Control method for the movement of a tool and control device

A control method for the movement of a tool with a machine tool, the machine tool being controlled by a control device, in order to produce an arbitrary required surface of a workpiece by machining, comprising:

• creating a numeric path program which describes the machining of the workpiece with the tool at machining points and which controls the control device;
• producing by the numeric path program a path with respect to the geometric nature of the surface of the workpiece to be machined, the path consisting of a plurality of sample points and individual paths, each individual path connecting a pair of these sample points to each other, and the path comprising different individual paths;
• evaluating each individual path according to a geometric quality criterion;
• selecting the individual paths, which have a preferred direction, according to the geometric quality criterion;
• selecting the path according to the preferred directions of the individual paths;
• calculating, evaluating and selecting by a combination tool the numeric path program for the control of the machine tool on the basis of the geometric quality criterion, the geometric quality criterion comprising a suitable combination of curvature continuity, tangency continuity and characteristics of the machine tool;
• producing the path;
• and
• controlling the machine tool to produce the required surface of the workpiece in accordance with the produced path.

A control device for the movement of a tool with a machine tool, the machine tool being controlled by a control device, in order to produce an arbitrary required surface of a workpiece by machining, the control device comprising a numerically controlled machine tool configured to:

• create a numeric path program which describes the machining of the workpiece with the tool at machining points and which controls the control device;
• produce by the numeric path program a path with respect to the geometric nature of the surface of the workpiece to be machined, the path consisting of a plurality of sample points and individual paths, each individual path connecting a pair of these sample points to each other, and the path comprising different individual paths;
• evaluate each individual path according to a geometric quality criterion;
• select the individual paths, which have a preferred direction, according to the geometric quality criterion;
• calculate, evaluate and select by a combination tool the numeric path program for the control of the machine tool on the basis of the geometric quality criterion, the geometric quality criterion comprising a suitable combination of curvature continuity, tangency continuity and characteristics of the machine tool;
• produce the path;
• and
• control the machine tool to produce the required surface of the workpiece in accordance with the produced path.