Machining system and machining method

Abstract

The machining system (1) includes a machine tool (M1) connected to a network, machine tools (M2, M3) connected to the network, and a handheld terminal (2) connected to the machine tool (M1) by a connection line (L1) and for operating the machine tools (M1-M3), the handheld terminal (2) transmits first operation information for operating the machine tool (M1) or second operation information for operating the machine tool (M2, M3) to the machine tool (M1), and when the machine tool (M1) receives the first operation information from the handheld terminal (2), it executes processing corresponding to the first operation information, and when it receives the second operation information from the handheld terminal (2), it relays the second operation information to the machine tools (M2, M3) via the network, and when the machine tools (M2, M3) receive the second operation information, they execute processing corresponding to the second operation information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a machining system, a machining method, and a processing program in which a machine tool is operated by an operation terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] An operation terminal such as a handheld terminal is a device that can communicate with a machine tool connected via a communication line and manually operate the machine tool. The handheld terminal is equipped with an operation unit such as an operation switch for operating the machine tool, and by operating the operation unit, the machine tool can be operated from a position away from the operation screen installed on the machine tool.

[0003] When a machine tool is operated using a handheld terminal, the user normally connects the handheld terminal directly to the machine tool to be operated and operates the machine while, for example, viewing the machining status of the workpiece on the machine tool. In this case, if there are multiple machine tools, multiple handheld terminals corresponding to each of the multiple machine tools are required.

[0004] When attempting to operate various devices in a plant facility, the handheld terminal described in Patent Document 1 is connected to a transmission station to which the target device is connected. The handheld terminal described in Patent Document 1 identifies the identification symbol of the connected transmission station and automatically generates an operation screen corresponding to the device connected to the identified transmission station, making it possible to operate multiple devices with one handheld terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-011690 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that when switching the device to be operated, it is necessary to reconnect the device and the handy terminal via the transmission station.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to obtain a machining system that can operate multiple machine tools with a single operation terminal without having to reconnect the machine tools and the operation terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the machining system of the present disclosure includes a first machine tool connected to a network, a second machine tool connected to the network, and an operation terminal connected to the first machine tool by a connection line and for operating the first machine tool and the second machine tool. The operation terminal transmits to the first machine tool first operation information for operating the first machine tool or second operation information for operating the second machine tool. When the first machine tool receives the first operation information from the operation terminal, the first machine tool executes processing corresponding to the first operation information, and when the first machine tool receives the second operation information from the operation terminal, the first machine tool relays the second operation information to the second machine tool via the network. When the second machine tool receives the second operation information, the second machine tool executes processing corresponding to the second operation information. No. The operation information of 2 includes a process for executing a plurality of operations, and the first machine tool The second machine tool Perform multiple operations simultaneously to make . Effect of the Invention

[0009] The machining system according to the present disclosure has an advantage that a plurality of machine tools can be operated with one operation terminal without changing the connection between the machine tools and the operation terminal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a machining system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of a handheld terminal included in a machining system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a machining system according to an embodiment when a handheld terminal transmits operation information to a machine tool. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the machining system according to the embodiment when another machine tool transmits display information corresponding to operation information to the handheld terminal. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for implementing a machine tool according to an embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a machining system, a machining method, and a processing program according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a machining system according to an embodiment. The machining system 1 includes one handheld terminal 2, machine tools M1 to M3, and a HUB (hub) 3.

[0013] The handy terminal 2 is an operation terminal for operating the machine tools M1 to M3. In the first embodiment, the machining system 1 is described as having three machine tools M1 to M3, but the machining system 1 may have a plurality of machine tools (two or more). Therefore, the machining system 1 may have two machine tools, or four or more machine tools.

[0014] One of the machine tools M1 to M3 included in the machining system 1 is a representative machine tool that directly communicates with the handheld terminal 2. In the embodiment, a case will be described in which the machine tool M1 is the representative machine tool. In the following description, the machine tool M1 that is the representative machine tool may be referred to as the representative machine tool M1. In the following description, the machine tools M2 and M3 that are machine tools other than the machine tool M1 may be referred to as the other machine tools M2 and M3.

[0015] The representative machine tool M1 is the first machine tool, and the other machine tools M2 and M3 are the second machine tools. When the machining system 1 is equipped with two machine tools, the other machine tool is one of the machine tool M2 and the machine tool M3. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the machine tools M1 to M3, the machine tools M1 to M3 may be referred to as the machine tool Mx.

[0016] The machine tools M1 to M3 are connected to the HUB3 and can communicate with each other. The handy terminal 2 is connected to the representative machine tool M1 and can communicate with each other. The handy terminal 2 of the embodiment can communicate with the other machine tools M2, M3 by having the representative machine tool M1 relay information. The handy terminal 2 executes the contents of the user's instructions to the machine tools M1 to M3 in accordance with the user's instructions. Also, the handy terminal 2 acquires information from the machine tools M1 to M3 in accordance with the user's instructions.

[0017] The machine tools M1 to M3 transmit and receive information between the machine tools Mx via a network connection. Note that the machine tools Mx may communicate with each other using a communication standard dedicated to the machine tools Mx, or may communicate with each other using a general-purpose communication standard.

[0018] In the machining system 1, communication may be performed between the representative machine tool M1 and the other machine tools M2, M3 by a network connection via the HUB3, or communication may be performed by a network connection in which the representative machine tool M1 and the other machine tools M2, M3 are directly connected. In Fig. 1, by replacing the HUB3 with a connection line, a network in which the representative machine tool M1 and the other machine tools M2, M3 are directly connected can be realized.

[0019] The machine tools M1 to M3 transmit and receive information using an industrial network (field network) that connects, for example, control devices, sensors, drive devices, etc. and controls and monitors the status of the devices. Examples of this industrial network include CC (Control and Communication)-Link, Profibus (Process Field Bus), Ethernet (registered trademark) / IP, FL-net, etc. The machine tools M1 to M3 perform data communication according to the communication method of the industrial network.

[0020] The machine tools M1 to M3 each hold individual identification information (ID, IDentification) for identifying the machine tool itself. The representative machine tool M1 holds an ID table in which the IDs of the machine tools M1 to M3 correspond to the communication addresses of the machine tools M1 to M3. The representative machine tool M1 uses the ID table to relay information between the handy terminal 2 and the machine tools M2, M3.

[0021] The handy terminal 2 has an operation unit 21, a display unit 22, and a communication IF (InterFace) 23. The representative machine tool M1 has an HT communication control unit 31A, a storage unit 32A, a communication IF 33, and an ID storage unit 34. The other machine tool M2 has an HT communication control unit 31B and a storage unit 32B. The other machine tool M3 has an HT communication control unit 31C and a storage unit 32C.

[0022] Here, the external configuration of the handheld terminal 2 will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the handheld terminal provided in the machining system according to the embodiment. The handheld terminal 2 has an operation unit 21 and a display unit 22. The operation unit 21 is an operation switch, an operation button, an operation dial, etc., and receives commands corresponding to operations by a user. The operations by the user are operations for operating the machine tool Mx. In other words, the operation unit 21 receives commands from the user to cause the machine tool Mx to execute a specific process.

[0023] An example of the display unit 22 is a liquid crystal monitor, which displays various information. The display unit 22 displays, for example, the name (machine name) of the machine tool Mx to be operated, candidates for operation contents for the machine tool Mx, operation information indicating operation contents accepted from the user, information on the machine tool Mx received by the communication IF 23 from the machine tool Mx, and the like.

[0024] The information of the machine tool Mx that the communication IF23 receives from the machine tool Mx is, for example, information managed by the machine tool Mx, and is information (display information) provided from the machine tool Mx to the handheld terminal 2 and displayed on the handheld terminal 2.

[0025] When information specifying the machine tool Mx to be operated is input from the user, the operation unit 21 displays information indicating the specified machine tool Mx (such as the machine name) on the display unit 22. Furthermore, when information specifying the operation content is input from the user, the operation unit 21 displays information indicating the specified operation content on the display unit 22. The information indicating the operation content specified by the user is, for example, a request to acquire display information collected by the machine tool Mx.

[0026] Before an operation is performed on the machine tool Mx, the handy terminal 2 stores in a storage unit (not shown) or the like correspondence information in which the machine name of the machine tool Mx is associated with an ID for identifying the machine tool Mx. For example, in the first communication with the representative machine tool M1, the handy terminal 2 acquires information (correspondence information) in which the ID and machine name of the machine tool Mx to be operated from the handy terminal 2 are associated with each other. In the correspondence information in the embodiment, the IDs of the machine tools M1, M2, and M3 are associated with the machine names of the machine tools M1, M2, and M3. The ID of the representative machine tool M1 is the first identification information, and the IDs of the other machine tools M2 and M3 are the second identification information.

[0027] The display unit 22 displays information (machine name) of the operable machine tool Mx included in the correspondence information acquired from the representative machine tool M1, thereby enabling the user to select the machine tool Mx that the user wishes to operate.

[0028] When the user inputs the machine name of the machine tool Mx to be operated, the handheld terminal 2 reads out the ID corresponding to the machine name of the machine tool Mx specified by the user from the correspondence information.

[0029] Furthermore, the handy terminal 2 accepts operation information, which is the content of an operation on the machine tool Mx, from the user. The handy terminal 2 associates the machine name input by the user with the operation information.

[0030] The communication IF23 included in the handy terminal 2 is connected to the communication IF33 included in the representative machine tool M1 via a connection line L1. The communication IF23 transmits an ID for identifying the machine tool Mx designated by the user and operation information indicating an operation command to the machine tool Mx designated by the user to the communication IF33 of the representative machine tool M1 via the connection line L1. That is, the communication IF23 adds an ID corresponding to the machine tool Mx selected by the user to the operation information and transmits it to the communication IF33. The operation information designated by the user indicates the content of the operation on the machine tool Mx. The operation information on the representative machine tool M1 is the first operation information, and the operation information on the other machine tools M2, M3 is the second operation information. The connection line L1 may be wired or wireless.

[0031] Note that the ID may not be included in the information transmitted from the communication IF 23 to the communication IF 33. In this case, the representative machine tool M1 determines that the representative machine tool M1 (its own machine tool) to which the handy terminal 2 is connected is the machine tool to be operated.

[0032] Furthermore, the communication IF 23 receives the display information collected by the machine tool Mx from the communication IF 33 of the representative machine tool M1. The display information received by the communication IF 23 from the communication IF 33 is displayed by the display unit 22.

[0033] The communication IF 33 of the representative machine tool M1 receives the ID of the machine tool Mx and operation information for this machine tool Mx from the communication IF 23 of the handy terminal 2. The communication IF 33 sends the received ID and operation information to the HT communication control unit 31A.

[0034] The ID storage unit 34 of the representative machine tool M1 is a non-volatile memory. The ID storage unit 34 holds an ID table in which the IDs of the other machine tools M2, M3 correspond to the communication addresses of the other machine tools M2, M3.

[0035] This ID table is registered in advance by the user in the ID storage unit 34. The ID table in the embodiment stores information in which the ID of the other machine tool M2 is associated with the communication address of the other machine tool M2, and information in which the ID of the other machine tool M3 is associated with the communication address of the other machine tool M3.

[0036] The memory unit 32A of the representative machine tool M1 stores the display information collected by the representative machine tool M1 and the operation information received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handy terminal 2. The display information stored in the memory unit 32A of the representative machine tool M1 is information corresponding to the operation information received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handy terminal 2. Furthermore, the memory unit 32A stores in advance ID information (not shown) indicating the ID of the representative machine tool M1.

[0037] The HT communication control unit 31A judges whether or not the ID received by the communication IF 33 corresponds to the ID of the representative machine tool M1, which is its own device, based on the ID information in the storage unit 32A. When the HT communication control unit 31A judges that the ID received by the communication IF 33 corresponds to the ID of the representative machine tool M1, the representative machine tool M1 executes a process corresponding to the operation information received by the communication IF 33. For example, when the operation information received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handy terminal 2 is information for executing a process of collecting the operation state of the representative machine tool M1, the representative machine tool M1 collects information on the operation state of the representative machine tool M1 (first operation state information) as display information, and stores it in the storage unit 32A.

[0038] When the ID received by the communication IF 33 corresponds to the ID of the representative machine tool M1, the HT communication control unit 31A sends the display information in the storage unit 32A to the communication IF 33. As a result, the display information in the storage unit 32A is sent from the communication IF 33 to the communication IF 23.

[0039] If the ID received by the communication IF33 does not correspond to the ID of the representative machine tool M1, i.e., if the ID received by the communication IF33 corresponds to the ID of one of the other machine tools M2, M3, the HT communication control unit 31A relays the ID and operation information to the corresponding other machine tool.

[0040] Specifically, the HT communication control unit 31A reads out a communication address corresponding to the ID received by the communication IF 33 from an ID table stored in the ID storage unit 34. The HT communication control unit 31A transmits the ID and operation information received by the communication IF 33 to the read communication address. The HT communication control unit 31A transmits the ID and operation information via the HUB 3.

[0041] In this way, the representative machine tool M1 communicates with the handheld terminal 2 through the HT communication control unit 31A. Then, the representative machine tool M1 uses an ID table to relay information between the handheld terminal 2 and the other machine tools M2, M3. For example, when the ID received by the communication IF 33 is the ID of the machine tool M2, the representative machine tool M1 transmits the ID and operation information received by the communication IF 33 to the machine tool M2.

[0042] In this way, the HT communication control unit 31A controls communication with the handy terminal 2 directly connected to the representative machine tool M1. Furthermore, when the ID received from the handy terminal 2 is other than that of the representative machine tool M1, the HT communication control unit 31A converts the communication data (operation information and ID) sent from the handy terminal 2 into network communication information and transmits it to the other machine tools M2 and M3.

[0043] Furthermore, when the HT communication control unit 31A receives display information for the handheld terminal 2 from the other machine tools M2, M3 via network communication, it converts the received display information into information for communication with the handheld terminal 2 and transmits it to the handheld terminal 2. In other words, the HT communication control unit 31A controls communication between the handheld terminal 2 and the other machine tools M2, M3 connected to the network.

[0044] Since the other machine tools M2, M3 have similar configurations, the configuration of the machine tool M2 will be described here. The memory unit 32B of the machine tool M2 stores display information collected by the machine tool M2 and operation information received by the machine tool M2 from the handy terminal 2 via the representative machine tool M1. The display information stored in the memory unit 32B of the machine tool M2 is information corresponding to the operation information received by the machine tool M2 from the handy terminal 2 via the representative machine tool M1. The memory unit 32B also stores in advance ID information (not shown) indicating the ID of the machine tool M2.

[0045] HT communication control unit 31B of machine tool M2 determines whether or not the ID received from HUB3 corresponds to the ID of machine tool M2, which is its own device, based on the ID information in storage unit 32B. When HT communication control unit 31B determines that the ID received corresponds to the ID of machine tool M2, machine tool M2 executes processing corresponding to the received operation information. For example, when the operation information received by machine tool M2 is information for collecting the operation status of machine tool M2, machine tool M2 collects the information of the operation status of machine tool M2 as display information.

[0046] When the ID received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handheld terminal 2 is the ID of the machine tool M2, the machine tool M2 is the second machine tool, and the information on the operation state of the machine tool M2 is the second operation state information. When the ID received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handheld terminal 2 is the ID of the machine tool M3, the machine tool M3 is the second machine tool, and the information on the operation state of the machine tool M3 is the second operation state information. When the ID received by the representative machine tool M1 from the handheld terminal 2 is the ID of the machine tools M2, M3, the machine tools M2, M3 are the second machine tool, and the information on the operation state of the machine tools M2, M3 is the second operation state information.

[0047] If the received ID matches the ID of the machine tool M2, the HT communication control unit 31B sends the display information in the storage unit 32A to the HT communication control unit 31A of the representative machine tool M1 via the HUB 3. As a result, the display information in the storage unit 32B is sent to the handy terminal 2 via the representative machine tool M1. If the received ID does not match the ID of the machine tool M2, the HT communication control unit 31B sends information indicating an error to the representative machine tool M1.

[0048] Next, a description will be given of the processing procedure executed by the machining system 1. First, a description will be given of the processing of the machining system 1 when the handy terminal 2 transmits operation information to any one of the machine tools M1 to M3 in the machining system 1.

[0049] 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the machining system according to the embodiment when the handheld terminal transmits operation information to the machine tool. In the machining system 1, the handheld terminal 2 acquires an ID table from the representative machine tool M1 (step S10).

[0050] The operation unit 21 of the handy terminal 2 receives the machine tool Mx to be operated and operation information from the user (step S20). The operation unit 21 receives the machine name of the machine tool Mx as the machine tool Mx to be operated.

[0051] The user specifies the machine tool Mx to be operated, for example, by selecting the machine tool Mx to be operated from among the machine names of the multiple machine tools Mx displayed on the display unit 22. The operation unit 21 accepts the specified machine tool Mx as the machine tool Mx to be operated.

[0052] Furthermore, the user specifies desired operation information by, for example, selecting desired operation information from a plurality of pieces of operation information displayed on the display unit 22. The operation unit 21 accepts the specified operation information.

[0053] The handy terminal 2 reads out the ID corresponding to the machine tool Mx designated by the user from the correspondence information. The communication IF 23 of the handy terminal 2 transmits the ID and operation information to the representative machine tool M1 (step S30).

[0054] The communication IF 33 of the representative machine tool M1 receives the ID and operation information (step S40). The HT communication control unit 31A of the representative machine tool M1 reads the ID information added to the information received from the handy terminal 2, and determines the ID (step S50). That is, the HT communication control unit 31A determines which machine tool Mx the ID belongs to. The HT communication control unit 31A determines whether the ID is the ID of the representative machine tool M1 (step S60).

[0055] If the ID is the ID of the representative machine tool M1 (step S60, Yes), the HT communication control unit 31A stores the operation information in the storage unit 32A, and the representative machine tool M1 executes a process corresponding to the operation information (step S70).

[0056] Note that even if the operation information sent from the handy terminal 2 does not include an ID, the HT communication control unit 31A stores the operation information in the storage unit 32A. Then, the representative machine tool M1 executes a process corresponding to the operation information. In this way, when the received ID is the ID of the representative machine tool M1, or when the received information does not include an ID, the representative machine tool M1 determines that the operation information is for the representative machine tool M1, and executes a process corresponding to the operation information.

[0057] For example, if the operation information is information requesting the collection of display information, the representative machine tool M1 collects the display information corresponding to the operation information. The collected display information is stored in the storage unit 32A. If the operation information is information requesting the collection of display information, the HT communication control unit 31A sends the display information to the communication IF 33. The communication IF 33 sends the display information collected by the representative machine tool M1 to the handheld terminal 2.

[0058] If the ID is not the ID of the representative machine tool M1 (step S60, No), the HT communication control unit 31A relays the operation information to the other machine tool corresponding to the ID (step S80). Specifically, the HT communication control unit 31A reads out a communication address corresponding to the ID from an ID table stored in the ID storage unit 34. Here, a case will be described in which the ID received by the representative machine tool M1 is the other machine tool M2, and the communication address read out by the HT communication control unit 31A is the communication address of the other machine tool M2. The HT communication control unit 31A transmits the operation information to the read communication address. Note that the HT communication control unit 31A may transmit the ID together with the operation information to the read communication address.

[0059] The other machine tool M2 corresponding to the communication address receives the operation information from the representative machine tool M1. That is, the other machine tool M2 corresponding to the ID received by the representative machine tool M1 receives the operation information (step S90).

[0060] The other machine tool M2 that has received the operation information stores the operation information in memory unit 32B and executes a process corresponding to the operation information (step S100).

[0061] After the process of step S70 or after the process of step S100, the machining system 1 returns to the process of step S20 and executes the processes after step S20. This allows the machining system 1 to operate a plurality of machine tools Mx with one handy terminal 2 without switching the connection between the machine tools Mx and the handy terminal 2. Therefore, the machining system 1 does not need to carry the handy terminal 2 to switch the connection with the machine tools Mx, and the trouble of switching the connection can be eliminated.

[0062] The operation information may include a plurality of IDs. In this case, the machining system 1 executes the processes of steps S50 to S100 for each ID included in the operation information.

[0063] Furthermore, the operation information may be information that specifies the execution of multiple operations. In this case, the machining system 1 executes the multiple operations included in the operation information. The multiple operations may be operations on one machine tool Mx, or may be operations on multiple machine tools Mx. When the operation information is operations on multiple machine tools Mx, multiple IDs corresponding to the machine tools Mx to be operated are sent from the handy terminal 2 to the representative machine tool M1. When the operation information includes first operation information that is operation information on the representative machine tool M1 and second operation information that is operation information on the other machine tools M2 and M3, the operation information including the first operation information and the second operation information is the third operation information.

[0064] The operation information may include, for example, information that specifies the emergency stop of the machine tool Mx. When the operation information transmitted by the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool Mx, the machine tool Mx performs an emergency stop of the machine tool Mx. For example, when the operation information received from the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool M1, the machine tool M1 performs an emergency stop of the machine tool M1. Moreover, when the operation information received from the machine tool M1 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool M2, the machine tool M2 performs an emergency stop of the machine tool M2. Moreover, when the operation information received from the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool M2, the machine tool M1 may perform an emergency stop of the machine tool M2. Moreover, when the operation information received from the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool M2, the machine tool M1 may perform an emergency stop of the machine tool M1. Moreover, when the operation information received from the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tool M2, the machine tool M1 may perform an emergency stop of the machine tool M1. Moreover, when the operation information is information that specifies emergency stopping of a plurality of machine tools Mx, a plurality of machine tools Mx are emergency stopped. For example, when the operation information transmitted by the handy terminal 2 includes information for emergency stopping the machine tools M1, M2, the machine tools M1, M2 respectively bring the machine tools M1, M2 to an emergency stop.

[0065] The operation information may be information for causing a plurality of machine tools Mx to execute operations simultaneously. In this case, the operation may be a common operation for each machine tool Mx, or may be a different operation. When the operation information is information for causing a plurality of machine tools Mx to execute operations simultaneously, the representative machine tool M1 causes the plurality of operations to be executed simultaneously.

[0066] The operation information may also be information that specifies that a plurality of machine tools Mx are to be linked. In this case, the operation information also includes a plurality of IDs of the machine tools Mx to be linked. In this case, the operation information includes information on the order in which each operation is to be executed, and the representative machine tool M1 executes each operation in order based on the order information. This makes it easy to operate a plurality of machine tools with one operation terminal.

[0067] For example, when the representative machine tool M1 receives an execution completion notification indicating that a first operation has been executed and the execution has been completed, the representative machine tool M1 executes a second operation. In this case, the HT communication control unit 31A of the representative machine tool M1 executes the first machine tool Mx corresponding to the first operation, and receives an execution completion notification from the first machine tool Mx. Thereafter, the HT communication control unit 31A executes the second machine tool Mx corresponding to the second operation, and receives an execution completion notification from the second machine tool Mx.

[0068] In this way, the HT communication control unit 31A repeats the process of having the Nth (N is a natural number) machine tool Mx execute the Nth operation, and after completion of the execution, having the (N+1)th machine tool Mx execute the (N+1)th operation. For example, if the operation information specifies that the multiple machine tools Mx are to be brought to an emergency stop in sequence, the multiple machine tools Mx are brought to an emergency stop in sequence. Note that the Nth machine tool Mx and the (N+1)th machine tool Mx may be the representative machine tool M1.

[0069] When emergency stop operation information is received for one machine tool Mx, the HT communication control unit 31A may transmit an emergency stop command to all machine tools Mx and also perform an emergency stop on the representative machine tool M1. For example, when emergency stop operation information is received for the representative machine tool M1, the HT communication control unit 31A transmits an emergency stop command to all other machine tools M2, M3 and also performs an emergency stop on the representative machine tool M1.

[0070] The handy terminal 2 may store in advance an operation information set that is information in which operation information for executing a plurality of operations is associated with the ID of the machine tool Mx that executes the operations included in the operation information. In this case, when an operation information set is designated by the user, the handy terminal 2 transmits the designated operation information set to the representative machine tool M1. The operation information set includes a plurality of pieces of operation information, a plurality of IDs, and information on the order of each operation.

[0071] Furthermore, the handy terminal 2 may receive information similar to the operation information set from the user. That is, the handy terminal 2 may receive an operation information set from the user, which includes operation information for executing a plurality of operations, the ID of the machine tool Mx that executes the operations included in the operation information, and information on the order of each operation.

[0072] Next, a description will be given of the processing of the machining system 1 when the other machine tools M2, M3 in the machining system 1 transmit display information corresponding to operation information to the handheld terminal 2. Here, a description will be given of the processing when the other machine tool M2 transmits display information corresponding to operation information to the handheld terminal 2.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the machining system according to the embodiment when another machine tool transmits display information corresponding to operation information to the handheld terminal.

[0074] When the other machine tool M2 of the machining system 1 receives the operation information requesting the display information, it collects the display information. Then, the HT communication control unit 31B of the other machine tool M2 transmits the ID of the other machine tool M2 and the collected display information to the representative machine tool M1 (step S110).

[0075] The HT communication control unit 31A of the representative machine tool M1 receives the ID and display information from the other machine tool M2 (step S120). The representative machine tool M1 relays the ID and display information received by the HT communication control unit 31A to the handy terminal 2 (step S130).

[0076] The communication IF 23 of the handy terminal 2 receives the ID and display information from the representative machine tool M1 (step S140). The handy terminal 2 reads out the machine name of the machine tool M2 corresponding to the received ID from pre-stored correspondence information in which the machine names and IDs of the machine tools Mx are associated with each other. The display unit 22 of the handy terminal 2 displays the machine name and display information corresponding to the ID (step S150). Note that the machine tool Mx may transmit information that is not to be displayed to the handy terminal 2 as information corresponding to the operation information.

[0077] Here, a description will be given of the hardware configurations of the handy terminal 2 and the machine tools M1 to M3. Note that the handy terminal 2 and the machine tools M1 to M3 have similar hardware configurations, so here, the hardware configuration of the machine tool M1 will be described.

[0078] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for realizing a machine tool according to an embodiment. The machine tool M1 can be realized by an input device 300, a processor 100, a memory 200, and an output device 400. An example of the processor 100 is a CPU (also called a Central Processing Unit, a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) or a system LSI (Large Scale Integration). An example of the memory 200 is a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0079] The machine tool M1 is realized by processor 100 reading and executing a computer-executable processing program for executing the operation of the machine tool M1 stored in memory 200. The processing program for executing the operation of the machine tool M1 can also be said to cause a computer to execute a procedure or method of the machine tool M1.

[0080] The processing program executed by the machine tool M1 has a modular configuration including an HT communication control unit 31, which are loaded onto a main storage device and generated on the main storage device. The processing program executed by the machine tool M1 includes a communication control program for controlling communication with the handy terminal 2, an operation execution program for executing processing corresponding to operation information, and the like. The machine tool M1 executes a process of receiving operation information for operating the machine tool M1 or operation information for operating the machine tools M2, M3 from the handy terminal 2 by the processing program. When the machine tool M1 receives operation information for operating the machine tool M1, the processing program executes a process corresponding to this operation information, and when the machine tool M1 receives operation information for operating the machine tools M2, M3, the processing program executes a process of relaying this operation information to the machine tool corresponding to the ID. The machine tool M1 executes a process of receiving display information from the machine tools M2, M3 and a process of transferring the received display information to the handy terminal 2 by the processing program.

[0081] The input device 300 accepts IDs and operation information sent from the handy terminal 2, and IDs and display information sent from other machine tools M2, M3, and sends them to the processor 100. The memory 200 stores display information, operation information, an ID table, a processing program, and the like.

[0082] The processing program is read from the memory 200 by the processor 100. The memory 200 is also used as a temporary memory when the processor 100 executes various processes. The output device 400 outputs an ID and display information to be sent to the handy terminal 2, an ID and operation information to be transmitted to other machine tools M2 and M3, and the like.

[0083] The processing program may be provided as a computer program product by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium in the form of an installable or executable file. The processing program may also be provided to the machine tool M1 via a network such as the Internet. Note that some of the functions of the machine tool M1 may be realized by dedicated hardware such as a dedicated circuit, and some may be realized by software or firmware.

[0084] As described above, the machining system 1 of the embodiment includes the representative machine tool M1 and the other machine tools M2, M3 connected to the network, and the handy terminal 2 connected to the representative machine tool M1 by the connection line L1 and for manually operating the machine tool Mx. When the representative machine tool M1 receives operation information for the representative machine tool M1 from the handy terminal 2, the representative machine tool M1 executes a process corresponding to the operation information. When the representative machine tool M1 receives operation information for the other machine tools M2, M3, the representative machine tool M1 relays the operation information to the other machine tools M2, M3 via the network, and when the other machine tools M2, M3 receive the operation information, they execute a process corresponding to the operation information. This makes it possible for the machining system 1 to operate a plurality of machine tools Mx with one handy terminal 2 without changing the connection between the machine tool Mx and the handy terminal 2.

[0085] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 machining system, 2 handheld terminal, 3 HUB, 21 operation unit, 22 display unit, 23, 33 communication IF, 31A to 31C HT communication control unit, 32A to 32C storage unit, 34 ID storage unit, 100 processor, 200 memory, 300 input device, 400 output device, L1 connection line, M1 to M3, Mx machine tool.

Claims

1. a first machine tool connected to a network; a second machine tool connected to the network; an operation terminal connected to the first machine tool by a connection line and for operating the first machine tool and the second machine tool; comprising the operation terminal transmits first operation information for operating the first machine tool or second operation information for operating the second machine tool to the first machine tool; when the first machine tool receives the first operation information from the operation terminal, it executes processing corresponding to the first operation information, and when it receives the second operation information from the operation terminal, it relays the second operation information to the second machine tool via the network; when the second machine tool receives the second operation information, it executes processing corresponding to the second operation information; the first operation information or the second operation information includes processing for executing a plurality of operations, and the first machine tool executes the plurality of operations simultaneously; A machine tool system characterized by the above.

2. when the operation terminal transmits the first operation information to the first machine tool, it adds first identification information for identifying the first machine tool to the first operation information and transmits it to the first machine tool, and when transmitting the second operation information to the second machine tool, it adds second identification information for identifying the second machine tool to the second operation information and transmits it to the first machine tool; when the first machine tool receives the first identification information, it determines that it has received the first operation information from the operation terminal and executes processing corresponding to the first operation information, and when it receives the second identification information, it relays the second operation information to the second machine tool based on the second identification information; The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. the first operation information or the second operation information includes information on the order of operations when executing the plurality of operations; the first machine tool executes the plurality of operations in order based on the order information; The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. the operation terminal stores an operation information set which is operation information for executing the plurality of operations, and when the operation information set is selected by a user, it transmits the operation information set to the first machine tool; The first machine tool executes the plurality of operations corresponding to the operation information set. The machine tool system according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that.

5. The operation terminal transmits third operation information including the first operation information and the second operation information to the first machine tool. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

6. When the first machine tool includes information for immediately stopping the first machine tool in the first operation information received from the operation terminal, the first machine tool immediately stops. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

7. When the first machine tool includes information for immediately stopping the second machine tool in the first operation information received from the operation terminal, the first machine tool immediately stops the second machine tool. The machine tool system according to claim 6, characterized in that.

8. When the second machine tool includes information for immediately stopping the second machine tool in the second operation information received from the first machine tool, the second machine tool immediately stops. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. When the first machine tool includes information for immediately stopping the second machine tool in the second operation information received from the operation terminal, the first machine tool immediately stops. The machine tool system according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. When the first operation information is information for collecting the operating state of the first machine tool, When the first machine tool receives the first operation information from the operation terminal, the first machine tool collects first operation state information that is information on the operating state of the first machine tool and transmits it to the operation terminal. The operation terminal displays the first operation state information. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

11. When the second operation information is information for collecting the operating state of the second machine tool, When the second machine tool receives the second operation information from the first machine tool, the second machine tool collects second operation state information that is information on the operating state of the second machine tool and transmits it to the first machine tool. The first machine tool transmits the second operation state information to the operation terminal. The operation terminal displays the second operation state information. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

12. In the network, the first machine tool and the second machine tool are connected via a hub. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

13. In the network, the first machine tool and the second machine tool are directly connected. The machine tool system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

14. An operation terminal that is connected to a first machine tool connected to a network, a second machine tool connected to the network, and is connected to the first machine tool by a connection line and operates the first machine tool and the second machine tool. The operation terminal of the machine tool system includes a transmission step of transmitting first operation information for operating the first machine tool or second operation information for operating the second machine tool to the first machine tool, When the first machine tool receives the first operation information from the operation terminal, it executes a process corresponding to the first operation information. When it receives the second operation information from the operation terminal, it relays the second operation information to the second machine tool via the network. A relay step, When the second machine tool receives the second operation information, a process execution step of executing a process corresponding to the second operation information, Including, The first operation information or the second operation information includes a process for executing a plurality of operations, and the first machine tool executes the plurality of operations simultaneously. A machining method, characterized in that.

15. A receiving step of receiving first operation information for operating the first machine tool or second operation information for operating the second machine tool from an operation terminal for operating the first machine tool connected to the network and the second machine tool connected to the network, When the first operation information is received from the operation terminal, a process corresponding to the first operation information is executed. When the second operation information is received from the operation terminal, the second operation information is relayed to the second machine tool via the network. A relay step, To be executed by a computer, The first operation information or the second operation information includes a process for executing a plurality of operations, and when the first operation information is received, the plurality of operations are executed simultaneously. A processing program, characterized in that.

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