Machining proposal table creation device and machining proposal table creation program

Abstract

The present invention provides a machining proposal table creation device and a machining proposal table creation program capable of appropriately setting new setting data when creating a new machining proposal table.　A processing unit of the machining proposal table creation device executes: history storage processing in which, on the basis of information input via an input unit, a change in setting data of a machining proposal table stored in a storage device is received and a new machining proposal table in which is reflected the received change content, and history data that is setting data prior to the change, are stored in the storage device in an associating manner; and display processing in which a machining proposal table selected out of machining proposal tables stored in the storage device via the input unit is displayed, and also setting data of the selected machining proposal table and history data associated with the selected machining proposal table are displayed side by side.

Description

Processing proposal table creation device and processing proposal table creation program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a machining proposal table creating device and a machining proposal table creating program that create a machining proposal table used in the field of machine tools.

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a machining information creation system that supports CAM, which creates NC data used for machining workpieces from part drawing data designed by CAD. The machining information creation system of Patent Document 1 inputs part drawing data and workpiece material drawing data, and performs division of machining processes, setup settings, setting of machining areas for each tool used in machining, and determination of machining order and conditions, etc., based on the input data.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 61-103212

[0004] Incidentally, there are cases where a machining proposal table is created that indicates the machining details of the workpiece, such as when proposing the machining of a new workpiece or when purchasing a machine tool for machining the new workpiece. This machining proposal table records setting data such as the order in which the workpiece will be machined, the types of tools to be used, the machining conditions, and the cycle time. The setting data of the machining proposal table may be changed for some reason, or special setting data may be set to meet a client's request. For this reason, there is a need for a technology that allows a user to appropriately set new setting data when creating a new machining proposal table by changing a previous machining proposal table or when creating a new machining proposal table by reusing a previous machining proposal table.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a processing proposal table creation device and a processing proposal table creation program that can appropriately set new setting data when creating a new processing proposal table.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this specification discloses a processing proposal table creation device that creates a new processing proposal table using a processing proposal table stored in a storage device, the processing proposal table creation device comprising: an input unit; and a processing unit that processes information input via the input unit, wherein the processing unit performs a history storage process that accepts changes to setting data of the processing proposal table stored in the storage device based on the information input via the input unit, and associates the new processing proposal table that reflects the accepted changes with history data that is the setting data before the changes and stores them in the storage device, and a display process that displays a processing proposal table selected via the input unit from the processing proposal tables stored in the storage device, and displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table side by side with the history data associated with the selected processing proposal table.

[0007] Furthermore, the contents of the present disclosure are not limited to implementation as a processing proposal table creation device, but are also extremely effective when implemented as a processing proposal table creation program for creating a new processing proposal table, a storage medium storing a processing proposal table creation program, etc.

[0008] According to the processing proposal table creation device and processing proposal table creation program disclosed herein, when a change to the setting data of a processing proposal table is received, the new processing proposal table after the change is associated with the history data before the change and stored. Then, when an arbitrary processing proposal table is selected and the selected processing proposal table is displayed, the selected processing proposal table and the history data are displayed side by side. This allows the user to check the history data as reference information when setting new setting data, whether the user is changing a previous processing proposal table to create a new processing proposal table or reusing a previous processing proposal table to create a new processing proposal table. This allows the user to set the new setting data appropriately.

[0009] 1 is a block diagram of a processing proposal table creation system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a search screen in a state where a search target image has been input; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a search result display unit displaying search results; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a creation start screen and a basic information table screen in a non-display state; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a basic information table screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a basic information table screen in a comparison display state in another embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a tooling list screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a tooling list screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cycle time table screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a transport table screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a layout table screen in a comparison display state; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a content confirmation screen; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an overall change reason input screen; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an overall change reason list screen; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a process change reason list screen; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a setting data details screen.

[0010] (Regarding the Processing Proposal Table Creation System 10) An embodiment of the processing proposal table creation device of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the processing proposal table creation system (hereinafter referred to as the creation system) 10 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the creation system 10 includes a processing proposal table creation device (hereinafter referred to as the creation device) 11 and client terminals 13 installed in each production factory 12. The creation system 10 is a system that provides a service for creating a processing proposal table from the creation device 11 to the client terminals 13.

[0011] The creation device 11 is, for example, a server device and includes a CPU 21, a storage device 22, a user IF (abbreviation of interface) 23, and a network IF 24. The CPU 21 and other components are connected to each other via a communication bus 25 for communication. The storage device 22 is, for example, a combination of RAM, ROM, a hard disk, etc. The storage device 22 stores an operating system (OS) 26, a processing proposal table creation program (hereinafter referred to as the creation program) 27, and management data 28. The OS 26 is, for example, Windows (registered trademark) Server OS, and controls the creation device 11 overall and provides basic services and functions to various application programs. The creation program 27 is an application program that creates the above-mentioned processing proposal table using the services and functions of the OS 26. By executing the OS 26 and the creation program 27 on the CPU 21, the creation device 11 performs processes such as sending and receiving data to and from the client terminal 13, and creating, modifying, storing, and outputting the processing proposal table. The management data 28 stores a plurality of processing proposal tables DT1 and history data DT2. The processing proposal tables DT1 and history data DT2 will be described in detail later. The OS 26 is not limited to a Windows (registered trademark) Server OS, but may also be a UNIX (registered trademark)-based Server OS such as Linux (registered trademark) using server software such as Apache (registered trademark). The OS 26 is not limited to a Server OS, but may also be a Windows (registered trademark) OS, Macintosh (registered trademark) OS, UNIX (registered trademark)-based OS, or other types of client OS. That is, the terminal on which the creation program 27 is installed is not limited to a server, but may also be a client terminal. The client terminal may be used directly by the user, or may be used remotely using a remote desktop function or the like.

[0012] Furthermore, the storage device 22 that stores the creation program 27 is not limited to the configuration described above. The storage device 22 may be a flash memory, an SSD, or a portable storage medium such as a USB memory or an external hard disk that is detachably attached to the creation device 11. The medium that stores the creation program 27 may also be a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.

[0013] The user IF 23 includes, for example, a display device such as an LCD, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse. The network IF 24 is, for example, a LAN interface, and is connected to the network 15 via a router (not shown) or the like. The network 15 is, for example, a WAN such as the Internet.

[0014] The production factory 12 has, for example, a production line with multiple machine tools. The client terminal 13 is, for example, a personal computer on which a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) application program (hereinafter referred to as a CAM program) 17 is installed, enabling the creation of NC programs. Note that the client terminal 13 is not limited to a personal computer, and may be other information processing devices such as a laptop PC, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The client terminal 13 is able to access the creation device 11 via a network 15.

[0015] The above-described configuration of the creation system 10 is merely an example. For example, the management data 28 may be stored in a device (such as a database server) separate from the creation device 11 (server). The creation device 11 may be installed within the local network of the production factory 12. A server using a cloud storage service such as AWS (Amazon Web Services, a registered trademark) may be used as the creation device 11. The device (creation device 11) that creates the machining proposal table DT1 and the terminal (client terminal 13) that uses it may be the same device. For example, both the creation program 27 and the CAM program 17 may be installed in the client terminal 13, and the client terminal 13 may be used to create both the machining proposal table DT1 and the NC program using the CAM program 17. Therefore, the machining proposal table creation device disclosed herein may be a server device or a standalone device. In the present embodiment, when the creation device 11, which is a server, accepts instructions from the client terminal 13, the network IF 24 that accepts instructions from the client terminal 13 is an example of an input unit, and the CPU 21 is an example of a processing unit. Also, when the client terminal 13 executes the creation program 27 to accept input of information in the processing proposal table DT1, as in a standalone device, the user interfaces, such as a keyboard and mouse, provided on the client terminal 13 (personal computer) are an example of an input unit. Also, the CPU that executes the creation program 27 and the CAM program 17 on the client terminal 13 is an example of a processing unit.

[0016] (Regarding Creation of Processing Proposal Table DT1) Next, the creation of the processing proposal table DT1 executed by the creation device 11 will be described. For example, when the creation device 11 is powered on, the creation device 11 executes the OS 26 on the CPU 21 to start the system, and then executes the creation program 27 on the CPU 21. When a user at the production factory 12 wants to create a processing proposal table DT1, the user operates the client terminal 13 to access the creation device 11. By executing the creation program 27, the creation device 11 supports the creation of a new processing proposal table DT1 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a new processing proposal table) on a web server, for example, by utilizing the services and functions of the OS 26. The user, for example, accesses the web page of the creation device 11 using browser software (web browser) on the client terminal 13 to create a new processing proposal table. In the following description, the device that executes the program may be referred to simply by the program name. For example, the statement "the creation program 27 accepts information from the client terminal 13" means that "the creation device 11 executes the creation program 27 on the CPU 21, and accepts information from the client terminal 13 via the creation program 27."

[0017] FIG. 2 is an example of a web page of the creation device 11 accessed by the client terminal 13, showing a search screen 31 with a search target image 37 entered. As shown in FIG. 2, the creation program 27 causes the client terminal 13 to display a search screen 31 for searching for a processing proposal table DT1 in response to access from the client terminal 13. The search screen 31 is a screen for searching for a processing proposal table DT1 that meets the search criteria from among the processing proposal tables DT1 stored in the management data 28. The creation device 11 accepts changes to the setting data of a processing proposal table DT1 previously registered in the management data 28 based on operation of an edit button 47A (see FIG. 3 ) described below, creates the changed processing proposal table DT1 as a new processing proposal table, registers it, and outputs it. Alternatively, the creation device 11 accepts a request to create a new processing proposal table by reusing a processing proposal table DT1 previously registered in the management data 28 based on operation of a reuse new button 47B (see FIG. 3 ) described below, and registers and outputs the new processing proposal table.

[0018] The creation program 27 starts creating a new processing proposal table, and when the final save button 88 (see FIG. 12 ) described later is operated and the new processing proposal table is stored, the creation program 27 stores the setting data before the change in the history data DT2. The creation program 27 associates the new processing proposal table that reflects the accepted changes with the history data DT2, which is the setting data before the change, and stores them in the storage device 22.

[0019] For example, the creation program 27 stores all data in the processing proposal table DT1 before the change as history data DT2. The creation program 27 also stores all data in the processing proposal table DT1 before the change as history data DT2, along with information such as a revision number indicating the version of the change and the date and time of the change (save date and time). This allows the processing proposal table DT1 with any revision number to be read and displayed later from the history data DT2, as shown in the selection section 77 in FIG. 6 (described later). The creation program 27 does not need to store past change history across multiple generations as history data DT2. For example, the creation program 27 may retain only the processing proposal table DT1 before the most recent change (the one before) as history data DT2.

[0020] Furthermore, the data stored as the history data DT2 is not limited to all data in the processing proposal table DT1. For example, the history data DT2 may be differential data of changes. The creation program 27 associates, for example, the revision number and change date and time of the processing proposal table DT1 with the identification information of the changed processing proposal table DT1, the setting data before the change, and information on the items of the changed setting data, and stores these as the history data DT2. In this case, too, the creation program 27 can later recreate a processing proposal table DT1 with any revision number by rolling back the latest processing proposal table DT1 using the differential data.

[0021] Furthermore, the creation device 11 manages the processing proposal table DT1 available for use separately for each customer (user) who uses the creation system 10. That is, the processing proposal table DT1 created by customer A can be reused only by customer A and is not searchable by customer B. The creation device 11 may also share the processing proposal tables DT1 of multiple customers among the customers.

[0022] The creation program 27 displays work information 30, an image input section 32, an image display section 33, a search condition input section 34, a search button 35, a condition clear button 36, and a search result display section 39 on a search screen 31. The work information 30 displayed at the top of the search screen 31 indicates which step in the work process for which the displayed screen (search screen 31 in FIG. 2 ) is creating the processing proposal table DT1, or how far along the work process it is. For example, as shown in the work information 30, the work of creating a new processing proposal table is performed in the following order: "Management Data," "Basic Information," "Tooling List," "Cycle Time," "Transport," "Layout," and "Content Confirmation." In the state shown in FIG. 2 , the creation program 27 bolds and underlines "Management Data," indicating that the "Data Management" screen is displayed. This also applies to FIG. 4 and subsequent figures.

[0023] The image input unit 32 is a section for inputting a search target image 37, which is an image to be searched for. A workpiece image 41 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ), which indicates the shape of the workpiece after machining, is stored in association with the processing proposal table DT1 in the management data 28. The creation program 27 is capable of receiving the search target image 37, searching the management data 28 for a processing proposal table DT1 in which a workpiece image 41 similar to the received search target image 37 is associated, and displaying the processing proposal table DT1. For example, the creation program 27 displays the message "Drop your image here" in the image input unit 32, and when the search target image 37 is input into the image input unit 32 by drag-and-drop, the input search target image 37 is displayed in the image display unit 33. The method for inputting the search target image 37 is not limited to drag-and-drop, and may also be a method such as specifying a file path.

[0024] The search result display unit 39 is a display unit that displays the processing proposal table DT1 of the search results. In the initial state, the creation program 27 leaves the search result display unit 39 blank. Upon receiving an operation of selecting the search button 35 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as an operation), the creation program 27 displays the search results in the search result display unit 39 (see FIG. 3 ). The selection operation here refers to an operation such as clicking or pressing the return key on the client terminal 13. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , a search target image 37 of a differential case is displayed as the search target image 37. When the search button 35 is operated with the search target image 37 entered, the creation program 27 searches the processing proposal table DT1 stored in the management data 28 for a processing proposal table DT1 associated with a workpiece image 41 similar to the search target image 37, i.e., the image of the differential case.

[0025] For example, the creation program 27 includes an AI (artificial intelligence) program that searches for similar images. The creation program 27 uses the machine learning function of the AI ​​program to determine workpiece images 41 that are similar to the search target image 37. Note that the method of searching for similar images is not limited to the method using an AI program. For example, the creation program 27 may extract feature points between the search target image 37 and the workpiece image 41, calculate the similarity of the extracted feature points, and search for similar images based on the calculated similarity. Furthermore, the search target image 37 and the workpiece image 41 are not limited to two-dimensional images, and may be three-dimensional images.

[0026] The creation program 27 can also search the processing proposal table DT1 based on information input to the search condition input unit 34 of Fig. 2. The creation program 27 displays, for example, input fields for the workpiece name, product number, material, processing overview, machine ID, customer name, and keyword in the search condition input unit 34. These workpiece name, product number, material, processing overview, machine ID, and customer name are associated with each of the processing proposal table DT1, as will be described later.

[0027] The workpiece name is the name of the workpiece manufactured in the processing proposal table DT1, and is the name used as the name of the workpiece, such as the differential case mentioned above. The product number is, for example, a number used by the client of the production factory 12 to identify the workpiece, and is a unique number assigned to each workpiece manufactured (processing proposal table DT1). The material is the name of the workpiece's material, such as carbon steel, chrome-molybdenum steel, aluminum alloy, ductile cast iron, etc. The processing summary is a term or description that indicates an overview of the processing of the workpiece to be performed based on the processing proposal table DT1, such as sample number, product purpose, and maximum rotation speed. The machine ID is identification information that identifies the machine tool used in the processing proposal table DT1. The customer name is, for example, the name of the customer who requested the production of the workpiece, and is the delivery destination of the workpiece manufactured in the processing proposal table DT1. The keyword is a field for entering the term to be searched for from among the terms included in the processing proposal table DT1.

[0028] 3 shows the search result display unit 39 with the search results displayed. For example, FIG. 3 shows the search results obtained by inputting only the search target image 37 and operating the search button 35. As shown in FIG. 3, the creation program 27 displays, for each of the multiple processing proposal tables DT1 searched from the management data 28, information such as check boxes, similarity (image similarity), workpiece name, material, shape, processing overview, machine ID, and customer name, arranged in a single line. For example, when listing the search results of the processing proposal tables DT1 in the search result display unit 39, the creation program 27 arranges the processing proposal tables DT1 vertically in descending order of image similarity (descending order of similarity).

[0029] The creation program 27 also displays a workpiece image 41 associated with the processing proposal table DT1 in the "shape" column. The creation program 27 also displays an arrow icon 43 below the search results of the processing proposal table DT1 to display any remaining processing proposal table DT1. When a check box is operated, the creation program 27 displays an image 45 indicating selection in the operated check box. The creation program 27 also displays an edit button 47A, a reuse new button 47B, a new button 47C, and a view history button 47D below the search results of the processing proposal table DT1. When the edit button 47A is operated with a check box selected, the creation program 27 displays information about the selected processing proposal table DT1 (see Figures 4 to 12) and accepts changes to the selected processing proposal table DT1. The creation program 27 registers the changed processing proposal table DT1 (new processing proposal table) and updates the processing proposal table DT1. Furthermore, when the Reuse New button 47B is operated, the creation program 27 displays the information of the selected processing proposal table DT1 and accepts the creation of a new processing proposal table that reuses the displayed processing proposal table DT1. Therefore, when the Reuse New button 47B is selected, a new processing proposal table is created that reuses the setting data of a previous processing proposal table DT1. Note that when the New button 47C is operated, a processing proposal table DT1 with no setting data is displayed, allowing the creation of a processing proposal table DT1 from an unset state (from scratch). Furthermore, when the View History button 47D is operated, the creation program 27 displays the reason for change stored in the history data DT2 for the processing proposal table DT1 selected by the checkbox (see FIG. 14).

[0030] Furthermore, when the search button 35 is operated with search conditions entered in each field of the search condition input section 34 in FIG. 2 , the creation program 27 executes a search based on the entered search conditions. In this case, a search target image 37 may or may not be used in conjunction with the search. For example, when a workpiece name is entered, the creation program 27 searches the management data 28 for a processing proposal table DT1 with the entered workpiece name and displays the result in the search result display section 39. Similarly, a search can also be executed by product number, material, etc. Furthermore, when a keyword is entered, the creation program 27 searches for processing proposal tables DT1 that contain the characters of the entered keyword in any of the fields of the processing proposal table DT1. Furthermore, when the condition clear button 36 is operated, the creation program 27 deletes all conditions entered in the image display section 33 and the search condition input section 34.

[0031] 2, the creation program 27 displays an icon 38 for displaying a drop-down menu in each input field of the search condition input unit 34. When the icon 38 is operated, the creation program 27 displays, for example, information registered in the processing proposal table DT1 of the management data 28 in a selectable manner. Furthermore, the creation program 27 may execute an AND search to search for only processing proposal tables DT1 that satisfy all of the search conditions input to the search condition input unit 34, or may execute an OR search to search for processing proposal tables DT1 that satisfy at least one of the conditions.

[0032] Next, the tables and setting data included in the processing proposal table DT1 will be described. FIGS. 4 to 12 show an example of a screen for creating a new processing proposal table. The following description will discuss, as an example, the case where the Edit button 47A is operated to change the setting data of a past processing proposal table DT1. Note that, even when the Reuse New button 47B is operated, the creation program 27 displays the same screen ( FIGS. 4 to 12 ) as when the Edit button 47A is operated and accepts editing work. When the Edit button 47A is operated, the creation program 27 executes an update process for the past processing proposal table DT1. When the Reuse New button 47B is operated, the creation program 27 displays the past processing proposal table DT1 but saves the edited processing proposal table DT1 as a separate processing proposal table DT1. Therefore, a description of the case where the Reuse New button 47B is operated will be omitted. However, even when the Reuse New button 47B is operated, the comparative display of history data DT2, as described below, can be similarly executed.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 12, the creation program 27 displays a creation start screen 50 (basic information table 51), a tooling list 52 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ), a cycle time table 53 ( FIG. 9 ), a transport table 54 ( FIG. 10 ), and a layout table 55 ( FIG. 11 ) based on the processing proposal table DT1. In other words, the processing proposal table DT1 stores setting data for these five tables. Note that the types of tables, types of setting data, setting data constituting each table, and positions for displaying the setting data shown in FIGS. 4 to 12 are merely examples. For this reason, the following description will provide an overview of the purpose of use of each table, and will omit detailed descriptions of each table. Furthermore, each table in FIGS. 7 to 11 shows a comparative display state, which will be described later.

[0034] 4 to 11 based on the information in the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39, and accepts changes to the displayed setting data. That is, the creation program 27 displays the setting data in the processing proposal table DT1 selected by the user as the initial value, accepts editing of the displayed setting data, and creates a new processing proposal table.

[0035] (Regarding the basic information table 51) First, the basic information table 51 will be described. In the following description, descriptions of the display contents and setting data that are the same as those described above will be omitted. When the edit button 47A is operated, the creation program 27 displays the creation start screen 50 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the creation program 27 displays, for example, the work information 30, the summary information 62, and the basic information table 51 on the creation start screen 50. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the creation program 27 displays "Basic Information" in bold and underlined in addition to "Data Management."

[0036] The summary information 62 is information that shows an overview of the machining proposal table DT1, such as the workpiece image 41 and workpiece name in the machining proposal table DT1. The creation program 27 accepts changes to the workpiece image 41 associated with the machining proposal table DT1 and changes to the workpiece name in the summary information 62. The creation program 27 also displays a "basic information number" for each process in the basic information table 51. The "basic information number" is, for example, an identification number for identifying each process that processes the workpiece, and is assigned a positive integer starting from "1" in the order in which the processes are performed. The basic information table 51 also includes setting data for each process, such as the number of processing units, process, model, revision, chuck, model ID, and reason for process change. For example, when one process is performed using one machine tool, the number of processing units is "1," and one number is assigned as the process number (see processes "10" and "30"). Furthermore, when the same process is performed by multiple machines of the same model, or when the same process is performed by multiple spindles within a single model, the process number remains the same, but the number of machining units increases (see process "40"). When the same process is performed by different machine models, different numbers are assigned to the processes, and the number of machining units increases (see processes "20A" and "20B"). A process is, for example, a unit of machining performed by a single machine model. Therefore, when multiple machining operations (such as outer diameter machining and end face machining) are performed using different types of tools on the same machine model, these multiple machining operations are collectively defined as a single process. The above definitions of basic information number, number of machining units, and process are merely examples.

[0037] The creation program 27 accepts the number of machine tools that will perform each process in the "Number of Machines" column. For example, "Model" is the model number of the machine tool, "Revision" is the version of each model, and "Chuck" is identification information for the chuck to be used. The creation program 27 accepts changes to the setting data in the basic information table 51 and accepts the creation of a changed machining proposal table DT1, i.e., a new machining proposal table. Changes to the setting data can be accepted by directly entering the setting value in each field, or by displaying a pull-down menu and accepting a selection in response to an operation on an icon 65 displayed in each field.

[0038] The creation program 27 also displays operation icons 67 above the basic information table 51 and check boxes 69 to the left of the basic information table 51. The operation icons 67 include multiple icons for executing various processes on processes selected in the check boxes 69. Specifically, the operation icons 67 include an icon for moving the selected process to the process above, an icon for moving the selected process below, an icon for adding a new process below the selected process, an icon for deleting the selected process, and an icon for copying the selected process. The operation icons 67 also include icons for accepting instructions for temporarily saving and outputting the processing proposal table DT1. For example, when an upward arrow icon in the operation icon 67 is operated while a check box 69 is checked, the creation program 27 swaps the process in the checked row with the process above. The creation program 27 accepts changes to setting data, additions, deletions, etc. of processes for the basic information table 51, and when the temporary save icon in the operation icon 67 is operated, the accepted changes are temporarily stored in the storage device 22. For example, if communication with the client terminal 13 is interrupted while editing the basic information table 51, the creation program 27 resumes editing from the temporarily saved changes when the same terminal accesses the program again. This allows the user to resume editing from the partly edited content even if the user accidentally closes the web browser.

[0039] Furthermore, when the final save button 88 on the content confirmation screen 85 of FIG. 12 (described later) is operated, the creation program 27 associates the processing proposal table DT1 reflecting the accepted changes with the history data DT2 (all data in the processing proposal table DT1 before the changes) and stores them in the storage device 22. Therefore, the creation program 27 stores the history data DT2 each time the processing proposal table DT1 is updated (each time a new processing proposal table is created). This allows changes to the setting data and increases or decreases in the number of processes to be recorded as history. The creation program 27 may also save the new processing proposal table and the history data DT2 when the temporary save icon of the operation icon 67 is operated. That is, the creation program 27 may perform final saving as appropriate in response to the operation of the operation icon 67 displayed on the display screen of each table. Furthermore, when the output icon of the operation icon 67 is operated, the creation program 27 outputs the changed processing proposal table DT1 in a predetermined format.

[0040] The creation program 27 also accepts information in the “Reason for Process Change” field that is useful for confirming the changes, such as the reason for the change for each process, the intent behind the change, the changed items, and the changed values ​​(an example of the reason for process change in the present disclosure). For example, after changing the setting data for a process in the processing proposal table DT1, the user inputs the reason for changing the setting data in the “Reason for Process Change” field. When the user operates the Save button 88 (see FIG. 12 ), the creation program 27 stores this “Reason for Process Change” as history data DT2 (an example of the history storage process in the present disclosure). The creation program 27 stores the reason for process change in association with the process number, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the words “Customer Request” are set as the reason for the process change for process “10.” In this case, the creation program 27 stores the “Customer Request” information in association with process “10.” The creation program 27 also displays a switch section 71 above the basic information table 51. The switching unit 71 is, for example, a toggle button, and is an operation input unit that accepts switching between a state in which the history data DT2 is not displayed (hereinafter referred to as a non-display state) and a state in which the history data DT2 is displayed in a comparative manner (hereinafter referred to as a comparison display state). Figure 4 shows the non-display state.

[0041] When changing a previously created processing proposal table DT1 or creating a new processing proposal table by reusing a processing proposal table DT1, the setting data (previous setting data) of the selected processing proposal table DT1 may not be enough to understand why that setting data was set. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the setting data is the initial data set when the processing proposal table DT1 was first created or the changed data that was subsequently changed. Therefore, the creation program 27 of this embodiment creates history data DT2 when the processing proposal table DT1 is changed, and this history data can be displayed for later comparison.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows the basic information table 51 in a comparative display state. When the switching unit 71 is operated in the non-display state shown in FIG. 4 , the creation program 27 displays the comparative display state shown in FIG. 5 . For example, when the switching unit 71 is operated, the creation program 27 slides the round button of the drag button to the right and changes the color of the bar from white to black. The creation program 27 also displays the setting data of the processing proposal table DT1 and the setting data of the history data DT2 side by side in the same manner. That is, the creation program 27 displays the basic information table 51 based on the processing proposal table DT1 selected by the user and the basic information table 51 based on the history data DT2 associated with that processing proposal table DT1 side by side (an example of a display process disclosed herein). In the following description, when distinguishing between the basic information table 51 based on the processing proposal table DT1 and the basic information table 51 based on the history data DT2, the basic information table 51 based on the processing proposal table DT1 will be referred to as the basic information table 51A, and the basic information table 51 based on the history data DT2 will be referred to as the basic information table 51B. Furthermore, when referring to the basic information tables 51A and 51B collectively, they will be referred to as the basic information table 51. The same applies to the other tables (tooling list 52, cycle time table 53, transport table 54, and layout table 55) described later.

[0043] If the selected processing proposal table DT1 does not contain history data DT2, the creation program 27 does not display the basic information table 51B. Alternatively, the creation program 27 may display a message such as "History data DT2 does not exist." For example, if a new processing proposal table DT1 is created from an empty state by operating the New button 47C in FIG. 3 and then the processing proposal table DT1 is changed for the first time, the previous history data DT2 does not exist. In such a case, the creation program 27 may execute a process to display an error message or a process to not change the display of the switching unit 71.

[0044] The history data DT2 displayed in the basic information table 51B is the processing proposal table DT1 immediately before the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39, i.e., the processing proposal table DT1 before the last change. In other words, the basic information table 51B is the processing proposal table DT1 immediately before the basic information table 51A (setting data). Note that the setting data displayed in the basic information table 51B is not limited to the immediately previous setting data (processing proposal table DT1), but may also be the processing proposal table DT1 two or three before.

[0045] As described above, the basic information table 51 includes setting data for each process for machining a workpiece, and the setting data for each process is displayed on a row-by-row basis. Therefore, the creation program 27 displays the setting data of the machining proposal table DT1 selected by the user for each process (row) in the basic information table 51A. As shown in FIG. 5 , the creation program 27 then displays the history data DT2 associated with the selected machining proposal table DT1 for each process in the basic information table 51B. This allows the user to compare the selected machining proposal table DT1 with the history data DT2 for each process. The user can determine which setting data has been changed by comparing the setting data for each process. This allows the user to check not only the current setting data but also the setting data before the change. As a result, appropriate setting data can be set.

[0046] In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the model of the machine for process “10” has been changed from “MT5” to “MT1.” Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , a user may change the setting data for various reasons, such as a customer request. However, when a user later looks at the changed setting data, they may not be able to identify what has been changed. Furthermore, even the same user may forget which setting data was changed when looking at the basic information table 51 after some time has passed. In response to this, when the setting data (in this case, the machine model) of any process included in the basic information table 51A is changed, the creation program 27 accepts the reason for the change of the setting data as a process change reason and associates the process after the change of the setting data with the accepted process change reason. As shown in FIG. 5 , the creation program 27 displays the process change reason for the changed process in the selected processing proposal table DT1 (basic information table 51A) (“Customer Request” in FIG. 5 ). This allows the user to understand not only the changed setting data but also the reason for the change of the setting data from the process change reason. The user can check the details of the change, the amount of change, etc., and can more accurately understand the meaning of the setting data. As a result, the user can more accurately use the processing proposal table DT1 to create a new processing proposal table.

[0047] The creation program 27 also displays a first area 72 displaying the setting data for each process in the selected processing proposal table DT1 (basic information table 51A) and a second area 73 displaying the setting data for each process in the history data DT2 (basic information table 51B) separately on a single screen. By separating the first area 72 displaying the basic information table 51A from the second area 73 displaying the basic information table 51B, the setting data for the processing proposal table DT1 and the setting data for the history data DT2 can be displayed in an easy-to-read manner. This facilitates comparison and reduces the burden on the user's confirmation work. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the creation program 27 sets two first and second areas 72, 73 that have the same length in both the vertical and horizontal directions of the screen. The creation program 27 displays the basic information table 51A in the upper first area 72 and the basic information table 51B in the lower second area 73. The creation program 27 arranges the basic information table 51A (first area 72) and the basic information table 51B (second area 73) in positions close to each other in the vertical direction. For example, the creation program 27 displays the two tables close to each other by setting the vertical distance between the basic information tables 51A and 51B to be shorter than the vertical width of a row displaying one process. Note that the creation program 27 may not fix the sizes of the first and second areas 72 and 73, but may accept changes to the sizes.

[0048] The creation program 27 also displays a scroll bar 74 at the right end of the first area 72 to display the basic information table 51A that could not be displayed in the first area 72. The creation program 27 displays the basic information table 51A that could not be displayed in the first area 72 as the scroll bar 74 is slid up and down. Similarly, the creation program 27 displays a scroll bar 75 at the right end of the second area 73. If the basic information tables 51A and 51B are displayed side by side in the left-right direction, the creation program 27 may display a scroll bar that slides left and right.

[0049] Furthermore, when the switching unit 71 is operated again, the creation program 27 returns the screen display to the state shown in FIG. 4 . Therefore, the creation program 27 accepts a switch command for displaying the history data DT2 via the switching unit 71. When an instruction not to display the history data DT2 is received, the creation program 27 removes the display of the history data DT2 (basic information table 51B) and displays only the setting data (basic information table 51A) of the selected processing proposal table DT1 (FIG. 4). When an instruction to display the history data DT2 is received, the creation program 27 displays the selected processing proposal table DT1 (basic information table 51A) and the history data DT2 (basic information table 51B) side by side in the direction of the process arrangement (vertical direction) (FIG. 5). This allows the user to switch to the comparison display mode when, for example, comparing setting data or checking changed setting data. Furthermore, the user can switch to the non-display mode when setting data while checking all the processes in the basic information table 51A. That is, the user can switch between the comparison display mode and the non-display mode as appropriate depending on the work content.

[0050] 5, the creation program 27 prohibits changes to the basic information table 51B, i.e., changes to the history data DT2. The creation program 27 accepts changes to the setting data (basic information table 51A) of the selected processing proposal table DT1 in both the comparison display state and the non-display state. The creation program 27 accepts input of values ​​for each item, as in FIG. 4. The creation program 27 also accepts operations such as temporary saving using the operation icon 67 in the comparison display state.

[0051] Meanwhile, in the comparison display state, the creation program 27 accepts changes to the basic information table 51A while restricting changes to the basic information table 51B (history data DT2). For example, the creation program 27 executes control to not accept operations to change the setting data of the basic information table 51B. This makes it possible to restrict changes to the past processing proposal table DT1 (which has been last saved once). This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which another user modifies setting data set by someone else or a situation in which setting data used in past production is changed.

[0052] In addition, in the comparison display state, the creation program 27 may impose input restrictions on the basic information table 51A, or may not impose input restrictions on the basic information table 51B. Furthermore, the method of restricting changes to the setting data is not limited to the method of not accepting input operations described above. For example, the creation program 27 may display a warning screen when an input operation is performed on the basic information table 51B. Furthermore, the creation program 27 may not display the check boxes 69 and icons 65, i.e., the operation units for changing the basic information table 51, in the basic information table 51B (second area 73).

[0053] Furthermore, the creation program 27 highlights, among the multiple setting data included in the basic information table 51A, the setting data that has been changed from the basic information table 51B, i.e., the setting data that has been changed from the history data DT2, compared to the other setting data. As shown in FIG. 5 , the creation program 27 bolds and underlines the model number "MT1" for the changed process "10." This makes it easy to visually identify which setting data has been changed from the history data DT2. The user can easily find the setting data that has been changed. Note that the highlighting method is not limited to using bold or underlining, and may also be achieved by changing the color or the font size.

[0054] In this embodiment, all data in the processing proposal table DT1 is stored as history data DT2. As shown in FIG. 5, the basic information table 51A and the basic information table 51B, i.e., the entire tables, are compared and displayed. However, only the changed setting data may be stored as history data DT2. The creation program 27 may display only the setting data of the items in the history data DT2, i.e., the items that have been changed, in the basic information table 51B. FIG. 6 shows a display screen of the basic information table 51 in another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the creation program 27 may display only the pre-change setting data of the items that have been changed (in the case of FIG. 6, the data for the model of process "10") as history data DT2. In this case, since the setting data can be easily compared, the highlighting described above may not be performed, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0055] Furthermore, the processing proposal table DT1 may be changed not only once but multiple times. As described above, the history data DT2 displayed in the basic information table 51B is the processing proposal table DT1 immediately before (before the change) the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39. In this case, the creation program 27 can display the processing proposal table DT1 by simply storing the immediately previous (most recent) setting data as the history data DT2. On the other hand, the creation program 27 of this embodiment stores multiple changes to the processing proposal table DT1 over multiple generations as history data DT2. For example, the creation program 27 stores all setting data for each of the multiple changes as history data DT2 each time the final save button 88 (see FIG. 12) is operated.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6 , the creation program 27 may accept and display the selection of any one of the multiple pieces of history data DT2 stored each time a change is made. The creation program 27, for example, displays a selection section 77 above the basic information table 51A. When an icon 79 in the selection section 77 is operated, the creation program 27 displays multiple past (multiple generations, versions) pieces of history data DT2 in a pull-down menu and accepts the selection of any one of the displayed pieces of history data DT2. The creation program 27 assigns a revision number, such as Ver. 1, 2, 3, etc., to each piece of history data DT2 stored and displays it in the selection section 77. The creation program 27 also displays the change date and time for each piece of history data DT2 in the selection section 77. The creation program 27 displays the history data DT2 selected in the pull-down menu of the selection section 77 in the basic information table 51B. This allows the user to check not only the previously saved data but also any past setting data. You can check the history of changes to the setting data multiple times.

[0057] The creation program 27 may also display the history data DT2 currently displayed in the basic information table 51B, as indicated by the dashed line in the selection section 77. The creation program 27 may also display the latest setting data, i.e., the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39, selectably in a pull-down menu in the selection section 77 (Version 4 in FIG. 6 ), and, when selected, display the processing proposal table DT1 in the basic information table 51B. In this case, the basic information table 51A and the basic information table 51B will have the same display content. If the user wants to check the setting data before the change after changing the basic information table 51A, they can do so by displaying the processing proposal table DT1 in the basic information table 51B.

[0058] (Regarding Tooling List 52) ​​Next, the tooling list 52 will be described. As with the basic information table 51, the creation program 27 executes processing to display history data DT2 side by side for the tooling list 52, cycle time table 53, transport table 54, and layout table 55. For this reason, in the following description, only the comparative display states of each table are illustrated, and detailed descriptions of switching by the switching unit 71, etc. will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, displays similar to those in the basic information table 51 will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0059] 7 and 8 show screens in a comparative display state of the tooling list 52. FIG. 7 shows the left side of the display screen of the tooling list 52, and FIG. 8 shows the right side. The method of switching the screen from the basic information table 51 to the tooling list 52 is not particularly limited. For example, the creation program 27 switches the table displayed on the screen in response to an operation on the work information 30. After displaying the creation start screen 50 of FIG. 4, the creation program 27 switches the table (screen) displayed in response to an operation on each item of the work information 30. For example, when the "Tooling List" item of the work information 30 is clicked, the creation program 27 displays the tooling list 52 of FIG. 7 or 8, and when "Basic Information" is clicked, the creation program 27 displays the basic information table 51 of FIG. 4 or 5, etc. Furthermore, when "Management Data" is clicked, the creation start screen 50 may display the search screen 31.

[0060] The tooling list 52 is a table in which, for each machining process, setting data such as the type of tool to be used, machining target, machining content, machining conditions, and time information, in addition to the model, process, and basic information number, are set. For example, when setting data in the tooling list 52 is changed, the creation program 27 also changes the related setting data in other tables, including the basic information table 51, in conjunction with the change. Similarly, when setting data in the basic information table 51 or the cycle time table 53, transport table 54, and layout table 55 (described later) is changed, the creation program 27 also changes the setting data in the other tables in conjunction with the change. The same applies to adding and deleting processes. The creation program 27 also displays operation icons 67 in the tooling list 52 to accept the selection of an arbitrary process and to accept the addition of a process, etc. Note that, in FIGS. 7 and 8 , check boxes 69 are not shown to avoid cluttering the drawings. However, the method of selecting a process to be operated using the operation icon 67 is not limited to using the check boxes 69. For example, a method of selecting a displayed portion of an arbitrary process by clicking, etc., may also be used. The same applies to other cycle time tables 53, etc.

[0061] The "Cutting Tool No." column shown in FIG. 7 is, for example, in the case of a turret-type lathe, a holder number indicating which of the multiple tool holders provided on the turret has a cutting tool (such as a cutting tool or a rotary tool) attached to it. The tooling list 52 also allows for setting information on the target surface roughness, target tolerance, and roundness for each process as setting data for the machining target. The tooling list 52 also allows for setting, as the machining details, an image of the cutting tool shape for each process, text information indicating the machining details (such as outer diameter, end face, and inner diameter), and a diagram showing the machining details. To avoid cluttering the drawing, FIG. 7 shows only one image of the cutting tool shape.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8 , the tooling list 52 allows the user to set information such as selection, reason, cutting diameter 1, cutting diameter 2, rotation speed, cutting speed, cutting depth, path, cutting length, and feed as setting data for machining conditions. "Selection" is setting data indicating which value was selected for that process: a theoretically calculated value, such as a value recommended by the tool manufacturer, or an actual value adjusted through actual machining. "Reason" is setting data indicating the reason for which of the selection columns was selected. "Cutting diameter 1" and the like are the machining conditions (setting values) for each process. This allows the user, when referring to the past machining proposal table DT1, to confirm whether the calculated value is an ideal machining condition or an actual value based on past machining conditions, and to determine the reason for this.

[0063] Furthermore, in the tooling list 52, information on cutting time, positioning time, and blade indexing time can be set as time information setting data. "Cutting time" is the total time during which the workpiece is machined with the cutting tool in that process. "Positioning time" is the time required to determine the position of the cutting tool. "Blade indexing time" is the time required to index the cutting tool.

[0064] The creation program 27 accepts changes to each setting data in the tooling list 52 and creates a new machining proposal table. The creation program 27 also displays a process change reason column to the right of the time information. The creation program 27 accepts the reason for changing the setting data for each process in the tooling list 52 in the process change reason column. The process change reason in the tooling list 52 may be information linked to the process change reason in the basic information table 51, or may be information stored in the history data DT2 separately from the process change reason in the basic information table 51. When any of the multiple related setting data in the tooling list 52 is changed, the creation program 27 may also change other setting data in conjunction with the change. For example, when the cutting tool number is changed, the creation program 27 may also change the image of the cutting tool shape in conjunction with the change. For example, the cutting length and the pass are correlated (cutting length = cutting length per pass * pass). Therefore, when one value is changed, the creation program 27 may calculate and change the other value.

[0065] Furthermore, similar to the basic information table 51, when the creation program 27 is changed to a comparison display state by the switching unit 71, it displays the tooling list 52A based on the machining proposal table DT1 at the top of the screen and displays the tooling list 52B based on the history data DT2 below the tooling list 52A. Furthermore, when the switching unit 71 is operated and the non-display state is selected, the creation program 27 erases the display of the tooling list 52B and displays only the tooling list 52A.

[0066] In addition, in the comparison display state, the creation program 27 displays scroll bars 74 and 75 to display tooling lists 52A and 52B that cannot be displayed vertically on the screen in response to a scroll operation. The creation program 27 also displays a scroll bar 81 that slides horizontally at the bottom of the tooling list 52A and a scroll bar 82 at the bottom of the tooling list 52B, switching the display horizontally in the same way as the vertical display. The creation program 27 may also display the scroll bars 74 and 81 in the hidden state to accept a scroll operation. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the creation program 27 also highlights setting data changed from the history data DT2 in the tooling list 52, just as in the basic information table 51. Therefore, just like in the basic information table 51, the user can switch the display / non-display state of the history data DT2 to check past setting data, reasons for process changes, and the like in the tooling list 52, and create a new machining proposal table.

[0067] (Regarding the Cycle Time Table 53) Next, the cycle time table 53 will be described. Note that in the following explanation, explanations of the same contents as those of the basic information table 51 and tooling list 52 will be omitted. Fig. 9 shows a screen of the cycle time table 53 in a comparative display state. For example, when the "Cycle Time" item of the work information 30 is clicked on the screen of the tooling list 52 shown in Fig. 7, the creation program 27 displays the screen shown in Fig. 9.

[0068] The cycle time table 53 is a table that sets the cycle time of each process, a breakdown of the cycle time, bottleneck processes, etc. As shown in Fig. 9, the creation program 27 displays, for example, from top to bottom of the cycle time table 53, the reason for the process change, the bottleneck process, the process, the model, the total time, the number of machines, the cycle time, and each time included in the cycle time (cutting time, idle time, etc.) for each process (each column). In the "bottleneck process" row, the creation program 27 displays the process with the longest cycle time among all processes with a circle.

[0069] The creation program 27 also displays the cycle time for each machine tool in each process in the "Total Time" row. When a given process is performed by a single machine tool, the total time is the cycle time of that single machine tool. When the same process is performed by multiple machine tools or multiple spindles, the "Total Time" is the cycle time for each of the multiple machine tools. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the total time (55 seconds) for processes "20A" and "20B" is the cycle time for each of the two "MT2" machines. The creation program 27 also displays the value obtained by dividing the "Total Time" by the "Number of Machines" in the "Cycle Time" row, and determines the process with the longest time in this "Cycle Time" row as the "Bottleneck Process." This allows the process that is the bottleneck in terms of actual cycle time to be determined when the same process is performed by multiple machine tools or spindles in order to shorten the machining time per workpiece. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the total time (cycle time) for each of processes "20A" and "20B" is 55 seconds, but by executing the same process using two machine tools (MT2), the actual cycle time of the process is halved (27.5 seconds).

[0070] The creation program 27 also displays each time period included in the cycle time below the line for the cycle time. The total of each time period included in this cycle time is the cycle time. In this embodiment, the cycle time is the total time for each of the following: cutting time, idle time, spindle chucking, and workpiece attachment / detachment. Detailed explanations of each setting data will be omitted. For example, "idle time" is the total of the positioning time and the tool indexing time. "Spindle chucking" is the time required for the spindle to chuck (clamp) the workpiece. "Workpiece attachment / detachment" is the time required for the chuck release operation. Other times included in the cycle time that can be used as setting data include, for example, the time required to open and close the machine tool door, the spindle braking time required to stop the spindle, the orientation (ORS) time required to rotate the spindle from a stopped state to a predetermined rotation position, and the cleaning time required to clean the spindle backing and the like with cutting oil or air.

[0071] The creation program 27 accepts changes to the setting data of the cycle time table 53 and creates a new machining proposal table. The creation program 27 also accepts the reason for changing the setting data of each process in the cycle time table 53 in the process change reason row. Similarly to the basic information table 51, when the switching unit 71 switches to a comparison display state, the creation program 27 displays the cycle time table 53A based on the machining proposal table DT1 at the top of the screen and the cycle time table 53B based on the history data DT2 below the cycle time table 53A. When the switching unit 71 is operated to select the hidden state, the creation program 27 erases the display of the cycle time table 53B and displays only the cycle time table 53A. The creation program 27 also highlights the setting data changed from the history data DT2 in the cycle time table 53. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the model, total time, and cycle time of process "10" are highlighted. This allows the user to understand that the cycle time has been shortened by changing the model. The user can check past setting data and reasons for process changes in the cycle time table 53 while switching between display and non-display states of the history data DT2, and create a new machining proposal table.

[0072] (Regarding the Transfer Table 54) Next, the transfer table 54 will be described. FIG. 10 shows a screen of the transfer table 54 in a comparative display state. The transfer table 54 is a table for displaying and changing the cycle times of peripheral devices connected to the machine tool, and loaders (an example of the transfer device of the present application) that transfer workpieces between the machine tool and the peripheral devices. Note that the transfer device of the present application is not limited to loaders, and may be other devices capable of transferring workpieces, such as articulated robots. As shown in FIG. 10, the creation program 27 displays processes, the cycle times of the machine tools for each process, and the operation patterns at the top of the transfer table 54. For example, the creation program 27 displays processes of the same model and the same operation pattern together in one place. In FIG. 10, in a transfer table 54A based on the machining proposal table DT1, the cycle times and operation patterns of processes "10" and "30" for which the model is "MT1" and the operation pattern is "MT1 operation pattern A" are displayed together in one place. In addition, in the transport schedule 54B based on the history data DT2, i.e., the transport schedule 54B before the change, the model for process "10" is "MT5" and the model for process "30" is "MT1", so they are displayed in separate columns. In addition, the creation program 27 displays the loader cycle time at the bottom of the transport schedule 54.

[0073] The operation pattern indicates, for example, the type of loader operation when executing one or more processes. Specifically, there are multiple loader operation patterns depending on the number of processes, the number of spindles, the position of the spindles, the direction of loader movement, and whether or not the workpiece is inverted by the inverting device. Different operation patterns result in different cycle times for the loader to transport workpieces. The management data 28 stores operation patterns in association with the shortest loader cycle time (the shortest loader cycle time in FIG. 10 ) when the loader operates according to the operation pattern. The creation program 27 displays the shortest loader cycle time, periphery "1-4," the number of LL chucking operations, the number of UL chucking operations, travel (distance), up / down (distance), and other information at the bottom of the transport table 54. The creation program 27 accepts the selection of an operation pattern via icon 65 and displays the shortest loader cycle time corresponding to the selected operation pattern. The creation program 27 calculates the total time of the loader's shortest cycle time and the work times of items such as peripherals "1 to 4" described later, and displays the calculated total time in the shortest transfer cycle time column (not shown) of the transfer table 54. By checking this shortest transfer cycle time, the user can confirm the total cycle time including the loader and peripheral devices when executing any process in an operation pattern.

[0074] The "Peripheral" column (1-4) is a column for selecting peripheral devices that can be connected to the machine tool. Examples of peripheral devices include an entrance device for carrying in unmachined workpieces, an entrance / exit conveyor for transporting workpieces between machine tools, an inspection device for inspecting and measuring workpieces, an exit device for transporting machined workpieces, and a cleaning device for cleaning workpieces. The number of peripheral devices that can be set is not limited to four. The management data 28 stores the peripheral devices and the work time required for each peripheral device to perform a task on a single workpiece. The creation program 27 accepts the selection of a peripheral device to be used in the "Peripheral" column (1-4) and displays the work time associated with the selected peripheral device in the management data 28 to the right of that column. The creation program 27 updates the shortest transport cycle time in response to changes in the peripheral devices (work time).

[0075] The "LL chuck operation count" and "UL chuck operation count" columns are used to set the number of times the loader clamps or releases a workpiece and the corresponding operation time. The creation program 27 calculates the operation time based on the input clamping count and updates the shortest transfer cycle time. The "travel (distance)" and "up / down (distance)" columns are used to set the loader's travel distance in each direction when moving to a peripheral device and the travel time based on that travel distance. For example, if the loader can move left and right and up and down relative to the machine tool, the distance and travel time in the left and right directions (travel) and up and down directions are set. The creation program 27 calculates the travel time based on the input distance and updates the shortest transfer cycle time. In this way, the user can set and check the loader's cycle time by setting the setting data in the transfer table 54. The user can check which process, the machine tool, or the loader's work time contributes to the bottleneck and how long it takes.

[0076] The creation program 27 then accepts changes to the setting data of each of the above-mentioned transport schedules 54 and creates a new processing proposal schedule. The creation program 27 also accepts the reason for changing the setting data of each process of the transport schedule 54 in the "Reason for Process Change" column above "Shortest Loader Cycle Time." When the creation program 27 is switched to the comparison display state by the switching unit 71, it displays the transport schedule 54A based on the processing proposal schedule DT1 on the left side of the screen and the transport schedule 54B based on the history data DT2 to the right of the transport schedule 54A. Therefore, in the comparison display state, the arrangement direction of the processing proposal schedule DT1 and the tables based on the history data DT2 is not limited to the vertical direction, but may also be horizontal. The creation program 27 may also arrange the tables based on the processing proposal schedule DT1 and the history data DT2 in a direction (for example, vertically in FIG. 10 ) different from the direction in which the processes are arranged (horizontally in FIG. 10 ). Furthermore, when the switching unit 71 is operated to select the non-display state, the creation program 27 erases the display of the transport table 54B and displays only the transport table 54A. The creation program 27 also highlights the setting data that has been changed from the history data DT2 in the transport table 54. In the example shown in Figure 10, the cycle time and operation pattern of process "10" are highlighted. The user can understand that the cycle time has been shortened by changing the model and the operation pattern.

[0077] (Layout Table 55) Next, the layout table 55 will be described. FIG. 11 shows a screen of the layout table 55 in a comparative display state. The layout table 55 is a table showing the positional relationships between machine tools and peripheral devices lined up along a production line, as well as their positional information. As shown in FIG. 10, the "Periphery 1 to 4" column of the conveyance table 54 provides a column for inputting the positional information of each peripheral device. For example, the positional information is set to "zero" for the machine tool, and values ​​of "-1, -2, -3, ..." are set as the distance from the machine tool increases upstream. Furthermore, values ​​of "+1, +2, +3, ..." are set as the distance from the machine tool decreases downstream. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the entrance device is set to positional information of "-1," the inspection device is set to positional information of "+1," and the exit device is set to positional information of "+2." As shown in FIG. 11, the creation program 27 displays the layout table 55 based on the positional information of each peripheral device. That is, the words "entrance device" are displayed upstream of the machine tool (left side of FIG. 11), and the words "inspection device" and "exit device" are displayed downstream of the machine tool. The creation program 27 also displays the position information of each peripheral device in numbers above the name of each peripheral device. This allows the user to visually confirm the arrangement of the machine tools and peripheral devices lined up on the production line.

[0078] The creation program 27 also performs a comparison display of this layout table 55. For example, the creation program 27 displays a layout table 55A based on the processing proposal table DT1 at the top of the screen and a layout table 55B based on the history data DT2 below the layout table 55A. Note that the transport tables 54A and 54B in FIG. 10 have the same position information, resulting in the same layout tables 55A and 55B. For this reason, as an example, FIG. 11 shows a case in which a cleaning device with position information "+1" has been deleted. In this case, the creation program 27 highlights the setting data changed from the history data DT2 in the comparison display state. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the cleaning device with position information "+1" that was set in the layout table 55B has been deleted from the layout table 55A, so the characters "inspection device" and "exit device" whose position information has been changed are highlighted in the layout table 55A. This allows the user to visually and easily identify the peripheral devices whose position information has been changed.

[0079] As described above, the machining proposal table DT1 of this embodiment includes a basic information table 51 that sets the process for machining the workpiece and the number of machine tools that will perform the process; a tooling list 52 that sets the machining conditions for each process; and a cycle time table 53 that displays the cycle time of the machine tools for each process. The machining proposal table DT1 also includes a transport table 54 that sets the cycle time for each process for the loader (transport device) that transports the workpiece; and a layout table 55 that shows the position information of the machine tools and peripheral devices. The creation program 27 displays the selected machining proposal table DT1 and history data DT2 for each of these tables side by side. The setting data for each of these tables is changed for various reasons. Furthermore, machining proposal tables are created each time a new workpiece is machined. Furthermore, when the setting data for one table is changed, the setting data for the other tables may also be changed. Therefore, when a user later views the machining proposal table DT1, they may not understand why the setting data was set. Therefore, it is extremely effective to perform a comparison display for each of the above tables.

[0080] (Content Confirmation Screen) Next, the content confirmation screen will be described. After displaying each of the tables described above and confirming or changing the contents, the user clicks "Confirm Contents" in the work information 30. The creation program 27 displays the content confirmation screen 85 shown in FIG. 12 in response to a user operation. The creation program 27 displays a content display section 87, a final save button 88, and a print button 89 on the content confirmation screen 85. The creation program 27 displays the content display section 87 based on the setting data after changes have been made on the screens shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 to 11. For example, the creation program 27 displays report-format data that combines the basic information table 51, tooling list 52, etc., in the content display section 87. This allows the user to check the contents of the basic information table 51, etc., all at once by checking the contents displayed in the content display section 87.

[0081] Furthermore, when the final save button 88 is operated, the creation program 27 displays an overall change reason input screen 91 shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 13, the creation program 27 displays a reason input section 92, a save button 93, a cancel button 94, and a creator input section 95 on the overall change reason input screen 91. The creation program 27 accepts input of the reason for changing the processing proposal table DT1 in the reason input section 92. The reason for change input in the reason input section 92 is an outline or purpose of the change to the processing proposal table DT1, and content different from the process change reason for each process can be set. For this reason, the reason for change set for this entire processing proposal table DT1 will be referred to as the overall change reason in this description.

[0082] 13, the words "measures against chatter" are entered as the reason for the overall change. The creation program 27 also receives the name of the creator who created the current processing proposal table DT1 in the creator input section 95. Note that the creator information does not have to be received on the overall change reason input screen 91. For example, the creation program 27 may process the login information used when the creation device 11 is accessed via a web browser as creator information.

[0083] When the save button 93 is operated, the creation program 27 stores all data (setting data) before the change as history data DT2. The creation program 27 also stores the processing proposal table DT1, which reflects the changes accepted in the basic information table 51, etc., in the storage device 22 as the latest version of the processing proposal table DT1, i.e., a new processing proposal table. The creation program 27 associates the new processing proposal table with the history data DT2 and stores them in the storage device 22 (an example of the history storage process of the present disclosure). This allows for later comparison display, as described above.

[0084] Furthermore, the creation program 27 associates information on the overall change reason accepted on the overall change reason input screen 91 and information on the creator name entered in the creator input unit 95 with the new processing proposal table and stores them in the storage device 22 (an example of a history storage process of the present disclosure). Upon completing the storage process, the creation program 27, for example, terminates the display of the overall change reason input screen 91, the content confirmation screen 85, etc., and displays the search screen 31. Furthermore, when the cancel button 94 is operated, the creation program 27 terminates the display of the overall change reason input screen 91 and displays the content confirmation screen 85 of FIG. 12. Furthermore, when the print button 89 of FIG. 12 is operated, the creation program 27 prints the data displayed in the content display unit 87. Upon completing printing, the creation program 27 terminates the display of the content confirmation screen 85, etc., and displays the search screen 31.

[0085] (Displaying the reason for change) Next, a process for displaying the reason for process change for each process and the reason for overall change received in the above-mentioned process will be described. Note that the display method for the reason for process change and the reason for overall change shown below is an example. The creation program 27 stores the reason for overall change received on the above-mentioned reason for overall change input screen 91 in the history data DT2 each time the processing proposal table DT1 is changed, and stores it in association with the processing proposal table DT1. Then, the creation program 27 displays a list of the reasons for overall change associated with any processing proposal table DT1 in response to a user's operation input.

[0086] For example, when the history view button 47D is operated with an arbitrary processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39 shown in FIG. 3 , the creation program 27 displays an overall change reason list screen 97 shown in FIG. 14 . The creation program 27 displays an overall change reason display section 98, a close button 99, and a detail display button 101 on the overall change reason list screen 97. The creation program 27 displays the overall change reason associated with the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39 in the overall change reason display section 98. Therefore, for the processing proposal table DT1 selected by the user, the overall change reasons when that processing proposal table DT1 was previously changed and saved are displayed as a list. The creation program 27 displays the data save date and time, the overall change content, and creator information, arranged in rows in the overall change reason display section 98. The data save date and time is, for example, the date and time when the save button 93 was operated and the overall change content and the changed processing proposal table DT1 were stored. The creation program 27 reads out the overall change reasons associated with the selected processing proposal table DT1 from the history data DT2, and displays the read overall change reasons in order of most recent data storage date and time, from top to bottom.

[0087] Therefore, the creation program 27 displays the overall change reasons for the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39 in the order of the date and time when the change occurred (an example of a change reason display process disclosed herein). This allows the user to review the overall change reasons arranged in chronological order, for example, from top to bottom, and trace back the overall change reasons starting with the most recent information. This allows the user to determine how the current setting data was set. Furthermore, the creation program 27 displays the name of the creator associated with the overall change reason in the creator column of the overall change reason display section 98. When the close button 99 is operated, the creation program 27 closes the display of the overall change reason list screen 97 and displays the search result display section 39 of FIG. 3 .

[0088] The creation program 27 also accepts the selection of an arbitrary overall change reason from among the multiple overall change reasons displayed in the overall change reason display section 98, by a click operation or the like. FIG. 14 shows, as an example, a state in which the second overall change reason (customer request) from the top is selected. When the detail display button 101 is operated with an arbitrary overall change reason selected, the creation program 27 displays a process change reason list screen 103 shown in FIG. 15 . The creation program 27 displays a process reason display section 105, a close button 107, and a change location display button 109 on the process change reason list screen 103. The creation program 27 displays the process change reason associated with the overall change reason selected on the overall change reason list screen 97 in the process reason display section 105. Specifically, the creation program 27 displays information such as the table name, process, basic information number, and process change reason, arranged line by line, in the process reason display section 105. The table name is the name of the table containing the process for which the process change reason in the same row is set. The process and basic information number are the numbers of the processes for which the process change reason is set in the same row. The creation program 27 reads out the processing proposal table DT1 associated with the selected overall change reason from the history data DT2. The creation program 27 displays the process change reasons included in the read processing proposal table DT1, for example, in the order in which the table was created and in the order of the processes, from top to bottom. The table creation order here refers to the order in which the tables shown in Figures 4 to 10 are created.

[0089] Therefore, the creation program 27 displays, for each process, a plurality of process change reasons associated with the selected reason for overall change from among the plurality of reasons for overall change displayed on the overall change reason list screen 97. This allows the process change reasons included in the history data DT2 associated with the selected reason for overall change to be confirmed as a list. If the user finds a reason for overall change that concerns them among the past reasons for overall change, the user can confirm the reason for the process change when that reason for overall change was changed. This allows the user to confirm the reason for change in more detail. Furthermore, when the close button 107 is operated, the creation program 27 ends the display of the process change reason list screen 103 and displays the overall change reason list screen 97 of FIG. 14.

[0090] Furthermore, the creation program 27 accepts the selection of an arbitrary process change reason from among the multiple process change reasons displayed in the process reason display section 105. FIG. 15 shows, as an example, a state in which the second process change reason from the top (tooling list, process "20") is selected. When the change location display button 109 is operated with an arbitrary process change reason selected, the creation program 27 displays a setting data details screen 111 shown in FIG. 16. The creation program 27 displays the process change reason and process number selected in the process reason display section 105 at the top of the setting data details screen 111. The creation program 27 also displays a setting data display section 113 and a close button 117 on the setting data details screen 111. The creation program 27 identifies the selected table and the selected process number from the information selected in the process reason display section 105. In the case of FIG. 15, process "20" in the tooling list 52 is identified. For example, the creation program 27 detects the setting data before and after the change for the identified process. The creation program 27, for example, compares the setting data for a process in the processing proposal table DT1 with the history data DT2 and determines any inconsistent setting data, thereby detecting the setting data before and after the change. The creation program 27 displays the detected setting data before and after the change, as well as the item names of the setting data, in the setting data display unit 113. These item names are the item names set in each table. This allows the user to compare and confirm the setting data for which changes have been made. The reason for the change and the setting data can be confirmed together. Note that when the close button 117 is operated, the creation program 27 closes the display of the setting data details screen 111 and displays the process change reason list screen 103 of FIG. 15. In this way, the user can confirm the overall change reasons, process change reasons, and setting data.

[0091] The processing proposal table creation device 11 is an example of a computer of the present disclosure. The CPU 21 is an example of a processing unit. The network IF 24 is an example of an input unit of the present disclosure. The first area 72 and the second area 73 are examples of areas.

[0092] As described above, the present embodiment provides the following advantages. When an arbitrary processing proposal table DT1 is selected in the search result display section 39, the creation program 27 (creation device 11), which is one aspect of the present embodiment, displays the selected processing proposal table DT1 and also displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table DT1 alongside the associated history data DT2 (an example of a display process disclosed herein). This allows the history data DT2 to be checked as reference information when setting new setting data. This allows the new setting data to be set appropriately.

[0093] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the machining proposal table DT1 using multiple types of machine tools was described. However, the creation program 27 may create a machining proposal table DT1 using only one type of machine tool. The information stored in the machining proposal table DT1 in the above-described embodiments is merely an example, and the item names, number, and types of information stored may be changed as appropriate. The processing content of the creation program 27 described above is merely an example. For example, the creation program 27 may be configured to perform a comparison display of at least one table among the basic information table 51, tooling list 52, cycle time table 53, transport table 54, and layout table 55. Furthermore, the creation program 27 may accept reasons for change other than the overall change reason and the process change reason. For example, the creation program 27 may accept reasons for change for each table. Furthermore, the creation program 27 does not have to display, for each process, the setting data of the processing proposal table DT1 selected in the search result display section 39 and the setting data of the history data DT2 associated with that processing proposal table DT1. Furthermore, the creation program 27 does not have to highlight changed setting data.

[0094] The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the dependent relationships described in the claims. For example, this specification also discloses a technical idea in claim 4 where "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 2" is changed to "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 2 or claim 3." It also discloses a technical idea in claim 6 where "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 1 or claim 2" is changed to "the processing proposal table creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5." It also discloses a technical idea in claim 7 where "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 1 or claim 2" is changed to "the processing proposal table creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6." It also discloses a technical idea in claim 8 where "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 1 or claim 2" is changed to "the processing proposal table creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7." It also discloses a technical idea in claim 9 where "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 1 or claim 2" is changed to "the processing proposal table creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8." The technical idea of ​​changing "the processing proposal table creation device according to claim 1 or claim 2" in claim 11 to "the processing proposal table creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10" is also disclosed.

[0095] 11 Machining proposal table creation device (computer), 21 CPU (processing unit), 22 storage device, 24 network IF (input unit), 27 Machining proposal table creation program, 51 basic information table, 52 tooling list, 53 cycle time table, 54 transport table, 72 first area (area), 73 second area (area), DT1 machining proposal table, DT2 history data.

Claims

1. A processing proposal table creation device that creates a new processing proposal table using a processing proposal table stored in a storage device, comprising: an input unit; and a processing unit that processes information input via the input unit, wherein the processing unit executes: a history storage process that accepts changes to setting data of the processing proposal table stored in the storage device based on the information input via the input unit, and associates the new processing proposal table reflecting the accepted changes with history data which is the setting data before the changes and stores them in the storage device; and a display process that displays a processing proposal table selected via the input unit from the processing proposal tables stored in the storage device, and displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table and the history data associated with the selected processing proposal table side by side.

2. The processing proposal table creation device of claim 1, wherein the processing proposal table includes the setting data for each process for processing a workpiece, and the processing unit, in the display process, displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table for each process, and displays the history data associated with the selected processing proposal table for each process.

3. The processing unit of claim 2, wherein in the history storage process, the processing unit receives a reason for process change that is the reason why the setting data of any of the processes included in the processing proposal table was changed, associates the process after the setting data was changed with the received reason for process change, and stores the associated reason, and in the display process, displays the reason for process change for the changed process in the selected processing proposal table.

4. The processing unit of claim 2, wherein in the display process, the processing unit displays separately an area for displaying the setting data for each process of the selected processing proposal table and an area for displaying the history data for each process on a single screen.

5. The processing unit of claim 4, wherein the processing unit receives via the input unit a switch as to whether or not to display the history data, and when an instruction not to display the history data is received, the processing unit erases the display of the history data and displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table, and when an instruction to display the history data is received, the processing unit displays the selected processing proposal table and the history data side by side in the direction in which the processes are arranged.

6. A processing proposal table creation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processing unit displays the setting data and the history data of the selected processing proposal table by the display process, and then accepts changes to the setting data of the selected processing proposal table and creates a new processing proposal table reflecting the accepted changes, while restricting changes to the history data during the creation of the new processing proposal table.

7. A processing proposal table creation device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the processing unit, in the display process, displays, among the multiple setting data included in the selected processing proposal table, the setting data that has been changed from the history data in an emphasized manner compared to the other setting data.

8. The processing unit executes the history storage process each time the setting data is changed, stores the created history data in the storage device, and in the display process, accepts a selection of the history data to be displayed from among a plurality of history data associated with the selected processing proposal table, and displays the selected history data alongside the setting data. The processing unit of claim 1 or claim 2.

9. The processing unit executes, in the history storage process, an overall change reason that is the reason for changing the processing proposal table, storing the received overall change reason in the storage device, and a change reason display process that displays the overall change reasons in order of date and time when the change occurred for the processing proposal table selected via the input unit from among the processing proposal tables stored in the storage device. The processing unit executes, in the history storage process, a change reason display process that displays the overall change reasons in order of date and time when the change occurred for the processing proposal table selected via the input unit from among the processing proposal tables stored in the storage device.

10. The processing unit, in the history storage process, accepts a process change reason which is a reason for changing the setting data for each process of machining a workpiece, associates the accepted process change reason with the overall change reason and stores it in the storage device, and in the change reason display process, displays, for each process, a plurality of process change reasons which are associated with the overall change reason selected via the input unit from among the plurality of displayed overall change reasons. The processing unit is a processing proposal table creation device as described in claim 9.

11. The machining proposal table creation device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the machining proposal table includes at least one of a basic information table that sets the process for machining a workpiece and the number of machine tools that will perform the process, a tooling list that sets the machining conditions for each of the processes, a cycle time table that displays the cycle time of the machine tools for each of the processes, and a transport table that sets the cycle time for each of the processes in a transport device that transports the workpiece, and the processing unit, in the display process, displays the setting data and the history data side by side for at least one of the tables.

12. A processing proposal table creation program that causes a computer to execute a process of creating a new processing proposal table using a processing proposal table stored in a storage device, the computer having an input unit, and causes the computer to execute the following: a history storage process that accepts changes to setting data of the processing proposal table stored in the storage device based on information input via the input unit, and associates the new processing proposal table reflecting the accepted changes with history data which is the setting data before the changes and stores them in the storage device; and a display process that displays a processing proposal table selected via the input unit from the processing proposal tables stored in the storage device, and displays the setting data of the selected processing proposal table and the history data associated with the selected processing proposal table side by side.

Images