COMBINED MACHINING METHOD AND COMBINED MACHINING DEVICE

• US 20150027999A1
• Filed: 02/18/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Industries Corporation (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Industries Corporation (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Kitamura, Kazuyuki, Kondo, Keita
• Granted Patent: US 9,481,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.44
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/12 Trimming or finishing edges, e.g. deburring welded corners
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 10/00 Welding or cutting by means of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/08 for flash removal
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/126 Controlling the spatial relationship between the work and the gas torch between wire tip and piece B23K9/073
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 23/04 for both machining and other metal-working operations

Abstract

A method of cutting a cut member out of an original sheet by means of thermal cutting and machining, and includes a hole-cutting process, a finishing process, and an outer periphery-cutting process. During the hole-cutting process, a hole is created in the original sheet by means of thermal cutting while leaving a machining allowance in addition to the finished size of the hole. During the finishing process, a cutting tool is inserted into the hole which has been created through the hole-cutting process, and the cutting tool is guided along the inner circumference of the hole so as to cut the thermally-cut end surface in order to machine the hole to the finished size. During the outer periphery-cutting process, the outer periphery of the cut member is cut by means of thermal cutting to take the cut member out of the original sheet.

Claims

1. A combined machining method of forming a hole in an original sheet by thermal cutting and machining, and taking out a cut member including the hole from the original sheet, the method including:

a hole-cutting process for forming a hole in the original sheet by means of thermal cutting while leaving a machining allowance relative to a finished size;

a finishing process for inserting a cutting tool into the hole formed by the hole-cutting process, cutting a thermally-cut end surface by guiding the cutting tool along an inner peripheral surface of the hole, and machining the hole to the finished size;

an outer periphery-cutting process for cutting an outer periphery of the cut member by means of thermal cutting and taking out the cut member from the original sheet; and

a confirmation process for confirming whether or not thermally-cut end material remains inside the hole in the hole-cutting process between the hole-cutting process and the finishing process.

2. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal cutting during the hole-cutting process and the outer periphery-cutting process is plasma cutting by generating a plasma arc on the front surface side of the original sheet;

and

the thermal cutting is performed by leaving a machining allowance on an original sheet front surface side end section of the hole in the hole-cutting process.

3. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal cutting during the hole-cutting process and the outer periphery-cutting process is laser cutting that irradiates a laser or gas cutting that emits a gas from the front surface of the original sheet;

and

the thermal cutting is performed by leaving a machining allowance on an original sheet rear surface side end section of the hole in the hole-cutting process.

4. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

machining is performed without clamping the original sheet from the hole-cutting process to the outer periphery-cutting process.

5. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

a rotating cutting tool is used for cutting the thermally-cut end surface of the hole in the finishing process;

and

a cutting tool diameter is two times or less than the thickness of the original sheet.

6. The combined machining method according to claim 1, further including

a measuring process for measuring a height position of the hole as a previous process of the finishing process;

and

a height position of the cutting tool is controlled in the finishing process on the basis of measurement results from the measuring process and plate thickness data of the original sheet.

8. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

the confirmation process is performed by inserting the cutting tool used in the finishing process into the hole.

9. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

the thermally-cut end surface of the hole formed in the hole-cutting process is cut by an end mill in the finishing process.

10. The combined machining method according to claim 1, wherein

the rotating cutting tool is driven with an air motor in the finishing process.

7. (canceled)

11. A combined machining device for forming a hole in an original sheet by thermal cutting and machining, and taking out a cut member including the hole from the original sheet, the device comprising:

a loading table on which an original sheet is loaded;

a first head for performing thermal cutting on the original sheet loaded on the loading table;

a second head for performing machining on the original sheet loaded on the loading table;

a movement mechanism for moving the first and second heads in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction relative to the loading table;

a height position detection sensor for detecting a position in the vertical direction of the original sheet loaded on the loading table; and

a control unit for controlling relative movement of the first and second heads relative to the loading table, and for controlling thermal cutting and machining performed by the first and second heads;

wherein, the control unit has

a hole-cutting functional unit for forming a hole in the original sheet by means of thermal cutting while leaving a machining allowance relative to the finished size of the hole;

a finishing functional unit for inserting a cutting tool into the hole formed in the hole-cutting process, cutting a thermally-cut end surface by guiding the cutting tool along an inner peripheral surface of the hole, and machining the hole to the finished size;

an outer periphery-cutting functional unit for cutting an outer periphery of the cut member by thermal cutting and taking out the cut member from the original sheet; and

a confirmation functional unit for confirming whether or not thermally-cut end material is remaining inside the hole.

12. The combined machining device according to claim 11, wherein

a second head has a cutting tool having a diameter that is two times or less than the thickness of the original sheet.

14. The combined machining device according to claim 11, wherein

the control unit confirms the presence of the end material by inserting a cutting tool attached to the second head into the hole.

15. The combined machining device according to claim 11, wherein

an end mill is attached to the second head.

16. The combined machining device according to claim 11, wherein

the second head has an air motor for driving the cutting tool.

13. (canceled)