Search

US-12617052-B2 - Conveyance system

US12617052B2US 12617052 B2US12617052 B2US 12617052B2US-12617052-B2

Abstract

The present invention includes a conveyance device ( 41 ) having a moving platform ( 43 ), a transfer device ( 45 ) and a robot ( 70 ) arranged on the moving platform ( 43 ), and a controller ( 80 ). The transfer device ( 45 ) has an engagement member ( 50 ) engageable with an object (W) to be conveyed and an advancing and retracting mechanism advancing and retracting the engagement member ( 50 ). The controller ( 80 ) executes a first moving operation of moving the moving platform ( 43 ) to a working position for a holding device ( 20 ), an engaging operation of engaging the engagement member ( 50 ) with the object (W) by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member ( 50 ), and an extracting operation of extracting the object (W) from the holding device ( 20 ) by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to retract the engagement member ( 50 ), and then executes a second moving operation of moving the moving platform ( 43 ) to a working position for an industrial machinery ( 10 ), a loading operation of loading the object (W) into the industrial machinery ( 10 ) by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member ( 50 ), and a retracting operation of causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to retract the engagement member ( 50 ).

Inventors

  • Hiroshi Yasuda
  • Satoru Kashiwagi
  • Keisuke Suzuki

Assignees

  • DMG MORI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210324

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A conveyance system extracting an object to be conveyed held by a holding device from the holding device and conveying the object to a machine tool, the conveyance system comprising: a conveyance device having a moving platform and configured to move the moving platform to a working position set for the holding device and to a working position set for the machine tool; a transfer device and a robot arranged on the moving platform; and a controller configured to control operations of the moving platform, transfer device, and robot, wherein: the transfer device has: an engagement member arranged to be engageable with the object; and an advancing and retracting mechanism configured to advance and retract the engagement member in a predetermined direction in a horizontal plane; and the controller is at least configured to sequentially execute a first moving operation of moving the moving platform of the conveyance device to the working position set for the holding device, an engaging operation of engaging the engagement member with the object as a target by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member, and an extracting operation of extracting the object from the holding device by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to retract the engagement member, and thereafter sequentially execute a second moving operation of moving the moving platform to the working position set for the machine tool, a loading operation of loading the conveyed object into the machine tool by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member, and a retracting operation of causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to retract the engagement member; wherein the transfer device is configured to be capable of transporting to the machine tool a first workpiece having a different weight or shape from a second workpiece that the robot can transport to the machine tool.
  2. 2 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein: the advancing and retracting mechanism of the transfer device is configured to be able to perform an operation of advancing the engagement member in the direction and an operation of retracting the engagement member to an original position, and is further configured to be able to perform an operation of advancing the engagement member in an opposite direction opposite to the direction and an operation of retracting the engagement member to the original position; and the controller is configured to, in the loading operation, load the conveyed object into the machine tool by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member in the opposite direction.
  3. 3 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein: the transfer device further has a turning mechanism configured to turn the engagement member about a vertical axis; and the controller is configured to execute, when executing the second moving operation after execution of the extracting operation, a turning operation of causing the turning mechanism to turn the engagement member such that the direction in which the engagement member is advanced and retracted is directed toward the machine tool, and execute the operations subsequent to the second moving operation.
  4. 4 . The conveyance system according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the turning operation and the second moving operation in parallel.
  5. 5 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein: the transfer device further has a raising and lowering mechanism configured to raise and lower the engagement member; and the controller is configured to, in the engaging operation, engage the engagement member with the object by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member and then causing the raising and lowering mechanism to raise the engagement member, and is further configured to, in the loading operation, load the conveyed object into the machine tool by causing the advancing and retracting mechanism to advance the engagement member, and thereafter cause the raising and lowering mechanism to lower the engagement member.
  6. 6 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the conveyance device and transfer device and the robot such that operation of the conveyance device and transfer device and operation of the robot are executed at least partially in parallel.
  7. 7 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance device is configured to be able to move the moving platform to a retracted position spaced away from the working position set for the machine tool.
  8. 8 . The conveyance system according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance device is configured to be able to move the moving platform to a retracted position spaced away from the working position set for the holding device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a conveyance system that extracts an object to be conveyed from a holding device holding the object and conveys the object to a predetermined industrial machinery. BACKGROUND ART Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-184826 discloses a conventionally known forklift as a conveyance device that is able to extract an object to be conveyed from a holding device and convey the object to a predetermined industrial machinery. This forklift has a fork, a first support shaft, a first elevating device, an arm, a second support shaft, and a second elevating device. The fork is formed such that a load can be placed on the fork. The first support shaft extends in the vertical direction and supports the fork slidably in the vertical direction. The first elevating device raises and lowers the fork along the first support shaft. The arm is configured to be able to grasp a load. The second support shaft also extends in the vertical direction and supports the arm slidably in the vertical direction. The second elevating device raises and lowers the arm along the second support shaft. The arm is supported on the second support shaft to be able to swing in a direction intersecting the second support shaft and is configured to be able to be bent or curved and configured to be able to be extended. Since this forklift has the arm configured to be able to grasp a load, when the load to be transported has an irregular shape, the forklift can place the load onto the fork using the arm without requiring packing or the like of the load. Further, even when the load to be transported is heavy and has an irregular shape, the forklift can place the load onto the fork or a pallet on the fork using the arm without using a crane or the like. Thus, this forklift can easily perform loading/unloading and transport of a load having an irregular shape. Further, since the arm is swingable with respect to the second support shaft, the range of motion of the distal end of the arm is widened. Therefore, for example, when placing onto the fork a load located diagonally in front of the forklift, the forklift can grasp the load with the arm by only swinging the arm without finely adjusting the orientation and the like of the forklift. Thus, this forklift can smoothly and quickly perform loading/unloading and transport of a load. Further, since the arm is configured to be able to be bent or curved, the arm can more stably grasp or hold a load and fine adjustment of the position of the distal end of the arm can be easily carried out. Therefore, this forklift can more stably grasp or hold a load with the arm and therefore can smoothly and quickly perform loading/unloading and transport of the load. Furthermore, since the arm is configured to be able to be extended; the arm can move more variously. Therefore, the convenience of the arm is more improved. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-184826 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem In the field of industrial machineries, especially in the field of machine tools, generalization and automation have been promoted in recent years. In terms of generalization, it is now possible to use a single machine tool to machine objects ranging from light to heavy in weight and ranging from small to large in size. Further, tools used in machining in a single machine tool range from standard-sized tools that are able to be stored in a tool magazine to heavy or large-sized tools. To automate such a generalized machine tool, a conveyance device (conveyance system) has been desired which is able to load and unload a wide variety of workpieces into and from the machine tool or able to attach and detach heavy or large-sized tools, which are unable to be stored in the tool magazine, to and from a tool holding unit of the machine tool. However, there has been no conveyance device suitable for automaton of a machine tool generalized as described above. Although, as mentioned above, the forklift disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-184826 has been proposed, this forklift is configured to be operated by a human; therefore, this forklift cannot realize the automation. The present invention has been achieved in view of the above-described circumstances and an object of the invention is to provide an automated conveyance system able to convey a wide variety of objects to an industrial machinery. Solution to Problem To solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a conveyance system that extracts an object to be conveyed from a holding device holding the object and conveys the object to a predetermined industrial machinery and that includes: a conveyance device having a moving platform and configured to move the moving platform to a working position set for the holding device and to a working position set for the industrial machinery;a