Machine tool control system

• US 5,850,343 A
• Filed: 08/26/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kaoru Nakamura
• Original Assignee: Kaoru Nakamura
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/701,651
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 364/148-151, 364/131-135, 364/156, 364/468.01, 364/468.02, 364/468.03, 364/468.05, 364/468.09, 364/468.1, 364/468.19, 364/468.23 , 364/474.11, 364/474.14, 364/474.15, 364/474.21, 364/468.06, 364/468.07
• US Class Current: 700/174
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31088 Network communication between supervisor and cell, machine group
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31174 Load, use different protocols, formats, emulators for different systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31418 NC program management, support, storage, distribution, version, update
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

When a machining program copied from the toll center is transferred to the NC device, the transfer system determining means of the controller compares a machining schedule copied from the toll center and its machining program with transfer judging rules created in the database to automatically judge whether memory transfer or DNC transfer system is more suitable, and the machining program transfer means transfers the machining program to the NC device by the selected system.

Claims

1. A machine tool control system comprising:

a controller for transferring a machining schedule and a machining program corresponding to the machining schedule of a tool center through a local area network and for creating an operation schedule for a monitor control side; and

a numerically controlling device for storing the corresponding machining program sent from the controller in a memory and sending the corresponding machining program to machine tools, wherein

the controller comprises an automatic transfer system determining section which stores judging rules for judging whether the corresponding machining program should be transferred to the numerically controlling device via a memory transfer system in which all of the corresponding machining program is transferred to the memory of the numerically controlling device or via a direct control (DNC) transfer system in which the corresponding machining program is transferred to the memory of the numerically controlling device block by block, and wherein

when the corresponding program is to be transferred to the numerically controlling device, the automatic transfer system determining section compares the judging rules with the machining schedule and the corresponding machining program to automatically determine which of the memory transfer system or direct control (DNC) transfer system is more suitable.

2. A machine tool control system according to claim 1, wherein the judging rules include:

a first judging table which is divided into two sections, for the memory transfer system and the direct control (DNC) transfer system, each section including as set data at least production type information including single-type large-quality production or multi-type small-quality production;

average production quantity;

machining type; and

machining program length, and in which a weighting coefficient is given to each set data;

a second judging table for storing as a set;

a product number;

a name of a machining program; and

a previous transfer system of the memory transfer system and the direct control (DNC) transfer system, and

wherein the automatic transfer system determining section comprises;

transfer system determining means for determining whether the machining schedule has a machining completion flag, and when the machining schedule does not have the machining completion flag, for determining that the corresponding machining program should be transferred to the numerically controlling device via the memory transfer system or via the direct control (DNC) transfer system, based on values of the set data of the first judging table and weighting coefficients corresponding to the set data; and

machining program transfer means for transferring the machining program to a memory of the numerically controlling device according to the transfer system determined by the transfer system determining means.

3. A machining tool control system according to claim 2, wherein the transfer system determining means determines a judging coefficient for each of the set data, and for each transfer system of the memory transfer system and the direct control (DNC) transfer system, based on each value of each set data, and calculates values M and D in accordance with the following expressions for the memory transfer system and the direct control (DNC) transfer system, and then determines the transfer system based on the values M and D:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">M=Σ

(a.sub.p (M)×

b.sub.1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">D=Σ

(a.sub.q (D)×

b.sub.1)

where a_p is a judging coefficient for each set data for memory transfer system, a_q is a judging coefficient for each set data for direct transfer system, and b₁ is a weighting coefficient for each set data.

4. A machine tool control system according to claim 2, wherein when the machining schedule includes the machining completion flag, the transfer system determining means retrieves the name of the machining program for the product number in the machining schedule and selects a previous transfer system corresponding to the retrieved machining program.

5. A machine tool control system according to claim 2, wherein the automatic transfer system determining section further comprises:

judging rule creation means for reading monitor information of a control board, and when a product number included in the monitor information does not coincide with any product number in the second judging table, for storing the included product number, the corresponding name of the machining program, and the corresponding previous transfer system as a new set in the second judging table.

6. A machine tool control system according to claim 5, wherein when the new set is stored in the second judging table, the judging rule creation means sets the machining completion flag with respect to the included product number in the machining schedule.

7. A machine tool control system according to claim 4, wherein the automatic transfer system determining section further comprises:

judging rule creation means for reading monitor information of a control board and for determining whether an actual transfer system included in the monitor information coincides with the previous transfer system stored in the second judging table, and when the actual transfer system included in the monitor information does not coincide with the previous transfer system, for updating the set data in the first judging table based on the monitor information.

8. A machine tool control system according to claim 7, wherein when the actual transfer system included in the monitor information does not coincide with the previous transfer system, the judging rule creation means further calculates the weighting coefficients based on priority data included in the monitor information and updates the weighting coefficients in the first judging table.

9. A machine tool control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises:

an operation schedule database for storing a plurality of operation schedules;

a control program database for storing a plurality of control programs;

a ladder program database for storing a plurality of ladder programs;

an operation section creation section for creating an operation schedule that properly carries out a machining schedule retrieved by the automatic transfer system determining section in order to store the operation schedule in the operation schedule database, and for retrieving a control program from the control program database based on the operation schedule; and

a ladder transfer section for retrieving the operation schedule created by the operation section creation section from the operation schedule database;

for retrieving the control program based from the control program database on the operation schedule; and

for retrieving a ladder sequence program for controlling a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) line from the ladder program database, based on the control program, in order to transfer the ladder sequence program to an apparatus for monitoring and controlling a machine tool.