JP7700744B2 - Linear material manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a linear material manufacturing device.

Conventionally, windings (enameled wires) have been known in which an insulating coating is formed on the surface of a conductor made of metal wire. Windings are widely used as coils in various electrical devices. Examples of electrical devices that use coils include reactors and motors for vehicles.

For example, in the coil manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1, the coil is manufactured by bending the wire into a specified coil shape while feeding it, winding it into a spiral shape, and cutting the wire at the end of the coil. On the other hand, high-efficiency motors are made of segment coils. A single coil material (also called wire material) before bending, which is the material for this segment coil, is manufactured by, for example, feeding an insulating coated rectangular conductor wire with a feeding device, peeling the coating off of parts of the conductor wire multiple times, and cutting it to the required length at the destination. Various coil materials of different lengths are required for one product.

JP 2016-46863 A

However, in the manufacturing apparatus described above, the multiple processing devices that process the windings are generally fixed, so in order to manufacture multiple types of linear material with different lengths, it was necessary to first manufacture multiple types of linear material of the first type, then change the position of the processing device and the cutting position, and then manufacture a second type of linear material with a different length from the first type of linear material. This resulted in a problem that the manufacturing process was complicated when manufacturing linear materials of different lengths, and the equipment had to be stopped temporarily when switching between linear materials to be manufactured, making it impossible to manufacture linear materials of different lengths in a systematic and productive manner.

The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a linear material manufacturing apparatus for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of types of linear materials having different lengths by feeding out a wound wire rod in a conveying direction for each conveying cycle, processing the wire rod, and then cutting the wire rod at the conveying destination. The apparatus includes an unwinding device for unwinding the wire rod in the conveying direction, a processing device for processing the wire rod, the processing device being movable in position along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, a conveying device for conveying the wire rod in the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, the conveying device being disposed downstream of the processing device in the conveying direction and movable in position along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, a cutting device fixed at a predetermined position and cutting the wire rod processed by the plurality of processing devices, and a position of the processing device and the conveying device for each conveying cycle calculated using information on the length of the linear material, and a cutting device for cutting the wire rod processed by the plurality of processing devices and the conveying device for each conveying cycle. and a control device for controlling a position, in which, when calculating the position of a calculation target device which is the processing device or the transport device targeted for calculating the position for each transport cycle, the control device calculates the position of the calculation target device by adding up the lengths of the linear material intervening between the cutting device and the calculation target device, stores line-length related information which is information related to the length of the linear material to be processed in each of the processes in a plurality of data storage boxes provided corresponding to a plurality of processes including a next processing process which is a process prior to processing by the processing device and which is a process heading toward the processing device, a processing process by the processing device, and a transport process by the transport device, and uses the stored line-length related information to a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; a data storage box that is set for the next transport cycle; A mark indicating a defective part is given to each linear material manufacturing apparatus, and the linear material manufacturing apparatus further includes a detection unit that detects the defective part between the unwinding device and a first processing device which is the processing device closest to the unwinding device, and when the tip of the mark in the transport direction is detected by the detection unit, the control device calculates the distance from the first processing device to the tip for each transport cycle, compares the distance with the wire length related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step, and when the distance becomes shorter than the length of the linear material in the next processing step, inserts discarded wire type information, which indicates that the wire type is to be discarded as the wire length related information, in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step.

(1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a linear material manufacturing apparatus for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of types of linear materials having different lengths by sending out a wound wire rod in a conveying direction for each conveying cycle, processing the wire rod, and then cutting the wire rod at a conveying destination, the linear material manufacturing apparatus including an unwinding device for unwinding the wire rod in the conveying direction, a processing device for processing the wire rod and capable of moving a position along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, a conveying device for conveying the wire rod in the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, the conveying device being provided downstream of the processing device in the conveying direction and capable of moving a position along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, a cutting device fixed at a predetermined position for cutting the wire rod processed by the plurality of processing devices, and a control device for calculating the positions of the processing device and the conveying device for each conveying cycle using information on the length of the linear material, and for controlling the positions of the plurality of processing devices and the conveying devices for each conveying cycle.
According to the linear material manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, the control device calculates the positions of the processing device and the conveying device for each conveying cycle using information on the length of the linear material, and controls the positions for each conveying cycle. Therefore, the wound wire is sequentially unwound in the conveying direction by the unwinding device, and the processed wire is cut by the cutting device, so that linear materials of different lengths can be produced continuously in sequence. In other words, productivity can be improved.
(2) In the above embodiment, when calculating the position of a calculation target device, which is the processing device or the conveying device for which the position for each conveying cycle is to be calculated, the control device may calculate the position of the calculation target device by adding up the length of the linear material interposed between the cutting device and the calculation target device.
According to this form of linear material manufacturing apparatus, the position of the calculation target apparatus can be easily calculated by adding up the line type information of the linear material located between the cutting apparatus and the calculation target apparatus.
(3) In the above embodiment, the control device stores line length related information, which is information related to the length of the linear material to be processed in each of the processes, in a plurality of data storage boxes provided corresponding to a plurality of processes including a next processing process which is a process prior to processing by the processing device and which is a process heading to the processing device, a processing process by the processing device, and a transport process by the transport device, and calculates the position of the calculation target device using the stored line length related information, and the control device executes a transfer process each time each transport cycle is completed, transferring the line length related information stored in the data storage box set for that transport cycle to the data storage box set for the next transport cycle, and when executing the transfer process, transfers the line length related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to each of the processes in that transport cycle to the data storage box corresponding to the next process relative to that process in the next transport cycle, and in the next transport cycle, calculates the position of the calculation target device in the next transport cycle using the line length related information transferred to the data storage box.
According to this form of linear material manufacturing apparatus, the control device stores linear length-related information, which is information related to the length of the linear material to be processed in each process, in multiple data storage boxes provided corresponding to each process. Then, by a transfer process executed each time a transport cycle is completed, the linear length-related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to each process in that transport cycle is transferred to the data storage box corresponding to the next process in the next transport cycle. Therefore, by using the transferred linear length-related information in the next transport cycle, the position of the calculation target device can be easily calculated.
(4) In the above embodiment, a plurality of the processing devices may be provided, and a plurality of the processing steps may be performed on the wire by the plurality of processing devices. According to the linear material manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, a plurality of processing steps can be performed on the wire by the plurality of processing devices, so that a linear material that requires a plurality of processes before cutting can be manufactured.
(5) In the above embodiment, a mark indicating a defective portion is provided on the wire, and a detection unit that detects the defective portion is further provided between the unwinding device and a first processing device, which is the processing device closest to the unwinding device, and the control device, when the detection unit detects the tip of the mark in the conveying direction, calculates the distance from the first processing device to the tip for each conveying cycle, compares the distance with the wire length related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step, and, when the distance becomes shorter than the length of the linear material in the next processing step, inserts discarded wire type information, which indicates that the wire type is to be discarded as the wire length related information, in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step.
According to this form of wire material manufacturing device, the detection unit detects a mark indicating a defective part of the wire material, and the control unit calculates the distance from the first processing device to the tip of the mark and compares this distance with the wire type information stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step. Then, when the distance becomes shorter than the length of the wire type information for the next processing step, the discard wire type information is interrupted. In this way, by performing processing based on the detection of the tip of the mark, it is possible to interrupt the discard wire type information during sequential production.
(6) In the above embodiment, when the detection unit detects the end of the mark in the transport direction and the end is transported downstream in the transport direction from the first processing device, the control device may store the line length related information in accordance with the sequence in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step so that the linear material to be next processed in the first processing device follows the sequence.
According to this embodiment of the wire material manufacturing device, the wire type information can be restored to the correct order by performing processing based on the detection of the end of the mark. By performing processing based on the detection of the beginning and end of the mark, the amount of non-defective products contained in the discarded windings can be minimized without stopping the equipment. The discarded portion can be reduced to the minimum necessary.
(7) In the above embodiment, the wire may be an insulating-coated copper wire having a rectangular cross section, which is a material for the segment coil, and the processing device may be a stripping device that strips the insulating coating. According to this embodiment of the linear material manufacturing device, the insulating coating of the insulating-coated copper wire having a rectangular cross section, which is a material for the segment coil, is stripped and cut, thereby efficiently manufacturing the linear material in a systematic manner.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a wire-shaped material manufacturing apparatus in a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a system configuration of the wire material manufacturing apparatus. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of a linear material manufacturing method executed by a control device. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a wire-shaped material manufacturing apparatus in a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a wire-shaped material manufacturing apparatus in a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for detecting the leading edge of a mark, which is executed by the control device. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for mark end detection processing executed by the control device. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a wire-shaped material manufacturing apparatus in a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of a linear material manufacturing method executed by a control device. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a wire-shaped material manufacturing apparatus in a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing, in a table form, a storage format of line type information read into each process for each transport cycle. FIG.

A. First embodiment:
A1. Overall configuration of the wire material manufacturing device 1:
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a linear material manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the linear material manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an unwinding device 11, a straightening device 12, a processing unit 13, a conveying unit 14, a cutting device 15, a loading device 16, a stocker 17, and a control device 30 (see Fig. 2).

The wire material manufacturing device 1 of the first embodiment produces multiple types of wire material of different lengths to be used as material for segment coils by feeding out a rectangular copper wire W (hereinafter simply referred to as "rectangular wire W") wound around a drum 6 in predetermined amounts, subjecting it to multiple stripping processes, and cutting it to predetermined lengths. The rectangular wire W is an insulating coated copper wire with a rectangular cross section, and corresponds to "wire material." Segment coils are used in high-efficiency motors, for example as drive motors for vehicles. Coils for high-efficiency motors are made by assembling the segment coils in a sequential order.

The flat copper wire W that is the material for the segment coils is manufactured by stretching and softening the unwound wire rod to make it into a conductor, and then forming an insulating coating on the surface of the conductor. The flat conductor wire is wound around a drum 6 and placed in the unwinding device 11. Hereinafter, the flat copper wire W wound around the drum 6 will simply be referred to as the "winding".

The unwinding device 11 is a device that unwinds the winding in the transport direction from the drum 6 on which the winding is wound. The straightening device 12 is a device that straightens the winding tendency of the winding. The processing section 13 is a device that performs a stripping process of the insulating coating of the winding, and is composed of a first processing device 21, a second processing device 22, a third processing device 23, a fourth processing device 24, and a fifth processing device 25.

The processing devices 21 to 25 are, for example, peeling device units having a punch (not shown), a die, and a servomotor as a drive device. A cutting blade is provided at the tip of the punch, and a receiving blade is provided on the die. The punch can move up and down relative to the die as the eccentric cam rotates, for example, when driven by the servomotor. The punch is driven with respect to the rectangular wire W whose posture is maintained, and the cutting blade punches out a predetermined portion of the rectangular wire W, peeling off the insulating coating from the predetermined portion. The necessary peeling processes (Process 1 to Process 5) are performed in sequence by each of the processing devices 21 to 25.

In this embodiment, the rear end of any n-1th linear material and the front end of the nth linear material are processed by one peeling device unit. Then, after processing 1 to 5 are performed on the rectangular wire W, the center of the processed portion is cut by the cutting device 15 to cut out the linear material.

Processing 1 to processing 5 performed by processing devices 21 to 25 specifically include, for example, peeling of the top and bottom surfaces and left and right side surfaces at a specific portion of the rectangular wire W, and chamfering of the corners of the peeled portion. Note that, although five processing devices 21 to 25 are provided in this embodiment, the number of processing devices is not limited to five and can be set appropriately according to the product, since the processes and the number of processes required differ depending on the product.

The conveying unit 14 is a device that conveys the rectangular wire W sequentially to the next processing device. The conveying unit 14 is equipped with a first conveying device 26 and a second conveying device 27. Each conveying device 26, 27 has a chuck mechanism capable of gripping the rectangular wire W, and is capable of conveying the rectangular wire W gripped by the chuck mechanism in the conveying direction and returning to the chuck position. Each conveying device 26, 27 alternates between gripping and conveying the rectangular wire W. In other words, when the chuck mechanism of one conveying device grips the rectangular wire W and sends it in the conveying direction, the chuck mechanism of the other conveying device at the destination is open, and the conveying devices 26, 27 are switched in order to convey the rectangular wire W alternately.

Each of the processing devices 21-25 and each of the conveying devices 26, 27 is self-propelled and can move to a position parallel to the conveying line in which the rectangular wire W extends in the conveying direction for each conveying cycle of the rectangular wire W. As a driving mechanism for self-propelling each device, for example, a rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by a servo motor or a linear actuator mechanism having an electromagnet can be used. Calculation of the positions of each of the processing devices 21-25 and each of the conveying devices 26, 27 for each conveying cycle and movement control to the calculated positions (hereinafter simply referred to as "calculated positions") are performed by the control device 30. Details of the calculation of the calculated positions and the control of each device to the calculated positions will be described later in the linear material manufacturing method below.

The cutting device 15 cuts the rectangular wire W processed by the multiple processing devices 21 to 25 to a predetermined product length. The cutting device 15 is, for example, a cutter, and cuts the rectangular wire W and separates it from the winding. Unlike the above-mentioned processing devices 21 to 25 and the transport devices 26 and 27, the cutting device 15 is fixed at a predetermined position. The loading device 16 is a device that loads the rectangular wire W cut by the cutting device 15 into the stocker 17. The stocker 17 temporarily stores the cut rectangular wire W before transferring it to the next bending process. The stocker 17 has multiple steps corresponding to the bending station (not shown) to which the rectangular wire W is transferred after peeling and cutting. The rectangular wire W cut by the cutting device 15 is appropriately sorted and loaded into the steps of the stocker 17 by the loading device 16.

A2. System configuration of the wire material manufacturing device 1:
2 is a control block diagram showing the system configuration of the linear material manufacturing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 30 provided in the linear material manufacturing apparatus 1 is connected to various processing mechanism units 40 including the various processing mechanisms (unwinding device 11, straightening device 12, each processing device 21-25, conveying devices 26, 27, cutting device 15, loading device 16, and stocker 17) described above in detail, so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control device 30 includes a CPU 31 and a storage unit 32. The control device 30 is a microcomputer including ROM, RAM, and other input/output ports (not shown), and controls the entire linear material manufacturing apparatus 1. The control device 30 is connected to a production management system 50, and receives instructions from the production management system 50, such as the order of vehicle models to be produced, which is the model of a vehicle equipped with a motor using the linear material.

The CPU 31 functions as an operation control unit 33, a line type information transmission/reception unit 34, a position calculation unit 35, and a processing unit 36 by expanding various programs stored in the memory unit 32. The operation control unit 33 controls the movement and operation of the various processing mechanism units 40. The line type information transmission/reception unit 34 transmits and receives line type information. Here, "line type information" is an example of "line length related information" that is information related to the length of the linear material to be processed, and includes information on the length of the linear material. The position calculation unit 35 calculates the positions of each of the processing devices 21-25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27 for each transport cycle. The processing unit 36 executes various calculation processes and various judgment processes associated with the results of the calculation processes, which will be described later.

A3. Method for manufacturing wire material by wire material manufacturing device 1:
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the linear material manufacturing method executed by the control device 30 of the linear material manufacturing device 1 described above in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the linear material manufacturing method includes a wire type information reading step (S10), a position calculation step (S20), a product work loading step (S30), a peeling processing step (S40), a cutting step (S50), and a wire type information transfer step (S60). The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is executed for each conveyance cycle. In the example of this embodiment, eight product works A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H having different lengths are manufactured in the order of product works A to H. The product works A to H are linear materials that are materials for segment coils that constitute motors for vehicles of any vehicle type.

In the line type information reading process (S10), the line type information of the products handled by each processing device 21-25 and each transport device 26, 27 is read from a data storage box Db (hereinafter also simply referred to as "storage box Db") by the line type information transmitting/receiving unit 34. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the storage format of the line type information read for each process for each transport cycle in table T1. For each transport cycle, line type information is read and assigned to the data storage box Db corresponding to each process. As shown in Figure 4, the line type information of one of the products manufactured in sequence is stored in the storage box Db corresponding to each process.

The storage boxes Db are provided corresponding to each of the processes of "next processing", "processing 1", "processing 2", "processing 3", "processing 4", "processing 5", "conveyance", "before cutting", and "after cutting". Each of these processes is executed in order in the conveyance direction. The "next processing" process is a process before processing by the first processing device 21 and toward the processing device 21. The "next processing" storage box Db is a storage box Db corresponding to the area from the imaginary boundary line S (see FIG. 1) located between the unwinding device 11 and the first processing device 21 to the first processing device 21, and stores data for preparing in advance the line type information to be passed to the first processing device 21 next.

The storage box Db for "Processing 1" stores line type information for the product to be processed by the first processing device 21 in the corresponding cycle. The storage box Db for "Processing 2" stores line type information for the product to be processed by the second processing device 22 in the corresponding cycle. The storage box Db for "Processing 3" stores line type information for the product to be processed by the third processing device 23 in the corresponding cycle. The storage box Db for "Processing 4" stores line type information for the product to be processed by the fourth processing device 24 in the corresponding cycle. The storage box Db for "Processing 5" stores line type information for the product to be processed by the fifth processing device 25 in the corresponding cycle.

The "transport" storage box Db stores wire type information of the product transported in the transport process by the transport unit 14 in the corresponding cycle. The "pre-cut" process is a process in which the linear material is in a position to be cut in the next transport cycle. The "pre-cut" storage box Db is a storage box Db corresponding to the section from the transport unit 14 to the cutting device 15, and stores data to be passed on to the cutting device 15 next. The "post-cut" process is a process in which the cut linear material is passed on to the stocker 17. The "post-cut" storage box Db is a storage box Db corresponding to the section from the cutting device 15 to the stocker 17 in the corresponding cycle, and stores information on the product cut from the winding. The information in the "post-cut" storage box Db is wire type information of the product work (any of A to G) that has been peeled and cut by the linear material manufacturing device 1.

In the position calculation step (S20), the position calculation unit 35 calculates the positions of each of the processing devices 21-25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27. Specifically, the positions of each of the processing devices 21-25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27 during the nth cycle are calculated by adding up the line type information of the linear material between the processing devices 21-25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27 and the calculation target device, with the position of the fixed cutting device 15 as the reference. Note that before being cut, each linear material is not separated individually, but the state in which the linear materials are connected can be captured, and it can be said that these connected linear materials are between the cutting device 15 and the calculation target device.

Here, the line type information of product work A is La, the line type information of product work B is Lb, the line type information of product work C is Lc, the line type information of product work D is Ld, the line type information of product work E is Le, the line type information of product work F is Lf, the line type information of product work G is Lg, and the line type information of product work H is Lh. Note that hereinafter, "line type information of product work" is also simply referred to as "line type length." Also, each of the processing devices 21 to 25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27 corresponds to the "device to be calculated." Specifically, the positions of each of the processing devices 21 to 25 and each of the transport devices 26, 27 during the nth cycle are calculated using the following formula.

Position of the second conveying device 27: L7=Lb
Position of the first conveying device 26: L6=Lb+Lc
Position of the fifth processing device 25: L5=Lb+Lc+Ld
Position of the fourth processing device 24: L4=Lb+Lc+Ld+Le
Position of the third processing device 23: L3=Lb+Lc+Ld+Le+Lf
Position of the second processing device 22: L2=Lb+Lc+Ld+Le+Lf+Lg
Position of the first processing device 21: L1=Lb+Lc+Ld+Le+Lf+Lg+Lh

In the product workpiece loading process (S30), the cut workpieces A to H are loaded into the stocker 17 by the loading device 16. The position calculation process (S20) and the product workpiece loading process (S30) are performed in parallel and almost simultaneously.

In the peeling process (S40), the processing devices 21-25 move to the positions calculated in S20 and perform the specified processing. In the cutting process (S50), the cutting device 15 cuts the rectangular wire W from the winding. The peeling process (S40) and the cutting process (S50) are performed in parallel and almost simultaneously. In the wire type information transfer process (S60), the wire type information of the product targeted in the current transport cycle is transferred to the next process by the wire type information transmission/reception unit 34. In table T1 in FIG. 4, the diagonal arrows represent the state in which wire type information is transferred to the next process. The wire type information transfer process (S60) corresponds to the transfer process. This ends this processing routine.

Through the above process, as shown in Figure 4, product work A is completed in cycle n, product work B is completed in cycle n+1, and product work C is completed in cycle n+2. Similarly, products are manufactured in sequence for each transport cycle in the order of product work D, E, F, G, etc.

(effect)
According to the linear material manufacturing apparatus 1 and linear material manufacturing method of the first embodiment, the positions of the processing devices 21 to 25 and the transport devices 26, 27 are calculated in the position calculation step (S20) based on the line type information read in the line type information reading step (S10). Then, at the position corresponding to that cycle (e.g., n cycle), processing by the processing unit 13 and transport by the transport unit 14 are performed. Then, each time the processing/transport process is completed, the line type information is transferred to the next step in S60. Then, in the next transport cycle (e.g., n+1 cycle), the line type information is read in (S10) and the positions of the processing devices 21 to 25 and the transport devices 26, 27 are recalculated.

By repeating the above process, product workpieces A to H of different lengths can be produced in sequence in succession. In addition, the various product workpieces produced by the linear material production device 1 are then bent and welded with each product workpiece lined up in sequence. For example, when multiple product workpieces A are produced and then multiple product workpieces B are produced, it was necessary to rearrange the products when sending them to the subsequent process as described above. In this regard, according to the first embodiment, product workpieces A to H of different lengths are produced in sequence, so rearrangement is unnecessary and efficient.

B. Second embodiment:
B1. Overall structure:
Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. In the second embodiment and each of the following embodiments, the overall configuration of the linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 and the schematic configuration of the control device 3 (Figure 2) are substantially similar to those of the first embodiment, so that substantially the same parts are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted. Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams showing the overall schematic configuration of the linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 in the second embodiment of the present disclosure. The linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment differs from the linear material manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in that it further includes a mark detection sensor 28 that detects a defective part mark 41.

The winding (rectangular wire W) used in the second embodiment is provided with a defective part mark 41 that indicates a defective part. The defective part mark 41 is a mark that is applied in advance to a defective part of the winding. The defective part is, for example, a pinhole, or a bulge or peeling of the coating. The defective part mark 41 is colored in a marking process at a defective part of the winding detected in the defective part inspection process, over a range of several mm before and after the defective part.

Methods for inspecting defects in the insulating coating include, for example, detecting blistering or peeling by capturing an image of the winding surface with a CCD camera or the like and processing the captured image with an image processing device, or detecting the thickness of the insulating coating formed on the winding surface by measuring it with a laser displacement meter. Pinholes can be detected, for example, by measuring the insulation resistance with a voltage resistance tester (spark tester). The marking process involves marking the defective parts in black using, for example, an inkjet printer.

The mark detection sensor 28 is provided between the unwinding device 11 and the straightening device 12. In this embodiment, the mark detection sensor 28 is a color sensor, and reads the defective part mark 41 that is pre-attached to the winding. The mark detection sensor 28 corresponds to the "detection unit."

Figure 5 shows the state when the leading edge 42 of the defective part mark 41 is detected. Figure 6 shows the state when the trailing edge 43 of the defective part mark 41 is detected. Note that in Figures 5 and 6, "detection" does not refer to the moment when the mark detection sensor 28, which will be described later, detects the defective part mark 41 during winding transport, but rather to the state when the defective part mark 41 is detected during winding transport and the transport cycle in which the mark 41 was detected ends and stops.

In the second embodiment, the same control as in the first embodiment (flowchart shown in FIG. 3) is executed, while at the same time, the leading edge 42 and trailing edge 43 of the defective part mark 41 are detected by the mark detection sensor 28. Furthermore, since the defective part mark 41 cannot be included in the product, in the second embodiment, information indicating a discarded wire type is assigned to the corresponding part of the winding including the defective part mark 41. Furthermore, the subsequent part of the winding including the defective part mark 41, where a product can be manufactured, is manufactured continuously by restoring the wire type information in the order. In other words, the processing of the winding having the defective part mark 41 is skipped, and the minimum necessary amount of winding is discarded. This will be described in detail below together with the flow chart.

B2. Detection of the mark leading edge 42:
7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the mark tip detection process executed by the control device 30 of the linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment. This mark tip detection is executed when the conveyance starts. As shown in FIG. 7, in S101, the processing unit 36 judges whether or not the tip 42 of the defective part mark 41 is detected by the mark detection sensor 28. If the tip 42 of the defective part mark 41 is not detected (S101: NO), the process returns and the present control routine is repeated.

When the tip 42 of the defective part mark 41 is detected (S101: YES), the process proceeds to S102, where the processing unit 36 calculates the distance L from the first processing device 21 (processing 1) to the tip 42 of the mark 41. Next, in S103, the processing unit 36 determines whether the calculated distance L is smaller than the length of the product workpiece of the next processing. When the distance L is equal to or smaller than the length of the product workpiece of the next processing (S103: YES), the process proceeds to S104, where the discard line type Z is interrupted in the storage box Db of the next processing. On the other hand, when the distance L is longer than the length of the product workpiece of the next processing in S103 (S103: NO), the process returns to S102, and the calculation process of the distance L is repeated.

Figure 8 shows, in table T21, the storage format of the line type information read into each process for each transport cycle, and includes the cycle in which the mark tip 42 was detected. In this example, eight types of product workpieces A to H are manufactured in sequence, and the mark tip 42 is detected in cycle n, and then the mark tip 42 reaches the next processing process in cycle 4. As shown in Figure 8, in cycle n+4, the data that would normally be stored in the storage box Db for the next processing is "E", but the discard line type Z is interrupted. This is because the defective part mark 41 will reach the first processing device 21 in the next cycle "n+5".

In this way, the distance L is constantly calculated, and when the defective part mark 41 is not sufficient to cover the length of the product workpiece to be processed next, the discard line type Z, which is information to be discarded, is stored. The discard line type Z is inserted until the mark end 43 passes, that is, until the mark end 43 reaches the first processing device 21.

[Method of calculating distance L from first processing device 21 (processing step 1) to mark tip 42]
Next, a method for calculating the distance L from the first processing device 21 (processing 1) to the mark tip 42 will be described. The mark tip 42 is detected while the rectangular wire W is being transported. If the amount of movement from the moment of detection to the end of the transport cycle in which the detection occurred is ΔL, then the distance Ln from the first processing device 21 to the mark tip 42 at the end of the nth cycle in which the mark was detected is given by:
Ln=LS-L1-△L
(L1: distance from the cutting device 15 to the first processing device 21) Here, LS (see FIG. 5) is the distance from the cutting device 15 to the mark detection sensor 28, and is a fixed value.

The distance that the rectangular wire W is transported in each cycle is the length of the wire cut out in the post-cutting process in the next transport cycle. In other words, the wire length in the pre-cutting process in the previous transport cycle is the transport distance. If the wire length before cutting is LI, then the distance Ln ₊₁ from the first processing device 21 to the mark tip 42 in the next cycle is
L _n+1 =Ln-LI=LS-L1-△L-LI
It is expressed as:

In this case, if the length of each line type is expressed by the lowercase letter of the line type (e.g., La), according to the above table T21 (FIG. 8), the line type for the pre-cutting process in the nth cycle is "B", so
L _n+1 = LS-L1-△L-LI=LS-L1-△L-Lb
This value is compared with the line length (L0) of the next processing step.
L _n+1 =Ln-L1-LI= LS-L1-△L-Lb>L0=La
The comparison in the above formula corresponds to the process of S103. This is repeated every cycle, and when the distance L from the first processing device 21 to the mark tip 42 becomes smaller than the line type length L0 of the next processing step, that is, when L<L0, the mark tip 42 has reached the next processing step. At this time, the sequential line type information of the next processing step is replaced with the discarded line type.

B3. Detection of the end of the mark 43:
Next, detection of the mark end 43 will be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for detecting the mark end 43, which is executed by the control device 30 of the linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 9 is executed after the mark front end 42 is detected in the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 9, in S111, the processing unit 36 judges whether or not the end 43 of the defective part mark 41 has been detected by the mark detection sensor 28. If the end 43 of the defective part mark 41 has not been detected (S111: NO), the processing ends.

When the mark end 43 is detected (S111: YES), the process proceeds to S112, where the processing unit 36 calculates the distance L' from the first processing device 21 (processing 1) to the mark end 43. Next, in S113, the processing unit 36 determines whether the calculated distance L' is less than 0. When the distance L' is less than 0 (S113: YES), the process proceeds to S114, where the line type information according to the order is stored in the storage box Db for the next processing. That is, the discarded line type Z is returned to the line type information according to the original order. On the other hand, when the distance L is 0 or more in S113 (S113: NO), the process returns to S112, where the calculation process of the distance L' is repeated.

Figure 10 shows, in table T22, the storage format of the line type information read into the storage box Db for each process for each transport cycle, including the cycle in which the mark end 43 was detected. In this example, eight types of product workpieces A to H are manufactured in sequence, the mark end 43 is detected in cycle m, and then the mark end 43 reaches the next processing process in cycle 4. Furthermore, the number of pieces to be discarded is set to two. As shown in Figure 10, in cycle m+4, the line type information "E" in accordance with the sequence is stored in the storage box Db for the next processing, instead of "discard line type Z". This is because in cycle m+4, the mark end 43 reaches the processing 1 process, so the product workpiece can be manufactured from the next cycle.

[Method of Calculating Distance L′ from First Processing Device 21 (Processing 1) to Mark End 43]
Next, a method for calculating the distance L' (see FIG. 6) from the first processing device 21 (processing step 1) to the mark end 43 will be described. The end 43 of the defective part mark 41 is detected while the rectangular wire W is being transported. If the amount of movement from the moment of detection to the end of the transport cycle at the time of detection is ΔL', then the distance L'm from the first processing device 21 to the mark end 43 at the end of m cycles at which the mark was detected is given by:
L'm=LS-L1-△L'
It is expressed as:

Here, the distance that the rectangular wire W is transported in each transport cycle is the length of the wire type cut out in the post-cutting process of the next transport cycle. In other words, it is the length of the wire type in the pre-cutting process of the previous transport cycle. If the pre-cutting wire type length is L'I, the distance L' _m+1 from the first processing device 21 to the mark end 43 in the next transport cycle is given by:
L' _m+1 = L'm-L'I= LS-L1-△L'-L'I
In this case, if the length of each line type is expressed by a lowercase letter (e.g., La), the line type for the pre-cutting process is "D" according to the above table T22 (Fig. 10), so
L' _m+1 = LS-L1-△L'-L'I=LS-L1-△L'-Ld
It is expressed as follows. Check whether this value is less than 0.

L' _m+1 =L'm-L'I=LS-L1-△L'-Ld <0?
The comparison in the above formula corresponds to the process of S113. This is repeated every cycle. When the distance L of the mark end 43 from the first processing device 21 becomes smaller than 0 (when L<0), the mark end 43 has reached the first processing step. At this time, the discarded line type information for the next processing is returned to the sequential line type information. That is, in the above-described process, when the end 43 is detected by the mark detection sensor 28 and the end 43 has been transported downstream in the transport direction from the first processing device 21 (S113: YES), the line length related information according to the sequential order is stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step so that the linear material to be processed next in the first processing device 21 follows the sequential order.

(effect)
According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, by performing the process based on the detection of the mark leading edge 42 as described above, it is possible to interrupt discarded wire type information during sequential production. Furthermore, by performing the process based on the detection of the mark trailing edge 43, sequential wire type information can be restored. Therefore, by performing the process based on the detection of the mark leading edge 42 and trailing edge 43, the amount of non-defective products contained in the discarded rectangular wire W can be minimized without stopping the equipment. The discarded portion can be minimized.

C. Third embodiment:
Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a linear material manufacturing apparatus 3 in the third embodiment of the present disclosure. The linear material manufacturing apparatus 3 differs from the linear material manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment in that it further includes a waste chute 18 and automatically performs waste processing of waste wire type Z. The other configurations are the same. The waste chute 18 is disposed downstream of the cutting device 15 in the conveying direction, and stores cut material corresponding to the waste wire type Z.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the linear material manufacturing method executed by the control device 30 of the linear material manufacturing device 3. It differs from the flowchart shown in Figure 3 in that processing steps S11 and S12 are added after S10. The other processing is similar. In the third embodiment, before the product work loading process (S30) by the loading device 16, in S11, the processing unit 36 determines whether the line type of the work after cutting is the discard line type Z. Note that information on the discard line type is transferred to the previous process as in the above embodiments.

If the line type of the workpiece is the waste line type Z (S11: YES), the process proceeds to S12, and the cut workpiece is discharged by the loading device 16 to the waste chute 18 instead of the stocker 17. On the other hand, if the line type of the cut workpiece is not the waste line type Z (S11: NO), the process proceeds to S30, and the cut workpiece is loaded into the stocker 17 by the loading device 16.

Figure 13 shows the storage format of the line type information that is read into each process for each transport cycle in Table T3. In the example shown in Figure 13, eight types of product workpieces A to H are manufactured in sequence, and the example shows that discarded workpieces reach the post-cutting process during the nth and n+1th cycles. The number of discarded pieces is two.

In the example shown in Table T3 in FIG. 13, in cycles n and n+1, the discarded work is in the post-cutting process, so the loading device 16 delivers the discarded work to the discard chute 18. From cycle n+2, the product work (order-built line type) is sent to the post-cutting process again, so the loading device 16 starts loading the product work into the stocker 17.

(effect)
According to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, since the loading device 16 discharges the waste workpiece to the waste chute 18 based on the waste line type information, the waste workpiece can be automatically discharged outside the machine. This eliminates the need for the waste workpiece removal work that requires equipment stoppage, and improves equipment operation and productivity.

D. Fourth embodiment:
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 14 and 15. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of the wire material manufacturing apparatus 4 in the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The wire material manufacturing apparatus 4 differs from the wire material manufacturing apparatus 3 in the third embodiment in that the mark detection sensor 28 also functions as an end detection sensor for detecting the end 44 of the winding. The other configurations are the same. The end detection sensor detects the end 44, which is the end of the winding of the winding. In the third embodiment, when the end 44 of the winding is detected by the end detection sensor, products are produced until the remaining length reaches the limit length that can be discharged by the loading device 16 as a waste work, and the end copper wire is automatically disposed of without stopping the equipment. This will be described in detail below.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the storage format of the wire type information read into each process for each transport cycle in table T4. In table T4, the discard wire type is Z', the terminal discard wire type is Z", and no wire type (after passing the terminal) is N. In order for the loading device 16 to grab and discard the wire into the discard chute 18, it is necessary to secure a minimum length from the end 44 of the winding that allows such an operation, and the discard wire type of the rearmost part including the end 44 is "terminal discard wire type Z". And the discard wire type immediately before that is "discard wire type Z'". In the example shown in Figure 15, eight types of product workpieces A to H are manufactured in sequence, and an example is shown in which the discard workpiece at the end 44 (discard wire type Z') reaches the next processing process in the nth cycle and reaches the post-cutting process in the mth cycle.

[Method of calculating distance L″ from first processing device 21 (processing step 1) to winding end 44]
Next, a method for calculating the distance L" (see FIG. 14) from the first processing device 21 (processing step 1) to the winding end 44 will be described. The winding end 44 is detected while the rectangular wire W is being transported. If the amount of movement from the moment of detection to the end of the transport cycle in which the detection is made is ΔL", then the distance L"k from the first processing device 21 to the end 44 at the end of the kth cycle in which the end 44 was detected is given by:
L”k=L”S-L1-△L”
L″S is the distance from the cutting device 15 to the end detection sensor, and is a fixed value.

Here, the distance by which the rectangular wire W is transported in each cycle is the wire length cut out in the post-cutting process of the next transport cycle, so the transport distance is the wire length in the pre-cutting process of the previous transport cycle. If the wire length before cutting is L″I, the distance L″ _k+1 from the first processing device 21 to the winding end 44 in the next transport cycle is given by:
L” _k+1 =L”k-L”I=L”S-L1-△L”-L”I
Here, if the final work length is L"E in order to reliably discharge the winding end 44, the length of the waste work just before the final work must be made variable. Since the shortest work length that can be produced by the equipment is LZ, the total waste length L"Z of the end 44 must satisfy the following condition.
2xLZ+L”E≧L”Z>LZ+L”E

In other words, if it is checked every cycle whether the distance L" from the first processing device 21 to the winding end 44 satisfies the above condition, the timing to change from the normal wire type to the discarded wire type can be known. If the determination is made in the next processing step based on the timing of the wire type information transfer (see the flowchart shown in FIG. 12),
2xLZ+L"E≧L"-L0>LZ+L"E (L0: line length of the next processing step) ... Condition (1)
In this case, the length L'Z' of the discarded line type "Z'" (the discarded workpiece just before the final workpiece) is:
L'Z'=L"-L0-L"E
It is expressed as:

When the above condition (1) is satisfied, the line type information for the next processing step can be changed to the discard line type "Z'". As shown in Table T4, if the discard line type reaches the next processing step in the nth cycle, the following condition will be met at the end of the n-1th cycle.
2xLZ+L”E≧L” _n-1 -La＞LZ+L”E (La: from the line type A of the next processing process)
In this case, the line length L'Z' of the discarded line type "Z'" is L'Z'=L"-La-L"E.

In the next cycle (n+1 cycle), the end discard wire type "Z" which will be the final work in the next processing process is stored, and the wire length is processed to L"E. Furthermore, since there is no rectangular wire W to be supplied from the next cycle onwards, no wire type "N" is stored and operation is stopped. In this way, the discard wire type [Z'], end discard wire type "Z", and no line type "N" are stored, and when the discard wire type information reaches the post-cutting process, the loading device 16 automatically removes the discard work at the end 44.

(effect)
According to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to produce a product workpiece close to the winding end 44 unwound from the bobbin, which improves the yield of the winding and eliminates the need for work that requires equipment stoppage, thereby improving productivity and operation rate.

E. Other embodiments (E1) In the above embodiments, product workpieces A to H are manufactured as materials constituting a motor to be mounted on a certain vehicle. By setting the line type information, following the manufacture of product workpieces A to H, it is possible to continuously manufacture product workpieces as materials constituting different motors to be mounted on different vehicles. In other words, by setting the line type information, continuous manufacture is possible without stopping the equipment, and so-called mixed production, in which motors for a plurality of vehicle types are manufactured in a mixed manner, is possible.

A specific example will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the storage form of the wire type information read into each process for each transport cycle in table T5. The form shown in FIG. 16 shows an example of wire type information when the product is switched, in which product workpieces A to H, which are the material for product P1, and product workpieces A' to H', which are the material for product P2, are alternately manufactured. Note that products P1 and P2 are products that can be made with the same winding. As shown in FIG. 16, in the nth cycle, switching begins from product P1 to product P2, and as the cycle progresses, the wire type of product P2 is filled in the equipment, and at the point of m+2 cycle, all processes are switched to the wire type of product P2 and the switching is completed. During this time, it is not necessary to stop the equipment. In addition, automatic switching from product P2 to product P1 or other products that can be made with the same winding is also possible, making mixed-flow production possible.

(E2) In each of the above embodiments, the conveying section 14 is configured with two conveying devices 26, 27, but it may be configured with only one conveying device. It may be configured so that one conveying device grips and conveys the square wire W, then releases the square wire W and returns to the next chuck position, and the above operation is repeated.

(E3) In each of the above embodiments, the processing unit 13 is configured with multiple processing devices 21 to 25, but it may be configured with only one processing device.

(E4) In the above fourth embodiment, the mark detection sensor 28 also functions as an end detection sensor that detects the end 44 of the winding, but an end detection sensor may be provided separately from the mark detection sensor 28.

(E5) In each of the above embodiments, the rectangular wire W used as the wire material is an insulating coated copper wire that is used as the linear material for the segment coil of a vehicle motor, but the wire material is not limited to this. Also, the processing devices 21 to 25 are stripping devices that strip the insulating coating, but they may be devices that perform other processing.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the technical features in each embodiment corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the Summary of the Invention column can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-described problems or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

1, 2, 3, 4... Wire material manufacturing device, 6... Drum, 11... Unwinding device, 12... Straightening device, 13... Processing unit, 14... Conveying unit, 15... Cutting device, 16... Loading device, 17... Stocker, 18... Disposal chute, 21... First processing device, 22... Second processing device, 23... Third processing device, 24... Fourth processing device, 25... Fifth processing device, 26... First conveying device, 27... Second conveying device, 28... Mark detection sensor, 30... Control device, 31... CPU, 32... Memory unit, 33... Operation control unit, 34... Wire type information transmission and reception unit, 35... Position calculation unit, 36... Processing unit, 40... Type processing mechanism unit, 41... Defective part mark, 42... Defective part mark tip, 43... Defective part mark end, 44... Winding end, 50... Production management system, C... Square wire, Db... Data storage box

Claims (4)

A wire material manufacturing apparatus which sends out a wound wire material in a conveying direction for each conveying cycle, processes the wire material, and then cuts the wire material at a conveying destination to sequentially manufacture a plurality of types of wire materials having different lengths,
an unwinding device that unwinds the wire in the conveying direction;
a processing device that processes the wire rod and is movable along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle;
a conveying device that conveys the wire rod in the conveying direction for each conveying cycle, the conveying device being provided downstream of the processing device in the conveying direction and capable of moving a position along the conveying direction for each conveying cycle;
a cutting device that is fixed at a predetermined position and cuts the wire that has been processed by the plurality of processing devices;
a control device that calculates positions of the processing device and the transport device for each transport cycle using information on the length of the linear material, and controls positions of the processing device and the transport device for each transport cycle;
Equipped with
The control device includes:
When calculating the position of a calculation target device, which is the processing device or the transport device that is the target for calculating the position for each transport cycle, the position of the calculation target device is calculated by adding up the length of the linear material between the cutting device and the calculation target device;
storing line-length-related information, which is information related to the length of the linear material to be processed in each of the processes, in a plurality of data storage boxes provided corresponding to a plurality of processes including a next processing process which is a process prior to processing by the processing device and which is a process heading to the processing device, a processing process by the processing device, and a transport process by the transport device; and calculating the position of the calculation target device using the stored line-length-related information;
Each time the transfer cycle is completed, a transfer process is executed to transfer the line length related information stored in the data storage box set for the transfer cycle to the data storage box set for the next transfer cycle;
When performing the transfer process, the line length related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to each of the steps in the current transport cycle is transferred to the data storage box corresponding to the next step in the next transport cycle,
In the next transfer cycle, the line length related information transferred to the data storage box is used to calculate a position of the calculation target device in the next transfer cycle;
A mark indicating a defective portion is provided on the wire,
The linear material manufacturing apparatus further includes a detection unit that detects the defective portion between the unwinding device and a first processing device that is the processing device closest to the unwinding device,
The control device includes:
when the leading end of the mark in the transport direction is detected by the detection unit, a distance from the first processing device to the leading end is calculated for each transport cycle, and the calculated distance is compared with the line length related information stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step; when the distance becomes shorter than the length of the linear material in the next processing step, discarded line type information, which indicates that the line type is to be discarded, is inserted into the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step as the line length related information.
Linear material manufacturing equipment. The wire material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the processing devices are provided, and a plurality of the processing steps are performed on the wire material by the plurality of processing devices. The control device includes:
When the detection unit detects a terminal end of the mark in the transport direction and the terminal end is transported downstream of the first processing device in the transport direction,
A linear material manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the linear material to be next processed in the first processing device is stored in the data storage box corresponding to the next processing step in accordance with the sequence. The wire is an insulating coated copper wire having a rectangular cross section, which is used as a material for the segment coil,
The linear material manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the processing device is a stripping device that strips an insulating coating.

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