A monitoring device obtains information of three-dimensional coordinates at time points, the information indicating an operational status of a factory facility, and includes a path-data creation unit to create path data on a basis of the three-dimensional coordinates at time points and a received reproduction instruction, the path data describing a command for how to combine information of an image indicating the operational status of the factory facility with the three-dimensional coordinates and display the information.

A method for controlling a machine tool includes processing a parts program by executing non-cyclic preprocessing run tasks and cyclic main run tasks, two master values resulting from the executed preprocessing run tasks are stored in a first buffer memory. A first part of a curve table is generated, which includes a first specification that assigns to a first one of the master values a first coupling value for a coupling axis. The respective cycle of the main run tasks to which the first master value is assigned is then executed, whereafter a second part of the curve table is executed, which includes a second specification that assigns a second coupling value for the coupling axis to a second one of the master values. The second part is stored in the second buffer memory. Considerable savings in time and memory are achieved.

A control system of a machine tool which machines a work includes: a numerical control device which controls the drive axis of the machine tool based on control data; a machined surface measurement device which measures the machined surface of the work; and a data processing device, and the data processing device includes a drive axis control data acquisition portion which acquires, from the numerical control device, the chronological control data when the work is machined; a machined surface measurement data acquisition portion which acquires spatial machined surface measurement data after the machining of the work measured by the machined surface measurement device; and a data-associating processing portion which associates the chronological control data acquired by the drive axis control data acquisition portion and the spatial machined surface measurement data acquired by the machined surface measurement data acquisition portion with each other.

A control system for evaluating residual operating life of a machine component of a machine tool includes a sensor and a control system. The sensor is disposed on the machine tool and is configured to sense movement of the machine component. The control device is configured to calculate a length of time based on a sense signal received from the sensor and sampled at a time point right after the machine component is freshly oiled, and to enable output of an alarm when determining that the length of time thus calculated is smaller than a predetermined length.

A machining program management apparatus is used for managing an alteration made to a machining program stored in a plurality of machine tools. The machining program management apparatus acquires, at predetermined intervals set in advance, a piece of machining program updating information including a last update date and time of the machining program stored in each machine tool, identifies a machining program to which an alteration is made, on the basis of the piece of machining program updating information, creates a piece of information on the alteration, and updates a piece of machining program information corresponding to the machining program to which the alteration is made.

A dispatch system and a dispatch method for manufacturing mold are provided. The dispatch system includes a control unit, a mold material storage unit, a processing cutter storage unit, an object pick-and-place and transfer unit, a mold processing unit and a mold product storage unit. The mold material storage unit includes many unprocessed mold materials. The processing cutter storage unit includes many processing cutters. The object pick-and-place and transfer unit is electrically connected to the control unit and disposed between the mold material storage unit and the processing cutter storage unit. One of the unprocessed mold materials and one of the processing cutters are transferred to the mold processing unit by the object pick-and-place and transfer unit, the unprocessed mold material is processed to form a mold product by the mold processing unit, and the mold product is transferred to the mold product storage unit.

A machine tool system is disclosed which can shorten time required for generating a robot program even for a machine tool user who has no experience in using a robot. A machine tool controller includes an operation panel and an interactive program generator, and sets an operation parameter of the robot using a template screen prepared for each stylized operation of the robot. The interactive program generator generates a robot preprogram using the set operation parameter, reads the robot preprogram during execution of a machine tool program, and transfers the program to a robot preprocessor. The robot preprocessor interprets the robot preprogram and outputs a control command to a robot controller.

A machining system has a machine tool, a numerical controller which moves a machining table of the machine tool according to a machining program, a robot which performs a process to a work on the machining table, and a robot control unit, and the numerical controller is configured to send a current position coordinate of the machining table, a prefetched position coordinate of the machining table, which is calculated by prefetching the machining program and carrying out an acceleration and deceleration interpolation, and time information, which corresponds to the current position coordinate and the prefetched position coordinate, to the robot control unit, and the robot control unit controls the robot so that the distal end portion of the robot follows the movement of the machining table by using the current position coordinate, the prefetched position coordinate, and the time information, which are received from the numerical controller.

A production management device is communicably connected to a plurality of slave control devices respectively connected to a plurality of machine tools, and also communicably connected to a master control device for preparing an overall operation plan of the plurality of machine tools. The production management device acquires data on a machine type and an operation condition of each of the plurality of machine tools from the slave control device. The production management device selects, on the basis of the data, an alternative machine tool to be substituted for a specific machine tool from among the plurality of machine tools. Furthermore, the production management device substitutes the alternative machine tool for the specific machine tool.

A numerical control system 1 is provided with a numerical control device 5 and a robot control device 6

The numerical control device 5 is provided with: a robot command generating unit 55 which generates a robot command for each robot command block; a robot program launch command unit 56; and a data transmitting and receiving unit 59 which transmits to the robot control device 6, in advance as a batch, a plurality of robot commands generated on the basis of a plurality of robot command blocks, as a robot command group, and then transmits a program launch command to the robot control device 6. The robot control device 6 is provided with: a robot program generating unit 61 which generates a robot program on the basis of the robot commands; and an operation control unit 65 which, after a robot program based on the robot command group has been generated, operates the robot program upon receipt of the program launch command.