JP3310052B2 - Sorting method and sorting device for cutting material - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sorting a plurality of cutting materials having a plurality of different shapes, and more particularly to a cutting means for cutting a cutting material having a desired shape from a material to be cut. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for sorting cut materials by controlling shape recognition means for recognizing the shape of the cut material by the same numerical control program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There has been provided an apparatus for cutting a material to be cut such as a steel plate, a stainless steel plate, a plywood, and a plastic plate using a cutting torch such as a gas cutting torch, a plasma cutting torch, or a laser cutting torch. Particularly recently, numerical control (NC) for driving a cutting torch two-dimensionally in accordance with a preset numerical control program and operating the cutting torch in this process to cut a cutting material having a desired shape.
A cutting device called a cutting device has become widespread.

[0005] In the NC cutting apparatus, a program of a locus for moving the cutting torch is set before starting the cutting operation. This program is set by a programmer or by an automatic programming device, and includes information such as the shape, number, and position of a cut material (product) to be collected from one cut material (large plate). Which cutting material is cut from the material to be cut depends on the characteristics of the factory or the type of business.

For example, in a factory that specializes in manufacturing parts such as piping flanges and structural stiffener materials, a plurality of cutting materials having a plurality of different shapes may be cut from a single material to be cut. . In this case, when the cutting of the material to be cut is completed, a large number of cutting materials having a plurality of shapes are collected. Therefore, an operation of sorting these cutting materials for each shape is performed.

[0005]

When the above-mentioned sorting operation is performed, after cutting the material to be cut, the individual cutting materials on the cutting platen are sucked by a picking crane provided in a cutting work place, and are attracted to a predetermined line. In some cases, sorting or manual sorting is performed by a worker on a predetermined line. However, if such a sorting operation is performed, there is a problem that the operating rate of the cutting device is reduced and the operation efficiency is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to cut a material to be cut based on a preset numerical control program, and to sort the cut material while transferring the cut material based on the same numerical control program. And a device for implementing the method.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cutting material sorting method for cutting a cutting material having a different shape by driving a cutting torch based on a preset numerical control program. Then, while transferring the cutting material, a shape recognizing unit having an imaging member configured by arranging a large number of photoelectric conversion elements is driven based on the numerical control program to recognize the shape of the cutting material, and further, the shape recognition is performed. According to a feature of the present invention, the sorting means is driven based on a signal from the means to sort the cut material to be transferred for each shape.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sorting apparatus for cutting a plurality of cutting materials having different shapes by two-dimensionally driving a cutting torch based on a preset numerical control program. A transfer means for transferring the cut material, and an imaging member configured by arranging a large number of photoelectric conversion elements for photographing the cut material transferred by the transfer means, and driving a cutting torch to cut the shape of the cut material. Shape recognition means for recognizing based on the same numerical control program as the numerical control program, and sorting means for sorting the cut material transferred by the transfer means, driven by the signal from the shape recognition means, for each shape. It is configured to have.

[0009]

According to the method for sorting cut materials, the cutting torch and the shape recognizing means are driven by the same numerical control program (hereinafter simply referred to as "program"), and the sorting means is driven by a signal from the shape recognizing means. This allows sorting while transferring the cut material.

A so-called NC cutting device is provided as a device for cutting a workpiece by two-dimensionally driving a cutting torch according to a preset program. The program for driving the cutting torch is set in advance in accordance with the language of the NC controller according to the shape and dimensions of the cut material.

Therefore, the shape of the cut material can be determined by reading this program. That is,
By reading the program and inputting it to the control device of the shape recognition means, the cutting torch and the shape recognition means can be controlled based on the same program.

An imaging member having a large number of photoelectric conversion elements arranged therein (for example, a CCD camera having a large number of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, a CCD image sensor having a large number of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a line, The following "CC
A device that captures an object with a D camera and analyzes the captured image to recognize the shape of the object, stores preset shape information of the object, and stores a new article in the CC.
The image information is captured by a D camera, and the image information is compared with the stored shape information to generate a signal indicating whether or not the shape matches.

Therefore, the preset program is set to NC
By inputting simultaneously to the cutting device and shape recognition device, NC
The shape of the material to be cut from the material to be cut,
It is possible to input cutting information such as the number, position, and movement path of the cutting torch, and input shape information of a cut material to be cut into the shape recognition device.

[0014] Information of the sorting destination according to the shape of the cut material is input to the shape recognizing device in advance, and the cut material cut by the NC cutting device is transported and photographed by the CCD camera of the shape recognizing device. Is compared with the already input shape information, the shape of the cut material currently being transferred can be recognized, and information on the sorting destination of the cut material can be output. Therefore, by driving the sorting means in accordance with the signal for each sorting destination output from the shape recognition device, the cut material can be sorted for each shape.

Further, according to the above-mentioned sorting apparatus, the above-described sorting method can be performed to sort each cut material having the same shape.

That is, a plurality of cut materials having different shapes can be cut by driving the cutting torch two-dimensionally based on a preset program by a cutting means such as an NC cutting device. Then, the cut material is transferred by the transfer means, and in this process, the cut material is photographed by the CCD camera, and the shape of the cut material is changed by the shape recognition means driven based on the same program as the program for controlling the NC cutting device. You can recognize.

Therefore, when the shape of the cut material to be transferred is recognized by the shape recognizing means, a signal corresponding to the recognized shape is generated and the sorting means is driven, so that the cut material is placed on a preset line. It can be sorted.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the above-mentioned sorting apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings, and a sorting method will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a sorting device. The sorting device shown in the figure recognizes the shape of the cut material being transferred by photographing a plurality of cut materials having different shapes cut by the cutting means by a CCD camera in the process of being transferred by the transfer means, and It is configured to sort into predetermined lines. In this sorting apparatus, the cutting means, the shape recognizing means and the sorting means are arranged on the same line, and the line is easily controlled by driving the shape recognizing means by the same program as the program input to the cutting means. In addition, the sorting accuracy is improved.

The sorting device includes an NC cutting device A serving as cutting means, a conveyor B serving as transfer means, a shape recognition device C serving as shape recognition means, and a sorting device D serving as sorting means.
And is constituted by.

The NC cutting apparatus A has a frame 2 movably arranged on a pair of rails 1 laid in parallel, and a carriage 3 capable of traversing is mounted on the frame 2. A cutting torch 4 such as a gas cutting torch, a plasma cutting torch, or a laser cutting torch is selectively attached to the carriage 3. An NC controller 5 is mounted on the frame 2. The recording medium 6 such as an NC tape 6 a or a floppy disk 6 b on which a preset program is recorded is mounted on the NC controller 5 and read. It is configured so that the program information recorded on the medium 6 can be input.

By starting the operation after inputting preset program information, a plurality of cutting materials 8a, 8b, 8c having different shapes can be cut from the material 7 to be cut.

The program information recorded on the recording medium 6 includes the size of the material 7 to be cut, the cutting materials 8a to 8c to be cut.
Is set by a programmer, an automatic programming device, or the like in consideration of the shape, the number required for each of the cutting materials 8a to 8c, and the like. This program information is N
Although used only in the C-cutting device A, in the present invention, the cutting operation and the sorting operation can be processed as a series of continuous operations by controlling the shape recognizing device C described later by the same program. It is what it was.

The workpiece 7 to be cut by the NC cutting device A is placed on a surface plate 9. The platen 9 in this embodiment is provided with a conveyor 10. Cutting materials 8 a to 8 c cut from the material 7 to be cut fall below the platen 9 and are transferred by the conveyor 10. B is supplied to the first conveyor 11 constituting B. However, cutting materials 8a to 8c
Is not limited to the present embodiment, but the platen 9 itself is formed in a conveyor shape, and after the cutting of the workpiece 7 is completed, the workpiece 7 is supplied to the first conveyor 11.
And cutting materials 8a to 8c are simultaneously transferred to cut materials 8a to 8c.
Only the first conveyor 11 may be dropped.

The conveyor B comprises a first conveyor 11 and a second conveyor 12. The first conveyor 11 has a function of discharging cutting materials 8a to 8c from the moving area of the NC cutting device A, and the second conveyor 12 has a function of cutting materials 8a to 8c.
While transferring the data to the shape recognition device C and the sorting device D while transferring them. However, the conveyor B does not necessarily need to be constituted by the two conveyors 11 and 12,
It can be set appropriately according to the layout of the factory or the like. In this way, the conveyor B may have any function as long as it has a function of transferring the cutting materials 8a to 8c, regardless of how it is arranged.

The shape recognition device C comprises a CCD camera 21 and a control device 22. As the CCD camera 21, one having a large number of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix or one arranged in a line can be selectively used. When using the CCD camera 21 in which the photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix, it is necessary to stop the second conveyor 12 every time the cutting members 8a to 8c are photographed. When a CCD image sensor having photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row is used as the CCD camera 21, it is possible to photograph the cutting materials 8a to 8c while transferring them at a constant speed.

The control device 22 binarizes image signals of the cut materials 8a to 8c photographed by the CCD camera 21 and calculates coordinate data of the cut materials 8a to 8c;
The information on the recording medium 6 on which the same program as the program input to the NC cutting device A is recorded is read and the cutting material 8a is read.
A storage unit for storing shape information corresponding to .about.8c, a calculation unit for calculating an area, a perimeter, a center of gravity, a maximum vertical and horizontal dimension, and the like from the coordinate data of the image calculated in the image processing unit;
Comparing the data calculated in the calculation unit with the shape information stored in the storage unit to recognize which of the cut materials 8a to 8c the current shot material has, and to generate a signal to the sorting device D And a part.

In the shape recognition device C configured as described above,
The recording medium 6 is mounted on the control device 22, a preset program is input, the shape information of the cutting materials 8a to 8c is stored in the storage unit, and the cutting material, for example, 8b, transferred by the second conveyor 12 is stored. The image information is processed by an image processing unit, and a predetermined numerical value is calculated from an area, a perimeter, a center of gravity position, a maximum vertical and horizontal dimension, and the like by a calculation unit. By comparing the calculation result with the shape information stored in the storage unit, it is recognized that the shape of the photographed cutting material matches the cutting material 8b, and a signal corresponding to the recognized shape is recognized. Can occur.

When recognizing which of the shapes of the photographed cutting material matches, in addition to the above-mentioned method, for example, the shape obtained by processing the photographed image signal and the shape recognized by the input program are obtained. The shapes may be superimposed and the determination may be made based on the degree of coincidence.

The sorting device D operates in response to a signal from the shape recognizing device C, and sorts the cut materials 8a to 8c conveyed by the second conveyor 12 for each shape and discharges them from the conveyor 12. In this embodiment, a plurality of pushers
It is configured using 31a to 31c. That is, the second conveyor
A plurality of pushers 31a to 31c are arranged at a predetermined pitch in 12 and shoot in opposition to the respective pushers 31a to 31c.
32a to 32c and buckets 33a to 33c are arranged.

The pushers 31a to 31c are selectively driven in accordance with a signal from the shape recognition device C, and the cutting members 8a to 8c transferred on the second conveyor 12 by this drive.
From the chutes 32a to 32c set for each shape
33a to 33c can be supplied.

However, the sorting device D is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and it is possible to combine the overhead traveling crane whose position can be controlled with a lifting magnet or a vacuum cup, and to operate the crane by a signal from the shape recognition device C. Thus, the cut materials 8a to 8c transferred by the second conveyor 12 can be sorted and stacked by shape.

Next, a procedure for sorting the cut materials 8a to 8c in the sorting apparatus configured as described above will be described. A program as cutting information is set in advance, and this program information is recorded on the recording medium 6 and the NC cutting device A
And to the control device 22 of the shape recognition device C. By the input of the program, N
The locus of the cutting torch 4 is set in the C cutting device A, and the shape recognition device C stores the shape information of the cut materials 8a to 8c to be sorted.

In addition to the above program information, information on the sorting lines corresponding to the cut materials 8a to 8c is input to the shape recognition device C. That is, buckets 33a to 33c corresponding to each of the cut materials 8a to 8c are set, and at the same time, each of the cut materials 8a to 8c
31 for assembling into buckets 33a to 33c
Information of a to 31c is input. Next, the NC cutting device A is operated to cut the material to be cut 7 to cut the material 8a.
To 8c are sequentially cut.

The cut materials 8a to 8c are discharged by a conveyor 10 provided on a base 9 and supplied to a first conveyor 11 constituting a conveyor B. And the first conveyor 11
Is supplied to the second conveyor 12 and transferred to the shape recognition device C. Any of the cutting materials 8a to 8c, for example, the cutting material 8b
Arrives below the CCD camera 21, the cutting material 8b
Is photographed by the CCD camera 21, and the photographed image information is transmitted to the control device 22.

The control device 22 calculates and compares, based on the transmitted image information, which one of the previously stored shape information matches the shape information, and the photographed cut material is used as the cut material 8.
The signal is recognized by the sorting device D as recognizing that it matches b.

In the sorting device D, the pushers 31a to 31c are selectively driven according to the transmitted signal. That is,
The shape recognition device C recognizes that the currently-cut material is coincident with the cutting material 8b, and when it is preset that the cutting material 8b is to be sorted into the bucket 33a, a drive signal for the pusher 31a is generated, After a certain period of time in response to this signal, or after detecting the cut material 8b transferred on the second conveyor 12, the pusher 31a operates,
The transferred cutting material 8b is discharged from the second conveyor 12 and dropped on the bucket 33a.

The cutting material 8a conveyed in the same manner as described above
-8c are photographed by the CCD camera 21 and the control device 22 recognizes the shape to generate a drive signal for the sorting device D. The sorting device D is operated in accordance with this signal, so that the sorting device D is transferred on the second conveyor 12. It is possible to sort the cut materials 8a to 8c sequentially.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the recording medium 6 on which the program is recorded is individually input to the NC control device 5 of the NC cutting device A and the control device 22 of the shape recognition device C has been described. By connecting the control devices 5 and 22 by a communication line, it is possible to transfer the input program to the other control device by attaching and inputting the recording medium 5 to one control device. .

[0039]

As described above in detail, in the cutting material sorting method according to the present invention, the shape recognition means can be controlled by the same numerical control program as the numerical control program for controlling the cutting means. Therefore, it is possible to use the numerical control program for cutting once set without setting a special program in the shape recognition means.
Therefore, the sorting operation for the cut materials having different shapes becomes easy, and the sorting can be surely performed.

Further, in the sorting apparatus according to the present invention, by controlling the cutting means and the shape recognizing means by the same numerical control program, the control of the sorting apparatus is facilitated, and the cut material having the same shape is surely obtained. It has features such as being able to sort by shape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a sorting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A NC cutting device B Conveyor C Shape recognition device D Sorting device 2 Frame 3 Carriage 4 Cutting torch 5 NC control device 6 Recording media 8a to 8c Cutting material 11 First conveyor 12 Second conveyor 21 CCD camera 22 Control device 31a to 31c Pusher 32a-32c Shoot 33a-33c Bucket

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-167655 (JP, A) JP-A-6-15487 (JP, A) JP-A-5-177376 (JP, A) 116217 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23K 7/10 B23K 10/00 B23K 37/00 B23Q 7/12 B26D 7/18

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cutting torch is driven based on a preset numerical control program to cut a cutting material having a different shape, and a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are transferred based on the numerical control program while transferring the cutting material. Driving shape recognition means having an imaging member arranged and recognizing the shape of the cut material, and further driving the sorting means based on a signal from the shape recognition means to drive the cut material transferred for each shape. Sorting method of cut materials characterized by sorting. 2. A cutting means for two-dimensionally driving a cutting torch based on a preset numerical control program to cut a plurality of cut materials having different shapes, and transferring the cut material cut by the cutting means. The same numerical value as the numerical control program for driving the cutting torch, and photographing the cutting material transferred by the transferring means with an imaging member configured by arranging a large number of photoelectric conversion elements and driving the cutting torch in the shape of the cutting material. A shape recognizing unit that recognizes based on a control program; and a sorting unit that is driven in accordance with a signal from the shape recognizing unit and sorts the cut material transferred by the transfer unit for each shape. Sorting equipment for cutting materials.