JPH074732B2 - Tool identification device - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is used in a machine tool such as a machining center having an automatic tool changer, and is capable of identifying the type of tool held in each tool shank. It is about.

[Outline of Invention]

The present invention provides a machine tool such as a machining center having an automatic tool changer, which is provided with a transmitter for transmitting a signal of tool identification data to a tool shank each holding a tool used for automatic change, and the machine tool receives the transmitted output. By installing the receiver, it is possible to easily manage and replace the tool by reading the tool identification data from the control device of the machine tool.

[Background of the Invention]

In the conventional automatic tool changer, a large number of tools are fixedly held by the tool shank in a tool pot provided in a machining center. Then, when exchanging a tool for machining a machining target (hereinafter referred to as "workpiece"), the tool pot is rotated to stop the rotation of the tool pot when the predetermined tool shank reaches the tool exchanging position. Is taken out by the exchange arm and inserted into the spindle of the machining center to continue machining. Therefore, the type of tool held, for example the drill diameter and the drill length, must be written in the memory of the machine tool controller using the data input device before using the machine tool.

However, such a conventional machine tool has a drawback that it takes a long time to input data. If an input error occurs or the tool shank is inserted in the wrong position of the tool pot, there is a problem that the desired processing cannot be performed when the tool shank at that position is taken out and processed.

As a method of managing the tool shank of a machine tool, there are a fixed address method in which each tool shank is stored at a predetermined position in the tool pot and a storage method in which each tool shank can be held at any position in the tool pot. Are known. When the number of tool shanks held in the tool pot increases, the tool shank position is stored in the machine tool control unit without associating the tool shank with the tool pot storage position in order to replace the tool quickly. It is said that the method of advancing the work by preserving it is preferable. However, when the tool shank is managed by such a method, there is a problem that a memory backup or the like is required and the configuration becomes complicated. If the tool data once input is deleted for some reason,
There was also a problem that the tool data had to be input again. Furthermore, if there is a detection error in the detector that detects the movement of the tool pot, or if there is a malfunction in the tool shank rotation device, the tool shank of the tool different from the designated tool will be taken out of the tool pot and machined. There was a fear that

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of such a conventional automatic tool changing device, and by providing a reading device that can easily read the type of tool held in each tool shank, An object of the present invention is to provide a tool identification device capable of identifying the type of tool from a machine tool control device.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is used in a machine tool having a plurality of tool shanks each having a fixed tool in a tool pot and having an automatic tool changing device for automatically changing the tools in the tool pot, and the tool shank is provided in the tool shank. With a transmitter,
A tool identification device having a receiver provided in a machine tool, wherein the transmitter includes a data setting section in which tool identification data corresponding to each tool held by the tool shank is set, and a central axis of the tool shank. A core and a coil embedded at a position of an end face symmetrical to the tool along with, a code generation unit for converting a parallel signal obtained from the data setting unit into a serial signal, and a serial signal obtained by the code generation unit for modulating the serial signal A means for energizing the coil is provided, and the receiver demodulates the signal obtained from the oscillator by the coil arranged at a position facing the coil of the oscillator near the tool pot. It has a demodulator and identifies each tool.

〔effect〕

According to the present invention having such characteristics, each tool shank is provided with a transmitter, and a data setting unit for setting parallel tool identification data is provided in the transmitter. When the coil of the receiver and the coil of the oscillator face each other, the data of the data setting section in the oscillator is converted into a serial signal by the code generating section and output from the coil of the oscillator by the biasing means of the coil. . A receiver fixed to the machine tool receives this signal via this coil and demodulates it to obtain tool identification data. Since the oscillator is embedded and attached to the end face symmetrical with the tool along the central axis of the tool shank, the receiver can read the data on the transmitter side regardless of the rotating state of the tool shank. Therefore, it becomes possible to identify each tool on the receiver side. Therefore, the operator only has to insert a desired tool shank into an arbitrary position in the tool pot of the machining center, and thereafter, by rotating the tool pot from the control unit of the machine tool, the conventional tool data is manually input to the machine tool. It is possible to write the type of tool in the memory very quickly and without error compared to the method.
Then, by performing a predetermined processing based on this data, the processing can be proceeded without error. Further, even when the power is cut off and the stored contents of the control device disappears due to the stop of the work or the like, the data can be restored by rotating the tool pot again and obtaining the signal from each transmitter. Therefore, it is not necessary to store each tool shank in a predetermined position of the tool pot, and it is possible to control the tool shank to be held at an arbitrary position where the tool can be quickly changed. Further, the tool of the tool shank selected at the time of exchanging the tool can be confirmed again during the machining, so that the machining with the wrong tool can be prevented even if the rotation detector of the tool pot malfunctions. .

[Explanation of Examples]

(Overall Configuration of Embodiment) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a machining center.
A tool pot 3 for holding a large number of tool shanks 2 is provided above a table 1 that moves on a horizontal plane.
The tool pot 3 holds, for example, several tens of tool shanks 2, and is rotatably held under the control of a controller (not shown). The automatic tool changer has a tool shank 2 in the tool pot at the tool change position 4.
The tool is replaced by taking it out and mounting it on the spindle of the machining center.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of this tool shank. In this figure, the tool shank 2 has a tapered cylindrical portion 5, and a tool peculiar to each tool shank, for example, a drill 6 as shown in the figure, is fixed to the lower portion thereof. A pull stud 7 for holding or taking out the tool shank 2 from the tool pot 3 of the machine tool is provided above the tool shank 2.

In the present embodiment, the head of the pull stud 7 is provided with a transmitter 10 for transmitting a signal unique to each type of tool held by the tool shank 2. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the pull stud 7. A thread groove to be screwed into the cylindrical portion 5 of the tool shank 2 is formed in the lower portion of the pull stud 7, and the oscillator 10 is embedded in the central axis from the upper portion thereof.
A coil 12 is provided in a core 11 in which an annular groove is formed above the oscillator 10, and an electronic circuit section described later is mounted on a printed circuit board 13 inside the core 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, when the tool shank 2 is at the tool changing position 4, the receiver 20 is arranged at a position facing the tip of the pull stud 7 of the machine tool. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of the receiver 20. In the figure, the receiver 20 is similar to the transmitter 10 in that a coil 23 is provided in a core 22 having an annular groove at the bottom of a case 21.
Has been implemented. An electronic circuit section described later is mounted on the printed circuit board 24 in the case 21, and a filler 25
Is filled.

(Structure of Tool Identification Device) FIG. 1 shows a transmitter 10 and a receiver of the tool identification device of this embodiment.
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of 20. In the figure, the transmitter 10 is provided with a data setting unit 14 for setting unique parallel identification data corresponding to the type of tool held by the tool shank 2, and the parallel data is stored in the code generation unit 15. Has been given. The code generator 15 is a data setting unit
14 parallel data is converted into serial data by a predetermined clock, and its output is modulated / high frequency amplifier 16
To give to. The modulation / high frequency amplifier 16 is for modulating the frequency of the input data by FSK or the like and amplifying it, and supplies the output to the coil 12. A power supply unit 17 is also connected to the coil 12. The power supply unit 17 rectifies and stabilizes the AC voltage obtained in the coil 12 by electromagnetic induction, and supplies power of a predetermined voltage to each unit of the oscillator 10.

On the other hand, the receiver 20 has an oscillator 26 as shown in the figure, and its oscillation signal is given to a coil 23 via an amplifier 27.
A demodulator 28 is connected to one end of the coil 23. The demodulator 28 demodulates the modulated high frequency signal and supplies its output to the clock extraction unit 29 and the serial-parallel converter 30. The clock extraction section 29 extracts the clock signal given by the code generation section 15, and gives the clock signal to the serial-parallel converter 30. The serial-parallel converter 30 converts the serial data demodulated based on this clock signal into parallel data to convert it into a parallel signal set by the data setting unit 14, and supplies the parallel signal to the interface 31. The interface 31 transmits this signal to a control device of a machine tool (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3, the receiver 20 and the transmitter 10 are coupled by electromagnetic coupling when the coils 12 and 23 are arranged at opposite positions, and are transmitted from the receiver 20 via the coils 23 and 12. Bowl 1
It supplies power to the 0 side and receives high frequency signals.
Here, the high frequency for signal transmission used in the oscillator 10 and the power supply frequency of the oscillator 26 of the receiver 20 are made different from each other to prevent mutual interference.

(Operation of this Embodiment) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Receiver 20 is the second
As shown in the figure, it is assumed that the machine tool is fixed at the tool change position 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the user inserts the tool shank 2 for holding a predetermined tool into the tool pot 3 in advance as appropriate. When the operation is started, the transmitter 10 of the tool shank 2 in the tool changing position is the receiver.
Being located opposite 20 forms an electromagnetic coupling of the coils 23 and 12 of the receiver 20 and the transmitter 10. Therefore the coil
A power supply frequency signal is transmitted to the power supply unit 17 via 23, and the power supply unit 17 supplies power to each unit. And as long as the power is supplied, the oscillator 10 continues to operate and the data setting section
14 parallel signals are converted to serial data by the code generator 15,
A signal specific to this tool shank is FSK-modulated and transmitted to the receiver 20 via the coil 12. The receiver 20 demodulates this signal by the demodulator 28, and the clock extraction unit 29
Also, the signal obtained from the oscillator 10 is converted into parallel data by the serial-parallel converter 30 and transmitted to the machine tool via the interface 31. Therefore, the tool of the tool shank can be identified from the machine tool side.

Then, the tool pot 3 is rotated to move the adjacent tool shank to the tool exchange position 4. Then, an electromagnetic coupling is formed between the transmitter 10 and the receiver 20 of the tool shank, and the tool data of the tool shank can be identified in the same manner. In this way, at the start of the operation, the tool pot 3 is rotated once, and the type of the tool held in each tool shank is identified at the tool change position 4, thereby writing the tool data in the memory of the control device of the machine tool. It becomes possible. Therefore, the tool can be replaced thereafter based on the data. By arranging the receiver 20 at the tool change position 4, the tool shank, that is, the type of the tool held by the tool shank can be identified when the tool is changed, so that it is possible to prevent machining by mistake using a different tool. can do.

In this embodiment, power is supplied to the transmitter in the tool shank 2 by electromagnetic coupling between the transmitter and the receiver so that a signal is transmitted only when the transmitter faces the receiver without using the power source. However, a power source such as a battery in the transmitter may be provided to transmit a signal of the tool identification data when facing the receiver.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a transmitter and a receiver of an embodiment of a tool identification device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a machine tool in which the tool identification device is used. FIG. 3 is a view showing a tool shank in which a transmitter of the tool identification device according to the present embodiment is incorporated and a receiver facing the tool shank, and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of a pull stud above the tool shank in which the transmitter of the present embodiment is embedded. 5 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the receiver of this embodiment. 1 ... table, 2 ... tool shank, 3 ... tool pot 4 ... tool replacement position, 7 ... pull stud, 10 ... transmitter 11,21 ... core, 12,23 ... coil, 14 ... … Data setting section, 15 …… Code generation section, 16 …… Modulation / high frequency amplifier 17 …… Power supply section, 26 …… Oscillator, 28 …… Demodulator, 29 …… Clock extraction section, 30 …… Serial parallel converter

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tool shank for holding a plurality of tool shanks, each having a fixed tool, in a tool pot and having an automatic tool changing device for automatically changing the tools in the tool pot. A tool identification device having a transmitter provided and a receiver provided in a machine tool, wherein the transmitter is data in which tool identification data corresponding to each tool held by the tool shank is set. A setting unit, a core and a coil embedded in a position of an end surface symmetrical to the tool along the central axis of the tool shank; a code generation unit for converting a parallel signal obtained from the data setting unit into a serial signal; Means for modulating a serial signal obtained from a code generator to energize the coil, wherein the receiver is a coil of the transmitter near the tool pot. And a coil disposed at a position facing the tool, and a demodulator that demodulates a signal obtained from the transmitter by the coil, and identify each tool. 2. The tool identification device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is fixed at a tool exchange position near a tool pot of a machine tool.