JP2025092944A - machine tools - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a machine tool that allows a user to easily find a robot point to be set.SOLUTION: A machine tool disclosed herein includes a user interface, a robot that transports a workpiece, and a control device that controls movement of the robot. The control device executes a movement process for moving the robot based on the coordinates of a robot point that is associated with a position to which the robot moves, a current position change process for controlling the robot based on an operation input to the user interface and changing the current position of the robot, and a display process for displaying a robot point that is close to the current position of the robot, among multiple robot points displayed, differently from the other robot points when a list of the robot points is displayed on the user interface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

This disclosure relates to a technology for setting coordinates related to the movement of a robot.

The following Patent Document 1 describes a technology for creating a loader program that controls an autoloader device. The interactive input type loader control device in Patent Document 1 displays the relative position data of the NC device's main unit and the autoloader device on a CRT screen, and accepts point data for the autoloader's movement in a format in which the user answers questions while this data is being displayed, and creates a loader program based on the accepted point data.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 06-071043

Robots such as autoloaders transfer workpieces between multiple devices. Machine tools are equipped with various devices, such as work spindle devices, turret devices, tool spindle devices, reversing devices, and inspection devices, depending on the functions and performance required of the machine tool. When registering the destination of the robot as a robot point, the number of robot points registered and the order in which they are registered will differ depending on the configuration of the machine tool. For this reason, when a user wants to move the robot and set the coordinates of the destination as the coordinates of an arbitrary robot point, there is a problem in that the user must search for the robot point they want to set among the registered robot points.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a machine tool that makes it easy to find the robot point you want to set.

To solve the above problems, this specification discloses a machine tool that includes a user interface, a robot that transports a workpiece, and a control device that controls the movement of the robot, and the control device executes a movement process that moves the robot based on the coordinates of a robot point that is associated with a position to which the robot moves, a current position change process that controls the robot based on an operation input to the user interface and changes the current position of the robot, and a display process that, when a list of the robot points is displayed on the user interface, displays a robot point that is close to the current position of the robot among the multiple robot points displayed, differently from the other robot points.

According to the machine tool disclosed herein, when a list of robot points is displayed, robot points close to the robot's current position are displayed differently from other robot points. Therefore, by checking the differences in the display modes of the robot points, the user can relatively easily find robot points close to the robot's current position. By moving the robot to the position to be registered and then checking the list, the desired robot point can be found and the coordinates can be registered smoothly.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the machine tool according to the present embodiment. Block diagram of a machine tool. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing data registered in point data. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a setting screen for setting a robot point. FIG. 13 illustrates a settings screen showing an highlighted robot point.

An embodiment of the machine tool of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the machine tool 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the machine tool 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine tool 10 of this embodiment can be equipped with optional devices such as an entrance device 15, an exit device 17, and a workpiece placement table (hereinafter referred to as a "placement table") 18 in addition to the main unit 11 and the robot 13. FIG. 1 also shows some of the devices and equipment (such as a rail base 26) installed in each device in a transparent manner. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the left-right direction parallel to the installation surface 19 of the device and the machine width direction is referred to as the X-axis direction, the front-rear direction parallel to the installation surface 19 of the device and perpendicular to the left-right direction is referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is referred to as the Z-axis direction, based on the direction of the machine tool 10 viewed from the front.

The machine tool 10 is arranged in the order of the entrance device 15 for carrying in the workpiece W, the main body device 11, the table 18 on which the workpiece W is placed to check the processed workpiece W, and the exit device 17 for discharging the workpiece W, in the X-axis direction from the right. The main body device 11 includes, for example, a turret device 21 (see FIG. 2) and a workpiece spindle device 22 (see FIG. 2) therein, and processes the workpiece W chucked on the workpiece spindle device 22 with a cutting tool (such as a cutting tool or a rotary tool) of the turret device 21. A sliding door 24 and an operation panel 25 are provided on the front side of the main body device 11. Behind the sliding door 24, a processing space is provided in which the turret device 21 and the workpiece spindle device 22 are arranged. The operation panel 25 includes, for example, a touch panel 20 (see FIG. 2) and an operation unit 23 (see FIG. 2), and performs the display of information related to the machine tool 10 and the acceptance of operation instructions. As the operation unit 23, various operation devices such as a changeover switch, a button, a slide switch, and a rotary switch can be used. In particular, in this embodiment, the machine tool 10 accepts the coordinates of the robot point on the robot point setting screen described below via the touch panel 20 (see FIG. 4).

The operation panel 25 is an example of a user interface of the present disclosure. Note that the user interface of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the operation panel 25 described above. For example, the user interface of the present disclosure may be configured to include a display device that only performs display, such as an LCD or an organic EL panel, and an operation unit 23. The user interface may also be a portable device such as a teaching pendant.

The robot 13 transfers the workpiece W between the entrance device 15, the workpiece spindle device 22 of the main body device 11, the placement table 18, and the exit device 17. The robot 13 is, for example, a gantry-type workpiece transport device (which may also be called a loader), and moves the movable part 27 in the left-right direction along a rail base 26 provided on the upper part of the main body device 11. The robot 13 slides the movable part 27 in the X-axis direction, for example, by engaging a pinion fixed to the output shaft of a travel motor 28 (see FIG. 2) built into the movable part 27 with the teeth of a travel rack provided on the rail base 26. The robot 13 also includes a lifting device 29 (see FIG. 2) that moves the movable part 27 up and down, and the movable part 27 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by driving the lifting device 29. The robot 13 also includes a slide device 30 (see FIG. 2) that moves the movable part 27 in the forward and backward directions, and the movable part 27 can be moved in the Y-axis direction by driving the slide device 30. The configuration of the mechanism (elevation device 29, slide device 30, etc.) that moves the movable part 27 in each of the X, Y, and Z axes is not particularly limited. For example, the moving mechanism may be configured using a motor or a rack mechanism, or may be configured using rails or a linear motor.

For example, a pair of chuck mechanisms 31 (see FIG. 2) are attached to the lower end of the movable part 27. Each of the pair of chuck mechanisms 31 has claws for clamping the workpiece W, and transfers the workpiece W between other devices. The position and coordinates of the robot point in this disclosure refer to, for example, the position and coordinates to which the chuck mechanism 31 of the movable part 27 moves. Therefore, the current position of the robot 13 in the following description means, for example, the current position of the chuck mechanism 31. Note that the definitions of the position and coordinates of the robot point and the current position of the robot 13 are not limited to those described above and may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the machine tool 10, etc.

The configuration of the robot of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the robot 13 described above. For example, the robot 13 may be configured to have only one chuck mechanism 31, or three or more chuck mechanisms 31. For example, the axis along which the robot 13 (chuck mechanism 31) moves is not limited to the XYZ axis directions. The axis along which the robot 13 moves may be, for example, two axial directions, the X axis direction and the Z axis direction. The axis along which the robot 13 moves is not limited to the slide axis (linear drive axis), but may be the so-called A axis that rotates around the X axis, the so-called B axis that rotates around the Y axis, or the so-called C axis that rotates around the Z axis. Therefore, the coordinate axes accepted as the coordinates of the robot point of the present disclosure may be a combination of various slide axes and rotation axes that move the robot 13.

The entrance device 15 also includes a transfer device 32 that grips the workpiece W and moves in the X-axis direction. The transfer device 32 can receive the workpiece W from, for example, a work stocker (not shown), a previous process device (not shown), a user, etc., at a receiving position provided behind the door 33. The transfer device 32 moves leftward from the receiving position and transfers the workpiece W to the robot 13 at the leftmost transfer position (the receiving position of the robot 13 at "P02" in FIG. 3). The exit device 17 also includes a receiving device 35 that grips the workpiece W and moves in the X-axis direction. The receiving device 35 receives the workpiece W from the robot 13 at the rightmost receiving position (the receiving position of the robot 13 at "P02" in FIG. 3) moved rightward from the transfer position behind the door 36. After receiving the workpiece W at the receiving position, the receiving device 35 moves leftward and delivers the workpiece W to a downstream device (not shown) at a delivery position behind the receiving door 36. The placement table 18 is provided on the left side of the main body device 11 and has a slide member 39 exposed from an opening 38A of a fence 38. The slide member 39 is pulled downward toward the front side, making it possible to check the temporarily placed workpiece W. The configuration of the machine tool 10 described above is an example. For example, the machine tool 10 may be equipped with a measuring device that measures the outer diameter of the workpiece W after machining, a cleaning device that cleans the workpiece W, and the like. In this case, the robot point described later can be set as a target position for moving to each device.

(Control device 41)
Next, the control device 41 provided in the main unit 11 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the machine tool 10 is provided with a plurality of drive circuits 43 that connect the control device 41 to each of the above-mentioned devices (robot 13, entrance device 15, exit device 17, table 18, turret device 21, workpiece spindle device 22, and operation panel 25). The connection configuration in the block diagram of Fig. 2 is one example. For example, all of the drive circuits 43 connected to each device may be installed within the main unit 11.

The control device 41 includes a numerical control device 45 and a PLC 46. The numerical control device 45 includes a CPU 47 and a storage device 48. The storage device 48 includes, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, etc. The configuration of the storage device 48 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include a HDD or SSD, an external storage device such as a USB memory, a storage medium such as a DVD-RAM, or a combination of these.

The storage device 48 stores a plurality of NC programs 53 that numerically control the operation of the robot 13, the turret device 21, the workpiece spindle device 22, etc., in machining the workpiece W. In this embodiment, the NC program 53 that controls the robot 13 will be described in particular. Therefore, in the following description, when the NC program 53 is written, it means the NC program 53 that controls the robot 13.

The control device 41 is electrically connected to each of the above-mentioned devices via the drive circuit 43, and is capable of controlling each device. For example, if the drive circuit 43 is connected to the operation panel 25, the drive circuit 43 is an amplifier circuit that amplifies the signal input from the operation panel 25. Also, if the drive circuit 43 is connected to a motor such as the travel motor 28 of the robot 13, the drive circuit 43 is a driver circuit (servo amplifier) that changes the power (such as three-phase AC current) supplied to each motor (such as a servo motor) based on an instruction signal (such as a moving speed) from the control device 41. The numerical control device 45 executes the NC program 53 in the CPU 47, and outputs an instruction signal to the drive circuit 43 (driver circuit) according to the numerical command described in the NC program 53 to control it. The drive circuit 43 (driver circuit) executes feedback control that changes the three-phase AC current based on, for example, the encoder information of the encoder attached to each servo motor and the instruction signal from the control device 41, and notifies the numerical control device 45 of the completion of processing, etc. As a result, the control device 41 slides the robot 13 (chuck mechanism 31) along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis to a desired position based on the numerical control by the numerical control device 45. The driving source for sliding each device is not limited to a servo motor, and other driving sources such as a stepping motor and a linear motor can be used. The PLC 46 is a programmable logic controller, and is connected to the numerical control device 45 via a communication bus 59. The PLC 46 executes, for example, a ladder program and performs sequence processing of various signals using a ladder circuit. The PLC 46 relays signals (input/output) between the external I/O of the machine tool 10 and the numerical control device 45.

In addition to the NC program 53, the storage device 48 also stores a display control program 55 for changing the display content of the operation panel 25, point data 56, and various other data required for machining (not shown). The display control program 55 is a program for changing the display content of the touch panel 20 of the operation panel 25. The display control program 55 executes display processing and the like for displaying a setting screen 71 (see FIG. 4) that accepts coordinate values registered in the point data 56. The storage destination of the display control program 55 and the point data 56 is not limited to the storage device 48, and may be other storage devices, for example, the storage device of the PLC 46, an external storage connected to the machine tool 10, or a network storage.

(Regarding point data 56)
Next, the point data 56 will be described. Fig. 3 shows data registered in the point data 56. As shown in Fig. 3, data related to a robot point RP is stored in the point data 56. In the point data 56, a point number 63, a position 64, an X-axis coordinate 65X, a Z-axis coordinate 65Z, and a Y-axis coordinate 65Y are stored in association with one another. The point data 56 is, for example, a database that associates information such as the point number 63 as one record and stores a record for each robot point RP.

Each record corresponds to a robot point RP to which the robot 13 (chuck mechanism 31) moves. The robot point RP is, for example, information that associates a destination position 64 to which the robot 13 is moved with the coordinates of that position 64 (X-axis coordinate 65X, Z-axis coordinate 65Z, Y-axis coordinate 65Y). Note that the robot point RP is not limited to information that associates a position with a coordinate, but may be other information that associates a coordinate with information that identifies the coordinate, such as information that associates a point number 63 (a number) with a coordinate (X-axis coordinate 65X, Z-axis coordinate 65Z, Y-axis coordinate 65Y).

The point number 63 is an identification number that identifies the position 64, i.e., a number that can identify the robot point RP, and a unique number is set for each position 64. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the point numbers 63 are set in ascending order from top to bottom in FIG. 3, P01, P02, P03, .... The control device 41 is capable of registering, for example, 50 robot points RP with point numbers 63 P01 to P50. Note that the information that identifies the position 64 (robot point RP) is not limited to a number, but may also use letters such as the alphabet or a combination of these.

Position 64 is the position and the name of the robot point RP indicated by point number 63. Position 64 is, for example, the original position (P01) which is the initial position of the robot 13, the receiving position (P02) where the workpiece W is received from the entrance device 15 to the robot 13, and other positions where the workpiece W is handed over. Position 64 is, for example, the stop position (P05) where the robot 13 stops to change the direction of movement. Alternatively, position 64 is, for example, a position (P06) where the workpiece W is removed from the robot 13 and temporarily placed in order to correct the posture and phase, a position (P07) where the chuck mechanism 31 is driven to correct the posture and phase and the workpiece W is gripped again, a turning position (not shown) where the orientation of the chuck mechanism 31 is changed, and the like. Therefore, various positions to which the robot 13 moves can be adopted as position 64. Position 64 may also be an initial setting point with a name such as "point 8" where the specific name of the destination of the robot 13 has not been determined. Also, as mentioned above, when the robot 13 moves on the A axis, B axis, etc., position 64 is the position when it moves in the rotational direction.

The X-axis coordinate 65X is the coordinate in the X-axis direction of the robot point RP indicated by point number 63. The Z-axis coordinate 65Z is the coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the robot point RP indicated by point number 63. The Y-axis coordinate 65Y is the coordinate in the Y-axis direction of the robot point RP indicated by point number 63. The coordinates are, for example, absolute coordinates relative to a predetermined reference position of the machine tool 10. For example, mm can be used as the unit of coordinates. By changing the X-axis coordinate 65X, the Z-axis coordinate 65Z, and the Y-axis coordinate 65Y, the user can change the coordinates (variables) of the NC program 53 and adjust the position of the robot 13 after moving to each robot point RP. For example, the point data 56 is set by an operator of the manufacturer of the machine tool 10 when the machine tool 10 is installed, and is then adjusted by the user according to the position of the robot 13, the shape of the workpiece W, etc.

(Regarding acceptance of robot point RP coordinates)
Here, the destination of the robot 13 varies depending on the type of workpiece W and the configuration of the optional device. Therefore, the coordinates of the destination set in the NC program 53 vary depending on the type of workpiece W and the optional device. On the other hand, when the destinations of the robot 13 can be almost covered by, for example, 50 types of robot points RP for various types of workpieces W and the configurations of optional devices (such as the entrance device 15 and the stand 18), it is effective to manage the robot points RP on the machine tool 10 side. For example, by associating the robot point RP with a variable indicating the destination of the NC program 53, it is possible to change the coordinates of various NC programs 53 at once by changing the coordinates of the robot point RP managed by the machine tool 10 on the operation panel 25 without directly changing the coordinates of the NC program 53.

The storage device 48 stores, for example, a plurality of point data 56 associated with each of a plurality of NC programs 53. Robot points RP P01 to P50 are registered in each of the plurality of point data 56. The coordinates of the robot point RP set in the point data 56 are associated with variables of the NC program 53. For example, the user changes the NC program 53 used for processing in response to a change of setup to change the workpiece W to be processed. For example, the control device 41 calls up the point data 56 (robot point RP) associated with the NC program 53 to be read out in conjunction with reading out the NC program 53 specified by the user from the storage device 48. The user can change the coordinates of the robot point RP in the NC program 53 by appropriately changing the coordinates of the robot point RP to be used. For example, when executing the NC program 53, the numerical control device 45 of the control device 41 sets the coordinates of the robot point RP associated with the variable to a variable included in the NC program 53 according to the definition of the variable (the rule for substituting the coordinates of the robot point RP into the variable) and executes the program. For example, the numerical control device 45 sets the X-axis coordinate 65X of a specific point number 63 to a specific variable, and executes the G code with the variable as an argument. The numerical control device 45 executes the NC program 53 to move the robot 13 to the coordinates of the robot point RP (an example of the movement process of the present disclosure). As a result, when the same NC program 53 or similar NC programs 53 are used to process workpieces W having similar shapes, such as workpieces W that only differ in length, it is possible to respond to changes in the workpiece W simply by adjusting the coordinates of the robot point RP. In addition, this change is applied to multiple NC programs 53 that use the same variable. Therefore, the coordinates set in each of the multiple NC programs 53 can be changed collectively by the robot point RP. In addition, by changing the coordinates of the robot point RP associated with each of the multiple NC programs 53, when the same point number 63 is called by a variable, the destination of movement can be changed for each NC program 53.

Figure 4 shows a setting screen 71 for setting the coordinates of the robot point RP. The control device 41 executes the display control program 55 based on a predetermined operation on the operation panel 25, and displays the setting screen 71 on the touch panel 20. The control device 41 also accepts changes to the X-axis coordinate 65X, Z-axis coordinate 65Z, and Y-axis coordinate 65Y of each robot point RP on the setting screen 71. The control device 41 also executes the display control program 55, and performs highlighting, which will be described later. Note that in Figure 4 and Figure 5, which will be described later, all setting values are set to zero to avoid cluttering the drawings.

4, the control device 41 displays, for example, from the left of the setting screen 71, a robot point field 73, a position display field 74, an X coordinate input section 75X, a Z coordinate input section 75Z, a Y coordinate input section 75Y, a current position input button 78, a deceleration distance input section 79, and a deceleration override input section 80. The control device 41 reads out point data 56 from the storage device 48 and displays the point number 63, position 64, X-axis coordinate 65X, Z-axis coordinate 65Z, and Y-axis coordinate 65Y in the robot point field 73, position display field 74, X-coordinate input section 75X, Z-coordinate input section 75Z, and Y-coordinate input section 75Y, respectively. For example, when the user specifies the identification number of an NC program 53 in response to a changeover, the control device 41 reads out point data 56 associated with the specified NC program 53 and displays it on the setting screen 71. Furthermore, the control device 41 may use the same point data 56 for all NC programs 53 or for multiple NC programs 53.

The control device 41 displays each data in ascending order of point number 63, for example, from the top. The control device 41 accepts each coordinate value in each of the X-coordinate input unit 75X, Z-coordinate input unit 75Z, and Y-coordinate input unit 75Y (hereinafter sometimes referred to as coordinate input units 75X to 75Z). When the setting button 81 displayed on the setting screen 71 is operated, the control device 41 sets the coordinates input to each of the coordinate input units 75X to 75Z as coordinates in each axial direction (X-axis coordinate 65X, etc.), and updates the point data 56. Note that the timing for updating the point data 56 is not limited to this timing. For example, the control device 41 may update the point data 56 at the time when coordinates are input to the coordinate input units 75X to 75Z.

The control device 41 also displays current position display sections 83X, 83Z, 83Y that display the XYZ coordinates of the current position of the robot 13 (movable section 27) above the coordinate input sections 75X to 75Z. The control device 41 displays the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the robot 13 in this order on the current position display sections 83X, 83Y, 83Z. When the control panel 25 or the like is operated to change the current position of the robot 13, the control device 41 changes the coordinates of the current position display sections 83X, 83Y, 83Z to match the changed current position. When any of the current position input buttons 78 displayed on each row indicating the robot point RP is operated, the control device 41 inputs the XYZ coordinates displayed on the current position display sections 83X, 83Z, 83Y to the coordinate input sections 75X to 75Z on the same row as the operated current position input button 78. That is, the current position of the robot 13 is input as the coordinates of the robot point RP where the current position input button 78 was operated.

The deceleration distance input unit 79 is an input unit for inputting the distance at which the robot 13 starts to decelerate while moving towards the robot point RP. The deceleration override input unit 80 is an input unit for setting the rate at which the robot 13 is decelerated over the deceleration distance set in the deceleration distance input unit 79. For example, when executing control to move the robot 13 to the robot point RP of "P01", the control device 41 starts control to decelerate when the robot 13 reaches a position the distance away from the robot point RP of "P01" set in the deceleration distance input unit 79 of "P01". The control device 41 also decelerates at the rate set in the deceleration distance input unit 79 of "P01".

The control device 41 also displays an inter-work point copy button 85 below the X coordinate input section 75X. When the inter-work point copy button 85 is operated, the control device 41 copies the settings (such as coordinates) of point data 56 (50 robot points RP) associated with any NC program 53 to point data 56 associated with another NC program 53, for the point data 56 associated with each NC program 53. For example, when the inter-work point copy button 85 is operated, the control device 41 displays a screen for selecting the NC program 53 to copy from, and displays the point data 56 associated with the selected NC program 53 on the setting screen 71. This allows the burden of setting work to be reduced by copying data.

In FIG. 4, for example, five robot points RP are displayed on the setting screen 71. When the control device 41 receives an operation to display the setting screen 71 on the operation panel 25, it displays the data of the first robot points RP "P01" to "P05" among the robot points RP registered in the point data 56 on the setting screen 71. That is, the data of "P01" to "P05" is displayed as the initial screen. In the following explanation, the screen displaying these five robot points RP is referred to as a page. In this embodiment, the control device 41 displays the 50 robot points RP registered in the point data 56 on multiple pages of five points each.

When the scroll buttons 87A, 87B displayed on the right edge of the setting screen 71 are operated, the control device 41 displays the remaining robot points RP that could not be displayed on the setting screen 71. When the scroll button 87A is operated, the control device 41 displays the previous or next page. In other words, the robot points RP are updated every five and a new page is displayed. When the scroll button 87B is operated, the control device 41 displays the previous or next page by one robot point RP. In other words, it scrolls one line at a time.

Here, for example, the user adjusts the work spindle receiving position of "P04" according to the length of the work W in accordance with the changeover. The user operates the operation panel 25 to move the robot 13 and adjust the current position of the robot 13 while checking for the occurrence of interference, etc. (an example of the current position change process of the present disclosure). After adjusting the position of the robot 13, the user searches for the robot point RP of "work spindle receiving position" from the list of robot points RP in order to register the current position of the robot 13 as the robot point RP of "P04". In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, "P04" is displayed on the initial screen of the setting screen 71, and the name of "work spindle receiving position" is set to position 64. However, when setting a robot point that is not displayed on the initial screen, for example, the robot point RP of "posture correction" of "P06", a task of searching for the number registered is generated. Or, for a robot point RP that is difficult to understand at first glance, such as the robot point RP of "P8" with no name, it may not be possible to find it immediately even if it is displayed on the initial screen. In addition, the relationship between the order in which the robot points RP are registered and the registered positions 64 may differ depending on the configuration of the machine tool 10, the operator who registers them, the user who uses them, etc.

The control device 41 of this embodiment therefore executes a display process that displays the robot point RP closest to the current position of the robot 13 in a different color from the other robot points RP. Specifically, the control device 41 displays the robot point RP closest to the current position of the robot 13 in a different color from the other robot points RP. In the following description, a robot point RP displayed in a different color may be referred to as a highlighted robot point RP. In the following description, a case in which the robot point RP at "P8" is the closest will be described as an example.

For example, when the current position of the robot 13 is changed, the control device 41 detects the robot point RP that is closest to the current position of the robot 13. For example, the control device 41 calculates the linear distance between the current position and each robot point RP in the XYZ coordinate system, and emphasizes the robot point RP with the shortest linear distance (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as the "closest robot point RP"). If the robot 13 is a two-axis robot of XZ, the closest robot point RP is the robot point RP that is closest in linear distance from the current position on the XZ plane (a plane along the up-down and left-right directions). In addition, the robot point RP to be emphasized, i.e., the robot point RP that is displayed differently from the other robot points RP, is not limited to the robot point RP that is closest to the current position, but may be the second or third closest robot point RP. In addition, the robot point RP that is closest to the current position in the present disclosure is not limited to the robot point RP that is close in linear distance, but may also be the robot point RP that is short in distance along the path along which the robot 13 travels. Furthermore, if the robot 13 has rotation axes such as the A-axis, B-axis, and C-axis, the robot point RP with the shortest distance in the rotation direction (rotational orbit) may be determined as the closest robot point RP.

Figure 5 shows the setting screen 71 with the highlighted robot point RP displayed, and shows the state in which the robot point RP of "P08" is highlighted. When the robot point RP of "P8" is the closest, the control device 41 displays the initial screen shown in Figure 4 when it receives an operation to display the setting screen 71 on the operation panel 25. In this case, since the robot point RP of "P8" does not exist on the page of the initial screen, all the robot points RP (P01 to P05) are displayed in the same way. When the scroll buttons 87A and 87B are operated to display the row of the robot point RP of "P8" or to display a page including the robot point RP of "P8", the control device 41 highlights the robot point RP of "P8" as shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 41 displays the row of the robot point RP of "P8", that is, from the point number 63 on the left end to the deceleration override input section 80 on the right end, with a background color such as blue, and displays the other rows in a different color (white or black). This makes it easy to find the nearest robot point RP. When changing the coordinates of a robot point RP, if the robot 13 is moved to the position where the coordinates are to be changed (such as the workpiece transfer position), the target robot point RP whose coordinates are to be changed is highlighted and can be easily found.

Note that "displaying differently from other robot points" in the present disclosure is not limited to the display mode described above. For example, only the robot point column 73 or the position display column 74 of the closest robot point RP may be a different color. Alternatively, the row of the closest robot point RP may be surrounded by a thick or dashed frame. In other words, the display may be different in a way other than color.

In addition, when the control device 41 receives an operation to display the setting screen 71 on the operation panel 25, the control device 41 may display and highlight the closest robot point RP in the list without displaying the setting screen 71 of FIG. 4. For example, when the control device 41 receives an operation to display the setting screen 71 on the operation panel 25, the control device 41 may display a screen in which "P08" shown in FIG. 5 is highlighted as the initial screen without displaying the setting screen 71 of FIG. 4. This allows the user to display the closest robot point RP simply by performing an operation to display the setting screen 71. In this case, the highlighted robot point RP may be displayed at the top of the list. In addition, the control device 41 may be able to switch between a mode in which the first robot point RP in the registration order "P01" shown in FIG. 4 is displayed and a mode in which the closest robot point RP as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed, as an operation to be performed when the control device 41 receives an operation to display the setting screen 71, and a mode in which the closest robot point RP as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed.

The control device 41 may also perform highlighting on a screen that displays a list of robot points RP other than the setting screen 71. That is, the highlighting may be performed not only on the setting screen 71 where coordinates are set like the setting screen 71, but also on a list screen of robot points RP (a screen that displays only the robot point field 73 and the position display field 74, or a screen that displays coordinates but cannot be changed).

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the control device 41 displays a proximity point button 91 in the upper left of the setting screen 71. Based on the operation of the proximity point button 91, the control device 41 displays a page on which the nearest robot point RP is displayed, that is, the setting screen 71 on which "P08" in FIG. 5 is displayed. This allows the nearest robot point RP to be displayed and highlighted simply by pressing the proximity point button 91. It is possible to more easily find the nearest robot point RP from the current position. The proximity point button 91 may be a physical button. Also, the operation unit that realizes the function of the proximity point button 91 may be a switch, etc.

Furthermore, when the proximity point button 91 is operated, the control device 41 displays the page shown in FIG. 5, displays the closest robot point RP at the top of the list, and displays the closest robot point RP in a different color. For example, when the proximity point button 91 is pressed on the screen of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 5, "P08" is displayed at the top, and the "P08" line is highlighted in blue, for example. This makes it easier to find the robot point RP closest to the current position. Note that the closest robot point RP may be displayed at the bottom or in the middle instead of at the top.

Furthermore, when the proximity point button 91 is operated again after displaying the setting screen 71 in FIG. 5, the control device 41 displays a page that displays the robot point RP closest to the current position after the closest robot point RP. For example, if there are other robot points RP near the robot point RP to be set, depending on the current position of the robot 13, a robot point RP other than the robot point RP to be set may be the closest and be highlighted. Therefore, by displaying the next (second) closest robot point RP when the proximity point button 91 is pressed, the burden of searching for the desired robot point RP to be set can be reduced even when multiple robot points RP are nearby.

For example, each time the proximity point button 91 is pressed, the control device 41 displays a page of the robot point RP closest to the first, second, third, etc. Each time a robot point RP is displayed in order, the control device 41 displays the highlighted robot point RP at the top of the page. This allows the user to find the desired robot point RP by operating the proximity point button 91 multiple times.

The control device 41 may always display only the closest robot point RP, without displaying the second or third robot point RP, even if the above-mentioned proximity point button 91 is operated consecutively. Also, the control device 41 may return the display to the page of the closest robot point RP when a predetermined time has elapsed after displaying the second or third robot point RP. Also, the control device 41 may display buttons that allow the reverse operation, such as the fourth, third, second, and first.

In addition, when the control device 41 displays the setting screen 71 of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, if the operation panel 25 or the like is operated to change the current position of the robot 13 and change the closest robot point RP, the control device 41 highlights and displays the robot point RP that is closest to the changed current position of the robot 13. Therefore, the control device 41 repeatedly judges the closest robot point RP in accordance with the change in the current position of the robot 13 while continuing the process of highlighting and displaying the closest robot point RP. This allows the highlighted robot point RP to be changed in real time in accordance with the current position. The user can find the target robot point RP by checking the current position and the highlighted robot point RP. Note that the control device 41 does not have to perform the above-mentioned real-time robot point RP judgment. For example, the control device 41 may display an update button on the setting screen 71, and when the update button is operated, the control device 41 may again judge the closest robot point RP and update the information of the highlighted robot point RP.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 41 displays the identification information (point number 63 and position 64) of the robot point RP, the coordinate input section 75X to 75Z, and the current position input button 78 in each row for each of the multiple robot points RP displayed in the list. When any current position input button 78 is operated, the control device 41 inputs the coordinates of the current position of the robot 13 (position display section 83X to 83Z) to the coordinate input section 75X to 75Z of the row of the operated current position input button 78. Then, the control device 41 displays the entire row of the nearest robot point RP in an emphasized manner. This makes it easy to see which button is the current position input button 78 for inputting the current position to the nearest robot point RP. The user can input the adjusted current position of the robot 13 to the coordinate input section 75X to 75Z of the target robot point RP simply by pressing the emphasized current position input button 78. This can reduce the occurrence of input errors. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the coordinates of the current location are displayed in the position display areas 83X to 83Z on the setting screen 71, allowing you to input the current location while checking it.

Incidentally, the correspondence between the terms used in this embodiment and those described in the claims will be explained below. The operation panel 25 in the above embodiment is an example of a user interface. The point number 63 and the position 64 are examples of identification information. The X-axis coordinate 65X, the Y-axis coordinate 65Y, and the Z-axis coordinate 65Z are examples of coordinates. The X-coordinate input section 75X, the Y-coordinate input section 75Y, and the Z-coordinate input section 75Z are examples of coordinate input sections.

As described above, the present embodiment provides the following advantages.
The control device 41, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, associates the robot points RP with variables of the NC program 53, and executes the NC program 53 to move the robot 13 to an arbitrary robot point RP (an example of a movement process of the present disclosure). In the list display of the robot points RP, the control device 41 highlights the closest robot point RP by adding color ( FIG. 5 , an example of a display process of the present disclosure). This allows the user to relatively easily find the robot point RP closest to the current position by checking the difference in the display mode of the robot points RP.

Furthermore, the contents of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
4 is an example. For example, the control device 41 may not display at least one of the current position input button 78, the deceleration distance input section 79, the deceleration override input section 80, the setting button 81, the position display sections 83X to 83Z, the inter-work point copy button 85, and the proximity point button 91 on the setting screen 71.
Furthermore, the control device 41 does not have to display the robot points RP in the order of the point numbers 63. For example, the control device 41 may display the robot points RP in the order of registration, and highlight the closest robot point RP.
Furthermore, the control device 41 may display a sort button on the setting screen 71 and rearrange and display the robot points RP in order of proximity to the current position in response to an operation of the sort button.
In the above embodiment, the robot 13 is configured to move in three axial directions, XYZ, but it may be configured to move in two axes, such as XZ, or may have rotation axes, such as A, B, and C. In this case, the control device 41 may display an input section for inputting coordinates in each axial direction, and may highlight the robot point RP that is closest to the current position of the robot 13.

Furthermore, the robot 13 of the present disclosure is not limited to a loader, but may be another robot capable of transporting a workpiece W, such as an articulated robot or a linear motor.
Furthermore, the machine tool disclosed herein is not limited to a lathe, and machine tools of various configurations, such as a machining center, a milling machine, a drilling machine, and a polishing machine, can be used.

The contents of this disclosure are not limited to the dependent relationships described in the claims. For example, this specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the machine tool according to claim 2" in claim 4 to "the machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3". For example, this specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the machine tool according to claim 1 or claim 2" in claim 5 to "the machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4". For example, this specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the machine tool according to claim 1 or claim 2" in claim 6 to "the machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5". For example, this specification also discloses the technical idea of changing "the machine tool according to claim 1 or claim 2" in claim 7 to "the machine tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6".

10 Machine tool, 13 Robot, 25 Operation panel (user interface), 41 Control device, 56 Point data, 63 Point number (identification information), 64 Position (identification information), 65X X-axis coordinate (coordinate), 65Y Y-axis coordinate (coordinate), 65Z Z-axis coordinate (coordinate), 75X X-coordinate input section (coordinate input section), 75Y Y-coordinate input section (coordinate input section), 75Z Z-coordinate input section (coordinate input section), 78 Current position input button, 91 Proximity point button, RP Robot point, W Work.

Claims (7)

A user interface;
A robot that transports the workpiece;
A control device for controlling the movement of the robot;
Equipped with
The control device includes:
a movement process for moving the robot based on the coordinates of a robot point associated with a position to which the robot is to move;
a current position change process for controlling the robot based on an operation input to the user interface and changing a current position of the robot;
a display process for displaying a list of the robot points on the user interface, the display process being for displaying, among the plurality of robot points displayed, a robot point that is close to a current position of the robot differently from the other robot points;
A machine tool that performs the above. The control device includes:
In the movement process, the robot is moved based on the coordinates of the robot point registered in the point data;
2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, in the display processing, a list of the multiple robot points registered in the point data is displayed, the multiple robot points registered in the point data are displayed in a plurality of pages, and, based on operation of a proximity point button in the user interface, a page displaying the robot point close to a current position of the robot is displayed in the user interface. The control device includes:
3. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, based on operation of the proximity point button, a page displaying the robot points close to the current position of the robot is displayed on the user interface, the robot points close to the current position of the robot are displayed at the top of a list, and the robot points close to the current position of the robot are displayed in a color different from other robot points. The control device includes:
3. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein, based on operation of the proximity point button, a page displaying the robot point closest to a current position of the robot is displayed on the user interface, and when the proximity point button is operated again, a page displaying the robot point next closest to the current position of the robot after the robot point closest to the current position of the robot is displayed on the user interface. The control device includes:
In the display process, the robot point that is closest to the current position of the robot among the plurality of robot points is displayed differently from the other robot points;
A machine tool as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when the current position of the robot is changed by the current position change processing and the robot point closest to the current position of the robot is changed, the robot point closest to the changed current position of the robot is displayed differently from the other robot points. The control device includes:
In the display process, for each of the plurality of robot points displayed in a list, identification information of the robot point, a coordinate input section for inputting coordinates of the robot point, and a current position input button are displayed in association with each other;
When any one of the plurality of current position input buttons is operated, coordinates of the current position of the robot are input to the coordinate input unit associated with the operated current position input button;
3. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the identification information, the coordinate input section, and the current position input button of the robot point close to the current position of the robot are displayed differently from the identification information, the coordinate input section, and the current position input button of other robot points. The control device includes:
3. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein, when an operation to display a list of the robot points is received on the user interface, the robot points close to the current position of the robot are displayed in the list, and the robot points close to the current position of the robot are displayed differently from the other robot points.

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