JP7437992B2 - Laser processing machine and control method for laser processing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art Processing machines that cut plate-shaped workpieces (sheet metal) into parts of predetermined shapes are in widespread use. An example of a processing machine is a laser processing machine that cuts a workpiece with a laser beam. The processing machine includes a processing machine main body and a control device such as an NC device, and the control device controls the processing machine main body based on a processing program.

The machining program is created by a computer such as a CAM. CAM creates a machining program for sequentially cutting out a plurality of parts based on shape data indicating the shape of the parts, nesting data in which a plurality of parts are allocated to a workpiece by nesting, and the like. The machining program is composed of a code (G code) that defines the operation of the machining machine. The machining program created by the CAM is provided to the control device of the machining machine.

By the way, there is a demand among operators of processing machines to temporarily stop the processing operation of the processing machine from the viewpoint of measuring the dimensions of parts cut from a workpiece or checking the processing quality. For example, when a plurality of parts are being machined in sequence, it may be desirable to temporarily stop the machining operation when the machining of a certain part is completed. In addition, even when focusing on machining a single part, when machining a part that consists of multiple paths, there may be cases where you want to temporarily stop the machining operation when machining of a certain path is completed. be.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for stopping the operation of a laser processing machine by an operator operating a stop button.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-085701

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can only stop the processing operation of the laser processing machine at the timing when the stop button is pressed. Therefore, if the processing operation of the laser processing machine is stopped at the timing when the cutting processing for the desired part or path is completed, the operator should monitor the processing operation of the laser processing machine one by one and press the stop button at the appropriate time. need to be operated. For this reason, there was a possibility that work efficiency would decrease.

One or more embodiments according to the present disclosure have been made in view of such circumstances, and the purpose is to perform laser processing with excellent work efficiency by reserving a temporary stop for the processing operation of a laser processing machine. An object of the present invention is to provide a machine and a control method for a laser processing machine.

According to a first aspect of one or more embodiments, the laser processing machine includes a main body of a laser processing machine that cuts the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam, and a control device that controls the main body of the laser processing machine. , the control device includes a processing control unit that controls processing operations of the laser processing machine main body based on a processing program for cutting a workpiece and sequentially manufacturing multiple parts, and a laser processing unit that controls processing operations according to the processing program. It has an operation section for reserving a part that causes the machine body to temporarily stop in the middle of machining operation as a stopped part, and a part recognition section that analyzes the machining program and recognizes multiple parts in the machining program. The control unit monitors the processing status of the laser processing machine main body for multiple parts based on the recognition results of the parts recognition unit, and temporarily suspends the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body on the condition that cutting processing for the stopped part is completed. A laser processing machine is provided that is stopped.

According to a second aspect of the one or more embodiments, a laser processing machine main body that cuts the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam, and a control device that controls the laser processing machine main body are provided. The control device includes a processing control unit that controls processing operations of the laser processing machine main body based on a processing program for sequentially cutting the workpiece along a plurality of paths to produce parts, and a processing control unit that controls processing operations of the laser processing machine main body according to the processing program. An operating section for reserving a path for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine body that performs a processing operation as a stop path, and a path recognition section that analyzes a processing program and recognizes each of multiple paths in the processing program. The processing control unit monitors the processing status of the laser processing machine main body for multiple routes based on the recognition results of the route recognition unit, and controls the laser processing machine on the condition that cutting processing for the stop route is completed. Temporarily stops the machining operation of the main body.

According to a third aspect of the one or more embodiments, laser processing is performed in which a workpiece is cut with a laser beam based on a processing program for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of parts by cutting the workpiece. In a control method for a laser processing machine that controls the machine, an operation is received from the operator of the laser processing machine to reserve a part as a stopped part that causes the laser processing machine, which performs processing operations according to a processing program, to temporarily stop in the middle of the processing operation. Analyze the program, recognize multiple parts in the processing program, monitor the processing status of the laser processing machine for multiple parts based on the recognition results of the multiple parts, and condition that the cutting process for the stopped part is completed. Furthermore, a method for controlling a laser beam machine is provided, which temporarily stops the machining operation of the laser beam machine.

In a control method for a laser processing machine that controls a laser processing machine that cuts a workpiece with a laser beam based on a processing program for manufacturing parts by sequentially cutting the workpiece along a plurality of paths, the processing program The system accepts an operation from the operator of the laser processing machine to reserve a path to temporarily stop the laser processing machine that performs processing operations in the middle of the processing operation as a stop path, analyzes the processing program, and recognizes each of the multiple paths in the processing program. Laser processing that monitors the processing status of the laser processing machine for multiple paths based on the recognition results of the multiple paths, and temporarily stops the processing operation of the laser processing machine on the condition that the cutting processing for the stop path is completed. A method for controlling a machine is provided.

According to one or more embodiments, it is possible to provide a laser beam machine and a method of controlling the laser beam machine with excellent work efficiency by making a temporary stop reservation for the machining operation of the laser beam machine.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a laser processing machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the NC device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a machining operation for a rectangular part. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first to fifth parts allocated to the workpiece. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of the machining program. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the layout results of the first to fifth parts displayed on the operation display section. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for correcting a reference machining program. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a parts recognition method. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the NC device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling a laser processing machine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the idle operation reception process. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the outer circumferential route on which idle operation is performed. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the NC device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the first part allocated to the workpiece. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a second part is additionally allocated to a workpiece to which the first part is allocated. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling a laser processing machine according to the third embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the first display menu. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of the machining program. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of the additional machining program. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating the second display menu. FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating the NC device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling a laser processing machine according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a parts counter. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a display mode for parts recognized as defective in processing. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an additional part is additionally allocated to a workpiece to which the first and second parts have been allocated. FIG. 27 is a block diagram illustrating the NC device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling a laser processing machine according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram showing a touch operation on a route. FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating the third display menu. FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating the fourth display menu. FIG. 32 is a diagram illustrating the fifth display menu. FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram showing the stopping parts. FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram showing the stopping route.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to the present embodiment will be explained. In FIG. 1, a laser processing machine 1 is a processing machine that cuts a workpiece W using a laser beam. The workpiece W to be processed is, for example, a sheet metal. The laser processing machine 1 includes a laser oscillator 10, a process fiber 12, a laser processing unit 20, and an assist gas supply device 40. The laser oscillator 10, process fiber 12, laser processing unit 20, and assist gas supply device 40 constitute a laser processing machine main body 50. The laser processing machine 1 also includes an NC device 60 and an operation display section 70.

Laser oscillator 10 generates and emits a laser beam. As the laser oscillator 10, a laser oscillator that amplifies excitation light emitted from a laser diode and emits a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength, or a laser oscillator that directly uses the laser beam emitted from a laser diode is suitable. The laser oscillator 10 is, for example, a solid-state laser oscillator, a fiber laser oscillator, a disk laser oscillator, or a direct diode laser oscillator (DDL oscillator).

The laser oscillator 10 emits a laser beam in the 1 μm band with a wavelength of 900 nm to 1100 nm. Taking a fiber laser oscillator and a DDL oscillator as examples, the fiber laser oscillator emits a laser beam with a wavelength of 1060 nm to 1080 nm, and the DDL oscillator emits a laser beam with a wavelength of 910 nm to 950 nm.

Process fiber 12 transmits the laser beam emitted from laser oscillator 10 to laser processing unit 20 .

The laser processing unit 20 cuts the work W using the laser beam transmitted by the process fiber 12. The laser processing unit 20 includes a processing table 21 on which a workpiece W is placed, a gate-shaped X-axis carriage 22, a Y-axis carriage 23, and a collimator unit 30. The X-axis carriage 22 is configured to be movable along the X-axis direction on the processing table 21. The Y-axis carriage 23 is configured to be movable on the X-axis carriage 22 along the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis.

The collimator unit 30 irradiates the work W with the laser beam transmitted by the process fiber 12. The collimator unit 30 includes a collimator lens 31 into which the laser beam emitted from the exit end of the process fiber 12 is incident, and a collimator lens 31 that reflects the laser beam emitted from the collimator lens 31 downward in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis. It has a bend mirror 33 that allows Further, the collimator unit 30 includes a focusing lens 34 that focuses the laser beam reflected by the bend mirror 33. The collimator lens 31, bend mirror 33, and focusing lens 34 are arranged with their optical axes adjusted in advance.

The collimator unit 30 has a processing head 35 that irradiates the workpiece W with a laser beam. A nozzle 36 for emitting a laser beam is detachably attached to the tip of the processing head 35. A circular opening is provided at the tip of the nozzle 36, and the laser beam focused by the focusing lens 34 is irradiated onto the workpiece W from the opening at the tip of the nozzle 36.

The collimator unit 30 is fixed to a Y-axis carriage 23 that is movable in the Y-axis direction, and the Y-axis carriage 23 is provided on an X-axis carriage 22 that is movable in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the processing head 35, that is, the position at which the laser beam is irradiated onto the workpiece W, can be moved toward the surface of the workpiece W (in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction). Note that the laser processing machine main body 50 may be configured to move the workpiece W while the position of the processing head 35 is fixed, instead of moving the processing head 35 along the surface of the workpiece W. The laser processing machine main body 50 only needs to be configured to move the processing head 35 relative to the surface of the workpiece W.

The assist gas supply device 40 supplies nitrogen, oxygen, a mixed gas of nitrogen and oxygen, or air to the processing head 35 as an assist gas. When processing the workpiece W, the assist gas is blown onto the workpiece W from the opening of the nozzle 36. The assist gas discharges the molten metal within the width of the kerf where the workpiece W is melted.

The laser processing machine main body 50 configured as described above cuts the workpiece W with a laser beam emitted from the processing head 35 to produce parts having a predetermined shape.

The NC device 60 is a control device that controls each part of the laser processing machine main body 50. The NC device 60 is composed of a computer, and has a CPU, ROM, and RAM. An operation display section 70 is connected to the NC device 60.

The NC device 60 realizes various functions by having the CPU read various programs from the ROM, develop them in the RAM, and execute the developed programs. As shown in FIG. 2, the NC device 60 has functions as a machining program holding section 60a, a parts recognition section 60b, and a machining control section 60c.

The machining program holding unit 60a holds machining programs. The machining program held by the machining program holding unit 60a is created by an external device such as a CAM, and the machining program holding unit 60a acquires the machining program from the external device. Note that the external device may store the created machining program in a database in a data management server (not shown). In this case, the machining program holding unit 60a acquires the machining program by reading the machining program stored in the database of the data management server.

Here, the processing program includes a code that defines the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 necessary for producing the part. Prior to explaining the machining program, the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 will be described below using a rectangular part PS as an example. In FIG. 3, the rectangular part PS has a rectangular appearance, and a first opening having a triangular shape and a second opening having an oval shape are provided inside the rectangular part PS.

When producing the rectangular part PS, first, the internal elements of the rectangular part PS, that is, the first opening and the second opening are cut. Finally, the outer periphery of the rectangular part PS is cut. Each cutting process follows a path according to the object to be processed, that is, a first path R1 according to the first opening, a second path R2 according to the second opening, and a third path R3 according to the outer periphery of the rectangular part PS. This is performed by moving the processing head 35 (laser beam) along the line.

Each of the first to third routes R1 to R3 is composed of a plurality of elements. Each element is composed of straight lines or curves. The plurality of elements are connected to each other and constitute a closed path in which the cutting start point and the cutting end point coincide. Therefore, a route can be recognized based on a plurality of elements that have a closed relationship.

Note that if the rectangular part PS is not completely separated from the workpiece W and the joint portion is left, the outer periphery path (the third path R3 in the example shown in FIG. 3), which is the path corresponding to the outer periphery, will require cutting start and cutting ends. The points are separated by a predetermined joint amount. However, since the joint amount is a small interval, if the interval between the cutting start point and the cutting end point is smaller than a predetermined threshold, it means that the cutting start point and the cutting end point are not in a closed relationship. However, this can be recognized as a route. Note that the third route R3 shown in FIG. 3 shows an example in which one joint portion is provided. However, a plurality of joint portions may be provided in the middle of the route by repeating the operation of ending cutting midway through the route, leaving a predetermined joint amount, and then starting cutting. In this case as well, if the interval between the cutting start point and the cutting end point is smaller than a predetermined threshold, a plurality of continuous elements across the joint can be recognized as one path.

The first route R1 is composed of three linear elements R11 to R13. The laser processing machine main body 50 is configured such that the laser beam departs from the cutting start point Rp1, sequentially cuts the linear element R11, linear element R12, and linear element R13, and returns to the cutting start point (cutting end point) Rp1. be made to work.

The second route R2 is composed of two curved elements R21 and R22 and two straight line elements R23 and R24. In the laser processing machine main body 50, a laser beam departs from a cutting start point Rp2, sequentially cuts a straight line element R23, a curved element R22, a straight line element R24, and a curved element R21, and reaches the cutting start point (cutting end point) Rp2. It is operated so that it returns.

The third route R3 is composed of four straight line elements R31 to R34. In the laser processing machine main body 50, the laser beam departs from the cutting start point Rp3, sequentially cuts the straight line element R31, straight line element R32, straight line element R33, and straight line element R34, and reaches the cutting start point (cutting end point) Rp3. It is operated so that it returns.

The machining program defines a series of operations of the laser processing machine main body 50 necessary for manufacturing the part, such as movement of the machining head 35 for each element, movement from path to path, raising of the machining head 35, and machining. The code is written. Further, when cutting a plurality of parts from the workpiece W, a code is written for each of the plurality of parts in the machining program.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the machining program includes five parts (first part PS1, second part PS2, third part PS3, fourth part PS4, and fifth part PS5) from one workpiece W. ) shall be prepared in order. The workpiece W has first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 assigned to predetermined positions. In the processing program, codes that define the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 with respect to the parts are written in the order of the first part PS1, the second part PS2, the third part PS3, the fourth part PS4, and the fifth part PS5. There is. FIG. 5 shows part of the code related to the first part PS1 and part of the code related to the second part PS2.

When the NC device 60 controls the laser processing machine main body 50 based on the processing program, cutting processing is performed in the order of the first part PS1, the second part PS2, the third part PS3, the fourth part PS4, and the fifth part PS5. be exposed. In this way, the machining order for the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS2 is defined according to the machining program.

In this embodiment, the machining program includes recognition codes for recognizing each of the parts PS1 to PS5. The recognition code is, for example, a code composed of the names of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5, and is written in the machining program as a comment enclosed in parentheses. In FIG. 5, a recognition code 200 is a code for recognizing the first part PS1, and a recognition code 201 is a code for recognizing the second part PS2.

The parts recognition unit 60b recognizes each of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 in the machining program by analyzing the machining program. The parts recognition unit 60b changes the processing order of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 executed according to the processing program to the processing order designated by the operator of the laser beam machine 1.

The processing control section 60c controls the laser processing machine main body 50 to produce the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 according to the processing order changed by the parts recognition section 60b.

The operation display unit 70 is an operation unit operated by an operator to input information to the laser processing machine main body 50 and the NC device 60, and displays information output from the laser processing machine main body 50 and the NC device 60. and a display section to display the information. In the present embodiment, the operation display section 70 is mainly composed of a display and a touch panel that allows input operations to be performed according to information displayed on the display. By operating the operation display section 70, the user can input various information to the laser processing machine main body 50 and the NC device 60. Further, the user can grasp various information regarding the laser processing machine main body 50 and the NC device 60 from the information displayed on the operation display section 70.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, a method of controlling the laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The processing shown in the flowchart in FIG. 6 is executed by the NC device 60.

First, in step S1, the machining program holding unit 60a determines whether a reference machining program, which is a machining program created by an external device, has been acquired. If an affirmative determination is made in step S1, that is, if the reference machining program has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S2. If a negative determination is made in step S1, that is, if the reference machining program has not been acquired, the process returns to step S1.

In step S2, the parts recognition unit 60b determines whether a request to change the processing order has been received. The processing order change request is a request for changing the processing order of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5, and is input to the NC device 60 by the operator operating the operation display section 70. If an affirmative determination is made in step S2, that is, if a processing order change request is accepted, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S2, that is, if the processing order change request is not accepted, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S3, the parts recognition unit 60b receives a processing order instruction. The machining order instruction is an instruction specifying the machining order of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5, and is received from the operator. As shown in FIG. 7, the parts recognition unit 60b displays the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 allocated to the work W on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70. The operator refers to the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the display screen 71 and specifies the desired processing order for the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5. For example, the operator may sequentially touch and operate the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the operation display section 70 in accordance with the desired processing order.

The parts recognition unit 60b recognizes the allocation positions of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 (the positions and ranges of the outer circumferential paths of each of the parts PS1 to PS5) by analyzing the reference machining program. Then, the part recognition unit 60b can recognize which part PS1 to PS5 has been selected by comparing the operation position by the touch operation and the allocation position of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5. Further, the parts recognition unit 60b can recognize the designation of the processing order for the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 based on the order of touch operations for the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5.

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, it is assumed that the operator touches the display screen 71 in the order of the second part PS2, the fourth part PS4, the third part PS3, the first part PS1, and the fifth part PS5. The parts recognition unit 60b receives the order of touch operations, that is, the order of the second part PS2, the fourth part PS4, the third part PS3, the first part PS1, and the fifth part PS5, as a processing order instruction.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step S4, the parts recognition unit 60b performs processing to replace the processing order. Specifically, the parts recognition unit 60b modifies the standard machining program and creates a modified machining program for manufacturing the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 according to the machining order specified by the machining order instruction.

Various methods can be considered for modifying the reference machining program. One example of a correction method is to add new code to the standard machining program. For example, use an unconditional branch (GOTO) to change the order of reading. In FIG. 8, in the modified machining program, an unconditional branch (GOTO) 210 and a sequence number 211 to be moved by the unconditional branch are added as surrounded by a broken line.

Another example of a modification method is to replace existing codes included in the standard machining program on a part-by-part basis. For example, each code related to the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 written in the standard machining program is set in the order of the second part PS2, the fourth part PS4, the third part PS3, the first part PS1, and the fifth part PS5. It's like swapping them so that they line up.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step S5, the parts recognition unit 60b determines whether or not a machining start instruction to start machining has been received. The processing start instruction is input to the NC device 60 by the operator operating the operation display section 70. If an affirmative determination is made in step S5, that is, if a machining start instruction is accepted, the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S5, that is, if the machining start instruction has not been received, the process returns to step S2.

In step S6, the processing control unit 60c executes the processing program and controls the laser processing machine main body 50 based on the processing program. Thereby, the machining control unit 60c executes cutting according to the machining program. In this step S6, if a modified machining program has been created, the machining control section 60c controls the laser processing machine main body 50 based on the modified machining program. On the other hand, if the modified machining program has not been created, the machining control unit 60c controls the laser beam machine main body 50 based on the standard machining program.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the NC device 60 can recognize each of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 in the standard machining program. Thereby, the machining operation of the laser beam machine main body 50 executed according to the standard machining program can be captured for each of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5. That is, since the NC device 60 can recognize the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5, the processing order can be changed. As a result, even when using a standard machining program created by an external device, regardless of the unique machining order specified in the standard machining program, the operator of the processing machine main body can start from the beginning in the desired machining order. Fifth parts PS1 to PS5 can be manufactured.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the reference machining program created by the external device can be modified, so the machining order can be changed. By controlling the processing machine main body based on the modified processing program, parts can be manufactured in the order according to the processing order instructions given by the operator.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the machining order instruction can be given by specifying the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the operation display section 70, so that the machining order can be easily changed.

In the embodiment described above, the parts recognition unit 60b recognizes the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 in the machining program based on the recognition code written in the machining program. However, the method of recognizing the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 is not limited to this.

For example, in addition to inserting the name of the part as a comment, a method of utilizing recognition codes is to insert codes indicating the start and end at the beginning and end of a group of codes for cutting the same part. Good too.

Further, by the operator specifying the outer circumferential route of a part, the parts recognition unit 60b may recognize the outer circumferential route and a route existing inside the outer circumferential route (internal route) as one part. Hereinafter, a part recognition method will be described using the first part PS1 shown in FIG. 9 as an example. The first part PS1 has a substantially L-shaped appearance, and a rectangular opening and nine small holes are provided inside the first part PS1. That is, the first part PS1 includes an outer circumferential route Ra corresponding to the outer circumference of the first part PS1, an internal route Rb corresponding to the rectangular opening, and internal routes Rc1 to Rc9 corresponding to the nine small holes. .

The internal route Rb corresponding to the rectangular opening and the internal routes Rc1 to Rc9 corresponding to the nine small holes exist within a region surrounded by the outer peripheral route Ra. Therefore, if the outer circumferential route Ra can be specified, all the elements constituting the first part PS1 can be recognized.

In order to perform parts recognition, the parts recognition unit 60b causes the operation display unit 70 to display the layout screen shown in FIG. 7 and a message to the effect that a touch operation is to be performed on the outer circumferential path of the part. With this display, the operator performs a touch operation on the outer circumferential route Ra of the first part PS1, specifically, on one element among the plurality of elements constituting the outer circumferential route Ra.

The parts recognition unit 60b analyzes the machining program and identifies the element touched by the operator based on the position of the touch operation. Furthermore, the parts recognition unit 60b recognizes the route including the element on which the touch operation has been performed as the outer circumferential route Ra. Then, the parts recognition unit 60b analyzes the machining program and specifies the internal routes Rb, Rc1 to Rc9 that exist within the area surrounded by the outer circumferential route Ra. Thereby, the parts recognition unit 60b recognizes the outer circumferential route Ra and the inner routes Rb, Rc1 to Rc9 as one part (first part PS1).

In addition, when the operator sequentially touches the outer circumferential route of the second part PS2, the outer circumferential route of the third part PS3, the outer circumferential route of the fourth part PS4, and the outer circumferential route of the fifth part PS5, the part recognition unit 60b can recognize the second to fifth parts PS2 to PS5, respectively.

However, the method of recognizing parts from the outer circumferential path can also be executed automatically by the NC device 60 analyzing the machining program without requiring any operation by an operator. For example, based on the relative distance between the lowered position and the raised position of the processing head 35, it is determined whether the joint portion is on the outer circumferential path Ra. If it is determined that it is the outer circumferential route Ra, the parts are recognized based on the outer circumferential route Ra.

Note that the instruction of the processing order is not limited to the method of specifying the processing order for all of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5. For example, you may select one or more specific parts that you want to process preferentially, process the selected specific parts first, and process the remaining parts that are not selected in the order of the standard machining program. . For example, the fourth part PS4 among the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the operation display section 70 is determined as a specific part to be processed preferentially by a touch operation. The parts recognition unit 60b recognizes the machining order as the fourth part PS4, first part PS1, second part PS2, third part PS3, and fifth part PS5, and selects only the machining program for the specific part among the standard machining programs. A modified machining program is created by modifying the machining order. This allows the operator to simply select the specific parts they want to machine with priority, without having to specify the machining order for all parts stipulated in the standard machining program, reducing the burden on the operator's screen operations and increasing efficiency. You can choose. In this case, by setting this together with the function to stop after part machining, which will be described later, machining is first performed on the fourth part PS4, and then it is stopped once after the machining is completed. The four parts PS4 can be taken out and handed over to the next processing step. By easily changing the order of only the parts that are urgently needed, work can be done efficiently without having to wait for other parts to finish machining.

(Second embodiment)
Hereinafter, a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be explained. The laser processing machine 1 according to the second embodiment includes an NC device 61. The NC device 61 performs idle operation along the outer circumferential path of the parts assigned to the workpiece W. Here, the idle operation refers to an operation in which the processing head 35 is moved along the cutting path without emitting a laser beam from the processing head 35. That is, the NC device 61 has a function of virtually confirming a machining path corresponding to the outer circumference of the part on the workpiece W (outer circumference confirmation function). The features of the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. However, the NC device 61 may further have the functions of the NC device 60 shown in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 10, the NC device 61 has functions as a machining program holding section 61a, a machining control section 61b, a route recognition section 61c, and an idle running execution section 61d. The machining program holding section 61a and the machining control section 61b respectively correspond to the machining program holding section 60a and the machining control section 60c in the first embodiment.

The route recognition unit 61c recognizes an outer circumferential route for cutting the outer circumference of the part from among a plurality of routes constituting the part by analyzing the machining program.

The idle running execution unit 61d performs idle running only on the outer circumferential route recognized by the route recognition unit 61c.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 11, a method of controlling the laser processing machine 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11 is executed by the NC device 61. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the machining program will sequentially produce five parts (first part PS1 to fifth part PS5) from one workpiece W. A first part PS1 to a fifth part PS5 are allocated to the workpiece W at predetermined positions.

The machining program holding unit 61a determines whether or not a machining program has been acquired. If an affirmative determination is made in step S10, that is, if a machining program has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S11. If a negative determination is made in step S10, that is, if the machining program has not been acquired, the process returns to step S10.

In step S11, the route recognition unit 61c performs an idle operation reception process. The idle operation reception process is a process for accepting parts to be idle operated. In this reception process, the route recognition unit 61c displays the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5 allocated to the workpiece W on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70 based on the machining program (FIG. 12).

The operator of the laser processing machine 1 refers to each of the parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the operation display section 70 and selects a part to be subjected to idle operation. For example, from among the five parts PS1 to PS5 displayed on the operation display section 70, a part to be idle-run is operated by touching. In the following description, it is assumed that the operator performs a touch operation on the first part PS1.

In step S12, the route recognition unit 61c analyzes the machining program and compares the position of the touch operation with the allocated positions of the first to fifth parts PS1 to PS5. Thereby, the route recognition unit 61c can recognize that the first part PS1 has been touched.

In step S13, the route recognition unit 61c analyzes the machining program and recognizes the outer circumferential route Ra from among the plurality of routes constituting the first part PS1. The route recognition unit 61c outputs information on the outer circumferential route Ra to the idle running execution unit 61d.

There are various methods for recognizing the outer circumferential path Ra of the first part PS1. As a first method, it is conceivable to add comments for recognizing the outer circumference (for example, outline1, outline2, etc.) to each code corresponding to a plurality of elements constituting the outer circumferential route Ra. Thereby, the route recognition unit 61c can recognize the outer circumferential route Ra from the machining program regarding the first part PS1 by searching for the comment.

Further, as a second method, it is possible to refer to a code (for example, M103, M104, etc.) indicating raising of the processing head and processing. The outer circumferential route Ra is the last route to be cut among the routes that make up the first part PS1. Therefore, the path recognition unit 61c identifies, from the machining program related to the first part PS1, a code that defines the raising of the machining head and a code that defines machining of the machining head, which are written last. Thereby, the route recognition unit 61c can recognize the outer circumferential route Ra based on the code sandwiched between the two recognized codes.

Furthermore, as a third method, a touch operation may be performed on an arbitrary element (for example, element Ra1) from among the plurality of elements constituting the outer circumferential route Ra. The two methods described above are based on the premise that the route recognition unit 61c is able to recognize parts by adding a recognition code to the machining program. However, the route recognition unit 61c can recognize the outer circumferential route Ra from a touch operation even in a situation where there is no identification code. Specifically, the route recognition unit 61c analyzes the machining program based on the position of the touch operation, and specifies the element Ra1 in the machining program. The route recognition unit 61c then identifies the route including the element Ra1 as the outer circumferential route Ra based on the identified element Ra1.

In step S14, the idle running execution unit 61d performs idle running along the outer circumferential route Ra. That is, the idle running execution unit 61d moves the processing head 35 along the outer circumferential path Ra without emitting a laser beam from the processing head 35. As shown in FIG. 13, idle operation is performed only on the outer circumferential route Ra recognized by the route recognition unit 61c, and is not performed on the other routes constituting the first part PS1.

Further, when performing idle operation, the idle operation execution unit 61d emits guide light from the processing head 35. The guide light is light that does not involve processing the workpiece W, and is light for simulating the trajectory of the laser beam emitted from the processing head 35 during processing. Thereby, the operator can actually confirm the outer circumferential route Ra of the first part PS1 from the movement trajectory of the guide light.

In addition, when performing idle operation, the idle operation execution unit 61d stops the copying sensor 25 (see FIG. 10). Here, the copying sensor 25 is a sensor mounted on the laser processing unit 20. The tracing sensor 25 is used to detect the distance between the workpiece W and the processing head 35 in order to maintain the height of the processing head 35 relative to the workpiece W at a reference height. By stopping the scanning sensor 25, the height of the processing head 35 is maintained at a constant height regardless of the distance from the workpiece W. At this time, the idle running execution unit 61d sets the height of the processing head 35 with respect to the work W to be higher than the reference height. Thereby, even in a situation where the copying sensor 25 is stopped, interference between the workpiece W and the processing head 35 can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by performing idle operation, it is possible to check whether the laser beam protrudes from the outer periphery of the workpiece W, or when using an offcut workpiece, whether or not the laser beam protrudes from the outer periphery of the workpiece W. It is possible to judge whether the beam will enter or not. Thereby, before the laser beam machine 1 actually starts cutting, it can be confirmed whether or not the workpiece W can be cut according to the assignment. Further, it is only necessary to perform idle operation on the outer circumferential route Ra, and there is no need to perform idle operation on the entire route of the first part PS1. Therefore, the time required for idle operation can be shortened. As described above, it is possible to efficiently and reliably check whether or not a machining defect will occur before starting the cutting process.

Further, according to the present embodiment, idle operation is performed with the copying sensor 25 stopped. Therefore, even if a situation occurs in which the processing head 35 protrudes from the workpiece W, it is possible to prevent the processing head 35 from descending downward and interfering with the workpiece W or the like. On the other hand, since the processing head 35 is set at a higher position than the reference height, interference between the workpiece W and the processing head 35 during idle operation can be suppressed. Thereby, dry running can be performed appropriately.

In this embodiment, the NC device 61 recognizes the first part PS1 specified by the operator and performs idle operation along the outer circumferential route Ra of the first part PS1. However, the targets for idling may be limited to the elements constituting the outer circumferential route Ra. In this case, the operation display unit 70 receives an element instruction that indicates an element to be idle-operated from among the plurality of elements that constitute the outer circumferential route Ra. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, it is assumed that a single element Ra1 is designated from the outer circumferential route Ra. In this case, the NC device 61 performs idle operation only on the element Ra1.

In this way, when an element instruction is accepted, it is only necessary to perform idle operation on a single element Ra1 among the plurality of elements that constitute the outer circumferential route Ra. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform idle operation for all elements of the outer circumferential route Ra. Thereby, the time required for idle operation can be shortened, so that processing efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the operator visually checks the outer periphery of the first part PS1 by outputting guide light from the processing head 35. However, the processing head 35 may be equipped with a photographing device for photographing the workpiece W, and the outer periphery of the first part PS1 may be confirmed using image recognition technology.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be explained. The laser processing machine 1 according to the third embodiment includes an NC device 62. The NC device 62 has a function of creating an additional machining program for cutting an additional part (second part) from a workpiece W into which a certain part (first part) has been cut (additional machining program creation function). . The features of the third embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. However, the NC device 61 may further have one or both of the functions provided by the NC devices 60 and 61 shown in the first and second embodiments.

In FIG. 14, the NC device 62 has functions as a machining program holding section 62a, a machining control section 62b, a parts machining data holding section 62c, an allocation section 62d, and a machining program creation section 62e. The processing control section 62b corresponds to the processing control section 60c in the first embodiment.

The machining program holding section 62a holds machining programs. Hereinafter, the machining program held by the machining program will be referred to as a reference machining program. The standard machining program in this embodiment is for producing one part (first part PS1) from one workpiece W. As shown in FIG. 15, the first part PS1 is allocated to the workpiece W at a predetermined position. In FIG. 15, an outline line 73 is a line indicating the outer circumference of the workpiece W. In FIG.

The parts processing data holding unit 62c holds data for producing parts, specifically, codes that function as processing programs, for each of various parts. The parts processing data holding unit 62c includes codes related to the second part PS2, which will be described later, in addition to codes related to the first part PS1.

The allocation unit 62d allocates parts to the workpiece W based on the standard machining program. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the allocation unit 62d additionally allocates the second part PS2, which is an additional part, to the work W based on the position of the first part PS1 allocated to the work W. .

The machining program creation unit 62e creates an additional machining program that is a machining program for cutting only the second part PS2 from the work W based on the allocation result by the allocation unit 62d. When the additional machining program is created, the additional machining program is transferred to the machining program holding section 62a.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 17, a method of controlling the laser processing machine 1 according to the third embodiment will be described. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 17 is executed by the NC device 62.

First, in step S20, the allocation unit 62d determines whether the machining control unit 62b is executing the standard machining program. That is, the allocation unit 62d determines whether the processing control unit 62b has started cutting the first part PS1. If an affirmative determination is made in step S20, that is, if cutting has started, the process advances to step S21. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S20, that is, if the cutting process has not started, the process returns to step S20.

In step S21, the allocation unit 62d determines whether an additional part has been selected. The operator can select additional parts from the parts processing data holding section 62c by operating the operation display section 70. The allocation unit 62d determines whether an additional part has been selected based on the contents of the operator's operation on the operation display unit 70. If an affirmative determination is made in step S21, that is, if an additional part is selected, the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S21, that is, if no additional parts are selected, the process ends.

In step S22, the allocation unit 62d performs allocation processing. The allocation unit 62d displays the first part PS1 allocated to the workpiece W on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70 based on the standard machining program (FIG. 15). Then, the allocation unit 62d additionally allocates the second part PS2, which is an additional part, to the workpiece W based on the position of the first part PS1 in the workpiece W. The position at which the second part PS2 is allocated may be automatically determined by the allocation unit 62d so as to achieve the most efficient allocation to the workpiece W. Alternatively, the position where the second part PS2 is placed by the operator using the operation display section 70 may be determined as the allocation position. The allocation unit 62d displays the allocation result of the second part PS2 on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70 (FIG. 16).

In step S23, the machining program creation unit 62e displays a creation range selection screen on the operation display unit 70 for selecting the creation range of the machining program. In FIG. 18, the creation range selection screen consists of a first display menu 74. The first display menu 74 includes a first radio button 74a and a second radio button 74b that can be selected by the operator. The first display menu 74 also includes a create button 74c for confirming selections for the first and second radio buttons 74a and 74b.

The first radio button 74a is an option for selecting all parts assigned to the workpiece W. By selecting the first radio button 74a, it is possible to proceed to the process of creating a machining program for all parts assigned to the workpiece W.

The second radio button 74b is an option for selecting only additional parts. By selecting the second radio button 74b, it is possible to proceed to the process of creating a machining program for only the additional parts.

In step S24, the machining program creation unit 62e determines whether only additional parts have been selected based on the operation details on the first display menu 74. If a negative determination is made in step S24, that is, if all parts have been selected, the process advances to step S25. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S24, that is, if only additional parts are selected, the process advances to step S26. Note that if an affirmative determination is made in step S20, cutting of the first part PS1 has already been started according to the standard machining program. Therefore, except when performing "additional parts processing before machining" to be described later, an affirmative determination is made in all cases in step S24, and the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S25, the machining program creation unit 62e creates machining programs for all parts based on the allocation results by the allocation unit 62d. A first part PS1 and a second part PS2, which is an additional part, are allocated to the workpiece W. As shown in FIG. 19, the machining program creation unit 62e creates machining programs for machining the first part PS1 and the second part PS2, respectively. The created machining program functions as an additional machining program.

In step S26, the machining program creation unit 62e creates a machining program for the additional part based on the allocation result by the allocation unit 62d. Since the first part PS1 and the second part PS2, which is an additional part, are assigned to the workpiece W, the machining program creation unit 62e creates programs for machining the first part PS1 and the second part PS2, respectively. Create a machining program primarily.

Next, the machining program creation unit 62e invalidates the description regarding the first part PS1 in the created machining program. As a result, the final machining program is created. The created machining program functions as an additional machining program.

Various methods can be considered to invalidate the description regarding the first part PS1. An example of invalidation is adding new code to the machining program. For example, use an unconditional branch (GOTO) to change the order in which code is read. In FIG. 20, in the additional machining program, an unconditional branch (GOTO) 210 and a sequence number 211 are added as surrounded by a broken line.

Another example of invalidation is a method of deleting the code related to the first part PS1. In addition to this, a method of deleting the coordinates from the code related to the first part PS1 may be used.

Referring to FIG. 17, in step S27, the machining program creation unit 62e displays on the operation display unit 70 a transfer reservation selection screen for reserving the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 after creating the machining program. . In FIG. 21, the transfer reservation selection screen is composed of a second display menu 75. The second display menu 75 includes a first radio button 75a, a second radio button 75b, and a third radio button 75c that can be selected by the operator. The second display menu 75 also includes a decision button 75d for confirming selections from the first to third radio buttons 75a to 75c.

The first radio button 75a is an option for reserving the following operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. By selecting the first radio button 75a, a series of operations such as processing completion, transfer, and processing can be reserved. Specifically, when the cutting process according to the standard machining program is completed, the machining program creating section 62e transfers the created machining program to the machining program holding section 62a. Then, the machining control section 62b executes the machining program created by the machining program creation section 62e, and performs cutting according to this machining program.

The second radio button 75b is an option for reserving the following operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. By selecting the second radio button 75b, operations such as processing end, transfer, temporary stop, and processing can be reserved. Specifically, when the cutting process according to the standard machining program is completed, the machining program creating section 62e transfers the created machining program to the machining program holding section 62a. Further, the processing control unit 62b temporarily stops the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. Then, on the condition that the operator's operation to start machining is received, the machining control unit 62b executes the machining program created by the machining program creation unit 62e, and performs cutting according to this machining program.

The third radio button 75c is an option for reserving the following operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. By selecting the third radio button 75c, it is possible to reserve the operations of finishing machining, transferring, checking the outer circumference, and machining. Specifically, when the cutting process according to the standard machining program is completed, the machining program creating section 62e transfers the created machining program to the machining program holding section 62a. Further, the processing control unit 62b performs outer circumference confirmation. Then, on the condition that the outer circumference confirmation is completed and the operator's operation to start machining is accepted, the machining control unit 62b executes the machining program created by the machining program creation unit 62e, and performs cutting according to the machining program. conduct.

Here, the outer circumference confirmation is a process of executing the outer circumference confirmation function shown in the second embodiment for additional parts allocated to the workpiece W. The NC device 62 has the same function as the NC device 61 shown in the second embodiment, and performs idle operation along the outer circumferential route of the additional parts.

Referring to FIG. 17, in step S28, the machining program creation unit 62e determines whether the cutting process according to the standard machining program has been completed. If an affirmative determination is made in step S28, that is, if the cutting process is completed, the process advances to step S29. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S28, that is, if the cutting process has not been completed, the process returns to step S28.

In step S29, the process selected in the second display menu 75 is executed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by allocating the second part PS2 to the workpiece W to which the first part PS1 has been allocated, the relative positional relationship with the first part PS1 can be taken into consideration. Thereby, the second part PS2 can be allocated on the workpiece in a state where the processed area of the first part PS1 and the second part PS2 do not interfere with each other. Further, since the additional machining program is created to cut only the second part PS2, the workpiece W can be machined without performing a machining operation on the first part PS1. Thereby, only the second part PS2 can be appropriately cut from the workpiece W on which the first part PS1 has been processed.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the operator selects a machining program that machines only the second part PS2 and a machining program that machines all parts (first part PS1 and second part PS2) assigned to the workpiece W. can do. Thereby, it is possible to provide a laser processing machine 1 that is easy to use for an operator.

Further, according to the present embodiment, after the cutting process according to the standard machining program is completed, the machining program created by the machining program creation section 62e is transferred to the machining program holding section 62a. Thereby, in the next machining operation after the execution of the standard machining program is finished, the machining program created by the machining program creation section 62e can be appropriately executed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the machining program creation unit 62e can invalidate the description regarding the first part PS1. Thereby, an additional machining program can be created using the program creation function of the NC device 62. In creating the additional machining program, the standard machining program is called and the first part PS1 is displayed on the display screen 71. Therefore, the operator can easily arrange and assign the additional part PS2 while checking the arrangement of the first part PS1, and can also easily create a program and process the additional part.

In this embodiment, a method has been described in which a machining program for an additional part is created while the laser processing machine main body 50 performs a machining operation according to a standard machining program. However, the additional parts creation function shown in this embodiment can also be used when allocating additional parts to a work whose parts have already been cut (offcut work) and creating additional parts from the offcut work. You can also do it. In this case, the processes of steps S20 and S28 are omitted, and the processes of steps S21 to S29 except step S25 are executed. At this time, in the second display menu 75 shown in FIG. 21, the description of "processing completed" is omitted. Then, the additional machining program regarding the additional parts is transferred and executed, and the machining of the additional machining program is subsequently executed.

Further, in the present embodiment, only one part is shown as the processed first part PS1 for the workpiece W, but the processed first part PS1 is a first parts set including one or more parts. You can. Further, although only one part is shown as the second part PS2 that is additionally allocated to the workpiece W, the second part PS2 that is additionally allocated is a second parts set that includes one or more parts. Good too.

Note that in the above-described embodiment, the processes from step S21 onwards are performed after the cutting process is started, but it is also possible to perform the processes from steps S21 to S27 before starting the cutting process (pre-processing). additional parts processing). Specifically, when creating only an additional machining program for additional parts, steps S21 and S28 are omitted, and steps S21 to S29 except step S25 are executed. At this time, in the second display menu 75 shown in FIG. 21, the description of "end of processing" is omitted. Further, when creating an additional machining program for all parts, cutting is started after step S25, and cutting of the first part PS1, which is the reference machining part, is started. Then, after it is determined in step S28 that the cutting process of the first part PS1 is completed, the second part PS2, which is an additional part, is processed. At this time, since the transfer of the additional machining program has already been performed, the description of "Transfer" is omitted in the second display menu shown in FIG. 21, and each of the Processing will be executed.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be explained. The laser processing machine 1 according to the fourth embodiment includes an NC device 63. The NC device 63 has a function of recognizing and managing parts in which machining defects have occurred (machining defect recognition function). The features of the fourth embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. However, the NC device 63 may further have at least one function among the functions provided by the NC devices 60, 61, and 62 shown in the first to third embodiments.

In FIG. 22, the NC device 63 has functions as a machining program holding section 63a, a parts recognition section 63b, a machining control section 63c, a judgment section 63d, and a management section 63e. The machining program holding section 63a and the machining control section 63c respectively correspond to the machining program holding section 60a and the machining control section 60c in the first embodiment.

The determining unit 63d determines whether a cutting failure has occurred while executing a machining program for cutting the workpiece W to produce a plurality of parts. Failure to cut refers to a state in which the operations specified in the machining program are not performed normally.

The parts recognition unit 63b recognizes a plurality of parts in the machining program by analyzing the machining program. Then, when the determining unit 63d determines that failure to cut has occurred, the parts recognition unit 63b identifies the part in which failure to cut has occurred from among the plurality of parts.

The management unit 63e performs management operations to manage the parts identified by the parts recognition unit 63b as defective.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 23, a method of controlling the laser processing machine 1 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. The processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 23 is executed by the NC device 63.

First, in step S30, the determination unit 63d determines whether the machining control unit 63c is executing the machining program. That is, the determining unit 63d determines whether or not cutting according to the machining program has started. If an affirmative determination is made in step S30, that is, if cutting has started, the process advances to step S31. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S30, that is, if the cutting process has not started, the process returns to step S30.

In step S31, the determining unit 63d determines whether failure to disconnect has occurred. The determining unit 63d determines that disconnection failure has occurred when the following three events occur.

First, while the laser processing machine main body 50 is performing cutting processing, the operator can use the operation display section 70 to perform a reset operation. The reset operation is an operation for forcibly ending the cutting process of the laser processing machine main body 50. After this reset operation, cutting of the laser processing machine main body 50 cannot be continued. Therefore, the determining unit 63d determines that failure to disconnect has occurred when the operation display unit 70 receives the reset operation.

Further, while the laser processing machine main body 50 executes the cutting process, the process control unit 63c performs a process skip process as necessary. Processing skip processing is performed by determining a cutting abnormality in the laser processing machine main body 50 while sequentially cutting multiple paths included in a single part, and skipping from the path where the cutting abnormality occurred to the next path. This is the process of transitioning and restarting the cutting process. The determining unit 63d determines that failure to cut has occurred when the processing control unit 63c performs the processing skip process. Note that the machining control unit 63c can determine a cutting abnormality based on information output from a machining defect detection device 80 that detects machining defects on the workpiece W or the like.

In addition, while the laser processing machine main body 50 executes the cutting process, the process control unit 63c performs parts skip processing as necessary. Parts skip processing is performed by determining a cutting abnormality in the laser processing machine main body 50 while sequentially cutting multiple parts, and then moving from the part where the cutting abnormality occurred to the next part and restarting the cutting process. This is the process of The determination unit 63d determines that failure to cut has occurred when the processing control unit 63c performs parts skip processing.

In step S33, the parts recognition unit 63b identifies the part in which the cutting failure has occurred from among the plurality of parts by analyzing the machining program. The parts recognition unit 63b identifies the part in which the cutting failure occurred based on the code that the processing control unit 63c was executing when the cutting failure occurred.

In step S34, the management unit 63e identifies the parts identified by the parts recognition unit 63b as defective in processing.

In step S35, the management unit 63e performs machining defect processing. The machining defect processing is a process for managing the parts identified by the parts recognition unit 63b as machining defects. As processing defective processing, the following three modes can be considered.

(First aspect)
In FIG. 24, the management unit 63e includes a parts counter that counts the number of parts that are recognized as defective in processing. The parts counter has a function of counting the number of machining defects for each part and a function of counting the total number of machining defects of all parts assigned to the workpiece W. The management unit 63e increments the counter of the corresponding part and the total number of machining defects of all parts based on the part recognized as having a machining defect.

(Second aspect)
In the second aspect, it is assumed that the machining program executed by the machining control unit 63c sequentially manufactures two parts (first part PS1 and second part PS2) from one workpiece W. Two parts (a first part PS1 and a second part PS2) are allocated to the workpiece W at predetermined positions. For example, assume that the first part PS1 is recognized as having a processing defect.

As shown in FIG. 25, the management unit 63e displays the first and second parts PS1 and PS2 allocated to the workpiece W on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70 based on the machining program. In this case, the management section 63e controls the operation display section 70 to display the parts that have been recognized as defective in processing so that they can be identified. For example, the management unit 63e displays a mark 79a indicating a processing defect at the allocation position of the first part PS1. The management unit 63e also displays a message 79b indicating that a disconnection failure has been detected.

(Third aspect)
The management unit 63e performs a reprocessing process for reprocessing the first part PS1, which has been determined to be defective, using the laser processing machine main body 50. Specifically, the management unit 63e executes the additional program creation function shown in the third embodiment using the first part PS1 that has been recognized as defective in processing as an additional part. The NC device 63 has the same functions as the NC device 62 shown in the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 26, an additional machining program is created to cut an additional part (first part PS1) from a workpiece W obtained by cutting the already machined first part PS1a and second part PS2a.

In FIG. 23, in step S36, the management unit 63e determines whether or not the cutting process according to the machining program has been completed. If an affirmative determination is made in step S36, that is, if the cutting process is finished, this process is finished. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S36, that is, if the cutting process has not been completed, the process returns to step S31.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the NC device 63 can recognize each of a plurality of parts in the machining program, so that machining defects can be managed on the laser processing machine 1 side. Thereby, the operator's work burden can be reduced, and the laser processing machine 1 can be provided that is easy to use.

Further, according to the present embodiment, when the operation display unit 70 receives a reset operation, or when the processing control unit 63c performs processing skip processing or parts skip processing, it is determined that failure to cut has occurred. There is. This makes it possible to appropriately determine that failure to disconnect has occurred.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the management unit 63e includes a parts counter, the number of parts that are defective in processing can be appropriately managed.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the management unit 63e performs the reprocessing process, thereby making it possible to rework parts that have been processed defectively.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the parts that the management unit 63e has identified as defective in machining are displayed in an identifiable manner, it is easy to recognize which part among the plurality of parts has been defective in machining. Can be done.

Note that the management unit 63e may store machining defect information including the name and position on the workpiece of the part for which cutting failure has been determined. Further, if the laser processing machine main body 50 is equipped with a photographing function, a moving image thereof may also be included in the machining defect information. The management unit 63e then provides machining defect information to an external device that creates a machining program. When the external device allocates a part that has been determined to have failed in cutting, it displays a message saying, ``Machining defects have occurred with this part in the past.'' Thereby, it can be used as an advice function at the time of allocation based on the machining defect information. Further, it is also possible to determine not only the same parts but also similar shapes, and perform an advice function at the time of allocation even for similar shapes.

(Fifth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a laser processing machine and a method of controlling the laser processing machine according to this embodiment will be explained. The laser processing machine 1 according to the fifth embodiment includes an NC device 64. The NC device 64 has a reservation function (stop reservation function) for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine main body 50 that operates according to the processing program. The features of the fifth embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. However, the NC device 64 may further have at least one function among the functions provided by the NC devices 60, 61, 62, and 63 shown in the first to fourth embodiments.

In FIG. 27, the NC device 64 has functions as a machining program holding section 64a, a parts recognition section 64b, and a machining control section 64c. The machining program holding section 64a corresponds to the machining program holding section 60a in the first embodiment.

The parts recognition unit 64b analyzes the machining program and recognizes each of the plurality of parts in the machining program. Further, the parts recognition unit 64b analyzes the machining program and recognizes each of the plurality of routes that constitute the part (route recognition unit).

The processing control unit 64c monitors the processing status of a plurality of parts executed according to the processing program based on the recognition result of the parts recognition unit 64b. Then, the processing control unit 64c temporarily stops the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 on the condition that the processing operation of the stop part or the stop route reserved by the operator has been completed.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 28, a method of controlling the laser processing machine 1 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 28 is executed by the NC device 64.

First, in step S40, the parts recognition unit 64b determines whether the machining control unit 64c is executing the machining program. That is, the parts recognition unit 64b determines whether or not cutting according to the machining program has started. If an affirmative determination is made in step S40, that is, if cutting has started, the process advances to step S41. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S40, that is, if the cutting process has not started, the process returns to step S40.

Here, it is assumed that the machining program executed by the machining control unit 64c sequentially manufactures two parts (first part PS1 and second part PS2) from one workpiece W. Two parts (a first part PS1 and a second part PS2) are allocated to the workpiece W at predetermined positions.

In step S41, the parts recognition unit 64b determines whether there is a touch operation on the route. A touch operation on a route is performed to select a part or a route on which various processes to be described later will be performed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 29, the parts recognition unit 64b displays the first and second parts PS1 and PS2 assigned to the workpiece W on the display screen 71 of the operation display unit 70 based on the machining program. In the following description, it is assumed that the operator performs a touch operation on the internal route Rb of the first part PS1.

The parts recognition unit 64b analyzes the machining program and determines whether a touch operation has been performed on the route. If an affirmative determination is made in step S41, that is, if a touch operation is performed on the route, the process advances to step S42. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S41, that is, if no touch operation is performed on the route, the process returns to step S41.

In step S42, the parts recognition unit 64b displays a selection screen for selecting a touch operation target. In FIG. 30, the selection screen for selecting the target of touch operation is composed of a third display menu 76. This third display menu 76 includes a first radio button 76a and a second radio button 76b that can be selected by the operator. Further, the third display menu 76 includes a confirmation button 76c for confirming the selection of the first and second radio buttons 76a and 76b.

The first radio button 74a is an option for selecting a part. By selecting the first radio button 74a, it is possible to select a part including the route touched by the operator.

The second radio button is an option for selecting a route. By selecting the second radio button 74b, the operator can select the route that has been touched.

In step S43, the parts recognition unit 64b determines whether a part has been selected based on the operator's operation on the operation display unit 70. If an affirmative determination is made in step S43, that is, if a part is selected, the process advances to step S44. On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S43, that is, if the route is selected, the process advances to step S47.

In step S44, the parts recognition unit 64b recognizes the selected part. Specifically, the part recognition unit 64b recognizes that the first part PS1 has been selected by comparing the position determined by the touch operation with the allocated positions of the first and second parts PS1 and PS2.

In step S45, the parts recognition unit 64b displays a process selection screen for the first part PS1. In FIG. 31, the process selection screen for the first part PS1 is composed of a fourth display menu 77. This fourth display menu 77 includes a first radio button 77a, a second radio button 77b, a third radio button 77c, and a fourth radio button 77d that can be selected by the operator. Further, the fourth display menu 77 includes a confirmation button 77e for confirming the selection of the first to fourth radio buttons 77a to 77d.

The first radio button 77a is an option for editing the program related to the first part PS1. By selecting the first radio button 77a, the machining program regarding the first part PS1 can be edited. Specifically, the part recognition unit 64b performs a process of calling a machining program regarding the first part PS1, and displays this on the operation display unit 70.

The second radio button 77b is an option for adding and editing the first part PS1 to the current machining program. By selecting the second radio button 77b, the additional program creation function shown in the third embodiment is executed using the first part PS1 as an additional part. The NC device 64 has the same functions as the NC device 62 shown in the third embodiment.

The third radio button 77c is an option for stopping after the processing of the first part PS1 is completed. When the third radio button 77c is selected, the parts recognition unit 64b reserves the first part PS1 as a stopped part. With this reservation, the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 can be temporarily stopped on the condition that the cutting processing of the first part PS1 is completed.

Specifically, the processing control unit 64c monitors the processing status of the first and second parts PS1 and PS2 executed according to the processing program based on the recognition result of the parts recognition unit 64b. When the processing control unit 64c determines that the processing operation of the first part PS1 has been completed, the processing control unit 64c temporarily stops the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. As shown in FIG. 33, when the laser processing machine main body 50 finishes cutting the first part PS1, it temporarily stops the processing operation without moving on to cutting the second part PS2.

The fourth radio button 77d is an option for notifying the end of the first part PS1. When the fourth radio button 77d is selected, the parts recognition unit 64b reserves the first part PS1 as a stopped part. With this reservation, on the condition that the cutting of the first part PS1 has been completed, it is possible to display the end information indicating that the cutting of the first part PS1 has been completed on the operation display unit 70.

Specifically, the processing control unit 64c monitors the processing status of the first and second parts PS1 and PS2 executed according to the processing program based on the recognition result of the parts recognition unit 64b. When the machining control unit 64c determines that the machining operation of the first part PS1 has been completed, the machining control unit 64c displays end information on the operation display unit 70. In this case, the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 does not stop and shifts to cutting of the second part PS2.

Referring to FIG. 28, in step S46, processing according to the operator's selection is performed.

In step S47, the parts recognition unit 64b recognizes the selected route. Specifically, the part recognition unit 64b recognizes that the internal route Rb has been selected by comparing the position determined by the touch operation with the plurality of routes that constitute the first part PS1.

In step S48, the parts recognition unit 64b displays a process selection screen for the internal route Rb. In FIG. 32, the selection screen for processing for the internal route Rb consists of a fifth display menu 78. This fifth display menu 78 includes a first radio button 78a and a second radio button 78b that can be selected by the operator. Further, the fifth display menu 78 includes a confirmation button 78c for confirming the selection of the first and second radio buttons 78a and 78b.

The first radio button 78a is an option for stopping after completing the machining of the internal route Rb. When the first radio button 78a is selected, the parts recognition unit 64b reserves the internal route Rb as a stop route. With this reservation, the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 can be temporarily stopped on the condition that the cutting processing of the internal path Rb is completed.

Specifically, the processing control unit 64c monitors the processing status of the first part PS1 executed according to the processing program based on the recognition result of the parts recognition unit 64b. When the machining control unit 64c determines that the machining operation of the internal path Rb has been completed, the machining control unit 64c temporarily stops the machining operation of the laser processing machine main body 50. As shown in FIG. 34, when the laser processing machine main body 50 finishes cutting the internal route Rb, it temporarily stops the processing operation without moving on to cutting the other route (outer circumferential route Ra).

The second radio button 78b is an option for notifying the end of the internal route Rb. When the second radio button 78b is selected, the parts recognition unit 64b reserves the internal route Rb as the stop route. With this reservation, on the condition that the cutting process of the internal route Rb has been completed, it is possible to display the completion information indicating that the cutting process of the internal route Rb has been completed on the operation display section 70.

Specifically, the machining control unit 64c monitors the machining status of the first part PS1, which is executed according to the machining program, based on the recognition result of the part recognition unit 64b. When the machining control unit 64c determines that the machining operation on the internal route Rb has been completed, the machining control unit 64c displays end information on the operation display unit 70. In this case, the operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 does not stop and sequentially moves to other routes, namely, the internal routes Rc1 to Rc9 and the outer circumferential route Ra.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the NC device 64 can recognize each of a plurality of parts in the machining program, so that the machining operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 performed according to the machining program can be performed for each of the plurality of parts. can be captured. Therefore, by reserving the parts to be stopped, the laser processing machine main body 50 can be temporarily stopped in the middle of machining operations for a plurality of parts. Therefore, since the operator does not need to monitor the processing operations of the laser processing machine main body 50 one by one, work efficiency can be improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the NC device 64 can recognize each of a plurality of paths in the machining program, so that the machining operation of the laser processing machine main body 50 performed according to the machining program can be recognized for each of the plurality of paths. be able to. Therefore, by reserving a stop path, the laser processing machine main body 50 can be temporarily stopped in the middle of a machining operation for a plurality of paths. Therefore, since the operator does not need to monitor the processing operations of the laser processing machine main body 50 one by one, work efficiency can be improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, by specifying the part or route displayed on the operation display section 70, it is possible to easily specify the stop part or the stop route.

Note that in this embodiment, since processing is performed on both parts and routes, touch operations on routes are recognized. However, if only a part is to be selected, the touch operation is not limited to the route, but may be performed by touching any range within the outer peripheral area of the part.

Note that in the above-described embodiment, the cutting process is started in step S40, so when the operator touches and selects the first part PS1, this means that the part that is being processed is selected. In this case, in the fourth display menu 77, only the second radio button 77b, the third radio button 77c, and the fourth radio button 77d are selectable. If the operator selects the first radio button 77a, it is assumed that a part that is already being processed or has been processed is selected, and a message will be displayed on the screen to the effect that a part that is currently being processed or has been processed is selected, for example. When editing the first part, a touch operation may be accepted before starting the cutting process, and the processes from step S41 onward may be performed. If a touch operation is performed before starting the cutting process, all four radio buttons in the fourth display menu 77 become selectable.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Operations on parts displayed on the operation display section may be other than touch operations. For example, by using a mouse, a pointing device, etc., a cursor displayed on an operation display section is operated to operate parts and the like.

Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the NC device creates a machining program (additional machining program or correction machining program). However, the function of creating a machining program may be realized not only by the NC device but also by a dedicated program creation device.

Moreover, in the embodiment mentioned above, the explanation was given using a laser processing machine. However, in one or more embodiments, the laser processing machine may be a punch/laser combination processing machine that has not only laser processing functionality but also punch/laser combination processing functionality. Further, one or more embodiments can be widely applied not only to laser processing machines but also to processing machines such as punching machines.

Further, each of the embodiments described above can be understood as an independent embodiment, or one or more embodiments can be understood in combination with each other.

1 Laser processing machine 10 Laser oscillator 20 Laser processing unit 25 Copying sensor 35 Processing head 40 Assist gas supply device 50 Laser processing machine main body 60 NC device 60a Processing program holding section 60b Part recognition section 60c Processing control section 61 NC device 61a Processing program storage Section 61b Machining control section 61c Route recognition section 61d Idle running execution section 62 NC device 62a Machining program holding section 62b Machining control section 62c Parts machining data holding section 62d Allocation section 62e Machining program creation section 63 NC device 63a Machining program holding section 63b Parts Recognition unit 63c Processing control unit 63d Judgment unit 63e Management unit 64 NC device 64a Processing program holding unit 64b Parts recognition unit 64c Processing control unit 70 Operation display unit

Claims (6)

a laser processing machine main body that cuts the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam;
a control device that controls the laser processing machine main body,
The control device includes:
a processing control unit that controls processing operations of the laser processing machine main body based on a processing program for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of parts by cutting the workpiece;
an operation unit for reserving a part as a stop part for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine main body, which performs a processing operation according to the processing program, in the middle of the processing operation;
a parts recognition unit that analyzes the machining program and recognizes each of the plurality of parts in the machining program;
The processing control section includes:
Monitoring the processing status of the laser processing machine main body on the plurality of parts based on the recognition result of the parts recognition unit, and controlling the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body on the condition that the cutting processing on the stopped part is completed. A laser processing machine that temporarily stops. further comprising a display unit that displays the allocation status of the plurality of parts allocated to the workpiece based on the machining program,
The laser processing machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit reserves the stopped part by specifying the stopped part from among the plurality of parts displayed on the display unit. a laser processing machine main body that cuts the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam;
a control device that controls the laser processing machine main body,
The control device includes:
a processing control unit that controls processing operations of the laser processing machine main body based on a processing program for manufacturing parts by sequentially cutting the workpiece along a plurality of paths;
an operation unit for reserving a path for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine body that performs a machining operation in accordance with the machining program as a stop path;
a route recognition unit that analyzes the machining program and recognizes each of the plurality of routes in the machining program;
The processing control section includes:
Monitoring the processing status of the laser processing machine main body for the plurality of routes based on the recognition results of the route recognition unit, and controlling the processing operation of the laser processing machine main body on the condition that the cutting processing for the stop route is completed. A laser processing machine that temporarily stops. further comprising a display unit that displays the plurality of routes for producing the part based on the processing program,
The laser processing machine according to claim 3, wherein the operation unit reserves the stop route by specifying the stop route from among the plurality of routes displayed on the display unit. A method for controlling a laser processing machine that controls a laser processing machine that cuts a workpiece with a laser beam based on a processing program for sequentially manufacturing a plurality of parts by cutting the workpiece,
receiving from an operator of the laser processing machine an operation for reserving a part as a stop part for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine that performs a processing operation according to the processing program in the middle of the processing operation;
Analyzing the machining program and recognizing each of the plurality of parts in the machining program,
Monitoring the processing status of the laser processing machine for the plurality of parts based on the recognition results of the plurality of parts, and temporarily suspending the processing operation of the laser processing machine on the condition that the cutting processing for the stopped part is completed. How to control a laser processing machine. A method for controlling a laser processing machine that controls a laser processing machine that cuts a workpiece with a laser beam based on a processing program for manufacturing parts by sequentially cutting the workpiece along a plurality of paths,
receiving from an operator of the laser processing machine an operation for reserving a path for temporarily stopping the laser processing machine that performs processing operations according to the processing program as a stop route;
Analyzing the machining program and recognizing each of the plurality of routes in the machining program,
Monitoring the processing status of the laser processing machine for the plurality of routes based on the recognition results of the plurality of routes, and temporarily suspending the processing operation of the laser processing machine on the condition that the cutting processing for the stop route is completed. How to control a laser processing machine.

Images