Machine Tool Door Mechanism Reducing APC Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door mechanisms for machine tools increase the height or width of the cover, leading to increased APC time due to the need to reduce pallet moving speed to avoid gaps between rails, and are often complex in structure, making rapid workpiece changes difficult.
Innovation Solution
A door mechanism with a center panel and two side panels sliding in the width direction, optimized to match the largest workpiece size, reducing the space required and minimizing the gap between rails, allowing for faster pallet movement and shorter workpiece change times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If door panels are stacked in the front-rear direction to reduce cover width, then the width of the cover is reduced, but a gap increases between rails on the table side and rails on the pallet changing unit side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the door panel arrangement from front-rear stacking to left-right arrangement, utilizing the width dimension instead of the depth dimension. This dimensional shift allows the door mechanism to reduce cover width without creating gaps in the rail alignment, as the door panels are positioned laterally rather than longitudinally.
2Reliability
If pallet moving speed is reduced to suppress shock when passing over the gap, then the shock is reduced, but the APC time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful gap between rails by repositioning the door panels. By removing the source of the problem (the gap), the system no longer requires speed reduction to suppress shock, thus maintaining both reliability and productivity without compromise.
3Device complexity
If door panels are folded rearward while sliding in the left-right direction, then the structure accommodates the door mechanism, but the structure becomes complicated and space is required around the table
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the door mechanism into multiple independent door panels arranged left-right, each capable of simple sliding motion. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex folding mechanisms while maintaining compactness, as each panel operates independently without requiring folded storage space around the table.
Data Source
AI summary
A door mechanism of a machining center includes a wide door panel, narrow door panels, a pair of upper and lower slide rails into which the wide door panel and the narrow door panels are fitted, and a plurality of motors that serve as drive units for independently driving the wide door panel and the narrow door panels. The wide door panel and the narrow door panels are arranged in line extending across an opening of the machining center to close the opening of the machining center and are slidable in a direction parallel to a width of the opening to open a portion of the opening having a width approximately twice a width of a one of the narrow door panels.