Parting machine, workpiece positioning device

A wet abrasion cut-off machine using a rotating abrasive cutting wheel for making separating cuts in a test specimen in a closable working space, comprising:

• an abrasive cut-off cutting wheel to make a plurality of separating cuts at different angles in a test specimen, and a drive motor for driving the cutting wheel;
• coolant nozzles for cooling of the cutting wheel and the test specimen when performing the separating cuts in the closed working space;
• a work table for fixing the test specimen to be processed, the work table defining an xz-plane;
• a first displacement means for producing a relative displacement between the test specimen and the cutting wheel in the first direction in the xz-plane in order to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cutting wheel in the first direction in the xz-plane relative to the cutting wheel;
• a second displacement means for producing a relative displacement between the test specimen and the cutting wheel in the second direction in the xz-plane perpendicularly to the first direction in order to position the test specimen for separating cuts with the cutting wheel in the first and second directions in the xz-plane relative to the cutting wheel,
• wherein the work table is displaceable by at least one of the first displacement means or the second displacement means, and wherein
• i) the work table comprises a two-dimensional xz-translation mechanism, or
• ii) the work table is configured to be displaceable in the first direction and the cutting wheel is configured to be displaceable in the second direction, or
• iii) both i) and ii),
• in order to accomplish two-dimensional translational relative positioning in the xz-plane between the cutting wheel and the test specimen;
• a test specimen positioning device releasably clamped onto the work table and including
• a clamping means for clamping the test specimen and
• a first mechanical rotating means for rotatably positioning the test specimen clamped in the clamping means about a first rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the xz-plane;
• a machine housing accommodating the cutting wheel, the work table, and the test specimen positioning device, wherein the machine housing comprises a covering hood closing the working space while the separating cuts are made and allowing a user to access the test specimen positioning device and the test specimen prior to and after the making of the separating cuts;
• a lifting mechanism for setting the cutting wheel on the test specimen in a y-direction perpendicularly to the xz-plane for performing separating cuts in the test specimen using the cutting wheel by introducing the rotating cutting wheel into the test specimen in an advancement direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cutting wheel, while the separating cut with the cutting wheel is made through grinding or abrasive removal of the material of the test specimen;
• a program controller that controls the first and second displacement means and the first rotating means and that is configured to automatically control the relative displacement in the first and second directions and the rotation of the test specimen about the first rotation axis prior to and between separating cuts, such that a plurality of separating cuts at different positions in the xz-plane and with different rotational positions of the test specimen are successively controlled automatically when the hood is closed, allowing to execute separation tasks in the form of separating a plurality of sample portions from the test specimen with the separating cuts at the different angles with different cuts effected automatically and;
• wherein the first mechanical rotating means includes a plate releasably clamped onto the work table, and a rotary housing rotatable with respect to the plate, and wherein the test specimen positioning device comprises a second mechanical rotating means for rotatably positioning the test specimen clamped in the clamping means about a second rotation axis prior to or between performing separating cuts, wherein the second rotation axis is parallel to the xz-plane and wherein the second mechanical rotating means is rigidly connected to the rotary housing of the first mechanical rotating means via a dovetail guide.

A wet abrasion cut-off machine using a rotating abrasive cut-off wheel for making separating cuts in a test specimen in a closable working space, and comprising:

• an abrasive cut-off cutting wheel to make a plurality of separating cuts at different angles in a test specimen in the closable working space and a drive motor for driving the cutting wheel;
• coolant nozzles for cooling of the cutting wheel and the test specimen when performing the separating cuts in the closed working space;
• a clamping means for clamping the test specimen;
• a first means for mechanically positioning the test specimen along a first translational direction in an xz-plane and additionally mechanically positioning the test specimen about a first rotation axis, when the test specimen is clamped in the clamping means on top of a work table, wherein the first rotation axis is a vertical axis;
• a second means for mechanically positioning the test specimen or the cutting wheel along a second translational direction in the xz-plane perpendicularly to the first translational direction, when the test specimen is clamped in the clamping means on top of the work table, for producing a relative displacement between the test specimen and the cutting wheel in the second translational direction;
• wherein i) the test specimen is translated along the first and second translational directions or ii) the test specimen is translated along the first translational direction and the cutting wheel is translated along the second translational direction;
• a machine housing accommodating the cutting wheel, the work table, and the first and second means for mechanically positioning along the first and second translational directions, wherein the machine housing comprises a covering hood closing the working space while the separating cuts are made and allowing a user to access the test specimen positioning device and the test specimen prior to and after making the separating cuts;
• a lifting mechanism for setting the cutting wheel on the test specimen to perform separating cuts in the positioned test specimen using the cutting wheel, by introducing the rotating cutting wheel into the test specimen in an advancement direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cutting wheel, while the separating cut with the cutting wheel is made through grinding or abrasive removal of the material of the test specimen;
• a program controller that controls the first and second means and that is configured to automatically control the relative displacement in the first and second translational directions and the rotation of the test specimen about the first rotation axis prior to and between separating cuts, such that a plurality of separating cuts at different positions in the xz-plane and with different rotational positions of the test specimen are successively controlled automatically when the hood is closed, allowing to execute separation tasks in the form of separating a plurality of sample portions from the test specimen with separating cuts at different angles with different cuts effected automatically;
• and
• a diameter measuring device for the cutting wheel, adapted to measure the diameter of the cutting wheel automatically or on user request between the separating cuts, and wherein the setting and separating paths for the separating cuts still to be performed after the measurement are automatically adjusted by the program controller on the basis of the measured diameter values.