Machine tool control system
AssigneeHurco Companies, Inc.
InventorPaul J. Gray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure includes a generalized kinematics library which may be used to control the motion of a machine tool system and to process data for other applications, such as simulation graphics. Methods are disclosed to interpolate the movement of various axes of a machine tool system through a machine singularity point.
Claims30
A method for controlling a movement of a plurality of moveable axes of a machine tool system to machine a part, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting the part with a tool, the tool being used to remove material from the part;
- and
- moving the tool relative to the part from a first position to a second position along a trajectory while the tool remains in contact with the part, the tool interpolating through a machine singularity point of the machine tool system by determining a plurality of interpolated tool positions having both a point corresponding to a location of the tool relative to the part and a direction corresponding to an orientation of the tool relative to the part, the plurality of interpolated tool positions being used to determine machine positions for the plurality of moveable axes at each of the plurality of interpolated tool positions.
A method for determining position information for a plurality of moveable axes of a machine tool system to machine a part, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a cascading method accepting a plurality of different tool position input types;
- receiving a first tool position, the first tool position corresponding to one of the plurality of different input types;
- and
- determining with the cascading method the positional information based on the received first tool position.
A method for controlling a movement of a machine tool system to machine a part, the machine tool system having a plurality of rotatable axes, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting the part with a tool at a first position;
- identifying a second position to move the tool;
- and
- selecting a shortest angular traverse solution for each of the plurality of rotatable axes from a plurality of possible solutions for each of the plurality of rotatable axes.
A method for controlling a movement of a machine tool system to machine a part, the machine tool system having a plurality of rotatable axes including a tilt axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting the part with a tool at a first position;
- identifying a second position to move the tool;
- selecting a first solution for each of the plurality of rotatable axes from a plurality of possible solutions for each of the plurality of rotatable axes based on a specified tilt axis preference, the first solution having a tilt angle for the tilt axis which satisfies the tilt axis preference for a tilt axis of the plurality of rotatable axes;
- and
- moving the tool relative to the part from the first position to the second position and rotating the plurality of rotatable axes according to the first solution.
A method for controlling a movement of a machine tool system to machine a part, the machine tool system having a plurality of moveable axes, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting the part with a tool at a first position;
- identifying a second position to move the tool;
- and
- determining a plurality of interpolated positions from the first position to the second position with a two stage interpolation method.
A machine tool system for machining a part with at least one tool, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a moveable support supported by and moveable relative to the frame, the moveable support supporting the part;
- a machine tool spindle supported by the frame and moveable relative to the part, the machine tool spindle adapted to couple the at least one tool, the moveable support and the machine tool spindle including a plurality of moveable axes, the machine tool spindle being moveable independent of the moveable support;
- and
- a motion control system operably coupled to the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, the motion control system executing the machining of the part through a controlled movement of the plurality of moveable axes of the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, wherein the motion control system contacts the part with a first tool at a first position and moves the first tool relative to the part from the first position to a second position while the first tool remains in contact with the part, the first tool interpolating through a machine singularity point of the machine tool system.
An apparatus for machining a part with at least one tool, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a moveable support supported by and moveable relative to the frame, the moveable support supporting the part;
- a machine tool spindle supported by the frame and moveable relative to the part, the machine tool spindle adapted to couple the at least one tool, the moveable support and the machine tool spindle including a plurality of moveable axes;
- and
- a motion control system operably coupled to the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, the motion control system executing the machining of the part through a controlled movement of the plurality of moveable axes of the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, wherein the motion control system contacts the part with a first tool at a first position and moves the first tool relative to the part from the first position to a second position by selecting a shortest angular traverse solution for each of a plurality of rotatable axes of the plurality of moveable axes from a plurality of possible solutions for each of the plurality of rotatable axes.
An apparatus for machining a part with at least one tool, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a moveable support supported by and moveable relative to the frame, the moveable support supporting the part;
- a machine tool spindle supported by the frame and moveable relative to the part, the machine tool spindle adapted to couple the at least one tool, the moveable support and the machine tool spindle including a plurality of moveable axes;
- and
- a motion control system operably coupled to the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, the motion control system executing the machining of the part through a controlled movement of the plurality of moveable axes of the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, wherein the motion control system contacts the part with a first tool at a first position and moves the first tool relative to the part from the first position to a second position by selecting a first solution for each of a plurality of rotatable axes of the plurality of moveable axes from a plurality of possible solutions for each of the plurality of rotatable axes based on a specified tilt axis preference, the first solution having a tilt angle which satisfies the tilt axis preference for a tilt axis of the plurality of the moveable axes.
An apparatus for machining a part with at least one tool, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a moveable support supported by and moveable relative to the frame, the moveable support supporting the part;
- a machine tool spindle supported by the frame and moveable relative to the part, the machine tool spindle adapted to couple the at least one tool, the moveable support and the machine tool spindle including a plurality of moveable axes;
- and
- a motion control system operably coupled to the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, the motion control system executing the machining of the part through a controlled movement of the plurality of moveable axes of the machine tool spindle and the moveable support, wherein the motion control system contacts the part with a first tool at a first position and moves the first tool relative to the part from the first position to a second position by determining a plurality of interpolated positions from the first position to the second position with a two stage interpolation method.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.