Air-blowing method and machining system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870547-B2
Application number	US-201916509764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An air-blowing method includes the steps of blowing, inside a machine tool, air onto a workpiece after machining, issuing a workpiece pick-up advance notice signal for notifying beforehand of pick-up of the workpiece by a robot or a worker, on the basis of a task state of the robot or an operation of the worker, and calculating the additional time for air blow on the basis of a time required by the robot or the worker to arrive at a workpiece pick-up position in front of the machine tool after the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal is issued, where air blow is extended by just the additional time in the step of blowing air.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-blowing method comprising the steps of:
blowing, inside a machine tool, air onto a workpiece after machining;
issuing a workpiece pick-up advance notice signal for notifying beforehand of pick-up of the workpiece by a robot or a worker to the machine tool or another device, on a basis of a task state of the robot or an operation of the worker; and
calculating an additional time for air blow by the machine tool or the another device, on a basis of a time required by the robot or the worker to arrive at a workpiece pick-up position in front of the machine tool after the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal is issued, wherein
air blow is extended by just the additional time in the step of blowing air.

2. The air-blowing method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step, performed after the step of blowing air, of moving the workpiece inside the machine tool, from an air blow position to a workpiece entering/leaving position, wherein
in the step of calculating the additional time for air blow, the additional time for air blow is calculated on a basis also of a moving time of the workpiece from the air blow position to the workpiece entering/leaving position.

3. The air-blowing method according to claim 2 , wherein an air blow time from start to end of air blow is calculated by:
A=D +( B−C ),
where A is the air blow time,
B is the time required by the robot or the worker to arrive at the workpiece pick-up position in front of the machine tool after the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal is issued,
C is the moving time of the workpiece from the air blow position to the workpiece entering/leaving position, and
D is a time from the start of air blow to issuance of the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal.

4. The air-blowing method according to claim 3 , wherein, when a predetermined minimum air blow time is given as E,
A=D +( B−C ) is true in a case of E>D , and
A=D is true in a case of E<D.

5. The air-blowing method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the step of issuing the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal, the robot or a control device that controls the robot issues the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal to the machine tool.

6. The air-blowing method according to claim 5 , further comprising the step of issuing, by the machine tool, a task completion advance notice signal to the robot, after air blow is started, wherein
in the step of issuing the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal, the robot issues the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal to the machine tool in response to the task completion advance notice signal.

7. A machining system comprising:
a machine tool that machines and blows air onto a workpiece;
a pick-up advance notice signal issuing unit that issues a workpiece pick-up advance notice signal for notifying beforehand of pick-up of the workpiece by a robot or a worker
to the machine tool or another device, on a basis of a task state of the robot or an operation of the worker; and
an additional time calculation unit provided in the machine tool or the another device and that calculates an additional time for air blow on a basis of a time required by the robot or the worker to arrive at a workpiece pick-up position in front of the machine tool after the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal is issued, wherein
the machine tool extends air blow by just the additional time.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Sugahara Hirofumi

Classifications

• B23Q15/22

  Control or regulation of position of tool or workpiece · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G69/20 Primary

  Auxiliary treatments, e.g. aerating, heating, humidifying, deaerating, cooling, de-watering or drying, during loading or unloading; Loading or unloading in a fluid medium other than air · CPC title

• B23Q11/10 Primary

  Arrangements for cooling or lubricating tools or work · CPC title