Visual system for programming of simultaneous and synchronous machining operations on lathes
AssigneeIMCS, Inc.
InventorsLena Fishman, Hanan Fishman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method allows visual programming of simultaneous and synchronous machining operations on multi-axis lathes. The system and method accounts for different combinations of simultaneous and synchronized lathe operations on the spindles which can utilize multiple tools. A graphic synchronization icon is assigned to each mode that preferably represents the lathe operation. Appropriate synchronous operations are grouped together in synchronization groups. The system and method are universal since a postprocessor processes the synchronization modes and synchronization groups, and translates them for use with computer programs understood by a particular CNC lathe.
Claims23
A visual system for display of the synchronous operations of a CNC multi-axis lathe for fabricating an at least one part by execution of the synchronous operations, the visual system comprising:
- a visual listing of the synchronous operations in a graphical user interface;
- and
- a plurality of icons, an each one of the plurality of icons representing a synchronous mode for an each one of the synchronous operations, the plurality of icons selectively associated with the visual listing of the synchronous operations in the graphical user interface.
A visual method of displaying the synchronous operations of a multi-axis lathe in a graphical user interface, the multi-axis lathe having a single spindle and at least two tools controlled by a CNC program, the method comprising the step of forming an iterative plurality of icons representing the modes of synchronous operation wherein the n-th mode of synchronous operation comprises n tools simultaneously working on a workpiece in the single spindle and n is a series of integers ranging from 1 to the total number of the iterative plurality of modes of synchronous operations.
A visual method of displaying the synchronous operations of a multi-axis lathe in a graphical user interface, the multi-axis lathe having an at least two spindles and an at least one tool controlled by a CNC program, the method comprising the step of forming a first icon representing a first mode of synchronous operations wherein a first tool of the at least one tool works on a first workpiece in a first spindle of the at least two spindles, and the remainder of the at least two spindles are idle.
A visual method of displaying the synchronous operations of a multi-axis lathe in a graphical user interface, the multi-axis lathe having an at least two spindles and an at least two tools controlled by a CNC program, the method comprising the step of forming an iterative plurality of icons representing the modes of synchronous operations wherein the n-th mode of synchronous operation comprises the at least two tools simultaneously working on an at least two workpieces in the at least two spindles and n is a series of integers ranging from 2 to the total number of the iterative plurality of modes of synchronous operations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.