Programming system for the single arm bending robot

• US 5,005,394 A
• Filed: 12/14/1988
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Inventors: Sgandurra, Francesco, Sartorio, Franco, Grassi, Fabrizio, Prunotto, Gianpaolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, David
• Application Number:
  US07/284,440
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 72/420, 72/421, 72/422, 72/389, 72/414, 72/10, 72/12, 72/21
• US Class Current: 72/18.1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 43/105 Manipulators, i.e. mechanical arms carrying a gripper element having several degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/004 with program control
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/0281 Workpiece supporting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35012 Cad cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36112 Floppy disk, diskette
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45143 Press-brake, bending machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A device for controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake. The press brake is equipped with a side sensor for detecting the horizontal X-axis direction positions parallel to the longitudinal direction of the upper and lower dies of the press brake. The manipulator is arranged to be movable in the X-axis direction and the head of the manipulator is arranged to be rotatable about first and second shafts of the manipulator. The device includes apparatus for inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage and apparatus for inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages. Apparatus for sequentially calculating a position of the workpiece for the second and subsequent bending stages, based on the initial input of the workpiece which is input from the workpiece initial position input means, and the angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or second shafts at each of the bending stages which is input from the workpiece rotation angle input means is inputted from the workpiece rotation angle input means is inputted is included in the device.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake which is equipped with a side sensor for detecting a position of the workpiece in a horizontal X-axis direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of upper and lower dies of the press brake, the manipulator being arranged to be movable in the X-axis direction, and a head of the manipulator being arranged to be rotatable about a first shaft and a second shaft of the manipulator, comprising:

means for inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage;

means for inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages;

means for sequentially calculating a position of the workpiece for the second and subsequent bending stages, based on the initial position of the workpiece which is input from the workpiece initial position input means, and the angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts at each of the bending stages which is input from the workpiece rotation angle input means;

means for producing a first instruction data for rotating the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of the bending stages, based on the position of the workpiece at each of the bending stages; and

means for producing second instruction data for detecting a position of the workpiece in the X-axis direction by means of the signal from the side sensor at a bending stage for bending a long side of said workpiece.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the input means (102) enters parameters which comprises:

(a) parameter (113a) for rotation of the workpiece 180 deg in a horizontal plane;

(b) parameter (113b) for reversal of the workpiece;

(c) parameter (113c) for performing the actions in (a) and (b) simultaneously;

(d) parameter (113d) for rotation of the workpiece 90 deg clockwise in a horizontal plane;

(e) parameter (113e) for rotation of the workpiece 90 deg counterclockwise in a horizontal plane; and

(f) parameter (11f) for performing neither rotation nor reversal.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein

the bending angle and the bending width can be entered through the input means (102);

and

the bending shape of the workpiece (44) at each stage based on the input data can be displayed.

4. The control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory means for recording modificable parameters relating to members of the plate bending machine or the manipulator; and

a display means (101) for displaying the parameters recorded in the memory means.

5. The control device of claim 4, further comprising a parameter modification means (102) wherein at least one parameter among the length parameters and angle parameters stored in the memory means can be modified.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein the position of the workpiece is represented by the plate surface which faces upward, and by the side facing the plate bending device.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is positioned at each bending stage so that the short side is subjected to the bending process before the long side.

8. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a control signal generating means which can, by variously modifying the position of the workpiece in the initial bending stage while fixing the angle of rotation of the workpiece and the requirement for reversal at each bending stage, create various cycles for the position of the workpiece in each bending stage, and can select a desired cycle from among these cycles based on a prescribed selection rule.

9. The control device of claim 1, further comprising means for revising the position of the workpiece in the second and the subsequent bending stages, based on a signal from a sensor provided close to the plate bending machine, for detecting the position of the workpiece.

10. The control device of claim 1, further comprising control signal generating means having transfer control data for transferring the manipulator between standard positions and the control signal generating means (121) calls the transfer control data based on plate position data for each bending stage when the drive control signal is generated.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

drive control signal generating means for generating a drive control signal for a manipulator, based on the position of the workpiece at each bending stage and the data for the dimensions of the members of the plate bending machine.

12. The device of claim further comprising:

means for receiving instruction information on a shape of a product from a storage medium (100b), and

control signal generating means (121) for generating a control signal for a manipulator, based on the instruction information and a plurality of parameters for dimensions of a plurality of members for the plate bending machine.

13. A method for controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake which is equipped with a side sensor for detecting a position of the workpiece in the horizontal X-axis direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of upper and lower dies of the press brake, the manipulator being arranged to be movable in the X axis direction, and a head of the manipulator being arranged to be rotatable about a first shaft and a second shaft, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage;

(b) inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages;

(c) sequentially calculating a position of the workpiece for the second and subsequent bending stages, based on the initial position of the workpiece input at the step (a), and the angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator at each of the bending stages which is input at the step (b);

(d) producing a first instruction data for rotating the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of the bending stages, based on the position of the workpiece at each of the bending stages;

(e) producing second instruction data for detecting a position of the workpiece in the X-axis direction by means of the signal from the side sensor at a bending stage for bending a long side of said workpiece.

14. A device for controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake which is equipped with a back gauge sensor for detecting a position of the workpiece in a horizontal Y-axis direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of upper and lower dies of the press brake, the manipulator being arranged to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a head of the manipulator being arranged to be rotatable about a first shaft and a second shaft of the manipulator, comprising:

(a) means for inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage;

(b) means for inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages;

(c) means for sequentially calculating a position of the workpiece for the second and subsequent bending stages, based upon the initial position of the workpiece which is input from the workpiece initial position input means, and the angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or second shafts at each of the bending stages which is input from the workpiece rotation angle input means;

(d) means for producing an instruction data for rotating the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator at each of the bending stages, based on the position of the workpiece at each of the bending stages; and

(e) a numerical control means for positioning the side of the workpiece to be bent with respect to the upper and the lower die by means of a detection signal from the back gauge sensor.

15. A method of controlling a manipulator for handling a workpiece processed by a press brake which is equipped with a back gauge for detecting a position of the workpiece in a horizontal Y-axis direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of upper and lower dies of the press brake, the manipulator being arranged to be movable in the Y-axis direction, and a head of the manipulator being arranged to be rotatable about a first shaft and a second shaft of the manipulator, comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a position of the workpiece for an initial bending stage;

(b) inputting an angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of a plurality of bending stages;

(c) sequentially calculating a position of the workpiece for the second and subsequent bending stages, based upon the initial position of the workpiece which is input at the step (a), and the angle of rotation of the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator at each of the bending stages which is input at the step (b);

(d) producing an instruction data for rotating the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator for each of the bending stages, based on the position of the workpiece at each of the bending stages;

(e) rotating the workpiece about the first and/or the second shafts of the manipulator at each of the bending stages in accordance with the instruction data produced at the step (d); and

(f) positioning the side of the workpiece to be bent with respect to the upper and the lower die by means of a detection signal from the back gauge sensor.