Spindle comprising a data storage element
AssigneePaul Müller GmbH & Co. KG Unternehmensbeteiligungen
InventorsBernd Moller, Edgar Verlemann
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Abstract
The invention relates to a spindle (9) for a machine tool, having a housing (12) to accommodate an electric motor (11) and a shaft (13) driven by the latter and having a tool holder for a tool (10) for machining workpieces, at least one data acquisition element (2) being provided to record operating and/or state data of the spindle (9), and at least one spindle-integrated data storage element (1) being provided to store the recorded data from the data acquisition element (2).
Claims28
A spindle for a machine tool having a machine control system which drives a tool changing element and a lubricating device, a rectifier, and a cooling unit, said spindle comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) an electric motor within said housing connected to the rectifier, said electric motor having cooling means connected to the cooling unit;
- (c) a shaft driven by said motor having a tool holder for receiving a tool used for machining workpieces;
- (d) a hydraulic unit connected to the tool changing element and the lubricating device, said hydraulic unit being activatable in order to change the tool;
- (e) at least one data acquisition element for recording operational or state data of the spindle;
- (f) at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle for storing the recorded data from said at least one data acquisition element;
- (g) at least one data processing element for the data compression of the recorded data from the at least one data acquisition element;
- and
- (h) at least one interface connectable via a connection to the machine control system, the recorded data from said at least one data storage element and from said at least one data acquisition element being determinable via coding or other identification, said recorded data being passed on from said at least one data acquisition element to the machine control system or to an EDP station in order to permit limited access by the machine control system to said at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle or said at least one data acquisition element.
A method of operating a spindle for a machine tool having a machine control system which drives a tool changing element and a lubricating device, a rectifier, and a cooling unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a spindle comprising a housing, an electric motor within said housing connected to the rectifier, the electric motor having cooling means connected to the cooling unit, a shaft driven by said motor having a tool holder for receiving a tool used for machining workpieces, a hydraulic unit connected to the tool changing element and the lubricating device, the hydraulic unit being activatable in order to change the tool, at least one data acquisition element, at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle, at least one data processing element for the data compression of the recorded data from the at least one data acquisition element, and at least one interface connectable via a connection to a machine control system;
- (b) recording operational or state data of the spindle during operation;
- (c) storing the recorded data from step (b) into the at least one data storage element;
- (d) determining the recorded data from said at least one data storage element and from said at least one data acquisition element via coding or other identification;
- and
- (e) passing on said recorded data from said at least one data acquisition element to the machine control system or to an EDP station in order to permit limited access by the machine control system to said at least one data storage element integrated in the spindle or said at least one data acquisition element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.