# US 10,061,297 B2 · Method of setting up a gear cutting machine and gear cutting machine

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- Number: US 10,061,297 B2
- Document ID: US10061297B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/482,744
- Filed: 2014-09-10
- Published: 2015-03-19
- Granted: 2018-08-28
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-13
- Assignees: Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH
- Applicants: Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH
- Inventors: Thomas Karl; Marco Heider
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10061297B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/4097: characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence)
- B23F 23/00: Accessories or equipment combined with or arranged in, or specially designed to form part of, gear-cutting machines (accessories or equipment not restricted to gear-cutting machines B23Q)
- B23Q 15/22: Control or regulation of position of tool or workpiece
- G05B 19/40937: {concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining}
- G05B 2219/35012: Cad cam
- G05B 2219/35035: Design gear, tooth surfaces
- G05B 2219/35043: Tool, fixture design
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- 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)
- B23F: MAKING GEARS OR TOOTHED RACKS (by stamping B21D; by rolling B21H; by forging or pressing B21K; by casting B22; arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q; machines or devices for grinding or polishing, in general B24B)
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of setting up a gear cutting machine, wherein the gear cutting machine is equipped with at least one machine part which can be set up and the parameters relating to the set-up machine part are input into the machine control for the subsequent gear cutting process, wherein a graphical model of the machine part is virtually composed on a display element of the gear cutting machine in a user-controlled manner from one or more graphical part components and the required parameters for the following gear cutting process are derived from the graphical modeling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of setting up a gear cutting machine, wherein the gear cutting machine is equipped with at least one machine part which can be set up, comprising:
graphically presenting graphical part components on a multitouch-operable display element coupled to a machine control of the gear cutting machine;
receiving, at the display element, user touch input, the user touch input selecting one or more of the graphical part components and virtually composing a graphical model on the display element in real time from the selected one or more graphical part components, wherein the graphical model is a graphical model of a machine part, and wherein the machine part is one of a plurality of machine parts which can be set up for use with the gear cutting machine;
deriving required parameters for setting up the machine part for a subsequent gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine from the graphical model; and
performing the gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine via the machine control, using the machine part, based on the required parameters.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the machine part comprises a tool mandrel including one or more tools.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the graphical model is calculated by a rendering process of the machine control, with required raw data being stored in a database of the gear cutting machine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the rendering process is a real time rendering process and wherein the user touch input interactively varies an underlying scene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the machine part and/or a composition of the machine part is selected via the user touch input from individual components from the database of the gear cutting machine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising performing a virtual plausibility check of the graphical model while taking account of a planned machining program and/or while taking account of composed individual components of the machine part and/or while taking account of further machine parts to be set up.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein geometrical modeling of the machine part or of an individual component of the machine part is modified by the user touch input with respect to geometrical dimensions of the machine part or the individual component of the machine part, and/or with respect to specific properties of the machine part or the individual component of the machine part, the specific properties including a number of gears, number of teeth, and/or tooth flank shape.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the database is expanded via an interface with further entries on machine parts or on machine part components.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the required parameters are automatically derived directly from the graphical model and supplied to the machine control, without additional input from a user.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the setting up of the machine part for the subsequent gear cutting process does not include user input of pure numbers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein performing the virtual plausibility check comprises, with the machine control, monitoring whether all tools required for the planned machining program as well as an apparatus for clamping a workpiece and, if present, a gripper for machine automation, were set up and/or configured via the user touch input.

### Claim 12

A gear cutting machine comprising:
at least one multitouch-operable display element;
a processor having instructions stored in memory and communicating with the at least one display element; and
a machine part controlled by the processor, wherein the machine part is one of a plurality of machine parts which can be set up for use with the gear cutting machine;
wherein the instructions include instructions for setting up the gear cutting machine, including instructions for graphically presenting graphical part components on the at least one display element; receiving, at the display element, user touch input, the user touch input selecting one or more of the graphical part components and virtually composing a graphical model of the machine part on the display element in real time from the selected one or more graphical part components; deriving required parameters for setting up the machine part for a subsequent gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine from the graphical model; and performing the gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine via the machine control, using the machine part, based on the required parameters.

### Claim 13

A method of setting up a gear cutting machine, wherein the gear cutting machine is equipped with at least one machine part, comprising:
graphically presenting graphical part components on a multitouch-operable display element coupled to a machine control;
receiving, at the display element, user touch input selecting one or more of the graphical part components;
virtually composing and displaying a graphical model of the machine part on the display element in real time from the selected one or more graphical part components;
deriving, via the machine control, required parameters for a subsequent gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine from data of the graphical model; and
performing the subsequent gear cutting process in the gear cutting machine via the machine control with the required parameters,
wherein the at least one machine part and/or a composition of the at least one machine part is selected via the user touch input from individual components from a database of the gear cutting machine,
wherein the method further comprises performing a virtual plausibility check of the graphical model while taking account of a planned machining program, and
wherein performing the virtual plausibility check comprises, with the machine control, monitoring whether all tools required for the planned machining program were set up via the user touch input.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the machine part comprises a tool mandrel including one or more tools, and/or a workpiece, and/or an apparatus for clamping the workpiece, and/or a gripper for machine automation, and wherein performing the virtual plausibility check, with the machine control, further comprises monitoring whether the apparatus for clamping the workpiece and, if present, the gripper for machine automation were set up via the user touch input.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the graphical model is calculated by a rendering process of the machine control, with required raw data being stored in the database of the gear cutting machine.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the rendering process is a real time rendering process and wherein the user touch input interactively varies an underlying scene.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising performing the virtual plausibility check of the graphical model while taking account of composed individual components of the machine part and/or while taking account of further machine parts to be set up.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein geometrical modeling of the machine part or of an individual component of the machine part is modified by the user touch input with respect to geometrical dimensions of the machine part or the individual component of the machine part, and/or with respect to specific properties of the machine part or the individual component of the machine part, the specific properties including a number of gears, number of teeth, and/or tooth flank shape.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the database is expanded via an interface with further entries on machine parts or on machine part components.