Other

Amada Company, Limited

Sony Corporation

Kaoru Nakamura

Hideki Fujiwara

Nobuaki Tamura

Masato Kanazawa

Hiroaki Akiyama

Hitoshi Nakajima

Toru Masano

Naoshi Kobuya

Yuichi Ueda

Koichi Tsuchida

Tadashi Yokoyama

Yoshiyuki Matsui

Toshiyuki Koike

Seiji Tatematsu

Tomohiro Naito

Takuya Takahashi

Atsushi Kondo

Junichi Yoshinaga

There is provided an information processing apparatus including an existing place information acquisition part and a my-spot information registration part. The existing place information acquisition part is configured to acquire existing place information which specifies an existing place. The my-spot information registration part is configured to acquire spot information related to a spot, which spot information is provided from a plurality of information provider devices, based on the existing place information; and to register spot information specified by a user as my-spot information, out of the acquired spot information.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program and information processing system

A sheet metal factory processing system includes a production manager which generates a processing schedule for multiple units each including at least one material sheet, to manage the processing schedule on a per-unit basis. The processing schedule is generated based on sheet processing data obtained by allocating parts to be blanked from the material sheets according to a manufacturing designation. The sheet metal factory processing system also includes a sheet metal factory processing installation which is connected to the production manager through a communication network. The sheet metal factory processing installation receives the generated processing schedule from the production manager and executes the received processing schedule.

Sheet metal factory processing system

A sheet metal equipment sales method includes the following steps of: prompting a user to access from an information terminal; receiving engineering drawing-related information relating to the user's product by a seller's computer, editing the engineering drawing-related information, searching a product the same as or similar to the user's product from a database, performing demonstrative working of the user's product by actual equipment to prepare demonstrative working information; and distributing one of the user's product fabrication information and the demonstrative working information.

Sheet metal equipment sales method and system therefor

A sheet metal factory processing system includes a production management apparatus which generates a processing schedule based on a manufacturing designation. The processing schedule is managed in each unit of material sheets. The sheet metal factory processing system also includes a sheet metal factory processing installation which is mutually connected to the production management apparatus through a communication network to execute the processing schedule received from the production management apparatus.

A complex working system for sheet metal working comprising a sheet metal working line having at least a first step working cell and a subsequent second step working cell, wherein a working schedule for the second step working cell is first determined. A working schedule for the first step working cell is then determined based on the working schedule for the second step working cell, and the scheduled operation of the first and the second step working cells is executed according to the determined working schedules.

Compound processing system for sheet metal processing

An apparatus for detecting a pallet full load state determines a pallet full load state while switching the upper limit value of the mounting height of workpieces according to workpiece size. The cell controller of an apparatus for controlling a sheet metal machining line estimates an occurrence or non-occurrence of a pallet full load state defined as a function of the overall height or the total weight of the workpieces loaded on the carrier pallet by analyzing the machining schedule when a machined workpiece is loaded on the carrier pallet and has a replacing carrier pallet good for the next workpiece to be loaded stand-by whenever appropriate. A workpiece identifying apparatus determines the XY dimensions of a batch of workpieces on a pallet by arranging a number of absolute reference points arranged on the pallet and a number of relative reference points arranged on the workpieces and calculating the differentials between the absolute reference points and the corresponding relative reference points and the XY dimensions of a square defined on the pallet. The workpiece identifying apparatus additionally determines the material of the workpieces from the surface images of the workpieces taken by the cameras it carries by sequentially referring to the surface image data stored in a surface image data storage master. The workpiece identifying apparatus further determines the thickness of each of the workpieces and the number of workpieces on the pallet by determining the height of the accumulated workpieces and the gaps between any adjacently arranged workpieces.

Method and apparatus for detecting pallet full load state in sheet metal

A controller for transferring information for managing and controlling machine tools, an automatic warehouse and a CNC device reads material information (e.g., size, shape, material) on an actual material on a pallet in an automatic warehouse before transferring a machining program for nesting. The controller judges whether the material information matches a material on which products are nested, newly nests the products of a machining schedule on the material of the material information when they do not match, and transfers the machining program for the nesting to the CNC device and machine tools.

Nesting method and punching method for machine tool control system

A workpiece identifying method is provided, being characterized in that a plurality of identification areas of plural columns and rows are plotted in an identification mark providing region provided in the area of the unused portion of a workpiece or a product, identification holes are formed in the proper number of identification areas, whereby an identification mark is provided to the workpiece or the product. A workpiece is produced with identification holes formed in the proper number of identification areas. An identifying method for detecting the identification holes formed in the proper number of identification areas of the workpiece and workpiece identification apparatus are also provided. Sheet metal machining apparatus is further provided, having the workpiece identification apparatus placed in a workpiece feed device side or a carry-away device side for a sheet metal work machine. Thus, an identification mark is easily and surely provided to the workpiece, making it easy to identify the same.

Workpiece identification providing method, workpiece, workpiece

A machine tool control system and method are provided that utilize metal mold arrangement information to improve machining efficiency and control. According to the disclosure, a machining schedule, a machining program and metal mold information (indicating the characteristic properties of a metal mold to carry out machining) are transferred to a controller for controlling a CNC device and a machine tool unit (e.g., a turret punch press). The controller transfers the metal mold information for the machining program to the CNC device by a different transfer route than that of the machining program. The CNC device searches for a metal mold specified by the metal mold information based on metal mold arrangement information stored in a file. The metal mold arrangement information indicates each metal mold that is located in the machine tool unit. If a specified metal mold is not present, a metal mold exchange instruction is issued so that the specified metal mold may be set in the machine tool unit to carry necessary machining operations.

Machine tool control system and method utilizing metal mold arrangement

An apparatus for detecting a pallet full load state determines a pallet full load state while switching the upper limit value of the mounting height of workpieces according to workpiece size. The controller of an apparatus for controlling a sheet metal machining line estimates an occurrence or non-occurance of a pallet full load state. A pallet full load state is defined as a function of the overall height or the total weight of the workpieces loaded on the carrier pallet. The controller estimates an occurance or non-occurance of a pallet full load state by analyzing the machining schedule when a machined workpiece is loaded on the carrier pallet has a replacing carrier pallet suitable for the next workpiece to be loaded standby whenever appropriate.

A cell controller is provided that analyzes each unit machining schedule, which is referred to for manufacturing products, prior to the start of the assigned unit machining schedule. The data items in the schedule are analyzed include identification numbers of machining programs, the use or non-use of such identification numbers, the number of workpieces to be machined, and a presence or absence of predetermined procedures (e.g., for exchanging metal molds, etc.) that are referred to for manufacturing the products. An operator is notified of any foreseeable schedule alarm condition, that will force the operation of the line of manufacturing products of a specific item to be suspended, so that the operator may be informed of the situation in advance. The foreseeable schedule alarm condition may arise for reasons such as an insufficient number of available workpieces and/or preparatory work to be done (e.g., an exchange of metal molds, etc.).

Method of controlling a sheet metal machining line and apparatus for

A machine tool control system is provided that is capable of detecting a one-sheet takeout failure. The system includes a workpiece takeout schedule which indicates the plate thickness and number of sheets to be taken out from a stack of workpieces for each product. A one-sheet takeout sensor is also provided to detect when a one-sheet takeout device fails to takeout or suck one-sheet from the pallet of workpieces. In addition, the system includes a restoration setting key which permits an operator to select one of a plurality of modes to continue control operation of a machine tool with a controller when a one-sheet takeout failure is detected. When information from the one-sheet takeout sensor indicates a one-sheet takeout failure, based on the set mode of the restoration setting key, the controller changes the measuring range, the accumulating place for the sucked workpiece, or skips the workpiece takeout schedule based on a detected plate thickness.

Machine tool control system

When a machining program copied from the toll center is transferred to the NC device, the transfer system determining means of the controller compares a machining schedule copied from the toll center and its machining program with transfer judging rules created in the database to automatically judge whether memory transfer or DNC transfer system is more suitable, and the machining program transfer means transfers the machining program to the NC device by the selected system.

A machine tool control system is provided that controls a plurality of machining equipment by transferring, from a tool center, schedules for each machining equipment to a plurality of terminals which correspond to the plurality of machining equipment, respectively. The machine tool control system includes a controller for storing a plurality of schedules for the plurality of machining equipment. During operation, the system analyzes the current operating condition of the plurality of machining equipment through the respective terminals, and selects a schedule which is currently capable of being processed by each of the plurality of machining equipment from the plurality of schedules. The schedule that is selected is then transferred to each of the plurality of terminals corresponding to each of the plurality of machining equipment. A machining program converting system is also provided that converts an original machining program corresponding to one of the machining equipment into a compatible machining program for a substitutive machining equipment when the current operating condition of the machining equipment is determined to be in an overload condition or a trouble condition, and when it is determined that the original machining program is not compatible for the substitutive machining equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Kaoru Nakamura