Machining center

A machining system for shaping a workpiece, comprising:

• a digital control circuit;
• a principal EDM machine tool having tool holding means for securely supporting a member in machining relationship with the workpiece in a shaping zone and machining feed means operable under a first set of digital commands from the control circuit to shape the workpiece into commanded shape and dimensions by means of the machining member;
• a tool reception stage for accepting in retainer means therein a plurality of EDM machining tools preformed outside of the system and including machining tools which differ from one another in shape or size to serve different functions;
• tool transfer means arranged to interconnect said tool reception stage and said machine tool and operable under a second set of digital commands from the control circuit to transfer the accepted preformed machining tool from the tool reception stage to the tool holding means for shaping the workpiece with it as said machining member in said machine tool;
• and
• a tool reforming stage operable to actuate under a third set of digital commands from the control circuit to act on the machining tool when on one of said retainer means, said transfer means and said holding means, the tool reforming stage including at least one subsidiary machine tool operable under a fourth set of digital commands from the control circuit to reform the preformed machining tool by commanded dimensions for transfer or re-transfer into said shaping zone in said principal machine tool.

A machining system for shaping a workpiece, comprising:

• a numerical control unit for transmitting control commands following input data received therein;
• a principal EDM machine tool having tool holding means for accepting a selected one of plurality of formed EDM machining tools and securely supporting it in machining relationship with the workpiece in a shaping zone and machining feed means operable under a first set of control commands from the NC unit to partially shape the workpiece into commanded shape and dimensions by means of the formed machining tool, said machining tools including machining tools which differ from one another in shape or size to serve different functions;
• and
• tool reforming means comprising tool handling means operative under a second set of control commands from the NC unit to remove the machining tool out of the shaping zone of the machine tool and at least one subsidiary machine tool operative under a third set of control commands from the NC unit to reform the removed machining tool by commanded dimensions, the tool handling means being operative under a fourth set of control commands from the NC unit to return the reformed machining tool into the shaping zone in the principal machine tool, the machining feed means therein being then operative under a fifth set of control commands from the NC unit to continue shaping of the partially shaped workpiece to shape it into commanded shape and dimensions.