Machining station, workpiece holding system, and method of machining a workpiece
AssigneeFives Liné Machines Inc.
InventorsLouis Jetté, Raymond Chabot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The machining station can include a table; at least three robots each having a multi-axis mover secured to the table, and a gripper opposite the table, the robots being interspaced from one another on the table; and a controller. The controller controls the robots to hold a workpiece in a coordinated manner. The computer numerical command (CNC) machine-tool system machines the workpiece while the workpiece is held by the robots. The workpiece can be moved into and out from the machining station with a trolley which slidingly engages a trolley path formed within the table.
Claims19
A machining station comprising:
- a table;
- at least three parallel kinematic robots, each robot having a multi-axis mover secured to the table, and a gripper opposite the table, the robots being interspaced from one another on the table, each robot having 6 extensible members each having a first end pivotally connected to a base and a second end pivotally connected to a corresponding gripper portion in a configuration allowing both lifting and displacement of the gripper along three orthogonal axes, providing the gripper with six degrees of freedom;
- a controller configured and adapted to independently control each one of the robots to automatically engage a corresponding location of a workpiece, hold the workpiece in a coordinated manner, and release the workpiece, based on control data, the controller configured and adapted to independently and collectively operate each one of the extensible members of each robot to control movement of the respective gripper along three orthogonal axes and orientation of the respective gripper around three orthogonal axes;
- a computer numerical command (CNC) machine-tool system operable to machine the workpiece while the workpiece is held by the plurality of robots.
A method of machining a workpiece in a machining station having a table, at least three parallel kinematic robots, each robot having a multi-axis mover secured to the table and having a gripper opposite the table, and a computer numerical command (CNC) machine-tool, each robot having 6 extensible members each having a first end pivotally connected to a base and a second end pivotally connected to a corresponding gripper portion in a configuration allowing both tilting and displacement of the gripper along three orthogonal axes, providing the gripper with six degrees of freedom, the method comprising,
- positioning the workpiece in the machining station;
- controlling each one of the robots to automatically engage a corresponding location of the workpiece, hold the workplace in a coordinated manner, and release the workpiece, including controlling each one of the extensible members of each robot independently from one another and collectively along different paths to control movement of the respective gripper along three orthogonal axes and orientation of the respective gripper around three orthogonal axes, based on control data, said control data including coordinates of the workpiece in the machining station;
- machining the workpiece with the CNC machine-tool while the workpiece is held by the robots;
- controlling the robots to free the workpiece;
- removing the workpiece from the machining station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.