# US 10,500,723 B2 · Machining system and machine controller in which a moving robot loads and unloads an article with respect to machining device

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- Number: US 10,500,723 B2
- Document ID: US10500723B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/881,926
- Filed: 2018-01-29
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-03
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroji Nishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500723B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/163: {learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control}
- B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels}
- B25J 9/162: {Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it}
- B25J 11/0055: {Cutting}
- G05B 19/402: characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/4189: {characterised by the transport system}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)}
- G05D 1/028: {using a RF signal}
- G05B 2219/39107: Pick up article, object, measure, test it during motion path, place it
- G05B 2219/39132: Robot welds, operates on moving workpiece, moved by other robot
- G05B 2219/40298: Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot
- Y10S 901/40: Vacuum or mangetic
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

There is provided a machining system in which for automation of loading and unloading of an article with respect to a machining device, an operation of a robot can be easily set from a machine controller of the machining device. The machining system includes a machine controller and a robot controller. The machine controller includes a communication section configured to read from a storage section setting data and a robot operation program which correspond to the type of the machined article as set by a setting section when a determination section determines that the moving robot is disposed at a predetermined position, and transmit the same to the robot controller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A machining system, comprising:
a machining device including a housing having a door, the machining device configured to machine an article inside the housing;
a moving robot configured to
move to a predetermined first position in front of the door of the housing of the machining device, and
perform at least one of loading of an unmachined article through the door into the housing or unloading of the machined article from the housing through the door;
a machine controller configured to control the machining device; and
a robot controller configured to control the moving robot, wherein the machine controller includes
a first storage section configured to
store a plurality of machining programs for obtaining a plurality of types of machined articles by the machining device, and
store, for each of the plurality of types of machined articles, a first setting data and a first robot operation program for causing the moving robot to load the unmachined article through the door into the housing and unload the machined article from the housing through the door;
a setting section configured to
select one from among the plurality of machining programs, and
set the type of the machined article to be obtained by the machining device;
a determination section configured to determine whether or not the moving robot is disposed at the first position in front of the door; and
a first communication section configured to, in response to the determination section determining that the moving robot is disposed at the first position in front of the door,
read, from the first storage section, the first setting data and the first robot operation program which correspond to the type of the machined article as set by the setting section, and
transmit the first setting data and the first robot operation program to the robot controller,
the robot controller includes a second communication section configured to receive the first setting data and the first robot operation program which are transmitted from the first communication section, and
the robot controller is configured to control the moving robot on a basis of the first setting data and the first robot operation program which are received by the second communication section to cause the moving robot to perform at least one of loading of the unmachined article or unloading of the machined article with respect to the machining device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The machining system according to claim 1, wherein
the moving robot is an autonomous moving robot,
the robot controller further includes a second storage section configured to store navigation information for the moving robot to sequentially move to the first position and a predetermined second position distant from the first position, the navigation information being stored in association with an identification information associated with the machining device,
the machine controller is configured to transmit a movement command for calling the moving robot and the identification information of the machining device from the first communication section to the robot controller in accordance with a progress state of machining, and
the robot controller is configured to
receive, by the second communication section, the identification information of the machining device, the identification information being transmitted with the movement command,
read, from the second storage section the navigation information corresponding to the identification information of the machining device as received, and
cause the moving robot to sequentially move to the first position and the second position on a basis of the navigation information as read.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The machining system according to claim 2, further comprising
a storage base at the second position and configured to store the unmachined article and the machined article, wherein
the first storage section is configured to further store, for each of the plurality of types of machined articles, a second setting data and a second robot operation program for causing the moving robot to unload the machined article into the storage base and load another unmachined article from the storage base,
the first communication section is configured to
read, from the first storage section, the second setting data and the second robot operation program which correspond to the type of the machined article as set by the setting section in response to the determination section determining that the moving robot is disposed at the first position, and
transmit the second setting data and the second robot operation program to the robot controller,
the second communication section is configured to
receive the second setting data and the second robot operation program, and
cause the second setting data and the second robot operation program to be stored in the second storage section, and
the robot controller is configured to control the moving robot on a basis of the second setting data and the second robot operation program which are stored in the second storage section to cause the moving robot to unload the machined article into the storage base and load the another unmachined article from the storage base in response to the moving robot being disposed at the second position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The machining system according to claim 3, wherein
the machine controller is configured to
set the type of the machined article to be obtained by the machining device,
control the machining device to machine the article inside the housing to obtain the set type of the machined article,
transmit the movement command and the identification information of the machining device from the first communication section to the second communication section of the robot controller,
determine the moving robot being disposed at the first position in subsequence to the robot controller moving the moving robot from a third position to the first position in front of the door on the basis of the navigation information, the third position being different from the first and second positions,
cause the first communication section to read and transmit the first robot operation program and the first setting data in the first storage section to the second communication section of the robot controller, and
control the door of the housing of the machining device to open, in subsequence to a completion of the machining of the article.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The machining system according to claim 4, wherein
the robot controller is configured to control the moving robot to
unload the machined article from the housing in subsequence to the opening of the door of the housing following the completion of the machining of the article,
move to the second position,
unload the machined article into the storage base and load the another unmachined article from the storage base,
move to the first position and unload the another unmachined article into the machining device, and
move to the third position.

### Claim 6

A machine controller configured to control a machining device including a housing having a door, the machining device configured to machine an article inside the housing, wherein a moving robot is configured to perform at least one of loading of an unmachined article through the door into the housing or unloading of the machined article from the housing through the door, the machine controller comprising:
a storage section configured to
store a plurality of machining programs for obtaining a plurality of types of machined articles by the machining device, and
store, for each of the plurality of types of machined articles, a setting data and a robot operation program for causing the moving robot to load the unmachined article through the door into the housing and unload the machined article from the housing through the door;
a setting section configured to
select one from among the plurality of machining programs, and
set the type of the machined article to be obtained by the machining device;
a determination section configured to determine whether or not the moving robot is disposed at a predetermined position in front of the door of the housing of the machining device; and
a communication section configured to, in response to the determination section determining that the moving robot is disposed at the predetermined position in front of the door,
read, from the storage section, the setting data and the robot operation program which correspond to the type of the machined article as set by the setting section, and
transmit the the setting data and the robot operation program to a robot controller configured to control the moving robot.