JP7659438B2 - Processing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing device having a transport unit that transports a workpiece and a standby unit that keeps the transport unit on standby.

Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, a processing device equipped with a transport pad, a load table, and an unload table is known. With a processing device of this configuration, it is possible to reduce the time required to replace a workpiece.

Furthermore, in the processing device described in Patent Document 1, the transport movement mechanism is configured to move the transport pad by the processing unit, and the processing unit is also configured to serve as the transport pad movement mechanism. When the transport pad is not in use, it is placed in a waiting area, and when it is used, it is picked up from the waiting area and moves together with the processing unit.

JP 2019-111628 A

In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the holding surface (adsorption surface) formed on the underside of the transport pad comes into contact with the placement surface of the waiting area when the transport pad is placed in the waiting area. For this reason, for example, if there is a foreign object on the placement surface, the foreign object may adhere to the holding surface, and further, there is a concern that the foreign object may adhere to the workpiece when the workpiece is adsorbed and held by the holding surface.

For these reasons, in a configuration in which a workpiece is directly suction-held and transported by a transport pad, a new method was required to keep the transport pad's holding surface from coming into contact with anything other than the workpiece.

In consideration of the above problems, the present invention provides a new technology for allowing a holding surface to wait without coming into contact with other parts in a transport unit for transporting workpieces.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will be explained next.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a processing apparatus includes a holding table including a holding surface for holding a workpiece, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held by the holding table, a processing feed unit for moving the holding table relative to the processing unit in a processing feed direction, a moving unit for moving the processing unit in an index feed direction perpendicular to the processing feed direction and in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface, a transport unit arranged to selectively enable movement by the moving unit and for loading the workpiece into the holding table and unloading the workpiece from the holding table, and a standby unit for causing the transport unit to wait while movement by the moving unit is not being performed, wherein the transport unit has a connection portion configured to be detachable from the connected portion of the moving unit, and a holding portion connected to the connection portion and having a downward-facing holding surface for adsorbing and holding the workpiece, and the standby unit supports the connection portion so that the holding portion of the transport unit is suspended in mid-air, and the connected portion of the moving unit is arranged at a position different from the position at which the processing unit is arranged.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
The standby unit is
a lower support portion that supports the connection portion of the transport unit from below;
an upper support portion that presses the connection portion of the transport unit from above;
A drive unit that raises and lowers the upper support unit.
It is used as a processing device.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
At least one of the lower support portion of the standby unit and the connection portion of the transport unit is provided with:
An adsorption portion is provided to enable the lower support portion and the connection portion to be adsorbed and fixed.
It is used as a processing device.

According to the present invention, when the transport unit is placed on standby, the holding section is suspended in mid-air, and the workpiece holding surface can be placed on standby in a suspended state. This allows the transport unit to be placed on standby without the workpiece holding surface coming into contact with other parts, preventing foreign matter from adhering to the holding surface, and ultimately preventing foreign matter from adhering to the workpiece.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a transport unit. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport unit is held in the standby unit and is on standby; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport unit is held by the support arm. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport unit is positioned above the load table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport unit is positioned above the holding table. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport unit is in a standby state at the standby unit. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a workpiece is cut;

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cutting device, which is an example of a processing device 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the processing device 2 includes a device base 4 that supports each component, a holding table 6 that holds the workpiece 1 by suction, a processing unit 8 that cuts the workpiece 1, and the like.

The workpiece 1 to be processed is, for example, a plate-shaped glass substrate, but is not particularly limited to this.

The holding table 6 has a holding surface 6a on its upper surface for holding the workpiece 1. A suction groove is formed in the holding surface 6a, and the suction groove is connected to a suction source (not shown). The holding table 6 is configured to be rotatable around an axis that is perpendicular to the holding surface 6a.

An opening 16 with a long side along the X-axis direction is provided in the center of the top surface of the device base 4, and inside the opening 16 are disposed an X-axis moving table 18 located below the holding table 6 and a dustproof and drip-proof cover 20 with one end attached to the X-axis moving table 18. The holding table 6 and the X-axis moving table 18 are moved in the processing feed direction (X-axis direction) relative to the processing unit 8 by a processing feed unit (not shown) disposed in the area below the dustproof and drip-proof cover 20.

When cutting the workpiece 1, the holding table 6 is fed for machining in the X-axis direction (machining feed direction) by the machining feed unit. The holding table 6 also moves between a machining area 62 where the workpiece 1 is cut by the machining feed unit and a loading/unloading area 60 where the workpiece 1 is loaded and unloaded onto the holding table 6.

A support structure 22 having a protrusion extending above the opening 16 is erected at the rear of the upper surface of the device base 4. A pair of Y-axis guide rails 24 parallel to the Y-axis direction are provided on the front side of the support structure 22, and a Y-axis moving plate 26 is slidably attached to the Y-axis guide rails 24.

A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the Y-axis moving plate 26, and a Y-axis ball screw 28 parallel to the Y-axis guide rail 24 is screwed into this nut portion. A Y-axis pulse motor 30 is connected to one end of the Y-axis ball screw 28. When the Y-axis pulse motor 30 rotates the Y-axis ball screw 28, the Y-axis moving plate 26 moves in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis guide rail 24.

A pair of Y-axis guide rails 24, a Y-axis moving plate 26, a Y-axis ball screw 28, and a Y-axis pulse motor 30 function as an indexing feed unit Uy that indexes and feeds the processing unit 8 and the camera unit 10 in the Y-axis direction.

A pair of Z-axis guide rails 32 extending in the Z-axis direction and a Z-axis moving plate 34 slidably attached to each of the Z-axis guide rails 32 are disposed on the front surface of the Y-axis moving plate 26. A nut portion (not shown) is provided on the back surface (rear surface) of the Z-axis moving plate 34, and a Z-axis ball screw 36 parallel to the Z-axis guide rails 32 is screwed into this nut portion.

A Z-axis pulse motor 38 is connected to one end of the Z-axis ball screw 36. When the Z-axis pulse motor 38 rotates the Z-axis ball screw 36, the Z-axis moving plate 34 moves in the Z-axis direction along the Z-axis guide rail 32. The processing unit 8 and camera unit 10 are fixed to the lower front surface of the Z-axis moving plate 34.

A pair of Z-axis guide rails 32, a Z-axis moving plate 34, a Z-axis ball screw 36, and a Z-axis pulse motor 38 function as a lifting unit Uz that moves the processing unit 8 and the camera unit 10 in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the holding surface 6a of the holding table 6.

The indexing feed unit Uy and the lifting unit Uz form part of the moving unit Um, which moves the processing unit 8 relative to the holding table 6.

The machining unit 8 includes a spindle (not shown) driven by a spindle motor and an annular cutting blade 8a attached to the tip of the spindle, and machines the workpiece 1 held by the holding table 6.

The cutting blade 8a has a cutting edge on the outer periphery. The cutting edge contains, for example, abrasive grains and a binder in which the abrasive grains are dispersed. When the rotating cutting blade 8a is positioned at a predetermined height and the holding table 6 is moved in the processing feed direction, the workpiece 1 is cut by the cutting blade 8a.

The processing unit 8 has a nozzle 8b on the side of the cutting blade 8a, and cutting fluid is supplied from the nozzle 8b to the top surface of the workpiece 1 and the cutting blade 8a.

The cutting fluid supplied from the nozzle 8b is, for example, pure water. The cutting fluid has the function of cooling the workpiece 1 and the cutting blade 8a. In addition, cutting chips and the like generated by the cutting process are washed away by the cutting fluid to the outside of the workpiece 1 and removed.

A load table 40 on which the workpiece 1 before machining is placed and temporarily placed is set up adjacent to the loading/unloading area 60 on the upper surface of the device base 4. The operator temporarily places the workpiece 1 prepared on the waiting table 5 on the load table 40 at any time.

An unload table 50 is provided at another position adjacent to the loading/unloading area 60 on the top surface of the device base 4, on which the processed workpiece 1 is temporarily placed. After processing, the transport unit 9 is positioned above the holding table 6 and holds the workpiece 1 while moving it upward, while the unload table 50 moves to a transfer position below the transport unit 9, and the workpiece 1 held by the transport unit 9 is placed on the unload table 50. The unload table 50 then returns to its original position, and the workpiece 1 is transported from the unload table 50 at any timing.

The processing device 2 is equipped with a transport unit 9 for transporting the work 1 placed on the load table 40 to the holding table 6 located in the loading/unloading area 60. The transport unit 9 is provided so that movement by the moving unit Um, which moves the processing unit 8, can be selectively performed.

In this embodiment, the transport unit 9 is detachably connected to a support arm 35 fixed to the Z-axis moving plate 34, and moves in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions together with the processing unit 8.

In addition, in this embodiment, the moving unit Um that moves the transport unit 9 includes a support arm 35, a Z-axis moving plate 34, an indexing feed unit Uy, and a lifting unit Uz. Note that a separate moving unit dedicated to moving the transport unit 9 may be provided.

A standby unit 7 is provided near the wall surface 15 erected on the device base 4, for allowing the transport unit 9 to wait while it is not being moved by the moving unit Um. As will be described in detail later, the transport unit 9 waiting in the standby unit 7 is picked up by the support arm 35 and moved in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the details of the configuration of the transport unit 9. As shown in FIG.
The transport unit 9 has a connection part 91 that is configured to be detachable from the support arm 35 that constitutes the connected part of the moving unit Um, and a holding part 92 that is connected to the connection part 91 and has a holding surface 92h for holding the workpiece 1, and the waiting unit 7 is configured to support the connection part 91 so that the holding part 92 of the transport unit 9 is suspended in mid-air.

The connection part 91 of the transport unit 9 is composed of a plate-shaped member having an upper surface 91a and a lower surface 91b. A suction path 91c is formed inside the connection part 91.

The holding portion 92 of the transport unit 9 is composed of a plate-like member having an upper surface 92a and a lower surface 92b. A holding surface 92h for suction-holding the workpiece 1 is formed on the lower surface 92b of the holding portion 92. The holding portion 92 functions as a transport pad for holding and transporting the workpiece 1, and a suction portion 92m is formed on the holding surface 92h.

The connection part 91 and the holding part 92 of the transport unit 9 are connected by a connecting part 93 extending in the vertical direction. The connecting part 93 has a suction path 93c formed therein for communicating the suction path 91c of the connection part 91 with the suction part 92m formed on the holding surface 92h of the holding part 92.

The standby unit 7 is for keeping the transport unit 9 waiting at a standby position. The standby unit 7 has a support member 71 that serves as a lower support part that supports the connection part 91 of the transport unit 9 from below. The support member 71 is made of a plate-like member, and is provided, for example, on a wall surface 15 that is erected on the device base 4, as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the standby unit 7 has a pressing member 72 that serves as an upper support part that presses down on the connection part 91 of the transport unit 9 from above. The pressing member 72 is made of a plate-shaped member.

The standby unit 7 has a drive unit 73 that serves as a drive section for raising and lowering the pressing member 72. The drive unit 73 is, for example, configured as an air cylinder unit, and the pressing member 72 is connected to the tip of a rod 73a, and the pressing member 72 is raised and lowered by the advancement and retreat of the rod 73a. In this way, by providing the drive unit 73, the standby unit 7 can automatically switch between clamping and releasing the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9.

When the transport unit 9 is placed in the standby position, the lower surface of the first region 91m of the connection portion 91 is placed on the support member 71, and the upper surface of the first region 91m of the connection portion 91 is pressed from above by the pressing member 72. As a result, the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9 is clamped by the standby unit 7, and the transport unit 9 is set stably in the standby position.

In addition, at this time, the holding portion 92 of the transport unit 9 is suspended in mid-air, and the holding surface 92h is suspended in mid-air. This allows the transport unit 9 to wait without the holding surface 92h coming into contact with other parts.

The upper surface 71a of the support member 71, which serves as the lower support part of the standby unit 7, is provided with an adsorption part 71d for adsorbing and fixing the first region 91m of the connection part 91 of the transport unit. The adsorption part 71d can be formed of a magnet such as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, or can be formed of a suction pad.

The suction portion 71d may be provided on the support member 71 of the standby unit 7, on the connection portion 91 of the transport unit, or on both the support member 71 and the connection portion 91.

By providing the suction portion 71d, it is possible to prevent the connection portion 91 from tilting or becoming misaligned before the pressing member 72 starts pressing or when the pressing is released.

In this embodiment, the standby unit 7 is configured with the support member 71 and the pressing member 72, but the standby unit 7 is not limited to this configuration, and may have other configurations as long as the holding surface 92h of the transport unit 9 can be suspended in mid-air while waiting.

As shown in FIG. 4, the transport unit 9 is transported by the support arm 35 (connected part 35a) of the moving unit Um (FIG. 1).

The support arm 35 is fixed via a connecting portion 34a to the Z-axis moving plate 34, to which the processing unit 8 is fixed at the bottom. The support arm 35 may also be fixed directly to the Z-axis moving plate 34.

The support arm 35 is configured in a roughly L-shape, and the lower horizontal portion forms a connection portion 35a for connecting to the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connected portion 35a has an adsorption holding surface 35b that adsorbs to the underside of the second region 91n of the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9, and as shown in FIG. 4, the adsorption holding surface 35b lifts the second region 91n of the transport unit 9 from below, thereby holding the entire transport unit 9 in a suspended state.

As shown in FIG. 4, the suction port 35g formed on the upper surface of the suction holding surface 35b is connected to the suction source 35x via the suction passage 35h and the solenoid valve 35j formed inside the support arm 35. The negative pressure generated in the suction port 35g causes the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9 to be sucked and held by the suction holding surface 35b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the adsorption holding surface 35b is further provided with an adsorption portion 35f for enabling the second region 91n of the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9 to be adsorbed and fixed. This adsorption portion 35f can be composed of a magnet such as a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

By providing the suction portion 35f, it is possible to prevent the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9 from tilting or becoming misaligned when the transport unit 9 is held by the connected portion 35a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the suction holding surface 35b is further formed with a suction port 35e for connecting to a suction path 91c formed in the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9. The suction port 35e is connected to a suction source 35x via a suction path 35c formed inside the support arm 35 and an electromagnetic valve 35d.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the suction holding surface 35b of the support arm 35 is in contact with the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9, the suction port 35e is connected to the suction path 91c. As a result, the suction source 35x and the suction portion 92m formed on the holding surface 92h of the holding portion 92 are connected via the suction path 35c, the suction path 91c, and the suction path 93c, and negative pressure is generated in the suction portion 92m of the holding surface 92h, making it possible to suction-hold the workpiece 1.

Next, the loading and unloading of the workpiece 1 into the processing device 2 and the cutting of the workpiece 1 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, an operator places the workpiece 1 prepared on the waiting table 5 on the load table 40.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the support arm 35 (Z-axis moving plate 34) is lowered to set the connected portion 35a to a low position, and the support arm 35 is moved in the Y-axis direction to move the connected portion 35a to a position below the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9. At this time, the transport unit 9 is held by the standby unit 7 and is in a standby state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the support arm 35 is raised to bring the connected portion 35a into contact with the underside 91b of the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9, and the drive unit 73 of the standby unit 7 is driven to raise the pressure member 72, releasing the pressure on the connection portion 91 by the pressure member 72. As a result, the connection portion 91 floats up from the support member 71, and the transport unit 9 is transferred to the support arm 35 side and held there.

In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 4, when the solenoid valve 35j is opened, negative pressure is generated in the suction port 35g formed in the suction holding surface 35b, and the connection part 91 is sucked and held by the suction holding surface 35b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the support arm 35 is moved in the Y-axis direction to position the transport unit 9 above the load table 40, and the support arm 35 is lowered to bring the holding surface 92h of the transport unit 9 into contact with the upper surface of the workpiece 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the solenoid valve 35d is opened, generating negative pressure in the suction portion 92m of the holding surface 92h, and the workpiece 1 is held by suction on the holding surface 92h.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the support arm 35 is moved in the Y-axis direction to position the transport unit 9 above the holding table 6, the support arm 35 is lowered, the workpiece 1 is placed on the holding table 6, and the solenoid valve 35d is closed to release the suction of the holding surface 92h, thereby transporting the workpiece 1 onto the holding table 6.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, after the workpiece 1 is transported onto the holding table 6, the support arm 35 is raised and moved in the Y-axis direction to move the transport unit 9 to the position of the standby unit 7, and the connection portion 91 of the transport unit 9 is clamped between the support member 71 and the pressing member 72, and the transport unit 9 is placed in a standby state.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the Z-axis moving plate 34 is moved in the Y-axis direction and the processing unit 8 is positioned at a predetermined height. The holding table 6 is then fed in the X-axis direction for processing, thereby cutting the workpiece 1.

When cutting the workpiece 1, cutting fluid is sprayed from the nozzle 8b and supplied to the cutting blade 8a and the workpiece 1. Cutting chips generated from the workpiece 1 during cutting are washed away by the cutting fluid. In addition, heat generated by friction between the workpiece 1 and the cutting blade 8a is removed by the cutting fluid.

As shown in FIG. 1, after cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed, the holding table 6 is moved to the loading/unloading area 60. At this time, high-pressure gas is sprayed from the drying nozzle 56 to dry the workpiece 1.

After drying, suction of the holding surface 6a of the holding table 6 that has moved to the loading/unloading area 60 is stopped, and suction holding of the workpiece 1 is released. Thereafter, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the transport unit 9 that has been waiting is moved and positioned above the holding table 6, and the workpiece 1 is suction-held and moved upward. Next, the unload table 50 shown in Figure 1 moves to a transfer position below the transport unit 9, and the workpiece 1 held by the transport unit 9 is placed on the unload table 50. Thereafter, the unload table 50 returns to its original position, and the workpiece 1 is transported from the unload table 50 at any timing.

In the above series of steps, as shown in FIG. 9, when the transport unit 9 is placed on standby, the holding portion 92 is suspended in mid-air, and the holding surface 92h of the workpiece 1 can be placed on standby in a suspended state. This allows the transport unit 9 to be placed on standby without the holding surface 92h of the workpiece 1 coming into contact with other parts, preventing the adhesion of foreign matter to the holding surface 92h, and ultimately preventing the adhesion of foreign matter to the workpiece 1.

1 Workpiece 2 Machining device 6 Holding table 6a Holding surface 7 Standby unit 8 Machining unit 9 Transport unit 34 Z-axis moving plate 34a Connecting portion 35 Support arm 35a Connected portion 35b Suction holding surface 35c Suction path 35d Solenoid valve 35e Suction port 35f Suction portion 35g Suction port 35h Suction path 35j Solenoid valve 35x Suction source 71 Support member 71a Upper surface 71d Suction portion 72 Pressing member 73 Drive unit 73a Rod 91 Connection portion 91a Upper surface 91b Lower surface 91c Suction path 91m First region 91n Second region 92 Holding portion 92a Upper surface 92b Lower surface 92h Holding surface 92m Suction portion 93 Connection portion 93c Suction path Um Moving unit Uy Indexing feed unit Uz Lifting unit

Claims (3)

a holding table including a holding surface for holding a workpiece;
a processing unit that processes the workpiece held by the holding table;
a processing feed unit that moves the holding table in a processing feed direction relative to the processing unit;
A moving unit that moves the processing unit in an indexing feed direction perpendicular to the processing feed direction and in a direction perpendicular to the holding surface;
a transport unit that is provided to selectively enable movement by the moving unit and that transports the workpiece onto the holding table and transports the workpiece from the holding table;
A processing apparatus including: a standby unit that causes the transport unit to wait while the transport unit is not moving,
The transport unit includes:
a connecting portion configured to be detachable from a connected portion of the moving unit;
a holding portion connected to the connection portion and having a holding surface facing downward to suction- hold the workpiece;
The standby unit includes:
the connecting portion is supported so that the holding portion of the transport unit is suspended in mid-air;
The connected portion of the moving unit is provided at a position different from a position at which the processing unit is provided.
Processing equipment. The standby unit is
a lower support portion that supports the connection portion of the transport unit from below;
an upper support portion that presses the connection portion of the transport unit from above;
A drive unit that raises and lowers the upper support unit.
2. The processing device according to claim 1 . At least one of the lower support portion of the standby unit and the connection portion of the transport unit is provided with:
An adsorption portion is provided to enable the lower support portion and the connection portion to be adsorbed and fixed.
3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2.