Pallet transfer system, pallet transfer method, and pallet transfer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12168277-B2
Application number	US-201917423174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Jan 25, 2019
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A technique appropriately controls transfer order of a pallet. A pallet transfer system includes a transfer device, a pallet storage, a work station, a machine tool, and a control device. The control device transfers a second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage when the machining of the workpiece attached to a first pallet is completed in a state where the first pallet is in the machine tool and the second pallet is in the work station, and the control device transfers the first pallet from the machine tool to the work station after completion of the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, or in parallel with the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pallet transfer system comprising:
a transfer device configured to transfer a pallet to which a workpiece is attachable;
a pallet storage that is one of pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to store a plurality of pallets;
a work station that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device, where a worker performs work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transferred from the pallet storage;
a machine tool that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to machine the workpiece attached to the pallet at the work station; and
a control device configured to control the transfer device,
wherein the control device executes:
processing for accepting selection for permission or refusal of interruption of the attaching work to a second pallet when the machining of the workpiece attached to a first pallet is completed in a state where the first pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the machine tool and the second pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the work station;
processing for transferring the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the permission;
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the work station after the completion of transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, or in parallel with the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage; and
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the refusal.

2. The pallet transfer system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device transfers the first pallet from the work station to the pallet storage while transferring the second pallet from the pallet storage to the work station based on the completion of the removal of the workpiece attached to the first pallet at the work station.

3. A pallet transfer system comprising:
a transfer device configured to transfer a pallet to which a workpiece is attachable;
a pallet storage that is one of pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to store a plurality of pallets;
a work station that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device, where a worker performs work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transferred from the pallet storage;
a machine tool that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to machine the workpiece attached to the pallet transferred from the work station; and
a control device configured to control the transfer device,
wherein the control device executes:
processing for accepting selection for permission or refusal of interruption of the attaching work to a second pallet when the machining of the workpiece attached to a first pallet is completed within a predetermined time from a present time in a state where the first pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the machine tool and the second pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the work station;
processing for transferring the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the permission;
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the work station after the completion of transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, or in parallel with the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, when the machining of the workpiece attached to the first pallet is completed; and
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the refusal.

4. The pallet transfer system according to claim 3 , wherein the control device transfers the first pallet from the work station to the pallet storage while transferring the second pallet from the pallet storage to the work station based on the completion of the removal of the workpiece attached to the first pallet at the work station.

5. A pallet transfer method in a pallet transfer system,
the pallet transfer system including:
a transfer device configured to transfer a pallet to which a workpiece is attachable;
a pallet storage that is one of pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to store a plurality of pallets;
a work station that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device, where a worker performs work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transferred from the pallet storage; and
a machine tool that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to machine the workpiece attached to the pallet at the work station,
the pallet transfer method comprises:
processing for accepting selection for permission or refusal of interruption of the attaching work to a second pallet when the machining of the workpiece attached to a first pallet is completed in a state where the first pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the machine tool and the second pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the work station;
processing for transferring the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the permission;
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the work station after the completion of the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, or in parallel with the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage; and
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the refusal.

6. A pallet transfer method in a pallet transfer system,
the pallet transfer system including:
the transfer device configured to transfer a pallet to which a workpiece is attachable;
a pallet storage that is one of pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to store a plurality of pallets;
a work station that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device, where a worker performs work of attaching the workpiece to the pallet transferred from the pallet storage; and
a machine tool that is one of the pallet transfer destinations by the transfer device and configured to machine the workpiece attached to the pallet transferred from the work station,
the pallet transfer method comprises:
processing for accepting selection for permission or refusal of interruption of the attaching work to a second pallet when the machining of the workpiece attached to a first pallet is completed within a predetermined time from a present time in a state where the first pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the machine tool and the second pallet of the plurality of pallets is in the work station;
processing for transferring the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the permission;
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the work station after the completion of the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, or in parallel with the transfer of the second pallet from the work station to the pallet storage, when the machining of the workpiece attached to the first pallet is completed; and
processing for transferring the first pallet from the machine tool to the pallet storage based on the acceptance of the selection for the refusal.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a pallet transfer program executed in a pallet transfer system,
the pallet trans

Assignees

• Dmg Mori Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Takayuki
• Yoshioka Hideaki
• Sun Xinwei
• Nagata Junya

Classifications

• B23Q7/1426

  with work holders not rigidly fixed to the transport devices (B23Q7/005, B23Q7/035 take precedence) · 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

• B23Q7/1431 Primary

  Work holder changers (B23Q7/1442 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23Q41/06 Primary

  Features relating to organisation of working of machines · CPC title