Machine tool and tool changing method
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorTakafumi Murakami
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When the number of machining operations using a tool attached to a machining head of a machine tool has reached a predetermined number of machining operations for replacement, without a determination unit determining that an abnormality has occurred in the tool, then the tool is replaced with a replacement tool that is held in a tool magazine. Further, the tool removed from the machining head is returned to the tool magazine and stored as an auxiliary replacement tool. Then, if the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the replacement tool, the replacement tool is replaced with the auxiliary replacement tool.
Claims8
A machine tool including a machining head to which a tool is attached, and a tool magazine configured to hold a replacement tool of a same kind as the tool, the machine tool comprising:
- a tool changer configured to replace the tool with the replacement tool;
- and
- a determination unit configured to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the tool attached to the machining head,
- wherein, if a number of machining operations using the tool reaches a number of machining operations for replacement that is smaller than a predetermined limit number of machining operations, without the determination unit determining that an abnormality has occurred in the tool, then the tool changer replaces the tool with the replacement tool and also returns the tool removed from the machining head to the tool magazine as an auxiliary replacement tool, and
- if the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the replacement tool before a number of machining operations using the replacement tool reaches the number of machining operations for replacement, then the tool changer replaces the replacement tool with the auxiliary replacement tool.
A tool changing method for replacing, by using a tool changer, a tool attached to a machining head of a machine tool with a replacement tool that is held in a tool magazine and is of a same kind as the tool, the tool changing method comprising:
- causing the tool changer to replace the tool with the replacement tool and also return the tool removed from the machining head to the tool magazine as an auxiliary replacement tool, if a number of machining operations using the tool reaches a number of machining operations for replacement that is smaller than a predetermined limit number of machining operations, without a determination unit determining that an abnormality has occurred in the tool;
- and
- causing the tool changer to replace the replacement tool with the auxiliary replacement tool if the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the replacement tool before a number of machining operations using the replacement tool reaches the number of machining operations for replacement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.