JP7760163B2 - Control program generation device, control program generation method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for automatically generating control programs for automated manufacturing machines equipped with multiple actuators.

Automated manufacturing machines are equipped with multiple actuators, and while these actuators can be used to perform complex operations, each individual actuator only performs a simple operation. Therefore, the complex operations of an automated manufacturing machine are realized by combining the simple operations of each actuator (hereinafter referred to as "basic operations"). Therefore, the inventors of the present application developed a special operation chart (hereinafter referred to as "YOGO Chart") that describes complex operations for an automated manufacturing machine by dividing the entire period from when the automated manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes operating (hereinafter referred to as "operation period") into multiple subperiods and setting the actuators to be operated and the content of the basic operations for each subperiod.

This YOGO chart lists the specific details of the basic operations each actuator performs to achieve the desired operation of the automated manufacturing machine, as well as the timing at which each actuator operates. Furthermore, because the basic operations performed by each actuator are simple, programs for the actuators to execute these basic operations can be created in advance. Therefore, it is believed that an automated manufacturing machine can be operated by loading a YOGO chart into a computer and connecting the programs for each actuator to execute the basic operations in the order listed on the YOGO chart. Based on this idea, the inventors of the present application have developed technology for automatically generating control programs for automated manufacturing machines from YOGO charts, and have already obtained a patent for this technology (Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 6829505

However, it was discovered that the previously developed technology described above poses a problem: the difficulty of creating a YOGO chart increases when the operations to be performed by the automated manufacturing machine become complex. After investigating the reasons for this problem, the following became clear:

First, as described above, a YOGO chart is created by assigning basic actuator operations in the appropriate order to multiple partial periods obtained by dividing the operating period of an automated manufacturing machine. Because basic operations are simple actuator movements, the more complex the operation of the automated manufacturing machine, the more it is broken down into a larger number of basic operations, and the more the operating period of the automated manufacturing machine must be divided into a larger number of partial periods. As the number of partial periods increases, it becomes difficult to see the entire YOGO chart. To create a YOGO chart, multiple basic operations must be assigned to the partial periods in the appropriate order, but without being able to see the entire YOGO chart, it becomes difficult to confirm whether the basic operations have been assigned in the appropriate order. As a result, it has been found that creating a YOGO chart becomes more difficult.

This invention was made to solve the problems associated with the previously developed technologies mentioned above, and aims to provide technology that makes it possible to easily create YOGO charts and automatically generate control programs, even when performing complex operations on automated manufacturing machines.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the control program generating device of the present invention employs the following configuration:
A control program generator for generating a control program for an automatic manufacturing machine having a plurality of actuators,
a basic operation storage unit that stores basic operations in which the actuator operates in a direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, in association with program elements that realize the basic operations;
an operation chart reading unit that reads an operation chart in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when the automatic manufacturing machine finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is broken down into a plurality of basic operations, and the basic operations are assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation unit that generates the control program for operating the automatic manufacturing machine by combining the program elements of the plurality of basic operations assigned to the plurality of partial periods on the operation chart in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the operation chart,
The operation chart reading unit not only reads the operation chart but also reads at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
The operation chart is assigned a sub-chart display (301) specific to the sub-chart for at least one of the sub-periods;
The control program generation unit generates the control program for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart.

Furthermore, the control program generating method of the present invention corresponding to the above-mentioned control program generating device employs the following configuration:
A control program generation method for causing a computer to generate a control program for an automated manufacturing machine (10) having a plurality of actuators, comprising:
an operation chart reading step (STEP 1) for reading an operation chart (200) in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is decomposed into a plurality of basic operations in which the actuator moves in the direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, and the basic operation is assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation step (STEP 2, STEP 3, STEP 4) of converting the basic operations described in the operation chart into program elements by referring to a correspondence relationship in which the basic operations described in the operation chart and program elements for realizing the basic operations are associated and stored, and combining the program elements in accordance with the order of the partial periods, thereby generating the control program for operating the automatic manufacturing machine;
The operation chart reading step not only reads the operation chart but also reads at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
In the operation chart read in the operation chart reading step, a sub-chart display (301) unique to the sub-chart is assigned to at least one of the partial periods;
The control program generation process is characterized in that, for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned, the control program is generated by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart.

In the control program generation device and control program generation method of the present invention described above, a sub-chart is created in advance, grouping together consecutive sub-periods from among the multiple sub-periods that form the operation chart. Furthermore, in the operation chart, instead of the multiple sub-periods grouped together as a sub-chart, a sub-chart display specific to the sub-chart is assigned to each sub-period. Then, when loading the operation chart, the sub-chart is also loaded. When generating a control program from the operation chart, for the sub-periods in the operation chart where a sub-chart display is written, the control program is generated by combining the program elements of the basic operations assigned to consecutive sub-periods in the sub-chart in accordance with the order of the sub-periods on the sub-chart.

This allows multiple consecutive sub-periods in an operation chart to be represented by a single sub-period with a sub-chart display, thereby shortening the operation chart. Therefore, even when describing the complex operation of an automatic manufacturing machine, the entire operation chart can be easily viewed, making it easy to create the operation chart. As a result, it becomes easy to generate a control program for the automatic manufacturing machine.

Furthermore, in the control program generation device and control program generation method of the present invention described above, when generating a control program from an operation chart including a sub-chart display, the operation chart including the sub-chart display may be converted into an operation chart not including the sub-chart display by replacing a partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned with multiple consecutive partial periods of the sub-chart corresponding to that sub-chart display. Then, the control program may be generated based on the converted operation chart.

In this way, even when generating a control program from an operation chart that includes a sub-chart display, the process of generating a control program from an operation chart that does not include a sub-chart display can be used, making it possible to easily generate a control program.

Furthermore, in the control program generation device of the present invention described above, multiple sub-chart displays and selection conditions for selecting one of the multiple sub-chart displays may be assigned to at least one partial period of the operation chart. Then, in addition to the operation chart, multiple sub-charts corresponding to the multiple sub-chart displays may also be loaded, and when generating a control program from the operation chart, for a partial period to which multiple sub-chart displays are assigned, a control program in which multiple program elements are combined may be generated according to the sub-chart corresponding to the one sub-chart display selected based on the selection conditions.

This makes it possible to create complex control programs that switch operations depending on conditions. Additionally, because the sub-chart display is used, the operation chart itself can be displayed simply, making it easy to create operation charts.

Furthermore, in the control program generation device of the present invention described above, multiple sub-chart displays are assigned to one partial period, and for the multiple sub-charts corresponding to these multiple sub-chart displays, a sub-control program, which is a control program for each sub-chart, may be generated by combining the program elements of multiple basic operations assigned to the partial periods of the sub-charts in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-charts. When generating a control program from an operation chart, for a partial period to which multiple sub-chart displays are assigned, a control program may be generated that executes one sub-control program selected from the multiple sub-control programs based on selection conditions.

In this way, multiple sub-control programs can be generated in advance, and one sub-control program can be selected and executed based on the selection conditions. This makes it possible to quickly start the corresponding sub-control program according to the selection conditions while the control program is running.

The control program generation method of the present invention can also be understood as a program for realizing the control program generation method using a computer.
A program for implementing a method for generating a control program for an automated manufacturing machine (10) having a plurality of actuators using a computer, the program comprising:
an operation chart reading function (STEP 1) for reading an operation chart (200) in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is decomposed into a plurality of basic operations in which the actuator moves in the direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, and the basic operation is assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation function (STEP 2, STEP 3, STEP 4) that converts the basic operations described in the operation chart into program elements by referring to correspondences stored between the basic operations described in the operation chart and program elements for realizing the basic operations, and generates the control program that operates the automatic manufacturing machine by combining the program elements in accordance with the order of the partial periods;
The operation chart reading function is a function of reading not only the operation chart but also at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
In the operation chart read by the operation chart reading function, a sub-chart display (301) unique to the sub-chart is assigned to at least one of the partial periods;
The control program generation function is characterized in that, for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned, the control program is generated by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart.

By loading and executing such a program on a computer, it is possible to easily create operation charts and automatically generate control programs, even when making automated manufacturing machines perform complex operations.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing the general structure of a pipe bender 10 controlled by a control device 100 of the present embodiment. 1 is a block diagram conceptually showing how a control device 100 controls the operations of various actuators Ac10 to Ac19 mounted on a pipe bender 10. FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the basic principle of automatically generating a control program from a YOGO chart. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of several basic movements used in the YOGO chart of FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of classifying a number of basic actions that can be used in a YOGO chart. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a portion of a YOGO chart 200. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of how parameter values are set for parameter symbols 206b written on a YOGO chart 200. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for describing basic actions 206 using table symbols 206c on a YOGO chart 200. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the operation of the pipe bender 10 bending a pipe. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the first half of a YOGO chart 200 that describes the operation of the pipe bender 10 to bend a pipe. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the second half of a YOGO chart 200 that describes the operation of the pipe bender 10 to bend a pipe. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a part of the basic actions 206 described in the YOGO chart 200 of FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire YOGO chart 200 describing the operation of the pipe bender 10 to bend a pipe at four points. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a sub-chart 300. FIG. 2 is an illustration of a YOGO chart 200 having a dedicated row 207 for writing subchart symbols 301. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire YOGO chart 200 described using a sub-chart 300. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a control program generating device 110 installed in the control device 100. 10 is a flowchart of a control program generation process executed by the control program generator 110 to generate a control program from a YOGO chart 200. 10 is a flowchart of a YOGO chart analysis process executed in the control program generation process. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how a sub-chart 300 is incorporated into a YOGO chart 200 to reconstruct the YOGO chart 200. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating intermediate data generated from a YOGO chart 200 by a YOGO chart analysis process. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a control program generated by converting intermediate data. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a sub-chart 300 according to a first modified example. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a basic operation 206 described in a subchart 300 of a first modified example. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of parameter values V are set for a parameter symbol 206d of a first modified example. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions written in the YOGO chart 200 of the second modified example. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a YOGO chart 200 according to a second modified example having a sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions, and two sub-charts 300 included in the sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a control program generated from a YOGO chart 200 according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a subchart symbol 301 for which the number of repetitions is specified.

A. Device configuration:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the general external shape of a pipe bender 10 according to this embodiment. The pipe bender 10 is a type of automatic manufacturing machine that can automatically bend long pipe materials into a desired shape. In the following description, the automatic manufacturing machine will be described as the pipe bender 10, but the automatic manufacturing machine may be any machine other than the pipe bender 10 as long as it is equipped with multiple actuators and can automatically perform multiple operations on an object, such as gripping, transporting, processing, and heating. For example, the automatic manufacturing machine may be an arm robot having multiple joints, or a manufacturing system that combines an arm robot having multiple joints with a transport device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pipe bender 10 of this embodiment has a roughly horizontally elongated rectangular parallelepiped exterior shape. Two rails 11 are installed longitudinally on the top surface of the rectangular parallelepiped. A transport unit 12 is mounted on one end of the rails 11 (the left side in FIG. 1) for gripping and transporting the pipe material (not shown) to be processed. Furthermore, a processing unit 13 for bending the pipe material (not shown) is mounted on the opposite side to the side on which the transport unit 12 is mounted. A cylindrical gripping shaft 12a protrudes from the transport unit 12, and a chuck 12b for gripping the pipe material (not shown) is attached to the tip of the gripping shaft 12a. Therefore, by moving the transport unit 12 on the rails 11 while the pipe material is gripped by the chuck 12b, the pipe material can be supplied to the processing unit 13, where it can be bent.

The pipe bender 10 of this embodiment controls the feed rate of the pipe material by the movement of the transport unit 12, allowing for flexible adjustment of the bending position on the pipe material. Furthermore, the gripping shaft 12a, to which the chuck 12b is attached, can be rotated (twisted) around its axis to bend the pipe material in the desired direction. To achieve this, the transport unit 12 is equipped with an actuator Ac10 for opening and closing the chuck 12b, an actuator Ac11 for rotating the gripping shaft 12a around its axis, an actuator Ac12 for translating the gripping shaft 12a left and right relative to the axial direction, and an actuator Ac13 for moving the transport unit 12 back and forth on the rail 11. In the pipe bender 10 of this embodiment, all of these actuators Ac10 to Ac13 are AC servo motors powered by AC power. However, other drive systems (e.g., hydraulic cylinders, solenoids, pulse motors, etc.) can be used depending on the performance required of the actuators. The transport unit 12 is also equipped with sensors such as an encoder and limit switches for detecting the rotational position of the gripping shaft 12a and the movement position of the transport unit 12, but these are omitted from Figure 1 to avoid cluttering the drawing.

Mounted inside the processing unit 13 are multiple actuators Ac16, Ac17, Ac18, and Ac19 used to bend the pipe material. Two more actuators, Ac14 and Ac15, are also mounted in the space below the two rails 11. The operation of these actuators Ac14 to Ac19 will be explained in detail later. Note that encoders, contact switches, and other switches and sensors are also mounted inside the processing unit 13 and in the space below the two rails 11, but these are omitted from the illustration to avoid cluttering the drawing.

The machining unit 13 also includes multiple driver amplifiers (not shown) for driving the multiple actuators Ac10-Ac19. A driver amplifier is an electrical component with the following functions: To operate the actuators Ac10-Ac19 as desired, it is necessary to supply each actuator with a drive current of the appropriate waveform and voltage. However, the drive current to be supplied to each actuator Ac10-Ac19 differs depending on the drive method of the actuator. Furthermore, even for actuators of the same method, the drive current waveform and voltage differ depending on the actuator. Therefore, each actuator Ac10-Ac19 is provided with its own dedicated electrical component called a driver amplifier. When the control device 100, which controls the pipe bender 10, specifies the drive amount for each driver amplifier, the driver amplifier outputs the appropriate drive current to each actuator Ac10-Ac19, driving the actuators Ac10-Ac19.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how multiple actuators Ac10-Ac19 mounted on the pipe bender 10 are connected to the control device 100 via driver amplifiers DA10-DA19. A driver amplifier DA10 is connected to actuator Ac10 to drive it, and a driver amplifier DA11 is connected to actuator Ac11 to drive it. Similarly, driver amplifiers DA12-DA19 are connected to actuators Ac12-Ac19 to drive them. Furthermore, driver amplifiers DA10-DA19 are connected to each other in series, with the driver amplifier at one end (driver amplifier DA10 in the illustrated example) connected to the control device 100. However, this connection topology is not limited to this; for example, each driver amplifier DA10-DA19 may be directly connected to the control device 100.

To bend a pipe using the pipe bender 10, it is necessary to operate the actuators Ac10-Ac19 at the appropriate timing and with the appropriate amount of movement. To achieve this, it is necessary to create a control program that runs on the control device 100 and can specify the appropriate amount of movement at the appropriate timing for the driver amplifiers DA10-DA19. Creating such a control program requires more effort than creating hardware such as the pipe bender 10.

However, the inventor of the present application has developed a technology for automatically generating control programs, which has already been patented. This patented technology breaks down the operation of an automatic manufacturing machine equipped with multiple actuators (here, pipe bender 10) into the basic operations of multiple actuators (here, actuators Ac10 to Ac19), and describes the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine by entering these basic operations on a special operation chart called a "YOGO chart." In this way, a control program can be automatically generated from a YOGO chart. Below, we will explain the principle of automatically generating a control program from a YOGO chart.

B. Principle of automatically generating a control program from a YOGO chart:
3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle of automatically generating a control program for an automatic manufacturing machine (here, a pipe bender 10) using a special operation chart called a YOGO chart. A primitive YOGO chart is shown in FIG. 3A before any improvements have been made. The YOGO chart of the present embodiment, which will be described later, is an improved version of the primitive YOGO chart shown in FIG. 3A, but the principle of automatically generating a control program is the same as that of the primitive YOGO chart. Therefore, for ease of understanding, the principle of automatically generating a control program from a YOGO chart will be explained using the primitive YOGO chart shown in FIG. 3A.

As mentioned above, a YOGO chart describes the operation of an automated manufacturing machine by combining the basic operations of multiple actuators installed in the machine. Here, a basic operation of an actuator refers to a simple operation in which the actuator moves by a specified amount in the direction of its degrees of freedom. For example, for a rotating actuator such as a motor, this would be an operation to rotate by a specified angle, and for an actuator that moves forward and backward such as a cylinder, this would be an operation to move by a specified distance. Furthermore, for an actuator that moves a member that meshes with the ball screw forward and backward by rotating a ball screw using a motor, this would be an operation to either rotate the motor by a specified angle or an operation to move the member by a specified distance. Note that, below, a simple operation in which the actuator moves by a specified amount in the direction of its degrees of freedom will be referred to as a "basic operation."

In addition, in a YOGO chart, the operating period from when an automated manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes operating is divided into multiple sub-periods, and the basic operations of each actuator are assigned to one of these sub-periods, selected for each basic operation. In the example shown in Figure 3(a), the first sub-period (sub-period 1) when the automated manufacturing machine starts operating is assigned the basic operation act1 of a certain actuator, and the next sub-period (sub-period 2) is assigned the basic operations act2, act3, and act4 (by the same or a different actuator). The next sub-period (sub-period 3) is assigned the basic operations act5 and act6, the next sub-period (sub-period 4) is assigned the basic operation act7, and the next sub-period (sub-period 5) is assigned the basic operations act8 and act9.

In this way, it is possible to describe a series of operations performed by multiple actuators. That is, first, a basic action act1 is initiated by a certain actuator, and when that basic action act1 is completed, the corresponding actuators start basic actions act2, act3, and act4. When these basic actions are completed, basic actions act5 and act6 are started. When these basic actions are completed, basic action act7 is started, and when basic action act7 is completed, basic actions act8 and act9 are started, and so on. In this way, a YOGO chart describes the operation of an automatic manufacturing machine by breaking down the operation of the multiple actuators installed on that automatic manufacturing machine and assigning these basic actions to any of the partial periods.

As is clear from the above explanation, a sub-period indicates the period during which the assigned actuator operates, not the length of time. For example, the length of sub-period 1 is the time required to execute basic action act1, and the length of sub-period 2 is the longer of the times required to execute basic actions act2, act3, and act4. Therefore, the length of time of each sub-period is usually different from one another.

As mentioned above, the basic operation of an actuator is a simple operation, such as rotating a motor a certain amount or moving a cylinder forward or backward a certain amount. Therefore, programs (program elements) for causing an actuator to perform basic operations can be created in advance. For example, a program element prog1 can be created in advance to cause a certain actuator to perform basic operation act1. Similarly, program elements prog2 to prog9 can be created in advance to cause basic operations act2 to act9 to be performed.

By linking these program elements as described in the primitive YOGO chart shown in Figure 3(a), a control program for operating an automated manufacturing machine can be automatically generated. That is, as shown in Figure 3(b), program element prog1 is started first, and once program element prog1 is finished, program elements prog2 to prog4 are started. Once program elements prog2 to prog4 are finished, program elements prog5 and prog6 are started. Once program elements prog5 and prog6 are finished, program element prog7 is started. Once program element prog7 is finished, program elements prog8 and prog9 are started. In this way, program elements that cause the actuator to perform basic operations are created in advance, and multiple program elements are combined so that these program elements are started one after another in the order described in the YOGO chart. In this way, a control program for operating an automated manufacturing machine can be automatically generated from a YOGO chart.

Furthermore, while it is necessary to create all the program elements required to realize the basic operations (here, program elements prog1 to prog9), this is not particularly difficult. The reason for this is as follows. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation modes (rotational operation, forward/backward operation, etc.) and operation mechanisms (the general structure of the actuator) for the basic operations act1 to act9 shown in Figure 3(a). For example, basic operation act1 is an operation in which the actuator rotates, and this operation is achieved by slowing down the rotational speed of the AC servo motor's rotating shaft using a speed reducer mechanism. Furthermore, basic operation act2 is an operation in which the actuator moves forward and backward, and this operation is achieved by converting the rotational movement of the AC servo motor's rotating shaft into linear movement using a conversion mechanism. Furthermore, basic operation act3 is an operation in which the actuator moves forward and backward, and this operation is achieved by a linear servo motor.

Basic actions act4, act5, and act8 are actions in which the actuator rotates, similar to basic action act1, and are realized by combining an AC servo motor with a speed reducer. Basic actions act6 and act7 are actions in which the actuator moves forward and backward, similar to basic action act2, and are realized by combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism. Basic action act9 is actions in which the actuator moves forward and backward, similar to basic action act3, and is realized by a linear servo motor.

As such, the motion mechanisms that realize basic actions act1, act4, act5, and act8 all combine AC servo motors with reduction mechanisms, and any differences exist only in the output of the AC servo motors and the reduction ratios of the reduction mechanisms. Therefore, the program elements for these basic actions can be standardized. Furthermore, the motion mechanisms that realize basic actions act2, act6, and act7 all combine AC servo motors with conversion mechanisms, so the program elements for these basic actions can be standardized. Furthermore, for similar reasons, the program elements for basic actions act3 and act9 can also be standardized. Ultimately, by preparing three program elements prog1 to prog3 as program elements to realize the nine basic actions act1 to act9, and selecting the appropriate program element according to the basic action and specifying the appropriate motion amount (such as rotation angle or movement amount), all of the basic actions act1 to act9 can be realized. Furthermore, this situation (i.e., the ability to standardize program elements that realize many basic operations) is not limited to the case shown in Figure 3, but is generally true.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the classification of common basic movements used in YOGO charts. As shown in Figure 5, the motion patterns of basic movements (excluding special movements) can be classified as either forward/backward movements or rotational movements. Furthermore, it is almost certain that the operating mechanism for achieving forward/backward movements is either a mechanism combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism, a mechanism using a linear servo motor, a mechanism using an air cylinder, or a mechanism using a hydraulic cylinder. Similarly, it is almost certain that the operating mechanism for achieving rotational movements is either a mechanism combining an AC servo motor with a reduction mechanism, or a mechanism combining a pulse motor with a reduction mechanism. Therefore, all basic movements are classified into six types: four forward/backward movements and two rotational movements. Since basic movements of the same type can be achieved using the same program elements, it is believed that preparing six program elements will be able to accommodate almost all basic movements.

The YOGO chart described below uses "operation symbols" to specify the type of basic operation. For example, the operation symbol "CNC-XA" listed on the YOGO chart represents an advance/retract operation performed by an actuator that combines an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism. The operation symbol "CNC-XL" represents an advance/retract operation using a linear servo motor as an actuator, the operation symbol "AC" represents an advance/retract operation performed by an air cylinder, and the operation symbol "OC" represents an advance/retract operation performed by a hydraulic cylinder. The operation symbol "CNC-θA" represents a rotational operation performed by an actuator that combines an AC servo motor with a reduction mechanism, and the operation symbol "OPN-θP" represents a rotational operation performed by an actuator that combines a pulse motor with a reduction mechanism. Each program element that realizes the basic operation of each operation symbol is assigned a unique program element number. This makes it possible to identify each program element by its program element number.

C. How to fill out the YOGO chart:
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method for describing the operation of an automatic manufacturing machine using a YOGO chart 200. In the illustrated example, the automatic manufacturing machine is equipped with five actuators, actuators A to E. As shown in FIG. 6, the YOGO chart 200 is shaped like a large table, with multiple horizontal and vertical lines intersecting each other. Hereinafter, of the multiple intersecting lines, the horizontal lines will be referred to as "partition lines" 201, and the vertical lines will be referred to as "trigger lines" 202.

The trigger lines 202 are assigned consecutive numbers starting from 1. In the example shown in Figure 6, the consecutive numbers of the trigger lines 202 below are written in the top column of the YOGO chart 200. The areas between adjacent trigger lines 202 form the partial periods described above with reference to Figure 3, and these partial periods are also assigned consecutive numbers starting from 1 (hereinafter referred to as partial period numbers). In the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 6, the trigger lines 202 are drawn vertically, and therefore the partial periods sandwiched between the trigger lines 202 are lined up horizontally. However, the trigger lines 202 may also be drawn horizontally, in which case multiple partial periods would be lined up vertically.

The YOGO chart 200 of this embodiment is divided into multiple horizontally elongated regions (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "rows") by multiple divider lines 201, and these horizontally elongated rows are assigned consecutive numbers (hereinafter referred to as actuator numbers) starting from 1. Actuators installed in an automated manufacturing machine are assigned to one of the multiple horizontally elongated rows. For example, if the automated manufacturing machine has five actuators, actuator A through actuator E, then, as shown in FIG. 6, actuator A is assigned to row with actuator number 1, actuator B is assigned to row with actuator number 2, and actuator C is assigned to row with actuator number 3. Similarly, actuator D is assigned to row with actuator number 4, and actuator E is assigned to row with actuator number 5.

The basic operations of actuators A-E are then written in appropriate positions on the horizontal rows to which those actuators are assigned. For example, the basic operation that actuator A will perform in subperiod 1 is written in the coordinate position of a grid where the horizontal row with actuator number 1 intersects with the vertical area (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "column") with subperiod number 1. When writing a basic operation, write an operation line 203 on the YOGO chart 200 at the coordinate position of the grid where you want the basic operation to be written, and then write the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b on that operation line 203 to write the basic operation.

In the example shown in Figure 6, an operation line 203 having a start point 204 indicated by a white circle and an end point 205 indicated by a black circle is drawn in the square on the YOGO chart 200 corresponding to actuator number 1 and sub-period number 1 (hereinafter referred to as "chart coordinates (1,1)"). A basic operation 206 is drawn on the operation line 203 using an operation symbol 206a, "CNC-XA," written after a white star, and three parameter symbols 206b written after a black star. Here, the start point 204 is drawn on trigger line 202 number 1, and the end point 205 is drawn on trigger line 202 number 2, indicating that the basic operation 206 starts at the timing of trigger line 202 number 1 and ends at the timing of trigger line 202 number 2. Furthermore, the operation symbol 206a "CNC-XA" written above the operation line 203 represents the forward/backward movement performed by an actuator that combines an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism, as described above with reference to Figure 5. Conversely, the fact that the operation symbol 206a "CNC-XA" is written at the coordinate position of actuator number 1 indicates that actuator A corresponding to actuator number 1 is an actuator that performs forward/backward movement by combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism. Furthermore, the parameter symbol 206b written below the operation symbol 206a represents the specific details of the forward/backward movement (i.e., the distance of forward/backward movement, the movement speed during forward/backward movement, and the movement torque during forward/backward movement). Details of the parameter symbol 206b will be provided later.

Furthermore, in the square for the coordinate position (chart coordinates (2,2)) where actuator number 2 and partial period number 2 are located, a basic operation 206 is written above the operation line 203 using the operation symbol 206a "CNC-θA" and three parameter symbols 206b. Here, the operation symbol 206a "CNC-θA" represents rotational operation by an actuator that combines an AC servo motor with a speed reduction mechanism. Therefore, actuator B, which corresponds to actuator number 2, is an actuator that performs rotational operation by combining an AC servo motor with a speed reduction mechanism. Furthermore, the three parameter symbols 206b written below this operation symbol 206a represent the rotation angle, rotation speed, and rotational torque. The specific numerical values (parameter values) of each parameter symbol 206b are preset for each actuator.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how parameter values are pre-assigned to parameter symbols 206b for each actuator. The table in which parameter values are assigned to parameter symbols 206b for each actuator is called "Table B." For example, Table B shown in Figure 7(a) has five parameter symbols 206b assigned, which are the parameter symbols 206b used for Actuator A. As mentioned above, Actuator A is an actuator that moves forward and backward by combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism. Therefore, the parameter values specified using parameter symbols 206b are the travel distance, travel speed, and travel torque. Correspondingly, two parameter symbols 206b, "AA-pos1" and "AA-pos2," are used to specify the travel distance, and are set to parameter values of 50 mm and 150 mm, respectively. Furthermore, two parameter symbols 206b, "AA-spd1" and "AA-spd2," are used to specify the travel speed, and are set to parameter values of 10 mm/sec and 15 mm/sec, respectively. Furthermore, parameter symbol 206b "AA-trq1" is used to specify the allowable movement torque when moving forward or backward as a ratio to the standard torque of the AC servo motor, and is set to a parameter value of 100 percent (a value that means that up to the standard torque is allowed).

Table B shown in Figure 7(b) also has five parameter symbols 206b set, which are parameter symbols 206b used for Actuator B. As mentioned above, Actuator B is an actuator that rotates by combining an AC servo motor with a speed reduction mechanism, so the parameter values specified using parameter symbols 206b are the rotation angle, rotation speed, and rotation torque. Correspondingly, two parameter symbols 206b, "AB-pos1" and "AB-pos2," are used to specify the rotation angle, and parameter values of 90 degrees and 30 degrees, respectively, are set. Furthermore, two parameter symbols 206b, "AB-spd1" and "AB-spd2," are used to specify the rotation speed, and parameter values of 15 degrees/second and 10 degrees/second, respectively, are set. Furthermore, parameter symbol 206b "AB-trq1" is used to specify the allowable movement torque when moving forward or backward as a ratio to the standard torque of the AC servo motor, and is set to a parameter value of 100 percent (a value that means that up to the standard torque is allowed).

Similarly, the five parameter symbols 206b set in Table B of FIG. 7(c) are parameter symbols 206b used for actuator C, and the five parameter symbols 206b set in Table B of FIG. 7(d) are parameter symbols 206b used for actuator D. Furthermore, the three parameter symbols 206b set in Table B of FIG. 7(e) are parameter symbols 206b used for actuator E. The parameter symbols 206b set for each actuator are parameter symbols 206b unique to that actuator. For example, the parameter symbol 206b "AB-spd1" is a parameter symbol 206b for specifying the rotational speed for actuator B, and this parameter symbol 206b cannot be used for any other purpose.

In the YOGO chart 200, basic operations 206 are written using the operation symbols 206a and parameter symbols 206b described above. For example, in the YOGO chart 200 of Figure 6, the basic operation 206 at chart coordinates (1,1) (i.e., the coordinate position of actuator number 1 and partial period number 1) has the operation symbol 206a "CNC-XA" and the parameter symbols 206b "AA-pos1," "AA-spd1," and "AA-trq1." Therefore, this basic operation 206 is an operation to move the actuator forward or backward, with a travel distance of 50 mm, a travel speed of 10 mm/sec, and a travel torque up to the maximum allowable specified torque of the AC servo motor.

As explained above, the YOGO chart 200 is written by entering the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b of the basic operation 206 in a grid at a coordinate position determined by the actuator number and sub-period number. The actuator number at the coordinate position where the basic operation 206 is entered indicates the actuator that performs the basic operation 206, and the sub-period number indicates the timing at which the basic operation 206 is performed. Furthermore, the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b of the basic operation 206 represent the specific content of the basic operation 206. In this way, by entering the basic operation 206 at a coordinate position on the YOGO chart 200, the operation of an automated manufacturing machine can be described. For example, the YOGO chart 200 in Figure 6 first operates actuator A according to the content specified in the basic operation 206. After actuator A's operation is complete, actuators B to D are operated according to the content specified in their respective basic operations 206. After actuators B to D are completed, actuators A and E are then operated according to the content of their respective basic operations 206. Then, once the operations of actuator A and actuator E are completed, actuator C and actuator D are operated according to the contents of their respective basic operations 206. It is possible to describe a series of operations like this.

Note that, in this embodiment, the basic actions 206 are described as being written on the YOGO chart 200 using an action symbol 206a and multiple parameter symbols 206b, but the method for writing the basic actions 206 on the YOGO chart 200 is not limited to this. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a table is set up that associates multiple parameter symbols 206b listed below the action symbol 206a with parameter values for those parameter symbols 206b, and a unique table symbol is set for each table. Then, instead of listing multiple parameter symbols 206b below the action symbol 206a, a table symbol for a table in which parameter values for those parameter symbols 206b are set may be written.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for recording a basic operation 206 on a YOGO chart 200 using table symbols 206c. As shown in Figure 8(a), when recording a basic operation 206 using table symbols 206c, an operation symbol 206a is entered above the operation line 203, and a table symbol 206c is entered between the operation symbol 206a and the operation line 203. In the example shown in Figure 8(a), an operation symbol 206a called "CNC-XA" and a table symbol 206c called "TABL1-1" are entered at chart coordinates (1,1) (i.e., the coordinate position where the actuator number is 1 and the partial period number is 1). Furthermore, an operation symbol 206a called "CNC-θA" and a table symbol 206c called "TABL2-2" are entered at chart coordinates (2,2). Here, the table symbol 206c "TABLE1-1" is entered at chart coordinate (1,1), and the table symbol 206c "TABLE2-2" is entered at chart coordinate (2,2), so the table symbol 206c is a symbol that includes the coordinate position of the YOGO chart 200. This is for the following reason.

First, as mentioned above, a basic action 206 is written at a coordinate position on the YOGO chart 200, and multiple basic actions 206 are not written at the same coordinate position. Furthermore, one table symbol 206c is set for each basic action 206. For this reason, multiple table symbols 206c are not written at the same coordinate position. In other words, each table symbol 206c is set with the assumption that it will be written at a single coordinate position. For this reason, the table symbol 206c includes a coordinate position so that the coordinate position at which the table symbol 206c is written can be recognized by looking at the table symbol 206c.

Figure 8(b) shows an example of the contents set in the table of table symbol 206c called "TABLE1-1." Since this table is written at chart coordinates (1,1), it is a table that sets the specific contents of the basic operation of actuator number 1 (here, actuator A) at the timing of partial period number 1. As shown in Figure 8(b), the table sets the "parameter name," the "content" of the parameter name, and the "parameter value." Here, the parameter name is the same as the parameter symbol 206b described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The parameter symbol 206b described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7 is referred to as a "symbol" because it is written on the YOGO chart 200, whereas when table symbol 206c is written on the YOGO chart 200, the parameter symbol 206b is not written on the YOGO chart 200 and is therefore simply referred to as a "parameter name."

The same applies to the table with table symbol 206c, "TABLE2-2," shown as an example in Figure 8(c). This table is written at chart coordinates (2,2), and therefore sets the specific details of the basic operation of the actuator with actuator number 2 (here, actuator B) at the timing of partial period number 2.

As is clear from comparing Figure 8(b) with Figure 7(a) and Figure 8(c) with Figure 7(b), the contents set in the table of Figure 8(b) are an excerpt of the contents set in Table B of Figure 7(a), and the contents set in the table of Figure 8(c) are an excerpt of the contents set in Table B of Figure 7(b). Therefore, instead of entering parameter symbols 206b in YOGO chart 200 as described above using Figure 6, even if those parameter symbols 206b are compiled into a table and table symbols 206c are entered in YOGO chart 200 as in Figure 8(a), it is possible to set the parameter values of basic operation 206 in exactly the same way.

D. Pipe bending operation by pipe bender 10:
As described above, the operation of various automatic manufacturing machines can be described using the YOGO chart 200. The operation of bending a pipe by the pipe bender 10 shown in Figure 1 can also be described using the YOGO chart 200. Below, we will explain an actual YOGO chart 200, but as a preparation, we will provide an overview of the operation of bending a pipe by the pipe bender 10.

D-1. Overview of pipe bending:
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the operation of the pipe bender 10 to bend a pipe. To bend a pipe, as shown in FIG. 9( a), the rear end of the pipe is gripped by a chuck, and the portion of the pipe to be bent is clamped between two metal jigs, a bending die and a clamp die. The clamp die has a shallow U-shaped recess at the portion that clamps the pipe. The bending die has a thick, circular shape overall, but the outer circumferential side that clamps the pipe has a shallow U-shaped recess. Therefore, the recessed portion of the clamp die and the U-shaped recess on the outer circumferential side of the bending die can firmly clamp the pipe. Furthermore, a metal jig called a pressure die is placed on the pipe downstream (on the chuck side) of the position where the clamp die and the bending die are clamped, and is in contact with the pipe from the same direction as the clamp die. The pressure die also has a shallow U-shaped recess at the portion that contacts the pipe.

When bending a pipe, as shown in Figure 9(b), the clamping die and bending die are rotated around the bending die's rotation axis while the pipe is clamped between them. At this time, the chuck is advanced in accordance with the rotation of the clamping die and bending die, allowing the pipe to be bent by wrapping it around the outer side of the bending die. Furthermore, if the rear end of the pipe is simply gripped by the chuck when wrapping the pipe around the bending die, the pipe will bend between the bending die and chuck, making it impossible to bend it at the correct bend angle. However, as mentioned above, because the pressure die abuts the pipe from the same direction as the clamping die, the pipe will not bend, and it will be possible to bend the pipe at the correct bend angle.

After bending the pipe as described above, the clamp and bending dies that were clamping the pipe are loosened, and then the clamp and bending dies are rotated in the opposite direction to return them to their original positions. Then, as shown in Figure 9(d), the pipe is advanced by moving the chuck forward, and the pipe is again clamped using the clamp and bending dies. The direction in which the pipe is bent can also be changed by rotating the chuck to twist the pipe before clamping it. Then, as described above, the bending die and clamp dies can be rotated around the rotation axis of the bending die while the pipe is still clamped between the clamp and bending dies, allowing the pipe to be bent at a new position. By repeating this procedure, it is possible to bend the pipe in various directions at various positions. Based on the above explanation, we will now explain the YOGO chart 200, which describes the pipe bending operation of the pipe bender 10 in Figure 1.

D-2. YOGO Chart 200 describing the pipe bending operation:
Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the first half of a YOGO chart 200 that describes the operation of the pipe bender 10 to bend a pipe, and Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the second half of the YOGO chart 200. As described above using Fig. 1, the pipe bender 10 is equipped with ten actuators Ac10 to Ac19, and therefore the YOGO chart 200 has ten rows (horizontal columns). Each row is assigned an actuator number from 1 to 10, and the ten actuators Ac10 to Ac19 are assigned in order, starting from the row with actuator number 1.

When bending a pipe, it is first necessary to grip the pipe with chuck 12b, which requires moving chuck 12b to the position where the pipe is to be fed by advancing the transport unit 12. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, an operation line 203 is drawn on the YOGO chart 200 at the coordinate position (hereinafter referred to as chart coordinates (4,1)) where actuator number 4 corresponds to actuator Ac13, which moves the transport unit 12, and partial period number 1. A basic operation 206 is then drawn above the operation line 203. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinates (4,1) is also shown in Figure 12(a). That is, because actuator Ac13 is an actuator that moves forward and backward by combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism, the operation symbol 206a of the basic operation 206 is "CNC-XA," and the parameter symbols 206b are "BO-CA03" indicating the movement distance, "BO-CA04" indicating the movement speed, and "BO-CA05" indicating the movement torque. Furthermore, the parameter values indicated by these parameter symbols 206b are set in advance in a table called Table B for actuator Ac13.

Once chuck 12b has been moved to the position where the pipe is to be supplied, it is necessary to use chuck 12b to grip the pipe. Therefore, on the YOGO chart 200, an operation line 203 is drawn at the coordinate position (hereafter referred to as chart coordinates (1, 2)) where the actuator number is 1, which corresponds to actuator Ac10 that opens and closes chuck 12b, and the partial period number is 2, and a basic operation 206 is drawn above the operation line 203. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinates (1, 2) is shown in Figure 12(b).

Once the pipe is gripped by chuck 12b, the transport unit 12 is then retracted to move the pipe to the origin position. Correspondingly, an action line 203 is drawn on the YOGO chart 200 at the coordinate position corresponding to actuator Ac13 used to move the pipe and with partial period number 3 (hereafter referred to as chart coordinates (4,3)), and a basic action 206 for moving the pipe is drawn on top of this. The basic action 206 drawn at chart coordinates (4,3) is shown in Figure 12(c).

Next, a bending die is selected depending on the radius at which the pipe is to be bent (bending radius). As described above with reference to Figure 9, the pipe is bent by wrapping it around the bending die, so the bending radius of the pipe depends on the radius of the bending die. Therefore, the pipe bender 10 in Figure 1 is equipped with three bending dies with different radii, allowing the bending die to be selected. Note that hereinafter, the process of selecting a bending die will be referred to as the "bending die selection process." As described above, the bending dies are disk-shaped, and three bending dies are installed in the processing unit 13 stacked vertically. When selecting a bending die, the processing unit 13 is raised or lowered to move the bending die to be used to the position of the pipe. In addition, the vertical movement of the processing unit 13 is achieved by using an actuator Ac17 that moves back and forth by combining an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism. Correspondingly, on the YOGO chart 200, an operation line 203 is drawn at the coordinate position where the actuator number is 8, which corresponds to actuator Ac17, and the partial period number is 4 (hereinafter, shown as chart coordinate (8,4)), and a basic operation 206 for the bending die selection process is drawn above it. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinate (8,4) is shown in Figure 12(d). Note that the operation symbol 206a for the basic operation 206 shown in Figure 12(d) is "CNC-XL" because the operating mechanism for actuator Ac17 combines an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism.

Once the bending die is selected, the clamp die is brought close to the bending die, so that the clamp die and bending die hold the pipe lightly together. Hereinafter, the process of bringing the clamp die close to the bending die and lightly holding the pipe will be referred to as the "pre-tightening process." The clamp die is moved by moving actuator Ac19 back and forth. Correspondingly, an operation line 203 is drawn on the YOGO chart 200 at the coordinate position corresponding to actuator Ac19, actuator number 9, and partial period number 5 (hereinafter referred to as chart coordinates (10, 5)), and a basic operation 206 for the pre-tightening process is drawn above it. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinates (10, 5) is shown in Figure 12(e).

Next, the pipe is pressed against the bending die by moving the chuck 12b horizontally. In other words, to bend a pipe, the pipe must be pressed against the bending die. However, if the pipe remains pressed against the bending die, there is a risk of scratches on the pipe surface when the pipe is moved axially to change the bending position. Therefore, the pipe is kept in light contact with the bending die while not being bent, and is pressed against the bending die just before bending. The process of moving the chuck 12b horizontally to press the pipe against the bending die is hereinafter referred to as the "pressing process." The operation of moving the chuck 12b horizontally is performed using actuator Ac12. Accordingly, an operation line 203 is drawn on the YOGO chart 200 at the coordinate position corresponding to actuator Ac12, actuator number 3, and partial period number 6 (hereinafter referred to as chart coordinates (3, 6)). A basic operation 206 for the pressing process is drawn above the line 203. The basic action 206 described at chart coordinates (3,6) is shown in Figure 12(f).

Once the pipe is pressed tightly against the bending mold, the clamp mold, which is in a partially tightened state, is brought closer to the bending mold so that the clamp mold and bending mold firmly grip the pipe. The pressure mold is also moved to a position where it is flush with the clamp mold. Because the clamp mold is firmly gripping the pipe, the pressure mold is also in close contact with the pipe. Note that the process of bringing the clamp mold closer to the bending mold to firmly grip the pipe and bringing the pressure mold into close contact with the pipe will be referred to below as the "final tightening process." The operation of moving the clamp mold in the final tightening process is performed using actuator Ac19, and the operation of moving the pressure mold is performed using actuator Ac16. Correspondingly, on the YOGO chart 200, an operation line 203 is drawn at the coordinate position corresponding to actuator Ac16, actuator number 7, and partial period number 7 (hereinafter referred to as chart coordinate (7,7)), and at the coordinate position corresponding to actuator Ac19, actuator number 10, and partial period number 7 (hereinafter referred to as chart coordinate (10,7)). Basic operations 206 for actuator Ac16 and basic operations 206 for actuator Ac19 are drawn on each operation line 203. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinate (7,7) is shown in FIG. 12(g), and the basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinate (10,7) is shown in FIG. 12(h).

Once the final tightening process is completed, the process of bending the pipe (hereinafter referred to as the "bending process") finally begins. As shown in Figure 11, during the bending process, four actuators, actuators Ac13, Ac14, Ac15, and Ac18, are operated simultaneously. To explain this in order, first, actuator Ac18 is operated to rotate the bending mold and clamp shaft around the bending mold's rotation axis (see Figure 9(b)). Furthermore, in conjunction with this operation, actuator Ac13 is operated to advance chuck 12b (see Figure 9(b)). Furthermore, actuators Ac14 and Ac15 are also operated in conjunction with these operations.

Actuators Ac14 and Ac15 are installed for the following purposes. As mentioned above, the clamp die not only clamps the pipe by approaching the bending die, but also moves around the bending die's rotation axis. As a result, actuator Ac19, which clamps the pipe, also moves around the bending die's rotation axis along with the clamp die, pulling on the various electrical cables connected to actuator Ac19. If the electrical cables were left long in anticipation of this, there is a risk that the electrical cables would swing around and become tangled with other actuators. To avoid this, it is desirable to feed and retract the electrical cables in accordance with the movement of the clamp die. Therefore, the pipe bender 10 shown in Figure 1 is equipped with actuators Ac14 and Ac15 for feeding and retracting the electrical cable connected to actuator Ac19. As the clamp die moves around the bending die's rotation axis and the pressure die advances accordingly, actuators Ac14 and Ac15 advance in accordance with this movement, thereby feeding out the electrical cable connected to actuator Ac19.

Actuator Ac18, which moves the clamp die around the bending die's rotation axis, has actuator number 9; actuator Ac13, which advances chuck 12b, has actuator number 4; actuators Ac14 and Ac15, which feed out the electrical cable, have actuator numbers 5 and 6. Furthermore, the partial period number of the partial period during which actuators Ac13 to Ac15 and Ac18 operate is 8. Therefore, on the YOGO chart 200, operation lines 203 are plotted at the chart coordinate positions (4,8), (5,8), (6,8), and (9,8), and basic operations 206 of these actuators Ac13 are plotted on each operation line 203. The basic operations 206 plotted at each chart coordinate are shown in Figures 12(i), (j), (k), and (l). Note that the operation symbol 206a for the basic operation 206 shown in Figures 12(j) and (k) is "CNC-XL" because the operating mechanism for actuators Ac14 and Ac15 combines an AC servo motor with a conversion mechanism.

Once the bending process is completed as described above, the clamping and pressure dies that were attached to the pipe during the final tightening process are released from the pipe and returned to their original positions. This process is hereinafter referred to as the "die opening process." Actuators Ac16 and Ac19 are used in the die opening process. Since actuator Ac16 has actuator number 7 and actuator Ac19 has actuator number 10, operation lines 203 are drawn on the YOGO chart 200 at the chart coordinate positions (7,9) and (10,9), and the basic operations 206 of these actuators Ac13 are drawn on each operation line 203. The basic operations 206 drawn at each chart coordinate are shown in Figures 12(m) and (n).

Once the mold opening process is completed, the clamping mold, which was moved around the bending mold's rotation axis during the pipe bending process, is returned to its original position. This process is hereinafter referred to as the "bending return process." As mentioned above, during the bending process, as the clamping mold moves around the bending mold's rotation axis, actuator Ac19, which clamps the pipe with the clamping mold, also moves around the bending mold's rotation axis. Therefore, by advancing actuators Ac14 and Ac15, the electrical cable of actuator Ac19 is fed out. In contrast, during the bending return process, the clamping mold moves in the opposite direction around the bending mold's rotation axis, so the fed electrical cable remains and may become tangled with other actuators. Therefore, during the bending return process, in conjunction with the operation of returning the clamping mold to its original position, actuators Ac14 and Ac15 are retracted, thereby retracting the electrical cable of actuator Ac19. Correspondingly, on the YOGO chart 200, operation lines 203 are drawn at the coordinate positions of chart coordinates (5,10), chart coordinates (6,10), and chart coordinates (9,10), and basic operations 206 of these actuators Ac13 are drawn on each operation line 203. The basic operation 206 drawn at chart coordinates (5,10) is shown in Figure 12(o). Note that the basic operations 206 drawn at chart coordinates (6,10) and chart coordinates (9,10) are not shown.

Once the bending recovery process is completed as described above, actuator Ac13 is advanced to move transport unit 12 to the pipe removal position, and then chuck 12b holding the pipe is opened, allowing the pipe to be removed. Correspondingly, the YOGO chart 200 shows basic operation 206 of actuator Ac13 at chart coordinates (4,11) and basic operation 206 of actuator Ac10 at chart coordinates (1,12). Note that the basic operations 206 shown at chart coordinates (4,11) and chart coordinates (1,12) are also omitted from the illustration.

Furthermore, if the pipe is to be bent at another position, the transport unit 12 must be used to transport the pipe to the next bending position (bending position), rather than the position where the pipe is removed, and the chuck 12b must then be rotated to match the direction in which the pipe will be bent next. Therefore, the parameter symbol 206b of the basic operation 206 written at chart coordinates (4, 11) is the parameter symbol 206b for transporting the pipe to the bending position. Furthermore, instead of writing the basic operation 206 for opening the chuck at chart coordinates (1, 12), the basic operation 206 for rotating the chuck 12b is written at chart coordinates (2, 12). The basic operation 206 written at chart coordinates (2, 12) is also not shown.

After transporting the pipe to the next bending position and rotating the chuck 12b to match the bending direction, the same operations as in partial periods 4 through 10 are performed. That is, the seven processes described above - the "bending die selection process," "pre-tightening process," "contact process," "final tightening process," "bending process," "die release process," and "bending recovery process" - are performed in order. As a result, the pipe bending operation at the new position is completed. Note that this series of operations consisting of seven processes is hereinafter referred to as the "pipe bending operation." If the pipe is to be bent to another position, the pipe is transported to the next bending position, the chuck 12b is rotated to match the bending direction, and the pipe bending operation described above is performed again.

Once all bending operations are completed by repeating these steps, the pipe is transported to the removal position and the chuck 12b is opened (i.e., the YOGO chart 200 is filled with information similar to the partial periods 11 and 12 in Figure 11). By creating a YOGO chart 200 like this and having a computer read it, it is possible to automatically generate a control program for the pipe bender 10 using the mechanism described above.

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the entire YOGO chart 200 for bending a pipe at four locations. Note that in Figure 13, the YOGO chart 200 is displayed at a reduced size so that the entire YOGO chart 200 can be viewed at a glance. As shown in Figure 13, when attempting to bend a pipe at four locations, the YOGO chart 200 becomes very long. The reason for this is that the YOGO chart 200 is created by assigning the basic actuator operations 206 to partial periods, and therefore the more locations the pipe is bent, the more partial periods will be included in the YOGO chart 200. Incidentally, the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 13 is made up of 39 partial periods.

To create a YOGO chart 200, basic movements 206 must be written one by one for each subperiod. However, each basic movement 206 is merely a single movement that constitutes the overall movement. Therefore, in order to write the correct basic movement 206, it is necessary to understand the content written in the previous subperiods. However, as the YOGO chart 200 becomes longer, it becomes difficult to understand the content written in the previous subperiods. For example, to write a basic movement 206 in the latter subperiod of the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 13, it is necessary to check the content written in all previous subperiods to determine which subperiod of the pipe bending movement corresponds to that movement. However, as the YOGO chart 200 becomes longer, it becomes difficult to refer to all the subperiods that have already been written. Furthermore, because the basic movements 206 written in each subperiod are merely simple movements, the purpose of each basic movement 206 cannot be understood from them alone. In other words, it is only by understanding the content and order of the previous basic movements 206 that the purpose of each basic movement 206 can be understood. Once the purpose of each basic operation 206 is understood, it becomes possible to determine, for example, which partial period of the pipe bending operation it corresponds to. This becomes difficult when the YOGO chart 200 is long. Therefore, to improve this, we have introduced the concept of a "sub-chart," which will be explained below, into the YOGO chart 200.

E. Subchart:
13 describes the operation of bending a pipe at four locations, and correspondingly, the section describing the pipe bending operation is repeated four times in YOGO chart 200. As mentioned above, the pipe bending operation is composed of seven processes: a "bending die selection process," a "pre-tightening process," a "contact tightening process," a "final tightening process," a "bending process," a "die release process," and a "bending recovery process." These processes correspond to seven consecutive partial periods numbered 4 to 10 in YOGO chart 200 illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Therefore, as shown in Figure 14(a), small charts are created that extract these partial periods. Hereinafter, these small charts, each extracting multiple consecutive partial periods from the YOGO chart 200, will be referred to as "subcharts 300." A unique subchart symbol 301 is assigned to each subchart 300, so that when creating the YOGO chart 200, the subchart symbol 301 can be placed on the operating line 203. In the example shown in Figure 14(b), the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT1" is placed at chart coordinates (1, n) on the YOGO chart 200. Note that "n" represents a natural number. In this way, a partial period with a subchart symbol 301 represents multiple consecutive partial periods. In this embodiment, the subchart 300 corresponds to the "subchart" of the present invention, and the subchart symbol 301 corresponds to the "subchart display" of the present invention.

In the example shown in Figure 14(b), the subchart symbol 301 is written at the coordinate position of actuator number 1, but the subchart symbol 301 may be written at the coordinate position of any actuator number. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 15, in addition to the rows (horizontally elongated areas) to which actuators are assigned on the YOGO chart 200, a dedicated row 207 for writing the subchart symbol 301 may be added to the YOGO chart 200, and the subchart symbol 301 may be written at the coordinate position of the added dedicated row 207.

Furthermore, in the YOGO chart 200 illustrated in FIG. 13, four pipe bending operations are performed. While these operations are similar in that they are composed of the seven steps described above, the selected bending tool and bending angle are different. Therefore, the subchart 300 corresponding to the second pipe bending operation is different from the subchart 300 corresponding to the first pipe bending operation shown in FIG. 14(a). That is, the subchart 300 has the same operation symbol 206a for the basic operation 206 as the subchart 300 in FIG. 14(a), but a different parameter symbol 206b. Therefore, the subchart 300 corresponding to the second pipe bending operation is associated with the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT2." Similarly, the subchart 300 corresponding to the third pipe bending operation is associated with the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT3," and the subchart 300 corresponding to the fourth pipe bending operation is associated with the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT4."

Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the YOGO chart 200 of Figure 13 when it is drawn using a subchart 300. In the figure, the subchart symbol 301 is drawn in the position enclosed by the dashed rectangle. As is clear from a comparison of Figures 13 and 16, the use of the subchart 300 shortens the YOGO chart 200, making it easier to refer to the entire YOGO chart 200.

In addition, by grouping multiple sub-periods that make up a meaningful group of operations (here, pipe bending operations) into sub-charts 300, rather than simply grouping multiple consecutive sub-periods into sub-charts 300, it becomes easier to understand the content of the YOGO chart 200. For example, in the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 16, sub-chart symbols 301 are written in four locations, making it possible to immediately recognize that pipe bending operations are performed four times and that, during these pipe bending operations, actuator Ac13 is used to move transport unit 12 and actuator Ac11 is used to twist the pipe.

In this way, by creating a YOGO chart 200 using a subchart 300, the entire YOGO chart 200 can be easily referenced, and the contents written on the YOGO chart 200 can also be easily recognized. Therefore, even when an automated manufacturing machine is to perform complex operations, it is possible to easily create a YOGO chart 200.

In the above explanation, the pipe bending operation is considered to consist of seven processes: the "bending die selection process," "pre-tightening process," "contact tightening process," "final tightening process," "bending process," "die release process," and "bending recovery process," and the seven partial periods corresponding to these processes are summarized as sub-chart 300. However, before the pipe bending operation, there are also processes for advancing the pipe to the desired bending position and twisting the pipe to match the bending direction. Therefore, multiple processes including these processes may be summarized as sub-chart 300.

F. Control program generator 110:
Once the YOGO chart 200 and subchart 300 described above have been created, the control program for the pipe bender 10 can be automatically generated by loading these charts into the control program generation device 110 (see Figure 2) in the control device 100.

F-1. Overview of the control device 100 and the control program generation device 110:
FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a control device 100 incorporating a control program generator 110. As shown in the figure, the control device 100 includes a chart creation unit 101, a chart storage unit 102, a control program generator 110, and an operation control device 120. Furthermore, the control program generator 110 includes a chart reading unit 111, a basic operation storage unit 112, an intermediate data generation unit 113, and an intermediate data conversion unit 114. Note that these "units" are abstract concepts that represent the functions of the control device 100 to create and store YOGO charts 200 and subcharts 300, and the functions of the control program generator 110 to read YOGO charts 200 and subcharts 300 and generate a control program. Therefore, it does not represent that the control device 100 and the control program generator 110 are formed by combining components corresponding to these "units." In reality, these "parts" can be realized in the form of a program executed by a CPU, or in the form of an electronic circuit combining IC chips, LSIs, etc., or even in a variety of forms, such as a mixture of these.

The chart creation unit 101 is connected to the monitor screen 100m and operation input buttons 100s, and a mechanical engineer with sufficient knowledge of automated manufacturing machines such as the pipe bender 10 creates the sub-chart 300 shown in FIG. 14(a) or the YOGO chart 200 shown in FIG. 16 by operating the operation input buttons 100s while viewing the monitor screen 100m. An engineer with sufficient knowledge of the operation of automated manufacturing machines can easily create the sub-chart 300 or the YOGO chart 200.

In addition, in this embodiment, when entering basic actions 206 into a YOGO chart, the basic actions 206 are entered using action symbols 206a and parameter symbols 206b as a general rule, but the action symbols 206a, parameter symbols 206b, and parameter values corresponding to the parameter symbols 206b are stored in the basic action storage unit 112. Therefore, the chart creation unit 101 is able to refer to the basic action storage unit 112, and when creating a subchart 300 or a YOGO chart 200, the basic actions 206 can be entered while referring to the basic action storage unit 112. Then, once the subchart 300 or the YOGO chart 200 is completed, it is saved in the chart storage unit 102.

The chart reading unit 111 of the control program generation device 110 reads the YOGO chart 200 and sub-chart 300 stored in the chart storage unit 102 and outputs them to the intermediate data generation unit 113. The intermediate data generation unit 113 analyzes the read YOGO chart 200 and sub-chart 300 to generate intermediate data (described below), and then outputs the intermediate data to the intermediate data conversion unit 114. The process of generating intermediate data from a YOGO chart will be described in detail later. Note that instead of reading the YOGO chart 200 and sub-chart 300 from the chart storage unit 102, the chart reading unit 111 may read the YOGO chart 200 and sub-chart 300 from a computer 50 provided separately from the control device 100.

When the intermediate data conversion unit 114 receives the intermediate data, it generates a control program from the intermediate data by referencing the basic operation storage unit 112. The method for generating a control program from the intermediate data will be explained in detail later. The obtained control program is then output to the operation control device 120, which will be described later. Note that in this embodiment, the intermediate data generation unit 113 and the intermediate data conversion unit 114 correspond to the "control program generation unit" in the present invention.

F-2. Control program generation process:
18 is a flowchart outlining the control program generation process executed by the control program generator 110. As shown in the figure, the control program generation process first reads the YOGO chart and subchart 300 (STEP 1). Next, by incorporating the subchart 300 into the YOGO chart 200, the YOGO chart 200 including the subchart symbol 301 is reconstructed into a YOGO chart 200 that does not include the subchart symbol 301 (STEP 2).

Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram showing how a YOGO chart 200 including subchart symbol 301 is reconstructed into a YOGO chart 200 that does not include subchart symbol 301. Figure 19(a) shows a portion of a YOGO chart 200, which includes subchart symbol 301 in the subperiod numbered 4. Therefore, by replacing the subperiod containing subchart symbol 301 (the subperiod marked with diagonal lines in the figure) with the subchart 300 indicated by subchart symbol 301 and then renumbering the subperiod numbers, the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 19(b) can be obtained. In the case of the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 16, there are four subperiods containing subchart symbol 301, so the above-described operation is performed for all of those subperiods. In this way, a YOGO chart 200 including a subchart 300 as shown in Figure 16 can be converted into a YOGO chart 200 that does not include a subchart 300 as shown in Figure 13. The above processing is performed in STEP 2 of Figure 18.

Once a YOGO chart 200 that does not include a subchart 300 has been obtained in this manner, intermediate data is generated by analyzing the YOGO chart 200 (STEP 3). Figure 20 is a flowchart of the process of analyzing a YOGO chart and generating intermediate data (YOGO chart analysis process). This process is executed by the intermediate data generation unit 113 in the control program generation device 110.

As shown in Figure 20, the YOGO chart analysis process first initializes the partial period number N and actuator number M to "1" (STEP 10). Next, it is determined whether a basic action has been entered at chart coordinates (M, N) on the YOGO chart (STEP 11). Immediately after initializing the partial period number N and actuator number M in STEP 10, both N and M are "1," so it is determined whether a basic action has been entered at chart coordinates (1, 1) on the YOGO chart.

In the case of the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 10, no basic operation is entered at chart coordinate (1,1), so STEP 11 returns "no" and it is then determined whether or not actuator number M has reached its final value (STEP 14). In this embodiment, the pipe bender 10 is equipped with ten actuators Ac10 to Ac19, so the final value of actuator number M is 10. Therefore, after checking whether or not a basic operation exists at chart coordinate (1,1), STEP 14 returns "no," so actuator number M is incremented by one (STEP 15). The incremented actuator number M is then used to again determine whether or not a basic operation has been entered at chart coordinate (M,N) (STEP 11).

In this way, while the partial period number N remains at "1," the actuator number M is incremented by one, and a determination is made as to whether a basic operation has been entered at chart coordinate (M, 1). When the chart coordinate (M, 1) at which a basic operation has been entered is reached, a "yes" determination is made in STEP 11.

If STEP 11 returns "yes," the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b for the basic operation entered at that chart coordinate are read (STEP 12). In the YOGO chart illustrated in FIG. 10, when chart coordinate (4,1) is reached, STEP 11 returns "yes," and the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b for the basic operation 206 entered at chart coordinate (4,1) are read. As described above using FIG. 12(a), the chart coordinate (4,1) contains the operation symbol 206a "CNC-XA" as the operation symbol 206a for the basic operation 206 and three parameter symbols 206b "BO-CA03," "BO-CA04," and "BO-CA05" as the parameter symbols 206b, so these four symbols are read.

Next, data including the chart coordinates (M, N) where the basic action 206 was read, and the read action symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b is stored in memory (STEP 13). (Hereinafter, intermediate data (M, N, action symbol, numerical value table)) is stored in memory (STEP 13). In the case of the coordinates (4, 1) on the YOGO chart shown in Figure 10, the intermediate data (4, 1, CNC-XA, BO-CA03, BO-CA04, BO-CA05) would be stored in memory.

After storing the intermediate data read from the YOGO chart in memory (STEP 13), it is determined whether the actuator number M has reached the final value (10 in this case) (STEP 14). If the final value has not been reached (STEP 14: no), the actuator number M is incremented by one (STEP 15), and the process returns to STEP 11, where it is again determined whether a basic operation has been entered at the chart coordinates (M, N) on the YOGO chart.

On the other hand, if actuator number M has reached its final value (STEP 14: yes), then it is determined whether sub-period number N has reached its final value (STEP 16). For example, if the operation of pipe bender 10 is described on the YOGO chart using 100 sub-periods, the final value of sub-period number N will be 100.

As a result, if the partial period number N has not reached the final value (STEP 16: no), the partial period number N is incremented by one (STEP 17), and the actuator number M is initialized to "1" (STEP 18). Then, after that, the process returns to STEP 11 to determine again whether a basic operation has been entered at the chart coordinates (M, N) on the YOGO chart. In other words, in the YOGO chart 200 of FIG. 10, the partial periods with partial period number N 1 are checked from top to bottom, and once all the way to the bottom, the partial periods with partial period number N 2 are checked from top to bottom. After checking partial period 2, the partial periods with partial period number N 3 are checked, and so on. The basic operations entered on the YOGO chart are read out in order from the smallest partial period number N to the largest partial period, and the intermediate data is stored in memory.

Then, by repeating this operation, when it is determined that the partial period number N has finally reached its final value (STEP 16: yes), all basic actions entered in the YOGO chart have been read. The intermediate data stored in memory is then read and output to the intermediate data conversion unit 114 (see Figure 17) (STEP 19).

Figure 21 shows an example of intermediate data obtained when analyzing the YOGO chart shown in Figure 10. As shown, the intermediate data is a collection of sets of data (hereinafter referred to as "data records") consisting of an actuator number M, a partial period number N, an operation symbol 206a, and a parameter symbol 206b, arranged in that order. The partial period number N in each data record can take any value from 1 to the final value of the partial period number N, and the actuator number M can take any value of the actuator number M listed on the YOGO chart. Every partial period number N on the YOGO chart is always listed in one of the data records, and every actuator number M listed on the YOGO chart is always listed in one of the data records. Once this intermediate data has been output, the YOGO chart analysis process in Figure 20 ends, and the process returns to the control program generation process in Figure 18.

In the control program generation process of Figure 18, a control program is generated based on the intermediate data obtained in this manner (STEP 4). Figure 22 shows a control program generated from the intermediate data illustrated in Figure 21. As shown, the control program is a collection of sets of data (i.e., data records) each consisting of an actuator number M, a partial period number N, a program element number P, and a parameter value V, arranged in that order. Comparing the data records of the intermediate data shown in Figure 21 with the data records of the control program shown in Figure 22, it is clear that in the data records of the control program, the operation symbol 206a in the data records of the intermediate data is replaced with the program element number P corresponding to that operation symbol 206a (see Figure 5), and the parameter symbol 206b in the data records of the intermediate data is replaced with the parameter value V corresponding to that parameter symbol 206b (see Figure 7).

The operation of replacing the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b in the intermediate data with the program element number P and parameter value V, respectively, is performed by the intermediate data conversion unit 114 in FIG. 17 by referencing the basic operation memory unit 112. That is, the basic operation memory unit 112 stores the operation symbol 206a in association with the program element number (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the basic operation memory unit 112 stores the parameter symbol 206b in association with the parameter value V set for the parameter symbol 206b. Therefore, by referencing these, the intermediate data conversion unit 114 replaces the operation symbol 206a and parameter symbol 206b in the intermediate data with the program element number P and parameter value V.

Once the control program has been generated from the intermediate data in this manner (STEP 4 in Figure 18), the generated control program is output to the operation control device 120 installed in the control device 100 (STEP 5), and the control program generation process in Figure 18 is completed.

E. Overview of Operation of the Operational Controller 120:
When the motion control device 120 of the control device 100 receives the control program, it controls the operation of the pipe bender 10 as follows. Using the control program shown in FIG. 22 as an example, the motion control device 120 first extracts the record with partial period number N of 1 from each record in the control program. In the control program shown in FIG. 22, the record (4, 1, 1, 25, 120, 100) is extracted. The first number in the record is the actuator number, and the third number in the record is the program element number. The fourth through sixth numbers in the record are parameter values V specified for the program element. The motion control device 120 then uses the program element identified by the program element number to operate the actuator identified by the actuator number according to the parameters specified by the parameter values V (i.e., movement amount, movement speed, and movement torque).

When the operation with the specified content is completed, "1" is added to the partial period number N. Then, the record with the incremented partial period number (2 in this case) is extracted from the control program. In the control program in Figure 22, the record (1, 2, 1, 60, 20, 100) is extracted. Then, the actuator with actuator number 1 is operated using the program element with program element number 1 according to the content specified by the parameter value V. Then, when the operation with the specified content is completed, "1" is added again to the partial period number N, and the record with the partial period number after the increment is extracted, and the actuator is operated according to the content of the record.

In addition, multiple records with partial period number N may be extracted from the control program. For example, in the example shown in Figure 22, multiple records are extracted when the partial period numbers are 7, 8, and 9. In such cases, multiple actuators are operated simultaneously according to the contents of each record. Then, once operation has been completed for all actuators, "1" is added to partial period number N again, and the record with the partial period number after the addition is extracted. By repeating this operation, it is possible to operate the pipe bender 10.

As explained in detail above, if the operation of the pipe bender 10 is described in the YOGO chart 200, a control program can be automatically generated from the YOGO chart 200 to operate the pipe bender 10. Furthermore, even if the YOGO chart 200 becomes large and it becomes difficult to refer to the entire chart, by grouping multiple consecutive partial periods within the YOGO chart 200 into subcharts 300, it becomes possible to easily refer to the entire YOGO chart 200. Furthermore, by grouping multiple partial periods that make up a meaningful group of operations (for example, a pipe bending operation) into subcharts 300, rather than simply multiple consecutive partial periods, it becomes possible to easily understand the content described in the YOGO chart 200.

F. Variations:
There are several variations of the present embodiment described above, and the following describes these variations, focusing on the differences from the present embodiment.

F-1. First modified example:
In the above-described embodiment, unless the contents written in the multiple partial periods summarized as subcharts 300 are completely identical, including the parameter symbols 206b of the basic operations 206, the multiple subcharts 300 are treated as different subcharts 300 and the subchart symbols 301 are also different. For example, the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 13 includes four pipe bending operations, but these operations have different bending radii, bending angles, etc. For this reason, it has been described that each pipe bending operation is summarized in a separate subchart 300, and a different subchart symbol 301 is assigned to each subchart 300 (see Figure 16).

However, it is also possible to standardize multiple subcharts 300 that only differ in some of the parameter symbols 206b of the basic operations 206. Below, such a subchart 300 of the first modified example will be explained using the subchart 300 describing the pipe bending operation shown in Figure 14(a) as an example.

As mentioned above, the subchart 300 shown in Figure 14(a) is composed of seven consecutive subperiods, each representing one of seven pipe bending steps: the "bending die selection step," the "pre-tightening step," the "contact step," the "final tightening step," the "bending step," the "die release step," and the "bending return step." Here, the "bending die selection step" refers to the step of raising or lowering the processing unit 13 to select a bending die appropriate for the bending radius of the pipe. The "pre-tightening step" refers to the step of bringing the clamp die close to the bending die and lightly holding the pipe. The "contact step" refers to the step of moving the chuck 12b horizontally to contact the pipe with the bending die. The "final tightening step" refers to the step of contacting the pressure die with the pipe. The "bending step" refers to the step of moving the clamp die around the bending die's rotation axis to bend the pipe. The "die release step" refers to the step of separating the pressure die and clamp die from the pipe. The "bending return step" refers to the step of returning the clamp die, which has been moved around the bending die's rotation axis, to its original position.

If the bending radius of the pipe changes, the bending die used will change, so the position of the processing unit 13 moved in the "bending die selection process" will change, and further, the amount of movement of the clamp die and pressure die moved in the "pre-tightening process," "contact process," "final tightening process," "die release process," and "bending recovery process" will change. However, the movement speed, movement torque, etc. do not need to be changed even if the bending radius of the pipe changes. Also, if the angle at which the pipe is bent changes, the angle at which the clamp die is moved around the rotation axis of the bending die in the "bending process" will change, and this will change the amount of advancement of the chuck and the amount of feed-out of the electrical cable. However, the movement speed, movement torque, etc. do not need to be changed. Therefore, the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 16 uses four subchart symbols 301: "SUBCHRT1", "SUBCHRT2", "SUBCHRT3", and "SUBCHRT4", and four corresponding subcharts 300 must be prepared, but these subcharts 300 only differ in some of the parameter symbols 206b of the basic operations 206.

Therefore, in the first variant, for parameter symbols 206b that differ among multiple subcharts 300, a common parameter symbol 206b is set, and a different parameter value V is read each time the parameter value V of that parameter symbol 206b is read. In other words, while a unique parameter value V is set for a normal parameter symbol 206b according to Table B shown in Figure 7, the parameter value V of a newly introduced parameter symbol 206b is switched in sequence each time it is read.

Figure 23 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a subchart 300 of the first modified example. The subchart 300 of the first modified example differs from the subchart 300 shown in Figure 14(a) in that some parameter symbols 206b in the basic actions 206 are different. Figure 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic actions 206 written in the subchart 300 of the first modified example.

Figure 24(a) shows the basic operation 206 written at chart coordinates (8,1) on the subchart 300 of Figure 23. This basic operation 206 is the basic operation 206 of moving the processing unit 13 to select a bending die, and corresponds to the basic operation 206 shown in Figure 12(d) in the YOGO chart 200 described above using Figures 10 and 11. As is clear from comparing the basic operation 206 of the first modified example shown in Figure 24(a) with the basic operation 206 of Figure 12(d), in the basic operation 206 of the first modified example, the top parameter symbol 206b indicating the amount of movement has been changed to a parameter symbol 206d reading "KL-KR-X." The "-X" at the end of the parameter symbol 206d indicates that this parameter symbol 206d has a different parameter value V each time it is read. Additionally, in Figure 24(a), the changed parameter symbol 206d is displayed surrounded by a dashed rectangle, making it easy to recognize.

Figure 24(b) shows the basic action 206 written at chart coordinates (10,2) on the subchart 300 of Figure 23. This basic action 206 is for temporarily tightening a pipe with a clamp, and corresponds to the basic action 206 shown in Figure 12(e) in the YOGO chart 200 described above using Figures 10 and 11. The basic action 206 in Figure 24(b) differs from the basic action 206 in Figure 12(e) in that the top parameter symbol 206b indicating the amount of movement of the clamp has been changed to a parameter symbol 206d called "CL-SP-X" (i.e., a parameter symbol 206d whose parameter value V changes each time it is read). Also, in Figure 24(b), the changed parameter symbol 206d is displayed within a dashed rectangle.

The same applies to other basic actions. That is, in the basic action 206 listed at chart coordinates (3,3) on the subchart 300 in Figure 23, the top parameter symbol 206b has been changed to parameter symbol 206d (see Figure 24(c)), and in the basic action 206 listed at chart coordinates (7,4), the top parameter symbol 206b has been changed to parameter symbol 206d (see Figure 24(d)). Furthermore, in the basic action 206 at chart coordinates (10,4), and at chart coordinates (4,5), chart coordinates (5,5), chart coordinates (6,5), chart coordinates (9,5), chart coordinates (7,6), chart coordinates (10,6), chart coordinates (5,7), chart coordinates (6,7), and chart coordinates (9,7), the top parameter symbol 206b has also been changed to parameter symbol 206d (see Figures 24(e) to (n)). The parameter values V for these parameter symbols 206d are set as follows:

Figure 25 is an explanatory diagram illustrating parameter values V set for parameter symbols 206d of the first modified example. As described above using Figure 24, the subchart 300 of the first modified example contains 14 parameter symbols 206d, with four parameter values V set for each parameter symbol 206d. The reason for the four values is that the subchart 300 of Figure 23 is used in four locations in the YOGO chart 200, corresponding to the assumption that the pipe will be bent at four locations. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, a table in which multiple parameter values V are set for parameter symbols 206d of the modified example is called "Table C."

By using the sub-chart 300 of the first modified example described above, it is only necessary to prepare one sub-chart 300 even if the number of pipe bending operations increases. This makes it even easier to create a YOGO chart 200.

F-2. Second modified example:
Furthermore, instead of displaying the sub-chart symbol 301 on the YOGO chart 200, a sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions that combines the sub-chart symbol 301 with the selection conditions for selecting the sub-chart symbol 301 may be displayed on the YOGO chart 200.

Figure 26 is an explanatory diagram of a second modified YOGO chart 200 in which a sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions is depicted. As shown in Figure 26(a), the sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions is depicted on the operation line 203, similar to the sub-chart symbol 301 described above. The sub-chart display 302 with selection conditions also has at least one sub-chart symbol 301 and a selection condition 303 for selecting that sub-chart symbol 301. Figures 26(b) to 26(d) show examples of multiple sub-chart displays 302 with selection conditions.

The subchart display 302 with selection conditions shown in Figure 26(b) is formed by two subchart symbols 301, "SUBCHRT1" and "SUBCHRT2," and a selection condition 303, "SW1." Here, the selection condition 303, "SW1," indicates that SUBCHRT1 is selected when the switch SW1 is ON, and SUBCHRT2 is selected when the switch is OFF. Subcharts 300 corresponding to the subchart symbols 301, "SUBCHRT1" and "SUBCHRT2," can be created in advance. Here, the number of partial periods forming each subchart 300 may differ. Furthermore, the number of subchart symbols 301 included in the subchart display 302 with selection conditions is not limited to two.

The subchart display 302 with selection conditions shown in Figure 26(c) is formed by three subchart symbols 301, "SUBCHRT1," "SUBCHRT2," and "SUBCHRT3," and a selection condition 303 called "VALUE." Here, the selection condition 303 called "VALUE" indicates that if the value of the function called VALUE is "0," SUBCHRT1 is selected; if it is "1," SUBCHRT2 is selected; and if it is "2," SUBCHRT3 is selected. The subcharts 300 corresponding to each subchart symbol 301 can be created in advance, and the number of partial periods in each subchart 300 can be different.

Furthermore, the subchart display 302 with selection conditions shown in Figure 26(d) is formed by one subchart symbol 301 called "SUBCHRT1" and a selection condition 303 called "IF(A)." Here, the selection condition 303 called "IF(A)" indicates that if the condition "A" is met, SUBCHRT1 is selected, but if it is not met, SUBCHRT1 is not selected and that partial period is skipped.

By using these sub-chart displays 302 with selection conditions, you can flexibly switch the operation of each actuator depending on various conditions. At the same time, you can see the entire YOGO chart 200, making it easy to create a YOGO chart 200.

When generating a control program from a YOGO chart 200 having a subchart display 302 with selection conditions, there may be cases where the selection conditions 303 are finalized (subchart symbol 301 can be selected) at the time the control program is generated, or cases where the selection conditions 303 are not finalized. If the selection conditions 303 are finalized at the time the control program is generated, the control program can be generated by reconstructing a YOGO chart 200 that does not include the subchart 300, as described above using Figure 19. However, if the selection conditions 303 are not finalized at the time the control program is generated, the control program can be generated as follows.

For example, as shown in Figure 27(a), a subchart display 302 with selection conditions is assigned to the partial period numbered 4 in the YOGO chart 200, and the content of the subchart display 302 with selection conditions is to select either the subchart 300 SUBCHRT1 or SUBCHRT2 depending on the state of the switch SW1, as shown in Figure 27(b). Furthermore, the subcharts 300 for SUBCHRT1 and SUBCHRT2 are the subcharts 300 shown in Figures 27(c) and 27(d), respectively.

If the state of switch SW1 has not been determined at the time the control program is generated, the subcharts 300 of SUBCHRT1 and SUBCHRT2 are converted into intermediate data (see Figure 21), and this intermediate data is then converted into a control program (see Figure 22) and stored. Note that, hereinafter, the control program obtained by converting only the subchart 300 portion will be referred to as the "sub-control program 304." The sub-control program 304 in this embodiment corresponds to the "sub-control program" in the present invention.

When generating a control program from the YOGO chart 200, control programs are generated for the remaining partial periods excluding the partial period to which the subchart display with selection conditions 302 is assigned. In the YOGO chart 200 shown in Figure 27(a), the subchart display with selection conditions 302 is assigned to the partial period with partial period number 4, so control programs are generated for partial periods with partial period numbers 1 to 3 and partial periods with partial period numbers 5 and above. A jump command is written for the partial period with partial period number 4, allowing a jump to either the SUBCHRT1 or SUBCHRT2 sub-control program 304 depending on the state of switch SW1. When the sub-control program 304 to which the jump is made is completed, the program simply returns to the partial period with partial period number 5 and resumes execution of the control program.

Figure 28 shows an example of a control program generated in this way. The "4: (402, 500, 600)" displayed in the area enclosed by a dashed line in the figure is a jump command. The jump command shown indicates that in the partial period with partial period number 4, a jump is made to the sub-control program 304 starting from address "500" or "600" depending on the state of the switch indicated by the number "402" (switch SW1 in this case), and that once execution of the sub-control program 304 to which the jump is made is completed, execution of the control program is resumed from the partial period with partial period number 5.

In this way, even if the selection conditions 303 have not been finalized at the time the control program is generated, it is possible to generate a control program using a YOGO chart 200 that includes a subchart display 302 with selection conditions.

The above describes the control program generation device 110 in this embodiment and various modified examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and modified examples, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 19, it has been explained that a subchart 300 is read out from a YOGO chart 200 by writing a subchart symbol 301 in the YOGO chart 200. However, this is not limited to this, and another subchart 300 may be read out from the subchart 300 by writing a subchart symbol 301 in the subchart 300.

Furthermore, when the same subchart symbol 301 is repeatedly written in the YOGO chart 200, it is also possible to specify the number of repetitions for the subchart symbol 301. For example, in the example shown in Figure 29(a), the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT1" is written three times in succession in the YOGO chart 200. In such a case, as shown in Figure 29(b), it is also possible to indicate that the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT1" is repeated three times by writing the subchart symbol 301 "SUBCHRT1(3)."

10... Pipe bender, 11... Rail, 12... Conveying unit,
12a...gripping shaft, 12b...chuck, 13...processing unit,
50...computer, 100...control device, 100m...monitor screen,
100s...operation input button, 101...chart creation unit,
102...chart storage unit, 110...control program generating device,
111...Chart reading unit, 112...Basic operation storage unit,
113... intermediate data generation unit, 114... intermediate data conversion unit,
120...Motion control device, 201...Partition line, 202...Trigger line,
203...Motion line, 204...Start point, 205...End point, 206...Basic movement,
206a...operation symbol, 206b...parameter symbol,
206c...table symbol, 206d...parameter symbol, 207...dedicated row,
300...subchart, 301...subchart symbol,
302...Sub-chart display with selection conditions, 303...Selection conditions,
304...Sub-control program, Ac10 to Ac19...Actuator,
DA10-19...Driver amplifier.

Claims (6)

A control program generator (110) for generating a control program for an automated manufacturing machine (10) having a plurality of actuators, comprising:
a basic operation storage unit (112) that stores a basic operation (206) in which the actuator operates in a direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, in association with a program element that realizes the basic operation;
an operation chart reading unit (111) that reads an operation chart (200) in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is broken down into a plurality of basic operations, and the basic operations are assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation unit (113, 114) that generates the control program for operating the automatic manufacturing machine by combining the program elements of the plurality of basic operations assigned to the plurality of partial periods on the operation chart in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the operation chart,
The operation chart reading unit not only reads the operation chart but also reads at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
The operation chart is assigned a sub-chart display (301) specific to the sub-chart for at least one of the sub-periods;
The control program generation device is characterized in that, for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned, the control program generation unit generates the control program by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart. 2. The control program generating device according to claim 1,
The control program generation device is characterized in that the control program generation unit generates the operation chart that does not include the sub-chart display from the operation chart that includes the sub-chart display by replacing the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned with the plurality of consecutive partial periods of the sub-chart that correspond to the sub-chart display, and then generates the control program based on the generated operation chart. 2. The control program generating device according to claim 1,
In the operation chart, a plurality of the sub-chart displays and a selection condition (303) for selecting one of the plurality of sub-chart displays are assigned to at least one of the partial periods,
the operation chart reading unit reads, in addition to the operation chart, a plurality of sub-charts corresponding to the plurality of sub-chart displays;
The control program generation device is characterized in that, for the partial period to which the plurality of sub-chart displays are assigned, the control program generation unit generates the control program in which the plurality of program elements are combined according to the sub-chart corresponding to one of the sub-chart displays selected based on the selection conditions. 4. The control program generating device according to claim 3,
The control program generation unit
For the plurality of sub-charts corresponding to the plurality of sub-chart displays, a sub-control program is generated as the control program for each of the sub-charts by combining the program elements of the plurality of basic operations assigned to the partial periods of the sub-charts in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-charts;
a control program generation device for generating a control program that executes one sub-control program selected from the plurality of sub-control programs based on the selection conditions for the partial period to which the plurality of sub-chart displays are assigned. A control program generation method for causing a computer to generate a control program for an automated manufacturing machine (10) having a plurality of actuators, comprising:
an operation chart reading step (STEP 1) for reading an operation chart (200) in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is decomposed into a plurality of basic operations in which the actuator moves in the direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, and the basic operation is assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation step (STEP 2, STEP 3, STEP 4) of converting the basic operations described in the operation chart into program elements by referring to a correspondence relationship in which the basic operations described in the operation chart and program elements for realizing the basic operations are associated and stored, and combining the program elements in accordance with the order of the partial periods, thereby generating the control program for operating the automatic manufacturing machine;
The operation chart reading step not only reads the operation chart but also reads at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
In the operation chart read in the operation chart reading step, a sub-chart display (301) unique to the sub-chart is assigned to at least one of the partial periods;
The control program generation method is characterized in that, for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned, the control program generation step generates the control program by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart. A program for implementing a method for generating a control program for an automated manufacturing machine (10) having a plurality of actuators using a computer, the program comprising:
an operation chart reading function (STEP 1) for reading an operation chart (200) in which an operation period from when the automatic manufacturing machine starts to when it finishes its operation is divided into a plurality of partial periods, the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine is decomposed into a plurality of basic operations in which the actuator moves in the direction of the degree of freedom of the actuator by a specified operation amount, and the basic operation is assigned to any one of the plurality of partial periods, thereby describing the operation of the automatic manufacturing machine;
a control program generation function (STEP 2, STEP 3, STEP 4) that converts the basic operations described in the operation chart into program elements by referring to correspondences stored between the basic operations described in the operation chart and program elements for realizing the basic operations, and combines the program elements in accordance with the order of the partial periods to generate the control program that operates the automatic manufacturing machine;
The operation chart reading function is a function of reading not only the operation chart but also at least one sub-chart (300) in which the basic operations are assigned to a plurality of consecutive partial periods,
In the operation chart read by the operation chart reading function, a sub-chart display (301) unique to the sub-chart is assigned to at least one of the partial periods;
The control program generation function is a function that generates the control program for the partial period to which the sub-chart display is assigned by combining the program elements of the multiple basic operations assigned to the partial period of the sub-chart corresponding to the sub-chart display in accordance with the order of the partial periods on the sub-chart.