodiment, the identification of information related to the wear rate of the abrasive can be performed according to the flowchart of the control information identification process shown in Fig. 3. First, the machine tool accepts input of information 51 related to the workpiece via the display unit (step S1). Next, the machine tool accepts input of information related to the state of burrs 52 of the workpiece before machining via the display unit (step S2), and further accepts input of information related to the quality 53 after machining (step S3). The machine tool accepts input of polishing conditions 54 via the display unit (step S4).

[0091] When the machine tool receives the input of information from steps S1 to S4, a control unit of the machine tool uses information about the processing conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and information about the wear rate of the abrasive in the grinding tool under those processing conditions as output data, and identifies information about the wear rate of the abrasive corresponding to the received processing conditions (step S5). In the second embodiment, based on the information about the identified wear rate, control information is generated for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cut-in amount of the abrasive in the Z-axis direction (i.e., the value (Lb-La)) so that the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range (or so that the cut-in amount of the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range) (step S6).

[0092] In the second embodiment, the input reception in steps S1 to S4 has been described as being received via the display unit of the machine tool, but as in the first embodiment, the input may be received in another device that can communicate with the machine tool via wire or wirelessly. Also, the input reception in steps S1 to S4 may be received by reading data.

[0093] <First and second embodiments> In the first and second embodiments, a machine tool has been described as an example of a computer device that identifies information related to the wear rate of the present invention, but the identification of information related to the wear rate may also be performed by another computer device that can communicate with the machine tool via wire or wirelessly. Furthermore, the identification of the wear rate may be performed only by the machine tool, or may be performed in a system in which the machine tool and another device cooperate with each other.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the process of controlling the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material based on control information is described as being executed in the control unit of the machine tool, but it may also be controlled in the control unit of a microcomputer provided in the grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool.

[0095] A case where a machine tool executes a program in cooperation with another device will be described below. When a program is executed on a machine tool and a server device, it is conceivable that the step of accepting input of each condition in steps S1 to S4 in the control information identification process in Fig. 3 is executed on the machine tool, and the step of identifying information regarding the wear rate in step S5 is executed on the server device. After the information regarding the wear rate is identified on the server device, the step of generating control information based on the identified information regarding the wear rate may be executed on the server device and transmitted to the control unit of the machine tool, or the step of transmitting the identified information regarding the wear rate to the control unit of the machine tool and generating control information may be executed in the control unit of the machine tool.

[0096] The step of controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the Z-axis direction based on the control information generated in the server device or the control unit of the machine tool may be executed in the control unit of the machine tool, or in the control unit of a microcomputer provided in the grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool. In this case, the generated control information is transmitted, as necessary, by communication means to the control unit of the machine tool or the microcomputer that executes the control.

[0097] Furthermore, when the program is executed not only on the machine tool and the server device, but also on another computer device capable of communicating with the machine tool and the server device, it is conceivable that the step of accepting input of each condition in steps S1 to S4 in the control information identification process in Fig. 3 may be executed on the other computer device, and the step of identifying information on the wear rate in step S5 may be executed on the server device. After the information on the wear rate is identified on the server device, the step of generating control information based on the identified information on the wear rate may be executed on the server device and transmitted to the control unit of the machine tool via a communication unit, or may be executed on the server device and transmitted to the other computer device via a communication unit, or the step of transmitting information on the identified wear rate to the control unit of the machine tool or the other computer device via a communication unit, and generating control information may be executed on the machine tool control unit or the other computer device.

[0098] The step of controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive in the Z-axis direction based on control information generated in the control unit of the server device, machine tool, or other computer device may be executed in the control unit of the machine tool, or in the control unit of a microcomputer provided in the grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool. In this case, the generated control information is transmitted, as necessary, by communication means to the control unit of the machine tool or microcomputer that executes the control.

[0099] <Third embodiment> The third embodiment relates to a system that stores control information, associated with information on processing conditions when a workpiece is polished with a polishing tool, for controlling the position of the polishing tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or load change amount on the polishing tool within a predetermined range when polishing under the processing conditions, and identifies control information corresponding to the processing conditions when polishing a workpiece.The third embodiment also relates to a system that stores control information, associated with information on processing conditions when a workpiece is polished with a polishing tool, for controlling the position of the polishing tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting-in amount of the polishing tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the processing conditions, and identifies control information corresponding to the processing conditions when polishing a workpiece.

[0100] The following describes a case where control information is identified in a computer device provided in a machine tool.

[0101] The descriptions of the material master table in Fig. 5, the edge quality master table in Fig. 8, and the grinding tool master table in Fig. 9 in the first embodiment are similarly applied to the third embodiment. Also, the descriptions of the state of burrs generated on the workpiece before machining in Fig. 6 and the workpiece after machining in Fig. 7 in the first embodiment are similarly applied to the third embodiment. Also, the descriptions of the display screen in Fig. 4 in the first embodiment are similarly applied to the third embodiment.

[0102] The control information can be identified in accordance with the flowchart of the control information identification process shown in FIG. 12. First, the machine tool accepts input of information 101 related to the workpiece (step S11). Next, the machine tool accepts input of information related to the state 102 of the burrs on the workpiece before machining via the display unit (step S12), and accepts input of information related to the quality 103 after machining (step S13). The machine tool accepts input of polishing conditions 104 via the display unit (step S14). The machining conditions input in steps S11 to S14 are arbitrary conditions. The input machining conditions may be conditions that will be used when actually polishing a workpiece, or may be hypothetical conditions that will not actually machine a workpiece but are intended to predict control information.

[0103] When the machine tool receives the information input from step S11 to step S14, the control unit of the machine tool refers to the control information master table and identifies the control information corresponding to the received machining conditions (step S15).

[0104] 13 is a diagram illustrating a control information master table according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control information master table 100 stores, for example, a wear rate 105 associated with a workpiece material 101, a burr condition 102, a post-machining quality 103, and polishing conditions 104. The burr condition 102 includes a burr height 102a and a burr thickness 102b. The burr height 102a and the burr thickness 102b are registered using the edge quality designation 71. The post-machining quality 103 includes a top surface quality 103a and a depth quality 103b. The top surface quality 103a and the depth quality 103b are also registered using the edge quality designation 71. The polishing conditions 104 include elements of the polishing conditions 54 that affect the wear rate.

[0105] The control information 105 is information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction (i.e., the value of (Lb-La)) so as to keep the load and / or the change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value), or to keep the cutting depth of the grinding tool within a predetermined range (or a predetermined value). The control information 105 is pre-stored control information capable of controlling the load and / or the change in load on the grinding tool within a predetermined range, or controlling the cutting depth of the grinding tool within a predetermined range, when the grinding tool is actually rotated to grind a workpiece under predetermined workpiece material 101, burr condition 102, post-processing quality 103, and grinding conditions 104. In step S15, the control information 105 corresponding to the processing conditions input in steps S11 to S14 is identified.

[0106] More specifically, the control information 105 enables repeated execution of control such as not changing the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis direction (Lb-La) value of the abrasive material of the grinding tool until a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of grinding, changing the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis direction (Lb-La) value of the abrasive material of the grinding tool at a predetermined speed after a predetermined first time has elapsed, and then stopping the change in the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis direction (Lb-La) value of the abrasive material of the grinding tool after a predetermined second time has elapsed.

[0107] The control unit of the machine tool controls the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material in the Z-axis direction based on the generated control information. The machine tool performs machining of the workpiece at the controlled position or protrusion or cutting-in amount.

[0108] In the third embodiment, the input reception in steps S11 to S14 has been described as being received via the display unit of the machine tool, but the input may be received in another device capable of wired or wireless communication with the machine tool. Also, the input reception in steps S11 to S14 may be received by reading data.

[0109] <Fourth embodiment> The fourth embodiment relates to a system that identifies control information under actual machining conditions using a prediction model that has been machine-learned using, as training data, information on the machining conditions when a workpiece is polished and control information for controlling the position of the polishing tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the contact direction so as to keep the load and / or change in load on the polishing tool within a predetermined range when polishing under the machining conditions.The fourth embodiment also relates to a system that identifies control information under actual machining conditions using a prediction model that has been machine-learned using, as training data, information on the machining conditions when a workpiece is polished and control information for controlling the position of the polishing tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the contact direction so as to keep the cutting-in amount of the polishing tool into the workpiece within a predetermined range under the machining conditions.

[0110] The following describes a case where control information is identified in a computer device provided in a machine tool.

[0111] (Prediction model) In a fourth embodiment, a prediction model trained by machine learning is stored in a memory unit of a machine tool, with input data being information about the machining conditions used to grind a workpiece, and training data being control information for controlling the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis protrusion or depth of cut of the abrasive material of the grinding tool so that the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range when the workpiece is ground under those machining conditions. In the fourth embodiment, a prediction model trained by machine learning is stored in a memory unit of a machine tool, with input data being information about the machining conditions used to grind a workpiece, and training data being control information for controlling the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis protrusion or depth of cut of the abrasive material of the grinding tool so that the depth of cut of the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range when the workpiece is ground under those machining conditions. The machine learning algorithm is not particularly limited, and known algorithms can be used, such as linear regression, multiple regression analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, random forests, and deep learning using multilayer neural networks.

[0112] A multilayer neural network has an input layer, an output layer, and multiple intermediate layers. Weights are assigned to the edges connecting nodes in each layer. Weights corresponding to each input to the node are assigned to the edges, and the input to the node is multiplied by the weight corresponding to each input, and the value obtained by multiplying these weights is added to a bias. The value obtained by the addition is subjected to nonlinear transformation using an activation function to calculate an activation value. The calculated activation value becomes the input value passed to the node in the next layer. The number of intermediate layers can be designed as appropriate. The weights are optimized using the above training data.

[0113] The input data, which is information about the processing conditions for polishing a workpiece, includes, for example, the material of the workpiece, the state of the burr (burr height, burr thickness), post-processing quality (top surface quality, depth quality), information about the polishing tool, and / or the polishing conditions. Meanwhile, the output data includes control information for the upper or lower limit of the load applied to the polishing tool (upper or lower limit of the load change) when a workpiece is actually polished under these processing conditions, the position of the polishing tool in the Z-axis direction, or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the Z-axis direction, when a workpiece is actually polished under these processing conditions. Alternatively, the output data includes control information for the upper or lower limit of the cutting depth of the polishing tool, the position of the polishing tool in the Z-axis direction, or the protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material of the polishing tool in the Z-axis direction, when a workpiece is actually polished under these processing conditions.

[0114] (Control information specific processing) As in the third embodiment, the identification of information related to the wear rate of the abrasive can be performed according to the flowchart of the control information identification process shown in Fig. 12. First, the machine tool accepts input of information 101 related to the workpiece via the display unit (step S11). Next, the machine tool accepts input of information related to the state 102 of the burrs on the workpiece before machining via the display unit (step S12), and accepts input of information related to the quality 103 after machining via the display unit (step S13). The machine tool accepts input of polishing conditions 104 via the display unit (step S14).

[0115] When the machine tool receives the input of information from steps S11 to S14, a control unit of the machine tool uses information about the processing conditions for grinding a workpiece as input data and information about the wear rate of the abrasive in the grinding tool under those processing conditions as output data, and identifies control information corresponding to the received processing conditions using a machine-learned prediction model (step S15). Step S15 generates control information for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive in the Z-axis direction (i.e., the value (Lb-La)) so that the load and / or change in load on the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range (or so that the cutting-in amount of the grinding tool falls within a predetermined range).

[0116] The control unit of the machine tool controls the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the protrusion or cutting-in amount of the abrasive material in the Z-axis direction based on the generated control information. The machine tool performs machining of the workpiece at the controlled position or protrusion or cutting-in amount.

[0117] In the fourth embodiment, the training data for the prediction model stored in the memory of the machine tool may include information on the machining time from the start of machining and information on the machining path associated with the machining time. In this case, it becomes possible to more accurately determine information on the wear rate when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of machining.

[0118] In the fourth embodiment, the input reception in steps S11 to S14 has been described as being received via the display unit of the machine tool, but as in the first embodiment, the input may be received in another device that can communicate with the machine tool via wire or wirelessly. Also, the input may be received without a specific UI.

[0119] Furthermore, the input reception in steps S11 to S14 may be performed by inputting a numerical value, selecting from a menu, or reading data.

[0120] <Third and Fourth Embodiments> In the third and fourth embodiments, a machine tool has been described as an example of a device that executes the program for identifying information related to the wear rate of the present invention, but the program may also be executed in another device that can communicate with the machine tool via wire or wirelessly. Furthermore, the program for identifying information related to the wear rate may be executed by the machine tool alone, or may be executed in a system that cooperates with another device that can communicate with the machine tool via wire or wirelessly.

[0121] Furthermore, in the third and fourth embodiments, the process of controlling the Z-axis position of the grinding tool or the Z-axis protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material based on control information has been described as being executed in the control unit of the machine tool, but it may also be controlled in the control unit of a microcomputer including at least a control unit and a communication unit provided in the grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool.

[0122] The following describes a case where a machine tool executes a program in cooperation with another device. When a program is executed by a machine tool and a server device, it is conceivable that the process of accepting input of each condition in steps S11 to S14 in the control information specification process of Fig. 12 is executed by the machine tool, and the process of specifying the control information in step S15 is executed by the server device. After the server device specifies the control information corresponding to the machining conditions, the control information may be transmitted to a control unit of the machine tool, or to a control unit of a microcomputer provided in a grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool.

[0123] Furthermore, when the program is executed not only on the machine tool and the server device, but also on another computer device capable of communicating with the machine tool and the server device, it is conceivable that the step of accepting input of each condition in steps S11 to S14 in the control information identification process of Fig. 12 is executed on the other computer device, and the step of identifying the control information in step S15 is executed on the server device. After the server device identifies the control information corresponding to the machining conditions, the control information may be transmitted to the control unit of the machine tool, or to the control unit of a microcomputer provided in a grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool.

[0124] The process of controlling the position of the grinding tool in the Z-axis direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting depth of the abrasive material in the Z-axis direction may be performed in the control unit of the machine tool, or in the control unit of a microcomputer provided in the grinding tool holder connected to the machine tool. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 grinding tool, 2 grinding tool holder, 3 large diameter portion, 3a feed shaft, 4 sleeve, 5 shank, 6 abrasive material, 6a abrasive material holder, 6b through hole, 7 workpiece, 8 Workpiece surface, 50 Display screen, 51 Workpiece information, 52 Burr condition, 53 Quality after processing, 54 Polishing conditions, 60 Material master table, 70 edge quality master table, 80 polishing tool master table, 90 wear speed tables, 100 control information tables

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising at least one computer device, a storage means for storing control information for controlling the position of the abrasive tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive tool in the contact direction so that the cutting amount of the abrasive tool into the workpiece falls within a predetermined range even when the abrasive tool of the abrasive tool is worn out by grinding the workpiece under the conditions, in association with information relating to the conditions when the workpiece is ground with the abrasive tool; an input means for receiving input of conditions for polishing a workpiece; A specifying means for specifying control information corresponding to the received condition; A system comprising:

2. A control means for controlling the position of the grinding tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive in the contact direction based on the specified control information. The system of claim 1 , comprising:

3. a transmitting means for transmitting the specified control information to another computer device different from the one computer device; The system of claim 1 , comprising:

4. An information receiving means for receiving information regarding conditions when a workpiece is ground by a grinding tool in a device other than the first computer device, and information regarding a position in a contact direction of the grinding tool with the workpiece or a protrusion amount or cutting amount of the grinding tool in the contact direction when the cutting amount of the grinding tool into the workpiece is controlled to be within a predetermined range even when the grinding tool's abrasive material is worn by grinding the workpiece under the conditions. Equipped with The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage means stores information relating to the position of the received grinding tool in the contact direction or the amount of protrusion or cutting-in of the abrasive material of the grinding tool in the contact direction in association with the information relating to the received conditions.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the information regarding the conditions is information regarding the type of abrasive, the type of workpiece, the rotation speed of the polishing tool, the feed speed of the polishing tool, the condition of the workpiece before polishing, and / or the condition of the workpiece after polishing.

6. A program executed on a computer device, The computer device a storage means for storing control information for controlling the position of the abrasive tool in the contact direction with the workpiece or the protrusion or cutting amount of the abrasive tool in the contact direction so that the cutting amount of the abrasive tool into the workpiece falls within a predetermined range even when the abrasive tool of the abrasive tool is worn out by grinding the workpiece under the conditions, in association with information relating to the conditions when the workpiece is ground with the abrasive tool; an input means for receiving input of conditions for polishing a workpiece; Identification means for identifying control information corresponding to the received condition A program that functions as a

Images