Machining systems and product manufacturing methods
The machining system measures and adjusts the position of machining members in transit to process large or heavy steel materials with consistent pressure, ensuring precise and continuous machining without enlarging the apparatus.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JFE STEEL CORP
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing machining systems face challenges in efficiently processing large or heavy steel materials without increasing apparatus size, and systems that stop for processing reduce productivity.
A machining system that measures the shape of the target material in transit, adjusts the position of the machining member based on these measurements, and performs machining while the material is being transported, using a holding device to maintain consistent pressure during processing.
Enables precise machining of large or heavy steel materials without enlarging the apparatus, maintaining productivity by allowing continuous processing.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product. The present disclosure particularly relates to a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product that machines a target material such as a steel product during conveyance.
Background Art
[0002] For example, in a production line for manufacturing steel products, a cutting process of the target material may be carried out on the production line (online) after the rolling process of the target material. In the cutting process, defects such as burrs may occur on the cut surface of the target material. Conventionally, the removal of defects has been performed by a grinder operation by an operator offline.
[0003] Here, a method of performing machining such as defect removal online has been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that includes a fixed roller for fixing the position of a product during conveyance, and presses a grinding wheel against the end face of the product fixed by the fixed roller to machine the product. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a system that measures the shape and position of a product during stoppage between materials during product conveyance, and grinds and removes burrs generated on the cut surface while correcting the movement of a robot arm.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] In the system described in Patent Document 1, the product is processed while being fixed in place by a fixed roller, allowing for high-precision processing. However, while the fixed roller equipment costs are low and the method is economical when the product is relatively lightweight and has a small cross-sectional area, such as rails or right-angled unequal-sided steel sections, when the product is a large-section H-beam or heavy steel material such as sheet piles or thick plates, the equipment becomes large-scale and the introduction costs skyrocket.
[0006] In the system described in Patent Document 2, the product must be stopped when burrs are ground off, so the stopping process for cutting becomes a bottleneck and risks reducing productivity.
[0007] In view of these circumstances, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a machining system and a product manufacturing method that can precisely machine a target material while it is being transported without increasing the size of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] (1) A machining system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is A machining system that performs machining on a material while it is being transported, A shape measuring device is provided in the transport path of the target material and measures the shape of the target material, A processing device is provided downstream of the shape measuring device in the transport path and performs machining on the target material using a processing member, The system includes a control device that pre-adjusts the position of the processed member based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device.
[0009] (2) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1), The system includes a holding device that holds the workpiece so that the pressure acting on the workpiece from the workpiece remains constant during the machining process.
[0010] (3) In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1) or (2), The processing member is a grinding member that grinds the target material.
[0011] (4) The manufacturing method of a product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method of a product that manufactures a product by performing machining on a target material during conveyance, including a shape measurement step of measuring the shape of the target material on the upstream side of the conveyance path of the target material, an adjustment step of pre-adjusting the position of a machining member included in a machining device provided on the downstream side of the conveyance path based on the measured shape of the target material, and a machining step of performing machining on the target material with the machining member whose position has been adjusted.
[0012] (5) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in (4), the machining step performs machining on the target material while holding the machining member so that the pressure acting on the target material from the machining member becomes constant.
Advantages of the Invention
[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a machining system and a manufacturing method of a product capable of accurately machining a target material during conveyance of the target material without increasing the size of the device.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a target material. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a machining system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining shape measurement and position adjustment of a machining member. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining shape measurement and position adjustment of a machining member. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a diagram for explaining shape measurement and position adjustment of a machining member. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3D is a diagram for explaining shape measurement and position adjustment of a machining member. [Figure 3E]FIG. 3E is an example of a flowchart of a processing operation. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining a holding device. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining a shape change of the holding device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an application example to a plurality of steel plates. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the effect of reducing working hours.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Hereinafter, a machining system and a method for manufacturing a product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.
[0016] <Machining System> The machining system according to this embodiment performs machining on a target material during conveyance. Machining is a process of shaping a target material using a machine, and specifically includes grinding and cutting as examples. In the description of this embodiment, grinding is performed as the machining, and it is assumed that the target material is a work material to be ground. In this embodiment, a case where machining targets 3 (see FIG. 1) such as burrs, defects, and shape defects existing on the surface of the work material are removed by grinding will be described. However, as described above, the machining is not limited to grinding, and can be, for example, cutting. Further, the machining system according to this embodiment is used in a product manufacturing line, and a product is manufactured by performing machining on a target material. For example, machining for removing burrs, defects, shape defects, etc. existing on the surface of the target material (work material) by grinding may be performed, and the target material after machining may become a product. Here, the machining is performed on the production line (online) without stopping the conveyance of the target material.
[0017] Figure 1 shows an example of a target material having a workpiece 3. Examples of target materials include H-beams 1 and thick plates 2 that are transported on a manufacturing line. In this embodiment, the workpiece 3 is defined as burrs, defects, and shape defects that continuously occur parallel to the transport direction at the end of the target material. Here, the workpiece 3 is not limited to burrs, defects, and shape defects that continuously occur parallel to the transport direction, but may also be burrs, defects, and shape defects that occur on the cut surface (divided surface) of the target material perpendicular to the transport direction.
[0018] Figure 2 shows an example of the system of this disclosure. In Figure 2, an H-shaped steel beam 1 is used as an example material. The machining system comprises a shape measuring device 4, a control device 6, a machining device 7, and a machining member 10. As in this embodiment, the machining system may further include a measurement result processing device 5, a holding device 8, and a grinder 9. The machining device 7 may be, for example, a robot, but is not limited to a specific type of device as long as it is a device that performs machining on the material using the machining member 10. In this embodiment, the machining device 7 is described as an articulated robot. The control device 6 controls the operation of the machining device 7 as one of the controls in the machining system. Therefore, the control device 6 can be called a robot motion control device. The machining member 10 may be, for example, a grinding member that grinds the material. In this embodiment, the machining member 10 is described as a grinding wheel attached to and used by the grinder 9. However, the machining member 10 is not limited to a grinding member, and may be a cutting member such as a blade.
[0019] The shape measuring device 4 is installed in the transport path of the target material and measures the shape of the target material. As in this embodiment, the shape measuring device 4 may also measure the position of the target material. The shape measuring device 4 is, for example, a two-dimensional laser distance meter, but is not limited thereto. The shape measuring device 4 is installed on the upstream side of the transport path of the H-shaped steel beam 1 and measures the range of the H-shaped steel beam 1 that includes the workpiece 3.
[0020] The measurement result processing device 5 identifies the shape and position of the H-beam 1 to be processed 3 from the data measured by the shape measuring device 4, and calculates the amount of positional deviation from the reference position, which is the estimated position of the target material 11 (see Figure 3A). The measurement result processing device 5 determines the amount of positional correction for the processed member 10 from this amount of positional deviation and transmits it to the control device 6. The specific method for correcting the positional deviation will be described later.
[0021] The control device 6 adjusts the position of the workpiece 10 by controlling the drive of the processing device 7. As will be described in detail later, the control device 6 adjusts the position of the workpiece 10 in advance, that is, before machining is performed, based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device 4. Here, the measurement result processing device 5 and the control device 6 only need to be devices capable of control and calculation, and may be, for example, a computer. The measurement result processing device 5 and the control device 6 may be independent devices that can send and receive information from each other via a network, but an integrated configuration is also possible. For example, the control device 6 may be a computer integrated with the measurement result processing device 5 and may perform the above calculations of the measurement result processing device 5.
[0022] The processing device 7 performs machining on the target material using the workpiece 10. The processing device 7 is located downstream of the shape measuring device 4 in the transport path. There is a certain distance between the processing device 7 and the shape measuring device 4 so that they do not interfere with each other. Here, the distance between the shape measuring device 4 and the processing device 7 is 3m as an example, but it can be appropriately determined according to the transport speed of the H-shaped steel 1. In other words, it is preferable to set the distance to one that allows sufficient time to adjust for any misalignment of the workpiece 10 based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device 4.
[0023] The processing device 7 has multiple axes (for example, six axes), allowing for flexible operation and enabling free adjustment of the positions of the grinder 9 and the workpiece 10. The workpiece 10 is attached to the tip of the processing device 7 and is rotationally driven by the grinder 9 to grind the workpiece 3 of the H-shaped steel 1.
[0024] The holding device 8 is a device for holding the workpiece 10. In this embodiment, the holding device 8 not only holds the workpiece 10 via the grinder 9, but also controls the pressure acting on the workpiece 10 from the workpiece 10 to the workpiece to remain constant during machining. In other words, the holding device 8 has the function of a pressure control device. As shown in Figure 4A, the holding device 8 has a cylinder portion 8A connected to the workpiece 7 and a stroke portion 8B connected to the grinder 9. By moving (expanding and retracting) the stroke portion 8B relative to the cylinder portion 8A, it is possible to finely adjust the position of the grinder 9 and the workpiece 10 relative to the workpiece 7 by the stroke amount.
[0025] <Product manufacturing method> A manufacturing method for producing a product by grinding away the workpiece 3 of an H-shaped steel beam 1 includes a shape measurement step, an adjustment step, and a processing step.
[0026] First, the H-shaped steel beam 1, which is the target material, is transported along the transport path by a transport device (not shown). The transport device is set to transport the target material with a sufficiently large driving force to overcome the reaction force generated during grinding. Therefore, the machining system can continuously remove the material to be machined 3 along the entire length of the target material while transporting it.
[0027] In the shape measurement process, the shape of the target material (H-beam 1) is measured by the shape measuring device 4 upstream of the transport path of the material being transported.
[0028] In the adjustment process, the measurement result processing device 5 pre-adjusts the position of the processing member 10 of the processing device 7 located downstream of the transport path, based on the shape of the target material (shape measurement result) measured by the shape measuring device 4. In other words, the measurement result processing device 5 calculates the amount of misalignment of the processing device 7 based on the shape measurement result and outputs the calculated amount of misalignment to the control device 6. The control device 6 drives the processing device 7 based on the amount of misalignment and moves the grinder 9 and the processing member 10 to the appropriate processing position.
[0029] In the machining process, machining is performed to remove the workpiece 3 from the target material using a machining member 10 whose position has been adjusted. Here, as shown in Figure 2, a coordinate system is set in which the direction parallel to the transport direction is y, the vertical direction of the workpiece is z, and the width (horizontal) direction is x. x is the direction perpendicular to the transport direction and is also the width (horizontal) direction of the transport line. This coordinate system is also used in common in Figures 3A to 3D. Here, in this embodiment, the direction of movement (expansion and contraction) of the stroke section 8B is the z direction.
[0030] Figures 3A to 3D illustrate the shape measurement and position adjustment of the processed member 10. In this embodiment, we will describe the case where the workpiece 3 is located at the upper end of the target material (H-beam 1). First, as shown in Figure 3A, the assumed processing position (x0, z0) of the workpiece 3 on the xz plane is calculated and set based on the shape, dimensions, and line configuration of the conveying equipment of the target material. The assumed processing position (x0, z0) is the position of the upper end of the target material where the workpiece 3 is located. The estimated position 11 of the target material is the reference position of the H-beam 1 obtained by calculation. Initially, the drive (movement) of the processing device 7 is set assuming that the workpiece 3 and the processed member 10 are in contact at the assumed processing position (x0, z0).
[0031] Next, as shown in Figure 3B, a shape measuring device 4 is pre-positioned at a location where the two-dimensional shape of the workpiece 3 is measured, and the shape of the actual workpiece 3 is measured by the shape measuring device 4. The measured position of the workpiece 3 on the xz plane is (x t ,z t The measurement position 12 of the target material indicates the measured position of the H-shaped steel 1.
[0032] Next, as shown in Figure 3C, the assumed machining position (x0, z0) and the measured position (x t ,z t The difference in position (Δx, Δz) is calculated by the following formula: Here, Δx is the difference in the x-direction, and Δz is the difference in the z-direction.
[0033]
number
[0034] Next, as shown in Figure 3D, the control device 6 operates the processing device 7 to move the grinder 9 and the workpiece 10 by the calculated positional displacement (Δx, Δz). Through these steps, the position of the workpiece 10 is adjusted.
[0035] Figure 3E is an example of a flowchart of the above processing steps. First, the assumed processing position is set based on information such as the shape of the material to be transported (step S1). Then, preparation for processing is carried out (step S2). Preparation for processing includes, for example, turning on the power to the grinder 9 and the shape measuring device 4, and moving the shape measuring device 4 to the measurement position. After the preparation for processing is complete, the transport of the material to be transported begins (step S3). After the transport of the material to be transported begins, the control device 6 operates the processing device 7 to move the workpiece 10 to the processing position (step S4). If the transport of the material to be transported is not complete (step S5 No.), the shape measuring device 4 measures the shape of the area around the workpiece 3 (step S6). The measurement result processing device 5 calculates the positional deviation amount (Δx, Δz) (step S7). The control device 6 performs a correction process to adjust the position of the workpiece 10 by the calculated positional deviation amount (Δx, Δz) (step S8). The control device 6 operates the processing device 7 to move the workpiece 10 to the corrected processing position, and machining is performed using the workpiece 10 (step S9). Steps S6, S7, S8, and S9 are repeated until the transport of the workpiece is complete, and machining of the workpiece 3 is performed. Once the transport of the workpiece is complete (Yes in step S5), the series of processes ends.
[0036] Through the above processing, the workpiece 3 is removed from the target material, and the product is manufactured. Here, adjusting the position of the workpiece 10 by the processing device 7 based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device 4 makes it possible to handle target materials of various shapes or dimensions. For example, it can flexibly respond to shape changes such as bending or warping of the target material that occur during product manufacturing, and it becomes possible to remove burrs and other defects along the entire length of the product. In this way, the machining system can adjust the position of the workpiece 10 in advance and machine the target material with high precision while it is being transported, without increasing the size of the device.
[0037] <Position adjustment> As described above, the machining system measures the position of the workpiece 3 before machining and adjusts the position of the workpiece 10 according to the measurement results. Therefore, the position of the workpiece 10 can be corrected in advance (before machining) to match the actual position of the workpiece. However, in order to prevent interference between the machining device 7 and the shape measuring device 4, a certain distance is provided between the machining device 7 and the shape measuring device 4, and the position of the workpiece may shift during transport from the measurement position to the machining position. In this embodiment, the machining system also makes fine adjustments to the position of the workpiece 10 during machining.
[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4A, the position of the workpiece 10 is adjusted by the holding device 8. When the workpiece 10 is not touching anything else, the holding device 8 is in a state where the stroke portion 8B is extended to its maximum stroke length by power such as hydraulics, pneumatics, or electric motors.
[0039] Figure 4B illustrates the shape change of the holding device 8. In the initial state, the workpiece 10 is in contact with the target material (workpiece to be cut), and the pressure (grinding pressure) and the power of the cylinder (hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric) are balanced with the stroke portion 8B pushed in to a certain extent. At this time, a preset pressure is applied to the target material from the holding device 8 via the grinder 9 and the workpiece 10. If the target material is large, i.e., the height of the target material is higher than expected (measurement result measured by the shape measuring device 4), the stroke portion 8B is pushed in further than the initial state, and the position of the workpiece 10 moves upward. At this time, the pressure remains unchanged from the initial state, and the preset pressure is applied to the target material. On the other hand, if the target material is small, i.e., the height of the target material is lower than expected, the stroke portion 8B extends further than the initial state, and the position of the workpiece 10 moves downward. At this time, the pressure remains unchanged from the initial state, and the preset pressure is applied to the target material. In this way, because the workpiece 10 is attached to the workpiece device 7 via the holding device 8, a control mechanism is in place that automatically adjusts the position of the workpiece 10 to compensate for any dimensional or positional deviations within the stroke range of the workpiece. The holding device 8 holds the workpiece 10 so that the pressure acting on the workpiece from the workpiece 10 remains constant while machining is performed on the workpiece. As a result, deviations within the stroke range of the workpiece are absorbed, enabling more stable removal of the workpiece 3 along its entire length.
[0040] <Variation> Figure 5 shows an application example when the target material consists of multiple thick plates 2. In the example in Figure 2, the workpieces 3 were assumed to be located at two points, the upper left and right ends of the cross-section of a single H-shaped steel beam 1. In the example in Figure 5, two thick plates 2 are being transported simultaneously on the same line. As shown in the example in Figure 5, by installing the shape measuring device 4 and the processing device 7 in a manner that avoids interference, it is possible to perform machining on the workpieces 3 of multiple target materials simultaneously.
[0041] Figure 6 illustrates the effect of reducing working time. "Conventional" shows the working time for deburring rolled products, which was performed offline by an operator. "This Embodiment" shows the working time when the deburring process is automated by applying the above-described machining system and method. The working time in this embodiment is shown as a relative time, with the conventional time set to 100. As shown in Figure 6, automation was able to reduce the number of man-hours by approximately 82%.
[0042] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications or alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step (process) can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided. Embodiments relating to this disclosure can also be realized as programs executed by a processor in the device or as storage media recording such programs. These should also be understood to be included within the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]
[0043] 1 H-beam 2 Thick plates 3. Items to be processed 4 Shape measuring device 5. Measurement result processing device 6. Control device 7 Processing equipment 8 Holding device 8A Cylinder section 8B Stroke section 9 Grinder 10 Processed parts 11. Estimated position of the target material 12. Measurement position of the target material
Claims
1. A machining system that performs machining on a material while it is being transported, A shape measuring device is provided in the transport path of the target material and measures the shape of the target material, A processing device is provided downstream of the shape measuring device in the transport path and performs machining on the target material using a processing member, The system includes a control device that adjusts the position of the processed member in advance based on the measurement results of the shape measuring device, A machining system comprising a holding device that holds the workpiece such that the pressure acting from the workpiece on the target material remains constant during the execution of the machining process.
2. The machining system according to claim 1, wherein the processing member is a grinding member that grinds the target material.
3. A method for manufacturing products by machining a target material while it is being transported, Upstream of the transport path for the target material, a shape measurement step is performed to measure the shape of the target material, An adjustment step of adjusting the position of the processed member in a processing device located downstream of the transport path based on the measured shape of the target material, The process includes a machining step of machining the target material using the machining member whose position has been adjusted, The processing step is a method for manufacturing a product, in which the processing member is held in a manner that the pressure acting on the target material from the processing member is constant while machining the target material.