Machine tool

Abstract

This machine tool comprises: a machine body cover that has formed therein an opening of a processing chamber in which a workpiece is processed; a slide door that is capable of covering the opening by moving to the left and right with respect to the opening; a movement auxiliary device that applies, to the slide door by rotation of a motor, a force for automatically moving the slide door or a force for assisting manual movement of the slide door; and a control device. The control device comprises: a selection reception unit that receives a selection of an operation mode among a plurality of operation modes for designating the setting of the motor related to the force for applying to the slide door; and a motor control unit that rotates the motor in accordance with the setting designated in the selected operation mode at the time of movement of the slide door.

Description

machine tools

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine tool having a sliding door.

[0002] In a machine tool such as a lathe, a closed space where a workpiece is machined is configured as a machining chamber, and the entire machine body is covered with a machine body cover. By moving a sliding door that closes the opening of the machining chamber, workpieces can be machined inside the sealed machining chamber and workers can operate each device. Patent Document 1 describes a machine tool in which the sliding door can be moved by rotating a motor.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-79535

[0004] When a machine tool is shared by multiple workers or used in different ways, the settings for the movement of the sliding door may not suit the preferences or usage of all the workers, which could make the machine tool difficult to use.

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve such problems, the present invention aims to provide a machine tool that can suppress a decrease in usability of the machine tool even when it is shared by multiple workers or when the machine tool is used in different ways.

[0006] The machine tool of the present invention has a body cover in which an opening to a machining chamber where a workpiece is machined is formed, a sliding door that can cover the opening by moving left and right relative to the opening, a movement assistance device that applies to the sliding door a force to move the sliding door automatically or a force to assist in manual movement of the sliding door by rotating a motor, and a control device, wherein the control device has a selection receiving unit that accepts the selection of one of a plurality of operation modes that specify motor settings related to the force to be applied to the sliding door, and a motor control unit that rotates the motor in accordance with the settings specified in the selected operation mode when the sliding door is moved.

[0007] According to the present invention, by selecting an operation mode according to the preference of the operator or the manner in which the machine tool is used, the motor can be rotated in accordance with the selected operation mode to apply force to the sliding door, thereby preventing a decrease in the ease of use of the machine tool even when the operator or the manner in which the machine tool is used changes.

[0008] 1 is a perspective view of a machine tool; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a machine tool; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sliding door; FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of a machine tool; FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining a process for accepting an operation for selecting an operation mode; FIG. 6 is a flowchart explaining movement of the sliding door in accordance with a selected operation mode; FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining operation parameters of each operation mode; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart explaining selection of an operation mode and movement of the sliding door according to a second embodiment.

[0009] (1) First Embodiment An embodiment of a machine tool according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a machine tool 1 according to this embodiment. The machine tool 1 according to this embodiment is an NC lathe, and various processing devices are covered by a machine body cover 7, and an opening 2 leading to a processing chamber 8 is provided on the front side. A sliding door 9 that is movable along the width direction of the machine body is provided on the front side of the machine body cover 7, and this sliding door 9 can be moved left and right relative to the opening 2 to cover the opening 2.

[0010] In this embodiment, the processing machine is a twin-opposed spindle lathe, and inside the machine body cover 7, there are provided a first spindle unit 3 that rotatably grips a workpiece, a second spindle unit 4 that is disposed opposite the first spindle unit 3, and a turret unit 5 to which a plurality of tools are attached (shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later). In this embodiment, when the machine tool 1 is viewed from the front, the first spindle unit 3 and turret unit 5 are disposed on the right side, and the second spindle unit 4 is disposed on the left side.

[0011] The first spindle unit 3 is designed so that its center line is in the width direction of the machine body and is horizontal, and the second spindle unit 4 and the first spindle unit 3 are arranged so that their spindles are coaxial. Note that "left and right" described in this embodiment refer to the width direction of the machine body as seen from the front of the machine body. Note that the configurations of each processing device 3, 4, 5 are well known and therefore will not be described here.

[0012] The machine tool 1 configured as described above is capable of machining a workpiece held by the first spindle unit 3 and machining a workpiece held by the second spindle unit 4. Specifically, a workpiece is held by the chuck mechanism of the first spindle unit 3, and a predetermined machining operation is performed on the workpiece by the turret unit 5. The turret unit 5 controls the drive of an indexing servo motor, and swivels and indexes a predetermined tool to perform machining from among a plurality of tools attached to the tool rest.

[0013] The sliding door 9 is held slidably in the width direction of the machine relative to the machine cover 7 by a sliding mechanism provided above and below the machine frame supporting the machine cover 7. A guide rail extending in the width direction of the machine is provided on the upper part of the machine frame, and a guide block provided on the sliding door 9 is slidably engaged with this guide rail. A rod-shaped rail is fixed to the lower part of the machine frame, and grooved wheels journaled on the sliding door 9 are configured to roll on this rail. In FIG. 1 , the sliding door 9 is positioned in a closed position covering the opening 2. By moving the sliding door 9 to either the left or right with respect to the opening 2, the sliding door 9 is positioned in an open position not covering the opening 2, as shown in FIG. 2 . Note that in FIG. 2 , the position of the sliding door 9 indicated by the solid line is a state in which the sliding door 9 is positioned in the right-side open position by moving the front surface of the machine cover 7 to the right end, and the position of the sliding door 9 indicated by the dashed dotted line is a state in which the sliding door 9 is positioned in the left-side open position by moving the front surface of the machine cover 7 to the left end.

[0014] The sliding door 9 is provided with handles 10 on both the left and right sides of a central window. As shown in FIG. 3( a), each handle 10 includes a vertical handle portion 11 that is grasped by an operator and support portions 12 that extend from two locations, one above the other, on the handle portion 11. The support portion 12 of the handle 10 is fixed to a mounting block 13 inside the sliding door 9 with bolts. The mounting block 13 is pivotally supported on a fixed block 15 via a rotation shaft 14 that extends vertically. FIG. 3( b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows E-E in FIG. 3( a). The support portion 12 of the handle 10, together with the mounting block 13, is pivotally supported so that it can tilt at a certain angle to the left or right about the rotation shaft 14. Under normal circumstances, the handle portion 11 is returned to a central position between the left and right sides by the biasing force of a spring (not shown). At the tip end of the support part 12, the limit switches 16R, 16L are arranged so that their actuators 17R, 17L face each other in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the support part 12. The direction intersecting the extension direction of the support part 12 is also the width direction of the machine tool 1.

[0015] The limit SW 16R is a sensor that detects when the operator tilts the handle 10 to the right, and the limit SW 16L is a sensor that detects when the operator tilts the handle 10 to the left. When the operator tilts the grip portion 11 of the handle 10 to the right in the figure, the actuator 17R of the limit SW 16R is pushed by the tip of the support portion 12, and a signal indicating that the limit SW 16R has been turned ON is output to the control device 30, which will be described later. On the other hand, when the operator tilts the handle 10 to the left in the figure, the actuator 17L of the limit SW 16L is pushed by the support portion 12, and a signal indicating that the limit SW 16L has been turned ON is output to the control device 30, which will be described later. Hereinafter, the operation of the operator tilting the handle 10 to the left or right only once will also be referred to as a click operation.

[0016] The machine tool 1 is equipped with a movement assist device 20 that, when the sliding door 9 moves, applies to the sliding door 9 a force to automatically move the sliding door 9 or a force to assist manual movement of the sliding door 9 by rotation of a motor 21. The movement assist device 20 is provided on the upper part of the machine frame, and as shown in FIG. 4 , includes a motor 21, a drive pulley 22 fixed to the rotation shaft of the motor 21, a driven pulley 23, and a timing belt 24 wound around the pair of pulleys 22, 23. The pair of pulleys 22, 23 are arranged a predetermined distance apart in the machine body width direction, and rotation of the motor 21 can rotate the timing belt 24 along the machine body width direction. The sliding door 9 is fixed to the timing belt 24 via a fixing bracket 25, and the sliding door 9 can slide in the machine body width direction in accordance with the rotation of the timing belt 24.

[0017] The motor 21 is an AC-driven motor such as an IPM (Interior Permanent Magnet Motor), and its output shaft can be rotated forward or backward in response to a drive signal output from a motor drive circuit 36 ​​(described later). In this embodiment, when the output shaft of the motor 21 is rotated forward, the sliding door 9 slides to the right in the width direction of the machine body, and when the output shaft is rotated backward, the sliding door 9 slides to the left in the width direction of the machine body. Of course, the relationship between the rotation of the output shaft of the motor 21 and the sliding direction of the sliding door 9 may be reversed.

[0018] Next, the electrical configuration of machine tool 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, a CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, and non-volatile memory 34 are connected to control device 30 of machine tool 1 via a bus line. ROM 32 stores system programs and control parameters executed by CPU 31. Non-volatile memory 34 stores workpiece machining programs for machining workpieces, etc. CPU 31 loads the programs and parameters stored in ROM 32 or non-volatile memory 34 into RAM 33, thereby reading out programs and executing predetermined processing in accordance with the read programs.

[0019] The control device 30 is provided with an I / O port 35, to which the first and second spindle devices 3 and 4, the turret device 5, the operation panel device 6, the limit switches 16R and 16L, and the motor drive circuit 36 ​​are connected via drivers, etc. The operation panel device 6 is equipped with a touch panel display and physical keys, and can output instructions according to the operation to the control device 30 by accepting touch operations on icons displayed on the display or pressing operations on the physical keys.

[0020] The motor drive circuit 36 ​​includes a converter circuit 37 that converts AC power from an AC power source to DC power, and an inverter circuit 38 that generates a drive signal for driving the motor 21 using the converted DC voltage. The inverter circuit 38 generates a drive signal for exciting each phase coil of the motor 21 using the DC voltage converted by the converter circuit 37 and a command value output from the control device 30. The command value output from the control device 30 is information for specifying the torque (force) and rotation speed to be generated by the motor 21. For example, when an assist force, which is a force that assists manual movement of the sliding door 9, is generated by the rotation of the motor 21, the control device 30 generates a command value for causing the motor 21 to generate a torque and rotation speed corresponding to the assist force, and outputs the command value to the inverter circuit 38.

[0021] Furthermore, position sensors 40, 41, and 42 for detecting the positions of the sliding door 9 (right-side open position, left-side open position, and closed position) are connected to the control device 30. The right-side position sensor 40 is located on the upper right side of the machine frame and detects the sliding door 9 in the right-side open position. The left-side position sensor 41 is located on the upper left side of the machine frame and detects the sliding door 9 in the left-side open position. The middle position sensor 42 is located in the upper middle of the machine frame and detects the sliding door 9 in the closed position. Each of the position sensors 40 to 42 is a proximity sensor that emits long-wavelength light such as infrared light to detect the presence or absence of a nearby detection target, and detects a detection bracket (not shown) provided on the sliding door 9 as the detection target.

[0022] A transfer control device 80 for controlling the driving of the transfer device 81 is connected to the control device 30. The transfer device 81 is a multi-axis robot having a robot hand capable of gripping a workpiece, and is capable of moving on a running platform located behind the machine body cover 7. The robot hand is equipped with a pair of chuck mechanisms and is capable of gripping and releasing a workpiece. The transfer control device 80 can control the position of the robot hand by controlling the position on the running platform of the transfer device 81 and each axis in accordance with a transfer program stored in a memory (not shown). The transfer device 81 may be a gantry-type device including a running platform and a lifting arm attached to the running platform so as to be slidable up and down.

[0023] The machine tool 1 according to this embodiment is intended to be used in combination as both a manual machine that moves the sliding door 9 in synchronization with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 9 and an automated machine that automatically moves the sliding door 9 in synchronization with the transport of workpieces by the transport device 81. Therefore, if the motor 21 of the movement assistance device 20 is set to operate only when the handle 10 is clicked, when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine and then later used as an automated machine due to a process change, the settings related to the movement of the sliding door 9 may not be suitable for the automated machine, potentially reducing the usability of the machine tool. Furthermore, even when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine, different operators may have different preferences for the settings when moving the sliding door 9. Therefore, the machine tool 1 is configured to change the operating mode that instructs the settings of the motor 21 related to the movement of the sliding door 9.

[0024] Next, a process for accepting a selection of an operation mode executed by the control device 30 will be described. When the worker performs a display operation of a mode selection screen for selecting an operation mode related to the sliding door 9 on the standby screen displayed on the operation panel device 6, the control device 30 causes the operation panel device 6 to display the mode selection screen in step 10. Hereinafter, step will also be referred to as "S." The mode selection screen is a screen that accepts an operation for allowing the worker to select one of the first to fourth operation modes registered in advance as an option. The first to third operation modes, which are options on the mode selection screen, are operation modes when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine. On the other hand, the fourth operation mode, which is an option on the mode selection screen, is an operation mode when the machine tool 1 is used as an automatic machine.

[0025] When the control device 30 determines in S11 that one of the operation modes has been selected by a selection operation on the option on the mode selection screen (S11: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S12. If the operator selects the first operation mode from the options displayed on the mode selection screen (S12: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S13 and sets the status flag to a value indicating the first operation mode. The status flag is information for recording the operation mode selected by the operator. For example, the default status flag is assumed to specify the first operation mode as the operation mode setting. The first operation mode is an operation mode selected when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine, and is an operation mode in which clicking the handle 10 rotates the motor 21 to apply an assist force to the sliding door 9 to assist in manual movement of the sliding door 9.

[0026] If the operator selects the second operation mode from the options displayed on the mode selection screen (S14: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S15 and sets the status flag to a value indicating the second operation mode. The second operation mode is an operation mode selected when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine, and is an operation mode in which, only while the handle 10 is being clicked, the rotation of the motor 21 applies an opening / closing force to the sliding door 9 that automatically moves the sliding door 9. In other words, in the second operation mode, when the click operation of the handle 10 is released, the rotation of the motor 21 is stopped, and the movement of the sliding door 9 is stopped.

[0027] If the operator selects the third operation mode from the options displayed on the mode selection screen (S16: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S17 and sets the value of the status flag to a value indicating that the opening / closing operation is in the third operation mode. The third operation mode is an operation mode selected when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine, and is an operation mode in which, when the handle 10 is clicked, the motor 21 rotates to apply an opening / closing force to the sliding door 9 that automatically moves the sliding door 9 to the open or closed position. In other words, in the third operation mode, unlike the second operation mode, once the handle 10 is clicked, the sliding door 9 automatically moves to the closed or open position.

[0028] If the operator selects the fourth operation mode from the options displayed on the mode selection screen (S18: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S19 and sets the value of the status flag to a value indicating the fourth operation mode. The fourth operation mode is an operation mode selected when the machine tool 1 is used as an automatic machine, and is a mode in which an opening / closing force is applied to the sliding door 9 by the rotation of the motor 21 in synchronization with the transport of the workpiece by the transport device 81, causing the sliding door 9 to move automatically.

[0029] Selection of each operation mode on the mode selection screen can continue unless an operation to hide the screen is performed on the mode selection screen (S20: NO). In this case, the value of the status flag is updated according to the operation mode newly selected by the selection operation. When the operator performs an operation to hide the mode selection screen (S20: YES), the control device 30 hides the mode selection screen and ends the processing of FIG. 5. In this case, the standby screen is displayed on the operation panel device 6.

[0030] Next, the process executed by the control device 30 when the sliding door 9 is moved to the closed position to start machining a workpiece after one of the first to fourth operation modes has been selected will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The process shown in Figure 6 is executed when the control device 30 determines that the opening and closing conditions for the sliding door 9 have been met. For example, when the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine, the condition is that one of the handles 10 on the sliding door 9 has been clicked. On the other hand, when the machine tool 1 is used as an automatic machine, the condition is that the transport device 81 has started transporting a workpiece in accordance with the workpiece transport program.

[0031] If the status flag indicates the first operation mode in S31 (S31: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S32 and controls the drive of the motor 21 according to the program and parameters specified in the first operation mode. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , in the first operation mode, the parameters defining the operating conditions of the motor 21 are a command value "assist," a start condition "limit SW: OFF→ON," and a stop condition "limit SW: ON→OFF." The command value indicates the type of command value output from the control device 30 to the motor drive circuit 36, and the command value "assist" is a command value for causing the motor 21 to generate an assist force (weak torque). Note that the assist force is a force that cannot move the sliding door 9 alone but can assist the operator in manually moving the sliding door 9. The start condition is a condition under which the control device 30 outputs a command value to the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to start the rotation of the motor 21. The start condition "Limit SW: OFF→ON" indicates that the start condition is that either the left or right limit SW has changed from OFF to ON by clicking the handle 10. The stop condition is a condition in which the output of a command value from the control device 30 is stopped and the rotation of the motor 21 is stopped. The stop condition "Limit SW: ON→OFF" indicates that the stop condition is that the click operation of the handle 10 is stopped and the limit SW has changed from ON to OFF.

[0032] When the operator moves the sliding door 9 while clicking the handle 10 to open or close the sliding door 9 through the process in S32, one of the limit switches 16 is maintained ON, thereby satisfying the start condition. As a result, the control device 30 outputs a command value "assist" to the motor drive circuit 36, which then rotates the motor 21 to generate an assist force.

[0033] In the process of S32, when the limit switch 16R changes from OFF to ON by clicking the handle 10 to the right, the control device 30 sets the rotation direction of the motor 21 specified by the command value "assist" to forward rotation. On the other hand, when the limit switch 16L changes from OFF to ON by clicking the handle 10 to the left, the control device 30 sets the rotation direction of the motor 21 specified by the command value "assist" to reverse rotation. The same applies to the processes of S34 and S36, which will be described later.

[0034] When the worker stops clicking the handle 10 while manually moving the sliding door 9, the limit SW 16 of the handle 10, which had been clicked, changes from ON to OFF, and a stop condition is met. As a result, the control device 30 stops outputting the command value "assist," causing the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to stop rotating the motor 21. When the worker stops clicking the handle 10 and then resumes clicking the handle 10 to move the sliding door 9, the control device 30 resumes outputting the command value "assist" to the motor drive circuit 36 ​​in S32, causing the motor 21 to rotate and generate an assist force. As a result, the motor 21 generates an assist force on the sliding door 9 only while the worker is clicking the handle 10 to manually move the sliding door 9.

[0035] Although not shown in FIG. 6 , when the sliding door 9 moves to the closed position and the intermediate position sensor 42 changes from OFF to ON, the control device 30 causes the processing device to process the workpiece according to the processing program, provided that a processing start operation has been received from the operator. After the processing device processes the workpiece, the operator can manually move the sliding door 9 to the open position by clicking the handle 10 to the left or right, as described in S32. In this case, too, when the operator clicks either handle 10 toward the open position, the limit switch 16 changes from OFF to ON (start condition), and the control device 30 outputs an "assist" command value to the motor drive circuit 36. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to rotate the motor 21 to apply an assist force to the sliding door 9.

[0036] If the status flag indicates the second operation mode (S33: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S34, where it controls the driving of the motor 21 in accordance with the program and parameters related to the second operation mode to move the sliding door 9. In the second operation mode, the parameters that define the operating conditions of the motor 21 are a command value "automatic open / close," a start condition "limit SW: OFF → ON," and a stop condition "limit SW: ON → OFF." The command value "automatic open / close" is a command value for generating an opening / closing force that automatically moves the sliding door 9 through the rotation of the motor 21. The opening / closing force generated by the rotation of the motor 21 according to the command value "automatic open / close" is a force that can move the sliding door 9 alone and is stronger than the assist force generated by the rotation of the motor 21 according to the command value "assist." Note that in the second operation mode, the start and stop conditions for the motor 21 are the same as those in the first operation mode.

[0037] When the operator clicks the handle 10 in the process of S34, the limit SW 16 of the operated handle 10 changes from OFF to ON, and the start condition is met, and the control device 30 outputs a command value of "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. As a result, the motor drive circuit 36 ​​rotates the motor 21 in accordance with the operating direction of the handle 10, and automatically moves the sliding door 9 toward the closed position.

[0038] When the worker stops clicking the handle 10, the limit SW 16 of the handle 10 that had been clicked changes from ON to OFF, which establishes a stop condition, and the control device 30 stops outputting the command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. The motor drive circuit 36 ​​stops the rotation of the motor 21, thereby stopping the movement of the sliding door 9. When the worker stops clicking the handle 10 and then restarts the clicking operation, the control device 30 re-outputs the command value to the motor drive circuit 36 ​​in S34. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to rotate the motor 21, automatically moving the sliding door 9 toward the closed position.

[0039] In the second operation mode, as in the first operation mode, when the sliding door 9 moves to the closed position and the intermediate position sensor 42 changes from OFF to ON, the control device 30 executes processing to machine the workpiece according to the machining program, provided that a machining start operation is received from the operator. After the workpiece is machined by the machining device, as already described in S34, when the operator clicks one of the handles 10 to start the opening / closing operation to move the sliding door 9 to the open position, the limit SW 16 changes from OFF to ON (start condition), and the control device 30 outputs the command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to rotate the motor 21 and automatically move the sliding door 9 to the open position.

[0040] If the status flag indicates the third operation mode (S35: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S36 and controls the driving of the motor 21 in accordance with the program and parameters related to the third operation mode to move the sliding door 9. In the third operation mode, the parameters that determine the operating conditions of the motor 21 are the command value "automatic open / close," the start condition "limit SW: OFF → ON," and the stop condition "position sensor: OFF → ON." The command value "automatic open / close" and the start condition "limit SW: OFF → ON" are the same as the parameters in the second operation mode already described. The stop condition "position sensor: OFF → ON" indicates that the stop condition is that the detection signal from any of the position sensors 40 to 42 changes from OFF to ON as the sliding door 9 slides to the closed or open position.

[0041] In the process of S36, when the operator clicks the handle 10, the limit SW 16 of the operated handle 10 changes from OFF to ON, the start condition is met, and the control device 30 outputs a command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. As a result, the motor drive circuit 36 ​​rotates the motor 21 in accordance with the operation direction of the handle 10, and automatically moves the sliding door 9 to the closed position. On the other hand, when the sliding door 9 moves to the closed position, the intermediate position sensor 42 changes from OFF to ON, and the stop condition is met, and the control device 30 stops outputting the command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. As a result, the motor drive circuit 36 ​​stops rotation of the motor 21, and the sliding door 9 stops moving.

[0042] In the third operation mode, the control device 30 also executes processing to machine the workpiece according to the machining program, provided that a machining start operation is received from the operator after the sliding door 9 has stopped at the closed position. After the workpiece has been machined by the machining device, as already explained in S36, the operator clicks one of the handles 10, which changes the limit SW 16 from OFF to ON (start condition), and the control device 30 outputs a command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to rotate the motor 21 and automatically move the sliding door 9 to the open position.

[0043] If the status flag indicates the fourth operation mode (S37: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S38 and controls the driving of the motor 21 in accordance with the program and parameters related to the fourth operation mode to move the sliding door 9. In the fourth operation mode, the parameters that define the operating conditions of the motor 21 are the command value "automatic open / close," the start condition "open / close signal," and the stop condition "open / close signal." The command value "automatic open / close" has already been described. The start condition "open / close signal" indicates that the open / close signal output from the transport control device 80 is the start condition. The open / close signal is a signal output by the transport control device 80 in accordance with the transport program, and specifies the timing for automatically moving the sliding door 9. In this embodiment, the open / close signal includes information specifying the movement direction of the sliding door 9 (i.e., the rotation direction of the motor 21).

[0044] When the machine tool 1 is used as an automated machine, for example, when the transport device 81 loads a workpiece removed from a work holder onto the first spindle device 3 in accordance with the transport program, the transport control device 80 outputs an open / close signal to the control device 30 to move the sliding door 9 from the open position to the closed position. By processing S38, the control device 30 receives the open / close signal, which establishes a start condition, and outputs an "automatic open / close" command value specifying the movement direction specified by the open / close signal to the motor drive circuit 36. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to rotate the motor 21, automatically moving the sliding door 9 from the open position to the closed position. When the sliding door 9 reaches the closed position, the intermediate position sensor 42 changes from OFF to ON, which establishes a stop condition, and the control device 30 stops outputting the "automatic open / close" command value to the motor drive circuit 36. This causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to stop rotating the motor 21, and the sliding door 9 stops moving.

[0045] In the fourth operation mode, after the sliding door 9 stops at the closed position, the control device 30 executes processing for machining the workpiece in accordance with the machining program. After the workpiece has been machined by the machining device, as already explained in S38, when an open / close signal is again output from the transport control device 80 in accordance with the operation by the transport device 81, the control device 30 outputs a command value "automatic open / close" to the motor drive circuit 36, thereby rotating the motor 21 and automatically moving the sliding door 9 to the open position. In this embodiment, the processes of S32, S34, S36, and S38 executed by the control device 30 are an example of a motor control unit.

[0046] The machine tool 1 according to the present embodiment described above can achieve the following effects. The control device 30 of the machine tool 1 accepts the selection of one of a plurality of operation modes related to the movement of the sliding door 9 in response to an operation on the operation panel device 6. The control device 30 causes the motor drive circuit 36 ​​to drive the motor 21 in accordance with the settings specified in the selected operation mode. This makes it possible to select an operation mode that corresponds to different operators or changes in the usage mode of the machine tool 1 and move the sliding door 9, thereby preventing a decrease in the usability of the machine tool 1.

[0047] The control device 30 (selection receiving unit) receives a selection of one of a plurality of operation modes in response to an operation on the operation panel device 6. As a result, the selection of the operation mode is performed by an operation on the operation panel device 6, making it easier for the worker to perform the selection operation.

[0048] The operating mode options selectable by the operation panel device 6 include first to third operating modes in which the motor 21 is rotated in synchronization with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 9, and a fourth operating mode in which the motor 21 is rotated in synchronization with the transport of the workpiece by the transport device 81. This allows the settings of the motor 21 related to the movement of the sliding door 9 to be different depending on whether the machine tool 1 is used as a manual machine or an automatic machine, preventing a decrease in the usability of the machine tool 1.

[0049] The operation mode options selectable by the operation panel device 6 include a third operation mode in which the motor 21 is rotated to automatically move the sliding door 9 to the open or closed position when the handle 10 is clicked, and a second operation mode in which the motor 21 is rotated to automatically move the sliding door 9 only while the handle 10 is being operated. This allows the operator to switch the manner in which the sliding door 9 is automatically moved in response to the click operation of the handle 10 according to their preference.

[0050] (2) Second Embodiment The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation mode is selected by a specific operation on the handle 10 of the sliding door 9. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the process of selecting an operation mode executed by the control device 30 according to this embodiment and executing the operation mode in accordance with the selection. The process shown in Fig. 8 is executed by the control device 30 when the operator operates the handle 10 and the limit switch 16 of the operated handle 10 changes from OFF to ON.

[0051] In S40, the control device 30 determines the operation mode of the handle 10. In this embodiment, the control device 30 determines that a double-click operation, in which the handle 10 is tilted twice consecutively within a predetermined period, has been performed as a specific operation. Specifically, the control device 30 determines that a specific operation has been performed on the handle 10 when it determines that either of the limit switches 16R, 16L has been turned from OFF to ON twice consecutively within the predetermined period. Note that the specific operation on the handle 10 is not limited to a double-click operation, and may also be tilting the handle 10 three or more times, or may be a so-called drag operation, in which the handle 10 is tilted continuously for a predetermined period of time.

[0052] If the handle 10 is clicked instead of double-clicked (S41: NO), the control device 30 proceeds to S42. In S42, the control device 30 rotates the motor 21 to automatically move the sliding door 9 only while the handle 10 is being clicked, in accordance with the program and parameters related to the second operation mode. The process related to the second operation mode executed by the control device 30 in S42 has already been described in S34 of FIG. 6.

[0053] On the other hand, if the operator has double-clicked the handle 10 (S41: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to S43, where it controls the motor drive in accordance with the program and parameters related to the third operation mode, and automatically moves the sliding door 9 to the open or closed position. The third operation mode according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, among the parameters that define the operating conditions of the motor 21, only the start condition is "Limit SW: OFF → ON twice in a predetermined period," which corresponds to the double-click operation. The other processing in S43 has already been described in S36 of FIG. 6.

[0054] In the present embodiment described above, the control device 30 (selection receiving unit) receives the selection of the third operation mode by double-clicking the handle 10. This allows the operator to intuitively change the operation mode by simply operating the handle 10.

[0055] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. When machine tool 1 is used only as a manual machine, the operating mode options may be limited to the first to third operating modes.

[0056] The sliding door 9 does not need to be in the open position at two positions, left and right of the opening 2, but may be configured to be in the open position when moved to the right side of the opening 2. The processing device may be configured to include only the first spindle device 3 and the turret device 5.

[0057] 1...machine tool, 2...opening, 6...operation panel device, 8...machining chamber, 9...sliding door, 10...handle, 21...motor, 30...control device, 36...motor drive circuit, 81...transport device

Claims

1. A machine tool comprising: a body cover having an opening for a machining chamber where a workpiece is machined; a sliding door that can cover the opening by moving left and right relative to the opening; a movement assist device that applies to the sliding door a force that moves the sliding door automatically or a force that assists manual movement of the sliding door by rotating a motor; and a control device, wherein the control device has: a selection receiving unit that receives a selection of one of a plurality of operation modes that specify settings of the motor related to the force to be applied to the sliding door; and a motor control unit that rotates the motor in accordance with the setting specified in the selected operation mode when the sliding door moves.

2. A machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the selection receiving unit receives the selection of the operation mode by operating an operation panel device that receives operations for the machine tool.

3. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the selection receiving unit receives the selection of the operation mode by a specific operation on a handle provided on the sliding door.

4. A machine tool as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the options for the operation mode selected by the selection receiving unit include an operation mode in which the motor is rotated in synchronization with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door to apply force to the sliding door, and an operation mode in which the motor is rotated in synchronization with the transport of a workpiece by a transport device to apply force to the sliding door.

5. A machine tool as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the options for the operation mode selected by the selection receiving unit include: an operation mode in which, when the handle of the sliding door is operated, the motor is rotated to apply a force to the sliding door that automatically moves the sliding door; and an operation mode in which, only while the handle of the sliding door is operated, the motor is rotated to apply a force to the sliding door that automatically moves the sliding door.

Images