JPH06124110A - Numerical controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily decide the moving direction of a tool at the time of executing a guidance function in a numerical controller for controlling a machine tool for working a prototype or the like. CONSTITUTION:A graphic storage means 1 displays guidance information through a graphic control circuit 15 at a display device 16. Also, the graphic storage means 1 stores specific shapes such as a oblique straight line and a circular arc, etc., interactively inputted by operating a keyboard 17 by an operator. When a pulse signal from a manual pulse generator 41 is received, a moving direction storage means 2 reads the moving direction of the tool and stores it. When the output of the pulse signal is switched from the one of the manual pulse generator 41 to the one of a jog feeding button 42, an interpolation means 3 generates an interpolation pulse so as to move the tool in the moving direction stored in the moving direction storage means 2 and transmits it to an axis control circuit 18.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a numerical control device for controlling a machine tool, and more particularly to a numerical control device for controlling a machine tool for machining a prototype or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The technological progress of numerically controlled machine tools is remarkable, and it is possible to machine workpieces with complicated shapes at high speed and with high precision. Further, at present, a workpiece having a complicated shape cannot be processed without a numerically controlled machine tool.

Further, in order to create a machining program for machining, an interactive numerical control device in which an interactive program creating function is added to a numerical control device, and automatic programming for easily creating a complicated machining program Devices are widely used.

Of course, in order to use these numerical control devices, it is necessary to precisely define machine coordinates, machine origins, program coordinates, machining origins, etc., and create a rigorous machining program. When machining a large number of workpieces, these interactive numerical control devices and automatic programming devices can be used, but in some machining for creating prototypes or molds, work attachment / detachment, tool attachment and machining A general-purpose milling machine, a general-purpose lathe, etc. are used, which requires less time for setup such as making a processor.

However, the number of operators who can use these general-purpose machine tools is decreasing. Also,
Straight-line machining is not a problem, but diagonal general-line machining and arc machining are difficult to machine with these general-purpose machine tools.

On the contrary, if a general numerical control machine tool is used, it is necessary to accurately define the machine coordinates, machine origin, program coordinates, machining origin, etc. It takes too much programming to process a part.

In order to solve such a problem, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a numerical control device capable of performing a simple machining of a prototype or the like by using a general-purpose machine tool in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-23183.
I am applying for No. 6. In the numerical control device of this application, when machining is performed in the state of being switched to the guidance mode, it is possible to finish the designated shape that has been input in advance, by operating only one manual pulse generator or the jog feed button.

[0008]

In this numerical control device, when moving in the direction parallel to any one of the X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis, it is easy to specify the moving direction. . However, when moving two or more axes at the same time, such as an oblique straight line or arc, the tool does not always move in the desired direction even if the manual pulse generator or jog feed button is operated suddenly. There was a problem that it took time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a numerical controller capable of easily determining a moving direction of a tool when executing a guidance function.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a numerical controller for controlling a machine tool having at least two axes, such as a diagonal straight line and a circular arc interactively input by guidance information. A graphic storage means for storing a designated shape, a manual pulse generator for outputting a pulse signal for instructing a moving direction and a moving speed of a tool, and a pulse signal of a constant speed are provided separately from the manual pulse generator. A jog feed button for guidance, moving direction storage means for reading and storing the moving direction of the tool by receiving a pulse signal from the manual pulse generator, and output of the pulse signal from the manual pulse generator. When the button is switched to the guidance jog feed button, the tool is moved in the movement direction stored in the movement direction storage means. The numerical control apparatus is provided which is characterized by having, interpolation means for outputting an interpolation pulse to cause.

[0011]

When the designated shape such as an oblique straight line and a circular arc is interactively input by the guidance information, the figure storage means stores this, and when the pulse signal from the manual pulse generator is received, the movement direction storage means moves the tool. Read and remember the direction.
When the output of the pulse signal is switched from that of the manual pulse generator to that of the jog feed button for guidance, the interpolation means causes the interpolation pulse to move the tool in the movement direction stored in the movement direction storage means. Is output. Therefore, by operating the manual pulse generator delicately to find the moving direction of the tool, if the tool moves in the desired direction, immediately switch to the guidance jog feed button, and then hold the guidance jog feed button. Guidance processing can be executed easily.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a numerical controller according to the present invention.

The graphic storage means 1 displays the guidance information on the display device 16 via the graphic control circuit 15.
Further, in the graphic storage means 1, the operator operates the keyboard 17
Is operated to store the specified shapes such as the diagonal straight line and the arc which are interactively input. The stored designated shape is displayed on the display device 1 via the graphic control circuit 15 as necessary.
6 is displayed.

Upon receiving the pulse signal from the manual pulse generator 41, the moving direction storage means 2 reads the moving direction of the tool and stores it. The interpolating means 3 moves the tool in the moving direction stored in the moving direction storing means 2 when the output of the pulse signal is switched from that of the manual pulse generator 41 to that of the guidance jog feed button 42. The interpolation pulse is generated so as to be sent to the axis control circuit 18. The axis control circuit 18 actually has three axes. The axis control circuit 18 receives the interpolation pulse CP output from the interpolation means 2, generates a speed command for each axis, and sends it to the servo amplifier 19. The servo amplifier 19 drives a servomotor attached to the machine tool 20 to control the machine tool 20.

The figure storage means 1 and the interpolation means 2
Is performed by software as described below.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the numerical controller according to the present invention.

The processor 11 controls the entire numerical controller according to the system program stored in the ROM 12. The graphic storage means 1 and the interpolation means 2 in FIG. 1 are functions of software executed by the processor 11 by the system program of the ROM 12. EPROM or EEPROM is used for the ROM 12. RA
An SRAM or the like is used for M13, and temporary data such as an input / output signal is stored. CM backed up by a battery not shown in the non-volatile memory 14
OS is used. The nonvolatile memory 14 also stores various data such as parameters and machining programs that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

The graphic control circuit 15 converts the guidance information, the input designated shape and the like into a displayable signal and gives it to the display device 16. A CRT or a liquid crystal display device is used as the display device 16. Axis control circuit 18 (3
(For the axis) receives a movement command of the axis including the interpolation pulse CP from the processor 11, and transmits the movement command of the axis to the servo amplifier 19
The output is controlled (for 3 axes). The servo amplifier 19 receives this movement command and drives a servo motor (not shown) of the machine tool 20. In addition to the servomotor, the machine tool 20 includes a machine operation panel 40 that is operated to issue a movement command, which will be described later. These components are coupled to each other by a bus 30.

A PMC (Programmable Machine Controller) 22 receives a T function signal (tool selection command) or the like via the bus 30 when executing a machining program. Then, this signal is processed by the sequence program, a signal is output as an operation command, and the machine tool 20 is controlled.
Further, the interactive numerical control device receives a status signal from the machine tool 20, performs a sequence process, and transfers a necessary input signal to the processor 11 via the bus 30.

The bus 30 is further connected with a software key 23 whose function is changed by a system program or the like. This software key 23 is used together with the display device 16 and the keyboard 17 in the CRT / MDI.
It is provided on the panel 25.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of the machine operation panel 40 provided in the machine tool 20. Machine control panel 4 shown
0 is a manual pulse generator 41, a selection switch 41b,
A jog feed button 42, a setting switch 42a, and a changeover switch 43 are provided.

When the handle 41a is rotated left or right, the manual pulse generator 41 generates a pulse signal according to the rotation. This pulse signal is a two-phase pulse for determining the rotation direction and is sent to the processor 11 via the bus 30 to move the tool. Selection switch 41
In b, the pulse signal generated by the manual pulse generator 41 is the X-axis direction (X), the Y-axis direction (Y), the Z-axis direction (Z), and the direction (G) corresponding to the specified shape by the guidance processing. This is a switch for selecting the pulse signal in either direction.

The jog feed button 42 has "+ X", "-"
Jog feed buttons in the plus and minus directions for each of the "X", "+ Y", "-Y", "+ Z", and "-Z" axes, as well as guidance for instructing the guidance processing corresponding to the specified shape. 7 in total with the jog feed button (GJ) 42b
Two buttons are provided.

The setting switch 42a is a jog feed button 42.
Sets the number of pulses generated within a certain period of time when the operator presses. Specifically, the setting switch 42a inputs a pulse obtained by dividing a pulse from a crystal oscillator (not shown), and outputs the pulse at a division ratio according to the scale set by the operator.

The change-over switch 43 is a switch used at the time of guidance processing to be described later, and is a parallel movement (H) that moves while maintaining the distance between the current position of the tool and the designated shape,
Alternatively, the vertical movement (V) that moves forward and backward in the direction indicated by the normal line segment from the current position of the tool to the specified shape is switched, and the switching signal H / V corresponding to the switched side is output. Here, "parallel movement" means moving while maintaining the distance between the current position of the tool and a specified shape such as an oblique straight line and an arc. Further, the "vertical movement" means the forward and backward movement of the tool from the current position to the designated shape in the direction indicated by the normal line segment.

Therefore, the operator can manually move the tool by setting the selection switch 41b and the changeover switch 43 to the desired movement direction and then rotating the handle 41a.
When the tool is moved by jog feed, after setting the feed speed with the setting switch 42a, the jog feed button 4
It can be done by pressing 2b. At this time, the moving direction of the tool is controlled to be the same as the direction moved by the handle 41a immediately before pressing the jog feed button 42b.

Next, an operation procedure for performing guidance processing will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the guidance processing procedure. In the figure, a straight line 130 is defined as a designated shape for machining the lower right part of the work 200. This straight line 130 is the graphic storage means 1 shown in FIG.
It is a figure (designated shape) input and stored by. The center of the tool 131 is initially at the position P7.

First, the operator selects the selection switch 4 shown in FIG.
1b is set to the "Y" side, the handle 41a is rotated to the right, and the approach operation is performed. At this time, the tool 131 moves in the direction 132. When the approach is completed, the guidance processing is started next. In order to perform the guidance processing, the operator sets the selection switch 41b to the "G" side and the changeover switch 43 to the "H" side. As a result, the tool 131 is rotated by rotating the handle 41a.
Starts a parallel move.

However, in this case, the designated shape is a slanted straight line 1
Since it is 30, it is difficult to immediately know in which direction the handle 41a should be turned when the tool 131 is moved in parallel with it. Therefore, the operator minutely rotates the handle 41a to the left or right to confirm the moving direction of the tool 131, and then set the tool 131 in the desired direction.
If is moved, the handle 41a is operated as it is to perform the first machining by parallel movement. Note that, here, when the handle 41a is rotated rightward, the tool 131 moves in the direction 133.
Shall be moved to.

On the other hand, when the movement path of the tool 131 is long, it is troublesome to keep turning the handle 41a until the machining is completed. In such a case, the operator switches the tool feed operation to the jog feed button 42. As a result, the tool 131 can be moved at a constant speed in the axial direction while any one of the jog feed buttons 42 is being pressed. Since the guidance processing is performed here, the operator presses the jog feed button 42b.

The direction of "+" or "-" of the jog feed button 42b is not determined, but in the present embodiment, the handle 4 immediately before switching to the operation of the jog feed button 42b.
The tool 131 is set to move in the same direction as the rotation of 1a. That is, the moving direction storage means 2 of FIG.
Always stores the current rotation direction of the handle 41a, and when the operation is switched to the jog feed button 42b, the interpolating means 3 outputs the interpolation pulse so as to hold the direction.

When the machining in the direction 133 is completed in this way, the tool 131 is moved in the direction 1 to perform the cutting operation this time.
Need to move to 34. In this case, the operator sets the selection switch 41b to the "Y" side and rotates the handle 41a to the right to perform the next processing, and the tool 13
1 moves in direction 134. Then, the operator sets the selection switch 41b to the "G" side, moves the tool 131 in the direction 135 by the same procedure as described above, and performs the second machining. After that, the operator selects the selection switch 41b.
Is set to the “X” side, and handle 4 is used to perform the next processing.
The tool 131 is moved in the direction 136 by rotating 1a to the left.

By repeating the above operation,
Finally, the tool 131 is moved to the position P8 and the work 2
The lower right part of 00 is processed. Therefore, by repeatedly performing the cutting operation (movement parallel to the machining axis) and the cutting operation (parallel movement with respect to the designated shape), it is possible to process a prototype or the like in a more complicated procedure.

In addition, in the case of the cutting operation, it may be performed by a vertical movement instead of the movement parallel to the machining axis as described above. In this case, the operator sets the selection switch 41b to the "G" side, and the changeover switch 43
Is set to the “V” side. Then, the handle 41a is finely operated to confirm the moving direction of the tool 131, and the jog feed button 42b is pressed to move the tool 131 to the straight line 13.
A cutting operation is performed perpendicularly to 0.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when performing guidance processing, the jog feed button 4 for guidance processing is used.
By pressing 2b, the tool 131 is moved in the same direction as the rotation of the handle 41a immediately before that.
The jog feed can be performed after confirming the moving direction of 31. Therefore, the guidance process can be performed more easily.

In this embodiment, the straight line machining is explained as an example of the guidance machining, but also in the arc machining, the movement in the direction along the arc is "parallel movement", that is, the movement in the normal direction of the tangent of the circle. If "is a vertical movement", the same operation can be performed. Furthermore, other shapes can be processed by the same method.

Further, although the description of the feed rate is omitted in the above description, when the designated shape is inputted by the graphic storage means 1, the term of the feed rate F is provided on each machining guidance screen so as to be designated. be able to. Alternatively, the override switch of the numerical control device may be used.

Further, in the above description, a milling machine was assumed, but the same can be applied to a lathe and the like. Further, although only one jog feed button 42b for guidance is provided in the present embodiment, it may be provided in both "+" and "-" directions like the other jog feed buttons 42b. However, even in this case, since a minute operation of the handle 41a is required for processing an oblique straight line or an arc, the handle 41a
When the selection switch 41b is switched to "G" immediately after the operation of, the handle 41 is irrelevant regardless of "+" or "-".
It is necessary to move the tool in the same direction as the rotation of a.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a specified shape such as an oblique straight line and a circular arc is interactively input by the guidance information, this is stored in the graphic storage means and the pulse signal from the manual pulse generator is stored. In response to this, the moving direction storage means reads and stores the moving direction of the tool, and when the output of the pulse signal is switched from that of the manual pulse generator to that of the guidance jog feed button, the moving direction is determined by the interpolation means. Since the interpolation pulse is output so that the tool moves in the moving direction stored in the storage means, the manual pulse generator is operated delicately to find the moving direction of the tool and the tool moves in the desired direction. Then, by immediately switching to the guidance jog feed button, it is possible to easily perform the guidance processing afterward with the guidance jog feed button being pressed. Therefore, the operation becomes easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a numerical controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a numerical controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a machine control panel.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance processing procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Graphic storage means 2 Moving direction storage means 3 Interpolation means 15 Graphic control circuit 16 Display device 17 Keyboard 18 Axis control circuit 19 Servo amplifier 20 Machine tool 40 Machine operation panel 41 Manual pulse generator 42b Jog feed button for guidance

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A numerical control device for controlling a machine tool having at least two axes, a graphic storage means for storing a specified shape such as an oblique straight line and a circular arc interactively input by guidance information, a moving direction of a tool, and A manual pulse generator that outputs a pulse signal for commanding the moving speed, a guidance jog feed button that is provided separately from the manual pulse generator, and outputs a pulse signal of a constant speed, and a manual pulse generator from the manual pulse generator. In the case of moving direction storage means for receiving and reading the moving direction of the tool in response to a pulse signal, and when the output of the pulse signal is switched from that of the manual pulse generator to that of the guidance jog feed button, Interpolation means for outputting an interpolation pulse so as to move the tool in the movement direction stored in the movement direction storage means, A numerical controller characterized by having. 2. A parallel movement that moves while maintaining a distance between the current position of the tool and a specified shape such as an oblique straight line and an arc, and a direction indicated by a normal line segment from the current position of the tool to the specified shape. Has a changeover switch for switching and instructing the vertical movement to move back and forth to, and when the guidance jog feed button is pressed, the interpolating means moves the tool according to the instruction of the changeover switch. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the numerical control device is configured as follows.