Measurement device and measurement method

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to receive notification of measurement information corresponding to machining from an industrial machine or a control device, and to automatically make settings for measurement on the basis of the notified measurement information.　This measurement device is provided with: a communication unit that communicates with an industrial machine or a control device; a measurement setting unit that makes settings for measurement on the basis of measurement information reported from the industrial machine or control device; and a measurement execution unit that executes data measurement according to the settings set by the measurement setting unit. The measurement information is written in a machining program executed by the industrial machine or the control device.

Description

Measuring device and measuring method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a measurement device and a measurement method that perform settings for measurement and measure data based on measurement information from an industrial machine or a control device.

[0002] There are known techniques for automating the start of data measurement using trigger information. For example, a technique has been proposed in which an NC device and a controller communicate data such as synchronization signals and commands for linking the NC device and the controller, measurement positions for calculating static accuracy, and measurement conditions, and the like, calculates static accuracy using a signal from a level, calculates an adjustment amount for the support points to compensate for errors in the calculated static accuracy, and adjusts the support point levels using actuators by operating the foundation by the calculated adjustment amount, thereby eliminating the need for manual adjustment by an operator and simultaneously adjusting the positions of multiple support points. For example, see Patent Document 1.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-262487

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, the settings for data measurement must be set by the operator each time, or previous data must be retrieved and used. Furthermore, when measuring the operation of industrial machinery, including servo products, the operator must first understand the configuration of each axis of the industrial machinery, its operating conditions, and the information to be measured, and then use a measurement tool to set up and measure the machine. Possible timings for measuring operation include when the industrial machinery is developed by the machinery manufacturer, when the machinery manufacturer tests the machinery during manufacturing, and when a machine user (i.e., an operator) uses the industrial machinery to perform processing. However, when personnel change within the machinery manufacturer or machine user, knowledge and expertise may not be shared, and necessary information may not be available. Currently, whenever such a situation occurs, personnel in charge of each process refer to manuals and materials created by previous personnel to acquire knowledge and perform measurements. However, the time required for these tasks is not directly related to the actual work, reducing efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable that measurement information corresponding to the processing (hereinafter also referred to as a "measurement profile") be notified from the industrial machine or control device, and that measurement settings be automatically made based on the notified measurement information.

[0006] One aspect of the measuring device of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that communicates with an industrial machine or a control device, a measurement setting unit that executes settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine or control device, and a measurement execution unit that executes data measurement in accordance with the settings established by the measurement setting unit, and the measurement information is described in a processing program executed by the industrial machine or control device.

[0007] One aspect of the measurement method of the present disclosure is a measurement method for causing a computer to function as a measurement device, and includes a communication step for communicating with an industrial machine or a control device, a measurement setting step for executing settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine or control device, and a measurement execution step for executing data measurement in accordance with the set settings, wherein the measurement information is described in a processing program executed by the industrial machine or control device.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of a measurement system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a machining program and a measurement profile called by the machining program; FIG. 3 is a flowchart explaining measurement processing of a measurement device; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of a measurement system according to a second embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining measurement processing of a measurement device; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a machine tool incorporating the functions of a measurement device; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a machine tool incorporating the functions of a measurement device.

[0009] First Embodiment A measurement system according to a first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Here, an example is shown in which the industrial machine is a machine tool and the control device is a numerical control device. The present invention is also applicable to various industrial machines, such as industrial robots, service robots, forging machines, and injection molding machines. If the industrial machine is a robot such as an industrial robot, the control device will be a robot control device. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of a measurement system according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the measurement system 1 includes a measuring device 10 and a machine tool 20. The measuring device 10 and the machine tool 20 may be connected to each other and communicate via a network (not shown), such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. In this case, the measuring device 10 and the machine tool 20 are equipped with a communication unit (not shown) for communicating with each other via such a connection. The measuring device 10 and the machine tool 20 may also be directly connected to each other via a connection interface (not shown).

[0010] <Machine Tool 20> The machine tool 20 is, for example, a machine tool known to those skilled in the art, and has N axes, such as a spindle and a feed axis (N is a positive integer). The machine tool 20 has a communication unit 21 and a numerical control device 22. The communication unit 21 is, for example, a network interface or the like, and controls communication with a measuring device 10 (described later). The numerical control device 22 is, for example, a numerical control device incorporated in the machine tool 20 and known to those skilled in the art. The numerical control device 22 generates commands based on a machining program acquired from a CAD / CAM device (not shown) or the like, and outputs the generated commands to the machine tool 20. In this way, the numerical control device 22 controls the operation of the machine tool 20. Note that if the industrial machine is a robot, the numerical control device 22 may be a robot control device or the like. Here, the machining program executed by the numerical control device 22 to control the machine tool 20 includes a G-code describing the machining operation and a measurement profile (measurement information) used by a measuring device 10 (described later) to measure the machine tool 20 during machining operation. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a machining program and a measurement profile called by the machining program. In FIG. 2, the machining program is shown on the left, and the measurement profile called by the machining program on the right. As shown in FIG. 2, the machining program has, for example, an incremental command G91 and a feed per minute command G94 on the first line. The second line has the code "PROFID=5" to read the measurement profile. The third line has the code "G05.4 Q1" to start the high-precision mode. The fourth and fifth lines have the code to perform two circular arc movements clockwise on the XY plane with a radius of 10 mm and a feed rate of 2000 mm / min. The sixth line has the code "G05.4 Q0" to end the high-precision mode. The seventh and eighth lines have two "G04 X1." codes to stop the machining program for one second. The ninth line has the code "M99" to end the machining program.

[0011] The measurement profile, for example, indicates the measurement sampling period on line 4 and the number of data items to be measured on line 5. Lines 8-11 specify the name of the axis to be measured (e.g., X-axis), the type of data to be measured (e.g., actual axis position data), and the unit of the data to be measured (e.g., physical units per pulse) for the first item of the data item on line 5. Lines 14-17 specify the name of the axis to be measured (e.g., X-axis), the type of data to be measured (e.g., torque), and the unit of the data to be measured (e.g., physical units of torque) for the second item of the data item on line 5. Lines 20-23 specify the mechanical system to be measured, the type and unit of the data to be measured, and other information for the third item of the data item on line 5. Lines 26-30 specify the trigger settings for measurement (e.g., signals to start and end measurement) and the trigger type (e.g., N number).

[0012] <Measuring Device 10> The measuring device 10 is, for example, a known information processing device (computer) and, as shown in Fig. 1, includes a communication unit 11, a measurement setting unit 12, and a measurement execution unit 13. The measuring device 10 includes a processing unit (not shown) such as a CPU to realize the operations of the functional blocks in Fig. 1. The measuring device 10 also includes a main storage device (not shown) such as an auxiliary storage device (not shown) such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for storing data temporarily required for the processing unit to execute a program.

[0013] In the measuring device 10, the arithmetic processing unit reads the OS and application software from the auxiliary storage device, and executes arithmetic processing based on the OS and application software while loading the read OS and application software into the main storage device. Based on the results of this calculation, the measuring device 10 controls each piece of hardware. In this way, the processing by the functional blocks in Figure 1 is realized. In other words, the measuring device 10 can be realized by the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0014] The communication unit 11 is a network interface or the like, and controls communication with the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22 .

[0015] The measurement setting unit 12 executes settings for measurement based on measurement information (measurement profile) notified from the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22. Specifically, the measurement setting unit 12 receives the measurement profile of FIG. 2 as a trigger, for example, via the communication unit 11 when the numerical control device 22 executes the machining program of FIG. 2. The measurement setting unit 12 analyzes the received measurement profile and executes settings for the measurement execution unit 13, described later, to measure data from the machine tool 20. In this way, by receiving the measurement profile from the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22, the measuring device 10 can automatically execute settings for measurement based on the received measurement profile.

[0016] The measurement execution unit 13 executes data measurement in accordance with the settings set by the measurement setting unit 12. Specifically, the measurement execution unit 13 receives measurement data such as the actual position of the X-axis and torque via the communication unit 11 based on the settings set by the measurement setting unit 12 in the measurement profile of Fig. 2, for example. The measurement execution unit 13 stores the received measurement data in a storage device (not shown) such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD included in the measuring device 10.

[0017] <Measurement Process of Measurement System 1> Next, the flow of the measurement process of the measurement system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process of the measurement device 10.

[0018] In step S11, when the communication unit 11 receives an instruction to start communication with the machine tool 20 from the machine user via an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard or a touch panel included in the measuring device 10, the communication unit 11 starts communication with the machine tool 20. Then, the communication unit 11 transmits the communication instruction to the machine tool 20.

[0019] In step S21, the communication unit 21 receives the communication instruction in step S11 and starts communication with the measurement device 10.

[0020] In step S12 , when the communication unit 11 receives an instruction to start machining from the machine user via an input device (not shown), the communication unit 11 transmits the instruction to start machining to the machine tool 20 .

[0021] In step S22, the numerical control device 22 executes the machining program, and the machine tool 20 starts machining.

[0022] In step S23, the machine tool 20 (or the numerical control device 22) transmits the measurement profile read by the machining program to the measuring device 10 via the communication unit 21.

[0023] In step S13, the measurement setting unit 12 receives the measurement profile via the communication unit 11, and performs settings for measuring data from the machine tool 20 based on the received measurement profile.

[0024] In step S14, the measurement execution unit 13 starts measuring data in accordance with the settings set in step S13, triggered by the reception of the measurement profile in step S13.

[0025] In step S24, the machine tool 20 (or the numerical control device 22) ends the machining.

[0026] In step S15, measurement execution unit 13 finishes measuring data upon completion of machining by machine tool 20. Thereafter, the machine user may display the measured data on a display device (not shown) such as a liquid crystal display included in the measuring device, and check the data.

[0027] As described above, the measuring device 10 according to the first embodiment is notified of measurement information (measurement profile) corresponding to the machining from the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22, and can automatically perform settings for measurement based on the notified measurement information. Furthermore, as long as the machining itself on the machine tool 20 remains unchanged, the measuring device 10 does not require much knowledge transfer, reducing the burden on the machine user (person in charge). Furthermore, compared to conventional manual settings each time, the measuring device 10 eliminates the possibility of human error, thereby reducing rework. The first embodiment has been described above.

[0028] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. As described above, in the first embodiment, the measuring device 10 transmits a machining start instruction to the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22, causing the numerical control device 22 to execute a machining program. The measuring device 10 receives a measurement profile read by the machining program executed by the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22 as a trigger, configures settings for measuring data based on the received measurement profile, and measures the data based on the settings. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the measuring device 10A differs from the first embodiment in that it pre-stores one or more measurement profiles and identification information identifying each of the measurement profiles, receives identification information indicating the measurement profile written in the machining program executed by the machine tool 20 or the numerical control device 22, and configures settings for measuring data based on the measurement profile corresponding to the received identification information. As a result, the measuring device 10A is notified of measurement information corresponding to machining from the industrial machine or control device, and can automatically configure measurements based on the notified measurement information. The second embodiment will be described below.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of a measurement system according to the second embodiment. Elements having the same functions as elements of the measurement system 1 in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 4 , the measurement system 1 includes a measuring device 10A and a machine tool 20A. The measuring device 10A and the machine tool 20A may be connected to each other and communicate via a network (not shown), such as a LAN or the Internet. In this case, the measuring device 10A and the machine tool 20A are provided with a communication unit (not shown) for communicating with each other via such a connection. The measuring device 10A and the machine tool 20A may also be directly connected to each other via a connection interface (not shown).

[0030] <Machine Tool 20A> Like the machine tool 20 of the first embodiment, the machine tool 20A is a machine tool known to those skilled in the art and has N axes, including a spindle and a feed axis. The machine tool 20A has a communication unit 21 and a numerical control device 22a. The communication unit 21 has the same functions as the communication unit 21 of the first embodiment. Like the numerical control device 22 of the first embodiment, the numerical control device 22a is a numerical control device incorporated in the machine tool 20A and known to those skilled in the art. The numerical control device 22a generates commands based on, for example, the machining program shown in FIG. 2 acquired from a CAD / CAM device (not shown) and outputs the generated commands to the machine tool 20A. In this way, the numerical control device 22a controls the operation of the machine tool 20A. If the industrial machine is a robot, the numerical control device 22a may be a robot control device or the like. Here, when the numerical control device 22a receives a machining start instruction from the measuring device 10A described later, instead of transmitting the measurement profile on the right side of Fig. 2 to the measuring device 10A, the numerical control device 22a transmits identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "identification ID") indicating the measurement profile. That is, for example, in the case of the machining program of Fig. 2, the numerical control device 22a transmits the identification ID "5" indicating the measurement profile to the measuring device 10A.

[0031] <Measuring Device 10A> Like the measuring device 10 of the first embodiment, the measuring device 10A is a known information processing device (computer) and, as shown in Fig. 4, is configured to include a communication unit 11, a measurement setting unit 12a, a measurement execution unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The measuring device 10A is equipped with a calculation processing unit (not shown) such as a CPU in order to realize the operations of the functional blocks in Fig. 4. The measuring device 10A also is equipped with an auxiliary storage device (not shown) such as a ROM or HDD that stores various control programs, and a main storage device (not shown) such as a RAM for storing data temporarily required for the calculation processing unit to execute the programs.

[0032] In the measurement device 10A, the arithmetic processing unit loads the OS and application software from the auxiliary storage device, and executes arithmetic processing based on the OS and application software while loading the loaded OS and application software into the main storage device. Based on the results of this calculation, the measurement device 10A controls each piece of hardware. This allows the processing represented by the functional blocks in Figure 4 to be realized. In other words, the measurement device 10A can be realized by the cooperation of hardware and software. The communication unit 11 and measurement execution unit 13 have the same functions as the communication unit 11 and measurement execution unit 13 of the first embodiment.

[0033] The storage unit 14 is, for example, a ROM, SSD, HDD, etc., and stores one or more measurement profiles (measurement information) and an identification ID that identifies each measurement profile in advance. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, for example, the storage unit 14 stores a measurement profile for each machining program in association with an identification ID assigned to the measurement profile.

[0034] The measurement setting unit 12a selects a measurement profile (measurement information) based on the identification ID (identification information). Specifically, when the measurement setting unit 12a receives the identification ID of a measurement profile from the machine tool 20A or the numerical control device 22a via the communication unit 11, it compares the received identification ID with the identification ID stored in the storage unit 14. The measurement setting unit 12a selects a measurement profile with a matching identification ID and reads it from the storage unit 14. The measurement setting unit 12a performs settings for the measurement execution unit 13 to measure data from the machine tool 20A based on the read measurement profile. In this way, the measuring device 10A receives the identification ID of the measurement profile from the machine tool 20A or the numerical control device 22a, and by reading the measurement profile with the received identification ID, can automatically perform settings for measurement based on the measurement profile.

[0035] <Measurement Process of Measurement System 1> Next, the flow of the measurement process of the measurement system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the measurement process of the measurement device 10. Note that the processes of steps S11 to S12, steps S14 to S15, steps S21 to S22, and steps S24 to S25 are similar to the processes of steps S11 to S12, steps S14 to S15, steps S21 to S22, and steps S24 to S25 in Fig. 3, and therefore descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0036] In step S23a, the machine tool 20A (or the numerical control device 22a) transmits the identification ID of the measurement profile in the machining program via the communication unit 21 to the measuring device 10A.

[0037] In step S12a, the measurement setting unit 12a receives the identification ID of the measurement profile via the communication unit 11, selects the measurement profile corresponding to the received identification ID, and reads it from the storage unit .

[0038] In step S13a, the measurement setting unit 12a performs settings for measuring data from the machine tool 20A based on the measurement profile read out in step S12a.

[0039] As described above, the measuring device 10A according to the second embodiment is notified of the identification ID of the measurement information (measurement profile) corresponding to the machining from the machine tool 20A or the numerical control device 22a, and can automatically perform measurement settings based on the measurement information corresponding to the notified identification ID. Furthermore, as long as the machining itself on the machine tool 20A remains unchanged, the measuring device 10A does not require much knowledge transfer, reducing the burden on the machine user (personnel). Furthermore, compared to conventional manual setup each time, the measuring device 10A eliminates the possibility of human error, thereby reducing rework. The second embodiment has been described above.

[0040] As described above in the first and second embodiments, the measuring device 10, 10A of the present disclosure is notified of measurement information corresponding to processing from the industrial machine or control device side, and can automatically perform settings for measurement based on the notified measurement information.

[0041] <Modification 1> In the first and second embodiments, the industrial machine is the machine tool 20, 20A, but is not limited to this. For example, the industrial machine may be a machine tool, an industrial robot, a service robot, a forging machine, an injection molding machine, etc.

[0042] <Modification 2> In the above-described embodiment, the measuring devices 10, 10A and the machine tools 20, 20A are different devices, but this is not limiting. For example, the measuring devices 10, 10A may be included in the machine tools 20, 20A. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a machine tool 20 incorporating the functions of the measuring device 10. Note that elements having similar functions to elements of the measurement system 1 in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions will be omitted. In FIG. 6, the configuration having the functions of the measuring device 10 is indicated by a dashed rectangle. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a machine tool 20A incorporating the functions of the measuring device 10A. Note that elements having similar functions to elements of the measurement system 1 in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions will be omitted. In FIG. 7, the configuration having the functions of the measuring device 10A is indicated by a dashed rectangle.

[0043] <Modification 3> In the above-described embodiment, the measurement setting unit 12, 12a uses the reception of a measurement profile or an ID as a trigger for starting measurement, but this is not limiting. For example, when the measurement setting unit 12, 12a receives a measurement profile or an ID, the measurement execution unit 13 may wait until a trigger for starting measurement is received.

[0044] The functions of the measuring devices 10 and 10A in the first and second embodiments can be realized by hardware, software, or a combination of these. Here, "realized by software" means that the functions are realized by a computer reading and executing a program.

[0045] The program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs). The program may be provided to the computer by various types of transient computer-readable media. Examples of transient computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transient computer-readable media can provide the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electrical wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0046] The step of executing the program recorded on the recording medium includes not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. Also, the step of writing the program may be performed by cloud computing.

[0047] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the present disclosure or the spirit of the present disclosure derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. These embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0048] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above-described embodiments and modifications. (Supplementary Note 1) The measurement device (10) includes a communication unit (11) that communicates with an industrial machine (20) or a control device (22), a measurement setting unit (12) that executes settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine (20) or the control device (22), and a measurement execution unit (13) that executes data measurement in accordance with the settings established by the measurement setting unit (12), the measurement information being described in a machining program executed by the industrial machine (20) or the control device (22). (Supplementary Note 2) The measurement device (10A) of Supplementary Note 1 further includes a storage unit (14) that stores one or more pieces of measurement information and identification information that identifies each piece of measurement information, and the measurement setting unit (12a) selects the measurement information based on the identification information of the measurement information notified from the industrial machine (20A) or the control device (22a). (Supplementary Note 3) In the measuring device (10) of Supplementary Note 1, the measurement setting unit (12) analyzes measurement information described in the machining program and executes settings for measurement. (Supplementary Note 4) A measurement method is a measurement method for causing a computer to function as the measuring device (10), and includes a communication step of communicating with an industrial machine (20) or a control device (22), a measurement setting step of executing settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine (20) or the control device (22), and a measurement execution step of executing data measurement in accordance with the set settings, wherein the measurement information is described in a machining program executed by the industrial machine (20) or the control device (22).

[0049] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Measurement system 10, 10A Measurement device 11 Communication unit 12, 12a Measurement setting unit 13 Measurement execution unit 14 Storage unit 20, 20A Machine tool 21 Communication unit 22, 22a Numerical control device

Claims

1. A measuring device comprising: a communication unit that communicates with an industrial machine or a control device; a measurement setting unit that executes settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine or control device; and a measurement execution unit that executes data measurement in accordance with the settings established by the measurement setting unit, wherein the measurement information is described in a processing program executed by the industrial machine or control device.

2. A measuring device as described in claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores one or more pieces of measurement information and identification information that identifies each piece of measurement information, and the measurement setting unit selects the measurement information based on the identification information of the measurement information notified from the industrial machine or control device.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement setting section analyzes the measurement information described in the machining program and executes settings for the measurement.

4. A measurement method for causing a computer to function as a measurement device, comprising: a communication step for communicating with an industrial machine or a control device; a measurement setting step for executing settings for measurement based on measurement information notified from the industrial machine or control device; and a measurement execution step for executing data measurement in accordance with the set settings, wherein the measurement information is described in a processing program executed by the industrial machine or control device.

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