# US 10,416,613 B2 · Machining time estimating apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,416,613 B2
- Document ID: US10416613B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/429,325
- Filed: 2017-02-10
- Published: 2017-08-24
- Granted: 2019-09-17
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-18
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Satoshi Uchida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10416613B2

## CPC

- G05B 6/02: electric
- G05B 19/40938: {Tool management}
- G05B 2219/36219: Calculate machining information, like time, surface to be machined from program
- 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)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A machining time estimating apparatus is stored with mechanical configuration-time data, which are control parameters relating to respective machining times of a plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools, and is provided with a machining time estimation unit, configured to estimate the machining time required for machining performed based on an NC command in a first one of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools, and a mechanical configuration difference time calculation unit configured to calculate machining times required for machining performed based on the NC command in the other ones of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools than the first numerically-controlled machine tool, based on the respective mechanical configuration-time data of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A machining time estimating apparatus configured to collectively calculate machining times required for machining performed in a plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools in accordance with respective NC machining programs, the machining time estimating apparatus comprising:
a mechanical configuration-time data storage unit configured to store mechanical configuration-time data, which are control parameters relating to respective machining times of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools;
a machining time estimation unit configured to estimate the machining time required for the machining performed in accordance with the respective NC machining program in a first numerically-controlled machine tool among the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools, and based on NC commands of the respective NC machining program and the mechanical configuration-time data of the first numerically-controlled machine tool stored in the mechanical configuration-time data storage unit, wherein the first numerically-controlled machine tool is designated as a standard numerically-controlled machine tool used as a reference to calculate machining time for the other numerically-controlled machine tools among the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools;
an NC command data counting unit configured to obtain NC command data based on the NC commands decoded from the respective NC machining program which affect machining time in relation to a mechanical configuration; and
a mechanical configuration difference time calculation unit configured to calculate machining time required for machining performed in accordance with the respective NC machining program in each of the other numerically-controlled machine tools based on the machining time required for the machining performed in accordance with the respective NC commands in the first numerically-controlled machine tool as estimated by the machining time estimation unit and an inner product of (i) a first vector representing the NC command data obtained by the NC command data counting unit, and (ii) a second vector representing a difference in the mechanical configuration-time data between the first numerically-controlled machine tool and said each of the other numerically-controlled machine tools.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The machining time estimating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical configuration-time data include parameters relating to the machining time set in each of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools, and time data relating to auxiliary functions of each of the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The machining time estimating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical configuration-time data are acquired in advance by an experiment on the plurality of numerically-controlled machine tools.