High-speed milling machine with rotary table
AssigneeIMTA Manufacturing Technology & Automation Company
InventorTino Oldani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A milling machine includes a bi-directional, variable speed, rotary workpiece-holding table, a table drive sized to achieve relatively high acceleration and deceleration rates, a cutting tool mounted to a single or dual axis head, and a control system adapted to achieve a high degree of tool position and table rotational position accuracy cooperating to permit high-speed machining operations, including substantially dome-shaped parts characterized by circumferential surface portions interrupted by radial wall portions. A dual table drive and interchangeable head arrangement make the machine also suitable for conventional turret lathe operations.
Claims7
A CNC milling machine comprising:
- a frame structure;
- a table rotatably connected to the frame structure for rotation about a first axis extending therethrough;
- bi-directional, variable speed, first table power drive means for positioning, oscillating and rotating the table about said first axis;
- a carrier connected to the frame structure for power-controlled movement along a second axis, said second axis being perpendicular to said first axis;
- a ram connected to the carrier for power-controlled movement along a third axis, said third axis extending parallel to said first axis, said ram having a free end portion;
- a motorized first spindle connected to the free end portion of the ram for power-controlled pivoting about a fourth axis, said fourth axis being perpendicular to said first axis;
- a cutting tool mounted in the spindle for power-cutting rotation and for pivoting therewith about said fourth axis;
- and
- control means including a closed loop CNC controller operatively connected to the table power drive means, the carrier, the ram, and the motorized spindle for controlling positioning and movement thereof on the respective associated axes;
- said control means including (i) sensor means for sensing the position, speed and direction of rotation of the table and for providing an output feedback signal indicative thereof to the controller, and (ii) feedback means for determining the position of the spindle and tool about said second horizontal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.