System and method for securing workpieces to a worktable of a CNC machining system utilizing a low level vacuum source
AssigneeThermwood Corporation
InventorsKenneth J. Susnjara, Michael P. Hardesty, David Hildenbrand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for operating a machine whereby a workpiece is held on a worktable of the machine with a suction force. When the work piece has a surface area insufficient to receive a full cut from a tool mounted in a tool head of the machine, the machine automatically adjusts the depth and the cutting speed of the tool to lesson the cut so the workpiece is not moved or ejected from the worktable. The depth and speed of the tool may be adjusted in a single cut pass of the tool or they may be adjusted in successive cut passes.
Claims17
A method of producing products on a machine, comprising the steps of:
- placing at least one workpiece on a work surface of the machine;
- providing a suction force across the work surface to hold each workpiece on the work surface;
- activating a program to machine the at least one workpiece;
- determining a surface area of each workpiece;
- assigning a depth-of-cut parameter to each workpiece based upon its surface area;
- and
- machining each workpiece according to the program based on its respective assigned depth-of-cut parameter.
A method of producing products on a machine, comprising the steps of:
- placing a plurality of workpieces on a work surface of the machine;
- providing a suction force across the work surface to hold each workpiece on the work surface;
- activating a program to machine the workpieces, the program having predetermined depth and speed parameters;
- determining a surface area of each workpiece;
- assigning a depth-of-cut and a speed-of-cut correction parameter to each workpiece based upon its surface area in contact with the work surface;
- machining each workpiece according to the program based on the respective assigned depth-of-cut correction parameter and the speed parameter;
- machining each workpiece a second time according to the program based on the depth parameter and the assigned speed-of-cut correction parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.