Patent Application
20190219983
The present invention relates to a machine tool comprising a display device in the vicinity of a window through which the interior of a machining chamber defined by a splashguard can be viewed.
As prior art in which a display device is arranged in the vicinity of a machine tool, Patent Literature 1 describes a sheet metal machining device having a large display attached to the side thereof. Furthermore, Patent Literature 2 describes a machine tool in which dialogue operations can be performed by tapping a simulation image on a display arranged in the vicinity of a window through which a workspace can be viewed.
[PTL 1] Japanese Patent No. 2828151
[PTL 2] Japanese Unexamined PCT Publication (Kohyo) No. 2012-528366
Conventionally, in order to illustrate to an observer differences in the machining methods of machine tools in an exhibition, showroom, etc., comparison videos are recorded in advance and the videos are reproduced while referring to paper materials or images projected by a projector while explaining the differences from the machining method to be compared with in terms of the operation time and effect thereof. However, when explaining the differences while reproducing videos using paper materials or materials projected by a projector, it is often difficult for an observer to understand the degree of difference that actually exists.
Furthermore, video reproduction is preferably performed in the vicinity of the machine tool. However, PTL 1 and 2 do not describe comparing a video displayed on a display and actual machining
The object of the present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art by providing a machine tool which can display a video of the operation of a machine tool, including an operation performed on a workpiece, to compare with a current operation of the machine tool.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a machine tool in which a splashguard, which surrounds a machining part for machining a workpiece with a tool, defines a machining chamber, the machine tool including a window provided in the splashguard and through which the interior of the machining chamber can be viewed, a display device attached in the vicinity of the window, and a display control device for displaying an actually captured video showing a machining operation of the machine tool or a simulated video of an operation of the machine tool on a screen of the display device in synchronization with a current operation of the machine tool.
According to the present invention, since an actually captured video of the operation of a machine tool or a video simulating the operation of the machine tool is displayed in synchronization with a current operation of the machine tool, the differences therebetween are visualized for the observer, and as a result, the observer can more effectively understand the differences therebetween.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.
First,
A rotary tool such as a drill or a tap T is mounted on the tip of the spindle 22. The workpiece W is fixed on the rotary table 34 via an angle plate 24, having a vertical workpiece attachment surface, so as to face the tip of the spindle 22. The workpiece W is movable along the Z-axis and in the B-axis direction between a workpiece exchange position, indicated by the dashed line in
A workpiece loader 30 is arranged above the workpiece exchange position. The workpiece loader 30 comprises a rail 30a above the machine tool 10 which extends in the horizontal directions (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the Z-axis, a carriage 30b provided so as to reciprocate along the rail 30a, and a hand 30c which is attached to the carriage 30b so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction and the vertical directions (Y-axis direction).
The machine tool 10 further comprises an X-axis feed device (not illustrated) for driving the column 16 in the X-axis direction, a Y-axis feed device (not illustrated) for driving the Y-axis slider 18 in the Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis feed device (not illustrated) for driving the Z-axis slider 14 in the Z-axis direction. Servomotors (not illustrated) for driving the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis feed devices and a servomotor (not illustrated) for performing rotation about the B-axis are connected to the NC device 60 (refer to
The machine tool 10 defines a machining space in which the workpiece W is arranged and machined and which is surrounded by splashguard 26 so that machining fluid and swarf are not splashed around the machining space. The splashguard 26 has a window 26a through which the machining chamber can be viewed from the outside. The machine tool 10, which is a horizontal machining center, further comprises a tool magazine 32 having an automatic tool changing device. The bed 12, column 16, and tool magazine 32 of the machine tool 10 are housed within a cover 43 (refer to
A swarf trough 12a extends through the inside of the bed 12 so that cutting fluid ejected toward the workpiece W and swarf generated due to the machining are discharged to the outside of the machine through the swarf trough 12a during the machining of the workpiece W. A cutting fluid tank 28 is arranged at the outlet of the swarf trough 12a to collect the cutting fluid used during machining A swarf lift-up conveyor 48 is disposed in the machining fluid tank 28 and discharges the swarf to a swarf collection container (not illustrated).
Cameras 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d are arranged in each part of the machine tool 10, e.g., in the machining chamber and at the workpiece exchange position, in the swarf trough 12a, and in the tool magazine 32. The cameras 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d are connected to the touch panel 50 via a display control part 36, and are configured to display images of the interior of the machining chamber or the workpiece exchange positions, the interior of the swarf trough 12a, and the interior of the tool magazine 32 or the operation state of each part of the machine tool 10 on the touch panel 50. At that time, the display control part 36 may display one from among the videos captured by the cameras 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d on the touch panel 50, or alternatively, may display each of the videos individually on a plurality of divided areas of the screen of the touch panel 50. The display control part 36 can be formed as, for example, a part of the NC device 60 in terms of software, and as a result, the contents displayed on the touch panel 50 can be controlled by the operation board 38.
The touch panel 50 is a touch panel which enables the selection of a desired portion by touching the screen and is preferably a large touch panel having, for example, a screen size of 50 inches or greater. Further, though the touch panel 50 can be installed directly on the cover 42, the touch panel 50 is preferably attached to a support column or a frame 52, which is fixed to the floor surface adjacent the cover 42, as shown in
The touch panel is connected to not only the display control part 36, but also to a personal computer 56 via a VGA cable or a DVI cable and a USB cable. The personal computer 56 is also connected to the NC device 60. A storage device 58 for storing the captured or computer-generated simulation video of the operation of the machine tool 10 is connected to the personal computer 56.
The mode of operation of the present embodiment will be described below.
When demonstration machining starts, first, the enable/disable button 74 is tapped. As a result, operation authority shifts from the operation board 38 to the touch panel 50, and operation by the operation board 38 is disabled. In order to illustrate that the touch panel 50 has operation authority, the color of the enable/disable button 74 may be changed. When demonstration machining has completed, the enable/disable button 74 is again tapped, and as a result, the operation by the operation board 38 is enabled.
Next, by tapping one of the demonstration machining selection buttons 76 to 80, the demonstration machining to be executed by the machine tool 10 is selected. Information that the demonstration machining selection button has been tapped is transmitted to the personal computer 56 via, for example, a USB cable, transmitted from the personal computer 56 to the NC device 60, and the corresponding machining program is selected in the NC device 60. A machining program supply device such as a CAM device (not illustrated) for supplying the machining program to the NC device 60 may be separately provided.
Next, by tapping the NC start button 82, control of the machine tool 10 by the NC device 60 starts. As a result, reading and interpreting of the machining program 64 for the selected demonstration machining in the reading and interpreting part 62 of the NC device 60 starts. The machining program 64 for the demonstration machining describes a selection command of the tool used in the demonstration machining, a machine coordinate system designation command for the demonstration machining, and thereafter, a video reproduction start command The video reproduction start command can be described as, for example, an M code. When the reading and interpreting part 62 reads the video reproduction start command, the NC device 60 reads, from the storage device 58, the comparison machining video corresponding to the selected demonstration machining in accordance with the personal computer 56 and starts reproduction. As a result, actual machining and video machining are started in synchronization.
When, for example, tapping on a workpiece W in which a plurality of pilot holes 86 have been formed by a tap T is performed as the demonstration machining, as shown in
Actual demonstration machining is performed by feeding the tap T along a tool path 92 connecting each pilot hole 86 with smooth circulars arc, as indicated by the dashed line, and straight lines. By displaying the video in which tapping was performed by linear feeding simultaneously on the touch panel 50, an observer can clearly recognize the difference in smoothness of motion and machining end time between the two feeding methods. It is preferable that the video reproduction location on the touch panel 50 be set to a region having the same height as the window 26a of the splashguard 26.
In the embodiment described above, a video and actual demonstration machining are compared to illustrate the difference in tool path for feeding the tap T. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the degree of occurrence of swarf due to the difference in wear degree of the tool, the difference in the feeding operations due to various control parameters, the difference between the old and new functions, etc., may be compared. Furthermore, rather than actually captured video of comparative machining, a computer-generated video showing collision between a tool and a workpiece, for example, complicated 5-axis control machining, and actual machining with a collision prevention function may be used.
According to the present embodiment, by displaying an actually-captured video of workpiece during comparison machining and a computer-generated video on the touch panel in synchronization with the current demonstration machining operation, the differences between the two can be visualized by an observer, whereby the observer can understand the differences therebetween more effectively.
In addition to explanation of function by demonstration machining, the following usage methods may be utilized. At a machining site, when the same machining program is repeatedly executed and identical workpieces are continuously machined, or when machining at intervals of several days to several years, by displaying a video of a past satisfactory machining state in synchronization with current machining, it is easier for an operator to monitor whether there are any abnormalities due to generation of swarf, the supply state of machining fluid, smoothness of operation of feed shafts, etc., in the current machining
In addition to displaying, on the touch panel 50, a video actually captured during the machining operation of the workpiece or a computer-generated video of the machining operation of the workpiece in synchronization with the current machining operation of the workpiece, machine tool operations as follows can be displayed. By displaying a current video of a recessed location in the machining chamber which cannot be seen from the window 26a captured by the camera 40a, a video of the tool magazine 32 captured by the camera 40d, and a video of the swarf trough 12a captured by the camera 40c on the regions 50b, 50a, and 50c, respectively, of the touch panel 50, the operator can monitor the machining state, the tool storage state in the tool magazine 32, the flow state of swarf in the swarf trough 12a, etc. Note that, during exchange of the workpiece W, video of the workpiece exchange position captured by the camera 40b instead of the camera 40a is displayed.
Furthermore, at a machine tool exhibition or during an exhibition in a showroom, an advertisement of the company or an advertisement image of the machine tool 10 can be continuously displayed on the region 50a of the touch panel 50, and the demonstration machining can be displayed on the regions 50b, 50c. Therefore, the size of the screen of the touch panel 50 is preferably larger than that of the window 26a. The size of the screen is preferably such that the size of the displayed video has at least roughly the same size as the actual size of the tool, workpiece, fixture, or other components of the machine tool 10 visible from the window 26a. In the region 50b, an explanation of the functions of the machine tool 10, a video example of machining, or the instruction manual of the machine tool may be displayed. Further, the division of the touch panel 50 into three regions; the regions 50a, 50b, and 50c, may be paused and an advertisement may be displayed on the entire screen, or the screen can be divided into more than three regions so as to realize a multiple window display.
10 Machine Tool
26 Splashguard
26
a Window
28 Cutting Fluid Tank
32 Tool Magazine
36 Display Control Part
38 Operation Board
42 Cover
50 Touch Panel
52 Frame
56 Personal Computer
60 NC Device
74 Enable/Disable Button
This application is a U.S. national phase patent application of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2016/076705, filed Sep. 9, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in the present disclosure in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2016/076705 | 9/9/2016 | WO | 00 |
