Milling machine with a smart clamp for automatically determining the Z origin of a work piece
AssigneeInventables, Inc.
InventorsBarton J. Dring, Zachary M. Kaplan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A milling machine and method for automatically determining the Z origin are provided. In one embodiment, a milling machine comprises a support surface; a clamp comprising a first clamp portion and a second clamp portion to accept and secure a work piece, wherein the second clamp portion comprises a sensor; a spindle movable in a Z direction; and a controller. The controller is configured to automatically determine a position of a top of the work piece by having the spindle be positioned over the sensor and then moving the spindle in the Z direction until the controller receives a signal from the sensor indicating that a tool held by the spindle contacted the sensor. Other embodiments are provided.
Claims20
A milling machine comprising:
- a clamp comprising a first clamp portion positioned in a predetermined X and Y location in the milling machine and a second clamp portion movable with respect to the first clamp portion to secure a work piece in the predetermined X and Y location, wherein the second clamp portion comprises a sensor;
- a spindle movable in a Z direction;
- and
- a controller in communication with the spindle and the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to automatically determine a position of a top of the work piece by having the spindle be positioned over the sensor and then moving the spindle in the Z direction until the controller receives a signal from the sensor indicating that a tool held by the spindle contacted the sensor.
A method for determining a Z-origin of a work piece, the method comprising:
- performing the following in a milling machine:
- positioning a spindle over a sensor on a clamp securing a work piece in a predetermined X and Y location;
- and
- determining a Z-origin of the work piece by moving the spindle in a Z direction until a tool held by the spindle contacts the sensor.
A clamp for automatically determining a Z-origin of a work piece in a milling machine, the clamp comprising:
- a first clamp portion;
- and
- a second clamp portion movable with respect to the first clamp portion, wherein the second clamp portion comprises a Z-origin sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.