# US 11,027,391 B2 · Workpiece measurement method

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- Number: US 11,027,391 B2
- Document ID: US11027391B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/331,751
- Filed: 2016-09-09
- Published: 2019-08-15
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-09
- Assignees: Making Milling Machine Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Making Milling Machine Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kazunari Ishii; Koji Kasai; Alexandra Florentina Stancu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027391B2

## CPC

- B23Q 17/22: for indicating or measuring existing or desired position of tool or work {(B23Q16/005 takes precedence)}
- B23Q 17/20: for indicating or measuring workpiece characteristics, e.g. contour, dimension, hardness
- B23Q 17/2241: {Detection of contact between tool and workpiece}
- G01B 5/008: using coordinate measuring machines
- G05B 19/401: characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- B23Q 2705/02: Driving working spindles
- B23Q 2717/00: Arrangements for indicating or measuring
- G05B 2219/37198: Machine as measuring station, use tool or probe, in process incycle
- G05B 2219/50252: Replace, change tool with tracer head, probe, feeler
- 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
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- 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)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a workpiece measurement method for determining the position of a workpiece on a machine tool based on feed shaft coordinates when a probe and the workpiece contact each other, in which the probe and the workpiece are moved relative to each other. The method includes the steps of moving one of the plurality of feed shafts to a desired measurement position, storing coordinate values of the one feed shaft at the desired measurement position, moving the probe and the workpiece relative to each other by means of the one feed shaft and another feed shaft, stopping the movement by the one feed shaft when the stored coordinate values have been reached, and measuring the workpiece at a plurality of measurement points by moving the probe using the other feed shaft in a state in which the one feed shaft is stopped at the coordinate values.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A workpiece measurement method for determining the position of a workpiece on a machine tool based on feed shaft coordinates when a probe and the workpiece contact each other, in which the probe and the workpiece are moved relative to each other by a plurality of feed shafts, the method comprising the steps of:
moving one of the plurality of feed shafts to a desired measurement position;
storing coordinate values of the one feed shaft at the desired measurement position;
moving the probe and the workpiece relative to each other by means of the one feed shaft and another feed shaft;
stopping the movement by the one feed shaft when the stored coordinate values have been reached; and
measuring the workpiece at a plurality of measurement points by moving the probe using the other feed shaft in a state in which the one feed shaft is stopped at the coordinate values.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The workpiece measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the machine tool comprises a spindle supported so as to rotate about a predetermined axis, a table which is arranged so as to face the spindle and which has a workpiece attachment surface on which the workpiece is attached, and feed shafts for moving the spindle and the table relative to each other in orthogonal three-axis directions consisting of X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, and
the probe is mounted on the tip of the spindle and the one feed shaft is a Z_axis shaft, which is parallel to the axis of the spindle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The workpiece measurement method according to claim 2, wherein an NC device for controlling the orthogonal three-axis feed shafts and the spindle enables an operator to manually operate the orthogonal three-axis shafts.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The workpiece measurement method according to claim 3, wherein in the case in which the operator manually operates the Z-axis feed device in a direction in which the probe approaches the table, when the Z-axis feed device has reached the stored coordinate values, the NC device prevents the Z-axis feed device from moving beyond the coordinate values approaching the table.