Machine tool system and workpiece transport method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343247-B2
Application number	US-201515513569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A lathe includes a lathe-side chuck that holds a workpiece with the workpiece directed toward or facing a front side, a main spindle that rotates around an axis, and a tool that machines the workpiece. A machining center includes a rotary tool that rotates around an axis in the horizontal direction and an MC-side chuck that holds the workpiece and is able to turn between at least a workpiece pass/receive position in which the workpiece is directed toward or facing the front side and a machining position in which the workpiece is directed toward or facing the rotary tool. A loader includes a guide rail extending above the lathe-side chucks, and MC-side chuck along the horizontal direction and a loader head that holds the workpiece and carries the workpiece between at least the lathe-side chucks, and MC-side chuck by moving along the guide rail.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine tool system comprising:
a lathe;
a machining center disposed side by side with the lathe; and
a loader that carries a workpiece; wherein
the lathe includes:
a lathe-side workpiece holder that holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward a front side of the machine tool system;
a main spindle that rotates around an axis; and
a tool that machines the workpiece;

the machining center includes:
a rotary tool that rotates around an axis that extends in a horizontal direction which is parallel to the front side of the machine tool system;
a machining center-side workpiece holder that holds the workpiece and is able to turn between a first position in which the machining center-side workpiece holder holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward the front side of the machine tool system and a second position in which the machining center-side workpiece holder holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward the rotary tool; and
a bed on which the rotary tool and the machining center-side workpiece holder are disposed;

the loader includes:
a guide that is positioned above the lathe-side workpiece holder and the machining center-side workpiece holder and extends longitudinally in the horizontal direction; and
a loader head that holds the workpiece and carries the workpiece, by moving along the guide, between the lathe-side workpiece holder and the machining center-side workpiece holder when the machining center-side workpiece holder is in the first position; and

the bed on which the rotary tool and the machining center-side workpiece holder are disposed is spaced away from the lathe.

2. The machine tool system according to claim 1 , wherein a vertical distance from the guide to the lathe-side workpiece holder is equal to a vertical distance from the guide to the machining center-side workpiece holder.

3. The machine tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the machining center-side workpiece holder is able to move between a workpiece pass and receive position in which the machining center-side workpiece holder is collinear with the lathe-side workpiece holder in the horizontal direction and a position in which machining is performed using the rotary tool.

4. The machine tool system according to claim 1 , wherein the lathe includes, spaced apart from the main spindle in the horizontal direction, an additional main spindle.

5. The machine tool system according to claim 1 , further comprising a workpiece placement unit that is disposed on a first side of both of the lathe and the machining center or a second side of both of the lathe and the machining center; wherein
the guide is disposed such that the loader head is able to access the workpiece placement unit.

6. The machine tool system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lathe controller that controls the lathe; and
a machining-center controller that controls the machining center; wherein
one of the lathe controller and the machining-center controller controls the loader.

7. A method for transporting, using a loader, a workpiece between a lathe and a machining center disposed side by side with the lathe, the lathe, the machining center, and the loader being included in a machine tool system, the lathe includes a lathe-side workpiece holder that holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward a front side of the machine tool system, the lathe also includes a main spindle that rotates around an axis and a tool that machines the workpiece, the machining center includes a rotary tool that rotates around an axis that extends in a horizontal direction which is parallel to the front side of the machine tool system, and the machining center also includes a machining center-side workpiece holder that holds the workpiece and is able to turn between at least a first position in which the machining center-side workpiece holder holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward the front side of the machine tool system and a second position in which the machining center-side workpiece holder holds the workpiece such that the workpiece is directed toward the rotary tool, the machining center also includes a bed on which the rotary tool and the machining center-side workpiece holder are disposed and that is spaced away from the lathe, the method comprising:
moving the loader along a guide that is positioned above the lathe-side workpiece holder and the machining center-side workpiece holder and extends longitudinally in the horizontal direction; and
carrying the workpiece between the lathe-side workpiece holder and the machining center-side workpiece holder when the machining center-side workpiece holder is in the first position.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Mori Ryuzo

Classifications

• B23Q1/4857

  followed perpendicularly by a single rotating pair · CPC title

• B23Q2039/004

  Machines with tool turrets · CPC title

• B23B11/00

  Automatic or semi-automatic turning-machines incorporating equipment for performing other working procedures, e.g. slotting, milling, rolling {(B23B3/065 and B23B3/16 take precedence; machines incorporating a plurality of sub- assemblies, each capable of performing a metal-working operation, the sub-assemblies being arranged to operate simultaneously at different stations B23Q39/04)} · CPC title

• B23Q41/02

  Features relating to transfer of work between machines (arrangements for handling work for machine tools coordinated in production lines B23Q7/14) · CPC title

• B23B3/12

  with the faceplate vertical, i.e. face lathes · CPC title