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US 11,285,575 B2Granted
Minimum quantity lubrication tool priming method
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsDavid Alan Stephenson, Ethan Timothy Hughey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of priming a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) tool includes determining a category of the tool, supplying a short-prime MQL dosage if the tool is a first category or if both a second category and lubricated within a first predetermined timeframe, and supplying a long-prime MQL dosage if the tool is the second category and has not been lubricated within the predetermined timeframe. The category is based on internal passage complexity of the tool.
Claims20
A method of priming a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) tool comprising:
- determining a category of the tool, the category being based on internal passage complexity of the tool;
- controlling, via a control module, a supply of priming lubrication to the tool, wherein the control module is configured to:
- supply a short-prime MQL dosage if a first set of conditions is met or if a second set of conditions is met, wherein the short-prime MQL dosage is applied to the tool for less than a time period required to perform a tool change procedure for mounting the tool for operation, wherein the first set of conditions includes the tool being a first category of tool, wherein the second set of conditions includes the tool being a second category of tool and the tool having been lubricated within a first predetermined timeframe;
- and
- supply a long-prime MQL dosage if the tool is the second category of tool and has not been lubricated within the first predetermined timeframe, wherein the long-prime MQL dosage is a dosage of MQL that is applied to the tool for more time than the short-prime MQL dosage.
2 more elements
A method of priming a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) tool comprising:
- categorizing each tool of a plurality of tools as a function of fluid resistance of each tool;
- determining a next tool to be used, the next tool being one tool of the plurality of tools;
- determining a first time period that is since the next tool was last lubricated;
- controlling, via a control module, a supply of priming MQL mist provided to internal passageways of the next tool, the control module being configured to:
- compare the first time period to a predetermined first time interval, and supply a dosage of priming MQL mist at a flowrate that is greater than an operating flowrate of the next tool for a time interval that is less than an amount of time needed to move the next tool from a tool magazine into a position relative to a workpiece for operation in response to the fluid resistance of the next tool being below a predetermined resistance and the next tool not having been last lubricated within the predetermined first time interval;
- or
- compare the first time period to a predetermined second time interval, and supply a dosage of priming MQL mist at a flowrate that is greater than the operating flow rate of the next tool for a time interval that is greater than the amount of time needed to exchange a tool of the plurality of tools for the next tool in response to the fluid resistance of the next tool being above the predetermined resistance and the next tool not having been last lubricated within the predetermined second time interval;
- or
- compare the first time period to the predetermined second time interval, and supply a dosage of priming MQL mist at a flowrate that is greater than the operating flowrate of the next tool for the time interval that is less than the amount of time needed to move the next tool from the tool magazine into the position relative to the workpiece for operation in response to the fluid resistance of the next tool being above the predetermined resistance and the next tool having been last lubricated within the predetermined second time interval.
6 more elements
A method of priming a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) tool comprising:
- categorizing each tool of a plurality of tools as a function of fluid resistance of each tool, wherein each tool of the plurality of tools has been previously lubricated at least once;
- determining a next tool to be used, the next tool being one tool of the plurality of tools;
- determining a first time period that is since the next tool was last lubricated;
- priming internal passageways of the next tool with a dosage of MQL mist, the dosage being based on the fluid resistance of the next tool and the first time period,
- wherein if the fluid resistance of the next tool is below a predetermined resistance, then the dosage includes an MQL flowrate that is greater than an operating flowrate of the next tool and the dosage is applied for a time interval that is less than an amount of time to position the next tool for operation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.