Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-02
2001-06-05
Grant, William (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S083000, C700S084000, C700S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243619
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method and a controller for controlling the operation of a laser processing machine for performing laser processing of a work, such as cutting, punching and the like, and the operation of other plate material processing machines such as a punch press and the like.
More particularly, the present invention firstly relates to a state display method and a state display unit of the plate material processing machine for displaying on a display screen of the display unit an operating state of the plate material processing machine such as a position state of a positioning pin used in positioning of the work in a predetermined position, and an operating state of a work clamping device for gripping the work and the like.
The present invention secondly relates to a position setting method and a position setting device of a movable member in the plate material processing machine in which a position setting operation by a manual input for moving the movable member such as a work table, a laser processing head and the like to an arbitrary position can be easily realized on the display screen of the display unit, e.g., when the position of a processing reference point is set to an arbitrary position on the work and the like.
The present invention thirdly relates to an operating state setting method and an operating state setting device of the laser processing machine in which plural keys respectively having allocated functions different from each other are displayed together or selectively on the display screen of the display unit, and a setting operation for changing an operating state of the laser processing machine can be easily realized on the display screen of the display unit by selectively allowing the input of a corresponding key among these plural keys every operating stage.
The present invention fourthly relates to a processing condition display method and a processing i condition display unit of the laser processing machine in which a setting operation of various kinds of processing conditions can be smoothly performed even by an operator having little experience by displaying processing condition data such as the various kinds of processing conditions and an image of a set object portion and the like on the display screen of the display unit when the various kinds of processing conditions such as a kind and a pressure of an assist gas are set prior to laser processing such that the various kinds of processing conditions are adapted to a combination of a material of the work as a processed object and a plate thickness.
The present invention fifthly relates to an operating state setting method and an operating state setting device of the laser processing machine which has an expert mode requiring a detailed operating procedure for an expert and a beginner mode requiring a simple operating procedure for a beginner and can be constructed by selectively switching these two modes in accordance with a learning degree of the operator so that a setting operation for changing the operating state of the laser processing machine can be easily realized by both the expert and the beginner.
2. Prior Art
For example, in a conventional known laser processing machine, a work table arranging a work thereon is moved forward and backward and a laser processing head is moved leftward and rightward so that a desirable processing treatment such as cutting, punching and the like is taken with respect to the work. Further, in a conventional known punch press, for example, a work clamping device gripping the work is moved in two directions composed of forward-backward and rightward-leftward directions and a desirable processing position on the work is positioned between a punch and a die so that a desirable processing treatment of punching, molding and the like is taken with respect to the work.
In these plate material processing machines, a positioning pin used in positioning of the work in a predetermined position and the work clamping device for gripping the work and the like are arranged.
The above positioning pin is lowered by manually operating a manual lever by an operator at a sending-in time of the work such that an upper portion of the pin is located downward from an upper face of the work table. When the work is completely sent in, the positioning pin is raised such that the upper portion of the pin is projected from the upper face of the work table. Thus, at the sending-in time of the work, the work is smoothly sent in without colliding the work with the positioning pin. When the work is completely sent in, the work hits against the positioning pin so that the work can be positioned in a predetermined position.
The above work clamping device is constructed by a clamping base attached to the work table and a clamping presser vertically movable with respect to this clamping base. This work clamping device is raised by a switching operation of the operator to a position in which the clamping presser is separated from the clamping base at the sending-in time of the work. When the work is completely sent in and is positioned in the predetermined position, the work clamping device is operated such that the clamping presser is lowered to a position approaching the clamping base and grips the work. Thus, when the work is sent in, the work is smoothly sent in without colliding the work with the clamping presser. When the work is completely sent in and is located in the predetermined position, the work can be gripped with a predetermined clamping force.
The following technique is generally used to recognize the position state of the above positioning pin and the operating state of the work clamping device by the operator of the plate material processing machine. Namely, the position state of the positioning pin is recognized by directly visualizing by the operator whether the upper portion of the pin is projected from the upper face of the work table or not. In contrast to this, with respect to the operating state of the work clamping device, a detecting means for detecting existence or nonexistence of an operation of the operator is arranged in a switch for designating a vertical movement of the clamping presser in the work clamping device. The operating state of the work clamping device is displayed by turning a lamp on and off on the basis of a detecting signal from this detecting means. The operating state of the work clamping device is recognized by visualizing by the operator that this lamp is turned on and off, or directly visualizing the operating state of the work clamping device by the operator.
However, in the above conventional plate material processing machine, the following various kinds of problems exist when the operator of the plate material processing machine recognizes the operating state of the plate material processing machine such as the position state of the positioning pin and the operating state of the work clamping device and the like.
Namely, in the technique for recognizing the operating state of the plate material processing machine by the direct visualization of the operator, there is a case in which the operator must take a posture for moving this operating state to a position easily visualized or a posture for looking-in this operating state. In this case, a physical burden of the operator tends to be increased.
Further, in the technique for recognizing the operating state of the plate material processing machine by visualizing the turning on and off of the lamp by the operator, the operator must memorize information for associating a turning-on state and a turning-off state of the lamp with the operating state of the plate material processing machine. Otherwise, the operator must recognize this associated information together with the turning-on state and the turning-off state of the lamp and judge the operating state of the plate material processing machine by collating this associated information with turning on and off information of the lamp obtained by the visualization.
Inamasu Toru
Nishiyama Kiyotaka
Amada Company Ltd.
Garland Steven R.
Grant William
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
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