Blade holding jig

A cutting machine including a cutting unit in which a cutting blade is to be mounted on a receiver flange fixed on a distal end portion of a spindle, comprising:

• a blade stock board that stores the cutting blade;
• a replacement apparatus that replaces the cutting blade to be mounted on the receiver flange;
• and
• a moving unit that moves the replacement apparatus between a replacing position where the cutting blade is replaced and a retracted position,
• wherein the replacement apparatus has
• a blade holding jig configured to hold the cutting blade via an annular retainer flange to be mounted on the distal end portion so as to hold the cutting blade in cooperation with the receiver flange fixed on the distal end portion,
• a nut holding portion that holds a retainer nut to be fastened on the receiver flange, and
• a nut rotating portion that rotates the retainer nut,
• the blade holding jig includes
• an annular flange holding portion configured to hold a first annular surface of the retainer flange under suction, and
• an annular non-contact suction portion arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the flange holding portion and configured to produce a negative pressure by ejection of a fluid toward an outer peripheral portion of the retainer flange held by the flange holding portion and to draw up the cutting blade toward the retainer flange, and
• the cutting blade drawn up toward the retainer flange by the non-contact suction portion is held on the retainer flange by a suction force acting from the flange holding portion via a plurality of through holes disposed through the retainer flange so as to extend from a second annular surface to the first annular surface of the retainer flange, the second annular surface being located on a side opposite to the first annular surface and in contact with one side of the cutting blade.

A method for mounting a cutting blade on a receiver flange fixed on a distal end portion of a spindle, by using a blade holding jig,

• the blade holding jig including
• an annular flange holding portion configured to hold under suction a first annular surface of an annular retainer flange to be mounted on the distal end portion, and
• an annular non-contact suction portion arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the flange holding portion and configured to produce a negative pressure by ejection of a fluid toward an outer peripheral portion of the retainer flange held by the flange holding portion and to draw up the cutting blade toward the retainer flange,
• the retainer flange having a plurality of through holes disposed through the retainer flange so as to extend from a second annular surface to the first annular surface of the retainer flange, the second annular surface being located on a side opposite to the first annular surface and in contact with one side of the cutting blade,
• the method comprising:
• a retainer flange holding step of holding the first annular surface of the retainer flange supported at the second annular surface thereof on the blade stock board, under suction by the flange holding portion;
• a retainer flange moving-close step of moving the second annular surface of the retainer flange held under suction, close to the cutting blade mounted on the blade stock board, to decrease a distance between the second annular surface and the cutting blade to a predetermined length or less;
• a cutting blade drawing-up step of, after the retainer flange moving-close step, ejecting the fluid from the non-contact suction portion to produce a negative pressure and to suck the cutting blade and drawing up the cutting blade toward the second annular surface;
• a cutting blade holding step of holding the cutting blade that has come close to the second annular surface in the cutting blade drawing-up step, on the second annular surface by a suction force acting from the through holes;
• and
• a mounting step of mounting the cutting blade and the retainer flange on the receiver flange fixed on the spindle so that the cutting blade is held between the receiver flange and the retainer flange with the cutting blade held on the second annular surface of the retainer flange by the suction force.