Multi-Spindle Phase Controlled Machining
AssigneeCincinnati Machine, LLC
InventorMark Douglas Kohring
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a multiple spindle machine includes measuring the motor currents provided to a first spindle and a second spindle over a period of time, establishing an amount of time between impacts on a workpiece of a cutting tooth of the first spindle relative to a cutting tooth of the second spindle based on the measured motor currents of the first spindle and the second spindle, determining an angle to shift the second spindle relative to the first spindle, and increasing or decreasing the amount of time between impacts to obtain the determined shift angle for the second spindle.
Claims21
A method of controlling a multiple spindle machine, comprising:
- (a) measuring the motor currents provided to a first spindle and a second spindle over a period of time;
- (b) establishing an amount of time between impacts on a workpiece of a cutting tooth of the first spindle relative to a cutting tooth of the second spindle based on the measured motor currents of the first spindle and the second spindle;
- (c) determining an angle to shift the second spindle relative to the first spindle;
- and
- (d) increasing or decreasing the amount of time between impacts to obtain the determined shift angle for the second spindle to minimize vibration.
A method of controlling a multiple spindle machine, comprising:
- (a) measuring the motor current of a first spindle over a defined period of time;
- (b) measuring the motor current of a second spindle over the defined period of time;
- (c) determining an amount of time elapsed between a first temporal point when the motor current of the second spindle equals a measured amount and a second temporal point when the motor current of the first spindle equals the measured amount;
- (d) adjusting the angular position of the second spindle by increasing or decreasing the amount of time so that a cutting tooth of the first spindle is synchronized with a cutting tooth of a second spindle;
- (e) calculating a desired shift angle between the first spindle and the second spindle;
- and
- (f) shifting the position of a cutting tooth of the second spindle relative to a cutting tooth of the first spindle to minimize vibration, wherein the cutting tooth of the first spindle is positioned out of phase with the cutting tooth of the second spindle.
A method of controlling a multiple spindle machine, comprising:
- (a) determining a motor current sampling rate for measuring the motor current of a first spindle and a second spindle, wherein the sampling rate is variable and proportional to spindle speed;
- (b) measuring the motor current for the first spindle over a period of time that the first spindle is engaged with a workpiece;
- (c) measuring the motor current for the second spindle over a period of time that the second spindle is engaged with the workpiece;
- (d) calculating a series of correlation values over the period of time using cross-correlation analysis;
- (e) determining an elapsed time that corresponds to a correlation value nearest to a correlation value of one (1);
- and
- (f) adjusting the impact of the cutting tooth of the second spindle relative the impact of the cutting tooth of the first spindle by increasing or decreasing the elapsed time to minimize vibration, wherein the cutting tooth of the first spindle is positioned out of phase of the cutting tooth of the second spindle.
A method of controlling a multiple spindle machine, comprising:
- (a) measuring the motor wattages provided to a first spindle and a second spindle over a period of time;
- (b) establishing an amount of time between impacts on a workpiece of a cutting tooth of the first spindle relative to a cutting tooth of the second spindle based on the measured motor wattages of the first spindle and the second spindle;
- (c) determining an angle to shift the second spindle relative to the first spindle;
- and
- (d) increasing or decreasing the amount of time between impacts to obtain the determined shift angle for the second spindle to minimize vibration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.