Machine tool, processing system, and fitting determination method of pull stud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11504818-B2
Application number	US-202016743196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A machine tool for machine processing workpieces by using a tool having a pull stud at a proximal end portion thereof. The machine tool includes a tool magazine having a number of tool holders each of which is capable of attaching and detaching the tool, a spindle which holds the tool at the time of machine processing the workpieces, and a controller which determines whether or not the pull stud is appropriate on the basis of detected data of a visual sensor which is provided inside or outside the machine tool, and which captures images of the pull stud of a tool holder of the tool, or detected data of a sensor which is provided inside the tool magazine, and which measures length, electric resistance, or electric capacity of the pull stud.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine tool which processes workpieces by using a tool having a pull stud at a proximal end portion thereof, the machine tool comprising:
a tool magazine having a plurality of tool holders, each of which the tool is attachable to and detachable from;
a spindle which holds the tool at the time of processing the workpieces; and
a controller which determines, based on detected data of a sensor that is provided so as to measure electric resistance of the pull stud when the tool is held by one of the tool holders or so as to measure electric capacity of the pull stud when the tool is held by the one of the tool holders, whether or not the pull stud fits the spindle in a manner so as to be able to be held by the spindle with a reference amount of fixing force.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an electrical check sensor which detects electric resistance or electric capacity between the pull stud and the tool holder.

3. The machine tool according to claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor which detects a position of an end of the pull stud, and
the controller determines whether or not an attachment state of the pull stud to the tool is appropriate based on whether or not the detected data of the position sensor is within a reference range.

4. The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the controller makes the determination for fitting at the time of attaching the tool to the tool magazine, and
when the controller determines that the fitting of the pull stud of the tool is unsuitable to be held by the spindle with the reference amount of force, the controller provides information by using a predetermined warning device.

5. The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an electrical property measurement sensor which detects electric resistance or capacitance between the tool holder and a fixing mechanism for fixing the tool to the spindle.

6. A processing system comprising:
the machine tool according to claim 1 ;
a robot; and,
a robot controller which controls the robot,
wherein a visual sensor is attached to the robot, and the robot controller causes the robot to move the visual sensor to a position for capturing images of the pull stud in response to an imaging command from the controller of the machine tool.

7. The machine tool according to claim 1 , wherein a visual sensor is provided which captures images of the pull stud of the tool.

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Oyamada Tomohiro
• Watanabe Rikizou

Classifications

• G05B2219/40589

  Recognize shape, contour of tool · CPC title

• G05B2219/37559

  Camera, vision of tool, compute tool center, detect tool wear · CPC title

• G05B2219/37241

  Displacement of tool, miss inserted · CPC title

• G05B19/40938

  Tool management · CPC title

• G05B19/4065

  Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition · CPC title