Mechanical structure and frame

Abstract

Provided are: a mechanical structural body which has a strength exceeding that of natural stone and equivalent to that of a casting, has greater damping properties than natural stone, and has excellent durability and dimensional accuracy; and a frame made from such a mechanical structural body.　The mechanical structural body, which is used as a main structural body of a bed or a column, for example, comprises a first structural body made of metal, and a second structural body made of a high-damping body which is cast so as to be in contact with the outer surface of at least a portion of the first structural body, wherein the first structural body comprise an exposed portion that is exposed from the surface of the second structural body.

Description

Machine structures and frames

[0001] The present invention relates to machine structures and frames.

[0002] Conventionally, machine tools having frames such as beds, columns, and tables, and electronic device manufacturing apparatuses such as semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are known. The frames of such machine tools and electronic device manufacturing apparatuses are generally composed of castings, granite tables, etc.

[0003] When a frame such as a bed, column, or table is composed of a casting, it has high rigidity and good workability, so it has design freedom and has the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and having good supplyability. However, in addition to the increase in weight, due to the increase in strain over time, there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve higher precision of the machine tool. On the other hand, in the case of a granite table using natural stone, in addition to being lighter than a casting, it has almost no aging deterioration, has good vibration absorption properties, so it has high damping properties, and has excellent damping characteristics for attenuating the vibration when the frame vibrates during machining of the machine tool. Also, as a characteristic of the granite table, it has the advantages of being difficult to transfer heat and being difficult to wear and deform.

[0004] However, in manufacturing apparatuses such as semiconductors, higher machining accuracy and further weight reduction are required, and a machine tool that suppresses the decrease in machining accuracy due to vibration during machining of the machine tool is required.

[0005] For example, as means for improving the machining accuracy of a machine tool, various means are known. The machine tool described in Patent Document 1 suppresses the vibration of the column during machining and enhances the damping property of the vibration during machining by filling at least one of the hollow portions inside the bed and the hollow portion existing inside the column with concrete, thereby improving the accuracy of the machining surface.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-198748

[0007] However, the method of filling the cavities within the bed or column with concrete presented a problem: the shrinkage of the concrete created voids in the inner walls of the bed or column, preventing proper adhesion and thus failing to achieve the desired damping properties.

[0008] Furthermore, cement concrete is known to shrink due to the hydration reaction during drying and hardening, which presented a problem in that it was difficult to use it as a mechanical structure for machine tools that required dimensional accuracy.

[0009] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a mechanical structure used in machine tools, electronic device manufacturing equipment, etc., that has strength comparable to castings that surpasses natural stone, has greater damping than natural stone, and has excellent durability and dimensional accuracy, as well as a frame made of such a mechanical structure.

[0010] The mechanical structure according to the present invention, which solves the above problems, is a mechanical structure used as a frame for a machine tool or an electronic device manufacturing apparatus, such as a bed, column, or table, and comprises a first structure made of a metal material and a second structure made of a high-damping material cast so as to be in contact with at least a part of the outer surface of the first structure, wherein the first structure has an exposed portion that is exposed from the surface of the second structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the frame according to the present invention, which solves the above problems, is a frame comprising a pair of legs and a gate connecting the upper ends of the legs, characterized in that the legs and the gate are made of the mechanical structure.

[0012] According to the mechanical structure and frame of the present invention, a first structure made of metal and a second structure made of a high-damping material are provided, and a part of the first structure is exposed from the surface of the second structure, so that a lightweight mechanical structure can be constructed with high strength, durability, damping characteristics and dimensional accuracy.

[0013] A perspective view of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention. A perspective view showing the internal structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention. An exploded view of the first structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention. A perspective view showing the first structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention. An exploded view of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of a gatepost-type column according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as described in each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exploded view of the first structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the first structure of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is an exploded view of a gatepost-type column according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] In the following description, we will explain the case where the gatepost-type column is used as a frame for a machine tool as a mechanical structure. As shown in Figure 1, the gatepost-type column 10 according to this embodiment is formed in the shape of a gatepost and comprises a pair of legs 12 and a gate 11 connecting the upper ends of the pair of legs 12. This frame refers to the columns, beds, and tables of machine tools and electronic device manufacturing equipment, and plays the role of a skeleton.

[0017] In this embodiment, the gatepost-type column 10 has a high-damping body, which is a second structure 30, cast onto its surface, and an exposed portion 21, which is part of the first structure 20 (described later) embedded inside the second structure 30, is exposed from the surface of the second structure 30.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the gatepost-type column 10 according to this embodiment comprises a first structure 20 made of metal such as reinforcing bars as beams, and a second structure 30 that is in contact with a part of the outer surface of the first structure 20. The second structure 30 is cast onto the outer surface of the first structure 20. Various conventionally known methods can be used for casting the second structure 30.

[0019] The high-damping material constituting the second structure 30 is made of a material with higher damping properties than casting, and various conventionally known damping materials can be used. For example, cement-based inorganic mineral materials, resins, and polymer materials are suitable, and cement, silicone rubber, polyurethane foam, epoxy resin, silica gel, viscoelastic polymer, high-viscosity gel, polybutadiene, polymer gel, artificial stone, porous ceramics, resin concrete, or mixtures of several of these can be used. Furthermore, if necessary, fibrous materials can be mixed in to improve tensile strength and suppress cracking. This second structure 30 has the function of ensuring damping properties as a mechanical structure.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first structure 20 comprises a structural body 22 embedded inside the second structure 30 and a connecting portion 23 joined to the structural body 22 by welding or the like. A part of the connecting portion 23 is exposed from the surface of the second structure 30, forming an exposed portion 21. Since the connecting portion 23 is provided with a guide portion that guides a processing portion for mounting machine tools or electronic device manufacturing equipment or for processing workpieces, it is possible to form an exposed surface with high dimensional accuracy by processing the connecting portion 23, for example by grinding. The first structure 20 is made of metal such as reinforcing bars as a beam, as described above, and iron is preferably used as the metal. This first structure 20 has the function of ensuring strength as a mechanical structure.

[0021] The main structural body 22 used in the gate section 11 comprises horizontal beams 24 arranged at predetermined intervals and vertical beams 25 arranged perpendicular to the horizontal beams 24, with the horizontal beams 24 and vertical beams 25 each being truss-structured frameworks. The shapes of the horizontal beams 24 and vertical beams 25 are not limited to truss structures and may be appropriately modified according to the required rigidity, damping characteristics, and weight. The horizontal beams 24 and vertical beams 25 are joined to each other by welding.

[0022] The main body 22 of the leg portion 12 preferably has vertical beams 26 extending in the vertical direction. Although the description has been given for the case where the vertical beams 26 are spaced apart from each other, the vertical beams 26 may also be supported by separate beam members that connect them to each other.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, connecting portions 23 are welded to the upper and lower ends of the vertical beam 26 and to the positions of the horizontal beam 24 and vertical beam 25 facing the vertical beam 26. Although the connecting portions 23 have been described as separate from the first structure 20, they are not limited to this and can be used as part of the first structure 20.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the gate section 11 and leg section 12 configured in this way are joined together by conventional fastening means (for example, bolts and nuts) to the mounting exposed portion 21a provided on the upper surface of the leg section 12 and the mounting exposed portion 21a provided on the lower surface of the gate section 11, thereby forming a gate column type column 10.

[0025] At this time, the mounting exposed parts 21a formed on the gate section 11 and leg sections 12 are part of the first metal structure 20, so they can be designed with high dimensional accuracy, and the assembly accuracy when assembling them into a gatepost type can be maintained with high precision.

[0026] Furthermore, since a portion of the first structure 20 is exposed as an exposed portion 21 on the surface of the gatepost-type column 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the exposed portion 21 can be precisely configured without being affected by the contraction of the second structure 30, which is made of a high-damping material.

[0027] Because the exposed portion 21 can be positioned with high precision, various components can be attached to the exposed portion 21 with high precision, and even when the gatepost-type column 10 according to this embodiment is applied to a machine tool, high-precision machining accuracy can be achieved.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gatepost-type column 10 employs a high-damping material with a lower specific gravity than the frame in the second structure 30, making it possible to construct a lightweight gatepost-type column 10 with high durability and damping characteristics. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the first structure 20 is connected inside the second structure 30, grounding can be easily performed.

[0029] Although the above-described embodiment explained the application of the present invention to a gatepost-type column 10 as a mechanical structure, the frame used in machine tools and electronic device manufacturing equipment only needs to have a skeletal function, and it may be applied to beds, tables, or other components. It is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0030] 10 Gatepost-type column (frame), 11 Gate section, 12 Leg section, 20 First structure, 21 Exposed section, 22 Main body of the structure, 23 Connecting section, 24 Crossbeam, 25 Longitudinal beam, 26 Vertical beam, 30 Second structure.

Claims

1. A mechanical structure used in a frame, comprising: a first structure made of a metal material; and a second structure made of a high-damping material cast so as to be in contact with at least a part of the outer surface of the first structure, wherein the first structure includes an exposed portion that is exposed from the surface of the second structure.

2. The mechanical structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first structure comprises a structural body embedded within the second structure and a connecting portion connected to the first structure and having the exposed portion.

3. The mechanical structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame is used in a machine tool or an electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

4. A frame comprising a pair of legs and a gate connecting the upper ends of the legs, wherein the legs and the gate are made of the mechanical structure described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The frame according to claim 4, characterized in that the leg portion and the gate portion are constructed separately from each other and are joined to each other via the exposed portion.

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