US 2004/0003689 A1 · System and method for forming a non-rotationally symmetric portion of a workpiece

Abstract

A method and control system for forming workpiece surfaces with at least a portion being non-rotationally symmetric (i.e., axis asymmetric) is provided. In one aspect, a slow tool servo system is provided to fabricate a surface having at least an axis asymmetric portion, and optionally, a superimposed axis symmetric asphere or spherical portion. A workpiece is mounted on a spindle and a tool is mounted to a translatable tabletop surface. The z position of the contact point of the workpiece and working tool is determined as a function of the x position of the same contact point and as a function of the angle of rotation of the spindle about the spindle axis. By making the z position of the contact point a function of both the angle of spindle rotation and the x position, the lateral and longitudinal position of the working tool can be moved at designated spindle rotation angles to form a surface having both axis asymmetric and axis symmetric asphere or spherical portions.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of forming a workpiece with a shaped surface having at least a portion that is axially asymmetric, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a slow tool servo assembly having a tool assembly and a spindle assembly, the spindle assembly securing said workpiece and being rotatable about an axis of rotation, the tool assembly having a first x-axis linear drive for moving said tool assembly in an axis orthogonal to the spindle axis of rotation, a second z-axis linear drive for moving said tool assembly in an axis parallel to the spindle axis of rotation, a tool and an encoder to provide angular position feedback of the tool relative to the workpiece;
rotating the spindle assembly between 30 revolutions per-minute and 200 revolutions per minute;
positioning the tool in contact with the workpiece;
and
oscillating the tool assembly transversely and longitudinally with respect to the workpiece surface to selectively remove portions of the workpiece to form the axially asymmetric portion of the workpiece surface by controlling the location of a contact point of the tool and workpiece along the axis parallel to the spindle axis of the rotation, the contact point location being a function of the location of the contact point along an x-axis and a function of the angle of rotation of the spindle about the spindle axis.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for forming a non-rotationally symmetric portion of a workpiece

Life of this patent

System and method for forming a non-rotationally symmetric portion of a workpiece

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19