Abutment member positioning device, abutment member positioning program, and abutment member positioning method

Abstract

The bending machine is equipped with a position determination unit including an acquisition unit that acquires shape information of the workpiece to be bent, a first position determination unit that determines the positions of the first and second abutting members that are abutted against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit that determines the position of the third abutting member that is abutted against the lateral side of the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a position specifying device for a abutting member, a position specifying program for an abutting member, and a position specifying method for an abutting member.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when performing bending of a workpiece using a bending machine, in order to bend the workpiece at a predetermined bending position, the bending of the workpiece is performed with two abutting members abutted against the front side of the workpiece (Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional methods including the method described in Patent Document 1, since the abutting members are abutted only against the front side of the workpiece, when the front side of the workpiece has a complicated shape such as a shape that is not parallel to the abutting surface of the abutting member, the abutting of the workpiece against the abutting member is not stable. Therefore, the workpiece cannot be bent at a predetermined bending position, the accuracy of the bending process decreases, and there is a problem that the quality of the bent workpiece formed by the bending process deteriorates.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to a position specifying device for an abutting member, a position specifying program for an abutting member, and a position specifying method for an abutting member that can stabilize the abutting of a workpiece against the abutting member and improve the accuracy of the bending process for workpieces having various shapes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A positioning device for abutment members according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit for acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be bent, a positioning unit including a first positioning unit for determining the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that abut against the front side of the workpiece, and a second positioning unit for determining the position of a third abutment member that abuts against the side side of the workpiece, wherein the first positioning unit determines, based on the shape information of the workpiece, the first abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the first abutment member and the second abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the second abutment member. The second position determination unit is configured to identify the target area of ​​the workpiece, and based on the shape information of the workpiece, it is configured to identify the third target area of ​​the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutting member. The position determination unit is configured to determine the positions of the first abutting member, the second abutting member and the third abutting member so that when the first abutting member, the second abutting member and the third abutting member are abutted against the first target area, the second abutting area and the third abutting area, the workpiece will be positioned at the bending processing position.

[0007] Furthermore, a positioning program for abutting members according to one aspect of the present invention causes a positioning device for abutting members to execute a positioning process that includes an acquisition process for acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be bent, a first positioning process for determining the positions of a first abutting member and a second abutting member that are abutted against the front side of the workpiece, and a second positioning process for determining the position of a third abutting member that is abutted against the side of the workpiece, and the first positioning process determines, based on the shape information of the workpiece, the first abutting target portion of the workpiece that is abutted by the first abutting member and the second abutting target portion of the workpiece that is abutted by the second abutting member. The second position determination process includes a process to identify a second abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member, and the second position determination process includes a process to identify a third abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member based on the shape information of the workpiece, and the position determination process includes a process to determine the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member and the third abutment member so that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member and the third abutment member are abutted against the first abutment target portion, the second abutment target portion and the third abutment target portion, the workpiece will be positioned at the bending processing position.

[0008] Furthermore, a method for determining the position of abutment member according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition step of acquiring shape information of a workpiece to be bent, a first position determination step of determining the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that are abutted against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination step of determining the position of a third abutment member that is abutted against the side side of the workpiece, wherein the first position determination step determines, based on the shape information of the workpiece, the first abutment target portion of the workpiece that is abutted by the first abutment member and the portion of the workpiece that is abutted by the second abutment member The process includes a step of identifying a second abutment target area, the second position determination step includes a step of identifying a third abutment target area of ​​the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member based on the shape information of the workpiece, and the position determination step includes a step of determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member and the third abutment member so that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member and the third abutment member are abutted against the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area and the third abutment target area, the workpiece will be positioned at the bending processing position.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for determining the position of abutting member, a program for determining the position of abutting member, and a method for determining the position of abutting member, the first abutting member and the second abutting member are abutted against the front side of the workpiece, and the third abutting member is abutted against the side of the workpiece. This makes it possible to stabilize the abutment of the workpiece against the abutting members for workpieces of various shapes and to improve the accuracy of the bending process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for determining the position of a stopper member, a program for determining the position of a stopper member, and a method for determining the position of a stopper member, it is possible to stabilize the contact of a workpiece with a stopper member for workpieces having various shapes and to improve the accuracy of bending processes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the bending system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the back gauge according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the processing program generation device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process of generating a machining program. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the state where a plan view of the workpiece is displayed on the display unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the display unit with a plan view of the workpiece and plan views of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the first, second, and third target areas for abutment. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the first, second, and third target areas for abutment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating conditions 1 and 3 for determining whether something is acceptable or not. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating condition 2 for determining whether something is acceptable or not. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying an obtuse-angled edge as the third target area for abutment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the condition 1' for determining whether something is acceptable or not. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process of identifying the vertices of acute-angled edges as the third target area for abutment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the condition 1'' for determining whether something is acceptable or not. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention. Also, in this embodiment, there are cases where the scales and dimensions of each component are exaggeratedly shown, or some components are omitted.

[0013] <Configuration of the bending system> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the bending system according to this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the bending system 1 according to this embodiment includes a bending machine 10 that performs bending processing on the workpiece W, an information management server 20 that stores various information used for the bending processing of the workpiece W, a processing program generation device (abutting member position specifying device) 30 that generates a processing program for performing bending processing on the workpiece W, and an NC (Numerical Control) device 40 that controls the bending machine 10.

[0015] The information management server 20 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the processing program generation device 30 and the NC device 40, respectively.

[0016] <Configuration of the bending machine> The bending machine 10 is, for example, a press brake that performs bending processing on the workpiece W. The bending machine 10 has an upper table 11 and a lower table 12 at the front end of the bending machine 10. The upper table 11 is provided above the lower table 12 and is configured to be able to approach and separate from the lower table 12. Also, a punch P is attached to the upper table 11, and a die D is attached to the lower table 12.

[0017] Also, the bending machine 10 has a back gauge 13 behind the punch P and the die D. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the back gauge according to this embodiment.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the back gauge 13 has at least three abutment members 14 that are configured to be movable along the front-to-back direction (Y direction in Figures 1 and 2), the left-to-right direction (X direction in Figure 2), and the up-and-down direction (Z direction in Figure 1) of the bending machine 10.

[0019] Of these three abutting members 14, any two of them function as a first abutting member 14A and a second abutting member 14B, which abut against the front side of the workpiece W. In addition, any one of the three abutting members 14 functions as a third abutting member 14C, which abuts against the side side of the workpiece W.

[0020] In this specification, the front and side of the workpiece W are not limited to the front and side edges of the workpiece W, but also include the inner edges of the workpiece W formed by notches or holes formed in the workpiece W, and the intersections of the front and side edges of the workpiece W.

[0021] In a bending machine 10 having such a configuration, the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B are abutted against the front side of the workpiece W, and the third abutment member 14C is abutted against the side side of the workpiece W, thereby positioning the workpiece W in the bending position. In this state, by bringing the upper table 11 closer to the lower table 12, the workpiece W is sandwiched between the punch P and the die D and bent.

[0022] <Configuration of the information management server> The information management server 20 is configured to store shape information of the workpiece W to be bent and a processing program for performing the bending process on the workpiece W. The processing program specifies, as will be described later, the bending order of the workpiece W, the molds (punch P and die D) used for bending the workpiece W, the bending position of the workpiece W (bending line F), and the positions of the first stopper member 14A, the second stopper member 14B, and the third stopper member 14C.

[0023] In this embodiment, the information management server 20 is configured to transmit shape information of the workpiece W to the machining program generation device 30 and to transmit the machining program to the NC device 40. The information management server 20 is also configured to receive the machining program from the machining program generation device 30.

[0024] <Configuration of the processing program generation device> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the processing program generation device.

[0025] The processing program generation device 30 is, for example, a personal computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and storage. As shown in Figure 3, the processing program generation device 30 includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be bent, and a position determination unit 32 which includes a first position determination unit 32a that determines the positions of a first abutment member 14A and a second abutment member 14B that are abutted against the front side of the workpiece W, and a second position determination unit 32b that determines the position of a third abutment member 14C that is abutted against the side side of the workpiece W.

[0026] Furthermore, the processing program generation device 30 includes a generation unit 33 that generates a processing program for bending the workpiece W, a storage unit 34 that stores various information used for generating the processing program, a display unit 35 that displays the positions of the first stopper member 14A, the second stopper member 14B, and the third stopper member 14C along with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31, and an operation unit 36 ​​that receives operation input from an operator of the bending machine 10.

[0027] The acquisition unit 31 is configured to acquire shape information of the workpiece W from the information management server 20. However, the configuration for acquiring shape information of the workpiece W is not limited to this; for example, the operator of the bending machine 10 may input or create shape information of the workpiece W via the operation unit 36 ​​to acquire the shape information of the workpiece W.

[0028] The first position determination unit 32a is configured to identify a first abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the first abutment member 14A and a second abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the second abutment member 14B, based on the shape information of the workpiece W.

[0029] The second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify the third abutment target portion of the workpiece W that will be abutted by the third abutment member 14C, based on the shape information of the workpiece W.

[0030] Furthermore, the position determination unit 32 is configured to determine the positions of the first abutting member 14A, the second abutting member 14B, and the third abutting member 14C so that when the first abutting member 14A, the second abutting member 14B, and the third abutting member 14C are brought into contact with the first abutting target area, the second abutting target area, and the third abutting target area, the workpiece W is positioned at the bending processing position.

[0031] The generation unit 33 is configured to generate a processing program using the position information of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C determined by the position determination unit 32. Specifically, the generation unit 33 is configured to generate a processing program based on information about the bending sequence of the workpiece W, information about the mold used for bending the workpiece W, information about the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W, and information about the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

[0032] The storage unit 34 is configured to store a program for specifying the positions of the first abutting member 14A, the second abutting member 14B, and the third abutting member 14C. The program for specifying the positions of the abutting members includes an acquisition process for acquiring shape information of the workpiece W to be bent, a first positioning process for determining the positions of the first abutting member 14A and the second abutting member 14B that are abutted against the front side of the workpiece W, and a second positioning process for determining the position of the third abutting member 14C that is abutted against the side of the workpiece W. The generation device 30 of the machining program is caused to execute the positioning process. The first positioning process includes a process of specifying a first abutting target part of the workpiece W abutted by the first abutting member 14A and a second abutting target part of the workpiece W abutted by the second abutting member 14B based on the shape information of the workpiece W. The second positioning process includes a process of specifying a third abutting target part of the workpiece W abutted by the third abutting member 14C based on the shape information of the workpiece W. The positioning process includes a process of determining the positions of the first abutting member 14A, the second abutting member 14B, and the third abutting member 14C so that the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position when the first abutting member 14A, the second abutting member 14B, and the third abutting member 14C are abutted against the first abutting target part, the second abutting target part, and the third abutting target part, respectively.

[0033] The display unit 35 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), or the like. The operation unit 36 is, for example, a mouse or a keyboard.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the generation device 30 of the machining program is configured to transmit the machining program generated by the generation unit 33 to the information management server 20.

[0035] <Configuration of NC device> The NC device 40 is configured to acquire a machining program from the information management server 20. Furthermore, the NC device 40 is configured to control the bending machine 10 based on the machining program acquired from the information management server 20.

[0036] <Bending Method> Next, a bending method using the bending system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of generating a processing program. Figure 5 shows the state in which a plan view of the workpiece is displayed on the display unit. Figure 6 shows the state in which a plan view of the workpiece and plan views of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are displayed on the display unit. In Figures 5 and 6, the plan view of the workpiece W is indicated by the same reference numerals as the workpiece W, and the plan views of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are indicated by the same reference numerals as the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, first, when an operator of the bending machine 10 performs an operation to generate a processing program, the acquisition unit 31 acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be bent from the information management server 20 (S1). Once the acquisition unit 31 acquires the shape information of the workpiece W, a plan view of the workpiece W is displayed on the display unit 35 (see Figure 5).

[0038] Next, the operator of the bending machine 10 sets the bending sequence of the workpiece W and the types of dies (punch P and die D) to be used for bending the workpiece W (S2 and S3). Once the bending sequence of the workpiece W and the types of dies to be used for bending the workpiece W are set, the operator of the bending machine 10 sets the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W in the plan view of the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 35 (S4, see Figure 5).

[0039] Next, when an operator of the bending machine 10 performs an operation to determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C, the first position determination unit 32a identifies the first abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the second abutment member 14B based on the shape information of the workpiece W, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the third abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the third abutment member 14C based on the shape information of the workpiece W (S5).

[0040] Once the first, second, and third abutment targets are identified, the position determination unit 32 determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are brought into contact with the first, second, and third abutment targets, the workpiece W is positioned at the bending position.

[0041] When the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (YES in S6), the display unit 35 displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C along with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31 (S7). Specifically, the display unit 35 displays a plan view of the workpiece W and plan views of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C (see Figure 6).

[0042] If the first, second, and third abutment targets cannot be identified, and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C cannot be determined, the process is terminated (NO in S6).

[0043] Finally, the generation unit 33 generates a processing program (S8) based on information about the bending sequence of the workpiece W, information about the mold used for bending the workpiece W, information about the bending position (bending line F) of the workpiece W, and information about the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

[0044] The processing program generated by the generation unit 33 is transmitted to the information management server 20. The information management server 20 stores the received processing program. The information management server 20 also transmits the processing program to the NC device 40. The NC device 40 controls the bending machine 10 based on the processing program obtained from the information management server 20.

[0045] In the bending machine 10, the workpiece W is bent based on the bending sequence of the workpiece W specified in the processing program, the molds (punch P and die D) used for bending the workpiece W, the bending position of the workpiece W (bending line F), and the positions of the first stopper member 14A, the second stopper member 14B, and the third stopper member 14C.

[0046] <Process to identify the first, second, and third target areas for impact> Next, we will explain the detailed process for identifying the first, second, and third target areas. Figures 7A and 7B are flowcharts showing the process for identifying the first, second, and third target areas. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating conditions 1 and 3 for determining whether or not a target can be identified. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating condition 2 for determining whether or not a target can be identified.

[0047] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, when an operator of the bending machine 10 performs an operation to determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C, the first position determination unit 32a provisionally identifies the first abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W to be abutted by the second abutment member 14B, based on the shape information of the workpiece W (S100).

[0048] Furthermore, the first position determination unit 32a may provisionally identify the parts selected by the operator of the bending machine 10, etc., in the plan view of the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 35, as the first abutment target area and the second abutment target area.

[0049] Once the first and second target areas for abutment are provisionally identified, the second position determination unit 32b extracts vertical edges perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W based on the shape information of the workpiece W (S101). In Figure 5, the parts shown by thick lines are the extracted vertical edges.

[0050] Next, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the processes S102 to S104 as many times as there are abutment members 14 provided on the bending machine 10 during the processing of loop 1. During the processing of loop 1, one of the three abutment members 14 is set as the third abutment member 14C, and the processes S102 to S104 are performed. At this time, the second position determination unit 32b prioritizes performing the processes S102 to S104 on the abutment member 14 that has been pre-set by the operator of the bending machine 10 or the like.

[0051] Furthermore, if the first, second, and third abutment targets can be identified in the S104 process described later, even if there are abutment members 14 that are not subject to the S102-S104 processes, the S102-S104 processes will not be performed on those abutment members 14, and the process will proceed to S105.

[0052] Furthermore, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process of S102 as many times as the number of vertical edges extracted during the processing of loop 2. Cases in which multiple vertical edges are extracted include, for example, when the side edges of the workpiece W are vertical edges, as shown in Figure 5, or when the front edge of the workpiece W has an uneven shape and the side edges of the recessed parts of the workpiece W are vertical edges, as shown in Figure 9.

[0053] When a vertical edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b determines whether or not the extracted vertical edge can become the third abutment target area (S102). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the extracted vertical edge can become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1 to 4 are met, and determines that the extracted vertical edge cannot become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1 to 4 are not met.

[0054] Condition 1 is that the contact amount between the vertical edge and the third abutment member 14C is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The contact amount between the vertical edge and the third abutment member 14C is the length L1 in the front-rear direction of the portion in contact between the vertical edge and the third abutment member 14C (see Figure 8). Condition 2 is that the distance D1 between the third abutment member 14C and the workpiece W is 1 mm or more (see Figure 9). Condition 3 is that the distance D2 along the front-rear direction between the third abutment member 14C and the mold (punch P and die D) is 1 mm or more (see Figure 8). Condition 4 is that the vertical edge is an edge that lies within the movement range of the third abutment member 14C.

[0055] Note that the numerical values ​​in conditions 1 to 3 may be set arbitrarily by the operator of the bending machine 10.

[0056] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there is a vertical edge that could be the third abutment target area (YES in S103), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first abutment target area and second abutment target area as the first abutment target area and second abutment target area, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the vertical edge that could be the third abutment target area as the third abutment target area (S104).

[0057] In this case, if there are multiple vertical edges, the second position determination unit 32b identifies the edge closest to the first or second abutment target area and the edge that has the greatest contact with the third abutment member 14C as the third abutment target area. Alternatively, the second position determination unit 32b may identify the edge that satisfies either the edge closest to the first or second abutment target area or the edge that has the greatest contact with the third abutment member 14C as the third abutment target area.

[0058] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there is no vertical edge that can be the third abutment target area (NO in S103), the second position determination unit 32b performs the S102 to S104 processes on the abutment member 14 that is not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14.

[0059] Once the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area are identified, the position determination unit 32 determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

[0060] If the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (YES in S105 (S6)), the process proceeds to S7. If the second position determination unit 32b cannot identify the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area, and therefore cannot determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C (NO in S105), that is, if it cannot extract a vertical edge, it extracts an inclined edge that is inclined with respect to the bending line F of the workpiece W based on the shape information of the workpiece W, and identifies the extracted inclined edge as the third abutment target area.

[0061] In this embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b extracts an obtuse angle to a virtual line VL that passes horizontally in the left-right direction through the intersection of the front edge and side edge of the workpiece W, and identifies the extracted obtuse angled edge as the third abutment target area (S106). The process of identifying the obtuse angled edge as the third abutment target area will be described later.

[0062] When the position determination unit 32 identifies the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area with respect to the obtuse-angled edge, it determines the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C. Once the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are determined (YES in S107 (S6)), the process proceeds to S7.

[0063] If the second position determination unit 32b is unable to identify the first, second, and third abutment target areas with respect to an obtuse-angled edge, and therefore cannot determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C (NO in S107), it extracts an acute-angled edge with respect to the virtual line VL as an inclined edge (S108), and identifies the vertex of the extracted acute-angled edge as the third abutment target area. The process of identifying the vertex of the acute-angled edge as the third abutment target area will be described later. After the process in S108, the process proceeds to S6.

[0064] <Process to identify the obtuse-angled edge as the third target area for abutment> Next, we will explain the detailed process for identifying obtuse edges as the third target area for abutment. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process for identifying obtuse edges as the third target area for abutment. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating condition 1' for determining whether or not it is possible.

[0065] As shown in Figure 10, the second position determination unit 32b extracts edges that are obtuse with respect to the virtual line VL (S200). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b extracts inclined edges where the angle θ between the virtual line VL and the side edge of the workpiece W is greater than 90° and less than or equal to 120°. In Figure 11, the parts shown by thick lines are the extracted obtuse edges.

[0066] The second position determination unit 32b repeats the processes S201 to S203 as many times as there are abutment members 14 provided on the bending machine 10 during the processing of loop 3. The order of the abutment members 14 set as the third abutment member 14C in the processing of loop 3 is the same as in loop 1, so the explanation is omitted. In addition, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process S201 as many times as there are obtuse angles extracted during the processing of loop 4.

[0067] When an obtuse-angled edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b determines whether or not the extracted obtuse-angled edge can become the third abutment target area (S201). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the extracted vertical edge can become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1' to 4 are met, and determines that the extracted vertical edge cannot become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1' to 4 are not met.

[0068] Condition 1' is that the contact amount between the obtuse-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C is between 5 mm and 25 mm. The contact amount between the obtuse-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C is the length L2 in the front-to-back direction from the contact point between the obtuse-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C to the intersection point of the front edge and side edge of the workpiece W (see Figure 11). Conditions 2 to 4 are the same as the determination of whether or not a vertical edge can be the target area for the third abutment, so their explanation is omitted. Note that the numerical value in Condition 1' may be set arbitrarily by the operator of the bending machine 10, etc.

[0069] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there is an obtuse-angled edge that could be the third abutment target area (YES in S202), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first abutment target area and second abutment target area as the first abutment target area and second abutment target area, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the obtuse-angled edge that could be the third abutment target area as the third abutment target area (S203).

[0070] The handling of cases with multiple obtuse edges is the same as the handling of cases with multiple perpendicular edges, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0071] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there are no obtuse-angled edges that can be the third abutment target area (NO in S202), the second position determination unit 32b performs the S201 to S203 processes on the abutment member 14 that is not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14. Once the processing by loop 3 is completed, the process proceeds to S107.

[0072] <Process to identify the vertices of acute-angled edges as the third target area for abutment> Next, we will explain the detailed process for identifying the vertices of acute-angled edges as the third target area for abutment. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process for identifying the vertices of acute-angled edges as the third target area for abutment. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating condition 1'' for the feasibility determination.

[0073] As shown in Figure 12, the second position determination unit 32b extracts edges that are at an acute angle with respect to the virtual line VL (S300). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b extracts inclined edges where the angle θ between the virtual line VL and the side edge of the workpiece W is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. In Figure 13, the parts shown by thick lines are the extracted acute-angled edges.

[0074] The second position determination unit 32b repeats the processes S301 to S303 as many times as there are abutment members 14 provided on the bending machine 10 during the processing of loop 5. The order of the abutment members 14 set as the third abutment member 14C in the processing of loop 5 is the same as in loop 1, so the explanation is omitted. Furthermore, the second position determination unit 32b repeats the process S301 as many times as there are acute-angled edges extracted during the processing of loop 6.

[0075] When an acute-angled edge is extracted, the second position determination unit 32b determines whether the vertex of the extracted acute-angled edge (the intersection point of the front edge of the workpiece W and the acute-angled edge) can become the third abutment target area (S301). Specifically, the second position determination unit 32b determines that the vertex of the extracted acute-angled edge can become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1'' to 4 are met, and determines that the vertex of the extracted acute-angled edge cannot become the third abutment target area if the following conditions 1'' to 4 are not met.

[0076] Condition 1'' is that the contact amount between the vertex of the acute-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The contact amount between the vertex of the acute-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C is the length L3 in the front-to-back direction from the contact point between the vertex of the acute-angled edge and the third abutment member 14C to the tip of the third abutment member 14C (the end on the rear side of the workpiece W) (see Figure 13). Conditions 2 to 4 are the same as the determination of whether or not a vertical edge can be the target area for the third abutment, so the explanation is omitted. Note that the numerical value in Condition 1'' may be set arbitrarily by the operator of the bending machine 10, etc.

[0077] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there is a vertex of an acute-angled edge that could be the third abutment target area (YES in S302), the first position determination unit 32a identifies the provisionally identified first and second abutment target areas as the first and second abutment target areas, and the second position determination unit 32b identifies the vertex of the acute-angled edge that could be the third abutment target area as the third abutment target area (S303).

[0078] The handling of cases where there are multiple vertices on an acute-angled edge is the same as the handling of cases where there are multiple perpendicular edges, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0079] If the second position determination unit 32b determines that there are no vertices of acute-angled edges that could be the third abutment target area (NO in S302), the second position determination unit 32b performs the S301 to S203 processes on the abutment member 14 that is not set as the third abutment member 14C among the three abutment members 14. Once the processing by loop 5 is completed, the process proceeds to S6.

[0080] <Advantages of the processing program generation device (butt member position identification device) according to this embodiment> Thus, the processing program generation device (butt member position identification device) 30 according to this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 31 that acquires shape information of the workpiece W to be bent, a position determination unit 32 which includes a first position determination unit 32a that determines the positions of the first butt member 14A and the second butt member 14B that are butted against the front side of the workpiece W, and a second position determination unit 32b that determines the position of the third butt member 14C that is butted against the side side of the workpiece W. Based on the shape information of the workpiece W, the first position determination unit 32a determines the first butt target portion of the workpiece W that is butted against by the first butt member 14A, and the second butt member 14B The second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify the second abutment target area of ​​the workpiece W that will be abutted against by the third abutment member 14C, based on the shape information of the workpiece W, and the position determination unit 32 is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C so that when the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C are abutted against the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area, the workpiece W will be positioned at the bending processing position.

[0081] With a processing program generation device 30 having such a configuration, the first abutment member 14A and the second abutment member 14B are abutted against the front side of the workpiece W, and the third abutment member 14C is abutted against the side side of the workpiece W. This has the advantage of stabilizing the abutment of the workpiece W against the abutment members 14 for workpieces W of various shapes, thereby improving the accuracy of the bending process. In addition, because the third abutment member 14C is abutted against the side side of the workpiece W, the left-right position of the workpiece W relative to the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the die D is fixed, which also has the advantage of allowing stable bending of the workpiece W even by inexperienced operators.

[0082] Furthermore, in the processing program generation device 30 according to this embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured to extract a vertical side perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W based on the shape information of the workpiece W, and to identify the extracted vertical side as the third abutment target area. With a processing program generation device 30 having such a configuration, there is an advantage that the abutment by the third abutment member 14C is stable because the vertical side is identified as the third abutment target area.

[0083] Furthermore, in the machining program generation device 30 according to this embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify the side closest to the first or second abutment target as the third abutment target when there are multiple vertical sides. With a machining program generation device 30 having such a configuration, since the side closest to the first or second abutment target is identified as the third abutment target from among the multiple vertical sides, there is an advantage that the abutment by the third abutment member 14C is stable.

[0084] Furthermore, in the machining program generation device 30 according to this embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured to identify the side with the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C as the third abutment target area when there are multiple vertical sides. With a machining program generation device 30 having such a configuration, the side with the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C is identified as the third abutment target area among multiple vertical sides, which has the advantage of stable abutment by the third abutment member 14C.

[0085] Furthermore, in the processing program generation device 30 according to this embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b is configured to extract inclined edges that are inclined with respect to the bending line F of the workpiece W based on the shape information of the workpiece W when it is not possible to extract vertical edges, and to identify the extracted inclined edges as the third abutment target area. A processing program generation device 30 with such a configuration has the advantage that it can handle workpieces W having various shapes because it identifies inclined edges as the third abutment target area when it is not possible to extract vertical edges.

[0086] Furthermore, the machining program generation device 30 according to this embodiment further includes a display unit 35 that displays the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C along with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31. The machining program generation device 30 with such a configuration has the advantage that the shape information of the workpiece W and the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C can be visually confirmed and edited.

[0087] <Variation> The abutment member positioning device according to one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

[0088] For example, in the embodiment described above, it was explained that there are three abutment members 14, but the invention is not limited to this, and there may be four or more abutment members 14.

[0089] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained in which the position determination unit 32 automatically determines the position of the third abutment member 14C, the system is not limited to this. Alternatively, the operator of the bending machine 10 may manually determine the position of the third abutment member 14C, or the operator of the bending machine 10 may manually change the position of the third abutment member 14C after the position determination unit 32 has automatically determined its position.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the second position determination unit 32b extracts vertical edges perpendicular to the bending line F of the workpiece W based on the shape information of the workpiece W, and identifies the extracted vertical edges as the third abutment target area. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which no vertical edges are extracted is also possible.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when there are multiple vertical sides, the second position determination unit 32b identifies the side closest to the first or second abutment target area and the side with the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member 14C as the third abutment target area. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the third abutment target area may be identified by other conditions.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the second position determination unit 32b cannot extract a vertical edge, it is explained that, based on the shape information of the workpiece W, an inclined edge that is inclined with respect to the bending line F of the workpiece W is extracted, and the extracted inclined edge is identified as the third abutment target area. However, the system is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the inclined edge extraction process is performed before the vertical edge extraction process is also possible.

[0093] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained that the second position determination unit 32b identifies the vertices of vertical sides, obtuse sides, or acute sides as the third abutment target areas, it is not limited to this. For example, the inner sides of the workpiece W formed by notches or holes formed in the workpiece W, the arc-shaped side edges, or the vertices of the arcs on the arc-shaped side edges may also be identified as the third abutment target areas.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the display unit 35 was described as displaying the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C along with the shape information of the workpiece W acquired by the acquisition unit 31. However, the system is not limited to this, and it is also possible to configure the system not to display the shape information of the workpiece W or the positions of the first abutment member 14A, the second abutment member 14B, and the third abutment member 14C.

[0095] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, obtuse and acute angles were explained as being extracted based on the virtual line VL, but the invention is not limited to this, and other criteria may be used, such as a configuration that uses the front edge of the workpiece W as the reference.

[0096] It is clear from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1: Bending System 10: Bending machine 11: Upper table 12: Lower Table 13: Back gauge 14: Butt piece 14A: First abutment member 14B: Second abutment member 14C: Third abutment member 20: Information Management Server 30:Generation device 31: Acquisition part 32:Positioning section 32a: First position determining section 32b: Second position determining section 33: Generation part 34: Storage section 35: Display section 36:Operation section 40:NC device D: Die F: Fold line P: Punch W: Work

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires shape information of the workpiece to be bent, A position determination unit including a first position determination unit that determines the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that abut against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit that determines the position of a third abutment member that abuts against the side side of the workpiece. Equipped with, The first position determination unit is configured to identify a first abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the first abutment member and a second abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the second abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination unit is configured to identify the third abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination unit is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into contact with the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area, the workpiece is positioned at the bending processing position. The position determination unit is configured to set abutment members to function as the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member, respectively, from among at least three abutment members that are configured to move independently of each other. A device for locating the position of abutment members.

2. The second position determination unit is configured to extract a vertical side perpendicular to the bending line of the workpiece based on the shape information of the workpiece, and to identify the extracted vertical side as the third abutment target area. The device for determining the position of abutment member according to claim 1.

3. An acquisition unit that acquires shape information of a workpiece to be bent, A position determination unit including a first position determination unit that determines the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that abut against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination unit that determines the position of a third abutment member that abuts against the side side of the workpiece. Equipped with, The first position determination unit is configured to identify a first abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the first abutment member and a second abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the second abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination unit is configured to identify the third abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination unit is configured to determine the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member so that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into contact with the first abutment target area, the second abutment target area, and the third abutment target area, the workpiece is positioned at the bending processing position. The second position determination unit is configured to extract a vertical side perpendicular to the bending line of the workpiece based on the shape information of the workpiece, and to identify the extracted vertical side as the third abutment target area. The second position determination unit is configured to identify the side closest to the first or second abutment target as the third abutment target when there are multiple vertical sides. A device for locating the position of abutment members.

4. The second position determination unit is configured to identify the side with the largest amount of contact with the third abutment member as the third abutment target area when there are multiple vertical sides. The device for determining the position of abutment member according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The second position determination unit is configured to, when it is not possible to extract the vertical side, extract an inclined side that is inclined with respect to the bending line of the workpiece based on the shape information of the workpiece, and to identify the extracted inclined side as the third abutment target area. The device for determining the position of abutment member according to claim 2 or 3.

6. The system further includes a display unit that displays the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member, along with the shape information of the workpiece acquired by the acquisition unit. A device for determining the position of a stopper member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. An acquisition process to obtain shape information of the workpiece to be bent, A position determination process including a first position determination process for determining the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that abut against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination process for determining the position of a third abutment member that abuts against the side of the workpiece. The device for locating the position of the abutment member is made to perform this action. The first position determination process includes a process to identify a first abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the first abutment member and a second abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the second abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination process includes a process to identify the third abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination process includes a process for determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member such that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into contact with the first abutment target portion, the second abutment target portion, and the third abutment target portion, the workpiece is positioned at the bending position. The position determination process includes setting abutment members to function as the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member, from among at least three abutment members configured to move independently of each other. A program for locating the position of abutment members.

8. An acquisition process to obtain shape information of the workpiece to be bent, A position determination step including a first position determination step for determining the positions of a first abutment member and a second abutment member that abut against the front side of the workpiece, and a second position determination step for determining the position of a third abutment member that abuts against the side of the workpiece. Includes, The first position determination step includes a step of identifying a first abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the first abutment member and a second abutment target portion of the workpiece to be abutted by the second abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The second position determination step includes a step of identifying the third abutment target portion of the workpiece that will be abutted by the third abutment member, based on the shape information of the workpiece. The position determination step includes determining the positions of the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member such that when the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member are brought into contact with the first abutment target portion, the second abutment target portion, and the third abutment target portion, the workpiece is positioned at the bending processing position. The position determination step includes setting abutment members to function as the first abutment member, the second abutment member, and the third abutment member, from among at least three abutment members configured to be independently movable. A method for determining the position of abutment member.

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