Drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device, and drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device

Abstract

To provide a punching system which can improve efficiency of punching and shorten the work time when punching a workpiece by using a punching device.SOLUTION: A punching system 1 using a gantry type punching device comprises: drill position adjustment means S1 which adjusts a drill position; clamp operation start means S2 which fixes a workpiece; punching means S4 which performs movement control of a drill unit along the Z-axis lower side in conjunction with the clamp operation and performs punching; punching completion detection means which detects completion of the punching; punching drill lifting means which lifts a punching drill; punching drill reaching confirmation means which confirms that the drill tip has reached a workpiece upper surface position; and clamp operation release means which releases the clamp operation of a workpiece clamp in conjunction with the reaching confirmation of the drill tip.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device (hereinafter simply referred to as a "drilling system"), and a drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device (hereinafter simply referred to as a "drilling method"). More specifically, it relates to a drilling system for controlling a gantry-type drilling device to perform drilling operations for providing a plurality of holes in a workpiece, and a drilling method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in drilling operations for making holes in large main body plates such as steel structures and bridges, and small parts, a gantry-type drilling device (hereinafter simply referred to as a "drilling device") that enables high-speed cutting by numerical control (NC control) has been used (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0003] Drilling operations are performed to provide holes of a prescribed size at a plurality of prescribed positions on a workpiece such as a large main body plate that is the object of drilling. Then, the workpieces are overlapped so that the positions of the holes coincide, a bolt is passed through the holes, and a nut is screwed or they are joined by welding, thereby enabling the workpieces to be firmly connected to each other.

[0004] The drilling device mainly comprises a mounting table for mounting and supporting from below a workpiece that is the object of drilling, a pair of guide rails disposed along the longitudinal direction (corresponding to the X-axis direction) of the mounting table, a gate-shaped (portal-shaped) gantry unit supported on the pair of guide rails and capable of freely moving along the X-axis direction according to the guide rails, and a drill unit attached to the gantry unit and capable of freely moving along the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and also capable of freely moving along the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Thereby, the drilling drill attached to the drill unit can be position-controlled in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and drilling operations can be performed on a desired drilling position of the workpiece.

[0005] Generally, in order to manufacture large construction materials, multiple drilling locations are set for a single workpiece, and drilling must be performed at each location. Therefore, the drill unit of the drilling device is numerically controlled to automatically perform drilling at multiple locations sequentially. In this way, completing drilling at all the set locations for a single workpiece requires a lot of time, for example, it can take several hours to tens of hours from the start to the completion of the drilling work, and sometimes the work that takes place at night is performed by unmanned operation.

[0006] More specifically, an example of the drilling process of a workpiece W using a conventional drilling device 100 will be explained based on Figures 9(a) to (e). In Figure 9, some components of the drilling device 100 are omitted and shown schematically in order to simplify the explanation.

[0007] First, a drill unit 102, mounted on a gantry unit (not shown), is moved and controlled above the drilling position P of the workpiece W placed on the mounting table 101, along the X-axis direction (corresponding to the left-right direction in Figure 9) and the Y-axis direction (corresponding to the front-to-back direction in Figure 9).

[0008] The drill unit 102 is equipped with a drilling drill 103, and the drill tip 103a of the drilling drill 103 is directed toward the workpiece W. By controlling the movement of the drill unit 102 (drilling drill 103) along the X-axis and Y-axis directions, the drill tip 103a of the drilling drill 103 is directed toward the drilling position P of the workpiece W at a predetermined height, and the positioning adjustment in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is completed (see Figure 9(a)).

[0009] After the above positioning adjustment is completed, the work clamp 104 attached to the drill unit 102 is activated to start the clamping operation to fix the workpiece W. The clamping operation causes the work clamp 104 to extend downward so that the lower surface 104a of the clamp contacts the upper surface W1 of the workpiece W. In other words, the work clamp 104 is lowered downward along the Z axis (corresponding to the downward direction of the paper in Figure 9) (Figure 9(b)).

[0010] Here, the work clamp 104 is connected to a well-known driving means (not shown), such as a hydraulic cylinder, built into the drill unit 102, and can extend and retract from the drill unit 102 along the Z-axis direction. In other words, the work clamp 104 can repeatedly move up and down along the Z-axis direction.

[0011] The clamping action of the work clamp 104 causes the clamping lower surface 104a of the work clamp 104 to come into contact with the work surface W1, thereby pressing the workpiece W toward the mounting table 101. This fixes the workpiece W in place. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of so-called "springback" that occurs when the drilling drill 103 penetrates the workpiece W during drilling, as well as problems such as vibration of the workpiece W during cutting and lifting away from the mounting table 101. This prevents the drilling position P from shifting, and allows for drilling with correct machining accuracy.

[0012] Here, "springback" refers to the phenomenon in which a workpiece W springs up when the pressure on it is removed during drilling or bending. In particular, in the case of the drilling device 100, when drilling is performed while pushing down the workpiece W with the drilling drill 103, the workpiece W around the hole springs up when the hole is completed. This can sometimes cause a problem in which a part of the workpiece W (the hole wall) comes into contact with the drilling drill 103.

[0013] After the clamping operation by the work clamp 104 is completed, that is, after confirming that the workpiece W is fixed, the drill unit 102 and the drilling drill 103 mounted on the drill unit 102 are controlled to move downward along the Z axis, and the drill unit 102 is lowered at a predetermined drill descent speed Va (see Figure 9(c)). The drilling drill 103 rotates at a predetermined rotational speed along the drill axis, and as the drilling drill 103 contacts the upper surface W1 of the workpiece W and continues to descend past the lower surface W2, a hole H is formed that penetrates the workpiece W with a thickness d.

[0014] After the drilling process forms a hole H and the drill tip 103a reaches a predetermined position, the downward movement of the drilling drill 103 is stopped, and its movement along the Z-axis is controlled at a predetermined upward drilling speed Vb. The rotation of the drilling drill 103 along the drill axis continues even during the movement control along the Z-axis.

[0015] As a result, the drill unit 102 and the drilling drill 103 rise upward along the Z axis and continue this operation until the drill tip 103a returns to the position (height) before the drilling operation begins (see Figure 9(d)). After confirming that the drill tip 103a has returned to the position before the operation began, the workpiece clamp 104 releases its hold on the workpiece W (see Figure 9(e)). By performing the series of processes schematically shown in Figures 9(a) to (e), the drilling operation at one drilling position P of the workpiece W is completed.

[0016] Then, once the work clamp 104 has returned to its predetermined position, the drill unit 102 can be moved along the X-axis and Y-axis directions to the new drilling position P of the workpiece W (see Figure 9(a)), thereby starting the drilling process at the new drilling position P. In this way, even if multiple drilling positions P are set for a single workpiece W, the drilling process shown in Figures 9(a) to (e) can be sequentially repeated for each drilling position P, thereby automating the drilling process to form multiple holes H in the workpiece W using the drilling device 100. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-084619 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-084620 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0018] As described above, in the case of conventional drilling devices, the timing of controlling the downward movement of the drill unit (drilling drill) along the Z-axis and the upward movement along the Z-axis, as well as the timing of controlling each operation such as the clamping operation to fix the workpiece with a workpiece clamp and the release operation to release the clamp, was such that control processing for the next operation started only after it was confirmed that each operation had been completed.

[0019] As a result, control for the next operation is only performed after the control for the previous operation is completed, which can lead to prolonged drilling times at specific locations. In particular, as mentioned above, for large main body plates and other workpieces that require sequential drilling at multiple drilling locations, the overall drilling time for the workpiece could be significantly extended. Especially in recent years, there has been a growing demand for increased efficiency and labor savings in drilling operations, and a reduction in the overall work time has also been anticipated.

[0020] Furthermore, in the case of conventional drilling devices, the amount of movement of the drill unit was predetermined by numerical control. Therefore, if the drilling device was installed in a location prone to ground subsidence, such as reclaimed land, and the drilling device tilted due to aging, the drill unit would only be controlled by the predetermined amount of movement, potentially resulting in insufficient drilling of the workpiece.

[0021] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a drilling system and drilling method that, when drilling a workpiece using a drilling device, can shorten the functional configuration and working time in each step of the drilling process, and can calculate the cutting start height based on the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] According to the present invention, a perforation system and a perforation method that solve the above problems are provided.

[0023] [1] A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device having a drill capable of cutting a workpiece to be drilled, a drill unit to which the drill is mounted and which is formed to be movable controllable along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and which is capable of displacing the drill position of the drill tip of the drill, and a work clamp for fixing the workpiece during drilling, wherein the drill position adjustment means controls the movement of the drill unit along the X-axis and Y-axis directions and aligns the drill position above the drill position defined on the workpiece, a clamp operation start means activates the work clamp after the adjustment of the drill position is completed and starts a clamp operation to fix the workpiece, and in conjunction with the start of the clamp operation, moves the drill unit downward along the Z-axis A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device comprising: a drilling means for cutting and drilling the workpiece using a drilling drill that is controlled to move along and descends together with the drill unit; a drilling completion detection means for detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece by the drilling drill; a drilling drill raising means for controlling the movement of the drill unit along the Z-axis upward after detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece, raising the drilling drill and moving it away from the workpiece; a drilling drill arrival confirmation means for confirming that the drill tip has reached the workpiece surface position; and a clamp release means for releasing the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp that fixes the workpiece in conjunction with the confirmation that the drill tip has reached the workpiece surface position.

[0024] [2] The drilling system using the gantry-type drilling device according to [1] further includes a descending speed changing means for changing the descending speed of the drilling drill by the drilling means stepwise. The descending speed changing means controls the movement at a first descending speed until the drill tip reaches the drill fast-forward standby position from the drill initial position, and controls the movement at a second descending speed lower than the first descending speed until the drill tip reaches the work upper surface position from the drill fast-forward standby position.

[0025] [3] The drilling system using the gantry-type drilling device according to [1] or [2] further includes a clamp operation completion detecting means for detecting the completion of the clamping operation of the work by the work clamp, a work thickness measuring means for measuring the work thickness of the work based on the detection of the completion of the clamping operation, and a cutting start height calculating means for calculating the cutting start height of the work based on the measured work thickness.

[0026] [4] The drilling system using the gantry-type drilling device according to [1] or [2], wherein the drilling completion detecting means detects a change in the drill shaft current amount required for the rotation of the drill shaft of the drilling drill.

[0027] [5] A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling apparatus having a drill capable of cutting a workpiece to be drilled, a drill unit on which the drill is mounted and which is formed to be movable controllable along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and which is capable of displacing the drill position of the drill tip of the drill, and a work clamp for fixing the workpiece during drilling, comprising: a drill position adjustment step of controlling the movement of the drill unit along the X-axis and Y-axis directions to align the drill position with a drill position above a defined drilling position on the workpiece; a clamp operation start step of activating the work clamp after the drill position has been adjusted to start a clamping operation to fix the workpiece; and in conjunction with the start of the clamp operation, moving the drill unit downward along the Z-axis A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device, comprising: a drilling step of cutting and drilling the workpiece using a drilling drill that moves along a Z-axis and descends together with the drill unit; a drilling completion detection step of detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece by the drilling drill; a drilling drill raising step of controlling the movement of the drill unit along the Z-axis upward after detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece, raising the drilling drill and moving it away from the workpiece; a drilling drill arrival confirmation step of confirming that the tip of the drill has reached the workpiece surface position; and a clamp release step of releasing the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp that fixes the workpiece in conjunction with the confirmation that the tip of the drill has reached the workpiece surface position.

[0028] [6] A drilling method using the gantry-type drilling apparatus described in [5], further comprising a step of changing the downward speed of the drilling drill in the drilling step, wherein the step of changing the downward speed controls the movement of the drill tip at a first downward speed until it reaches the drill rapid traverse standby position from the drill initial position, and controls the movement of the drill tip at a second downward speed lower than the first downward speed until it reaches the workpiece upper surface position from the drill rapid traverse standby position.

[0029] [7] A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling apparatus according to [5] or [6], further comprising: a clamping operation completion detection step for detecting the completion of a clamping operation of the workpiece by the workpiece clamp; a workpiece thickness measurement step for measuring the workpiece thickness of the workpiece based on the clamping operation completion detection; and a cutting start height calculation step for calculating the cutting start height of the workpiece based on the measured workpiece thickness.

[0030] [8] The drilling completion detection step is a drilling method using a gantry-type drilling apparatus as described in [5] or [6], wherein the step of detecting the completion of drilling is a step of detecting a change in the amount of drill shaft current required for the rotation of the drill shaft of the drilling drill. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the drilling system and drilling method of the present invention, by simultaneously controlling the movement of the drilling drill that drills a workpiece and performing clamping and unclamping operations by a workpiece clamp, it is possible to improve the efficiency, reduce labor, and shorten the working time of the drilling process. In particular, compared to using conventional drilling devices, it is possible to improve the work efficiency when drilling at multiple drilling positions on a single workpiece, and it is also possible to shorten the working time of the drilling process and reduce the amount of electricity used, thereby saving labor. Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate drilling problems that occur when the drilling device is tilted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for drilling using the drilling system of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for drilling using a drilling system. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for drilling using a drilling system. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a drill position adjustment mechanism using a drilling system. [Figure 5]This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a means for initiating clamping operation by a drilling system. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a drilling method using a drilling system. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a means for detecting the completion of drilling work using a drilling system. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a drilling drill raising means, a drilling drill reach confirmation means, and a clamp release means in a drilling system. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process flow of drilling a workpiece using a conventional drilling device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] The perforation system and perforation method of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the perforation system and perforation method of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described below, and various design changes, modifications, and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0034] One embodiment of the present invention, a drilling system 1 (a drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device in the present invention), uses a "gantry-type" drilling device 10 (corresponding to the gantry-type drilling device in the present invention), schematically shown in Figures 4 to 7, to cut a workpiece W (for example, a thick steel plate, etc.) to be drilled, and to form a hole H of a predetermined diameter at a predetermined drilling position P.

[0035] The drilling device 10 mainly comprises a drilling drill 11 capable of cutting the workpiece W, a drill unit 12 on which the drilling drill 11 is mounted and which is formed to be movable and controllable along the X-axis direction (corresponding to the left-right direction of the paper in Figures 4-7), the Y-axis direction (corresponding to the front-to-back direction of the paper in Figures 4-7), and the Z-axis direction (corresponding to the up-to-down direction of the paper in Figures 4-7), and which can freely displace the drill position of the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11, a mounting table 13 on which the workpiece W is placed and supported from below, and a workpiece clamp 14 attached to the drill unit 12.

[0036] Furthermore, the drilling device 10 also includes other conventionally known components, such as a pair of X-axis guide rails, a gantry unit supported by the X-axis guide rails and capable of mounting the drill unit 12, and a movement control unit for controlling the movement of the drill unit 12 and other gantry units based on predetermined change amounts. Note that the configuration of the X-axis guide rails and the like are well known, and therefore, illustrations are omitted to simplify the explanation.

[0037] By using the drilling device 10 with this configuration, a drilling drill 11 that rotates according to the drill axis can be used to drill a hole H of a predetermined diameter at a predetermined drilling position P of the workpiece W supported on the mounting table 13, thereby creating a hole H of a predetermined diameter. The drilling drill 11 and drill unit 12 can be numerically controlled by instructions from the movement control unit based on pre-stored drilling data, including the amount of movement in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, the timing of operation, and the drill position. The drilling method of the present invention (drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device) is a method for drilling a hole H in a workpiece W by using these drilling devices 10 and employing the above-described drilling system 1.

[0038] The workpiece W into which holes H are drilled using the drilling system 1 and drilling method of this embodiment is, for example, a workpiece for manufacturing steel frames used in the piers of highways and the like as a final product, and is made of a thick steel plate. In the drilling system 1 of this embodiment, a flat, thick plate having a predetermined workpiece thickness d will be described below as the workpiece W. The workpiece W to be drilled is not limited to those used to manufacture the steel frames and the like mentioned above, but the drilling system and drilling method of the present invention can also be used in drilling processes performed when manufacturing various products such as box columns and H-shaped steel.

[0039] The following describes the processing or steps of the drilling system 1 and drilling method of this embodiment, based on the flowcharts in Figures 1 to 3 and the schematic diagrams in Figures 4 to 7 that show the various operations of the drilling device 10 on the workpiece W.

[0040] The drilling system 1 of this embodiment mainly comprises, as its primary functional components, a drill position adjustment means S1, a clamp operation initiation means S2, a drilling means S4, a hole penetration position confirmation means S12 and a drill shaft current amount monitoring means S14, which correspond to a drilling completion detection means, a drill raising means S15, a drill reaching confirmation means S16, and a clamp operation release means S17.

[0041] Furthermore, the drilling system 1 includes, as other functional components, a first descent speed changing means S9 and a second descent speed changing means S11 corresponding to a descent speed changing means, a clamp operation completion detection means S5, a workpiece thickness measuring means S6, and a cutting start height calculation means S7, and also includes a plurality of means for performing processing between each of the functional components.

[0042] The following describes in detail the functional configurations of the drilling system 1 of this embodiment and the drilling method using the drilling system 1. Here, each functional configuration (…means) of the drilling system 1 corresponds to each step in the drilling method of the present invention, for example, the drill position adjustment step.

[0043] As schematically shown in Figure 4, the drill position adjustment means S1 in the drilling system 1 of this embodiment controls the movement of the drill unit 12, which is attached to the gantry unit (not shown), along the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and aligns the position of the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 (drill position) with the predetermined drilling position P of the workpiece W supported by the mounting table 13 (corresponding to the drill position adjustment process in the present invention).

[0044] Here, at the start of the drilling system 1, the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 is located at an initial drill position ZP0 (see Figure 4), which is a predetermined height from the upper surface W1 of the workpiece W. In other words, the drill position is adjusted while maintaining the height of the initial drill position ZP0, or in other words, while movement in the X and Y directions is permitted without controlling movement in the Z direction.

[0045] While the drill position adjustment means S1 is performing its operation, the workpiece clamp 14 attached to the drill unit 12 remains stationary at a position (initial clamp position CP0) where the lower surface 14a of the clamp is separated from the drill tip 11a by a certain height.

[0046] After the drill position adjustment by the drill position adjustment means S1 is completed, a process is performed to start the clamping operation by the work clamp 14, as shown in Figure 5 (clamping operation start means S2, clamping operation start step). That is, the operation of the work clamp 14, which is in a waiting state at the height of the initial clamp position CP0 described above, is started, and the work clamp 14 is lowered toward the workpiece W supported on the mounting table 13.

[0047] The workpiece clamp 14 attached to the drill unit 12 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 15, which is a drive source for raising and lowering the workpiece clamp 14 and is located inside the drill unit 12, via a rotary encoder 16 for detecting the amount of change in the workpiece clamp 14.

[0048] This allows the work clamp 14 to be lowered and raised in accordance with the extension and contraction of the cylinder shaft (not shown) by the hydraulic cylinder 15. The clamp operation initiation means S2 controls the lowering of the work clamp 14 until the lower surface 14a of the clamp contacts the upper surface W1 of the workpiece W. As a result, the workpiece W can be pressed against the mounting table 13 (Z-axis downward type), and the workpiece W can be clamped from above and below between the work clamp 14 and the mounting table 13, thereby restricting the movement of the workpiece W. In other words, the workpiece W can be fixed in place by the work clamp 14 (see Figure 5).

[0049] Furthermore, the drilling system 1 of this embodiment can determine the amount of movement (change per unit time) of the work clamp 14 using a rotary encoder 16 connected to the work clamp 14. That is, by subtracting the position of the clamp bottom surface 14a of the work clamp 14 from the position (height) of the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 in the Z-axis direction, the drill-clamp distance LZC1 (see Figure 4), which is the distance between the drill tip 11a and the clamp bottom surface, can be calculated.

[0050] Then, the value of the drill-clamp distance LZC1 is compared with a predetermined set value (set value comparison means S3). If the drill-clamp distance LZC1 is greater than or equal to the set value (YES in the set value comparison means S3), the descent of the drilling drill 11 mounted on the drill unit 12 (rapid drill descent) is started at a first descent speed V1 (drilling means S4, drilling process). At this point, the drilling drill 11 is rotated at high speed according to the drill axis simultaneously with the start of the drilling system 1 of this embodiment, and is in a state where it can cut the workpiece W.

[0051] On the other hand, if the drill-clamp distance LZC1 is smaller than the set value (NO in the set value comparison means S3), for example, if the work clamp 14 is located at the height indicated by the dashed line in Figure 4, the control is performed to continue the descent of the work clamp 14 and not start the descent of the drilling drill 11. This allows the timing of the descent of the drilling drill 11 to be shifted, and a time difference can be created and adjusted between the clamping operation of the work clamp 14 and the descent operation of the drilling drill 11 if the work clamp 14 has risen to a position close to the lower surface of the drill unit 12 and is higher than the drill tip 11a before the start of the drilling system 1.

[0052] Such adjustments, which introduce a time difference in the machining operations of the drilling drill 11 and the work clamp 14, are performed only when drilling at the first drilling position P of the drilling system 1 of this embodiment. When drilling at the next drilling position P, the drill tip 11a and the lower surface 14a of the clamp are positioned in advance to satisfy the condition "LZC1 ≥ set value".

[0053] By satisfying the conditions defined by the set value comparison means S3, the drilling operation (drilling means S4, drilling process) that cuts the workpiece W is performed at approximately the same time as the start of the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp 14 (clamping operation start means S2) (see Figure 5).

[0054] In other words, unlike conventional drilling devices, the downward movement of the drilling drill 11 begins without waiting for the clamping operation by the workpiece clamp 14 to be completed. The drilling drill 11 continues to descend at the first downward speed V1 until it reaches the pre-set drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1.

[0055] Furthermore, the drilling system 1 continues processing related to the downward movement of the drilling drill 11, starts the clamping operation by the workpiece clamp 14, and then detects the completion of the clamping operation (clamping operation completion detection means S5, clamping operation completion detection step). The detection of the completion of this clamping operation is based on the amount of change per unit time measured by the rotary encoder 16 described above.

[0056] In other words, when the lower clamp surface 14a of the work clamp 14 comes into contact with the upper work surface W1 of the workpiece W, and further downward movement is restricted, the amount of change per unit time measured by the rotary encoder 16 becomes "0". Therefore, it is determined that the clamping operation is complete (YES in the clamping operation completion detection means S5). On the other hand, if the amount of change measured by the rotary encoder is not "0" (NO in the clamping operation completion detection means S5), it is determined that the clamping operation is not complete, and the process of the clamping operation completion detection means S5 is repeated to continue detecting the completion of the clamping operation.

[0057] Furthermore, the drilling system 1 calculates the work thickness d of the workpiece W to be drilled (the distance between the upper surface W1 and the lower surface W2 of the workpiece) (work thickness measuring means S6, work thickness measuring step). The work thickness d can be calculated by using the table top surface of the mounting table 13 as a reference and determining the height of the clamp bottom surface 14a of the workpiece clamp 14 after the clamping operation is completed using the rotary encoder 16. Furthermore, the cutting start height ZP2' (Z-axis cutting start height) is calculated based on the calculated work thickness d (cutting start height calculation means S7, cutting start height calculation step). Here, the calculated cutting start height ZP2' approximates the workpiece top surface position ZP2, which corresponds to the height of the upper surface W1 of the workpiece W (ZP2' ≈ ZP2).

[0058] Furthermore, the drilling system 1 continues the downward descent of the drilling drill 11 along the Z axis at the first descent speed V1 and checks whether the drill tip 11a has reached the drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S8). If the drill has reached the drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (YES in drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S8), the descent speed of the drilling drill 11 is changed to the second descent speed V2 (first descent speed changing means S9 (descent speed changing means), descent means change process).

[0059] As a result, the drilling drill 11 continues to descend toward the workpiece W with its descent speed gradually changing to the second descent speed V2. In this embodiment of the drilling system 1, the first descent speed V1 is set to 10,000 mm / min, while the second descent speed V2 is set to 5,000 mm / min. In other words, when the drilling drill 11 is closer to the workpiece W, it is controlled to switch to a slightly slower descent speed.

[0060] Subsequently, the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11, which continues to descend at the second descent speed V2, is detected as to whether or not it has reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (≒cutting start height ZP2') of the workpiece W (workpiece upper surface position confirmation means S10).

[0061] In other words, as shown in Figure 6, when the drill tip 11a reaches the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (YES in workpiece upper surface position confirmation means S10), or more precisely, when the cutting start height ZP2' calculated based on the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp 14 and the position (height) of the drill tip 11a in the Z-axis direction become the same height, the downward speed of the drilling drill 11 is further changed in stages to the cutting speed V3 (second downward speed changing means S11 (downward speed changing means), downward speed changing process), and the downward descent of the drilling drill 11 in the Z-axis direction is continued. As a result, a part of the workpiece W is cut away by the drilling drill 11 in contact with the workpiece W, and a hole H is formed (see Figure 6).

[0062] On the other hand, if the drill tip 11a has not reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (NO in the workpiece upper surface position confirmation means S10), the processing of the workpiece upper surface position confirmation means S10 is continued, and the drilling drill 11 continues to descend at the second descent speed V2 until the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 reaches the workpiece upper surface position ZP2.

[0063] The second descent speed changing means S11 changes the descent speed, and when the drilling drill 11 starts descending at the cutting speed V3, control is performed to activate a timer (not shown) built into the drilling system 1 (timer activation means S13). Then, in conjunction with the activation of this timer, monitoring of the amount of current required for the rotation of the drill shaft (not shown) of the drilling drill 11 is started (drill shaft current amount monitoring means S14 (drilling completion detection means), drilling completion detection process). Here, when the workpiece W is being cut at the cutting speed V3, a certain load is applied to the rotation of the drill shaft of the drilling drill 11. On the other hand, when the workpiece W is not being cut, there is no load, and the amount of current required for the rotation of the drill shaft differs significantly between the two situations.

[0064] Therefore, the drilling system 1 of this embodiment monitors and detects the amount of drill shaft current required for the rotation of the drill shaft to determine whether cutting into the workpiece W is complete, that is, whether the hole H has penetrated (= detection of completion of drilling) (drilling completion detection means, drilling detection step).

[0065] If the completion of hole penetration is detected by monitoring the drill axial current (YES in the drill axial current monitoring means S14), that is, if the amount of current required for the rotation of the drill axial changes to be less than at the start of cutting (when the timer starts), it is determined that a hole H has been formed that penetrates between the upper surface position ZP2 and the lower surface position ZP3 of the workpiece W, and the process proceeds to the next step. If the completion of hole penetration is not detected by monitoring the drill axial current (NO in the drill axial current monitoring means S14), the drill axial current monitoring process continues.

[0066] Here, the drilling system of this embodiment detects whether the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 has reached a preset hole penetration position ZP4, in parallel with the detection of completion of hole penetration of hole H by the drill shaft current amount monitoring means S14 described above, i.e., the completion detection process of drilling (hole penetration position confirmation means S12 (drilling completion detection means), drilling completion detection process). In other words, the drilling system 1 of this embodiment is equipped with two drilling completion detection means (drilling completion detection process): the drill shaft current amount monitoring means S14 and the hole penetration position confirmation means S12.

[0067] As already explained, once the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 reaches the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 of the workpiece W, the downward movement of the drilling drill 11 continues with the downward speed changing to the cutting speed V3, cutting from the workpiece upper surface W1 to the workpiece lower surface W2, passing the workpiece lower surface position ZP3 corresponding to the workpiece lower surface W2, and then the downward movement continues further until it reaches the predetermined hole penetration position ZP4 (Figure 7). When the drill tip 11a reaches the hole penetration position ZP4, a hole H that penetrates the workpiece W is formed.

[0068] Then, when it is detected that the drill has reached the hole penetration position ZP4 (YES in the hole penetration position confirmation means S12), the descent of the drilling drill 11 is stopped and the drilling drill 11 is raised upward on the Z axis (drilling drill raising means S15, drilling drill raising process). In this embodiment, the drilling drill 11 is raised at an upward speed V4 (rapid Z-axis raising). The upward speed V4 is set to 10,000 mm / min, the same as the first descent speed V1. The drilling drill raising means S15 is executed when the conditions of either the drill axis current amount monitoring means S14 or the hole penetration position confirmation means S12 described above are met.

[0069] Subsequently, it is confirmed whether the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11, which is controlled to move upward along the Z axis by the drilling drill raising means S15, has reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (drilling drill reach confirmation means S16, drilling drill reach confirmation step). In other words, it is confirmed whether the drill tip 11a has risen to the cutting start height ZP2' calculated by the cutting start height calculation means S7 described earlier.

[0070] Furthermore, even during the processing of the drilling drill arrival confirmation means S16, the upward Z-axis lifting process is continued at the lifting speed V4 (drilling drill lifting means S18, drilling drill lifting process). Subsequently, it is detected that the drilling drill 11 has risen to the drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S19).

[0071] On the other hand, if the drilling drill 11 has not reached the drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (NO in the drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S19), the upward movement of the drilling drill 11 is continued (drill raising means S18), and detection processing is performed until the drill reaches the drill rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S19).

[0072] Furthermore, the drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S19 has the same basic function as the drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S8 already described, and the difference lies in the direction of movement of the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11, whether it moves from above the Z axis downwards or from below the Z axis upwards.

[0073] On the other hand, once it is confirmed that the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 has reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (YES in drilling drill arrival confirmation means S16, see Figure 8), the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp 14 that was holding the workpiece W from above is released (clamping operation release means S17, clamping operation release step). As a result, the hydraulic cylinder 15 starts raising the workpiece clamp 14.

[0074] As already explained, the upward movement of the drilling drill 11 in the drilling drill reach confirmation means S16 and the drilling drill upward means S18 continues in parallel with the upward movement of the work clamp 14.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is not confirmed that the drill has reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 (NO in the drilling drill reach confirmation means S16), that is, if the drill tip 11a is below the workpiece lower surface position ZP3, or between the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 and the workpiece lower surface position ZP3, the process of confirming that the drill tip 11a of the drilling drill 11 has reached the workpiece upper surface position ZP2 is continued.

[0076] The clamp release means S17 for the work clamp 14 detects whether the work clamp 14 has reached its initial clamp position CP0 before drilling begins (clamp initial position confirmation means S20). If the work clamp 14 has not reached the initial clamp position CP0 (NO in clamp initial position confirmation means S20), the process returns to the clamp release means S17 and continues the clamp release operation.

[0077] On the other hand, if the work clamp 14 reaches the initial clamp position CP0 (YES in the initial clamp position confirmation means S20), and the aforementioned drilling drill 11 rises to the rapid traverse standby position ZP1 (YES in the rapid traverse standby position confirmation means S19), the drilling system 1 detects whether or not there is a drilling position P for the workpiece W to be drilled next (next drilling position presence / absence confirmation means S21).

[0078] At this point, if drilling at one drilling position P is completed and there are other drilling positions P on the same workpiece W that need to be drilled (YES in the next drilling position availability confirmation means), the process returns to the drill position adjustment means S1, which adjusts the drill position to control the movement of the drill unit 12 and drilling drill 11 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions upwards to the next drilling position P. This allows the drilling process for the new drilling position P to continue. As a result, multiple drilling positions P can be sequentially drilled on a single workpiece W.

[0079] On the other hand, if there is no next drilling position P to be drilled (NO in the next drilling position confirmation means S21), in other words, if drilling has been completed for all drilling positions P on the workpiece W, the drilling system 1 is terminated (system termination means S22).

[0080] As described above, the drilling system 1 and the drilling method for a workpiece W using the drilling system 1 of this embodiment allow the timing of movement control for the downward and upward movement of the drilling drill 11 along the Z-axis direction and the timing of clamping and releasing operations by the workpiece clamp 14 to be performed in parallel. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time required for drilling at a single drilling position P, and in particular when drilling is repeated at multiple drilling positions P on a single workpiece W, the time required for the drilling operation can be significantly reduced. This improves the efficiency of the drilling operation and reduces operating costs.

[0081] Furthermore, since the cutting start height can be calculated based on the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp, the workpiece thickness d of the workpiece W can be calculated for each drilling operation even if the drilling device itself is tilted to one side due to ground subsidence, thus reducing the possibility of defects such as machining failures. [Industrial applicability]

[0082] The drilling system and drilling method of the present invention improve the work efficiency of gantry-type drilling equipment used in manufacturing processes for steel frames used on highways and other structures, as well as box columns or H-shaped steel, and shorten working time, making it useful for various purposes. In particular, it has industrial applicability that is useful for drilling workpieces with multiple drilling positions defined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1: Drilling system (drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device), 10,100: Drilling device (gantry-type drilling device), 11,103: Drilling drill, 11a,103a: Drill tip, 12,102: Drill unit, 13,101: Mounting table, 14,104: Workpiece clamp, 14a,104a: Clamp bottom surface, 15: Hydraulic cylinder, 16: Rotary encoder, CP0: Clamp initial position, H: Hole, LZC1: Drill-clamp distance, P: Drilling position, S1 S1: Drill position adjustment means (drill position adjustment process), S2: Clamp operation start means (clamp operation start process), S3: Set value comparison means, S4: Drilling means (drilling process), S5: Clamp operation completion detection means (clamp operation completion detection process), S6: Workpiece thickness measurement means (workpiece thickness measurement process), S7: Cutting start height calculation means (cutting start height calculation process), S8, S19: Drill rapid traverse standby position confirmation means, S9: First descent speed change means (descent speed change means), S10: Workpiece upper surface position confirmation S11: Confirmation means, S12: Second descent speed change means (descent speed change means, descent speed change process), S13: Hole penetration position confirmation means (drilling completion detection means, drilling completion detection process), S14: Drill shaft current amount monitoring means (drilling completion detection means, drilling completion detection process), S15, S18: Drill raising means (drill raising process), S16: Drill arrival confirmation means (drill arrival confirmation process), S17: Clamp release means (clamp release process) S20: means to confirm the initial clamping position, S21: means to confirm the presence or absence of the next drilling position, S22: means to terminate the system, V1: first descent speed, V2: second descent speed, V3: cutting speed, V4: ascent speed, Va: drill descent speed, Vb: drill ascent speed, W: workpiece, W1: top surface of workpiece, W2: bottom surface of workpiece, ZP0: initial drill position, ZP1: rapid traverse standby position of drill, ZP2: top surface position of workpiece, ZP2': cutting start height, ZP3: bottom surface position of workpiece, ZP4: hole penetration position, d: workpiece thickness.

Claims

1. A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device having a drilling drill capable of cutting a workpiece to be drilled, a drill unit on which the drilling drill is mounted and which is formed to be movable and controllable along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and which is capable of displacing the drill position of the drill tip of the drilling drill, and a workpiece clamp for fixing the workpiece during drilling, The drill unit is controlled to move along the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and a drill position adjustment means is provided to align the drill position with the drill position defined in the workpiece above the drilling position. After the adjustment of the drill position is complete, a clamp operation initiation means activates the workpiece clamp and starts the clamping operation to fix the workpiece, A drilling means that, in conjunction with the start of the clamping operation, controls the movement of the drill unit along the downward Z-axis, and uses the drilling drill that descends together with the drill unit to cut and drill the workpiece, A means for detecting the completion of drilling into the workpiece by the drilling drill, After detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece, the drill unit is controlled to move along the Z-axis upward, raising the drilling drill and moving it away from the workpiece. A drilling drill reach confirmation means for confirming that the tip of the drill has reached the upper surface position of the workpiece, A clamp release mechanism is provided to release the clamping action of the workpiece clamp that secures the workpiece, in conjunction with confirmation that the drill tip has reached the upper surface position of the workpiece. A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device equipped with the following features.

2. The system further comprises a means for changing the downward speed of the drilling drill by the drilling means in steps, The aforementioned means for changing the descent speed is, The drill tip is controlled to move at a first downward speed until it reaches the drill rapid traverse standby position from the initial drill position. A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 1, wherein the movement is controlled at a second descent speed lower than the first descent speed from the drill rapid-forward standby position to the workpiece upper surface position.

3. A clamp operation completion detection means for detecting the completion of the clamping operation of the workpiece by the workpiece clamp, Based on the detection of the completion of the clamping operation, a workpiece thickness measuring means measures the thickness of the workpiece, A cutting start height calculation means for calculating the cutting start height of the workpiece based on the measured workpiece thickness, and A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the above.

4. The aforementioned means for detecting the completion of the drilling process is: A drilling system using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 1 or 2, which detects a change in the amount of current required for the rotation of the drill shaft of the drilling drill.

5. A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling apparatus having a drilling drill capable of cutting a workpiece to be drilled, a drill unit on which the drilling drill is mounted and which is formed to be movable and controllable along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and which is capable of displacing the drill position of the drill tip of the drilling drill, and a workpiece clamp for fixing the workpiece during drilling, A drill position adjustment step involves controlling the movement of the drill unit along the X-axis and Y-axis directions to align the drill position with the drill position defined in the workpiece above the drilling position, After the drill position has been adjusted, the clamping operation start step involves activating the workpiece clamp and starting the clamping operation to fix the workpiece, A drilling process in which, in conjunction with the start of the clamping operation, the drill unit is controlled to move along the downward Z-axis, and the workpiece is cut and drilled using the drilling drill that descends together with the drill unit, A drilling completion detection step for detecting the completion of drilling into the workpiece by the drilling drill, After detecting the completion of drilling in the workpiece, the drill unit is controlled to move along the Z-axis upward, raising the drilling drill and moving it away from the workpiece in a drilling drill raising step, A drilling drill reach confirmation step confirms that the tip of the drill has reached the upper surface position of the workpiece, A clamp release step is performed in conjunction with the confirmation that the drill tip has reached the upper surface position of the workpiece, and the clamping operation of the workpiece clamp that fixes the workpiece is released. A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device equipped with the following.

6. The invention further comprises a step-by-step step for changing the downward speed of the drilling drill during the drilling process, The aforementioned descent speed change process is, The drill tip is controlled to move at a first downward speed until it reaches the drill rapid traverse standby position from the initial drill position. A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 5, wherein the device is controlled to move at a second descent speed lower than the first descent speed from the rapid-forward drill standby position to the workpiece upper surface position.

7. A clamping operation completion detection step for detecting the completion of the clamping operation of the workpiece by the workpiece clamp, Based on the detection of the completion of the clamping operation, a work thickness measurement step is performed to measure the work thickness of the workpiece, A cutting start height calculation step for calculating the cutting start height of the workpiece based on the measured workpiece thickness, and A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising the above.

8. The aforementioned drilling completion detection step is: A drilling method using a gantry-type drilling device according to claim 5 or 6, which detects a change in the amount of current required for the rotation of the drill shaft of the drilling drill.

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