Metal working – Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for... – Type of machine
Patent
1989-08-15
1990-12-11
Howell, Daniel W.
Metal working
Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...
Type of machine
33DIG21, 356358, 409133, B23Q 1720
Patent
active
049760190
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to copending and commonly assigned application Ser. No. 07/397,416, filed on Aug. 15, 1989, entitled A METHOD FOR MEASURING THE SHAPE OF A MACHINED WORKPIECE by Koichiro Kitamura which is being filed concurrently herewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a machining center.
2. BACKGROUND ART
A machining center is provided with a plurality of tools and a variety of machining operations can be carried out by them after setting a workpiece on a table of the machining center. In the case of measuring the geometrical shape of a machined workpiece, the machined workpiece is removed from the table of the machining center and then fixed on a table of a three-dimensional measuring machine which is remote from the machining center. After that, a probe unit of the three-dimensional measuring machine comes into contact with the machined workpiece so as to measure its geometrical shape.
However, since the machined workpiece must be removed from the machining center table and then set on the table of the three-dimensional measuring machine, the measuring operation is troublesome and long. In addition, a large floor space is required to accommodate the machining center and the three-dimensional measuring machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to solve the aforenoted problems by providing a machining center in which the geometrical shape of a machined workpiece can be efficiently measured without resetting the machined workpiece on a three-dimensional measuring machine. Accordingly, the improved machining center can be used in a smaller floor space than previous approaches.
A machining center according to his invention has a plurality of tools, for example, an endmill and a plurality of drills. A workpiece can be set on a table of the machining center.
The machining center comprises a first drive means including a servomotor, a second drive means including a servomotor and a third drive means including a servomotor. The first drive means provides relative motion along an x-axis between one tool, for example an endmill, selected from a plurality of tools and the workpiece on the table. The second drive means provides relative motion along the Y-axis, perpendicular to the X-axis, between the one tool selected from the plurality of tools and the workpiece on the table. In addition, the third drive means provides for relative motion along a Z-axis perpendicular to both the X and Y axes, between one tool selected from the plurality of tools and the workpiece on the table.
Included in the machining center is a linear or length measuring machine, such as a laser length measuring machine. The length measuring machine measures the distances of linear relative motion between the selected tool and the workpiece on the table along X, Y and Z axes, respectively.
The machining center according to this invention further comprises a probe unit. The probe unit is used for measuring the geometrical shape of the workpiece on the table. The first drive means provides relative motion between the probe unit and the workpiece on the table along the X-axis. The second drive means provides relative motion between the probe unit and the workpiece along the Y-axis. In addition, the third drive means provides relative motion between the probe unit and the workpiece along the Z-axis. In addition, the length measuring machine measures the distances of relative motion between the probe unit and the workpiece on the table along the X, Y and Z axes, respectively.
According to this invention, the tool selected, such as an endmill, machines the workpiece on the table. The machining operation of the workpiece is carried out by rotating the endmill and operating the first to third drive means in a conventional manner.
After machining the workpiece, the geometrical shape of the machined workpiece can be efficiently measured without resetting the machined workpiece on a separate measuring machine. The probe unit accura
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Howell Daniel W.
Kananen Ronald P.
Kitamura Machinery Co. Ltd.
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