Electric heating – Metal heating – Cutting or disintegrating
Patent
1997-10-28
1999-08-31
Evans, Geoffrey S.
Electric heating
Metal heating
Cutting or disintegrating
483 14, B23H 100
Patent
active
059450096
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The instant invention relates to a means for processing workpieces by spark erosion, comprising carriage including a tool support are movable in controlled fashion with respect to each other along at least the three axes of a three dimensional coordinate system, one of the axes of movement of the carriage being parallel to the axis of the workpiece carrier, and at least one of which, located in a transfer position, is arranged with its axis parallel to said one axis of the carriage movement, and carrier.
In the case of a known means of this kind (DE 43 30 885 C1) the magazine comprises two turntables disposed coaxially above each other. The lower one accommodates a plurality of pallets each containing one workpiece, while electrodes are mounted on the upper one which additionally provides space for a transport gripper in a position of rest. The tool support carries a chuck for selectively clamping an electrode or the transport gripper. When a finished workpiece is to be replaced by one that is to be worked on, the carriage with the workpiece carrier is moved from the machining position into a transfer position in which the chuck of the tool support is located above a free spot on the upper turntable. Thereupon the chuck is opened, and the electrode held by it is deposited on the upper turntable. Subsequently, the upper turntable is moved on so that the transport gripper resting on it will get into the transfer position. By its chuck, the tool support now grasps the transport gripper, and then the carriage together with the tool support and the transport gripper move back into the machining position where the transport gripper picks up the finished workpiece. Following that, the carriage returns to the magazine where the transport gripper releases the finished workpiece in a free spot on the lower turntable. Subsequently, the lower turntable is moved on so as supply an unprocessed workpiece to the transport gripper to be gripped by it. Renewed movement of the carriage brings the unprocessed workpiece into the machining position where it is deposited on the workpiece carrier and then clamped. Together with the chuck and the transport gripper, the carriage then travels to the magazine once more where the chuck releases the transport gripper and instead takes hold of an electrode. Finally, the carriage, including the tool support and the electrode clamped by its chuck, again return to the machining position. Only then can the machining begin of the workpiece which is waiting for it.
It is the object of the invention to improve a means for spark erosion of workpieces in such a way that workpiece handling during the exchange thereof will be facilitated.
Starting from a means of the kind specified initially, this object is met, in accordance with the invention, by having the gripper disposed permanently on the carriage, spaced from the tool support. In this manner, once a workpiece has been finished, the gripper always is ready to release the finished workpiece in the magazine and to convey a new workpiece for machining from the magazine to the workpiece carrier. Thereupon the tool support may be set to work immediately to process the workpiece.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the carriage is movable along two axes, and the workpiece carrier is movable along the third axis of the three dimensional coordinate system. This division of movements additionally contributes to reducing the idle periods involved in the conveyance of workpieces.
In the context of the instant invention, the term workpiece is to be understood in the first place as referring to workpieces which include cutter blades or inserts of polycrystalline diamonds (PKD) or of hard metals, such as milling cutters, drill bits, saw blades, and the like. The expression tool of an erosion machine is to be understood as being an electrode which may be embodied, for example, by an electrode wire or a rotating electrode disc, as is well known.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described further, by way of example,
REFERENCES:
patent: 4646422 (1987-03-01), McMurtry
patent: 4736512 (1988-04-01), Gusching et al.
patent: 5045664 (1991-09-01), Nakagawa et al.
patent: 5309368 (1994-05-01), Chern
patent: 5506380 (1996-04-01), Lodetti
patent: 5530217 (1996-06-01), Knecht
Bailer Norbert
Beck Ernst
Lenard Peter
Browning Clifford W.
Evans Geoffrey S.
Vollmer Werke Maschinenfabrik GmbH
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