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US 8,977,382 B2Granted
Automatic method for milling complex channel-shaped cavities
AssigneeD.P. Technology Corp.
InventorGiuliano Sona
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and devices for milling a channel-shaped cavity by a five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine by selecting a workpiece to be machined, determining cutting tool flow along the channel-shaped cavity, determining cutting tool in-depth penetration, determining a trochoid path, and determining auxiliary movements.
Claims15
A method of milling a channel-shaped cavity to be performed by a five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine, the method comprising:
- selecting a workpiece to be machined, wherein the workpiece has a bottom surface of a channel, a left wall of the channel, a right wall of the channel, and an entry point of a cutting tool;
- determining a primary set of flank-milling positions of the cutting tool;
- determining a trochoidal path for the cutting tool;
- and
- determining auxiliary movements of the cutting tool, wherein determining auxiliary movements of the tool comprises a polishing finish pass, wherein the polishing finish pass is based on the determined trochoidal path for the cutting tool.
2 more elements
A device for generating instructions for a five-axis machining tool, the device comprising:
- a processing module having addressable memory, the processing module configured to:
- repeat the following steps for a channel-shaped cavity, while at least one machining limitation parameter is not satisfied:
- determine cutting tool flow along the channel-shaped cavity;
- determine cutting tool in-depth penetration from a top surface of the channel-shaped cavity towards a bottom surface of the channel-shaped cavity;
- determine a trochoid path for the cutting tool based on the determined cutting tool flow along the channel-shaped cavity and the determined cutting tool in-depth penetration;
- and
- determine a polishing finish pass, wherein the polishing finish pass is based on the determined trochoid path for the cutting tool.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- selecting a workpiece to be machined, wherein the workpiece has a bottom surface of a channel, a left wall of the channel, a right wall of the channel, and an entry point of a cutting tool;
- determining a primary set of flank-milling positions of the cutting tool;
- wherein the determining comprises:
- analyzing the bottom surface of the workpiece channel;
- determining possible geometric symmetries based on the analyzed bottom surface of the workpiece channel;
- propagating curves containing the determined possible geometric symmetries onto the left wall of the workpiece channel and onto the right wall of the workpiece channel;
- analyzing the left wall of the workpiece channel and analyzing the right wall of the workpiece channel;
- determining the relative position of the left wall of the workpiece channel and the relative position of the right wall of the workpiece channel based on the analyzed left wall of the workpiece channel and right wall of the workpiece channel;
- and
- generating an updated geometric database containing the propogated curves containing the determined possible geometric symmetries of the left wall of the workpiece channel and containing the determined possible geometric symmetry of the right wall of the workpiece channel relative to the bottom surface of the workpiece channel;
- and
- determining a trochoidal path for the cutting tool.
9 more elements
A method comprising:
- selecting a workpiece to be machined, wherein the workpiece has a bottom surface of a channel, a left wall of the channel, a right wall of the channel, and an entry point of a cutting tool;
- determining a primary set of flank-milling positions of the cutting tool;
- and
- determining a trochoidal path for the cutting tool, wherein the determining comprises:
- determining a geometric cutting tool position;
- determining a relative interaction of the workpiece to be machined and the determined geometric cutting tool position;
- determining if the determined relative interaction of the workpiece to be machined and the determined geometric cutting tool position satisfies a defined set of technological constraints, wherein the defined set of technological constraints comprises at least one technological constraint;
- if the defined set of technological constraints is not satisfied, then determining a new geometric cutting tool position, wherein the
- determined new geometric cutting tool position is based on the determined relative interaction of the workpiece to be machined and the determined geometric cutting tool position, and the determined satisfaction of the at least one technological constraint;
- and
- outputting the determined new geometric cutting tool position to be used in determining the relative interaction of the workpiece to be machined and the determined geometric cutting tool position;
- if the defined set of technological constraints is satisfied, then accepting the geometric cutting tool position.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.