Flexible manufacturing system

• US 5,310,396 A
• Filed: 09/03/1991
• Issued: 05/10/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamazaki Mazak Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamazaki Mazak Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yasushi, Momoi, Shoji, Mizoguchi, Kiyohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilinsky, Z. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/753,942
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 29/33 P, 29/563, 483/5, 483/9, 483/15, 483/20
• US Class Current: 483/15
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15536 Non-rotary fixed racks
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15539 Plural magazines, e.g. involving tool transfer from one magazine to another involving manual operation B23Q3/15533
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15546 Devices for recognizing tools in a storage device, e.g. coding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/10 by means of magazines
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1426 with work holders not rigidly fixed to the transport devices B23Q7/005, B23Q7/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/128 the workpiece itself serves as a record carrier, e.g. by its form, by marks or codes on it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5124 with means to feed work intermittently from one tool station to another
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/165 Plural machine tools, e.g., flexible manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/171 Workpiece holder [e.g., chuck or chuck jaw, collet, etc.]

Abstract

A flexible manufacturing system which includes a stack yard, a machine tool and a stacker crane. In the stack yard, a pallet group, formed by stacking a number of pellets, is stored. The pallet group is transferred to a machine tool cell by the stacker crane. Each pallet has a memory, and data of the pallet itself and the member loaded on the pallet are memorized by the pallet. There are various kinds of members such as work-piece, tool and chuck jaw. These members are stored on exclusive pallets made for each kind of the member. Of the members, each tool and chuck jaw has its own memory and memorizes its own data. The data of all the memory can be read and written; therefore, the position of the pallet, tool and chuck jaw can be controlled at all times.

Claims

1. A flexible manufacturing system comprising:

machining tools and chuck jaws, said machining tools and chuck jaws each having a read/write memory device;

pallets, said pallets each having a read/write memory device for memorizing data concerning the pallet with which the read/write memory device is associated and for memorizing data concerning one or more members stored by said pallet which members include work pieces, said machining tools and said chuck jaws;

a numerical control machine tool which includes means for reading the memory of each pallet, and said numerical control machine tool further comprising means for receiving the work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws supported by said pallets, means for transferring the work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws from said pallets to said means for receiving, and means for working the work pieces received by said receiving means;

a loading station with a reading/writing device for reading/writing the memory of said pallets, and a display for facilitating a setting up of said pallets with said members in accordance with data provided in the memory of said pallets;

a stacker crane for transferring pallets among the numerical control machine and loading station; and

a controller which includes means for storing the data for each tool or chuck jaw and means for revising said storing means with present status data of each tool or chuck jaw in the flexible manufacturing system.

2. A flexible manufacturing system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a comparison device for comparing the data in the memory of each machining tool or chuck jaw in a supporting one of said pallets with the data presently in the memory of said supporting pallet concerning said one or more members.

3. A flexible manufacturing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said numerical control machine tool includes a first read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said chuck jaws, and a second read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said machining tools.

4. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 1 further comprising a stacker yard with a plurality of stacker shelves and said stacker crane including means for supplying said stacker shelves with pallets from said loading station and means for supplying said numerical control machine tool with pallets from said stacker shelves.

5. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said pallets are arranged in groups of stacked pallets when being supplied to said stacker shelves.

6. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said pallets are arranged in stacked groups with each group of pallets includes pallets storing work pieces and additional pallets storing tools of chuck jaws for use with said work pieces.

7. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said transferring means of said numerical control machine tool includes a transfer robot for transferring tools or chuck jaws to said means for receiving.

8. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 7 wherein said transferring means includes a stocker device which supports a plurality of machining tools and chuck jaws adapted for pick up by said transfer robot.

9. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said transferring means of said numerical control machine tool includes a transfer robot for transferring tools or chuck jaws, to said numerical control machine tool.

10. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 9 wherein said transferring means includes a stocker device which supports a plurality of machining tools and chuck jaws adapted for pick up by said transfer robot.

11. A flexible manufacturing system comprising:

machining tools and chuck jaws each having a read/write memory device;

pallets, said pallets each having a read/write memory device for memorizing data concerning the pallet with which said read/write device is associated and for memorizing data concerning one or more members supported by said pallets which members include work pieces, said machining tools and said chuck jaws;

a numerical control machine tool which includes means for reading the memory of each of said pallets, and said numerical control machine tool further comprising means for receiving work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws supported by said pallets, and means for transferring the work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws from said pallets to said receiving means according to the data contained in the memory of each supporting pallet;

a stacker structure for supporting a plurality of pallets;

a stacker crane for transferring pallets to and from said stacker structure, said loading station and said numerical control machine tool; and

a controller which manages control tables for storing data associated with said members and revises the control tables with present status data for each of said machining tools or chuck jaws in the flexible manufacturing system.

12. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 11 further comprising a comparison device for comparing the data in the memory of each machining tool or chuck jaw in a supporting one of said pallets with the data presently in the memory of said supporting pallet concerning said one or more members.

13. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 11 wherein said numerical control machine tool includes a first read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said chuck jaws, and a second read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said machining tools.

14. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 11 wherein said transferring means of said numerical control machine tool includes a transfer robot for transferring tools or chuck jaws to said receiving means.

15. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 14 wherein said transferring means includes a stocker device which supports a plurality of machining tools and chuck jaws adapted for pick up by said transfer robot.

16. A flexible manufacturing system, comprising:

machining tools and chuck jaws each having a read/write memory device;

pallets, each of said pallets having an associated read/write memory device for memorizing data concerning the pallet with which said read/write device is associated and for memorizing data concerning one or more members which are supported by said pallets which members include work pieces, said work machining tools and said chuck jaws;

pallet groups each formed of a plurality of stacked pallets;

a stack yard for storing pallet groups;

a numerical control machine tool adapted to receive at least one pallet from one of said pallet groups, said numerical control machine tool including means for reading the memory of respective ones of said pallets, and said numerical control machine tool further comprising means for receiving said work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws supported by said pallets and means for transferring the work pieces, machining tools and chuck jaws from said pallets to said means for receiving;

a loading station which includes a reading/writing device for reading and writing the memory of said pallets, said loading station including a display for facilitating a setting up of pallets with at least one predetermined member taken from a group of said machining tools and chuck jaws in accordance with the memory of the pallet to receive said at least one member;

a stacker crane for transferring single pallets or said groups of said pallets among said stack yard, said loading station, and said numerical control machine tool, said stacker crane having means for stacking individual pallets on to a pallet groups and picking up a pallet in accordance with the data contained in the memory of the pallet being picked up; and

a controller which includes means for storing data concerning said tools and chuck jaws, managing the data stored on said tools and chuck jaws and updating said storing means with present status data for each of said machining tools and chuck jaws in said flexible manufacturing system.

17. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 16 further comprising a comparison device for comparing the data in the memory of each machining tool or chuck jaw in a supporting one of said pallets with the data presently in the memory of said supporting pallet concerning said one or more members.

18. A flexible manufacturing system, as recited in claim 16 wherein said numerical control machine tool includes a first read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said chuck jaws, and a second read/write head which is specifically adapted for use with said machining tools.