Machining systems and control systems therefor
First Claim
1. A machining system including a plurality of machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area thereof, machining on a workpiece carried on a pallet, a pallet magazine system including a plurality of movable stations each capable of carrying and conveying a pallet and having a plurality of pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools, a plurality of pallet change devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool and the associated pallet change position, a plurality of numerical control devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of storing part programs and of controlling the associated machine tool, and a system controller, said system controller comprising:
- first memory means for storing, in relation to a schedule number indicating order of machining, an indicium of a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined in the order indicated by the related schedule number and an indicium of a part program to be used for machining the related pallet, andsecond memory means for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, an indicium of the movable station carrying the related pallet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A machining system includes machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area thereof, machining on a workpiece carried on a pallet, a pallet magazine including movable stations each capable of carrying and conveying a pallet and having pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools, pallet changers each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool and the associated pallet change position, numerical control devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of storing part programs and of controlling the associated machine tool, and a system controller comprising first memory for storing, in relation to each of schedule numbers indicating order of machining, an indicium of a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined in the related order and an indicium of a part program to be used for machining the related pallet, and second memory for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, and indicium of the movable station carrying the related pallet.
67 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A machining system including a plurality of machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area thereof, machining on a workpiece carried on a pallet, a pallet magazine system including a plurality of movable stations each capable of carrying and conveying a pallet and having a plurality of pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools, a plurality of pallet change devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool and the associated pallet change position, a plurality of numerical control devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of storing part programs and of controlling the associated machine tool, and a system controller, said system controller comprising:
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first memory means for storing, in relation to a schedule number indicating order of machining, an indicium of a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined in the order indicated by the related schedule number and an indicium of a part program to be used for machining the related pallet, and second memory means for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, an indicium of the movable station carrying the related pallet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A machining system including a plurality of machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area, machining on a workpiece carried on a pallet, a measuring unit for measuring, in a working area, a dimension of a workpiece, a pallet magazine system including a plurality of movable stations each capable of carrying and conveying a pallet and having a plurality of pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools and the measuring unit, a plurality of pallet change devices each associated with each of the machine tools and the measuring unit and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool or measuring unit and the associated pallet change position of the pallet magazine system, a plurality of numerical control devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of storing part programs each containing an end instruction at or near the end of the program and of controlling the associated machine tool in accordance with the part programs, a measuring unit control device capable of storing measuring programs each containing an end instruction at or near the end of the program and of controlling the measuring unit in accordance with the measuring programs, and a system controller responsive to the end instruction from any of said numerical control devices and said measuring unit device system for designating the pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined or measured next, and controlling the pallet magazine system to position the designated pallet to the pallet change position associated with the numerical control device or the measuring unit control device that has produced the end instruction, said system controller comprising:
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first memory means for storing, in relation to each of the schedule numbers indicating the order of machining or measuring, an indicium of a pallet to be machined or measured in the indicated order and an indicium of a part program or a measuring program to be used for machining or measuring the related pallet, and second memory means for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, an indicium of the movable station carrying the related pallet. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A machining system including a plurality of machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area, machining of workpiece carried on a pallet, a preparation unit including a preparation station for setting a workpiece on a pallet, a pallet magazine system including a plurality of movable stations each capable of carrying and moving a pallet and having a plurality of first pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools and a second pallet change position associated with the preparation unit, a plurality of first pallet change devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool and the associated one of said first pallet change positions, a second pallet change device associated with the preparation table and capable of transferring a pallet from the preparation unit to the second pallet change position, a plurality of numerical control devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of storing part programs each containing an end instruction at or near the end of the program and of controlling the associated machine tool in accordance with the part programs, a preparation unit control device capable of controlling the preparation unit for setting a workpiece on a pallet and transferring the pallet carrying the workpiece to the second pallet position, and a system controller responsive to the end instruction from any of the numerical control devices for controlling the pallet magazine system to position the pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined next to the pallet change position associated with that one of the numerical control devices which has produced the end instruction and giving said one of the numerical control devices an instruction to select, among the part programs stored in said one of the numerical systems, the part program which should be used for the next machining
said system controller comprising: -
first memory means for storing, in relation to each of the schedule numbers indicating order of machining, an indicium of a pallet to be machined in the indicated order and an indicium of a part program to be used for machining the related pallet, second memory means for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, an indicium of the movable station or the preparation table carrying the related pallet or the working area in which the related pallet is placed, and third memory means for storing, in rleation to an indicium of each of part programs, one or more indicia of the numerical control devices storing the related part program. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An operation control system for controlling a machining system including a plurality of machine tools each capable of performing, in a working area thereof, machining on a workpiece carried on a pallet, a pallet magazine system including a plurality of movable stations each capable of carrying and conveying a pallet and having a plurality of pallet change positions each associated with each of the machine tools, and a plurality of pallet change devices each associated with each of the machine tools and each capable of transferring a pallet between the working area of the associated machine tool and the associated pallet change position, each of the machine tools being associated with a numerical control device capable of storing part programs and of controlling the associated machine tool,
said operation control system comprising: -
first memory means for storing, in relation to each of the schedule numbers indicating order of machining, an indicium of a pallet carrying a workpiece to be machined in the indicated order and an indicium of a part program to be used for machining the related pallet, and second memory means for storing, in relation to an indicium of each of the pallets, an indicium of the movable station carrying the related pallet. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification