Tool management system, imaging device, control device, program

Abstract

This prevents excessive replacement or overuse of cutting tools. [Solution] When the cutting tool is mounted on a machining center 10 (a machine tool) and is in standby mode, a tip image is taken of the tip portion of the cutting tool while it is waiting to be machined, an outer circumference image is taken of the outer circumference portion of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image is taken by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the tool is rotated one or more times. The wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, the wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, and the contours of the maximum outer diameter images before and after standby are detected. Then, using each detected wear region and contour and reference data for tool life determination, the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool from the detection point onward is estimated, and based on the estimation result, either control to resume machining in the state or tool change control is made possible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for preventing excessive replacement and excessive use of cutting tools.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in cutting tools such as drills and end mills, changes in the state of the cutting edge portion due to machining are inevitable. If the change in the state of the cutting edge portion is not correctly detected, there will be excessive replacement, where the cutting tool is replaced prematurely even though it can still be used, or excessive use, where the cutting tool is overused even though it has already reached its lifespan. In the latter case, the machining quality of the machined part deteriorates significantly.

[0003] As a technique for solving such problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of inputting a captured image into a learning model that outputs information regarding the deterioration state of the cutting edge portion in response to the input of an image of the cutting edge portion of a cutting tool, and obtaining information regarding the deterioration state of the cutting edge portion in the captured image. The captured images are an overall image of the upper surface (the surface viewed from the direction of the rotation axis) of the tip portion of the cutting tool, an individual upper surface image, an oblique image, an outer peripheral image, and a rake face image. These images are still images captured at different angles.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a tool diagnosis system that infers the remaining lifespan of a tool attached to a machine tool. In this tool diagnosis system, wear marks are identified by comparing an image captured immediately after machining of the workpiece and an image captured by rotating to such an extent that the deposits attached to the tool are removed or moved. Then, the machining conditions of the machine tool, the specifications of the tool and the workpiece are used as learning data, and the remaining tool lifespan of the tool is inferred by inputting the image of the cutting edge portion and the machining conditions, etc. into a learned model through machine learning for learning the remaining tool lifespan of the tool. The image to be captured is an image of the flank face at the tip where wear marks occur.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for analyzing the amount of wear on a cutting tool using multiple image data of the cutting tool, which are captured by a microscope camera at different angles in the direction of rotation of the cutting tool. This technique involves binarizing the image data, extracting data of the largest wear area on one blade from these binarized image data, and analyzing the amount of wear from the extracted data of the largest area. The images are still images taken from different angles. Patent Document 3 also describes how to predict the timing of tool replacement by displaying a graph of the tool wear curve.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a technique for evaluating the wear state of the tip of a cutting tool. This technique involves extracting the worn area from an image of the tip of the cutting tool using a Fourier transform filter to generate a worn area image. From this worn area image, each pixel is binarized based on a predetermined threshold to form a binarized image in which the worn area is represented by white pixels. Subsequently, noise is removed from the binarized image to obtain a noise-processed image that more clearly displays the worn area. The wear state of the tip of the cutting tool is then evaluated from the white pixels that constitute the worn area in the noise-processed image. The images used to generate the machining friction image are multiple tip images taken so that the focal points are positioned at predetermined intervals from the tool tip toward the tool contour in the direction of the tool axis.

[0007] The technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 apply AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology or image processing technology to the evaluation and future prediction of the surface state of cutting tools, but in all cases the images are taken when the cutting tool is removed from the machine tool or when it is stationary while attached to the machine tool.

[0008] Cutting tools come in a wide variety of shapes, structures, and sizes for their bottom and outer cutting edges, and there are also variations in manufacturing. Furthermore, even cutting tools of the same specifications, i.e., the same tool name, may not always be the same in terms of mounting accuracy to the machine tool, the environment during cutting, the lighting conditions during photography (illumination, shadows, etc.), and the material of the workpiece.

[0009] To prevent excessive replacement or overuse of cutting tools, it is crucial to precisely detect the current wear level near the cutting edge of the cutting tool currently mounted and in use on the machine tool, and to accurately estimate the future wear level. In other words, it is essential to correctly understand how long (in terms of time) the cutting tool can continue to be used under the same cutting conditions and machining accuracy. However, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 lack such a perspective. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7548520 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7756248 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7645730 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-121242 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide a technology for accurately estimating the remaining lifespan of cutting tools mounted on machine tools and effectively preventing over-replacement and overuse. Other purposes of the present invention will become clear from the contents of this disclosure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition means for acquiring a tip image of the tip portion of a cutting tool while it is mounted on a machine tool and waiting to be processed, an outer circumference image of the outer circumference of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image obtained by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times; a detection means for detecting a wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, a wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, and the contour of the maximum outer diameter image; and the detected The tip portion and the outer peripheral portion Wear area and The aforementioned contour and , representing characteristic quantities for each symptom of change in the tip portion and the outer peripheral portion Estimation means for estimating the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool after the detection point, using reference data for determining tool life. and; A tool management system comprising: a control means that enables either control of resuming machining in the state or tool change control based on the estimation result of the estimation means;

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a photographic device that causes the tool management system to acquire the tip image, the outer circumference image and the maximum outer diameter image, the photographic device comprising: a first photographic unit for photographing the outer circumference image and the maximum outer diameter image; a second photographic unit for photographing the tip image; a first illuminator for irradiating light onto the outer circumference; a second illuminator for irradiating light onto the tip; a third illuminator that lights up when the first illuminator is off and irradiates light onto the cutting tool from the opposite direction to the first illuminator; a first air discharge mechanism for radiating compressed air in the field of view of the first photographic unit when the first photographic unit is photographing; and a second air discharge mechanism for radiating compressed air in the field of view of the second photographic unit when the second photographic unit is photographing; the photographic device is housed in the machining area of ​​the machine tool, and the photographic device is covered by an openable and closable dome cover.

[0014] Other aspects of this disclosure include communication control means that enable communication with a user terminal having a display device, For each of several types of cutting tools, a tip image taken of its tip, an outer circumference image taken of its outer circumference, a maximum outer diameter image taken by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times, the wear region of the tip present in the tip image, the wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, the contour of the maximum outer diameter image, Cutting edge retraction amount measured from the aforementioned contour The tool features database stores information on its remaining lifespan or future wear amount in chronological order from the time it is not in use until it reaches the end of its lifespan, and the tip image of any of the cutting tools from the user terminal. ,before Outer edge image and the image of the maximum outer diameter When the cutting tool is received, Including the aforementioned cutting edge retraction amount A management device comprising: a control means for reading information on the remaining life or future wear amount of a cutting tool that is closest to a feature quantity from the tool feature quantity DB and displaying it on the display device. This management device can be realized by a computer having memory and a processor, with the processor executing a program in the memory.

[0015] Other aspects of this disclosure include an acquisition means for acquiring a tip image of the tip portion of a cutting tool while it is mounted on a machine tool and waiting to be processed, an outer circumference image of the outer circumference portion of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image obtained by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times, and a wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, a wear region of the outer circumference portion present in the outer circumference image, and ,before A detection means for detecting the outline of the maximum outer diameter image, and the detected The tip portion and the outer peripheral portion Wear area and The aforementioned contour and This represents the characteristic quantities of each symptom of change in the aforementioned tip portion and the aforementioned outer peripheral portion. The management device comprises: an estimation means for estimating the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool after the detection point using reference data for determining tool life; and a display control means for selectively displaying the detection result by the detection means and the estimation result by the estimation means on a predetermined display device. This management device can be realized by a computer having memory and a processor, with the processor executing a program in the memory. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent excessive replacement and excessive use of cutting tools.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an overall configuration example of the tool management system in this embodiment. [Figure 2] An exemplary diagram of typical components of a machining center. [Figure 3] An exemplary diagram of typical components of a photographing device. [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the first photographing unit, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the second photographing unit. [Figure 5] An external view of the first photographing unit seen from the side of the cutting tool. [Figure 6] An exemplary diagram of the arrangement relationship between components of the photographing device in the machining area of the machining center. [Figure 7] A block diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the management server. [Figure 8] A diagram for explaining the procedure of the overall process (steps) of the tool management system. [Figure 9] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the tool cleaning process in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the acquisition process of the full-focus image of the tip part in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the rotation angle alignment process in FIG. 8. [Figure 12] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the acquisition process of the maximum outer diameter image in FIG. 8. [Figure 13] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the acquisition process of the outer peripheral full-focus image in FIG. 8. [Figure 14] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the image acquisition process of the outer peripheral part in FIG. 8. [Figure 15] A diagram for explaining the detailed procedure of the wear area detection process in FIG. 8. [Figure 16] A detailed explanatory diagram of the remaining life estimation process in FIG. 8. [Figure 17]This diagram illustrates how the center of a point-symmetric image can be calculated. (a) shows the point-symmetric image with its tip replaced by a rectangular image S for convenience. (b) shows image S', which is obtained by rotating image S 180 degrees around an arbitrary point as the center of rotation. (c) shows the position where image S and image S' best overlap. [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates the principle of converting tip images to polar coordinates, with (a) showing an example of a tip image of a curved cutting edge and (b) showing an example of a tip image of a straight cutting edge. [Figure 19] This diagram illustrates the process of extracting the blade tip from the original image by inversely transforming a line segment in polar coordinates and then aligning it. (a) shows the state where the angular position of the blade tip has been detected, and (b) shows the state where the detected angular position has been set to 0. [Figure 20] An explanatory diagram showing the procedure for generating the maximum outer diameter image. [Figure 21] (a) is an example of the entire image and magnified region image of the tip image, (b) is an example of the overall view and magnified region image of the outer edge image, and (c) is an example of the overall view and magnified region image of the maximum outer diameter image. [Figure 22] An example diagram of a GUI screen displayed on a display device. [Figure 23] An example diagram of a GUI screen displayed on a display device. [Figure 24] An example diagram of a GUI screen displayed on a display device. [Figure 25] This diagram illustrates how to detect and display the worn area from the tip image. (a) shows the tip image when not in use, (b) shows the blade tip identified, and (c) shows the area to be magnified. [Figure 26] (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of displaying the area specified in Figure 25(c) as a monochrome image, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of displaying the same area as a color image. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] The following describes an example of an embodiment in which this disclosure is applied to a network-type tool management system, with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative and does not limit the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0019] [Tool Management System] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the tool management system in this embodiment. The tool management system 1 consists of a machining center 10 connected to a communication network NW, a camera 20, and a management server 30.

[0020] The machining center 10 is a machine tool that continuously processes multiple workpieces ("workpieces"; the same applies hereinafter) on a single machine. In this specification, the space in the machining center 10 where workpieces are processed using cutting tools is referred to as the "processing area". The imaging device 20 is a device that photographs the cutting edge portion, i.e., the tip portion and outer circumference portion, of a cutting tool that is mounted on the spindle of the machining area and is waiting to be machined. The management server 30 is a computer that, in this example, collaborates with the machining center 10 and the imaging device 20 to perform image processing, analysis, calculation, storage, estimation, and other information processing related to cutting tools.

[0021] The communication network NW can be connected to user terminals UT operated by users of the tool management system 1. User terminals UT include personal computers, tablet devices, smartphones, etc.

[0022] In Figure 1, one machining center 10, one imaging device 20, and one user terminal UT are shown as examples, but there may be multiple units of each. Users who operate the user terminal UT include tool developers, manufacturing site personnel, tool consumers (product manufacturers), etc., and the range of data they can access is limited. User terminals UT operated by such users have limited access rights to the tool management system 1 set in the user DB 351, which will be described later.

[0023] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes the communication network NW as the Internet, the communication network NW may be a dedicated line network specialized for communication between specific parties, a local area network, an industrial network, or a network in which these are interconnected.

[0024] [Machining Center] Figure 2 is an illustrative diagram of typical components of the machining center 10. Referring to Figure 2, the machining center 10 includes, in the machining area 11, a spindle 112 that detachably holds a cutting tool whose tip is fixed on the table 111 and points toward the part of the workpiece to be machined, a spindle motor 113 that rotates the cutting tool through the spindle 112, a first axis 114 that fixes the spindle 112 and the spindle motor 113 holding the cutting tool, and a first axis motor 115 for moving the first axis 114 in the direction of the cutting depth of the cutting tool (the Z direction in the case of a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of XYZ).

[0025] The machining center 10 also includes, in the machining area 11, a camera fixing device 116 provided at a predetermined location on the table 111, a second movement axis (Axis) 117 for fixing the table 111, a second movement axis motor 118 for moving the table 111 through the second movement axis (Axis) 117, for example, in the front-to-back direction (X (horizontal) direction) and left-to-right direction (Y (depth) direction), and a tool length measuring device 119 for measuring the tool length, radius, etc., of a cutting tool in operation.

[0026] In this example, for the sake of simplicity, the first movement axis 114 and the second movement axis 117 are described as being controlled in an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. However, a 5-axis movement control configuration using two of the A axis (rotation around the X axis), B axis (rotation around the Y axis), and C axis (rotation around the Z axis) is also possible. In the case of 5-axis movement control, tracking of the shooting position may not keep up, but this can be easily resolved by adopting the shooting device 20 of this embodiment, which will be described later.

[0027] In addition to the components installed in the machining area 11, the machining center 10 also includes a communication interface (I / F) 12, an ATC (Automatic Tool Changer) 13, a numerical control (NC) device 14 equipped with a monitor and keyboard, and a local controller 15 that controls the overall mechanism of the machining center 10. The local controller 15 is a computer that realizes the above control functions by executing a program installed in memory (not shown).

[0028] The communication interface 12 is a network component for bidirectional communication between the imaging device 20 and the management server 30 via the communication network NW, and is configured with a unique IP address and authorization information to allow access. The ATC 13 is a known mechanism that, for example, automatically removes the current cutting tool from the spindle 112 and transports it to a tool magazine (not shown) based on a tool change control command from the management server 30 or the local controller 15, and automatically mounts a new cutting tool transported from the tool magazine onto the spindle 112.

[0029] The NC device 14 includes a processor that implements a numerical calculation unit 141, a sequence control unit 142, a servo control unit 143, and other functions. The programs that implement these functions 141 to 143 are CAD (Computer Aided Design) / CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) programs that the processor can execute, and are often stored in internal memory, but may be executed from a predetermined storage device connected to a communication network NW.

[0030] The numerical calculation unit 141 interprets, for example, the tool outer diameter of the cutting tool and the shape of the workpiece after machining, as notified by the local controller 15, to calculate the trajectory of the cutting tool, i.e., the optimal movement path, and outputs operation commands to the sequence control unit 142 and the servo control unit 143. Based on the operation commands from the numerical calculation unit 141, the sequence control unit 142 performs operations such as the attachment and detachment of the cutting tool by the ATC 13, control of the tool transport system, locking the doors of the machining area 11 during operation, and controlling the operation of peripheral equipment in the machining center 10. Based on the operation commands from the numerical calculation unit 141, the servo control unit 143 controls the position, movement speed / rotation speed, etc., of the first movement axis motor 115 and the second movement axis motor 118.

[0031] Although not shown in the diagram, the machining center 10 is equipped with a coolant ejection mechanism, which is a cooling medium for the cutting tool, and an intermittent air injection mechanism for removing chips and coolant.

[0032] [Imaging device] Figure 3 is an illustrative diagram of typical components of the imaging device 20. The imaging device 20 can be appropriately attached, for example, to the imaging device fixing fixture 116 of the machining center 10. Even when the machining area 11 of the machining center 10 is stopped, some machining debris and coolant may fall. Therefore, the main components of the imaging device 20 are housed in a housing with an openable and closable dome cover 21 to protect them from machining debris and the like. Because the part corresponding to the roof is dome-shaped, even if machining debris and the like fall, they do not accumulate. An air blow unit 23 is also housed in the housing. In addition, a tool cleaning unit 22 can be connected from outside the housing.

[0033] The imaging device 20 includes a communication interface 24, a local controller 25, a first imaging unit 26, a second imaging unit 27, a first illuminator 281, a second illuminator 282, and a third illuminator 283. The communication interface 24 is a network component that enables bidirectional communication between the machining center 10 and the management server 30 via a communication network NW, and is configured with a unique IP address and authorization information to allow access.

[0034] The local controller 25 is a computer that controls the operation of the imaging device 20 by executing a program installed in memory. In this embodiment, it controls the opening and closing operation of the retractable dome cover 21, the operation of the tool cleaning unit 22 (including adjustment of the spray direction of the cleaning fluid), the operation of the air blow unit 23 (including adjustment of the compressed air pressure), and the operation of the first imaging unit 26, the second imaging unit 27, the first lighting fixture 281, the second lighting fixture 282, the third lighting fixture 283, etc. Note that the operation control of the imaging device 20 may be configured to be performed in cooperation with the machining center 10 and the management server 30.

[0035] The first imaging unit 26 is a unit that images the cutting tool E10 from the side, including the tip portion, and the second imaging unit 27 is a unit that images the cutting tool E10 from the tip direction, that is, from the extension of the rotation axis of the cutting tool E10. Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the first imaging unit 26, and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the second imaging unit 27. Figure 5 is an external view of the first imaging unit 26 as seen from the side of the cutting tool E10. Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram of the arrangement of components of the imaging device 10 in the machining area 11 of the machining center 10.

[0036] Referring to these figures, the first imaging unit 26 includes a first camera 261, a first reflector 262, a first transparent cover 263, etc., and a first illuminator 281 is arranged around the first camera 261. The first illuminator 281 is, for example, a ring light with light-emitting elements arranged in a ring shape, as shown in Figure 5. It is designed to cover the light source with a milky white surface to diffuse the light and reduce shadows, but is not limited to this. The first reflector 262 is a reflector that illuminates the entire outer circumference of the cutting tool E10 with approximately uniform illumination, thereby enabling the acquisition of an image with reduced excessive shadows without losing the three-dimensionality of the cutting edge of the cutting tool E10. The first transparent cover 263 is, for example, a transparent glass or transparent acrylic plate that passes through the tip of the first camera 261 and is fixed to the first illuminator 281 with screws. One or more holes 265 are formed around the first camera 261 in the first transparent cover 263.

[0037] The first imaging unit 26 also has a first air inlet 264 for introducing compressed air from the air blow unit 23. The arrows in Figure 4(a) show the flow of compressed air introduced into the housing until it is discharged to the outside through the hole 265 along the outer surface of the first camera 261. This compressed air prevents processing debris and coolant from entering the field of view of the first camera 261 or adhering to the lens, thereby achieving a clear imaging environment.

[0038] The second imaging unit 27 includes a second camera 271, a second reflector 272, a second transparent cover 273, etc., and a second illuminator 282 is arranged around the second camera 271. These components are almost the same as those of the first imaging unit. The second transparent cover 273 is also, for example, transparent glass or transparent acrylic that covers the second camera 271 and is screw-fastened to the second illuminator 282. A hole 275 is formed in the second transparent cover 273 in the portion extending from the central axis of the second camera 271.

[0039] The second imaging unit 27 also has a second air inlet 274 for introducing compressed air from the air blow unit 23. The arrows in Figure 4(b) show the flow of the introduced compressed air along the outer surface of the second camera 271 until it is discharged to the outside through the hole 275. This compressed air prevents processing debris, coolant, etc. from entering the field of view of the second camera 271 or adhering to the lens, thereby achieving a clear imaging environment.

[0040] The third illuminator 283 is a light-emitting device for backlit photography, positioned at the target location in relation to the first illuminator 281, with the rotation axis of the cutting tool E10 as the center. It turns off when the first illuminator 281 and the second illuminator 282 are emitting light. In other words, it is an illuminator for easily capturing monochrome silhouette images of the tip and outer circumference of the cutting tool E10 with the first shooting unit 26.

[0041] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first camera 261 and the second camera 271 be digital cameras with a pixel resolution capable of determining the presence or absence of sub-millimeter-scale changes in the cutting edge, rake face, and flank face of the cutting tool E10, such as localized peeling of the coating or discoloration without deformation. In a more desirable embodiment, it is preferable to use a color-capable digital camera with a zoom mechanism with an optical magnification of 2x to 6.3x, a resolution of 1700 x 1700 or higher, a pixel resolution of 0.43 μm / pixel to 1.40 μm / pixel, and a field of view size of 0.89 mm to 2.33 mm.

[0042] By fixing the imaging device 20 with this configuration to the imaging device fixing fixture 116 of the machining center 10, the positional relationship between the first imaging unit 26, the second imaging unit 27, the first illuminator 281, the second illuminator 282, and the third illuminator 283 with respect to the cutting tool E10 becomes fixed, and images of the cutting tool tip, outer circumference, and maximum outer diameter can be easily captured not only when controlling the movement of the first and second moving axes 114 and 117 in three axes (XYZ axes), but also when controlling the movement of five axes (XYZAB axes) or more in multi-axis directions.

[0043] [Management Server] Figure 7 is a block diagram schematically showing an example configuration of the management server 30. The management server 30 is a computer with server functionality that has a processor 31, and is connected to a communication interface 32, an input device 33, an output device 34, and an external storage device 35.

[0044] The processor 31 is typically one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and / or GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) that can access memory, but it may also be a microcontroller, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The memory may be internal memory accessed by the processor 31, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), or it may be storage accessible via a communication network NW. The program to be operated as the management server 30 and the data used are stored in one of the memories and can be read and executed by the processor 31 as appropriate. The functions realized by this processor 31 will be described later.

[0045] The communication interface 32 is a general-purpose communication network component that enables bidirectional communication between the machining center 10, the imaging device 20, and external sites or external storage connected to the communication network NW via the communication network NW. It is configured with a unique IP address and authorization information to allow access. The input device 33 may be a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, microphone, etc., but may also be an external auxiliary recording medium that records the data to be input and is readable by the processor 31. The output device 34 may be a printer, external auxiliary recording medium, a predetermined display device such as a display, or a display device for an authenticated user terminal UT. The external storage device 35 may include non-volatile storage media such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0046] The external storage device 35 stores the user DB 351, tool DB 352, tool feature DB 353, and screen element DB 354. "DB" is an abbreviation for database. The user DB 351 stores authentication and operation permission information for users accessing the management server 10, as well as URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) and permission information for external devices or sites that communicate via the communication network NW. The tool DB 352 stores information such as the type, material, specifications, and usage conditions of cutting tools associated with the identification information of machine tools (not limited to the machining center 10), linked to the tool number, model number (product code), and standard.

[0047] The tool feature database DB353 stores, for each cutting tool stored in tool DB352, the feature quantities of the cutting edge portion detected by actual measurements, along with images and labels representing those features, in chronological order from unused until the end of tool life. In addition to the feature quantities that change over time for each cutting tool, reference data feature quantities for determining tool life are also stored, categorized by part such as the cutting edge, rake face, and flank face of the bottom and outer cutting edges, and by change symptoms such as discoloration, deterioration, wear area, and cutting edge recession. The reference data feature quantities are created using machine learning (deep learning) based on a large amount of actual measurement data and are updated sequentially.

[0048] Each image stored in the tool feature database DB353 may be a resizable image. The label defines the type of wear (chip damage, deformation, deterioration, chip welding, coating peeling, etc.) at which point in time (unused, at the end of tool life) the wear occurred on which part of the tool (cutting edge shape, rake face, flank face, etc.). The amount of wear may be the shape, dimensions, color, or the amount of change thereof. For example, the change in cutting edge shape and dimensions when unused is zero, and the color is the base material color or coating color. The amount of wear at the end of tool life may be, for example, the limit size of the wear area from the cutting edge. The amount of wear at the end of tool life is associated with the machining conditions.

[0049] In other words, the tool feature database DB353 stores, for each of several types of cutting tools, the causal relationships of wear that occurred during the process from unused to the end of their lifespan, along with supporting images and other data, as reference data for estimating the remaining lifespan of other cutting tools.

[0050] The screen element DB354 stores various GUI (Graphical User Interface) elements, including, for example, screen layouts to be displayed on the output device of the management server 30 or on the display device of a user terminal UT that accesses the management server 30.

[0051] Next, we will describe the functions implemented by the processor 31 of the management server 30. [Communication Control Unit: Communication Control Means] The communication control unit 311 controls bidirectional communication with the communication partner via the communication interface 32 in accordance with a predetermined protocol. One form of bidirectional communication is, for example, authentication with the local controller 15 of the machining center 10, the local controller 25 of the imaging device 20, and the user terminal UT, transmission and reception of commands and other data, transmission and reception of information including various images, and control data for display.

[0052] [Image acquisition unit: Image acquisition means] The image acquisition unit 312 acquires and saves a tip image of the cutting tool E10, an outer circumference image of the outer circumference, and a maximum outer diameter image of the outer circumference over one or more rotations. When saving, the cutting tool E10 is associated with its tool number, tool name, tip shape, tool size, shooting location, and last shooting date and time. The tip image and outer circumference image are preferably single full-focus images, but they may also be a collection of multiple images that can be combined later. The maximum outer diameter image is a monochrome silhouette image taken by the shooting device 20 against the light, but if backlit shooting is not possible, it may be a transparent image obtained by processing the background of the outer circumference image to remove it.

[0053] [Detection unit: detection means] The detection unit 313 detects the characteristic features and wear areas of the cutting edge portion of the cutting tool E10 at the pixel level from each image acquired by the image acquisition unit 312. As wear progresses, changes in shape, including blunting (rounding) of the cutting edge, chipping, roughness of the rake face and flank face, discoloration and deterioration due to oxidation, and the appearance of texture patterns on the rake face and flank face appear as characteristic features. Therefore, the detection unit 313 inspects the characteristic features of each pixel constituting the acquired image, such as size, brightness, contrast, color (hue / saturation), and number of consecutive pixels, using methods such as thresholding and color space analysis. Thresholding is a process of binarizing the brightness value of individual pixels by setting a brightness threshold, and color space analysis is a process of converting multiple pixels into a color space such as hue, saturation, and lightness. This makes it possible to quantitatively detect characteristic features at the pixel level.

[0054] The detection unit 313 detects the wear region in the tip image and the outer circumference image by comparing the detected feature quantities of the tip and outer circumference with reference data representing the feature quantities of the wear region for the known portion stored in the tool feature quantity DB353.

[0055] During detection, the tip image, which captures the advanced state of wear, often fails to accurately determine the shape of the cutting edge, particularly the tip position and angular position on the central axis of the cutting tool E10. In this case, the wear area cannot be accurately detected. Therefore, the detection unit 313 performs preprocessing by calculating the tip position in the tip image and aligning the rotation angle. The tip position can be determined by utilizing the features of the point-symmetric tip image and calculating the distance between image elements when the tip image is rotated around an arbitrary position. This principle will be explained with reference to the schematic diagrams in Figures 17(a) to (c).

[0056] Figure 17(a) shows the state in which the point-symmetric image at the tip is replaced with a rectangular image S for convenience. The following equation 1 holds between any point P(5,1) on this image S and point R(1,3) obtained by rotating point P 180 degrees with respect to the image center C(3,2). The values ​​in parentheses are the X and Y coordinates for explaining the principle. R=2C-P (Formula 1) Figure 17(b) shows image S' obtained by rotating image S by 180 degrees around an arbitrary point O(6,5). In this image S', point P has been moved to point R'(7,9). At this time, equation 2 below holds true. R'=2O-P (Formula 2) Figure 17(c) shows the location where image S and image S' best overlap. If the distance between these images is t, then the following equation 3 holds between point R', point R, and distance t. R'=R+t...(Formula 3) Substituting equations 1 and 2 into equation 3 yields equation 4. 2O-P=2C-P+t=20+t=2C (Formula 4) To summarize, the center C(3,2) of image S can be calculated as shown in Equation 5. C=O+(t / 2) (Formula 5) In other words, by adding half the distance t between the images to the rotation center O, the center of the point-symmetric image, i.e., the tip position in the tip image, can be determined by calculation.

[0057] The rotation angle can be aligned, for example, by following these steps. First, the tip image shown in the upper part of Figure 18(a) is transformed into polar coordinates. Figure 18(b) is an example of polar coordinates where the radius is on the vertical axis and the angle is on the horizontal axis, calculated by determining the distance and angle of each pixel from the tip position of the tip image toward the outer circumference. Since the cutting edge of the illustrated tip image is curved, the radius and angle are proportional. Therefore, it appears as a sloping line segment in polar coordinates. The line segment with the longest characteristic in these polar coordinates becomes the ridge line that indicates the shape of the cutting edge. In contrast, the tip image shown in the upper part of Figure 18(b) is a straight cutting edge, so as shown in the lower part, it appears as a vertical line segment in polar coordinates.

[0058] The detection unit 313 then performs an inverse transformation of the line segment in polar coordinates, as shown in Figure 19(a), to extract the blade tip present in the original image, and replaces the front view shape of the extracted blade tip with an approximate straight line that approximates a straight line passing through the center of the image, for example, using the least squares method. This process is unnecessary in the case of a straight blade tip. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19(b), the rotation angle is aligned by rotating until the angular position becomes 0, i.e., the reference horizontal line.

[0059] The maximum outer diameter image is obtained by combining two monochrome silhouette images E10' obtained by photographing the cutting tool E10 against the light, as shown in Figure 20. This makes it easier to measure even subtle changes, such as slight peeling or thickness reduction of the coating due to friction with the workpiece, even if there is no significant rounding or unevenness at the cutting edge. In a desirable embodiment, it is good to perform an enhancement process that emphasizes the contour of the convex portion. This makes the above-mentioned measurements easier and more accurate.

[0060] [Estimation part: Estimation means] The estimation unit 314 estimates the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool E10 from the detection point onward, using the characteristic quantities of the wear areas of the tip and outer circumference detected by the detection unit 313, the contours before and after waiting, and reference data for determining tool life. The pre- and post-waiting contours refer to the contour of the cutting tool E10 before it is mounted on the spindle 112 (for example, when unused) and the contour of the cutting tool E10 while it is currently waiting, which is equivalent to the contour before and after machining. The amount of tool tip retraction can be measured from these pre- and post-machining contours. Changes from the unused tip image and outer circumference image stored in the tool feature database DB353 allow for measurement of changes in the tool tip shape, the area, volume, color, brightness, and presence or absence of texture patterns in the wear region on the rake face or flank face. The unused tip image and outer circumference image are one of the reference data stored in the tool feature database DB253.

[0061] The estimation unit 314 also estimates the future wear amount of the cutting edge portion of the cutting tool E10 that will occur after the detection point due to the measured cutting edge retraction amount, changes in the wear area, etc. The estimation results are stored in the tool feature quantity DB353 together with the detection results from the detection unit 313. The estimation can be performed, for example, by inputting a dataset of changes in the amount of wear into a machine learning model that does not illustrate (for example, a model provided by a site connected to a communication network NW). Alternatively, the estimation may be performed by calculation using a predetermined calculation estimation formula, rather than using machine learning.

[0062] In addition to estimating future wear, the estimation unit 314 also estimates the remaining life and the rate at which that life decreases, based on the processing conditions after the detection point. The remaining life is the remaining processing time with the unused time as the reference time, but it may also be the ratio of the remaining processing time when the unused life is set to 100%.

[0063] [Display control unit: Display control means, control means] The display control unit 315 controls the selective display of the detection results from the detection unit 313 and the estimation results from the estimation unit 314 on a predetermined display device. The predetermined display device may be, for example, the display device of a user terminal UT that is allowed to access the management server 30, the display device of the machining center 10, or the output device 34 connected to the management server 30. If a display device is added to the imaging device 20, it may be that display device.

[0064] The content selectively displayed on such a display device includes the aforementioned tip image, outer circumference image, maximum outer diameter image, wear region of the tip and outer circumference detected by the detection unit 313, cutting edge receding amount measured by the estimation unit 314, estimated future wear amount, time-series changing enlarged wear region image, and information on the enlarged wear region with increased wear width, which are selected as appropriate by the requester. Information stored in the tool DB 352 and tool feature DB 353 can also be selected as appropriate. The display control unit 315 reads GUI elements as appropriate from the screen element DB354, edits them to insert the above content into the laid-out GUI screen, and displays the GUI screen on the display device.

[0065] Examples of laid-out content are shown in Figures 21-23. Figure 21(a) is an example of a magnified image of the tip portion of the cutting tool E10, (b) is an example of a magnified image of the outer circumference portion, and (c) is an example of a magnified image of the maximum outer diameter. These are GUI screens generated by the display control unit 315 when the management server 30 receives a command to display a magnified view of a wear area, which has been detected by the detection unit 313 from each image acquired by the image acquisition unit 312 and whose size, etc., has been measured by the estimation unit 314.

[0066] On the GUI screen, the overall images 2102, 2112, and 2122, and the magnified areas 2103, 2113, and 2123, which indicate which part has been magnified, are shown in the upper left of each of the magnified images 2101, 2111, and 2121. The magnified images 2101, 2111, and 2121 have the unused cutting edge (cutting edge before machining) 2104, 2114, and 2124, the worn areas 2105, 2115, and 2125, the worn cutting edge 2106, 2116, and 2126, and the distances 2107, 2117, and 2127 from the cutting edge to the worn cutting edge. Distance 2107 is distance t1 shown in the dashed line area 2108, distance 2117 is distance t2 shown in the dashed line area 2118, and distance 2127 is distance t3 shown in the dashed line 2128. The amount of blade tip retraction mentioned above corresponds to a distance t3.

[0067] Figure 22 is an example of another GUI screen, displaying tool information 2201, image history 2202, maximum outer diameter image (tool contour in the example shown) 2203, outer circumference image (rake face in the example shown) 2204, and tip image (tip relief face in the example shown) 2205. The maximum outer diameter image 2203, outer circumference image 2204, and tip image 2205 are images of the tool mounted on the machine tool while waiting for machining (unused). The tool information 2201 displays the remaining life as a percentage. Since it is unused, the remaining life is 100%. In addition, for each part of the cutting edge, content 2206-2208 is displayed, including a time-series wear progression prediction diagram created by the estimation unit 314. This content is stored in the tool DB 352 and tool feature DB 353. The tool list selection image 2209 is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

[0068] Figure 23 is a GUI screen showing the state in which the tool displayed in Figure 22 has reached the end of its lifespan. The difference from Figure 22 is that the maximum outer diameter image 2203, outer circumference image 2204, and tip image 2205 have been replaced with images of the tool that has reached the end of its lifespan, and the remaining lifespan in the tool information 2201 is 0%. When the tool list selection image 2209 displayed at the bottom of the screen in Figure 23 is operated, the GUI screen switches to the content exemplified in Figure 24.

[0069] Figure 24 shows an example where a list screen image 2301 for selecting cutting tools is superimposed on the GUI screen in Figure 23. The list screen image 2301 displays an overview area for each cutting tool. The GUI screen shown in Figure 23 indicates that it corresponds to the cutting tool (in use) in the upper left overview area 2302 of this list screen image 2301. The overview area 2302 displays the remaining life in a percentage format 2303. In the example shown, the remaining life is indicated as 0%.

[0070] In this way, the management server 30 comprehensively estimates the future wear amount and remaining life of the cutting tool E10 based on pixel-level features of the wear area detected in three parts: the tip image, the outer peripheral image taken of the rotating outer peripheral, and the maximum outer diameter image. This significantly improves the estimation accuracy compared to cases where such a method is not used. Furthermore, since the results of imaging, detection, and estimation are visualized using magnified images, the credibility of the estimation results can be enhanced. In particular, because imaging, detection, and estimation are performed using color images and the results are visualized, events that cannot be identified from monochrome images can be correctly detected. This will be explained with reference to Figures 25 and 26.

[0071] Figure 25(a) shows the tip of the cutting tool E10 when not in use, (b) shows the cutting edge 2401 identified, and (c) shows the magnified specified area 2403 in the wear region 2402. Figure 26(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of displaying a magnified monochrome image of the magnified specified area 2403 in Figure 25(c), and (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of displaying the same area as (a) in a color image.

[0072] As explained using Figures 18 and 19, when identifying the cutting edge 2401 in Figure 25(b), the tip image is transformed into polar coordinates and the longest line segment is detected as the cutting edge. If the tip image is a monochrome image, the color of the cutting edge may be the same as the color of other ridges or grooves, and it may not be possible to detect the cutting edge 2401 correctly, as in Figure 25(b). The same occurs when the wear area 2402 becomes larger, as in Figure 25(c). This problem is particularly noticeable in cutting tools with multiple cutting edges.

[0073] Furthermore, the dashed lines in Figures 26(a) and (b) represent the cutting edge when unused, and the area between these and the cutting edge after machining (after wear) is the missing portion 2502. However, in the case of a monochrome image, as shown in (a), it is impossible to distinguish whether the worn portion 2503 between the missing portion 2502 and the rake face 2504 is the color of the base material of the cutting tool E10 or the coating on the surface of the base material has begun to peel off. In contrast, in the case of a color image in (b), it is possible to clearly distinguish between the portion 2505 where the tool base material is exposed due to wear and the portion 2506 where the coating has begun to peel off, and this can be reflected in the estimation of the remaining life. Although the surface may change color or deteriorate due to frictional heat, such phenomena cannot be detected unless a color image is used. The tool monitoring system 1 of this embodiment solves all of these problems at once.

[0074] [Example of operation mode] Next, we will describe an example of the operation of the tool management system 1 configured as described above. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of an overall processing example of the tool management system 1. The imaging device 20 is positioned in a predetermined location in the machining area 11 of the machining center 10. In the initial state, the retractable dome cover 21 is closed, meaning the imaging device 20 is in standby mode. In the figure, the right side of the dashed line represents processing on the machining center 10 side, and the left side of the dashed line represents processing on the imaging device 20 and management server 30 side. When the machining center 10, imaging device 20, and management server 30 are all involved in the execution of processing, the executing entity is referred to as the tool management system 1.

[0075] The machining center 10 first measures the tool length and tool radius of the cutting tool E10 mounted in the machining area (S1: S stands for step, the same applies hereafter). A tool length measuring device 119 is used for measurement. The tool length is the length from the reference position of the spindle 112 (the position where the cutting tool E10 begins to be exposed) to the tip, and the tool radius is the length from the axis of rotation of the cutting tool E10 to the outer diameter. The measured values ​​are stored in the memory of the local controller 15, for example, for positioning the cutting tool E10 during imaging and for aligning multiple images.

[0076] Next, the machining center 10 performs a tool cleaning process (S2). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 9. That is, the spindle 112 and spindle motor 113, to which the cutting tool E10 is mounted, are moved to the cleaning position (S20), and the cutting tool E10 is rotated (S21). The rotational speed is set to, for example, 500 min-1. Next, coolant spraying is started (S22). Coolant spraying is a process in which coolant is sprayed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the rotation axis of the cutting tool E10 in order to loosen the cutting chips adhering to the cutting edge (for frictional heat cooling during machining), and this is performed for about 5 seconds and then stopped (S23).

[0077] Next, intermittent air injection is started (S24). Intermittent air injection is a process in which compressed air is injected at an angle of approximately 135 degrees to the rotating shaft in order to remove machining chips and residual coolant, causing the cutting tool E10 to oscillate back and forth about 5 times before stopping (S25). Intermittent impacts are applied to the cutting edge by the intermittent air and oscillating motion, which promotes the natural dissipation of machining chips and other debris. After that, the rotational drive of the cutting tool E10 is stopped (S26). This completes the tool cleaning process (S2).

[0078] Once the tool cleaning process is complete, the machining center 10 sends a command to the imaging device 20 to open the retractable dome cover 21 (S3). Upon receiving the open command, the imaging device 20 controls the opening of the retractable dome cover 21 (S4). This enables the imaging device 20 to operate, allowing it to capture images of various aspects of the cutting edge portion of the cutting tool E10 according to the imaging command from the management server 30.

[0079] When the imaging device 20 becomes operational, the tool management system 1 starts the process of acquiring an image of the tip of the cutting tool E10, for example, a full-focus image of the tip portion (S5). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 10. That is, the machining center 10 moves the spindle 112, i.e., the cutting tool E10, to the imaging position of the imaging device 20 (a position where the center of the tip of the cutting tool E10 is the center of the field of view) (S50). Once the movement to this position is complete, it sends a request command to the imaging device 20 to start imaging (S51). Upon receiving this request command, the imaging device 20 turns on the second illuminator 282 (S52), starts continuous imaging with the second camera 271, and starts importing multiple images into the management server 30 (S53).

[0080] The machining center 10 moves the shooting position from the tip of the cutting tool E10 towards the spindle 112 (S54). During this time, continuous shooting by the shooting device 20 and image acquisition by the management server 30 are continued. When the travel distance reaches a specified distance (for example, the distance at which the outer cutting edge of the cutting tool E10 is no longer visible), the machining center 10 stops moving (S55) and sends a command to the imaging device 20 to request the end of imaging (S56). As a result, the imaging device 20 stops continuous imaging, and the management server 30 also stops acquiring the captured images (S57). The imaging device 20 turns off the second illuminator 282 (S58). The management server 30 combines the acquired captured images and saves them as a full-focus image (S59). This completes the process of acquiring a full-focus image of the tip portion (S5).

[0081] Returning to Figure 8, once the process of acquiring all tip images of the tip portion is complete, the management server 30 starts the rotation angle alignment process of the cutting tool E10 (S6). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 11. That is, as described above, the management server 30 rotates the tip image by 180 degrees (S60), measures the distance between the images before and after rotation (S61), and identifies the tip center based on the measured distance (S62). It also transforms the tip image into polar coordinates (S63) and inversely transforms the line segment extracted in polar coordinates to extract the cutting edge in the original image (S64). The management server 30 then calculates the angle position between the approximate straight line of the cutting edge and the tip center (S65) and notifies the machining center 10 of this angle position. The machining center 10 stores the angle position calculated by the management server 30 in the NC device 14 or local controller 15 (S66). The management server 30 rotates the tip image until the angle position becomes zero (S67). This completes the rotation angle alignment process (S6).

[0082] Returning to Figure 8, once the angular position alignment process (S6) is completed, the tool management system 1 performs the process of acquiring an image of the maximum outer diameter of the cutting tool E10 (S7). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 12. That is, the machining center 10 moves the cutting tool E10 to the position where the maximum outer diameter is captured (S70). The capture position is such that the tip of the cutting tool E10 is near the lower end of the field of view of the first camera 261, and the focus is on the outer circumference connecting the rotation axis of the cutting tool E10 and the first camera 261. When the cutting tool E10 moves to the shooting position, the machining center 10 calculates the rotational speed at which the rake height of the cutting tool E10 is less than 1 μm (S71). Rake height refers to the deviation between the distance from the tool's central axis to the minimum outer diameter and the distance to the maximum outer diameter. If the rotation angle of the cutting tool E10 is Δθ, the rake height is h, the tool radius is r, and the number of frames per second is FPS, the rotational speed N can be calculated using the following equation 6. N=(FPS×Δθ)×60 / 360 degrees (Formula 6) However, Δθ=2πCOS-1(1-(h / r))

[0083] Once the rotational speed is calculated, the machining center 10 starts rotating the cutting tool E10 (spindle motor 113) (S72) and sends a command to the imaging device 20 to start imaging (S73).

[0084] When the imaging device 20 receives a command to start imaging, it turns on the third illuminator 283 (S74), starts continuous imaging of one rotation of the tool by the first camera 261, and starts the acquisition of the captured images to the management server 30 (S75). When the imaging of one rotation of the tool and the acquisition of the captured images to the management server 30 are completed (S76), the imaging device 20 turns off the third illuminator 283 (S77). The management server 30 combines the images of one rotation of the tool captured by the imaging device 20 and saves this as the maximum outer diameter image (S78). After that, the machining center 10 stops the rotational drive of the cutting tool E10 (S79). This completes the acquisition process of the maximum outer diameter image (S7).

[0085] Returning to Figure 8, the tool management system 1 determines whether the machining center 10 has a spindle arbitrarily stop function (S8). The spindle arbitrarily stop function is a function that allows the rotation angle of the spindle motor 113 to be stopped at any position. If this function is present, the management server 30 performs the process of acquiring a full-focus image of the outer circumference of the cutting tool E10 from the imaging device 20 (S8:Y, S9). On the other hand, if the spindle arbitrarily stop function is not present, the management server 30 performs the process of acquiring an image of the outer circumference of the cutting tool E10 from the imaging device 20 (S8:N, S10).

[0086] The specific procedure for acquiring a full-focus image of the outer periphery (S9) is shown in Figure 13. Specifically, the machining center 10 determines the angular position of the cutting tool E10 and moves the cutting tool E10 to a position where the outer periphery can be photographed (S90). For example, the spindle arbitrary stop function is used to determine the angular position so that the rake face of the cutting tool E10 is in focus with the first camera 261 of the imaging device 20. The angular position is calculated from the angular position calculated in the rotation angle alignment process (S6) described above. Once the movement is complete, the machining center 10 sends a command to the imaging device 20 to start the imaging (S91).

[0087] Upon receiving the command to start shooting, the shooting device 20 turns on the first illuminator 281 (S92), starts continuous shooting with the first camera 261 focused on the area near the rake face, and instructs the management server 30 to start acquiring the captured images (S93). The machining center 10 moves the cutting tool E10 or the shooting device 20 to a specified distance at a specified speed (S94, S95). The movement speed v is determined by the following equation 7, where DoF is the depth of field and FPS is the number of frames captured per second. v = DoF × FPS × 60 The specified distance is the distance of the tool radius or diameter measured by the tool length measuring instrument 119. As a result, multiple images of the vicinity of the rake face, each in focus at the tool width, are captured by the imaging device 20 and imported into the management server 30. When the movement of the cutting tool E10 is complete, the machining center 10 sends a command to the imaging device 20 requesting the end of imaging (S96). Note that this movement may be that of the imaging device 20, not just the cutting tool E10.

[0088] Upon receiving a request to end shooting and detecting that the management server 30 has finished acquiring the captured images (S97), the shooting device 20 terminates continuous shooting and turns off the first illuminator 281 (S98). The management server 30 combines the multiple captured images and saves them as a full-focus image of the outer periphery (S99). This completes the process of acquiring the peripheral full-focus image (S9). As a result, the imaging device 20 captures multiple images of the rake face area, each in focus at a different tool width, and these images are imported into the management server 30. When the movement is complete, the machining center 10 sends a command to the imaging device 20 to request the end of imaging (S96).

[0089] Upon receiving a request to end the shooting process and detecting that the management server 30 has finished acquiring the captured images (S97), the shooting device 20 turns off the first illuminator 281 and sends a signal to end the shooting process to the NC device 14 of the machining center 10 (S98). The management server 30 also combines the multiple captured images and saves them as a full-focus peripheral image (S99). This completes the acquisition process of the full-focus peripheral image (S9).

[0090] The specific procedure for image acquisition processing of the outer periphery (S10) is as shown in Figure 14. Specifically, the machining center 10 moves the cutting tool E10 so that its tip is near the lower edge of the field of view of the first camera 261 and the outer periphery is in focus (S1000). In addition, the number of rotations at which the rotation angle of the cutting tool E10 per image is 1 degree is calculated, for example, using the aforementioned equation 6 (S1001).

[0091] Once the rotational speed is calculated, the NC device 14 of the machining center 10 starts rotating the cutting tool E10 (spindle motor 113) (S1002) and sends a command to the imaging device 20 to start imaging (S1003).

[0092] Upon receiving the command to start shooting, the shooting device 20 turns on the first illuminator 281 (S1004), starts continuous shooting with the first camera 261, and starts the acquisition of captured images to the management server 30 (S1005). Once one rotation of shooting and the acquisition of captured images by the management server 30 are complete (S1006), the shooting device 20 stops shooting and turns off the first illuminator 281 (S1007). The management server 30 selectively and automatically extracts the image with the best focus from the captured images showing the rake face and saves it (S1008). After that, the machining center 10 stops the rotational drive of the cutting tool E10 (S1009). This completes the image acquisition process for the outer periphery (S10).

[0093] Returning to Figure 8, once the image acquisition process (S5, S7, S9, S10) is completed, the management server 30 executes the process of detecting the wear area of ​​the cutting tool E10 (S11). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 15. That is, the management server 30 inspects the feature quantities of the tip image acquired by the image acquisition unit 312 (S1100). It also uses known feature quantities stored in the tool feature quantity DB 353 as reference data and detects the areas in the acquired tip image where the feature quantities match as the wear area (S1101).

[0094] The management server 30 also reads the image of the maximum outer diameter of the cutting tool E10 before machining from the tool feature database 353 and extracts its contour (S1102), and also extracts the contour of the acquired maximum outer diameter image. In other words, it extracts the contours before and after machining (S1103). The management server 30 also checks the features of the acquired outer circumference image (S1104). The management server 30 also uses known features stored in the tool feature database 353 as reference data and detects areas in the acquired outer circumference image where the features match as worn areas (S1105).

[0095] Returning to Figure 8, once the wear area detection process of the cutting tool E10 (S11) is completed, the management server 30 performs the remaining life estimation process (S12). The specific procedure is as shown in Figure 16. Specifically, the management server 30 obtains information on the wear area of ​​the tip portion of the cutting tool E10 detected in the wear area detection process (S1200) and estimates the amount of wear on the tip portion (S1201). The management server 30 also obtains the contour of the maximum outer diameter before and after machining detected in the wear area detection process (S1202) and measures the amount of cutter tip retraction (S1203). Furthermore, the management server 30 obtains the wear area and its characteristic quantities on the outer circumference portion of the cutting tool E10 detected in the wear area detection process (S1204) and measures the amount of wear on the outer circumference portion (S1205).

[0096] Subsequently, the management server 30 compares these three measurement results with the feature quantities of the cutting tool E10 at the end of its life stored in the tool feature DB 353 as reference data (S1206). Based on the comparison results, it estimates the remaining life of the cutting tool E10 in a time series (S1207). It calculates the remaining time until the tool reaches the end of its life at the time of detection and generates a wear prediction line that shows the predicted trend of wear since the time of detection. The generated estimation results are stored in the work memory of the management server 30 or in the tool feature DB 353.

[0097] Returning to Figure 8, once the remaining life estimation process is complete, the machining center 10 (NC device 14) retracts the cutting tool E10 to a safe position (S13) and sends a command to close the retractable dome cover 21 to the imaging device 20 (S14). Upon receiving the closing command, the imaging device 20 (local controller 25) closes the retractable dome cover 21 and sends a signal to the machining center 10 indicating the end of imaging (S15).

[0098] The machining center 10 waits for a command to continue cutting, and if no command is received, it terminates the machining process (S16:N). If a command to continue is received, the machining center 10 determines whether there is sufficient remaining life (S16:Y, S17). If there is sufficient life, it resumes cutting (S17:Y, S18). If the remaining life has been reached, or if the remaining life is shorter than the restart threshold, it commands the ATC 13 to change the tool and automatically changes the cutting tool E10 (S17:N, S19).

[0099] Thus, the tool management system 1 precisely detects the condition of the cutting edge portion of the cutting tool E10 mounted on the machining center 10, and correctly recognizes how much longer (time) the cutting tool E10 can be used under the same cutting conditions and machining accuracy, thereby preventing excessive replacement and overuse. Furthermore, if the remaining lifespan is sufficient, the system can control the resumption of machining, while if the remaining lifespan is sufficient... DenakaIn this case, the ATC13 can be controlled to automatically perform tool changes, thereby increasing the operating efficiency of the machining center 10.

[0100] [Other embodiments] In this embodiment, we have mainly described an example of implementation as a tool management system 1 for efficient operation of the machining center 10, but the imaging device 20 can also be implemented as an imaging device that allows machine tools other than the machining center 10 to acquire images. The management server 30 can also be implemented only with multiple user terminals UT without issuing commands to the machining center 10 or the imaging device 20 each time. In this case, the management device can take the following first and second forms, for example.

[0101] The first embodiment is a management device comprising: communication control means enabling communication with a user terminal having a display device; a tool feature database that stores, for each of a plurality of types of cutting tools, a tip image taken of its tip portion, an outer peripheral image taken of its outer peripheral portion, a maximum outer diameter image taken by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times, a wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, a wear region of the outer peripheral portion present in the outer peripheral image, the contour of the maximum outer diameter image, and information on its remaining life or future wear amount, in chronological order from when it is not in use until it reaches the end of its life; and control means that, when a plurality of images including the tip image and the outer peripheral image of any of the cutting tools are received from the user terminal, read the information on the remaining life or future wear amount for the cutting tool that is closest to the feature amount of the cutting tool at the time of receipt from the tool feature database and display it on the display device.

[0102] The tool feature database (DB) stores the tool feature database 353 described above, along with each image acquired by the image acquisition unit 312, the detection results from the detection unit 313, and the estimation results from the estimation unit 314, all in association with each other. For example, the contents shown in Figures 22 and 23 are stored for multiple types of cutting tools.

[0103] The second embodiment is a management device comprising: acquisition means for acquiring a tip image taken of the tip portion of a cutting tool while it is mounted on a machine tool and waiting to be processed, an outer circumference image taken of the outer circumference portion of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image taken by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times; detection means for detecting a wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, a wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, and the contour of the maximum outer diameter image before and after waiting; estimation means for estimating the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool from the time of detection onward using the detected wear region and contour and reference data for determining tool life; and display control means for selectively displaying the detection result by the detection means and the estimation result by the estimation means on a predetermined display device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1...Tool management system, 10...Machining center, 11...Processing area, 14...NC unit, 20...Camera, 30...Management server, 31...Processor, UT...User terminal.

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring a tip image of the cutting tool while it is mounted on a machine tool and waiting to be processed, an outer circumference image of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image obtained by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times; Detection means for detecting the wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, the wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, and the contour of the maximum outer diameter image; Estimation means for estimating the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool after the detection point, using the detected wear areas and contours of the tip portion and the outer circumference portion, and reference data for tool life determination representing characteristic quantities for each change symptom of the tip portion and the outer circumference portion; A control means that enables either control of resuming machining in the state or tool change control based on the estimation result of the estimation means; A tool management system equipped with [features / equipment].

2. The tool management system according to claim 1, further comprising a display control means for selectively displaying the tip image, the outer circumference image, the maximum outer diameter image, the wear region of the tip portion, the wear region of the outer circumference portion, the cutting edge retraction amount, and the estimation result on a predetermined display device.

3. The system further includes a tool feature database that stores in time series the detection results and estimation results obtained by the detection means, including the tip image, outer circumference image, and maximum outer diameter image of the cutting tool when it is not in use and at the time of acquisition by the acquisition means. The tip image, outer circumference image, and maximum outer diameter image taken when the device is not in use are used as reference data. The tool management system according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned tip image is a resizable image of a specific part of the tip portion, including the blade edge. The aforementioned peripheral image is a resizable image of a specific part of the peripheral portion, including the cutting edge. The aforementioned maximum outer diameter image is a monochrome silhouette image that can be enlarged or reduced. The tool management system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned front image and the aforementioned peripheral image are full-focus images. A tool management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The aforementioned front image and the aforementioned outer edge image are color images capable of analyzing pixel features including color information, brightness information, and spatial information. A tool management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A first imaging unit that captures the outer peripheral image and the maximum outer diameter image, A second imaging unit for capturing the aforementioned front-end image, A first illuminator that irradiates light onto the outer peripheral portion, A second illuminator that irradiates light onto the aforementioned tip portion, A third illuminator that lights up when the first illuminator is off and irradiates the cutting tool with light from the opposite direction to the first illuminator, A first air discharge mechanism that discharges compressed air in the field of view of the first imaging unit when the first imaging unit is taking an image, The imaging device incorporates a second air discharge mechanism that radiates compressed air in the field of view of the second imaging unit when the second imaging unit is taking an image, and is sizable within the processing area of ​​the machine tool. The aforementioned imaging device is covered with a retractable dome cover. A tool management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. A shooting device that causes the tool management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to acquire the tip image, the outer circumference image, and the maximum outer diameter image, A first imaging unit that captures the outer peripheral image and the maximum outer diameter image, A second imaging unit for capturing the aforementioned front-end image, A first illuminator that irradiates light onto the outer peripheral portion, A second illuminator that irradiates light onto the aforementioned tip portion, A third illuminator that lights up when the first illuminator is off and irradiates the cutting tool with light from the opposite direction to the first illuminator, A first air discharge mechanism that discharges compressed air in the field of view of the first imaging unit when the first imaging unit is taking an image, The imaging device incorporates a second air discharge mechanism that radiates compressed air in the field of view of the second imaging unit when the second imaging unit is taking an image, and is sizable within the processing area of ​​the machine tool. The aforementioned imaging device is covered with a retractable dome cover. A photographic device.

9. A communication control means that enables communication with a user terminal having a display device, For each of several types of cutting tools, a tool feature database is created that stores, in chronological order from the time of non-use until the end of its lifespan, information such as a tip image taken of the tip portion, an outer circumference image taken of the outer circumference portion, a maximum outer diameter image taken by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times, the wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, the wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, the contour of the maximum outer diameter image, the amount of cutting edge recession measured from the contour, and its remaining life or future wear amount. A control means that, upon receiving the tip image, outer circumference image, and maximum outer diameter image of any of the cutting tools from the user terminal, reads information on the remaining life or future wear amount for the cutting tool that is closest to the feature quantity including the cutting edge retraction amount at the time of receipt of the cutting tool, from the tool feature quantity DB and displays it on the display device, A control device equipped with the following:

10. An acquisition means for acquiring a tip image of the cutting tool while it is mounted on a machine tool and waiting to be processed, an outer circumference image of the cutting tool, and a maximum outer diameter image obtained by continuously photographing the outer diameter in backlight when the cutting tool is rotated one or more times. Detection means for detecting the wear region of the tip portion present in the tip image, the wear region of the outer circumference present in the outer circumference image, and the contour of the maximum outer diameter image, An estimation means for estimating the future wear amount or remaining life of the cutting tool after the detection point, using the detected wear areas of the tip portion and the outer circumference portion, as well as reference data for tool life determination representing characteristic quantities for each change symptom of the contour, the tip portion and the outer circumference portion, A display control means for selectively displaying the detection result by the detection means and the estimation result by the estimation means on a predetermined display device, A control device equipped with the following:

11. The display control means generates an enlarged wear area image that changes over time based on the estimation result by the estimation means, and displays the generated enlarged wear area image on the display device. The control device according to claim 10.

12. A program that causes a computer to operate as the management device described in claim 9.

13. A program that causes a computer to operate as the management device described in claim 10 or claim 11.

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