NC program searching method, NC program searching unit, NC program creating method, and NC program creating unit

• US 9,811,759 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Matsubara, Susumu, Iriguchi, Kenji, Takahashi, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/004,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 700103, 700161
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40937 concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36225 Select and insert program from library, select case, variant
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36337 Select similar shape and derive motion defining sentences from original shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

In the invention, there are included a first image generating that generates image data corresponding to a shape data of a machining target as machining target image data, a second image generating that generates, based on NC programs created in the past, image data of a machining finish shape as finish shape image data, a storing that stores the finish shape image data associating with an NC program corresponding thereto, a similarity calculating that compares the machining target image data and the finish shape image data to calculate similarity of both the image data, a searching that searches, based on the similarity, candidates of finish shape image data similar to or matching the machining target image data and displays the candidates, and a first program displaying that displays, out of the candidates of the finish shape image data, an NC program for designated finish shape image data.

Claims

1. A numerical control (NC)-program searching method comprising:

generating, when shape data of a machining target is input from an outside, image data corresponding to the shape data of the machining target as machining target image data;

generating, based on NC programs created in the past, image data of a machining finish shape as finish shape image data;

storing the finish shape image data in association with an NC program corresponding thereto;

comparing the machining target image data and the finish shape image data to thereby calculate a similarity of the machining target image data to the finish shape image data;

searching, based on the similarity, candidates of finish shape image data similar to or matching the machining target image data and displaying the candidates;

displaying, out of the candidates of the finish shape image data, an NC program for finish shape image data designated by external input; and

outputting the NC program for finish shape image data designated by the external input to a machining tool so that the machining tool is operated based on the output NC program,

wherein the generating of the image data of the machining finish shape as the finish shape image data comprises;

generating a removal shape, which is a shape to be removed from the image data, based on the NC programs created in the past, and

generating the finish shape image data based on the removal shape.

2. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, wherein the searching comprises displaying the candidates of the finish shape image data as a list in order from the candidate having the highest similarity.

3. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the image data of the machining finish shape as finish shape image data comprises:

generating the removal shape, which is a shape to be removed from a workpiece, based on definition data concerning machining for each machining unit of the NC programs created in the past;

generating a workpiece shape, which is a shape of the workpiece, based on the definition data; and

generating the finish shape image data using the workpiece shape and the removal shape.

4. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, wherein

the generating of the image data corresponding to the shape data of the machining target as machining target image data comprises calculating a first shape dimension, which is a shape dimension of the machining target, based on the shape data of the machining target or the machining target image data,

the generating of the image data of the machining finish shape as finish shape image data comprises calculating a second shape dimension, which is a shape dimension of the machining finish shape, based on the finish shape image data, and

the comparing comprises calculating the similarity by comparing a shape of the machining target and the machining finish shape based on the first shape dimension and the second shape dimension.

5. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, further comprising extracting, when at least one of material of a workpiece, a machining type, a tool type, and a cutter diameter is designated by the external input as narrowing-down information concerning an NC program used in machining the machining target, an NC program corresponding to the narrowing-down information out of the NC programs created in the past, and

the comparing comprises extracting finish shape image data corresponding to the extracted NC program and calculating the similarity by comparing the extracted finish shape image data and the machining target image data.

6. The NC program searching method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises calculating the similarity based on a matching degree between a pixel of the machining target image data and a pixel of the finish shape image data.

7. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises calculating the similarity based on a matching degree between an edge or an edge end point of the machining target image data and an edge or an edge point of the finish shape image data.

8. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the image data of the machining finish shape as finish shape image data comprises generating the finish shape image data from a plurality of eye directions.

9. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, further comprising:

combining, when a plurality of machining units are designated by the external input out of one or a plurality of finish shape image data, the designated machining units to generate an NC program; and

displaying the generated NC program.

10. The NC-program searching method according to claim 1, further comprising editing, according to an instruction input from the outside, an NC program being displayed.

11. A numerical control (NC)-program searching unit comprising:

an inputter to which shape data of a machining target is input from an outside;

an image-data generator configured to generate, as machining target image data, image data corresponding to the shape data of the machining target;

an NC-program storage configured to store NC programs created in the past;

a finish-shape generator configured to generate, based on the NC programs created in the past, image data of a machining finish shape as finish shape image data;

an image-data storage configured to store the finish shape image data in association with an NC program corresponding thereto;

a searcher configured to compare the machining target image data and the finish shape image data to thereby calculate a similarity of the machining target image data to the finish shape image data and search, based on the similarity, candidates of finish shape image data similar to or matching the machining target image data;

a display configured to display the candidates of the finish shape image data and display, when finish shape image data is designated by external input out of the candidates of the finish shape image data, an NC program corresponding to the designated finish shape image data; and

an NC-program outputter comprising a processor configured to output the NC program corresponding to the designated finish shape image data to a machining tool so that the machining tool is operated based on the output NC program,

wherein the finish-shape generator is configured to generate a removal shape, which is a shape to be removed from the image data, based on the NC programs created in the past, and generate the finish shape image data based on the removal shape.

12. A numerical control (NC) program creating unit comprising:

an inputter to which shape data of a machining target is input from an outside;

an image-data generator configured to generate, as machining target image data, image data corresponding to the shape data of the machining target;

an NC-program storage configured to store NC programs created in the past;

a finish-shape generator configured to generate, based on the NC programs created in the past, image data of a machining finish shape as finish shape image data;

an image-data storage configured to store the finish shape image data in association with an NC program corresponding thereto;

a searcher configured to compare the machining target image data and the finish shape image data to thereby calculate a similarity of the machining target image data to the finish shape image data and search, based on the similarity, candidates of finish shape image data similar to or matching the machining target image data;

a display configured to display the candidates of the finish shape image data and display, when finish shape image data is designated by external input out of the candidates of the finish shape image data, an NC program corresponding to the designated finish shape image data;

an editor configured to edit, according to an instruction input from the outside, an NC program being displayed; and

an NC-program outputter comprising a processor configured to output the NC program corresponding to the designated finish shape image data to a machining tool so that the machining tool is operated based on the output NC program,

wherein the finish-shape generator is configured to generate a removal shape, which is a shape to be removed from the image data, based on the NC programs created in the past, and generate the finish shape image data based on the removal shape.