Search

US-20260124684-A1 - Device for handling a clamping ram

US20260124684A1US 20260124684 A1US20260124684 A1US 20260124684A1US-20260124684-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device ( 10 ) for handling a clamping ram ( 100 ) which has a shaft ( 110 ) with a longitudinal axis (L) and a collar ( 112 ), with an arm ( 20 ) that can be moved in at least one spatial direction (X) with a first end ( 20 a) on which a fastening unit ( 30 ) for fastening the clamping ram ( 100 ) is arranged, wherein the fastening unit ( 20 ) comprises a magnetic or magnetizable contact element ( 31 ) for magnetically fastening the clamping ram ( 100 ), as well as a method for changing a tool or a workpiece ( 300 ) on a machine tool ( 200 ) making use of such a device ( 10 ).

Inventors

  • Timo Zepf

Assignees

  • ADELBERT HAAS GMBH

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20260105
Priority Date
20240411

Claims (6)

  1. 1 - 16 . (canceled)
  2. 17 . Method for changing a tool or a workpiece ( 300 ) on a machine tool ( 200 ), wherein the tool or the workpiece ( 200 ) is held under tension in a tool or workpiece holder ( 220 ) by means of a clamping ram ( 100 ), comprising the following steps: gripping the tool or workpiece ( 300 ) held under tension in the tool or workpiece holder ( 220 ) with a first handling unit, moving the arm ( 20 ) of a device ( 10 ) for handling a clamping ram ( 100 ) in a spatial direction (X) until the contact element ( 31 ) of the fastening unit ( 30 ) bears against the clamping ram ( 100 ), pulling out the clamping ram ( 100 ) by moving the arm ( 20 ) back in the spatial direction (X) until the clamping ram ( 100 ) is completely pulled out of the hole ( 310 ) of the tool or workpiece ( 200 ), removing the tool or workpiece ( 300 ) by means of the first handling unit, supplying of a new tool or workpiece ( 300 ), retracting the clamping ram( 100 ) by moving the arm ( 20 ) with the clamping ram ( 100 ) in the spatial direction until the collar ( 112 ) of the clamping ram ( 100 ) bears against the new tool or workpiece ( 300 ).
  3. 18 . Method according to claim 17 , characterized in that the arm ( 20 ) is moved in precisely one spatial direction (X).
  4. 19 . Method according to claim 17 , characterized in that the supplying of the new tool or workpiece ( 300 ) takes place using a second handling unit.
  5. 20 . Method according to claim 17 , characterized in that, before the clamping ram ( 100 ) is pulled out, the fastening of the clamping ram ( 100 ) in the tool or workpiece holder ( 220 ) is released and, after the clamping ram ( 100 ) is retracted, the clamping ram ( 100 ) is refastened in the tool or workpiece holder ( 220 ).
  6. 21 . Method according to claim 17 , characterized in that an ejector pin ( 34 ) of the device ( 10 ) is advanced after the clamping ram ( 100 ) has been retracted in order to release the clamping ram ( 100 ) from the device ( 10 ).

Description

Machine tools are being operated in an increasingly automated manner. This is, in particular, accompanied by the fact that the tool change is also partially or fully automated during operation of such a machine tool. It is common practice to connect the various tools to a spindle, an axis of rotation or another indexing head of the machine tool by means of a tool holder. There are also cases in which the workpiece to be machined is coupled with the spindle, the axis of rotation or the other indexing head of the machine tool. To illustrate this, the term “tool or workpiece holder” is used in the following, even if every tool holder is actually also a workpiece holder or respectively becomes a workpiece holder if the clamping means, in which the tool is held as intended in a tool holder, is used to hold a workpiece. It is known to fasten tools or workpieces which have an axial hole in the tool or workpiece holder by means of a clamping ram, which in particular comprises an elongate cylindrical shaft with a collar at one end, which in particular forms a radial thickening. For this purpose, the clamping ram is guided through the hole and the cylindrical shaft of the clamping ram is gripped in a chuck of the tool or workpiece holder and drawn in in the axial direction to such an extent that the tool or workpiece bears against a front side of the tool or workpiece holder and is held clamped between the front side of the tool or workpiece holder and the collar of the clamping ram. A change of the tool or workpiece is time-consuming: either the tool or workpiece must be held with a separate handling unit, while the clamping ram must be pulled out of the hole of the tool or workpiece with another handling unit, for which purpose a projection must be arranged on the side of the collar facing away from the shaft, on which projection the handling unit can grip the clamping ram. Alternatively, in order to reinsert another tool or workpiece together with another clamping ram, the tool or workpiece must be pulled out of the tool or workpiece holder together with the clamping ram using a handling unit, which on the one hand increases the feed paths and the number of handling steps, and on the other hand requires a larger number of clamping rams to be kept at the ready. The task of the invention is therefore to provide a device for handling a clamping ram, with which a simplified change of a tool or workpiece on a machine tool can be made possible. The task is solved according to the invention by a device for handling a clamping ram with the features of patent claim 1, by a set comprising a device for handling a clamping ram and a machine tool with the features of patent claim 10 as well as a method for changing a tool or a workpiece on a machine tool with the features of patent claim 12. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims. The device according to the invention for handling a clamping ram which has a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a collar, with an arm that can be moved in at least one spatial direction with a first end on which a fastening unit for fastening the clamping ram is arranged, characterized in that the fastening unit comprises a magnetic or magnetizable contact element for magnetically fastening the clamping ram. Since the clamping ram is usually made of metal, it is possible to attach the clamping ram to the fastening unit much more quickly with the aid of a magnetic or magnetizable contact element than, for example, with a gripping element. In addition, a magnetic or magnetizable contact element enables fastening to the clamping ram not only from a radial direction, but also in the axial direction of the clamping ram, which has advantages when handling the clamping ram. According to a preferred embodiment, the contact element comprises a permanent magnet, which can enable an attachment without additional components, in particular without the need for a supply of power, simply by bringing the contact element closer to the clamping ram. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the contact element comprises an electromagnet. This allows the fastening unit to be selectively switched on and off, which may be desirable depending on the application. Advantageously, the contact element is arranged on the front side of the arm. This allows a spatially favorable arrangement to be achieved, which can be particularly advantageous when the contact element approaches the clamping ram in an axial direction or, in other words, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamping ram. Preferably, the contact element comprises an alignment tip. This alignment tip can determine the positioning of the clamping ram relative to the contact element when the contact element is in contact with the clamping ram, in particular, if the clamping ram has a corresponding recess, in particular, on its front side, into which the alignment tip inserts itse