FEEDING DEVICE FOR A TOOL MAGAZINE OF A MACHINE TOOL AND METHOD FOR CHANGING A TOOL ON A TOOL MAGAZINE

Abstract

A feeding device for a rotatable wheel magazine of a machine tool is proposed. The feeding device includes a manipulator for changing and inserting tools on the wheel magazine, wherein the manipulator is movably arranged along the first direction of movement and has at least one movable tool holder. A tool input unit is provided with tool input positions for tools to be introduced and/or replaced in the wheel magazine. The manipulator for changing and inserting tools on the wheel magazine is moved along the first direction of movement, making refilling of the wheel magazine easy and efficient.

Claims

1. An input device for a tool magazine of a machine tool, wherein the input device has a manipulator for changing and inserting tools on the tool magazine and the manipulator is arranged movably along a first direction of movement and has at least one tool holder; the input device being wherein a tool supplying unit having at least one tool space for accommodating tools is provided, and the manipulator for changing a tool on the tool magazine is movable along the first direction of movement, in the direction of the tool supplying unit, to a transfer position.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the tool space is provided at a tool bar and a lifting device for lifting the tool bar into the transfer position is provided for removing a tool from the tool bar.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein for changing a tool the manipulator removes at least one tool from the lifted tool bar in the transfer position.

4. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the lifting device has an engagement member for receiving a tool bar and the engagement member is movable along a lifting direction.

5. The input device according to claim 4, wherein the engagement member of the lifting device is arranged for lifting along the lifting direction into the transfer position and rotating the tool bar from an initial position into a transfer position.

6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the tool supplying unit comprises at least one tool bar and the tool space of the tool bar is a manually loadable tool space for tools to be provided.

7. The input device according to claim 4, wherein a movable tool trolley can be fixed at a setting position so that the tool bar provided on the tool trolley can be connected to the engagement member of the lifting device, for lifting the tool bar into the transfer position.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator is movable in a translatory fashion along the first direction of movement and in a translatory fashion along a second direction of movement.

9. The input device according to claim 8, wherein at least one direction of movement of the manipulator extends substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the tool magazine being a wheel magazine.

10. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the first and second directions of movement of the manipulator lie in one plane and the lifting direction lies outside this plane.

11. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the manipulator has an extendable manipulator arm, which can be extended along the first direction of movement and wherein the manipulator can be moved in a translatory fashion along the second direction of movement along a displacement axis.

12. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator has a rotatable manipulator arm.

13. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the tool bar comprises six manually loadable tool spaces.

14. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator can additionally be moved in such a way that tools of the tool bar can be introduced directly into a spindle of the machine tool.

15. The input device according to claim 1, wherein an identification system is provided for identifying the tools.

16. The input device according to claim 15, wherein the identification system automatically identifies the tools accommodated in the tool bar.

17. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the tools have stored tool data and the lifting device lifts and/or rotates the tool bar into a predefined position to read/write the tool data.

18. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator has at least one gripper for engagement at a tool interface of a tool, and the tool holder of the manipulator can be rotated about an axis of rotation.

19. The input device according to claim 2, wherein a movable tool trolley at least two tool bars which are arranged parallel to one another.

20. A machine tool with a wheel magazine and an input device according to claim 1.

21. A method for changing tools of a tool magazine of a machine tool by means of an input device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: moving the tool bar from the tool supplying unit into a transfer position; supplying or removing a tool from the tool bar located in the transfer position by the manipulator; moving the manipulator along the first direction of movement to introduce/replace the tool into the tool magazine.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein at least one of the following steps is performed: lifting or lowering the tool bar with the at least one tool to be introduced along the lifting direction; removing a tool from the lifted and rotated tool bar by the manipulator; translating the removed tool with the manipulator along the first direction of movement and the second direction of movement; introducing the removed tool into the wheel magazine.

23. The method according to claim 21, additionally comprising the step of: rotating the tool bar lifted along the lifting direction about an axis of rotation.

24. The method according to claim 21, additionally comprising the step of: identifying the tool to be introduced via an identification system.

25. An input device for a rotatable tool magazine of a machine tool, comprising a manipulator for removing tools from the tool magazine along a tool removal path; a tool supplying unit for providing tools; wherein the tool removal path connects a tool position on the tool magazine and the tool input unit, and the manipulator for changing and/or inserting tools can be actuated in such a way that a tool provided on the tool input unit can be moved along the tool removal path by the manipulator and the tool provided can be introduced into the tool magazine by the manipulator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1: shows an overview of the feeding device for a rotatable wheel magazine of a machine tool;

[0040] FIG. 2: shows a tool input unit with two tool bars;

[0041] FIG. 3: shows the tool input unit, the shifting device and the manipulator in the area of the wheel magazine of the machine tool;

[0042] FIG. 4: shows a tool bar being lifted by the lifting device;

[0043] FIG. 5: shows the lifting device with a lifted tool bar which is rotated;

[0044] FIG. 6: shows the lifted and rotated tool bar on the lifting device;

[0045] FIG. 7: shows the lifted tool bar in an upper end position of the lifting device;

[0046] FIG. 8: shows the manipulator when removing a tool from the lifted tool bar;

[0047] FIG. 9: shows the manipulator with a picked-up tool when moving along the traverse axis of the manipulator;

[0048] FIG. 10: shows a tool bar with inserted tools;

[0049] FIG. 11: shows tool bars provided on the tool trolley.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In the following, examples of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The same or equal elements in the drawings can be marked with the same reference signs, but sometimes also with different reference signs. However, it should be noted that the present invention is in no way limited or restricted to the embodiments and design features described below, but also includes modifications of the embodiments, in particular those covered by modifications of the features of the examples described within the scope of protection of the independent claim.

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a wheel magazine for a machine tool. The wheel magazine E has a plurality of tool holders which are loaded with tools. In addition, the wheel magazine has free spaces. The wheel magazine is mounted on various end points and is designed to be rotatable. The wheel magazine is rotated, for example, via a chain drive.

[0052] The tools arranged in the wheel magazine are attached at a longitudinal end to the outer circumference of the wheel magazine, so that the tools protrude radially outwards from the outer circumference of the wheel magazine in radiant fashion. Preferably, tools are arranged in tool holders, a self-retaining hollow shank taper with face contact (HSK) being used as interface (not shown in the drawings). Alternatively, a steel taper or Morse taper can also be used. The tools are held at an end point along the circumference of the wheel magazine. Tool holders are provided along the circumference of the wheel magazine and can form a detachable connection with the tools. The tools are preferably locked in the holders due to the centrifugal or gravitational force. The illustrated wheel magazine E comprises a plurality of wheel magazines arranged parallel to one another, which are mounted in such a way that they can rotate about an axis of rotation. The tool magazine can optionally be equipped with one or more wheel magazines E. Each wheel magazine can have its own drive, which causes the wheel magazine to rotate about the common axis of rotation. Each wheel magazine can therefore be driven independently of the other wheel magazines in order to bring the respective wheel magazine into a desired rotary position, so that the required tool can be removed or exchanged by the manipulator D.

[0053] Such a wheel magazine is known e.g. from DE 10 2011 082 050 A1, the subject matter of which is hereby deemed to be included. The tool magazine with the wheel magazines E, shown in FIG. 1, has various tools available, which can be removed from the respective wheel magazine E by means of the manipulator D in order to be introduced into the spindle of the machine tool by means of the manipulator D. If it is now necessary to exchange tools in the tool magazine, or to partially or completely reload the tool magazine, the tool magazine was stopped for this purpose, so that a manual exchange of the individual tools became possible. According to the present invention, it is now possible to simplify the replacement or loading of the tool magazine and to improve the efficiency of the entire system, including the machining times of the machine tool. In particular, it is possible by means of the proposed feeding device for tools to be exchanged, to load or exchange tools of the tool magazine even during machining, i.e. while the machine tool is in operation. In particular, the manipulator D is provided for this purpose on a shifting device C, which is preferably parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel magazine E. This shifting device C, as shown in FIG. 1, allows the manipulator D to move along a shifting axis up to an area where the lifting device B is located with the tool input unit A.

[0054] The tool input unit A (also referred to as the tool supplying unit) can be, for example, a tool trolley on which the tools WZ to be exchanged or to be replaced are inserted via tool bars. In addition, the tool input unit can form a lockable space in which the tool trolley can be fixed so that the lifting device can be securely and easily docked to the tool bar. The tool WZ, which is provided in the respective bars, can be guided via the lifting device B to a transfer area, in which the displaced manipulator D can pick up the respective tool WZ in order to feed it to the wheel magazine E of the tool magazine at the desired position. In this way, it is also possible to transport tools to be exchanged from the wheel magazine E of the tool magazine via the manipulator D into the transfer area in order to add this tool to the tool bar again. The tool bar can again be added to the tool input unit A via the lifting device B. This allows an automated, simple and fast exchange and replacement of different tools directly from the tool magazine. A manual replacement of the individual tools from the wheel magazine is therefore superfluous. In particular, it is easily possible to load the different tool positions of the tool input unit A with new and, for example, maintained tools and to move this tool input unit A to the intended input position, so that an automatic exchange and introduction of the different tools is made possible in a simple way by the feeding device. This configuration allows setup to be carried out during machining. The tool bars with the tools WZ are preferably used for the simultaneous supply and removal of up to six tools. In addition, particularly heavy tools no longer have to be supplied manually to the respective wheel magazine E, but it is sufficient if the respective tools are supplied to the tool input unit A on the tool bar via the tool trolley.

[0055] It is possible in a particularly advantageous way to configure the feeding device such that, depending on the machining time and the machining steps to be carried out by the machine tool, it automatically decides when different tools are to be introduced into the tool magazine, so that a particularly time-efficient input of tools into the tool magazine is made possible. In addition, the user of the machine tool does not have to wait for the machine when changing tools WZ for the wheel magazine E, as he can immediately feed the new tools to the machine via the tool input unit A, so that the machine can introduce or replace the new tools independently, if necessary.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the tool input unit A. It consists e.g. of a tool trolley A3, which is arranged in such a way that it can be easily moved via wheels. This allows the user to transport even heavy tools to the desired place without having to lift all the tools. The tool trolley A3 includes fasteners which enable a detachable connection to the various tool bars A1. These tool bars A1 have holding spaces for tools, wherein six tool spaces per tool bar A1 are preferably provided. The individual tools WZ are preferably inserted into the individual holding spaces with the individual tool interfaces, so that these tools WZ can be removed from the individual tool bar A1 via the manipulator in order to be fed directly into the spindle of the machine tool or directly into the tool magazine.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 2, the tool trolley A3 has fasteners that allow two tool bars to be inserted. The tools WZ are measured in the setting room and the data is stored on a tool identification chip. If the tool trolley A3 is now positioned at the intended position on the machine tool, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible for the machine tool or the feeding device to automatically record the data of the individual tools as well as the position of the individual tools via these tool identification chips, so that autonomous removal of the individual tools can be made possible.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the tool trolley A3 is positioned at a feeding position to allow engagement with the lifting device B. The lifting device B has a lifting direction B1, along which the individual tool bars A1 can be lifted. It is preferable to fix the tool trolley at the intended position in order to facilitate removal by the lifting device B.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows the tool bar A1 in a lifted state. The tool bar A2 is still positioned in the tool trolley A3 of the tool input unit A. The tool trolley A3 is fixed directly in the holding area. The tool bar A1 is lifted by the lifting device along the lifting axis B1 in order to allow contact with the manipulator D or transfer of the tool to the manipulator D. The manipulator D has a manipulator arm D3, at the first end of which a first gripper D1 and a second gripper D2 are provided. At the opposite second end of the manipulator arm D3, the manipulator holder D4 is provided, which can determine a further axis of movement of the manipulator D. The manipulator D is designed as a swivel-blade exchanger with double gripper, with a first gripper D1 and a second gripper D2, for removing the tools in the embodiment shown. The double gripper allows the simultaneous pick-up of the tool last used and the tool subsequently required, so that tool exchange is possible with only one horizontal movement of the manipulator between spindle and tool magazine.

[0060] The manipulator D is arranged at the outer circumference of the wheel magazine E, the manipulator being movable along a first linear axis L1, so that the manipulator arm D3 is designed to be retractable and extendable. In other words, the manipulator D is designed in such a way that the position of the first gripper D1 and the second gripper D2 relative to the manipulator holder D4 can be extended or shortened. This makes it possible to extend or retract the manipulator arm D3 along the linear axis L1. In addition, the first and second grippers D1, D2 can be rotated. In particular, the grippers can be rotated about an axis of rotation which extends along the manipulator arm D3. This allows the first gripper D1 and the second gripper D2 to be rotated or swiveled. In addition, the manipulator D is movable along the second linear axis L2, so that a displacement of the manipulator D along the displacement axis C1 is possible. The shifting device C, which includes the main body C2, is provided for this purpose. The main body C2 preferably has rails and a chain drive, so that the manipulator holder D4 can be moved linearly along the second linear axis L2 with the manipulator D. In a further embodiment, the manipulator D can preferably have a further movement axis, which allows rotation around the manipulator holder D4.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows the feeding device for the rotating wheel magazine E, where the tool bar A1 is rotated from the horizontal initial position to a vertical target position. The tool bar A1 is rotated to the vertical position so that the manipulator D with the gripper arms D1 and D2 can remove one or two tools. The tool bar A1 is lifted by the lifting device B along the lifting direction B1 and preferably rotated by 90. After the rotation, the tools are oriented so that they can be removed directly by the grippers of the manipulator D. The lifting device B is preferably designed in such a way that the lifting of the tool bar A1 is simultaneously accompanied by the rotation of the tool bar from the horizontal to the vertical. Thus, two parallel motion sequences preferably take place.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows the upper position of the lifting device B with the tool bar A1 in the vertical position. In the vertical position, the tools WZ of the tool bar A1 can be removed directly by the grippers D1, D2 of the manipulator D.

[0063] In order to remove the tool WZ from the tool bar A1, the manipulator D is moved along the displacement axis C1. For this purpose, the shifting device C is activated, which allows the linear movement of the manipulator D parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel magazines E.

[0064] FIG. 8 shows the removal of a tool WZ from the tool bar A1, a gripper of the manipulator D engaging at the tool interface to unlock and remove the tool from the tool bar A1. The position of the manipulator and the tool bar A1 is the so-called transfer position U. For a tool transfer, both the manipulator D and the tool bar A1 (using the lifting device B, which rotates and lifts the tool bar) must be moved to the transfer position U.

[0065] The feeding device is preferably set up in such a way that automatic recognition of the individual tools, which are arranged in the tool bar A1, is made possible. In particular, tools which are provided in different plug-in locations of the tool bar A1 are automatically recognized. For example, the identification of the accommodated tools of the tool bar A1, A2 can be made possible via the provided tool identification chip of the individual tools or via an identification chip of the tool bar. For example, the lifting device B can be designed for this purpose in such a way that tool data can be identified and transmitted without contact or by touching the tool bar and/or the tools. The tool bar can be moved along the lifting direction B1 by means of the lifting device B, at the same time allowing the tool data to be read and written. The feeding device thus allows automatic tool identification. Depending on the tool to be removed or on the desired position in the tool bar, it can be moved vertically upwards or downwards along the lifting direction B1 in order to set a desired removal position. If, for example, a tool is required which is located in the lowest holding space of the tool bar A1, in the vertical alignment of the tool bar A1, as shown in FIG. 8, the tool bar A1 can be moved further vertically upwards along the lifting direction B1, so that the manipulator D can contact the tool interface of the tool to be removed directly with the respective gripper by linear movement. If, on the other hand, a tool is required at the uppermost tool position of the vertical tool bar A1 in FIG. 8, the tool bar A1 can be moved vertically downwards until the tool to be removed lies on a (in particular horizontal) plane with the gripper of the manipulator D.

[0066] FIG. 9 shows the manipulator D, which has picked up a tool which was removed from the tool bar A1. The manipulator D is moved along the displacement axis C1 on the main body C2. The removed tool WZ can be introduced by the manipulator D directly into the wheel magazine E or can be directly introduced into the spindle of the machine tool. After removing all tools from the tool bar A1, it is placed back in the tool trolley.

[0067] The tool bars can be arranged in various ways on the tool trolley A3. FIGS. 10 and 11 show a tool bar A1 and the tool trolley A3 with tool bars A1, A2 provided thereon. The tool bar A1 has different tools WZ, which are provided in the accommodating holes of the tool spaces P. The tools WZ here also include the tool interfaces, i.e. a clamping device for clamping the tool in the spindle. FIG. 11 shows a parallel arrangement of tool bars A1 and A2. It is more preferred to provide two parallel bars and two bars orthogonal thereto on the tool trolley A3. The tool trolley A3 also has wheels A4, which allow easy manual movement of the tool trolley A3 together with the tool bars A1 and A2 and the tools WZ.

[0068] A method for feeding tools into a rotatable tool magazine or wheel magazine of a machine tool can therefore include the steps shown in FIGS. 3 to 9. The method can therefore include the lifting of the tool bar A1 with the lifting device B along the lifting direction B1. The tool bar can be rotated about an axis of rotation by at least 90. The tool WZ can be removed from the lifted and rotated tool bar by the manipulator D via the gripper. In this position, it is also possible to feed tools into the tool bar via the gripper using the manipulator D.

[0069] In summary, a feeding device for a rotatable tool magazine of a machine tool is proposed according to the present invention, with which the rotatable wheel magazine can be refilled in a simple and efficient way. Heavy tools no longer have to be inserted manually and at the same time up to six tools can be inserted and removed simultaneously. In addition, the feeding device according to the invention allows setup during machining. The arrangement of the feeding device also results in a space-saving and cost-effective input station for a wheel magazine of the tool magazine.