Control method and apparatus for plate material processing machine

• US 6,535,787 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Amada Company Limited
• Inventors: Inamasu, Toru, Nishiyama, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, ELLIOT L
• Application Number:
  US09/840,147
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/85, 700/180, 700/192, 700/193, 700/56, 700/60, 700/64, 700/65, 700/66, 345/702, 345/970, 345/173, 345/349, 345/764, 345/771, 345/856, 345/863, 345/965
• US Class Current: 700/180
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35433 During execution, display asks for parameters, operator answers, machine again
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35494 Online documentation, manual, procedures, operator, user guidance, assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36118 Adapt interactive dialog, help to experience, short cut menu
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36122 Operator menu with submenu for each item
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration

Abstract

An operator can recognize the operating state of a plate material processing machine, such as the position state of a positioning pin used in positioning of a work piece in a predetermined position and the operating state of a work clamping device for gripping the work piece, on a display unit, by displaying the operating state in the form of an image of the machine in such a manner that it is intuitively easy, for a beginner, to understand. Further, the present position of a movable member selected as a moving object is displayed on the display screen of the display unit in a form of a relative coordinate covering a moving range of the movable member and a pointer representing the position of the movable member arranged at the relative coordinate.

Claims

1. A position setting method of a movable member in a plate material processing machine for performing a position setting operation for moving the movable member to a desired position, the method comprising:

selecting in advance the movable member as a moving object;

displaying a present position of the selected movable member on a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a moving range of the movable member and an index representing the position of the movable member arranged at the relative coordinate; and

when an operator touches the display screen of the display, identifying the touching position as a moving object setting position of the movable member.

2. A position setting method of a movable member in a plate material processing machine for performing a position setting operation for moving the movable member to desired position, the method comprising:

selecting in advance the movable member as a moving object;

displaying a present position of the selected movable member on a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a moving range of the movable member and an index representing the position of the movable member arranged at the relative coordinate; and

when an operator drag-moves the index displayed on a display screen of the display device to the desired position at the relative coordinate, displaying the index in the drag-moving position by the manual input and identifying the drag-moving position as a moving object setting position of the movable member.

3. A position setting method of a movable member in a plate material processing machine constructed such that the movable member is moved to a desired position by setting a position of a processing reference point to a desired position on a work by a manual input, the method comprising:

displaying a present position of the processing reference point on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a range capable of setting the processing reference point and an index representing the position of the processing reference point arranged at the relative coordinate; and

when an operator touches the display screen of the display device in a desired position at said relative coordinate, identifying the touching position as a setting object position of the processing reference point and moving the movable member to the setting object position.

4. A position setting method of a movable member in a plate material processing machine constructed such that the movable member is moved to a desired position by setting a position of a processing reference to a desired position on a work by a manual input, method comprising:

calling in advance NC data relative to a product as a processed object;

displaying a present position of the processing reference on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a range capable of setting the processing reference and a product image similar to the product obtained from the called NC data and arranged at the relative coordinate; and

when an operator drag-moves said product image displayed on the display screen of the display means until a desired position at the relative coordinate, displaying the product image in the drag-moving position and identifying the drag-moving position as a setting object position of the processing reference and moving the movable member to the setting object position.

5. The position setting method of the movable member in the plate material processing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the displaying of the product image in the drag-moving position on the display screen continues until a work clamping device for gripping the work releases the work when processing relative to the product image is terminated.

6. A position setting device of a movable member in a plate material processing machine for performing a position setting operation for moving the movable member to a desired position,

the position setting device comprising:

a moving object selecting device that selects the movable member as a moving object;

a display control device that controls display of a present position of the movable member selected by the moving object selecting device on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a moving range of the movable member and an index representing the position of the movable member arranged at the relative coordinate; and

a position detecting device that detects a touching position of an operator by a manual input as a moving object setting position of the movable member when the operator touches the display screen of the display device in a desired position at the relative coordinate displayed on the display screen by the display control device.

7. A position setting device of a movable member in a plate material processing machine for performing a position setting operation for moving the movable member to a desired position, the position setting device comprising:

a moving object selecting device that selects the movable member as a moving object;

a display control device that controls a display of a present position of the movable member selected by the moving object selecting device on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a moving range of the movable member and an index representing the position of the movable member arranged at the relative coordinate;

wherein

the display control device further controls a display of the index on the display screen of the display device in a drag-moving position by a manual input of an operator when the operator drag-moves the index to the desired position at the relative coordinate; and

a position detecting device that detects a touching position of the operator by a manual input as a moving object setting position of the movable member when the operator touches the display screen of the display device in the desired position at the relative coordinate displayed on the display screen according to the display control device.

8. A position setting device of a movable member in a plate material processing machine constructed such that the movable member is moved to a desired position by setting the position of a processing reference point to the desired position on a work by a manual input, the position setting device comprising:

a display control device that controls display of a present position of the processing reference point on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a range capable of setting the processing reference point and an index representing a position of the processing reference point arranged at the relative coordinate;

a position detecting device that detects a touching position of an operator by a manual input as a setting object position of the processing reference point when the operator touches the display screen of the display device in the desired position at the relative coordinate displayed on the display screen by the display control device; and

a moving control device that moves a movable member to the setting object position detected by the detecting device.

9. A position setting device of a movable member in a plate material processing machine constructed such that the movable member is moved to a desired position by setting a position of a processing reference to the desired position on a work by a manual input, the position setting device comprising:

an NC data retrieving device that retrieves NC data relative to a product as a processed object;

a display control device that controls a display of a present position of the processing reference on a display screen of a display device in terms of a relative coordinate covering a range capable of setting the processing reference and a product image similar to the product obtained from the NC data retrieved by the NC data retrieving device and arranged at the relative coordinate;

wherein

the display control device further controls display of a product image on the display screen of the display device in a drag-moving position by a manual input of an operator when the operator drag-moves the product image to the desired position at the relative coordinate;

a position detecting device that detects the drag-moving position by the manual input as a setting object position of the processing reference when the operator drag-moves the product image displayed on the display screen to the arbitrary position at the relative coordinate; and

a moving control device that controls a movement of the movable member to the setting object position detected by the position detecting device.

10. The position setting device of the movable member in the plate material processing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the display control device causes the display device to continuously display the product image displayed in the drag-moving position on the display screen until a work clamping device for gripping the work releases the work when processing relative to the product image is terminated.