Method for aligning a workpiece in a machine tool

A method for aligning a workpiece in a working space of a machine tool having a numerical control system using a probe, the method comprising:

• (1) providing three-dimensional (3D) models of the working space, the probe, and the workpiece and displaying the 3D models as a virtual workpiece and a virtual probe in a virtual working space on a display screen of the numerical control system;
• (2) positioning the workpiece in the working space of the machine tool and the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space so that there is an initial coincidence between a position of the workpiece in the working space and a position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space;
• (3) manually positioning the probe relative to the workpiece, wherein a planned probing point and a probing direction are selected in an automated manner based on a minimum distance of the virtual probe from the virtual workpiece, and the planned probing point and the probing direction are displayed in the virtual working space;
• (4) determining a quality of the planned probing point and enabling a probing process based on the quality;
• (5) triggering a probing operation based on the probing process being enabled, and determining coordinates of a probing point,
• (6) recalculating the position of the workpiece using the coordinates of the probing point, and updating the position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space;
• (7) repeating the steps (3) through (6) until a final coincidence is reached between the position of the virtual workpiece in the virtual working space and the position of the workpiece in the working space.