METHOD FOR PROCESSING FLAT WORKPIECES

Abstract

A method for processing plate-shaped workpieces, in particular made of wood or wood substitute materials, having the following steps: providing a large-format plate, in particular made of wood or wood substitute materials, and supplying the large-format plate to an isolation station; isolating plate-shaped workpieces by dividing the provided large-format plate in the isolation station, in that cuts are made, here, in the large-format plate by at least one isolation unit; supplying the workpieces, thus isolated, to at least one downstream machining station, in order to finish the plate-shaped workpiece. At least a portion of each isolated workpiece receives, from the isolation unit, an alignment portion for engagement of gripping elements and/or for making reference drilled holes. The workpiece provided with the alignment portion is received by means of a gripping element, an engagement element or an acquisition element engaging on the alignment portion, following the separation of said workpiece.

Claims

1. A method for processing plate-shaped workpieces (4, 5), in particular made of wood or wood substitute materials, in which method the following steps are carried out: a) providing a large-format plate (4), in particular made of wood or wood substitute materials, and supplying (P1) the large-format plate (4) to an isolation station (1); b) isolating plate-shaped workpieces (5) by dividing the provided large-format plate (4) in the isolation station (1), in that cuts are made, here, in the large-format plate (4) by at least one isolation unit (11); and c) supplying the workpieces (5), thus isolated, to at least one downstream machining station (2, 3), in order to finish the plate-shaped workpiece (5), wherein, in step b) at least a portion of each separated workpiece is provided, by the isolation unit (11), with an alignment portion (5a) for engagement of gripping elements (14, 15) and/or making reference drilled holes, the workpiece (5) provided with the alignment portion (5a) being received by means of a gripping element (14, 15), an engagement element, or an acquisition element engaging on the alignment portion (5a), following the separation of said workpiece, wherein the gripping element, the engagement element, or the acquisition element comprises a centering of alignment element, preferably a bolt or a pin, in step b), or before or after, a reference drilled hole being made in the alignment portion (5a), into which the centering or alignment element then engages.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gripping element (14, 15), the engagement element, or the acquisition element comprises a gripper which engages on the alignment portion (5a).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), the isolation unit (11) carries out at least one final cut (5b), the alignment portion (5a) being provided on a final cut-free part of the relevant isolated workpiece.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the isolation unit (11) is designed, in addition to isolating the workpiece, to carry out additional machining steps on said workpiece, in particular to make folds, grooves, drilled holes and/or recesses in the workpiece.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the isolation unit (11) comprises at least one milling unit and/or a sawing unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the isolation station (1) comprises a machining table (12), the isolation unit (11) being mounted on the machining table (12) so as to be displaceable in a first direction (X, Y), in particular on a gantry (10).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the isolation unit (11) is displaceable in a second direction (X) which extends in particular perpendicularly to the first direction (Y).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the separation of a plate-shaped workpiece (5) out of the large-format plate is carried out in that the isolation unit (11) is brought into engagement with the large-format plate (4) and the large-format plate is moved in the first direction (Y) and/or the isolation unit (11) is moved in the second direction (X).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following machining actions is carried out at the at least one downstream machining station (2, 3): i) receiving and aligning an isolated workpiece (5) at the alignment portion (5a); ii) coating a narrow side of the plate-shaped workpiece (5) with an edge strip; iii) carrying out a final cut at a narrow side of the plate-shaped workpiece (5) that is not yet finally formatted; iv) making at least one drilled hole in the plate-shaped workpiece (5); and v) final machining of the workpiece provided with an edge strip.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a machining center and/or a continuously operating machine and/or a drilling machine is used as the at least one downstream machining station (2, 3).

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein waste, resulting in step b) in the region of the final cut (5b), is discarded before or during step c).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment portion (5a) of a plate-shaped workpiece (5) isolated in step b) is used for aligning the relevant workpiece (5) in a further machining process.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment portion (5a) is removed by a final cut or a split cut, in or after step c).

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment portion (5a) is removed in the at least one downstream machining station (2, 3), in particular in the last machining step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3H.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device according to the invention, by way of example, for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0041] FIG. 2A is a plan view of a workpiece, by way of example, isolated in the isolation station, comprising an alignment portion, in a first embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 2B is a plan view of a workpiece, by way of example, isolated in the isolation station, comprising an alignment portion, in a second embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 2C is a plan view of a workpiece, by way of example, isolated in the isolation station, comprising an alignment portion, in a third embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 2D is a plan view of a workpiece, by way of example, isolated in the isolation station, comprising an alignment portion, in a fourth embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 3A is an enlarged detail of the detail A from FIG. 1.

[0046] FIG. 3B is an enlarged detail of the detail B from FIG. 1.

[0047] FIG. 3C is an enlarged detail of the detail C from FIG. 1.

[0048] FIG. 3D is an enlarged detail of the detail D from FIG. 1.

[0049] FIG. 3E is an enlarged detail of the detail E from FIG. 1.

[0050] FIG. 3F is an enlarged detail of the detail F from FIG. 1.

[0051] FIG. 3G is an enlarged detail of the detail G from FIG. 1.

[0052] FIG. 3H is an enlarged detail of the detail H from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0053] FIG. 1 shows an overview of a possible device, by means of which the method according to the invention can be carried out. Many other devices are also conceivable.

[0054] The following description of individual components of the device shown in FIG. 1 is therefore given merely by way of example, and the components described are optional with respect to the method according to the invention.

[0055] All that the method according to the invention requires as essential is for an isolation station 1 to be provided which brings about the isolation of large-format plates 4 into individual isolated workpieces 5, as well as, in addition, for at least one machining station 16, 2, 3 downstream of the isolation station 1 to be provided, at which station the isolated workpiece 5 is treated in any form or otherwise machined. The plate-shaped workpieces within the meaning of the invention are preferably those made of wood or wood substitute materials. Other materials are in principle conceivable.

[0056] In the example shown, the isolation station 1 comprises a gantry 10 on which a machining unit 11 is arranged so as to be displaceable back and forth in the direction X (direction of the arrow P3). The gantry 10 itself is displaceable perpendicularly to the extension direction thereof, in the direction Y (arrow P2). The machining unit 11 does not necessarily have to be attached to a gantry 10, however; it can also be arranged on the isolation station 1 in another manner so as to be movable relative to the deposition table 12 of the isolation station 1.

[0057] The large-format plate 4 is preferably shifted in the direction of the arrow P1 (in parallel with the direction Y) on the deposition surface of the deposition table 12, and acquired and fixed there by grippers 13 engaging on the transverse side of the large-format plate 4 with respect to the direction Y, and/or grippers 14 engaging on the longitudinal side of the large-format plate 4 with respect to the direction Y. The grippers 13, 14 are preferably displaceable in the direction Y. For the purpose of isolation, the machining unit 11, which may be a milling machine or a saw or another machining unit, inter alia makes cuts by means of which a workpiece 5 is separated out of the large-format plate. In the example shown, this takes place at A (FIG. 3A).

[0058] It is now essential for the implementation of the concept of the invention for the isolated workpiece 5, in the isolation station 1, to receive an alignment portion. What an alignment portion may be is explained with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2B, on the basis of the examples there.

[0059] Firstly, it is possible, as shown in FIG. 2A, for an alignment portion to be a material protrusion 5a for example, which, unlike for example final cuts 5b in the case of which the isolated workpiece 5 already has its final format, still have to be separated from the isolated workpiece 5 in a later method step. Alternatively or in addition, however, it is also possible, as shown for example in FIG. 2B, in which the workpiece 5, as also in FIG. 2A, is in the shape of a parallelogram for example, to introduce or attach alignment portions 5c in the workpiece 5, in the region of the isolation station, during the isolation procedure. In the example shown, the alignment portions 5c are for example depressions made by milling or drilling, in which depressions for example corresponding centering or alignment elements can engage gripping means receiving the isolated workpiece 5. Preferably, depressions of this kind are designed in a non-rotationally symmetric manner, such that more or less form-fitting engagement of the mentioned gripping means in the received workpiece 5 can take place, and the gripping means can receive said workpiece in a manner having a defined reference position. The machine controller then knows how accurately the workpiece 5 is aligned in the machine.

[0060] It is thereby possible, as shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D, in particular if protruding portions 5a and depressions 5c are combined, to transfer any desired shape (rectangle in FIG. 2C or oval in FIG. 2D), to subsequent machining units, for further machining steps, following the isolation in the isolation station.

[0061] A corresponding first transfer is shown for example in detail B of FIG. 1, and the associated FIG. 3B. In this case the already isolated workpiece is received for example by a rotation means 16, and rotated by 90°, and then transferred to the grippers 15 which are preferably displaceable in the direction Y and receive the workpiece at the corresponding alignment portion and optionally transfer said workpiece through the further device. The machine controller knows exactly, at this point, the alignment in which the workpiece 5 is positioned in the machine, and can run the further machining program on the basis thereof. Instead of the means 15, 16, at this point (B) a robot can also be used in the corresponding device, which robot both rotates the workpiece into a specific position, and can grasp the workpiece 5 accordingly at the alignment portion 5a or 5b.

[0062] A rotation is of course optional. The following machining steps can be combined with one another as desired, or individual machining steps can be omitted. It is possible for example at C (corresponding to FIG. 3C) for milling machining or drilling machining using a corresponding unit 17 (optionally from the underside of the workpiece 5) to be carried out, it being possible for the above-mentioned grippers 15 to be used to retain the workpiece 5 during said machining step. This can also be achieved by means of a robot moving therewith in the Y direction.

[0063] At station D (FIG. 3D), the workpiece 5 can for example be placed on a vacuum table 19 or in a buffer, and optionally received by a further group of grippers or tensioners which are movable in the Y direction. At the same time or in addition, at this point the transfer of the workpiece 5 to the transport system or a protection system of the following machining station can take place.

[0064] There it is optionally possible, for example at F (FIG. 3F), for a further machining unit to be provided, such as a tool changer or a gang drilling head 26 or a gluing unit, which carries out machining steps on the workpiece 5.

[0065] Likewise, at station E (FIG. 3E) the workpiece 5 can be retained by corresponding grippers or tensioners 23, 24, and/or displaced in the direction Y, it being possible in this case, for example, for re-machining to be performed from the upper face of the workpiece 5.

[0066] A further optional station is station G (FIG. 3G). It is possible, for example, for a gluing unit 21 or attachment unit, fed by an edging magazine 22, to be arranged at this point, which unit is designed for attaching edge strips to the narrow side of the workpiece 5. It is theoretically possible for the attachment to take place at three workpiece narrow sides in this case, specifically everywhere that the workpiece 5 is not retained.

[0067] In particular, it is optionally possible for further final cuts to be made on the workpiece 5 in stations B to F.

[0068] In the case of station H which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3H (i.e., preferably at the end of the machining), it is then possible for the alignment portion 5a to be removed and the workpiece to be finished for removal at the end. For this purpose, a saw or a milling machine may be provided at this point.

[0069] Of course, stations two and three can contain or be designed as both continuous machines and machining centers.

[0070] The arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to optimize processing procedures, since auxiliary measures for subsequent alignment and referencing of the workpiece 5 isolated out of the large-format plate 4 are already carried out prior to the actual machining, such that corresponding set-up times during the actual workpiece machining can be avoided.