JP7839652B2 - cutting machine - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a cutting machine.

Machining machines that process workpieces to produce, for example, dental molded products, have been known for some time. Some machining machines have a function to change cutting tools depending on the type of cutting. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a machining machine equipped with a tool magazine that stores multiple machining tools. In the machining machine described in Patent Document 1, the tool magazine is fixed to the drive unit that moves the workpiece holder and is housed together with the holder in the machining area.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-142617

For example, in a cutting machine like the one described in Patent Document 1, the tool stocker for storing the cutting tool is housed in the machining chamber. Therefore, cutting dust generated in the machining chamber during the cutting of the workpiece adheres to the cutting tool. When cutting dust adheres to the cutting tool, problems may arise, such as machining defects occurring during the subsequent cutting of the workpiece.

This invention was made in view of the above problems, and its objective is to provide a cutting machine in which cutting chips are less likely to adhere to the cutting tools stored in the tool stocker.

The cutting machine disclosed herein comprises a tool stocker capable of storing multiple cutting tools, a first chamber housing the tool stocker, a second chamber partitioned from the first chamber, a holding device housed in the second chamber for holding a workpiece, a cutting device configured to grip each cutting tool stored in the tool stocker and cutting the workpiece held in the holding device using the gripped cutting tools, and a moving device for moving the cutting device between the first and second chambers.

In the above-described cutting machine, the tool stocker for storing cutting tools is housed in a second chamber, which is separated from the first chamber where the workpiece is held. Therefore, cutting chips generated in the first chamber are less likely to adhere to the cutting tools stored in the tool stocker. The moving device is configured to move the cutting device between the first and second chambers so that the cutting device can grip each cutting tool stored in the tool stocker and cut the workpiece in the second chamber using the gripped cutting tool.

This is a perspective view of a cutting machine according to one embodiment. This is a plan view of the workpiece and the adapter. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cutting machine, seen from the left. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cutting machine, seen from the right. This is a plan view of the work holder. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a cutting machine during adapter replacement. This is a perspective view of the cutting machine room and the drive machine room. This is a plan view of the tool stocker. This is a partially fractured side view of the area near the lower end of the main shaft. This is a side view of the area near the tip of the cutting device when changing cutting tools. This is a block diagram of a cutting machine. This is a flowchart of the entire process. This is a flowchart for work cleaning. This is a side view showing a work holder during work cleaning. This is a plan view of a work holder illustrating the work cleaning procedure. This is a flowchart for cleaning the processing room. This is a longitudinal cross-section of a cutting machine during cleaning of the processing chamber.

The following describes a cutting machine according to one embodiment, with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described herein is not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for components and parts that perform the same function, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[Configuration of a cutting machine]
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cutting machine 10 according to one embodiment. In the following description, when the cutting machine 10 is viewed from the front, the direction away from the cutting machine 10 is considered the front, and the direction towards the cutting machine 10 is considered the rear. Left, right, up, and down refer to the left, right, up, and down of the cutting machine 10 when viewed from the front, respectively. Also, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawing refer to the front, rear, left, right, up, and down, respectively.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is a cutting machine that cuts a disc-shaped workpiece held in an adapter. Figure 2 is a plan view of the workpiece 1 and the adapter 5. The cutting machine 10, in this case, is a device that cuts the workpiece 1 to produce dental molded products, such as crowns, bridges, copings, inlays, onlays, veneers, custom abutments, and other dental prostheses, as well as artificial teeth, denture bases, etc. The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is a dry-type cutting machine that does not use coolant.

The workpiece 1 is composed of, for example, resins such as PMMA, PEEK, glass fiber reinforced resin, and hybrid resin; ceramic materials such as glass ceramics and zirconia; metallic materials such as cobalt-chromium sintered metal; wax; gypsum; etc. When zirconia is used as the material for the workpiece 1, for example, semi-sintered zirconia is used. The workpiece 1 is a flat plate-shaped workpiece having two opposing faces. Here, the shape of the workpiece 1 is disc-shaped (circular). However, the workpiece 1 may have other shapes, such as block-shaped (e.g., cubic or rectangular). Hereafter, the two opposing faces of the workpiece 1 will also be referred to as the first face 1A and the second face 1B, respectively. The second face 1B is the back surface of the first face 1A. The distinction between the first face 1A and the second face 1B is for convenience only, and in this embodiment, the first face 1A and the second face 1B of the workpiece 1 before processing are the same. However, the first surface 1A and the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 before machining may be configured to be distinguishable.

The adapter 5 holds the disc-shaped workpiece 1. In this case, the adapter 5 is a flat plate-shaped adapter with a roughly circular insertion hole 5a formed in the center, corresponding to the workpiece 1. The workpiece 1 is held by the adapter 5 by being inserted into the insertion hole 5a. The workpiece 1, while held by the adapter 5, is then placed in the cutting machine 10 and processed.

As shown in Figure 1, the cutting machine 10 has a box-shaped housing 11. Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cutting machine 10 as seen from the left. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cutting machine 10 as seen from the right. As shown in Figure 1, the interior of the housing 11 is divided into multiple spaces, including a processing chamber 120 (see also Figure 3) housing the work holder 20 that holds the adapter 5, a drive unit chamber 130 housing the holder moving device 30 (see Figure 4) that moves the work holder 20, a changer chamber 170 housing the work changer 70, and a tool exchange chamber 180 for storing the cutting tool 6 (see Figure 7) in the tool stocker 80 (see also Figure 7).

As shown in Figure 1, the machining chamber 120 is located in the lower left portion of the housing 11. As shown in Figure 3, the machining chamber 120 extends to the rear end of the housing 11. The changer chamber 170 is located above the front portion of the machining chamber 120. The changer chamber 170 extends to the center of the housing 11 in the front-to-back direction. The drive unit chamber 130 is located to the right of the machining chamber 120. As shown in Figure 4, the drive unit chamber 130 extends to the rear end of the housing 11. The tool changer chamber 180 is located above the front portion of the drive unit chamber 130. The tool changer chamber 180 extends to the center of the housing 11 in the front-to-back direction. Note that the drive unit chamber 130 may be located to the left of the machining chamber 120. In that case, the tool changer chamber 180 may be located to the left of the changer chamber 170.

A machining chamber door 122 is provided at the front opening 121 (see Figure 3) of the machining chamber 120, and is designed to open and close. A drive unit chamber cover 131 is provided at the front opening of the drive unit chamber 130. A changer chamber door 171 is provided at the front opening of the changer chamber 170, and a tool change chamber door 181 is provided at the front opening of the tool change chamber 180, and is designed to open and close. The machining chamber door 122, the changer chamber door 171, and the tool change chamber door 181 are each provided with transparent windows 122a, 171a, and 181a, respectively, to allow visibility of the interior. An operation panel 110 is provided on the front of the drive unit chamber cover 131. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front of the housing 11 (here, the front openings of the machining chamber 120, the drive unit chamber 130, the changer chamber 170, and the tool change chamber 180) are formed at an angle to the bottom surface. The front of the housing 11 is shaped to tilt backward.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, above the machining chamber 120 and the drive chamber 130, and behind the changer chamber 170 and the tool exchange chamber 180, is a cutting device chamber 150 housing the cutting device 50 and a spindle moving device 60 for moving the cutting device 50 (as will be described later, the cutting device 50 has a spindle 51 equipped with a rotating spindle unit 52). Here, the cutting device chamber 150 occupies almost the entire width of the housing 11 in the left-right direction.

The work holder 20 is an example of a holding device for holding the workpiece 1. In this case, the work holder 20 holds the workpiece 1 via an adapter 5. However, the work holder 20 may also hold the workpiece 1 directly without other components. Figure 5 is a plan view of the work holder 20. As shown in Figure 5, the work holder 20 is equipped with a pair of left and right arms 21. The adapter 5 is held by the work holder 20 by being inserted between the pair of arms 21. The operation of the cutting machine 10 when the adapter 5 is inserted between the pair of arms 21 will be described later.

The holder moving device 30 supports and moves the work holder 20. In this embodiment, the holder moving device 30 moves the work holder 20 in the front-rear direction. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the holder moving device 30 moves the work holder 20 diagonally in the front-rear direction so that it descends towards the rear. When the work holder 20 is moved forward by the holder moving device 30, it also moves upward. When the work holder 20 is moved backward by the holder moving device 30, it also moves downward. As shown in Figure 4, the direction in which the work holder 20 is moved by the holder moving device 30 will also be referred to as the X-axis direction below. Also, below, unless otherwise specified, the forward direction in the X-axis direction will simply be referred to as "forward," and the backward direction in the X-axis direction will simply be referred to as "backward."

As shown in Figure 5, the holder moving device 30 includes a support arm 31 that extends in the left-right direction and supports the workpiece holder 20. As shown in Figure 4, the holder moving device 30 includes an X-axis moving body 32 connected to the support arm 31, a pair of X-axis guide rails 33, an X-axis drive motor 34, and a ball screw 35. The holder moving device 30 moves the workpiece holder 20 in the X-axis direction by moving the support arm 31 in the X-axis direction. At least a portion of the holder moving device 30 is housed in the drive unit chamber 130. Here, the X-axis moving body 32, the pair of X-axis guide rails 33, the X-axis drive motor 34, the ball screw 35, and a portion of the support arm 31 of the holder moving device 30 are housed in the drive unit chamber 130.

As shown in Figure 4, the pair of X-axis guide rails 33 extend in the X-axis direction. The X-axis moving body 32 is slidably engaged with the pair of X-axis guide rails 33. The X-axis moving body 32 can move in the X-axis direction along the X-axis guide rails 33. The ball screw 35 extends in the X-axis direction. The ball screw 35 is engaged with a nut provided on the X-axis moving body 32. The X-axis drive motor 34 rotates the ball screw 35 around its axis. When the X-axis drive motor 34 is driven to rotate the ball screw 35, the X-axis moving body 32 moves in the X-axis direction along the X-axis guide rails 33. The X-axis drive motor 34 is an example of a drive unit that moves the support arm 31 and work holder 20 in the X-axis direction by moving the X-axis moving body 32 in the X-axis direction. Note that the holder moving device 30 is not limited to having a ball screw mechanism, and may have, for example, a timing belt or wire.

The holder moving device 30 is configured to move the workpiece holder 20 within a predetermined range in the X-axis direction when the workpiece 1 held in the workpiece holder 20 is being cut by the cutting device 50. Hereinafter, this predetermined range in the X-axis direction will also be referred to as the "movement range during cutting." Figure 3 illustrates the state in which the workpiece holder 20 is positioned within the movement range during cutting.

As shown in Figure 5, the support arm 31 includes a rotating shaft 31a that rotates around an axis Axb extending in the left-right direction, a first arm 31b connected to the rotating shaft 31a so as to be perpendicular to the axis Axb and rotating in the front-rear direction together with the rotating shaft 31a, and a second arm 31c connected to the first arm 31b parallel to the axis Axb (so as to be perpendicular to the first arm 31b). As shown in Figure 4, the X-axis moving body 32 is provided with a B-axis rotation motor 41B that rotates the rotating shaft 31a around the axis Axb. The support arm 31 and the B-axis rotation motor 41B constitute part of a rotating device 40 that changes the posture of the work holder 20 by rotating the work holder 20. When the B-axis rotation motor 41B is driven and the rotating shaft 31a rotates, the work holder 20 rotates in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, the extension direction of the axis Axb will also be called the B-axis direction, and rotation around the axis Axb will also be called rotation around the B-axis. Furthermore, among the rotating devices 40, the device that rotates the work holder 20 around the B-axis is also called the B-axis rotating device 40B.

The rotating device 40 also includes an A-axis rotating device 40A that rotates the work holder 20 in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 5, the A-axis rotating device 40A comprises an A-axis rotating motor 41A and a rotating shaft 42A. The A-axis rotating motor 41A is fixed to the second arm 31c. The rotating shaft 42A is connected to the A-axis rotating motor 41A and extends in the front-rear direction along the axis Axa. When the A-axis rotating motor 41A is driven, the rotating shaft 42A rotates around the axis Axa. Hereafter, the direction of extension of the axis Axa will also be referred to as the A-axis direction, and rotation around the axis Axa will also be referred to as rotation around the A-axis.

The processing chamber 120 is partitioned by multiple walls and houses the work holder 20. As shown in Figure 3, the multiple walls include a bottom wall 120D, a left side wall 120L (see Figure 1), a right side wall 120R, a rear wall 120Rr, a front wall 120F, and a top wall 120U. The multiple walls 120D, 120L, 120R, 120Rr, 120F, and 120U are formed here from metal plates. The bottom wall 120D is positioned below the work holder 20 and forms the bottom surface of the processing chamber 120. The bottom wall 120D is configured to be approximately horizontal when the cutting machine 10 is placed on a horizontal plane. The top wall 120U is positioned above the work holder 20 and forms the top surface of the processing chamber 120. The left wall 120L, right wall 120R, rear wall 120Rr, and front wall 120F are erected to connect the top wall 120U and the bottom wall 120D, respectively. The left wall 120L is connected to the left end of the bottom wall 120D and extends upward. The left wall 120L is erected to the left of the work holder 20. The right wall 120R is connected to the right end of the bottom wall 120D and extends upward. The right wall 120R is erected to the right of the work holder 20. The rear wall 120Rr is connected to the rear end of the bottom wall 120D and extends upward. The left and right ends of the rear wall 120Rr are connected to the rear end of the left wall 120L and the rear end of the right wall 120R, respectively. The rear wall 120Rr is erected behind the work holder 20. The front wall 120F is connected to the front end of the bottom wall 120D and extends diagonally upward. The front wall 120F is erected in front of the work holder 20. The front wall 120F extends inclined backward. The extension direction of the front wall 120F is perpendicular to the X-axis direction. The left and right ends of the front wall 120F are connected to the front end of the left wall 120L and the front end of the right wall 120R, respectively. The top wall 120U extends in a direction perpendicular to the front wall 120F, i.e., parallel to the X-axis direction. The top wall 120U slopes downward toward the rear. The top wall 120U is installed non-parallel to the bottom wall 120D. The front end, left end, right end and rear end of the top wall 120U are connected to the upper end of the front wall 120F, the upper end of the left wall 120L, the upper end of the right wall 120R, and the upper end of the rear wall 120Rr, respectively.

A front opening 121 is formed in the front wall 120F of the processing chamber 120. As mentioned above, a processing chamber door 122 is provided in the front opening 121 so as to be openable and closable. The front opening 121 extends upward from a position above the lower end of the front wall 120F. The area near the lower end of the front wall 120F is a corner that is not open to the outside.

The right side wall 120R separates the machining chamber 120 from the drive unit chamber 130. The right side wall 120R of the machining chamber 120 is also the left side wall of the drive unit chamber 130. As shown in Figure 3, a slit 123 is formed in the right side wall 120R, extending in the X-axis direction and through which the support arm 31 of the holder moving device 30 passes. The slit 123 is an opening through which the support arm 31 is inserted. A dustproof plate 36 is fixed to the support arm 31 to prevent cutting dust generated in the machining chamber 120 from entering the drive unit chamber 130. The dustproof plate 36 is provided so as to cover at least a part of the slit 123 and moves in the X-axis direction together with the support arm 31. The dustproof plate 36 is fixed to the part of the support arm 31 located inside the machining chamber 120 and is provided inside the machining chamber 120. Here, the dustproof plate 36 is configured to cover different parts of the slit 123 depending on the position of the support arm 31 in the X-axis direction.

As shown in Figure 3, the dustproof plate 36 is configured to cover the rear end of the slit 123 when the work holder 20 is within the range of movement during cutting. At this time, the front end of the slit 123 is not covered by the dustproof plate 36 and is open. The dustproof plate 36 is configured to be located behind the front end of the slit 123 when the work holder 20 is within the range of movement during cutting. As the support arm 31 moves to the rear, the dustproof plate 36 opens up a larger portion of the front side of the slit 123. As will be described later, this is because the airflow in the processing chamber 120 tends to cause cutting chips to accumulate behind the work holder 20, and there are fewer cutting chips in front of the work holder 20. As a result, the length of the dustproof plate 36 is shortened, and the lengthening of the processing chamber 120 towards the front is suppressed. Note that a portion of the front side of the slit 123 is open regardless of the position of the work holder 20. Because a portion of the front side of the slit 123 is open, an airflow is generated from the drive unit chamber 130 towards the machining chamber 120. This prevents cutting chips and other debris from entering the drive unit chamber 130 from the machining chamber 120.

As shown in Figure 3, the top wall 120U partitions the machining chamber 120 and the changer chamber 170, and also partitions the machining chamber 120 and the cutting device chamber 150. The top wall 120U has a front opening 124 connecting the machining chamber 120 and the changer chamber 170, and a rear opening 125 connecting the machining chamber 120 and the cutting device chamber 150. The front portion of the top wall 120U of the machining chamber 120 is also the bottom wall of the changer chamber 170. The front opening 124 is formed below the changer chamber 170. The front opening 124 is an opening through which the workpiece 1, transported by the workpiece changer 70's transport device 72, can pass. As will be described later, here, the transport device 72 transports the adapter storage unit 71 containing the adapter 5 from the front opening 124 to the machining chamber 120.

The rear portion of the top wall 120U of the machining chamber 120 is also the left portion of the bottom wall of the cutting device chamber 150. The rear opening 125 is formed below the cutting device chamber 150. The rear opening 125 is an opening through which at least a part of the cutting device 50, in this case the lower portion of the spindle 51, can pass. The rear opening 125 is the opening through which the cutting tool 6 and the spindle 51 pass when the spindle 51 is moved in the Z-axis direction (see Figure 3) by the Z-axis direction moving device 60Z, which will be described later. As will be described in more detail later, the rear opening 125 extends above the drive device chamber 130 to connect the drive device chamber 130 and the cutting device chamber 150 (see Figure 7).

As shown in Figure 3, the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120 comprises a substantially horizontal bottom 126 and a slope 127 connected to the rear end of the bottom 126 and extending backward from there. The slope 127 has an upward gradient towards the rear. The slope 127 and the bottom 126 are connected in a bent manner. The slope 127 is connected to the rear wall 120Rr. A space is formed below the slope 127.

An exhaust port 128 is located in the bottom wall 120D. A dust collector 111 (see Figure 11) is connected to the exhaust port 128 via an exhaust duct 92 (described later). Air and dust from within the processing chamber 120 are discharged through the exhaust port 128. The exhaust port 128 is located on the slope 127. More specifically, the exhaust port 128 opens along the connection point between the slope 127 and the rear wall 120Rr. The rear edge of the exhaust port 128 is formed by the rear wall 120Rr. The exhaust port 128 is located at the very rear of the slope 127. The slope 127 has an upward gradient towards the exhaust port 128.

As shown in Figure 5, the exhaust port 128 opens behind the work holder 20. This creates an airflow from front to back, with the work holder 20 in between. Also, as shown in Figure 5, in a plan view, at least a portion of the slope 127 overlaps with at least a portion of the work holder 20 (see also Figure 3). As a result, fragments of the workpiece 1 that fall off during cutting fall onto the slope 127. Larger fragments of the workpiece 1 that fall onto the slope 127 are not sucked into the exhaust port 128 by suction, but slide down the slope 127. This separates the larger fragments of the workpiece 1. Furthermore, even if the workpiece 1 falls from the adapter 5 due to the load of cutting, for example, the fallen workpiece 1 will not be sucked into the exhaust port 128 by suction, but slide down the slope 127.

As shown in Figure 5, the exhaust port 128 is positioned to the right of the center line CL (which may or may not coincide with the A-axis) of the processing chamber 120 in the left-right direction. In other words, the exhaust port 128 is positioned towards the drive unit chamber 130 side of the center line CL of the processing chamber 120 in the left-right direction. This allows dust and other particles near the drive unit chamber 130 to be discharged more effectively. The exhaust port 128 is a single slit opening upwards. The exhaust port 128 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, with its length in the left-right direction being longer than its length in the front-back direction.

As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, a dust collection chamber 90 is provided below the exhaust port 128. The dust collection chamber 90 is fixed to the lower surface of the slope 127. The dust collection chamber 90 is a box-shaped member with an open top, and an upward-facing opening 90U is connected to the exhaust port 128. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the dust collection chamber 90 comprises an upward-facing opening 90U, a bottom wall 90D, a front wall 90F, and a left-side wall 90L. The rear wall and right-side wall of the dust collection chamber 90 are formed by the rear wall 120Rr and right-side wall 120R of the processing chamber 120, respectively. However, the dust collection chamber 90 may also have a rear wall and a right-side wall that are not shared with the processing chamber 120. The bottom wall 90D, front wall 90F, left-side wall 90L, rear wall 120Rr of the processing chamber 120, and right-side wall 120R of the processing chamber 120 form an internal space in the dust collection chamber 90. As shown in Figure 5, the internal space of the dust collection chamber 90 is larger than the exhaust port 128 in a plan view.

The dust collection chamber 90 has an upper opening 90U and a duct connection hole 91. The duct connection hole 91 is an opening to which the exhaust duct 92 is connected. As shown in Figure 3, the cutting machine 10 is equipped with an exhaust duct 92 connected to the duct connection hole 91. Here, the duct connection hole 91 opens into the rear wall of the dust collection chamber 90 (the rear wall 120Rr of the machining chamber 120). The opening direction of the upper opening 90U (exhaust port 128) and the opening direction of the duct connection hole 91 intersect. However, the duct connection hole 91 may open into another side wall of the dust collection chamber 90 (for example, the right side wall 120R). The front end of the exhaust duct 92 is connected to the duct connection hole 91. The exhaust duct 92 communicates with the exhaust port 128 and the machining chamber 120 via the dust collection chamber 90. The rear end of the exhaust duct 92 extends to the outside of the cutting machine 10. A dust collector 111 (see Figure 11) is connected to the rear end of the exhaust duct 92. As shown in Figure 5, the dust collection chamber 90 and the exhaust duct 92 are positioned to the right of the left-right centerline CL of the processing chamber 120; in other words, they are offset towards the drive unit chamber 130 from the left-right centerline CL of the processing chamber 120.

As shown in Figure 3, a top surface nozzle 93N of a top surface air blow device 93 is provided on the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120. The top surface air blow device 93 cleans the top wall 120U and rear wall 120Rr of the processing chamber 120 by injecting air along the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120 and sending the injected air to the exhaust port 128 via the rear wall 120Rr. The top surface air blow device 93 includes piping (not shown) connected to an external air compressor, a valve (not shown) that controls the airflow, and a top surface nozzle 93N that injects air along the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120. As shown by arrow F1 in Figure 3, the top surface nozzle 93N injects air along the top wall 120U and rear wall 120Rr of the processing chamber 120 so as to reach the exhaust port 128. In this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 opens along the connection point between the bottom wall 120D (more specifically, the slope 127) and the rear wall 120Rr. Therefore, the air injected from the top nozzle 93N is smoothly supplied to the exhaust port 128.

Although the plan view is omitted, the top nozzle 93N is positioned in alignment with the exhaust duct 92 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the top nozzle 93N is also positioned to the right of the left-right centerline CL of the machining chamber 120. In other words, the top nozzle 93N is positioned towards the drive unit chamber 130 side of the left-right centerline CL of the machining chamber 120. Furthermore, the top nozzle 93N can spray air towards the cutting device 50 when it protrudes into the machining chamber 120. Here, the top nozzle 93N sprays air so that it passes below the rear opening 125 of the top wall 120U. This cleans the lower part of the spindle 51 and the cutting tool 6 of the cutting device 50 as it moves into the machining chamber 120 through the rear opening 125.

As shown in Figure 3, the cutting machine 10 further includes a bottom air blow device 94 equipped with a bottom nozzle 94N. The bottom nozzle 94N injects air along the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120, reaching the exhaust port 128. The bottom air blow device 94 cleans the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 by sending the injected air along the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 to the exhaust port 128. The bottom air blow device 94 comprises piping (not shown) connected to an external air compressor, a valve (not shown) for controlling the airflow, and a bottom nozzle 94N for injecting air along the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120.

The bottom nozzle 94N is positioned above the bottom wall 120D. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the bottom nozzle 94N is fixed to a mounting plate 95 that is diagonally spanned between the bottom wall 120D and the front wall 120F of the processing chamber 120. As shown by arrow F2 in Figure 3, the bottom nozzle 94N sprays air diagonally downward toward the bottom wall 120D and toward the exhaust port 128. Here, the bottom nozzle 94N sprays air diagonally downward and backward toward the bottom wall 120D. As a result, the air that collides with the bottom wall 120D spreads out in the left-right direction. Consequently, a wide area of the bottom wall 120D in the left-right direction can be cleaned without widening the width of the bottom nozzle 94N. In this embodiment, the bottom nozzle 94N is positioned in the center of the processing chamber 120 in the left-right direction. However, the bottom nozzle 94N may be positioned to the left or right of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the processing chamber 120.

The workpiece changer 70 is configured to accommodate multiple workpieces 1 and is used to change the workpieces 1 being machined. As shown in Figure 3, the workpiece changer 70 includes an adapter storage section 71 capable of accommodating multiple workpieces 1 (here, adapters 5 to which the workpieces 1 are mounted; see Figure 2), and a transport device 72 for transporting the adapter storage section 71 to the machining chamber 120. Except in cases such as when changing workpieces 1, the adapter storage section 71 is housed in the changer chamber 170. As shown in Figure 1, the adapter storage section 71 is provided with multiple shelf-like storage spaces 71a, each capable of accommodating one adapter 5. The multiple storage spaces 71a are arranged vertically. More specifically, the multiple storage spaces 71a are arranged diagonally vertically (hereinafter also referred to as the L-axis direction; see Figure 3) perpendicular to the X-axis direction.

The conveying device 72 comprises a slide arm 72A extending in the L-axis direction, an L-axis drive motor 72B, and a ball screw 72C. The slide arm 72A is fixed to the adapter housing 71 and is extendable and retractable in the L-axis direction. The ball screw 72C engages with the adapter housing 71. The L-axis drive motor 72B is connected to the ball screw 72C and rotates it. When the ball screw 72C rotates due to the drive of the L-axis drive motor 72B, the slide arm 72A extends and retracts, and the adapter housing 71 moves in the L-axis direction.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the cutting machine 10 during the replacement of the adapter 5 (see Figure 2). As shown in Figure 6, when the adapter 5 is replaced, the adapter housing 71 descends into the machining chamber 120. The adapter housing 71 moves into the machining chamber 120 through the front opening 124 of the machining chamber 120. When the adapter 5 is replaced, the holder moving device 30 moves the work holder 20 forward in the X-axis direction beyond the range of movement during cutting. As shown in Figure 6, at this time, the rear end of the slit 123 is not covered by the dustproof plate 36 and is open. The dustproof plate 36 is configured to be located in front of the rear end of the slit 123 when the work holder 20 is located at the transfer position for transferring the workpiece 1 between the work changer 70 and the workpiece changer 70. This shortens the length of the dustproof plate 36 and prevents the machining chamber 120 from becoming longer towards the rear. As shown in Figure 6, the adapter 5 is held by the work holder 20 when the work holder 20 advances forward in the X-axis direction and enters the storage space 71a (see Figure 1) of the adapter 5. In this embodiment, the conveying device 72 conveys multiple workpieces 1 to the machining chamber 120 by conveying the adapter storage unit 71 to the machining chamber 120; however, the configuration of the conveying device 72 is not limited to this. The conveying device 72 only needs to be configured to convey at least one of the multiple workpieces 1 stored in the adapter storage unit 71 to the machining chamber 120. For example, the conveying device 72 may be configured to grasp and remove a workpiece 1 from the storage space 71a of the fixed adapter storage unit 71 and transfer it to the work holder 20.

The cutting device 50 and its moving device (spindle moving device 60) are housed in the cutting device chamber 150. The cutting device 50 cuts the workpiece 1 held in the work holder 20. As shown in Figure 3, the cutting device 50 and the spindle moving device 60 are located above the work holder 20. The cutting device 50 includes a spindle 51 that grips and rotates the cutting tool 6. The spindle 51 includes a spindle unit 52 and a gripping portion 53 provided at the lower end of the spindle unit 52. The spindle unit 52 extends in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction (here, parallel to the L-axis direction). Hereafter, this direction will also be called the Z-axis direction. The spindle unit 52 rotates the gripping portion 53 around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction. The gripping portion 53 grips the cutting tool 6 so as to protrude downward in the Z-axis direction. The spindle unit 52 here is a unit with a built-in motor. However, the spindle unit 52 may be connected to an external motor and belt, for example. The gripping section 53 is, for example, an air-driven collet chuck. However, the type of gripping section 53 is not particularly limited.

The spindle moving device 60 moves the cutting device 50 in the Z-axis direction and the left-right direction. The left-right direction is perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis directions. Hereafter, the left-right direction will also be referred to as the Y-axis direction. As the spindle moving device 60 moves the cutting device 50 in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions, and the holder moving device 30 moves the workpiece holder 20 in the X-axis direction, the positional relationship between the cutting tool 6 and the workpiece 1 changes in three dimensions. The Z-axis direction intersects (in this case, perpendicular to) the top wall 120U of the machining chamber 120. The cutting device 50 appears in the machining chamber 120 or retracts into the cutting device chamber 150 as a result of movement in the Z-axis direction. The spindle moving device 60 is capable of moving the cutting device 50 to a position where at least a portion of it is positioned above the workpiece holder 20 and below the top wall 120U.

The spindle moving device 60 comprises a Y-axis moving device 60Y and a Z-axis moving device 60Z. The Y-axis moving device 60Y is a device that moves the cutting device 50 in the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis moving device 60Z is a device that moves the cutting device 50 in the Z-axis direction. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cutting device chamber 150 and the drive device chamber 130. In Figure 7, some components are omitted from the illustration so that the interiors of the cutting device chamber 150 and the drive device chamber 130 are visible. As shown in Figure 7, the Y-axis moving device 60Y comprises a pair of Y-axis guide rails 61Y extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis moving body 62Y slidably engaged with the Y-axis guide rails 61Y, a Y-axis drive motor 63Y, and a ball screw 64Y. The pair of Y-axis guide rails 61Y are provided on the bottom wall of the cutting device chamber 150. The Y-axis guide rails 61Y extend above the drive device chamber 130. The Y-axis moving body 62Y is movable in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis guide rail 61Y. The Y-axis moving body 62Y can move along the Y-axis guide rail 61Y up to above the drive unit chamber 130. The Y-axis moving body 62Y supports the Z-axis moving device 60Z. The Z-axis moving device 60Z supports the cutting device 50 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in Figure 7, the ball screw 64Y extends in the Y-axis direction. The ball screw 64Y is engaged with the Y-axis moving body 62Y. The Y-axis drive motor 63Y rotates the ball screw 64Y. When the Y-axis drive motor 63Y is driven and the ball screw 64Y rotates, the Y-axis moving body 62Y moves in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis guide rail 61Y. This causes the Z-axis moving device 60Z and the cutting device 50 to move in the Y-axis direction.

As shown in Figure 3, the Z-axis movement device 60Z comprises a pair of Z-axis guide shafts 61Z extending in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis movement body 62Z slidably engaged with the Z-axis guide shafts 61Z and supporting the cutting device 50, a Z-axis drive motor 63Z, and a ball screw (not shown). The Z-axis movement device 60Z moves the cutting device 50 in the Z-axis direction in a similar manner to how the Y-axis movement device 60Y moves the Z-axis movement device 60Z.

Although not shown in the diagram, bellows may be provided on both the left and right sides of the Y-axis moving body 62Y. The ends of the right-side bellows are connected to the right end of the Y-axis moving body 62Y and the right end of the rear opening 125, respectively. The ends of the left-side bellows are connected to the left end of the Y-axis moving body 62Y and the left end of the rear opening 125, respectively. The bellows prevent dust and other particles from entering the cutting device chamber 150 through the rear opening 125.

As shown in Figure 3, an air intake port 152 is opened in the top wall 150U of the cutting device chamber 150. Here, the air intake port 152 is composed of a plurality of slits arranged in the left-right direction. However, the shape of the air intake port 152 is not particularly limited. The air intake port 152 is an opening for taking in outside air into the cutting machine 10 in response to air being discharged from the exhaust port 128. The air intake port 152 is in communication with the cutting device chamber 150. Furthermore, the air intake port 152 is also in communication with the drive device chamber 130 and the changer chamber 170 via the cutting device chamber 150. The cutting device chamber 150 and the drive device chamber 130 are in communication by a rear opening 125 that is opened in the bottom wall of the cutting device chamber 150 (the top wall of the drive device chamber 130). The cutting device chamber 150 and the changer chamber 170 are in communication without any partitions. The machining chamber 120 is connected to the air intake 152 via the cutting device chamber 150 and the drive device chamber 130. The drive device chamber 130 and the machining chamber 120 are connected by a slit 123 opening in the right-side wall 120R of the machining chamber 120 (the left-side wall of the drive device chamber 130). The machining chamber 120 is also connected to the air intake 152 via the cutting device chamber 150 and the changer chamber 170. The changer chamber 170 and the machining chamber 120 are connected by a front-side opening 124 opening in the top wall 120U of the machining chamber 120 (the bottom wall of the changer chamber 170).

The intake port 152 communicates with the cutting device chamber 150, the cutting device chamber 150 and the processing chamber 120 are connected by a rear opening 125, and an exhaust duct 92 is connected to the processing chamber 120. Therefore, when the dust collector 111 is driven, as shown in Figure 3, an airflow F3 is generated from the intake port 152, through the cutting device chamber 150, and toward the processing chamber 120. The internal pressure of the cutting device chamber 150 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the processing chamber 120. Therefore, cutting dust and other debris generated in the processing chamber 120 are less likely to enter the cutting device chamber 150. Similarly, the intake port 152 communicates with the changer chamber 170, and the changer chamber 170 and the processing chamber 120 are connected by a front opening 124. Therefore, when the dust collector 111 is driven, as shown in Figure 3, an airflow F4 is generated from the intake port 152, through the changer chamber 170, and toward the processing chamber 120. The internal pressure of the changer chamber 170 is higher than the internal pressure of the machining chamber 120. This makes it difficult for cutting chips and other debris generated in the machining chamber 120 to enter the changer chamber 170. Furthermore, since the intake port 152 communicates with the drive unit chamber 130, and the drive unit chamber 130 and the machining chamber 120 are connected by a slit 123, when the dust collector 111 is driven, an airflow F5 is generated, as shown in Figure 5, flowing from the intake port 152 (see Figure 3) through the drive unit chamber 130 to the machining chamber 120. The internal pressure of the drive unit chamber 130 is higher than the internal pressure of the machining chamber 120. This makes it difficult for cutting chips and other debris generated in the machining chamber 120 to enter the drive unit chamber 130.

As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the tool stocker 80 is housed in the drive unit chamber 130. The tool stocker 80 is configured to accommodate multiple cutting tools 6. These cutting tools 6 can be used, for example, depending on the material of the workpiece 1 and the type of cutting. As shown in Figure 7, the tool stocker 80 is supported by the X-axis moving body 32. More specifically, the tool stocker 80 is fixed to the upper surface of the X-axis moving body 32. Conventionally, the tool stocker was supported by the support arm of the holder moving device. Therefore, in conventional cutting devices, the support arm was prone to bending, and it was not possible to apply much load to the workpiece 1 during cutting. Specifically, the amount of material removed per unit time was limited to account for the load caused by cutting. In this embodiment, by supporting the tool stocker 80 on the X-axis moving body 32, the load on the support arm 31 is reduced.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the tool stocker 80. As shown in Figure 8, the tool stocker 80 is equipped with a plurality of storage holes 81, each capable of accommodating a cutting tool 6. The plurality of storage holes 81 are formed on the upper surface 80U of the tool stocker 80 and are recessed downward in the Z-axis direction. As shown in Figure 8, the plurality of storage holes 81 are arranged in a staggered pattern. More specifically, the tool stocker 80 has rows 81A to 81E formed in which some of the plurality of storage holes 81 are aligned in a predetermined direction (here, the Y-axis direction), and two adjacent rows of the plurality of rows 81A to 81E (for example, row 81A and row 81B) are offset in the direction of alignment. The amount of offset in the direction of alignment between the two adjacent rows is less than half the pitch of the storage holes 81 in each row 81A to 81E. This staggered arrangement results in a dense arrangement of the plurality of storage holes 81. As a result, the storage efficiency of the cutting tools 6 relative to the space is improved. Note that the rows 81A through 81E are aligned in the direction of the rows, with every other row being aligned.

The cutting device 50 is configured to grip each cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80, and cuts the workpiece 1 held in the work holder 20 using the gripped cutting tools 6. To enable this, the spindle moving device 60 moves the cutting device 50 between the drive chamber 130 and the machining chamber 120. The holder moving device 30 moves the tool stocker 80 below the cutting device chamber 150.

As shown in Figures 3 and 7, in this embodiment, the cutting device 50 is positioned above the work holder 20 and the tool stocker 80. The Y-axis movement device 60Y of the spindle movement device 60 moves the cutting device 50 in the Y-axis direction so that it moves between above the drive chamber 130 and above the machining chamber 120. The Z-axis movement device 60Z of the spindle movement device 60 moves the cutting device 50 in the vertical direction (here, in the Z-axis direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction). The holder movement device 30 is configured to move the tool stocker 80 to a tool gripping position P1 (see Figure 7) set below the movement path of the cutting device 50 by the Y-axis movement device 60Y. The tool gripping position P1 is located below the rear opening 125. By moving the tool stocker 80 to the tool gripping position P1, and then moving the cutting device 50 to a position above the tool gripping position P1, the Z-axis movement device 60Z is driven to lower the cutting device 50, thereby allowing the cutting device 50 to grip the cutting tool 6 of the tool stocker 80.

The holder moving device 30 is configured to move the tool stocker 80 to a tool exchange position P2, which is set forward of the tool gripping position P1. As shown in Figure 7, the tool gripping position P2 is set below the bottom wall 182 of the tool exchange chamber 180. The bottom wall 182 of the tool exchange chamber 180 separates the tool exchange chamber 180 from the drive device chamber 130. As shown in Figure 7, an opening 183 is formed in the bottom wall 182 of the tool exchange chamber 180, opening above the tool exchange position P2. The opening 183 is for the user to insert and remove cutting tools 6 into and from the tool stocker 80. The opening 183 penetrates the bottom wall 182 in the Z-axis direction. When the holder moving device 30 is driven to move the tool stocker 80 to the tool exchange position P2, the user can access the tool stocker 80 through the opening 183. By providing a tool exchange chamber 180 with an opening 183, it is prevented from the user touching the holder moving device 30 when changing the cutting tool 6. Furthermore, this configuration suppresses the entry of external foreign objects into the drive device chamber 130 when changing the cutting tool 6.

As shown in Figure 3, the cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment further includes a spindle air blow device 55 provided on the spindle 51 that injects air. The spindle air blow device 55 includes a spindle nozzle 56 provided on the side of the gripping portion 53 of the spindle 51. Figure 9 is a partially broken side view of the vicinity of the lower end of the spindle 51. As shown in Figure 9, the spindle air blow device 55 includes a spindle nozzle 56 from which air is injected, and a nozzle support member 57 that supports the spindle nozzle 56. The nozzle support member 57 is provided above the gripping portion 53 in the Z-axis direction. Here, the nozzle support member 57 is fixed to a cover that covers the spindle unit 52. The nozzle support member 57 supports the spindle nozzle 56 so that it can move in the Z-axis direction. More specifically, the nozzle support member 57 supports the spindle nozzle 56 so that it can move between an end position Pd on the lower side in the Z-axis direction (the position shown in Figure 9, also called the lower end position Pd) and other positions located above the lower end position Pd in the Z-axis direction. The lower end position Pd of the spindle nozzle 56 is set to the side of the gripping portion 53. At the lower end position Pd, the gripping portion 53 and the spindle nozzle 56 are aligned in the X-axis direction.

As shown in Figure 9, the nozzle support member 57 includes a guide hole 57a through which the spindle nozzle 56 is inserted, and a stopper 57b that restricts the spindle nozzle 56 from moving below the lower end position Pd. The spindle air blow device 55 also includes a biasing member 58 that biases the spindle nozzle 56 supported by the nozzle support member 57 to hold the spindle nozzle 56 at the lower end position Pd. In this case, the biasing member 58 is a coil spring. However, the biasing member 58 is not limited to a coil spring and may be, for example, an air cylinder. The spindle nozzle 56 has a contact portion 56a that abuts against the stopper 57b at the lower end position Pd. The spindle nozzle 56 is held at the lower end position Pd by the stopper 57b and the biasing member 58. Furthermore, when the main spindle nozzle 56 is pushed upward along the Z-axis, it moves upward along the guide hole 57a, resisting the biasing force of the biasing member 58.

The spindle nozzle 56 is positioned above the workpiece holder 20 and is configured to spray air downwards (in this case, vertically downwards). The air spray direction from the spindle air blow device 55 is vertically downwards. This causes the air to be blown at an angle onto the cutting tool 6 held by the gripping portion 53. However, the spindle nozzle 56 may spray air in other directions. The spindle nozzle 56 has a cutting surface 56b formed on its side wall, extending obliquely in the Z-axis direction. The cutting surface 56b has an inclination such that it approaches the gripping portion 53 as it extends downwards in the Z-axis direction. Here, the cutting surface 56b extends diagonally upwards from the lower end of the spindle nozzle 56.

When returning the cutting tool 6 mounted on the spindle 51 to the tool stocker 80, or when mounting the cutting tool 6 from the tool stocker 80 to the spindle 51, the Z-axis movement device 60Z moves the gripping portion 53 to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction (hereinafter also referred to as the working position Po) that is set to grip or release the cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80. Figure 10 is a side view of the area near the tip of the cutting device 50 when the cutting tool 6 is being replaced. Figure 10 illustrates the state in which the gripping portion 53 is positioned at the working position Po. As shown in Figure 10, the spindle nozzle 56 contacts the tool stocker 80 when the gripping portion 53 is positioned at the working position Po in the Z-axis direction. At this time, the spindle nozzle 56 is pushed by the tool stocker 80 and is positioned above the lower end position Pd in the Z-axis direction, against the biasing force of the biasing member 58.

When the spindle nozzle 56 is not in contact with the tool stocker 80, it is located at the lower end position Pd, which is lower in the Z-axis direction than when it is in contact with the tool stocker 80. This allows the spindle nozzle 56 to be brought closer to the cutting edge of the cutting tool 6, the workpiece 1, or the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 during machining, cleaning, or cleaning of the machining chamber 120 (as will be described later, the spindle air blow device 55 is configured to spray air into the machining chamber 120 and the work holder 20, and is also used for cleaning the machining chamber 120). On the other hand, when the spindle nozzle 56 is at the lower end position Pd, the long spindle nozzle 56 interferes with the tool stocker 80 or the cutting tool 6 when returning the cutting tool 6 mounted on the spindle 51 to the tool stocker 80, or when mounting the cutting tool 6 from the tool stocker 80 to the spindle 51. Therefore, in this embodiment, the spindle air blow device 55 is configured to move upward (retract) when the spindle nozzle 56 is pushed upward in the Z-axis direction.

The cut surface 56b of the spindle nozzle 56 is provided to allow the spindle nozzle 56 to move upward when an object pushes it from the side. When an object pushes the cut surface 56b from the side, a portion of the pressing force is converted by the cut surface 56b into an upward force in the Z-axis direction, causing the spindle nozzle 56 to move upward.

Furthermore, the configuration in which the spindle nozzle 56 moves vertically along the Z-axis is also effective against the possibility of objects other than the tool stocker 80 colliding with the spindle nozzle 56. With this configuration, if any object collides with the spindle nozzle 56, the spindle nozzle 56 moves upward along the Z-axis. Therefore, the risk of damage to the spindle nozzle 56 or the colliding object can be reduced.

The control device 100 is connected to the holder moving device 30, the spindle moving device 60, the cutting device 50, etc., and controls their operation. Figure 11 is a block diagram of the cutting machine 10. As shown in Figure 11, the control device 100 is connected to the X-axis drive motor 34 of the holder moving device 30, the A-axis rotation motor 41A and B-axis rotation motor 41B of the rotating device 40, the spindle unit 52 and gripping part 53 of the cutting device 50, the Y-axis drive motor 63Y and Z-axis drive motor 63Z of the spindle moving device 60, the L-axis drive motor 72B of the work changer 70, the top surface air blow device 93, the bottom surface air blow device 94, the spindle air blow device 55, the dust collector 111, and the operation panel 110, and controls their operation. Note that the control of the dust collector 111 may be performed not by the control device 100, but by a control device built into the dust collector 111 or an external device.

The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. The control device 100 is, for example, a microcomputer. While the hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, it may include, for example, an interface (I/F) for receiving cutting data from external devices such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) for executing control program instructions, a read-only memory (ROM) for storing programs executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding programs, and a storage device such as memory for storing the programs and various data.

As shown in Figure 11, the control device 100 comprises a cutting control unit 101, a workpiece exchange unit 102, a tool exchange unit 103, a workpiece cleaning unit 104, and a machining chamber cleaning unit 105. The control device 100 may also include other processing units, but these are not shown or described here.

The cutting control unit 101 controls the X-axis drive motor 34 of the holder moving device 30, the A-axis rotation motor 41A and B-axis rotation motor 41B of the rotating device 40, the spindle unit 52 of the cutting device 50, and the Y-axis drive motor 63Y and Z-axis drive motor 63Z of the spindle moving device 60 to cut the workpiece 1 into the specified shape. During the cutting of the workpiece 1, the spindle air blow device 55 is driven as needed to remove cutting dust adhering to the workpiece 1, adapter 5, and workpiece holder 20. The dust collector 111 is also driven during the cutting of the workpiece 1.

The workpiece exchange unit 102 controls the L-axis drive motor 72B of the workpiece changer 70 and the X-axis drive motor 34 of the holder moving device 30 to exchange the workpiece 1 (adapter 5 holding the workpiece 1). This allows multiple workpieces 1 to be processed sequentially. The tool exchange unit 103 controls the X-axis drive motor 34 of the holder moving device 30, the Y-axis drive motor 63Y and Z-axis drive motor 63Z of the spindle moving device 60, and the gripping unit 53 of the cutting device 50 to exchange the cutting tool 6 held by the gripping unit 53.

The workpiece cleaning unit 104 cleans the workpiece 1, adapter 5, and workpiece holder 20 after the cutting process is complete. As shown in Figure 10, the workpiece cleaning unit 104 comprises a first blow control unit 104A, a first posture control unit 104B, a first movement control unit 104C, and a reversal control unit 104D.

The first blow control unit 104A controls the spindle air blow device 55 to spray air toward the work holder 20 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed. The first posture control unit 104B controls the rotation device 40 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed and before the spindle air blow device 55 sprays air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, and controls the posture of the work holder 20 so that the two opposing surfaces of the workpiece 1 (first surface 1A and second surface 1B) intersect with the direction of air spray by the spindle air blow device 55 at a predetermined angle. In this embodiment, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees. However, the angle between the direction of air spray by the spindle air blow device 55 and the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 is not limited to 90 degrees. The first position control unit 104B also controls the rotation device 40 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed and before the spindle air blow device 55 sprays air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, thereby controlling the position of the workpiece holder 20 so that the first surface 1A of the workpiece 1 faces the spindle nozzle 56. This cleans the first surface 1A of the workpiece 1.

The first movement control unit 104C controls the holder movement device 30 and the Y-axis movement device 60Y to move the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20 when the spindle air blow device 55 is injecting air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A. This moves the location of the workpiece holder 20 to which the air is injected. The holder movement device 30 and the Y-axis movement device 60Y function as movement devices that move the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20. In this embodiment, the first movement control unit 104C moves the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20 so that the movement path of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20 traces a scan line.

The reversal control unit 104D controls the rotation device 40 while the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, changing the orientation of the work holder 20 so that the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 faces the spindle nozzle 56. This ensures that the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 is cleaned after the first surface 1A. The dust collector 111 is driven during the workpiece cleaning.

The machining chamber cleaning unit 105 cleans the machining chamber 120 after the completion of cutting and workpiece cleaning. However, the machining chamber cleaning unit 105 is not prohibited from cleaning the machining chamber 120 before workpiece cleaning, as long as the cutting process is complete. As shown in Figure 11, the machining chamber cleaning unit 105 comprises a second blow control unit 105A, a second posture control unit 105B, and a second movement control unit 105C.

The second blow control unit 105A controls the spindle air blow device 55 to inject air into the machining chamber 120 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed. The second position control unit 105B controls the rotating device 40 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed (and here, after workpiece cleaning controlled by the workpiece cleaning unit 104) and before the spindle air blow device 55 injects air under the control of the second blow control unit 105A, setting the position of the workpiece holder 20 to a predetermined position. Note that the control of the spindle air blow device 55 by the first blow control unit 104A and the control of the spindle air blow device 55 by the second blow control unit 105A may be performed continuously. That is, air injection may continue during workpiece cleaning and machining chamber cleaning.

In this embodiment, the predetermined orientation of the work holder 20 is such that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 held in the work holder 20 are inclined with respect to the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120. More specifically, the predetermined orientation of the work holder 20 is such that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 held in the work holder 20 are inclined downward toward the front. As a result, the air injected from the spindle air blow device 55 flows along the workpiece 1 and adapter 5 held in the work holder 20, mainly toward the forward and downward direction. In the cleaning of the machining chamber 120 according to this embodiment, the direction of the air flowing inside the machining chamber 120 is controlled by controlling the orientation of the work holder 20.

The second movement control unit 105C controls the Y-axis movement device 60Y when the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the second blow control unit 105A, thereby moving the spindle nozzle 56 to the left or right. This causes the forward-sloping downward airflow generated by controlling the posture of the work holder 20 to move to the left or right. As a result, cleaning of the machining chamber 120 progresses to the left or right.

During machining chamber cleaning, the second blow control unit 105A also controls the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 to inject air into them. Specifically, the second blow control unit 105A controls the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 to inject air from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N, respectively, and then controls the spindle air blow device 55 to inject air into the machining chamber 120. Furthermore, after injecting air into the machining chamber 120 by controlling the spindle air blow device 55, the second blow control unit 105A controls the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 to inject air. The second posture control unit 105B may change the direction of the airflow once or multiple times during machining chamber cleaning by changing the posture of the work holder 20 once or multiple times. The dust collector 111 is also driven during machining chamber cleaning.

[Overall Process]
The following describes the process including setting the workpiece 1 and cutting tool 6 in the cutting machine 10, machining the workpiece 1, and cleaning the workpiece 1 and the machining chamber 120. Figure 12 is a flowchart of the entire process. As shown in Figure 12, in step S10 of the machining process of the workpiece 1, the cutting tool 6 is stored in the tool stocker 80. Step S10 is performed by the user. The user opens the tool change chamber door 181 and stores the cutting tool 6 in the storage hole 81 of the tool stocker 80. In step S20, the adapter 5 with the workpiece 1 attached (the step of attaching the workpiece 1 to the adapter 5 is omitted from the description) is stored in the storage space 71a of the adapter storage section 71. Step S20 is also performed by the user. The user opens the changer chamber door 171 and stores the cutting tool 6 in the adapter storage section 71. Steps S10 and S20 may be performed in the reverse order.

In the following step S30, one of the adapters 5 stored in the work changer 70 is mounted on the work holder 20. In step S30, the adapter storage unit 71 is transported into the machining chamber 120 by the transport device 72. Then, the work holder 20 is moved forward in the X-axis direction by the holder moving device 30, and the adapter 5 is mounted on the work holder 20. Once the adapter 5 is mounted on the work holder 20, the work holder 20 moves backward in the X-axis direction. This moves the workpiece 1 mounted on the work holder 20 downward into the cutting device chamber 150. Afterward, the adapter storage unit 71 is returned to the changer chamber 170.

In step S40, one of the cutting tools 6 stored in the tool stocker 80 is gripped by the gripping portion 53 of the cutting device 50. In step S40, the holder moving device 30 moves the tool stocker 80 to the tool gripping position P1 (see Figure 7). Furthermore, the Y-axis moving device 60Y moves the cutting device 50 to a position above the tool gripping position P1. In this state, the Z-axis moving device 60Z is driven to lower the cutting device 50 to the working position Po, which is set as the position where the gripping portion 53 grips or releases the cutting tool 6. This allows the cutting device 50 to grip the cutting tool 6 from the tool stocker 80. At this time, as shown in Figure 10, the spindle nozzle 56 contacts the tool stocker 80 and is pushed upward in the Z-axis direction by the tool stocker 80. As a result, the spindle nozzle 56 moves upward in the Z-axis direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 58.

Once the gripping of the cutting tool 6 is complete, the Z-axis movement device 60Z moves the spindle nozzle 56 above the rear opening 125. This allows the cutting device 50 to move in the Y-axis direction. The spindle nozzle 56 then returns to its lower end position Pd due to the biasing force of the biasing member 58. Subsequently, the cutting device 50 is moved above the machining chamber 120. Note that steps S30 and S40 may be performed in the reverse order.

In step S50, the workpiece 1 is machined, and the desired material is cut out. In step S50, the holder moving device 30, the Y-axis moving device 60Y, and the Z-axis moving device 60Z are driven to change the relative position between the cutting tool 6 and the workpiece 1, and the rotating device 40 is driven to change the orientation of the workpiece 1. The cutting tool 6 is replaced with the appropriate tool as specified, following the same procedure as in step S40. This completes the production of the desired material. In step S50, air is blown from the spindle air blow device 55 to prevent cutting dust generated during machining from adhering to the workpiece 1, adapter 5, and cutting tool 6. Also, the dust collector 111 is driven during step S50.

In step S60, workpiece cleaning is performed. In step S70, machining chamber cleaning is performed. Details of steps S60 and S70 will be described later. In step S80, the workpiece 1, after machining is complete, is returned to the changer chamber 170 along with the adapter 5. In step S80, the operation of each part is performed in the reverse order of step S30. Through these steps S10 to S80, the machined object is obtained from the workpiece 1, and cutting chips are removed from the machined object, the adapter 5, and the machining chamber 120.

[Work Cleaning Process]
The details of the work cleaning in step S60 will be described below. Figure 13 is a flowchart of the work cleaning process. As shown in Figure 13, in step S61 of the work cleaning process, the rotating device 40 is driven, and the posture of the work holder 20 is changed so that the first surface 1A and the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 are perpendicular to the direction of air injection from the spindle nozzle 56. Figure 14 is a side view of the work holder 20 during work cleaning. As shown in Figure 14, the posture of the work holder 20 is changed so that the first surface 1A and the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 are approximately horizontal.

As shown in Figure 13, in the subsequent step S62, the work holder 20 and the spindle nozzle 56 are moved to the work cleaning start position. Note that the order of steps S61 and S62 may be reversed. Figure 15 is a plan view of the work holder 20 showing the work cleaning procedure. Arrow L1 in Figure 15 indicates the movement path of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20. Hereafter, the position during work cleaning will be represented as the position of the adapter 5 that overlaps with the spindle nozzle 56 in a plan view. As shown in Figure 15, the work cleaning start position is the front left corner of the adapter 5. However, the work cleaning start position may also be the front right, rear left, or rear right corner of the adapter 5. In step S63, air is ejected from the spindle nozzle 56.

In step S64, the spindle nozzle 56 is moved to the front right corner of the adapter 5. This removes cutting chips from the front left corner to the front right corner of the adapter 5. In step S65, the work holder 20 is moved forward in the X-axis direction. This moves the position where the air sprayed from the spindle nozzle 56 hits to the rear side of the adapter 5. Preferably, the amount of movement of the work holder 20 in step S65 is less than or equal to the length of the spindle nozzle 56 in the X-axis direction. In step S66, the spindle nozzle 56 is moved to the left until it reaches the left edge of the adapter 5. This removes cutting chips from the right edge to the left edge of the adapter 5 along the movement path L1 of the spindle nozzle 56. The following movements are not shown in the diagram, but the above movements are repeated until the entire area of the adapter 5 has been scanned. In this way, in work cleaning, the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20 is moved so that the movement path L1 of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20 traces a scan line. This ensures that the entire area of the first surface 1A side of the adapter 5 is cleaned.

In the following step S67, the rotating device 40 is driven, and the work holder 20 is rotated 180 degrees around the A axis. This reverses the adapter 5, so that the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 faces the spindle nozzle 56. In step S68, the reverse operation of steps S64-S66 is performed, and the spindle nozzle 56 returns to the workpiece cleaning starting position while tracing a scan line. This cleans the entire area on the second surface 1B side of the adapter 5. Workpiece cleaning is then completed.

[Processing Room Cleaning Process]
Next, the details of the machining chamber cleaning in step S70 will be described. Figure 16 is a flowchart of the machining chamber cleaning. As shown in Figure 16, in step S71 of the machining chamber cleaning, the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 are driven, and air is sprayed from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N. This blows off the cutting chips adhering to the top wall 120U and the rear wall 120Rr, and collects the cutting chips on the bottom wall 120D towards the exhaust port 128. Much of the cutting chips blown off the top wall 120U and the rear wall 120Rr, and the cutting chips collected on the bottom wall 120D, are sucked into the exhaust port 128 formed along the connection between the bottom wall 120D and the rear wall 120Rr. At the end of step S71, the spraying of air from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N is stopped.

In the following step S72, the rotating device 40 is driven, and the posture of the work holder 20 is changed so that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 are inclined downward toward the front. Step S72 may be performed before step S71. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting machine 10 during machining chamber cleaning. As shown in Figure 17, in step S72, the adapter 5 is positioned in a predetermined posture where its front end is lower than its rear end. As a result, the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 are inclined with respect to the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120. In step S73, air is sprayed from the spindle nozzle 56 toward the work holder 20. When air is sprayed toward the work holder 20, the direction of the air changes along the work holder 20, the adapter 5 that holds the work holder 20, and the workpiece 1 held by the adapter 5, as shown by arrow F6 in Figure 17. Here, the work holder 20 is positioned such that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 are inclined downward toward the front. Therefore, as shown in the airflow F6 in Figure 17, the air sprayed downward from the spindle nozzle 56 primarily changes direction toward a forward-sloping downward direction. Additionally, the air changes direction to scatter depending on the shape of the work holder 20, adapter 5, and workpiece 1. The air, having changed direction toward a forward-sloping downward direction, is then redirected again toward the rear along the bottom wall 120D by the front wall 120F and the machining chamber door 122 of the machining chamber 120. The rearward-directed airflow F6 pushes much of the cutting chips and other debris that were collected near the exhaust port 128 in step S71 but not drawn into the exhaust port 128 into the exhaust port 128.

In step S74, the Y-axis movement device 60Y is driven, and the spindle nozzle 56 is moved to the right. This movement of the spindle nozzle 56 may also be to the left. This movement of the spindle nozzle 56 pushes cutting chips and other debris into the exhaust port 128 over a wide area in the left-right direction of the machining chamber 120. At the end of step S74, the air jet from the spindle nozzle 56 is stopped.

However, the position of the work holder 20 during machining chamber cleaning is not limited to the position described above. During machining chamber cleaning, the work holder 20 may be in another position, for example, such that two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 are inclined with respect to the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120. During machining chamber cleaning, the work holder 20 may be in a position, for example, such that the left or right end of the adapter 5 is positioned lower than the right or left end. With such a position, the air hitting the adapter 5 and the workpiece 1 changes direction and is directed towards the left wall 120L or right wall 120R of the machining chamber 120. This cleans the left wall 120L or right wall 120R. The position of the work holder 20 may be changed during machining chamber cleaning to change the direction of the airflow.

In step S75, the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 are activated again, and air is sprayed from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N. This pushes much of the remaining cutting chips in the machining chamber 120 into the exhaust port 128. At the end of step S75, the spraying of air from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N is stopped. With step S75, the machining chamber cleaning is complete. Through machining chamber cleaning, most of the cutting chips generated in the machining chamber 120 by the cutting of the workpiece 1 are removed.

[Functions of the ramp and dust collection chamber]
The functions of the slope 127 and the dust collection chamber 90 will be described below. As mentioned above, the slope 127 is provided to separate larger fragments of the workpiece 1 generated by the cutting process. This prevents excessively large fragments from moving to the exhaust port 128 and blocking it. Similarly, if the workpiece 1 falls from the adapter 5 during processing, the slope 127 prevents the workpiece 1 from being sucked into the exhaust port 128. In this embodiment, since the slope 127 prevents excessively large objects and the workpiece 1 from being sucked into the exhaust port 128, the exhaust port 128 is not provided with a mesh or the like to prevent foreign matter from passing through. As a result, the exhaust capacity of the cutting machine 10 is also improved.

The dust collection chamber 90 is designed to prevent large objects, such as large fragments of the workpiece 1, from directly entering the exhaust duct 92. If such large objects enter the exhaust duct 92 directly, there is a risk of clogging. The dust collection chamber 90 prevents clogging of the exhaust duct 92 by, for example, receiving such objects first. To further suppress clogging of the exhaust duct 92, the opening direction of the duct connection hole 91 to which the exhaust duct 92 is connected intersects with the opening direction of the exhaust port 128. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 is smaller than the internal space of the dust collection chamber 90 in a plan view. This increases the velocity of the exhaust passing through the exhaust port 128. Therefore, the exhaust capacity of the cutting machine 10 is improved.

[Effects of the Embodiment]
The following describes the operation and effects of the cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment includes a work holder 20 for holding a workpiece 1, a processing chamber 120 for housing the work holder 20, a cutting device 50 for cutting the workpiece 1 held in the work holder 20, a spindle moving device 60 for moving the cutting device 50, a cutting device chamber 150, an exhaust duct 92 communicating with the processing chamber 120, and an intake port 152 communicating with the cutting device chamber 150. The cutting device chamber 150 includes a wall portion (the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120) that separates it from the processing chamber 120, and a rear opening 125 that opens into the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120, through which at least a part of the cutting device 50 can pass, and houses the spindle moving device 60. With this configuration, as described above, an airflow F3 (see Figure 3) is generated from the intake port 152, through the cutting device chamber 150, towards the processing chamber 120. The internal pressure of the cutting device chamber 150 is higher than that of the machining chamber 120. Therefore, the entry of cutting chips and other debris generated in the machining chamber 120 into the cutting device chamber 150 via the rear opening 125 is suppressed. The cutting device chamber 150 houses the cutting device 50 and the spindle movement device 60, which have movable parts and should be kept away from dust as much as possible. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of cutting chips and other debris generated in the machining chamber 120 to the cutting device 50 or the spindle movement device 60, thereby preventing problems from occurring in the cutting device 50 or the spindle movement device 60.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment includes a work changer 70 comprising an adapter storage section 71 capable of accommodating multiple workpieces 1, and a transport device 72 for transporting at least one of the multiple workpieces 1 stored in the adapter storage section 71 to the processing chamber 120. The cutting machine 10 further includes a wall section (the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120) that separates it from the processing chamber 120, and a front opening 124 that opens into the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120 and through which the workpieces 1 transported by the transport device 72 can pass, and has a changer chamber 170 that houses the adapter storage section 71. The air intake port 152 is also in communication with the changer chamber 170. With this configuration, as described above, cutting chips and the like generated in the processing chamber 120 are less likely to enter the changer chamber 170. Therefore, it is possible to prevent cutting chips and other debris generated in the processing chamber 120 from adhering to the workpiece changer 70 and causing problems with the workpiece changer 70.

In this embodiment, the conveying device 72 conveys the adapter storage unit 71 to the processing chamber 120. In this configuration, the front opening 124 for inserting and removing the adapter storage unit 71 into and from the processing chamber 120 needs to be relatively large. Therefore, without specific countermeasures, there is a high risk of cutting chips and other debris generated in the processing chamber 120 entering the changer chamber 170. Thus, compared to this configuration, generating an airflow F4 from the air intake 152 through the changer chamber 170 towards the processing chamber 120 offers significant advantages.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment includes a support arm 31 that supports a workpiece holder 20, and a holder moving device 30 that moves the workpiece holder 20 by moving the support arm 31. The cutting machine 10 further includes a wall (right-side wall 120R of the processing chamber 120) that partitions the cutting machine 10 from the processing chamber 120, and a slit 123 that opens in the right-side wall 120R of the processing chamber 120, through which the support arm 31 of the holder moving device 30 is inserted. The drive device chamber 130 houses at least a portion of the holder moving device 30. The air intake port 152 also communicates with the drive device chamber 130. With this configuration, as described above, cutting chips and the like generated in the processing chamber 120 are less likely to enter the drive device chamber 130. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of cutting chips and the like generated in the processing chamber 120 to the holder moving device 30 and prevent problems from occurring in the holder moving device 30.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a dustproof plate 36 fixed to the support arm 31 of the holder moving device 30. The dustproof plate 36 is provided to cover at least a portion of the slit 123 and moves in the X-axis direction together with the support arm 31. With this configuration, the simple structure of the dustproof plate 36 further suppresses the entry of cutting dust and other debris generated in the processing chamber 120 into the drive device chamber 130. Because the dustproof plate 36 has a simple structure, costs can also be easily reduced.

In this embodiment, the dustproof plate 36 is fixed to the portion of the support arm 31 located within the processing chamber 120 and is installed within the processing chamber 120. With this configuration, the dustproof plate 36 exerts its effect within the processing chamber 120. Therefore, it is possible to prevent cutting dust and other debris from approaching the slit 123.

In this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 opens in a portion of the processing chamber 120's walls located behind the workpiece holder 20 in the X-axis direction (here, the rear end of the bottom wall 120D). The dustproof plate 36 is configured to cover the rear end of the slit 123 when the workpiece holder 20 is within its movement range during cutting. With this configuration, during cutting of the workpiece 1, the rear end of the slit 123 is covered by the dustproof plate 36. Due to the placement of the exhaust port 128 in the processing chamber 120, air flows towards the rear. Therefore, cutting chips are also easily carried behind the workpiece holder 20. By covering the rear end of the slit 123 during cutting of the workpiece 1, the effect of suppressing the entry of cutting chips and other debris into the drive unit chamber 130 can be enhanced.

On the other hand, when the workpiece holder 20 is within the range of movement during cutting, the dustproof plate 36 is positioned behind the front end of the slit 123. In other words, at this time, the dustproof plate 36 does not cover the front portion of the slit 123. Since air flows towards the rear in the processing chamber 120, the dustproof effect of the dustproof plate 36 is not significantly impaired even if the front portion of the slit 123 is not covered. Conversely, the moderate opening of a portion of the slit 123 allows air to flow from the drive unit chamber 130 into the processing chamber 120, improving the dustproof effect. Furthermore, this configuration allows for a shorter length of the dustproof plate 36 in the X-axis direction, thus preventing an increase in the X-axis length of the processing chamber 120.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment has a top surface air blow device 93 equipped with a top surface nozzle 93N that sprays air along the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120. With the top surface air blow device 93, the air sprayed from the top surface nozzle 93N flows along the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120. Therefore, cutting dust and other debris adhering to the top wall 120U of the processing chamber 120, which was previously difficult to remove, can be effectively removed.

In this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 opens into the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120, and the top nozzle 93N injects air along the top wall 120U and rear wall 120Rr of the processing chamber 120 so as to reach the exhaust port 128. With this configuration, cutting chips and other debris adhering to both the top wall 120U and the rear wall 120Rr can be pushed into the exhaust port 128.

In this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 opens along the connection point between the bottom wall 120D and the rear wall 120Rr. With this configuration, the air ejected from the top nozzle 93N and flowing along the top wall 120U and rear wall 120Rr flows smoothly into the exhaust port 128. Therefore, exhaust efficiency is improved.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment has a bottom air blow device 94 equipped with a bottom nozzle 94N that injects air along the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120 so that it reaches the exhaust port 128. With this configuration, cutting chips and other debris on the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120 can be effectively removed.

In this embodiment, the bottom nozzle 94N is positioned above the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120, and sprays air diagonally downward toward the bottom wall 120D and toward the exhaust port 128. With this configuration, as described above, upon contact with the bottom wall 120D, the air spreads in the width direction of the bottom wall 120D (in this embodiment, the left-right direction). This allows for cleaning a wider area of the bottom wall 120D than the width of the bottom nozzle 94N.

In this embodiment, the drive unit chamber 130, which houses the holder moving device 30, is located to the right of the machining chamber 120. The top nozzle 93N and exhaust port 128 are positioned to the right of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the machining chamber 120. This configuration allows for the focused removal of cutting chips and other debris located on the side of the drive unit chamber 130 where the holder moving device 30 is housed. Therefore, even with this configuration, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of cutting chips and other debris generated in the machining chamber 120 to the holder moving device 30, thereby preventing problems with the holder moving device 30.

In this embodiment, the Z-axis movement device 60Z is configured to move the cutting device 50 to a position where at least a portion of it is positioned above the work holder 20 and below the top wall 120U of the machining chamber 120. The top nozzle 93N sprays air towards the cutting device 50 when it is moved to the above position (i.e., protruding below the top wall 120U). With this configuration, air can be sprayed onto the cutting device 50, which has been covered with cutting chips from the cutting process of the workpiece 1, to remove the chips.

In this embodiment, the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 is provided with an exhaust port 128 and a slope 127 that slopes upward towards the exhaust port 128. With this configuration, larger fragments of the workpiece 1 that fall onto the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 cannot climb the slope 127 even with suction from the exhaust port 128, or they will slide down the slope 127 even if they fall onto it. Therefore, larger fragments are not attracted to the exhaust port 128. Thus, with the cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment, even if the workpiece 1 fragments are large, the exhaust from the machining chamber 120 is less likely to be obstructed. Furthermore, with this configuration, even if the workpiece 1 falls off the adapter 5, it is possible to prevent the workpiece 1 from being sucked into the exhaust port 128. Note that in this embodiment, the slope 127 is a part of the bottom wall 120D, but it may be the entire bottom wall 120D.

In this embodiment, the bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120 is provided with a bottom portion 126 connected to the slope 127 so as to bend relative to the slope 127. With this configuration, fragments and the like that that slide down the slope 127 tend to stop at the boundary between the slope 127 and the bottom portion 126. Therefore, it is easier for the user to collect the fragments and the like that that slide down the slope 127. For example, if the entire bottom wall 120D of the processing chamber 120 is the slope 127, fragments and the like that that slide down the slope 127 tend to accumulate in the front lower corner of the processing chamber 120, which is formed by the bottom wall 120D and the front wall 120F. In this case, it is difficult for the user to collect the fragments and the like that that slide down the slope 127. Here, the bottom portion 126 is configured to be approximately horizontal. By making the bottom portion 126 approximately horizontal, it is possible to achieve both the ease with which falling objects stop and the visibility of the boundary between the slope 127 and the bottom portion 126. However, the bottom portion 126 may not be a nearly horizontal surface, but rather a slope with a gentler upward gradient than the slope 127, or a reverse slope that slopes downward towards the rear.

In this embodiment, in a plan view, at least a portion of the slope 127 overlaps with at least a portion of the work holder 20. With this configuration, fragments of the workpiece 1 that fall from the work holder 20, or the workpiece itself, fall onto the slope 127.

In this embodiment, the ramp 127 is connected to the rear wall 120Rr of the machining chamber 120, and the rear edge of the exhaust port 128 is formed by the rear wall 120Rr. With this configuration, the exhaust port 128 is positioned at the rearmost part of both the ramp 127 and the machining chamber 120. Therefore, cutting chips and other debris attracted to the exhaust port 128 do not overrun beyond the exhaust port 128. This allows for efficient collection of cutting chips and other debris.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment comprises a box-shaped dust collection chamber 90 and an exhaust duct 92 connected to a duct connection hole 91. The dust collection chamber 90 has an upper opening 90U and a duct connection hole 91, and the upper opening 90U is connected to an exhaust port 128. With this configuration, as described above, it is possible to prevent large objects, such as large fragments of the workpiece 1, from directly entering the exhaust duct 92. As a result, clogging of the exhaust duct 92 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the exhaust port 128 opens upward, and the upper opening 90U of the dust collection chamber 90 also opens upward. The dust collection chamber 90 is located below the exhaust port 128. With this configuration, cutting chips and the like naturally fall into the dust collection chamber 90 from the exhaust port 128 and the upper opening 90U. Therefore, dust collection efficiency is good. Note that the exhaust port 128 does not necessarily have to open facing forward, for example, and the dust collection chamber 90 does not necessarily have to be located above the exhaust port 128, for example.

In this embodiment, the duct connection hole 91 opens into the side wall (in this case, the rear wall) of the dust collection chamber. With this configuration, the opening direction of the duct connection hole 91 intersects with the opening direction of the exhaust port 128. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the direct entry of large objects, such as large fragments of the workpiece 1, into the exhaust duct 92.

In this embodiment, the dust collection chamber 90 has an internal space larger than the exhaust port 128 in a plan view. In other words, the exhaust port 128 is smaller than the internal space of the dust collection chamber 90 in a plan view. As a result, as described above, the velocity of the exhaust passing through the exhaust port 128 increases, improving the exhaust capacity of the cutting machine 10.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a spindle air blow device 55 that has a spindle nozzle 56 for spraying air toward the work holder 20. The control device 100 of the cutting machine 10 includes a cutting control unit 101 that controls the cutting device 50 to cut the workpiece 1, and a first blow control unit 104A that controls the spindle air blow device 55 to spray air toward the work holder 20 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed. With this configuration, after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed, cutting chips adhering to the workpiece 1 and the work holder 20 can be removed, and the workpiece 1 and the work holder 20 can be cleaned. Note that the air blow device that sprays air toward the work holder 20 is not limited to being provided on the cutting device 50, but may be provided in any location.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a holder moving device 30 and a Y-axis moving device 60Y, which are moving devices for moving the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20. The control device 100 includes a first movement control unit 104C that controls the holder moving device 30 and the Y-axis moving device 60Y to move the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the workpiece holder 20 when the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A. With this configuration, the position of the workpiece holder 20 that is hit by the air can be moved, allowing for cleaning of a wide area of the workpiece holder 20 and the workpiece 1.

In this embodiment, the first movement control unit 104C moves the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20 so that the movement path L1 of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20 traces a scanning line. With this configuration, the position of the work holder 20 to which air blows can be moved in a scanning line manner, so that no areas remain on the work holder 20 or the workpiece 1 that are not blown with air.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a rotating device 40 that changes the orientation of the work holder 20 by rotating the work holder 20. The workpiece 1 is configured as a flat plate having two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B. The spindle nozzle 56 is configured to spray air in a predetermined spray direction (downward in this case). Furthermore, the first orientation control unit 104B of the control device 100 controls the rotating device 40 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed and before the spindle air blow device 55 sprays air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, and controls the orientation of the work holder 20 so that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 intersect with the spray direction of the spindle nozzle 56 at a predetermined angle. With this configuration, air can be blown onto the workpiece 1 at an angle that makes it easy to remove cutting chips and the like adhering to the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1. The predetermined angle is 90 degrees in this case. By blowing air perpendicularly onto two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1, the air velocity, pressure, or volume can be utilized most efficiently. However, the angle between the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 and the spray direction of the spindle nozzle 56 is not limited to 90 degrees.

In this embodiment, the first posture control unit 104B controls the rotation device 40 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed and before the spindle air blow device 55 sprays air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, thereby controlling the posture of the workpiece holder 20 so that the first surface 1A of the workpiece 1 faces the spindle nozzle 56. The reversal control unit 104D controls the rotation device 40 while the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A, thereby changing the posture of the workpiece holder 20 so that the second surface 1B of the workpiece 1 faces the spindle nozzle 56. With this configuration, both the first surface 1A and the second surface 1B, which is the back surface of the first surface 1A, can be cleaned. Note that "while the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the first blow control unit 104A" may include cases where air spraying is continuous and cases where air spraying is temporarily stopped.

In this embodiment, the spindle nozzle 56 of the spindle air blow device 55 is also configured to inject air into the machining chamber 120. The control device 100 includes a second blow control unit 105A that controls the spindle air blow device 55 to inject air into the machining chamber 120 after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed. With this configuration, after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed, the cutting chips adhering to the machining chamber 120 can be removed, and the machining chamber 120 can be cleaned. In this embodiment, machining chamber cleaning is performed after workpiece cleaning. However, machining chamber cleaning and workpiece cleaning may be performed individually. Even when both machining chamber cleaning and workpiece cleaning are performed, the order is not particularly limited.

The control device 100 according to this embodiment includes a second movement control unit 105C that controls the Y-axis movement device 60Y to move the position of the spindle nozzle 56 relative to the work holder 20 when the spindle air blow device 55 is injecting air under the control of the second blow control unit 105A. With this configuration, the location of the machining chamber 120 that is hit by the air can be moved, allowing for cleaning of a wide area of the machining chamber 120.

The control device 100 according to this embodiment includes a second posture control unit 105B that controls the rotating device 40 to set the posture of the workpiece holder 20 to a predetermined position after the cutting of the workpiece 1 is completed and before the spindle air blow device 55 sprays air under the control of the second blow control unit 105A. The spindle nozzle 56 is configured to spray air toward the workpiece holder 20. With this configuration, as described above in the explanation of machining chamber cleaning, the direction of the air can be changed by directing the air toward the workpiece holder 20. Therefore, air can be blown to a targeted location in the machining chamber 120. In this embodiment, the posture of the workpiece holder 20 is not changed during machining chamber cleaning, but it may be changed once or multiple times.

In this embodiment, the spindle nozzle 56 is positioned above the workpiece holder 20 and configured to spray air downwards. Furthermore, the predetermined orientation of the workpiece holder 20 is such that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 held in the workpiece holder 20 are inclined with respect to the bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120. This allows the direction of the air after it hits the workpiece holder 20 to be oblique to the bottom wall 120D. This enables the movement of cutting chips and other debris along the bottom wall 120D.

In this embodiment, the multiple walls that partition the machining chamber 120 include a front wall 120F (which may include a machining chamber door 122) erected in front of the workpiece holder 20. The predetermined orientation of the workpiece holder 20 is such that the two opposing surfaces 1A and 1B of the workpiece 1 held by the workpiece holder 20 are inclined downward toward the front. With this configuration, the direction of the air after it hits the workpiece holder 20 is initially forward, but changes to a rearward direction upon hitting the front wall 120F. As a result, the air reaches the front wall 120F, which is the foremost part of the machining chamber 120. Therefore, cleaning can be performed all the way to the front of the machining chamber 120. Furthermore, the cutting chips and other debris can then be sent toward the rear.

In this embodiment, the second movement control unit 105C controls the Y-axis movement device 60Y to move the spindle nozzle 56 to the left or right when the spindle air blow device 55 is spraying air under the control of the second blow control unit 105A. This allows cleaning of the machining chamber 120 up to the very front over a wide area in the left-right direction.

In this embodiment, the second blow control unit 105A controls the spindle air blow device 55 to inject air into the machining chamber 120, and then controls the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 to inject air from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N, respectively. With this configuration, cutting chips and other debris that may have been scattered into the machining chamber 120 by the air injection from the spindle air blow device 55 can be carried to the exhaust port 128 by the air injection from the top nozzle 93N and the bottom nozzle 94N. This allows for further cleaning of the machining chamber 120.

In this embodiment, the second blow control unit 105A controls the top air blow device 93 and the bottom air blow device 94 to inject air into the machining chamber 120 before controlling the spindle air blow device 55. With this configuration, the top wall 120U, rear wall 120Rr, and bottom wall 120D of the machining chamber 120 are generally cleaned by the air injection from the top nozzle 93N and bottom nozzle 94N, and then the machining chamber 120 is cleaned by the air injection from the spindle nozzle 56. By following these steps, the scattering of cutting chips adhering to the top wall 120U, rear wall 120Rr, and bottom wall 120D by the air injection from the spindle nozzle 56 is suppressed. This allows for a cleaner machining chamber 120.

In the cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment, the tool stocker 80, capable of storing multiple cutting tools 6, is housed in a drive unit chamber 130, which is partitioned from the machining chamber 120 that houses the workpiece holder 20. The cutting device 50 is configured to grip each cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80, and cuts the workpiece 1 held in the workpiece holder 20 using the gripped cutting tools 6. The spindle moving device 60 is configured to move the cutting device 50 between the drive unit chamber 130 and the machining chamber 120. This configuration suppresses the adhesion of cutting chips generated in the machining chamber 120 to the cutting tools 6 stored in the tool stocker 80. This suppresses problems caused by cutting chips adhering to the cutting tools 6, such as machining defects. In this embodiment, the tool stocker 80 is housed in the drive unit chamber 130, but it may be housed in another room partitioned from the machining chamber 120.

In this embodiment, the drive unit chamber 130 and the machining chamber 120 are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. The holder moving device 30 includes a support arm 31 extending in the Y-axis direction and supporting the workpiece holder 20, an X-axis moving body 32 housed in the drive unit chamber 130 and connected to the support arm 31, configured to move in the X-axis direction intersecting the Y-axis direction, and an X-axis drive motor 34 that moves the support arm 31 and the workpiece holder 20 in the X-axis direction by moving the X-axis moving body 32 in the X-axis direction. The tool stocker 80 is supported by the X-axis moving body 32. With this configuration, the support arm 31 does not support the tool stocker 80. Therefore, the support arm 31 is less prone to bending. This improves the accuracy of the cutting process. Furthermore, the cutting load applied to the support arm 31 via the workpiece 1 can be increased, allowing for a larger amount of material to be removed per unit of time. This increases the cutting throughput.

In this embodiment, the cutting device 50 is positioned above the workpiece holder 20 and the tool stocker 80. The spindle moving device 60 includes a Y-axis moving device 60Y that moves the cutting device 50 in the Y-axis direction so that it moves between above the drive chamber 130 and above the machining chamber 120. The spindle moving device 60 also includes a Z-axis moving device 60Z that moves the cutting device 50 in the Z-axis direction. The holder moving device 30 is configured to move the tool stocker 80 to a tool gripping position P1 set below the movement path of the cutting device 50 by the Y-axis moving device 60Y. With this configuration, the cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80 can be gripped by the cutting device 50, and the cutting tool 6 can be returned to the tool stocker 80, by the procedure described in the embodiment.

In this embodiment, the holder moving device 30 is configured to move the tool stocker 80 to a tool exchange position P2 set forward of the tool gripping position P1. The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment includes a tool exchange chamber 180 having an opening 183 above the tool exchange position P2. When the holder moving device 30 is driven to move the tool stocker 80 to the tool exchange position P2, the user can store the cutting tool 6 in the tool stocker 80 or remove the cutting tool 6 from the tool stocker 80 through the opening 183. With this configuration, since the tool exchange chamber 180 is separated from the drive unit chamber 130, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the holder moving device 30 when changing the cutting tool 6. Furthermore, the entry of external foreign matter into the drive unit chamber 130 during the change of the cutting tool 6 is suppressed.

In this embodiment, the tool stocker 80 is equipped with a plurality of storage holes 81, each capable of accommodating a cutting tool 6, and the plurality of storage holes 81 are arranged in a staggered pattern. Specifically, the tool stocker 80 has multiple rows formed in which some of the plurality of storage holes 81 are aligned in a predetermined direction (here, the left-right direction) (here, five rows 81A to 81E), and two adjacent rows 81A to 81E are offset in the direction of alignment. This configuration improves the storage efficiency of the cutting tools 6 relative to the available space.

The cutting machine 10 according to this embodiment includes a gripping portion 53 that grips the cutting tool 6 so as to protrude downward in the Z-axis direction, a nozzle support member 57 that supports the spindle nozzle 56, and a biasing member 58 that biases the spindle nozzle 56. The nozzle support member 57 supports the spindle nozzle 56 so as to be movable between a lower end position in the Z-axis direction (lower end position) Pd set to the side of the gripping portion 53 and other positions above the lower end position Pd in the Z-axis direction. The biasing member 58 biases the spindle nozzle 56 supported by the nozzle support member 57, holding the spindle nozzle 56 at the lower end position Pd. With this configuration, when the spindle nozzle 56 is not being pushed by other members, it is positioned at the lower end position Pd, which is the direction in which the cutting tool 6 protrudes, due to the biasing of the biasing member 58. Therefore, at this time, the distance between the spindle nozzle 56 and the cutting tool 6 is small. Thus, air can be strongly blown onto the cutting tool 6. Furthermore, when the spindle nozzle 56 is pushed upward due to interference with other components, it moves against the biasing force of the biasing member 58 to a position above the lower end position Pd, i.e., in the opposite direction to the protrusion direction of the cutting tool 6. Therefore, according to the cutting machine 10 of this embodiment, the spindle nozzle 56 can be brought closer to the cutting tool 6, and the spindle nozzle 56 is less likely to get in the way.

In this embodiment, the spindle nozzle 56 moves at least from the lower end position Pd when gripping or releasing a cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80 with the gripping portion 53. In this embodiment, the Z-axis movement device 60Z is configured to move the gripping portion 53 to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction (working position Po) set to grip or release a cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80. When the gripping portion 53 is located at the working position Po, the spindle nozzle 56 contacts the tool stocker 80. As a result, the spindle nozzle 56 is positioned above the lower end position Pd in the Z-axis direction, against the biasing force of the biasing member 58. Therefore, the spindle nozzle 56 does not get in the way when gripping or releasing a cutting tool 6 stored in the tool stocker 80 with the gripping portion 53. In other words, since the lower end position Pd can be set so that the spindle nozzle 56 contacts the tool stocker 80, the spindle nozzle 56 can be brought closer to the lower end of the cutting tool 6.

In this embodiment, the spindle nozzle 56 is provided with a cut surface 56b formed on its side wall and extending obliquely in the Z-axis direction. With this configuration, when an object pushes the cut surface 56b from the side, a portion of the pressing force is converted by the cut surface 56b into an upward force in the Z-axis direction. This causes the spindle nozzle 56 to move upward. Thus, with this configuration, the spindle nozzle 56 can be moved even when an object pushes it from the side.

[Other embodiments]
The above describes a cutting machine according to one embodiment. However, the technology disclosed herein can also be implemented in other forms. For example, in the above embodiment, the tool stocker 80 was provided on the X-axis moving body 32 of the holder moving device 30 and moved in the X-axis direction. However, the tool stocker may be provided on a non-moving member. For example, the tool stocker may be fixed immovably below the movement path of the cutting machine.

The configuration of the tool stocker is not particularly limited. For example, the direction in which cutting tools are inserted into the tool stocker is not limited to the vertical direction, but may be, for example, horizontal.

The configuration of the cutting machine is not particularly limited. For example, the cutting machine does not need to have a workpiece changer. Also, for example, the interior of the cutting machine does not need to be partitioned as in the embodiment described above.

Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments are not limiting to the present invention. For example, the cutting machine does not have to be a dental cutting machine for producing dental molded products. The workpiece does not have to be held by the cutting machine via an adapter, but may be held directly by the cutting machine.

1. Workpiece 6. Cutting tool 10. Cutting machine 20. Workpiece holder (holding device)
30. Holder moving device (drive device)
31. Support arm (support part)
32. X-axis moving body (moving body)
34 X-axis drive motor (drive unit)
50 Cutting device 60 Spindle moving device (moving device)
60Y Y-axis movement device (first movement device)
60Z Z-axis direction moving device (second moving device)
80 Tool stocker 81 Storage hole 120 Processing room (second room)
130 Drive unit room (Room 1)
180 Tool exchange room (Room 3)
183 Opening P1 Tool gripping position P2 Tool replacement position

Claims (6)

A tool stocker capable of storing multiple cutting tools,
A first chamber for housing the aforementioned tool stocker,
The second room is separated from the first room mentioned above,
A holding device housed in the second chamber and holding the workpiece to be cut,
A cutting device configured to grip each cutting tool stored in the tool stocker , and cutting the workpiece held in the holding device with the gripped cutting tool,
A moving device for moving the cutting device between the first chamber and the second chamber ,
The device comprises a drive device for moving the aforementioned holding device ,
The drive unit comprises a support portion that supports the holding device, a movable body housed in the first chamber and connected to the support portion, and a drive unit that moves the movable body.
The tool stocker is supported by the moving body,
Cutting machine. The first chamber and the second chamber are arranged side by side in a predetermined first direction.
The support portion extends in the first direction ,
The moving body is configured to be movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction ,
The drive unit moves the support unit and the holding device in the second direction by moving the movable body in the second direction .
The cutting machine according to claim 1. The cutting device is provided above the holding device and the tool stocker,
The aforementioned mobile device is
A first moving device moves the cutting device in a first direction such that the cutting device moves between the upper part of the first chamber and the upper part of the second chamber,
The cutting device is further equipped with a second moving device for moving the cutting device in the vertical direction.
The drive device is configured to move the tool stocker to a tool gripping position set below the movement path of the cutting device by the first moving device.
The cutting machine according to claim 2. The drive device is configured to move the tool stocker to a tool exchange position set forward of the tool gripping position.
The system further comprises a third chamber having an opening above the tool exchange position,
The cutting machine according to claim 3. The tool stocker is equipped with multiple storage holes, each capable of storing a cutting tool.
The aforementioned multiple storage holes are arranged in a staggered pattern.
A cutting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The tool stocker has multiple rows formed in which some of the storage holes are arranged in a predetermined direction.
Two adjacent columns among the multiple columns are offset in the direction of alignment.
The cutting machine according to claim 5.