TW202404733A - Automatic exchange device does not require management of cutting blade based upon visual observation of operating personal - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an automatic exchange device, which does not require the management of cutting blades based upon visual observation of operating personal. The automatic exchange device comprises: a cutting blade storage means for storing a plurality of cutting blades; a moving out/in means for moving the cutting blade which has been moved from the cutting blade storage means to a cutting means of the cutting device and moving in the cutting blade which has been separated from the cutting means of the cutting device; and a cutting blade management means. The cutting blade management means comprises: a management portion for managing the categories of the cutting blades stored in the cutting blade storage means and an inventory of different kinds of the cutting blades; and a replenishment urging portion for urging the replenishment of the cutting blades when the inventory of the different kinds of cutting blades reaches a replenishment value.

Description

automatic switching device

The invention relates to an automatic switching device connected with a cutting device.

A wafer with a plurality of components such as ICs and LSIs divided by intersecting dividing lines is formed on the front side and is divided into individual component wafers by a cutting device. The divided component wafers are used in mobile phones, Electronic equipment such as personal computers.

The cutting device is provided with: a chuck table having a holding surface for holding the wafer; a cutting means equipped with a cutting blade with a fixed nut, and the cutting blade cuts the wafer held on the chuck table; and an X-axis feeding means , which processes and feeds the chuck table in the X-axis direction; a Y-axis feeding means, which indexes and feeds the cutting means in the Y-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction; and a Z-axis feeding means, which The cutting means performs cutting feed in the Z-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the holding surface is defined in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the wafer can be divided into one with high precision. component chip.

Furthermore, the applicant of the present invention has proposed an automatic exchange device that can automatically exchange the cutting blade installed in the cutting means (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). [Known technical documents] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-103852

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the management of the type and inventory number of cutting blades stored in the cutting blade storage means of the automatic exchange device is based on the operator's visual inspection. Therefore, the type of cutting blades may be misidentified or the inventory number of cutting blades may be miscounted. condition. If this happens, there is a problem that the automatic exchange of the cutting blade cannot be performed appropriately.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic exchange device which does not require management of the cutting blades based on the operator's vision.

[Technical means to solve the problem] According to the present invention, an automatic exchange device is provided, which is connected to a cutting device. The cutting device includes: a chuck table, which is provided with a holding surface for holding the workpiece; and a cutting means, which is equipped with a cutting blade with a fixed nut, The cutting blade cuts the workpiece held on the chuck table; the X-axis feeding means processes and feeds the chuck table in the Perform indexing feed in the Y-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction; and a Z-axis feed means that performs cutting feed in the Z-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and , the automatic exchange device is equipped with: a cutting blade storage means that stores a plurality of cutting blades; a carry-out and import means that transports the cutting blades that have been moved out from the cutting blade storage means to the cutting means, and carries in the cutting blades that have been moved from the cutting blade storage means. means to detach the cutting blade; and cutting blade management means, and the cutting blade management means includes: a management section that manages the types of cutting blades stored in the cutting blade storage means and the inventory of various types of cutting blades and a supply urging department, which urges the supply of the cutting blades when the inventory number of the cutting blades of various types reaches the supply value.

Preferably, the automatic exchange device further includes: Y-axis movement means for positioning the carry-out and carry-out means at the active position and evacuation position in the Y-axis direction relative to the cutting blade storage means; Z-axis movement means for moving the carry-out and carry-in means means to move in the Z-axis direction; and The loading means includes a Z-rotation axis extending in the Z-axis direction; a blade holding portion radially connected to the Z-rotation axis to attract and hold the cutting blade; and a fixed nut holding portion formed at the front end of the spindle. Tighten the male thread and loosen the fixing nut.

Preferably, the unloading and loading means are arranged on the frame through the bending arm of the X-axis moving means, and the frame is slidably supported on a guide rail arranged on the lifting platform and extending in the Y-axis direction, and by The Y-axis moving means is positioned at the active position and the evacuation position in the Y-axis direction with respect to the cutting blade storage means.

[Invention effect] According to the automatic exchange device of the present invention, there is no need to manage the cutting blade based on the operator's vision. Therefore, according to the automatic exchange device of the present invention, there will be no misidentification of the type of cutting blades or miscounting of the stock number of cutting blades, and automatic exchange of cutting blades can be performed appropriately.

Hereinafter, the automatic switching device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Automatic switching device 2) Referring to FIG. 1 , the entire automatic exchange device represented by reference numeral 2 includes: a cutting blade storage unit 4 that stores a plurality of cutting blades; and an unloading and unloading unit 6 that transports the cutting blades that have been carried out from the cutting blade storage unit 4 The cutting blade is transported to the cutting means of the cutting device and the cutting blade separated from the cutting means of the cutting device is carried in; and the cutting blade management means 7 is provided.

Furthermore, the automatic exchange device 2 of this embodiment is provided with: Y-axis moving means 8 for positioning the loading and unloading means 6 at the active position and the evacuation position in the Y-axis direction with respect to the cutting blade storage means 4; and the Z-axis moving means 10, It moves the unloading and loading means 6 in the Z-axis direction; and the X-axis moving means 12 moves the unloading and loading means 6 in the X-axis direction and positions it to act on the cutting blade of the main shaft of the cutting means installed on the cutting device. location of action.

The X-axis direction is the direction indicated by the arrow X in Figure 1, and the Y-axis direction is the direction indicated by the arrow Y in Figure 1 and is a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction. Moreover, the Z-axis direction is the direction indicated by arrow Z in FIG. 1 and is an up-down direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The planes specified in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are substantially horizontal.

(Cutting blade storage method 4) As shown in Figure 2, the cutting blade storage means 4 includes: a driving gear 16, which has a rotation axis 14 extending in the Y-axis direction; a driven gear 20, which is separated from the driving gear 16 in the Z-axis direction, and has a rotation axis 14 extending in the Y-axis direction. a rotating shaft 18 extending in one direction; a crawler belt 22 that is hung around the driving gear 16 and the driven gear 20; and a blade support shaft 24 that is disposed on the crawler belt 22 at predetermined intervals and is inserted into the central opening of the cutting blade to support it. Cut the blade and extend it in the Y-axis direction.

(Driving gear 16) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cutting blade storage device 4 of this embodiment includes a base plate 26 (see FIG. 1 ), a support wall 28 extending upward from the upper surface of the base plate 26 , and a motor 30 . , which is fixed on one side of the supporting wall 28 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the rotation shaft 14 of the drive gear 16 is connected to the motor 30 , and the motor 30 rotates the drive gear 16 with the Y-axis direction as its axis.

(driven gear 20) As shown in FIG. 2 , the driven gear 20 is arranged above the driving gear 16 , and the rotation shaft 18 of the driven gear 20 is rotatable with the Y-axis direction as its axis and is supported by the support wall 28 so as to be able to move up and down in the Z-axis direction. . The support wall 28 is provided with lifting means (not shown) for lifting the driven gear 20 in the Z-axis direction. The lifting means may be configured to have a ball screw connected to the rotation shaft 18 of the driven gear 20 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor to rotate the ball screw.

(Track 22) The crawler belt 22 is composed of a plurality of connecting pieces (symbols omitted) that are connected to each other, and is wound around the driving gear 16 and the driven gear 20 . The crawler track 22 rotates in response to the rotation of the drive gear 16 by the motor 30 .

In the cutting blade storage device 4 of this embodiment, by changing the Z-axis direction position of the driven gear 20 using a lifting means, the Z-axis direction interval between the driving gear 16 and the driven gear 20 can be adjusted. Furthermore, in the cutting blade storage device 4, the length of the crawler belt 22 can also be adjusted by appropriately increasing or decreasing the number of connecting pieces of the crawler belt 22.

(Blade support shaft 24) As shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of blade support shafts 24 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the crawler belt 22 . And, as can be understood by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the blade support shaft 24 has: a cylindrical base 32 connected to the crawler belt 22 ; and a cylindrical shaft 34 extending in the Y-axis direction from the end surface of the base 32 extend. The diameter of the shaft portion 34 is smaller than the diameter of the base portion 32 .

(Cutting blade 36) FIG. 3 also shows the cutting blade 36 stored in the cutting blade storage means 4. The cutting blade 36 has an annular base 38 and an annular cutting edge 40 arranged on the outer periphery of the base 38 . The base 38 can be formed of an appropriate metal material such as aluminum alloy. A circular central opening 38a is provided in the center of the base 38 . The cutting edge 40 is formed of abrasive grains such as diamond and a bonding material such as metal or resin to a predetermined thickness (for example, about 10 to 30 μm), and protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the base 38 .

The shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 of this embodiment has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the central opening 38a of the cutting blade 36. In the blade support shaft 24, the shaft portion 34 is inserted into the central opening 38a of the cutting blade 36. The shaft portion 34 supports multiple (for example, five) cutting blades 36 . In addition, although the same type of cutting blades 36 is inserted into the same blade support shaft 24, the cutting blade storage means 4 as a whole can store a plurality of types of cutting blades 36 with different materials or shapes.

In this embodiment, as understood by referring to FIG. 2 , the cutting blade 36 is supported on half of the blade support shafts 24 of the plurality of blade support shafts 24 . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of spherical plungers 42 are installed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the front end side of the shaft portion 34 . The spherical plungers 42 are used to prevent the spherical plungers 42 from being supported by the shaft portion 34 . The cutting blade 36 pops out.

As shown in FIG. 4 , flow paths 32 a are formed inside each base portion 32 of the blade support shaft 24 , and a plurality of flow paths 22 a communicating with one end portion of each flow path 32 a are formed in the crawler belt 22 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the other end portion of each flow path 32 a is opened at the end surface of the base portion 32 radially outward of the shaft portion 34 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the support wall 28 is provided with an air nozzle 44 protruding in the Y-axis direction below the drive gear 16 . The air nozzle 44 is connected to a high-pressure air supply means (not shown). In the present embodiment, in the orbit of the blade support shaft 24 as the crawler belt 22 rotates, the blade support shaft 24 located at the lowermost end faces the front end of the air nozzle 44 .

Then, when the cutting blade 36 located on the front end side of the shaft portion 34 has been carried out, high-pressure air is supplied from the air nozzle 44 through the flow path 22 a of the crawler belt 22 to the flow of the base portion 32 of the blade support shaft 24 located at the lowermost end. path 32a, whereby the cutting blade 36 remaining on the shaft portion 34 can be pushed toward the front end side of the shaft portion 34. However, the cutting blade 36 will not fall off the shaft portion 34 due to the action of the ball plunger 42 .

(Moving out and moving in means 6) Referring to Fig. 5 , the unloading and unloading means 6 will be described. The carry-in and carry-out means 6 at least include: a Z rotation shaft 46 extending in the Z-axis direction; a blade holding portion 48 radially connected to the Z rotation shaft 46 to attract and hold the cutting blade 36; and a fixed nut holding portion 50. The male thread formed on the front end of the main shaft of the cutting device is screwed and screwed to fix the nut.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the loading and unloading means 6 of this embodiment further includes a housing 52 having a regular hexagonal top plate 54 and six rectangular plate-shaped side walls 56 hanging down from the periphery of the top plate 54 . The Z rotation axis 46 protrudes from the upper surface of the top plate 54 . A motor (not shown) connected to the Z rotation axis 46 is accommodated inside the housing 52 .

In this embodiment, among the six side walls 56 of the housing 52, four side walls 56 are equipped with the blade holding portion 48, two side walls 56 are equipped with the fixing nut holding portion 50, and two fixing nuts are installed. The holding portion 50 is provided on a pair of facing side walls 56 .

(blade holding portion 48) The blade holding portion 48 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an end surface 58 of the blade holding portion 48 is provided with a circular central opening 60 that can receive the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 and the front end portion of the main shaft of the cutting device. ; and a plurality of suction holes 61 arranged at equal intervals around the central opening 60 in the circumferential direction. Each suction hole 61 is connected to a suction means (not shown).

The blade holding portion 48 generates suction force in the suction hole 61 by the suction means in a state where the end surface 58 of the blade holding portion 48 contacts the base 38 of the cutting blade 36 stored in the cutting blade storage means 4 , thereby attracting and holding the cutting blade 36 .

(Fixed nut holding portion 50) If the description continues with reference to FIG. 5 , the fixed nut holding part 50 includes a cylindrical outer shell 64 fixed to the side wall 56 of the outer shell 52 and an annular rotating body 66 rotatably accommodated in the outer shell 64 . inside; and a motor (not shown) that rotates the rotating body 66 .

The rotating body 66 is formed with a central opening 68 capable of receiving the front end of the main shaft of the cutting device. On the end surface 66 a of the rotary body 66 , a plurality of suction holes 70 and a plurality of pins 72 are provided alternately at intervals in the circumferential direction.

Each suction hole 70 is connected to a suction means (not shown). The pin 72 is positioned at a position protruding from the end surface 66 a of the rotating body 66 (the position shown in FIG. 5 ) by a spring (not shown) built into the rotating body 66 , and when pushed toward the inside of the rotating body 66 , the spring will contract and be accommodated inside the rotating body 66 . Furthermore, the pin 72 is arranged corresponding to the position of the pin hole formed in the fixing nut.

In the fixing nut holding part 50, suction means is used to generate suction force in each suction hole 70 to attract and hold the fixing nut, and in a state where the pin 72 is inserted into the pin hole formed in the fixing nut, the motor By rotating the rotating body 66, the male thread formed on the front end of the main shaft can be screwed and the fixing nut used to fix the cutting blade 36 to the main shaft of the cutting device can be screwed.

In addition, when the fixing nut is unscrewed (removed) from the spindle, even if the position of the pin 72 of the fixing nut holding part 50 and the position of the pin hole of the fixing nut are shifted, the position of the rotating body 66 is The end surface 66a is positioned on the end surface of the fixed nut installed on the spindle, and after the pin 72 is accommodated inside the rotating body 66, if the rotating body 66 is rotated by the motor, the position of the pin 72 will be aligned with the pin hole. When the position is matched, the pin 72 will be pushed out by the spring, and the pin 72 will be inserted into the pin hole.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the loading and unloading means 6 that can be configured as described above is disposed inside the housing 74 . The frame 74 is supported by the lifting platform 76 so as to be able to move in the Y-axis direction, and the lifting platform 76 is supported by the base frame 78 to be able to move up and down in the Z-axis direction.

(Frame 74) 6 and 7 , the frame 74 includes a rectangular plate-shaped bottom 80; four pillars 82 extending upward from the four corners of the upper surface of the bottom 80; and a plate-shaped ceiling portion 84 ( Referring to Figure 7), it is fixed on the upper end of each pillar 82. On the lower surface of the bottom 80, a pair of guided members 86 are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction. The guided members 86 are formed with grooves 86a extending in the Y-axis direction.

(Lifting platform 76) As shown in FIG. 6 , the lifting platform 76 includes: a rectangular plate-shaped top plate 88 ; and four cylindrical legs 90 extending downward from the four corners of the lower surface of the top plate 88 . On the upper surface of the top plate 88, a pair of guide rails 92 extending in the Y-axis direction are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction. The pair of guide rails 92 are slidably connected to a pair of guided members 86 of the frame 74. The groove 86a fits.

(Y-axis movement means 8) Furthermore, the Y-axis moving means 8 is provided on the upper surface of the top plate 88 of the lifting platform 76 . The Y-axis moving means 8 includes a ball screw 94 extending in the Y-axis direction between a pair of guide rails 92 and a motor 96 that rotates the ball screw 94 . The nut portion (not shown) of the ball screw 94 is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom 80 of the frame 74 .

In the Y-axis moving means 8 , the ball screw 94 converts the rotational motion of the motor 96 into linear motion and transmits it to the frame 74 so that the frame 74 moves in the Y-axis direction along the pair of guide rails 92 . In this way, the frame 74 provided with the unloading and unloading means 6 is slidably supported on the guide rail 92 provided on the lifting platform 76 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and is stored relative to the cutting blade by the Y-axis moving means 8 Means 4 is positioned at the action position and the evacuation position in the Y-axis direction.

The above-mentioned operating position is a position where the blade holding portion 48 of the loading and unloading means 6 is close to the cutting blade storage means 4, and is a position where the cutting blade 36 supported by the cutting blade storage means 4 can be attracted and held by the blade holding portion 48. Moreover, the above-mentioned evacuation position is a position where the blade holding part 48 of the unloading and loading means 6 is separated from the cutting blade storage means 4 rather than the above-mentioned action position.

(Base stand 78) As shown in FIG. 6 , the base stand 78 includes a frame 98 and a rectangular base plate 100 fixed on the upper part of the frame 98 . Four circular holes 102 are formed at four corners of the base plate 100 , and the legs 90 of the lifting platform 76 are slidably inserted into the four circular holes 102 . Furthermore, a female thread 104 is formed in the center of the base plate 100 .

(Z-axis movement means 10) If the description continues with reference to FIG. 6 , the Z-axis moving means 10 is connected to the lifting platform 76 and the base frame 78 . The Z-axis moving means 10 includes a ball screw 106 extending in the Z-axis direction, a motor 108 that rotates the ball screw 106, and a connecting plate 110 fixed to the upper end of the motor 108. The ball screw 106 is threaded with the female thread 104 of the base plate 100 . The connecting plate 110 is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 88 of the lifting platform 76 by appropriate connecting means such as bolts (not shown).

In the Z-axis moving means 10, the rotational motion of the motor 108 is converted into linear motion by the ball screw 106, and the lifting platform 76 is raised and lowered relative to the base frame 78, thereby moving the frame 74 equipped with the unloading and unloading means 6 Move in the Z-axis direction.

(X-axis movement means 12) Referring to FIG. 7 , the X-axis moving means 12 includes a bending arm 112 installed on the frame 74 , and a first motor 114 and a second motor 115 that operate the bending arm 112 . The folding arm 112 has: a first arm piece 118 that is swingably connected to the lower surface of the ceiling portion 84 of the frame 74 through a spacer 116; and a second arm piece 120 that is swingably connected to the first arm piece. The lower surface of 118 is connected.

The spacer 116 is disposed at one end of the first arm piece 118 . The first arm piece 118 is connected to the ceiling portion 84 with the partition 116 side as the swing center. Moreover, a spacer 122 is also provided on the upper surface of the other end of the first arm piece 118 . The second arm piece 120 is connected to the first arm piece 118 with the spacer 122 side as the swing center.

A circular hole (not shown) is provided at the front end of the second arm piece 120 (the end opposite to the spacer 122 ). The Z rotation shaft 46 of the unloading and loading means 6 is inserted into this circular hole, and the Z rotation shaft 46 is non-rotatably fixed to the second arm piece 120 . When the motor of the unloading and loading means 6 connected to the Z rotation axis 46 is driven, the housing 52 of the unloading and loading means 6 will rotate relative to the second arm piece 120, and the blade holding part 48 and the fixing nut holding part 50 will be positioned. in any orientation. In this way, the unloading and loading means 6 are connected to the bending arm 112 of the X-axis moving means 12, and are arranged in the frame 74 through the bending arm 112.

In the X-axis moving means 12, the first motor 114 swings the first arm piece 118 with the spacer 116 side as the swing center, and the second motor 115 swings the second arm piece 118 with the spacer 122 side as the swing center. The swinging of the arm piece 120 causes the bending arm 112 to bend or extend, thereby moving the loading and unloading means 6 in the X-axis direction.

(Cutting Blade Management Means 7) The cutting blade management means 7 is composed of a computer with a processor and a memory. As shown in FIG. 1 , the cutting blade management means 7 includes a management section 124 that manages the types of cutting blades 36 stored in the cutting blade storage means 4 and the inventory number of each type of cutting blades 36; and a replenishment urging section 126, It urges the supply of cutting blades 36 when the inventory number of various types of cutting blades 36 reaches the supply value.

(Management Department 124) The management unit 124 memorizes the numbers (1, 2, 3, ..., n) of the blade support shafts 24 of the cutting blade storage means 4, the types of the cutting blades 36, and the inventory number of the cutting blades 36 (see FIG. 8(a) ). For the inventory number of cutting blades 36, for example, the number of insertions and withdrawals of the ball plunger 42 may be subtracted from the replenishment quantity of cutting blades 36 input by the operator for each blade support shaft 24 (i.e., the number of times the cutting blades 36 are the number of times of removal), thereby obtaining the number of remaining cutting blades 36.

(Supply Supervision Department 126) The replenishment urging unit 126 memorizes the replenishment value of each type of cutting blade 36 (or each blade support shaft 24 ), and urges the replenishment of the cutting blade 36 when the stock number of cutting blades 36 reaches the replenishment value.

In the example shown in FIG. 8(a) , in the blade support shaft 24 No. 2 (the shaft that supports the ZI-002 type cutting blade 36), the stock number of cutting blades 36 (two) reaches the replenishment value (two). Piece). Furthermore, in the blade support shaft 24 numbered n (the shaft that supports the WC-009 type cutting blade 36), the stock number of cutting blades 36 (four) has also reached the replenishment value (four).

Therefore, in order to urge the replenishment of the cutting blades 36 , the replenishment urging unit 126 operates the alarm bell (not shown) of the automatic exchange device 2 and indicates the number of the blade support shaft 24 that needs to be replenished and the cutting blade 36 that should be replenished. The type, number of pieces, replenishment deadline, etc. are displayed on the monitor of the automatic switching device 2 on a replenishment urging screen.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8( b ), the replenishment urging unit 126 may cause a replenishment urging screen to display on the monitor M of the automatic switching device 2 that the blade support shaft 24 numbered 2 should be replenished within 24 hours. Five ZI-002 type cutting blades 36 are supplied, and ten WC-009 type cutting blades 36 are supplied to the blade support shaft 24 numbered n.

Furthermore, the replenishment urging unit 126 may also instruct the host computer to create an order form for the cutting blades 36 that should be replenished, and instruct the created order form to be sent to the cutting blade manufacturer.

In addition, in the above example, although the replenishment of the cutting blades 36 is urged when the two types of cutting blades 36 reach the replenishment value, the replenishment urging unit 126 may be of any type (it may be one type, or it may be multiple types). When the cutting blade 36 reaches the replenishment value, the replenishment of the cutting blade 36 is urged.

Next, the cutting device 170 connected to the above-mentioned automatic switching device 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13 .

(Cutting device 170) As shown in Fig. 9, the cutting device 170 is provided with: a chuck table 172, which has a holding surface for holding the workpiece; and a cutting means 174, which is equipped with a cutting blade 36 with a fixed nut, and the cutting blade 36 cuts and holds the workpiece. The workpiece to be processed on the chuck table 172; the X-axis feeding means 176, which processes and feeds the chuck table 172 in the The Y-axis direction is used for indexing feed; and the Z-axis feed means 180 is used to perform cutting feed of the cutting means 174 in the Z-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

(Chuck table 172) 9 and 10 , the cutting device 170 is provided with an X-axis movable plate 184 that is movably provided in the X-axis direction on the upper surface of the base 182 (see FIG. 9 ), and a support column 186 that is fixed to the base 182 (see FIG. 9 ). The upper surface of the X-axis movable plate 184; and the cover plate 188, which is fixed to the upper end of the pillar 186. The cover plate 188 is formed with a circular opening 188a. The chuck table 172 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the support column 186 and extends upward through the circular opening 188 a of the cover plate 188 . The chuck table 172 is rotated with the Z-axis direction as its axis by a motor (not shown) built into the support 186 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , a circular suction chuck 190 made of porous material and connected to a suction means (not shown) is disposed at the upper end of the chuck table 172 . In the chuck table 172 , suction means is used to generate an attraction force on the upper surface of the suction chuck 190 , thereby attracting and holding the workpiece placed on the upper surface of the suction chuck 190 .

In this manner, in the chuck table 172, the upper surface of the suction chuck 190 becomes a holding surface for holding the workpiece, and the holding surface is positioned on the XY plane defined by the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, a plurality of clamps 192 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on the periphery of the chuck table 172 .

(X-axis feed means 176) As shown in FIG. 10 , the X-axis feeding means 176 includes a ball screw 198 connected to the X-axis movable plate 184 and extending in the X-axis direction, and a motor 200 that rotates the ball screw 198 . The X-axis feeding means 176 converts the rotational motion of the motor 200 into linear motion through the ball screw 198 and transmits it to the X-axis movable plate 184, so that the X-axis movable plate 184 moves along the guide rail 182a of the base 182, and The chuck table 172 performs processing feed in the X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the cutting device 170 includes a door-shaped frame 202 arranged across the chuck table 172 . The frame 202 has: a pair of pillars 204 spaced apart in the Y-axis direction and extending upward from the upper surface of the base 182; and a beam 206 erected between the upper ends of the pair of pillars 204 and extending upward in the Y-axis direction. extend.

(cutting means 174) A pair of cutting means 174 is provided at a distance in the Y-axis direction on one side of the beam 206 (the back side in FIG. 9 ). In the cutting device 170 of this embodiment, a pair of cutting means 174 is provided so that the cutting blades 36 face each other. The workpiece held on the chuck table 172 can be simultaneously cut by the pair of cutting blades 36 . processing. In addition, there can also be one cutting means 174 .

As shown in FIG. 11 , each cutting means 174 includes a rectangular Y-axis movable member 208 that is supported movably in the Y-axis direction on one side of the beam 206 and a Z-axis movable member 210 with an L-shaped cross section. , which is supported by the Y-axis movable member 208 so as to be able to move up and down in the Z-axis direction; and a spindle housing 212 , which is fixed to the lower end of the Z-axis movable member 210 .

On one side of the Y-axis movable member 208 (the front side in FIG. 11 ), a pair of guided grooves 208 a extending in the Y-axis direction are formed at intervals in the Z-axis direction. The guided grooves are 208a is connected to a pair of guide rails (not shown) extending in the Y-axis direction at a distance in the up and down direction to a pair of guide rails (not shown) extending in the Y-axis direction.

(Y-axis feed means 178) The Y-axis feeding means 178 includes a ball screw 214 extending in the Y-axis direction on one side of the beam 206 and a motor 216 that rotates the ball screw 214 . The ball screw 214 is connected to the Y-axis movable member 208 . The Y-axis feeding means 178 converts the rotational motion of the motor 216 into linear motion through the ball screw 214 and transmits it to the Y-axis movable member 208. The Y-axis movable member 208 is attached to one side of the beam 206 along the The guide rail performs indexing feed in the Y-axis direction.

On the other side of the Y-axis movable member 208 (the back side in FIG. 11 ), a pair of guide rails (not shown) extending in the Z-axis direction are formed at intervals in the Y-axis direction, Z The axis movable member 210 has a pair of guided grooves (not shown) slidably connected to a pair of guide rails of the Y-axis movable member 208 .

(Z-axis feed means 180) The Z-axis feeding means 180 includes a ball screw (not shown) connected to the Z-axis movable member 210 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor 218 that rotates the ball screw. The Z-axis feeding means 180 converts the rotational motion of the motor 218 into linear motion through a ball screw and transmits it to the Z-axis movable member 210, and moves the Z-axis movable member 210 along the guide rail of the Y-axis movable member 208 in the Z-axis direction. Perform plunge feed.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the spindle housing 212 supports a cylindrical spindle 220 so as to be rotatable with the Y-axis direction as the axis, and houses a motor (not shown) that rotates the spindle 220 . A cutting blade 36 for cutting the workpiece is detachably fixed to the front end of the spindle 220 by a fixing nut 222.

A blade cover 224 covering the cutting blade 36 is installed at the front end of the spindle housing 212 . The blade cover 224 has a first cover member 224a fixed to the front end of the spindle housing 212, and a second cover member 224b movably attached to the front end of the first cover member 224a. The second cover member 224b is moved in the X-axis direction by an appropriate actuator (not shown) such as a cylinder, and is positioned in the open position shown in FIG. 12 when the cutting blade 36 is replaced, and is positioned during the cutting process. In the blocked position shown in Figure 11.

As shown in FIG. 13 , an annular fixing flange 226 protruding radially outward is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front end side of the spindle 220 . An annular recess 226a is formed in a radially inner portion of the front end surface of the fixed flange 226, and an outer peripheral portion of the front end surface of the fixed flange 226 becomes an annular support end surface 226b protruding in the axial direction. Furthermore, a male thread 228 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main shaft 220 on the front end side of the fixed flange 226 .

Then, the central opening 38a of the cutting blade 36 is fitted with the front end of the spindle 220, and the male thread 228 of the spindle 220 is screwed (locked) with the fixing nut 222, thereby clamping the cutting blade 36 into the fixing flange. 226 supports the end surface 226b and the fixing nut 222, and is detachably fixed to the front end of the spindle 220. Furthermore, a plurality of pin holes 222 a are formed on the side surface of the fixing nut 222 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the pins 72 of the fixing nut holding portion 50 of the carry-in and carry-out means 6 are inserted into the plurality of pin holes 222 a.

As shown in FIG. 9 , on the other side of the beam 206 of the frame 202 (the front side in FIG. 9 ), a machine to be processed and held by the chuck table 172 is mounted movable in the Y-axis direction. A pair of object imaging means 230 is provided, and a pair of moving means 232 for moving the imaging means 230 in the Y-axis direction is provided.

The moving means 232 has a ball screw 234 extending in the Y-axis direction on the other side of the beam 206 and a motor 236 that rotates the ball screw 234. The ball screw 234 is connected to the camera means 230 . Then, the moving means 232 converts the rotational motion of the motor 236 into linear motion and transmits it to the imaging means 230, so that the imaging means 230 moves in the Y-axis direction along the guide rail 206a attached to the other side of the beam 206. In addition, the number of imaging means 230 may be one.

(cutting processing) When cutting a workpiece such as a wafer using the dicing device 170 , first, the workpiece is adsorbed to the chuck table 172 . Next, the X-axis feeding means 176 is used to move the chuck table 172 to below the imaging means 230, and the moving means 232 is used to adjust the Y-axis direction position of the imaging means 230. Next, the object to be processed is photographed from above using the imaging means 230 to detect the cutting area of the object to be processed.

Next, the chuck table 172 is rotated based on the cutting area of the workpiece detected by the imaging means 230, and the orientation of the cutting area of the workpiece with respect to the cutting blade 36 of the cutting means 174 is adjusted. Next, the X-axis feeding means 176 is used to move the chuck table 172 in the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis feeding means 178 is used to move the spindle housing 212 in the Y-axis direction to position the pair of cutting blades 36 on the workpiece. above the cutting area.

Next, the Z-axis feeding means 180 is used to lower the spindle housing 212, so that the cutting edge 40 of the high-speed rotating cutting blade 36 cuts into the cutting area of the workpiece, and cutting water is supplied to the cutting edge 40 of the cutting blade 36 to cut into the workpiece. While processing and feeding the chuck table 172 in the X-axis direction, a predetermined cutting process is performed on the cutting area of the workpiece. While indexing the spindle housing 212 in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis feeding means 178, the above-mentioned cutting process is repeated appropriately to perform the cutting process on all the cutting areas of the workpiece. The workpiece that has been cut and processed in the cutting step is transported to the next step.

(Exchange for cutting blade 36) If the cutting step is repeated, the cutting blade 36 will be worn. If the wear of the cutting blade 36 reaches a predetermined amount, the cutting accuracy will no longer be maintained. Therefore, the cutting blade 36 installed on the spindle 220 needs to be replaced with a new cutting blade 36 . Furthermore, even if the wear of the cutting blade 36 mounted on the spindle 220 has not reached a predetermined amount, when cutting a workpiece of a material different from that of the previous workpiece to be cut, sometimes the cutting blade 36 may be cut. It may also be necessary to replace the cutting blade 36 with the one corresponding to the material of the workpiece.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14 , the automatic exchange device 2 that can automatically exchange the cutting blade 36 of the cutting device 170 is connected to the cutting device 170 . The following is a method of using the automatic exchange device 2 to exchange the cutting blade 36 . instruction.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the automatic exchange device 2 is disposed on the inner side of the cutting device 170 in the X-axis direction, and can be subsequently installed on the cutting device 170 that has been delivered to the user. When the automatic exchange device 2 is used to exchange the cutting blade 36 installed in the cutting device 170 , first, the caterpillar 22 of the cutting blade storage device 4 is rotated, and the blade support shaft supporting the new cutting blade 36 to be loaded into the cutting device 170 is rotated. 24 is positioned at a predetermined position (for example, at the lowermost position in the track of the blade support shaft 24).

Next, as shown in FIG. 15 , the housing 52 is rotated with a motor connected to the Z rotation axis 46 of the loading and unloading means 6 so that the side wall 56 of the housing 52 on which the blade holding portion 48 is mounted is moved along the X-axis direction. The blade holding portion 48 faces the cutting blade storage means 4 .

Then, the X-axis moving means 12 and the Z-axis moving means 10 are operated so that the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 at the predetermined position can be inserted into the central opening 60 of the blade holding portion 48 (see FIG. 5 ). The X-axis direction position and the Z-axis direction position of the blade holding portion 48.

Next, as shown in FIG. 16 , the frame 74 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving means 8, and the unloading and unloading means 6 are positioned so as to be held and supported by the blade support shaft 24 by the blade holding portion 48. The action position of the cutting blade 36. Thereby, the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 at the predetermined position is inserted into the central opening 60 of the blade holding portion 48 , and the end surface 58 of the blade holding portion 48 contacts the end surface of the cutting blade 36 located on the front end side of the shaft portion 34 . Next, an attraction force is generated in the suction hole 61 of the blade holding portion 48 , and the cutting blade 36 located on the front end side of the shaft portion 34 is attracted and held by the blade holding portion 48 .

Next, the Y-axis moving means 8 is operated to separate the unloading and loading means 6 from the cutting blade storage means 4 in the Y-axis direction and position it at the evacuation position. Next, the housing 52 of the loading and unloading means 6 is rotated 180° so that the blade holding portion 48 on the opposite side to the blade holding portion 48 that has attracted and held the cutting blade 36 faces the cutting blade storage means 4 .

Next, the Y-axis moving means 8 is operated to position the unloading and unloading means 6 at an operating position where the cutting blade 36 of the blade support shaft 24 can be held by the blade holding portion 48 on the opposite side. Next, an attraction force is generated in the suction hole 61 of the blade holding portion 48 on the opposite side, and the cutting blade 36 located on the front end side of the shaft portion 34 is attracted and held by the blade holding portion 48 . Thereby, the new cutting blade 36 is attracted and held by one of the facing blade holding portions 48 among the four blade holding portions 48 .

When the cutting blade 36 is taken out from the cutting blade storage means 4, the ball plunger 42 of the blade support shaft 24 moves in and out. Therefore, the management part 124 of the cutting blade management means 7 detects the moving in and out of the ball plunger 42. The number of cutting blades 36 remaining on the blade support shaft 24 after the cutting blades 36 have been moved out (stock number) is determined.

Then, when the stock number of cutting blades 36 reaches the replenishment value, the replenishment urging unit 126 of the cutting blade management means 7 operates the alarm of the automatic exchange device 2 and sets the number of the blade support shaft 24 indicating that replenishment is needed, and the number of blades that should be replenished. A replenishment urging screen including the type and number of cutting blades 36, the replenishment period, etc. is displayed on the monitor of the automatic exchange device 2 to urge the replenishment of the cutting blades 36.

After the new cutting blade 36 is attracted and held by the pair of blade holding parts 48, as shown in FIG. 17, the frame 74 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving means 8, and the Z-axis moving means 10 The lifting platform 76 is moved in the Z-axis direction. Thereby, the carry-in and carry-out means 6 are separated from the cutting blade storage means 4 and positioned at the evacuation position, and the Y-axis direction position and the Z-axis direction position of the carry-in and carry-out means 6 with respect to the cutting device 170 are adjusted. The Y-axis direction position of the unloading and loading means 6 after position adjustment is between the pair of cutting means 174 of the cutting device 170, and the Z-axis direction position of the unloading and loading means 6 after position adjustment is farther than the holding surface of the chuck table 172. above.

Next, as shown in FIG. 18 , the unloading and unloading means 6 are moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis moving means 12 to adjust the X-axis direction position of the unloading and unloading means 6 relative to the pair of cutting means 174 . Specifically, the X-axis direction position of the center of the new pair of cutting blades 36 held by the pair of blade holding portions 48 of the unloading and loading means 6 is made equal to the position of the center of the pair of cutting blades 36 installed in the pair of cutting means 174 . The X-axis position of the center matches.

Then, the Z-axis moving means 10 of the automatic exchange device 2 or the Z-axis feeding means 180 of the cutting device 170 is operated so that the Z-axis direction position of the center of the cutting blade 36 of the blade holder 48 is aligned with the cutting blade 36 of the cutting means 174 The Z-axis position of the center matches.

Next, the housing 52 of the loading and unloading means 6 is rotated 60° so that the pair of fixed nut holding portions 50 face the pair of cutting blades 36 of the cutting means 174 . In addition, before moving the unloading and loading means 6 forward, the casing 52 may be rotated 60° in advance.

Next, the second cover member 224b of the blade cover 224 of the pair of cutting means 174 is positioned in the open position (see FIG. 12 ). Next, the cutting means 174 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis feeding means 178 of the cutting device 170, so that the fixed nut 222 to which the cutting blade 36 is fixed to the main shaft 220 contacts the rotating body 66 of the fixed nut holding part 50. The end face 66a. In this way, the pin 72 of the fixed nut holding part 50 will be pushed by the fixed nut 222 and accommodated inside the rotating body 66 , and the front end of the spindle 220 is accommodated in the central opening 68 of the rotating body 66 .

Next, when the rotating body 66 is rotated by the motor of the fixed nut holding part 50, when each pin 72 matches the pin hole 222a of the fixed nut 222, each pin 72 will fit into the pin hole 222a, and the rotating body 66 will The rotational motion is transmitted to the fixing nut 222 through each pin 72, and the fixing nut 222 is loosened. Thereby, the fixing nut 222 can be unscrewed (removed) from the male thread 228 of the main shaft 220 of the cutting means 174 . Furthermore, suction force is generated in each suction hole 70 of the fixing nut holding part 50, so that the fixing nut holding part 50 attracts and holds the removed fixing nut 222.

Next, the cutting means 174 is separated from the unloading and unloading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, and the housing 52 of the unloading and unloading means 6 is rotated 60° so that the empty blade holding portion 48 holding the cutting blade 36 is not sucked. The cutting blade 36 faces the cutting means 174 .

Next, the cutting means 174 is brought close to the unloading and loading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, the main shaft 220 of the cutting means 174 is inserted into the central opening 60 of the blade holding part 48, and the end surface 58 of the empty blade holding part 48 is The end surface of the cutting blade 36 contacts the cutting means 174 . Next, suction force is generated in the suction hole 61 of the blade holding part 48, and the cutting blade 36 of the cutting means 174 is attracted and held by the blade holding part 48.

Next, the cutting means 174 is separated from the unloading and unloading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, and the housing 52 of the unloading and unloading means 6 is rotated 60° to attract and hold the blade holding portion 48 surface of the new cutting blade 36. to the spindle 220 of the cutting means 174 .

Next, the cutting means 174 is brought close to the unloading and loading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, and the spindle 220 is inserted into the central opening 38a of the new cutting blade 36, so that the end surface of the cutting blade 36 contacts the fixed flange of the spindle 220. The supporting end surface 226b of 226. Next, the suction force of the blade holding portion 48 is released, and the new cutting blade 36 is transferred from the blade holding portion 48 to the spindle 220 .

Next, the cutting means 174 is separated from the unloading and loading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, and the housing 52 of the unloading and loading means 6 is rotated 60° to attract and hold the fixing nut holding the removed fixing nut 222. The cap holder 50 faces the spindle 220 of the cutting means 174 .

Next, the cutting means 174 is brought close to the unloading and loading means 6 by the Y-axis feeding means 178, and the fixing nut 222 attracted and held by the fixing nut holding part 50 is fitted with the front end part of the spindle 220. Next, the motor of the fixing nut holding part 50 is operated and the fixing nut 222 is rotated in the opposite direction to that when the fixing nut 222 is removed, so that the fixing nut 222 is screwed (locked) to the male thread 228 of the main shaft 220 .

Thereby, the new cutting blade 36 to be installed on the cutting means 174 can be sandwiched by the supporting end surface 226b and the fixing nut 222 of the fixing flange 226 of the spindle 220 and fixed to the spindle 220 .

Next, after the suction force of the fixing nut holding part 50 is released, the second cover member 224b of the blade cover 224 of the cutting means 174 is positioned in the closed position. In addition, the removal and installation of the fixing nut 222 and the cutting blade 36 as described above can be performed on the pair of cutting means 174 at the same time or separately.

Next, the unloading and unloading means 6 are retracted, and the housing 52 of the unloading and unloading means 6 is rotated 60° so that one of the removed pair of cutting blades 36 faces the cutting blade storage means 4 . Then, the caterpillar 22 of the cutting blade storage means 4 is rotated to position the empty blade support shaft 24 that does not support the cutting blade 36 at a predetermined position (for example, at the lowest end position among the tracks of the blade support shaft 24 ).

Next, the X-axis moving means 12 and the Z-axis moving means 10 are operated so that the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 at the predetermined position can be inserted into the central opening 38a of one of the cutting blades 36 that is suctioned and held by the blade holding portion 48 In this way, the X-axis direction position and the Z-axis direction position of the blade holding portion 48 are adjusted.

Next, the frame 74 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving means 8, and the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 at the predetermined position is inserted into the central opening of one of the cutting blades 36 that is attracted and held by the blade holding portion 48. portion 38a, and the end surface of one of the cutting blades 36 contacts the end surface of the base portion 32 of the blade support shaft 24. Next, the attraction force of the blade holding portion 48 is released, and one of the removed pair of cutting blades 36 is transferred to the blade support shaft 24 .

Furthermore, the Y-axis moving means 8 separates the unloading and loading means 6 from the cutting blade storage means 4, and rotates the housing 52 of the unloading and loading means 6 180° to attract and hold the removed pair of cutting blades 36. The other blade holding portion 48 on the opposite side faces the cutting blade storage means 4 .

Next, the frame 74 is moved in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis moving means 8, and the shaft portion 34 of the blade support shaft 24 at the predetermined position is inserted into the other cutting blade 36 that is attracted and held by the blade holding portion 48 on the opposite side. the central opening 38a, and the end surface of the other cutting blade 36 contacts the end surface of the cutting blade 36 supported on the blade support shaft 24. Next, the suction force of the blade holding portion 48 is released, and the other of the removed pair of cutting blades 36 is transferred to the blade support shaft 24 .

In this way, in the automatic exchange device 2 of this embodiment, the cutting blade 36 installed in the cutting means 174 of the cutting device 170 can be subsequently installed on the cutting device 170 that has been delivered to the user.

Furthermore, in the automatic exchange device 2, the types of cutting blades 36 stored in the cutting blade storage means 4 and the inventory number of each type of cutting blades 36 are managed, and the inventory number of each type of cutting blades 36 reaches the replenishment value. In this case, the supply of the cutting blade 36 is urged, so there is no need to manage the cutting blade 36 based on the operator's vision. Therefore, according to the automatic exchange device 2 , there is no situation where the type of the cutting blade 36 is misidentified or the stock number of the cutting blades 36 is miscounted, and the automatic exchange of the cutting blade 36 can be performed appropriately.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the example in which the cutting blade 36 is a hub-type blade having an annular base 38 and an annular cutting edge 40 arranged on the outer periphery of the base 38 has been described. However, in the automatic exchange device 2, the cutting blades that can be exchanged and can manage/supervise the inventory replenishment are not limited to the above-mentioned hub-type blades, and may also be a washer-type blade composed of an annular cutting edge (without a base). blade). In this case, the blade holding portion 48 is provided with a suction hole for attracting and holding the washer-type blade.

2: Automatic switching device 4: Cutting blade storage methods 6:Means of moving in and out 7: Cutting blade management methods 8: Y-axis movement means 10: Z-axis movement method 12:X-axis movement means 36:Cutting blade 46:Z rotation axis 48: Blade holding part 50: Fixed nut holding part 74:frame 76: Lifting platform 92: Guide rail (lifting table) 112:Folding arm 124: Management Department 126:Supply Supervision Department 170: Cutting device 172:Chuck table 174: Cutting means 176:X-axis feed means 178: Y-axis feed means 180: Z-axis feeding method 220:Spindle 222:Fixing nut

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting blade storage means shown in FIG. 1 . Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blade support shaft shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the blade support shaft shown in Figure 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the carry-in and carry-out means shown in FIG. 1 . Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the frame, lifting platform and base platform shown in Figure 1. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the frame shown in FIG. 1 . Fig. 8(a) is a table showing management target items of the cutting blade management means shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 8(b) is a schematic diagram of a monitor showing a supply supervision screen. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cutting device connected to the automatic switching device shown in FIG. 1 . Figure 10 is a perspective view of the chuck table shown in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cutting means shown in Figure 9. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the cutting means in a state where the blade cover shown in Fig. 11 is opened. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting means shown in FIG. 9 . FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the automatic exchange device shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the cutting device shown in FIG. 9 . FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cutting blade storage means and the loading and unloading means of the automatic exchange device shown in FIG. 1 face each other. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the frame has advanced toward the cutting blade storage means from the state shown in FIG. 15 . Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the frame has retreated from the state shown in Fig. 16 and the lifting platform has been raised. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the unloading and unloading means has advanced toward the cutting device from the state shown in FIG. 17 .

2: Automatic switching device

4: Cutting blade storage methods

6:Means of moving in and out

7: Cutting blade management methods

8: Y-axis movement means

10: Z-axis movement method

12:X-axis movement means

16:Driving gear

18:Rotation axis

20: Driven gear

22:Crawler

24:Blade support shaft

26: Base plate

28:Support wall

30: Motor

36:Cutting blade

44:Air nozzle

74:Frame

76: Lifting platform

78: Base stand

80: bottom

82:Pillar

84: Ceiling part

86: Guided component

88: Top plate

90:Feet

92: Guide rail (lifting table)

96: Motor

98:Frame

100: Base plate

102: round hole

114:First motor

115:Second motor

124: Management Department

126:Supply Supervision Department

Claims (3)

An automatic exchange device, which is connected to a cutting device. The cutting device includes: a chuck table, which has a holding surface for holding the workpiece; a cutting means, which is equipped with a cutting blade with a fixed nut, and the cutting blade cuts and is held The workpiece on the chuck table; X-axis feeding means, which processes and feeds the chuck table in the X-axis direction; Y-axis feeding means, which moves the cutting means orthogonally to the indexing feed in the Y-axis direction; and a Z-axis feeding means that performs cutting feed in the Z-axis direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, The automatic switching device has: cutting blade storage means, which stores a plurality of cutting blades; A moving-in means that transports the cutting blade that has been moved out from the cutting blade storage means to the cutting means, and moves in the cutting blade that has been detached from the cutting means; and Cutting blade management means, This cutting blade management tool includes: A management department that manages the types of cutting blades stored in the cutting blade storage means and the inventory number of various types of cutting blades; and The supply urging department urges the supply of the cutting blades when the inventory number of the cutting blades of various types reaches the supply value. The automatic switching device of claim 1, further comprising: Y-axis moving means, which positions the carrying-in and carrying-out means at the active position and the evacuation position in the Y-axis direction relative to the cutting blade storage means; Z-axis moving means moves the unloading and unloading means in the Z-axis direction; and X-axis moving means moves the loading and unloading means in the X-axis direction and positions it at an action position for the cutting blade installed on the main shaft of the cutting means, The carry-in and carry-out means include: a Z-rotation axis extending in the Z-axis direction; a blade holding portion radially connected to the Z-rotation axis and attracting and holding the cutting blade; and a fixed nut holding portion formed on the Z-axis. Fasten the male thread at the front end of the spindle and loosen the fixing nut. The automatic switching device of claim 2, wherein the loading and unloading means are arranged on the frame through the bending arm of the X-axis moving means, and the frame is slidably supported on the lifting platform and on the Y-axis. The guide rail extending in the Y-axis direction is positioned at the active position and the evacuation position in the Y-axis direction relative to the cutting blade storage means by the Y-axis moving means.