Tool Magazine Transport Sequencing for Collision-Free Re-Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Machine tool efficiency is hindered by waiting times due to tools not being ready for the next work step, and space restrictions in tool magazines lead to collisions and inefficiencies in tool transportation, necessitating a method to optimize tool re-sorting and transportation sequences.
Innovation Solution
A computer-aided method for optimizing tool transportation operations in machine tool magazines involves detecting tool quantities, space requirements, and permissible magazine locations, determining target locations, and optimizing transportation sequences to minimize time, while avoiding collisions and jamming, using techniques such as depth-first search and mixed integer linear programming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tools are repositioned in the magazine to optimize future operations, then waiting times are reduced and machine efficiency is improved, but the repositioning process itself requires additional time and may cause collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis and planning of tool repositioning operations before execution. By detecting the current magazine occupancy, calculating optimal target locations, and determining collision-free transportation sequences in advance, the system prepares the tool magazine configuration ahead of time, reducing actual waiting times during spindle supply operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the tool transportation sequence based on real-time magazine occupancy and tool requirements. The optimization continuously adapts the repositioning plan to current conditions, finding optimal paths that minimize re-sorting time while avoiding collisions between tools during the repositioning process
2Ease of operation
If tools are moved to optimize their position in the magazine, then future tool access is improved, but collisions between tools during movement may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from detecting current magazine occupancy and tool positions to continuously monitor and adjust the transportation sequence. By receiving feedback about tool locations and movements, the system can recalculate paths in real-time to avoid collisions while still achieving optimal tool positioning for future operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary optimization layer between tool storage and tool retrieval operations. This intermediary process calculates and determines collision-free transportation sequences, acting as a mediator that coordinates tool movements to prevent collisions while still enabling efficient tool access from the magazine
3Quantity of substance
If the magazine is fully utilized to store all required tools, then tool variety is improved, but space restrictions prevent optimal tool positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes tool magazine utilization by considering the third dimension of tool positioning and the temporal dimension of tool usage sequences. By analyzing tool requirements across multiple work steps and optimizing the spatial arrangement in the magazine, the system maximizes tool variety storage while ensuring optimal positioning for future operations, effectively utilizing limited magazine space through multi-dimensional optimization
Data Source
AI summary
A method for the computer-aided optimization of tool transports for at least one tool magazine having a number of magazine locations, which is used for a machine tool for the production of one or more workpieces with the aid of the tools provided by a magazine device at a provision location, the method including: a) detecting a quantity of tools, b) determining the space required for each tool, c) detecting a quantity of occupiable magazine locations for each tool, d) detecting a permissible output magazine occupancy e) detecting the permissible target magazine occupancy, f) detecting a quantity of transport durations required for a journey of the magazine device, g) determining a partial quantity of tool transports for which a transport sequence is specifiable so that the tools are movable in the transport sequence, h) optimizing the transport sequence for the partial quantity of tool transports.