Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-13
2004-06-08
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S086000, C700S108000, C700S174000, C700S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06748291
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an NC machine tool of an information transmission system which is configured to connect a control device of said NC machine tool to a transmission device which transmits information, such as an instructing message and a machining program or the like via telecommunication circuits, and the information transmission system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, in a production site where various products are machined, machining is performed according to a production instruction based on an overall production planning. The production instruction includes contents, such as a product number of a product which should be machined, its machining schedule (scheduled machining start date and time and scheduled machining completion date and time), and the quantity of products to be machined, is usually communicated to each operator via a production instruction document prepared for every machine tool and printed on a paper medium, and is ensured for thoroughness through meetings or the like.
Moreover, in said meetings, operations which the operators should perform are also instructed and the operators perform the operations according to the contents of instruction.
By way of example, when a delay in procurement of materials arises, or when an order of product of short time limit for delivery is received, it becomes necessary to change said production planning, consequently, if the production planning is changed, naturally, it is also necessary to change the production instruction based on a new production planning.
In this case, when the change arises before each operator is informed of the production instruction or when there is enough time even after having informed of the production instruction, so serious problem may not occur, in case of an emergency, however, it is necessary that those who direct the production instruction should go to each operator's work area to inform each operator directly of the changes in the production instruction, or even to ask operators to stop the machine tools under operation and summon them so that they may be informed of these changes. A similar thing may also be said with regards to the above-mentioned operation instructions.
Thus, in a conventional manner of instruction content communication, when changing the instruction contents, there has been a problem regarding the communication of these changes in a quick and efficient way. For this reason, for example, when there is a change in the quantity of products to be machined, a number of products will be uselessly machined, or when there is a change in kind of products, unnecessary products are machined or set-up operations become useless, thereby a drop-off in productive efficiency is caused.
Moreover, an NC machine tool comprises a machining motion mechanism, such as a main spindle unit and a feed mechanism or the like which are a motion mechanism for machining a work piece, and a numerical control device which numerically controls operation of this machining motion mechanism, and such numerical control is performed based on a machining program generated depending on machined products.
This machining program is usually generated by a programmer well versed in this using a manual program generation device and an automatic programming device. Then, the generated machining program is usually carried in a condition that it is suitably stored in a recording medium, then read from the recording medium by the numerical control device of storing object, and then stored in the numerical control device.
On the other hand, in recent years, connecting said manual program generation device and said automatic programming device to the numerical control device of the NC machine tool via network, such as LAN, and transmitting the generated machining program to each numerical control device via the network and storing the same have also been performed.
By the way, when an approach of storing the machining program in the numerical control device after storing the same in the recording medium once is employed, and since the operators of the NC machine tools perform the operations for storing the machining program in the recording medium into the numerical control device, it is expected that this operator grasps in detail the actual condition and what kind of machining program is stored in the numerical control device of the NC machine tool which the operator is in charge.
On the other hand, when an approach of transmitting and storing the machining program in each numerical control device via the network is employed, since the operator does not perform storing operations, such situation where a new machining program is stored (addition of the machining program) or a suitably modified machining program is stored in the form of overwriting on the already stored machining program (change of the machining program) may happen when the operator does not become aware thereof.
However, when the addition or the change in the machining program are made in the place where the operator may not know it like this, this may cause confusion among operators on the information, whether or not, a trial machining has already been completed regarding the machining program stored in the numerical control device, in other words, the operator can not make clear whether the trial machining has already been completed or not, sometimes, such a situation where the operator misunderstands that the trial machining has already been completed with regard to the added or changed machining program and has resulted in continuous machining using the machining program occurs. In this case, if there is the error in the machining program, a serious accident may be happen such as, a tool and a work piece may come into collision.
The present invention is made in view of the above actual situation, the object thereof is to provide an NC machine tool and an information transmission system which will enable the transmission of a production instruction, an operation instruction or the like quickly and efficiently to an operator who operates a machine tool, and further, will certainly enable the operator to recognize a machining program to be stored when storing the machining program in a control device of the NC machine tool via telecommunication circuits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective relates to an NC machine tool of an information transmission system configured to connect the NC machine tool, comprising: a machining motion mechanism; a control device which controls operation of this machining motion mechanism; and an operating panel including at least input means for inputting a signal to said control device, and screen display means to a transmission device which transmits information via telecommunication circuits, and the information transmission system.
Said control device is configured so that it can be connected to the transmission device which transmits the information via the telecommunication circuits, and is configured so as to receive the information from said transmission device, and display received information on said screen display means.
By way of example, the information to be transmitted are: instructing messages, such as production instruction messages, i.e., kind, quantity, machining schedule of products that should be machined, operation instruction messages, i.e., a set-up of machining, and a note in machining or the like; and a machining program.
Then, when transmit information is the instructing message, the instructing message is received by the control device and this is displayed on the screen display means. Moreover, when the transmit information is the machining program, a program number is extracted from the machining program, and the extracted program number is displayed on the screen display means.
Thus, when the operator confirms the instructing message and the program number displayed in this way, the operator then performs operations according to the confirmed ins
Lee Douglas S.
Mori Seiki Co., Ltd
Picard Leo
Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian LLP
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