Tool changing – With means to transfer work
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-09-11
Briggs, William (Department: 3722)
Tool changing
With means to transfer work
C029S02600B, C029S02700R, C408S044000, C408S046000, C483S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287245
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a deep drilling device for drilling holes in workpieces, particularly crankshafts, the holes being introduceable at different positions and/or in different orientations relative to a workpiece longitudinal axis.
As is known, crankshafts for internal combustion engines for air or land vehicles, ships or stationary equipment are frequently provided with numerous holes, which are at different positions and/or in different orientations relative to the crankshaft longitudinal axis and which can e.g. serve as oil holes. During the mass manufacture of such workpieces frequently transfer lines with several work stations are used and in each work station are made in the workpiece one more holes having a specific orientation and positioning. A retooling of such transfer lines for the manufacture of workpieces, where the holes are differently positioned with respect to the orientation and/or location is complicated, time-consuming and expensive. Particularly for the production of smaller runs there has long been a need for flexibly usable devices, which are preferably also more favourable with regards to their space requirement than transfer lines.
Devices are already known, which permit a rotation of the crankshaft about its longitudinal axis and a swivelling of the longitudinal axis in order to permit the drilling of differently oriented and/or positioned holes in a specially designed deep drilling device. A device of this type involving a rotation of the crankshaft about its longitudinal axis and a unilateral swivelling of the crankshaft from a horizontal base position about a horizontal tilt axis permits holes to be made with a different orientation and/or positioning and is e.g. disclosed by international patent application WO 96/33043. The design of this installation is complicated and it has a considerable size, whilst being complicated to handle.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a deep drilling device of the aforementioned type, which has a particularly favourable and easily monitorable construction. The handling and manipulation must be ergonomically advantageous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A deep drilling device according to the invention has two functional units, which can in each case be constructed in a very simple and easily monitorable way and appropriately cooperate with one another. The functional units can be fitted to a common machine frame or, particularly in the case of installations for larger workpieces, on two separate machine frames. A deep drilling unit has at least one headstock with at least one main spindle rotatable by a spindle drive about a horizontal spindle axis (Z axis) for receiving a deep drilling tool displaceable parallel to the spindle axis (in the Z direction).
A work holding unit separate from the deep drilling unit has a first partial device for holding at least one workpiece with horizontally oriented workpiece longitudinal axis and for rotating the workpiece about said horizontal axis (A axis). A second partial device rotates the workpiece, particularly of the first partial device, about a vertical rotation axis (B axis). Thus, the workpiece holding unit has all the functions necessary for swivelling the workpiece and as a result of rotations about the A axis different circumferential portions of the workpiece can face the deep drilling tool and by rotations about the B axis it is possible to set different tilt angles of the holes relative to the workpiece longitudinal axis. Particularly in the case of installations for larger workpieces, to avoid excessively large axial movements it is also possible to make the tool-carrying parts of the deep drilling unit swivellable about a vertical axis (B2 axis).
For the relative displacement of workpiece and deep drilling tool there are also first, second and third positioning devices, in order to permit parallel displacements between the workpiece and the deep drilling tool relative to orthogonal axes. The first positioning device brings about displacements parallel to a horizontal, first axis (X axis), said displacements serving to introduce holes at different positions along the longitudinal axis of the horizontally held workpiece. The X axis is generally perpendicular to the spindle axis, but can also be positioned transversely thereto, e.g. in the case of constructions with a horizontally swivellable spindle axis. The displacements possible as a result of the second positioning device parallel to a vertical, second axis (Y axis) at right angles to the spindle axis can serve to set a lateral offset of a hole relative to the workpiece longitudinal axis. The displacements parallel to a third axis (W axis) made possible by the third positioning device can be used for changing the spacing or distance between the workpiece and the deep drilling tool, in order e.g. prior to the drilling process, to engage the deep drilling tool or an optionally present tool guide on the tool-facing work surface. The W axis is generally parallel to the spindle axis, but can also be at an acute angle thereto, e.g. in the case of constructions with a horizontally swivellable spindle axis.
Preferably the headstock is part of a tool carrier device having as a further element a tool guidance device axially offset relative to the headstock for guiding the deep drilling tool and an associated tool displacement device for moving the deep drilling tool relative to the tool guidance device parallel to the spindle axis.
The construction according to the invention in which the workpiece, independently of the rotation angle about the vertical B axis has its workpiece longitudinal axis always substantially horizontally oriented, has numerous major advantages. Thus, e.g. the deep drilling unit can be a standard deep drilling unit, which e.g. already contains the first and second positioning devices for the displacement in the X and Y directions. If necessary, existing deep drilling units with a swivelling possibility for the spindle axis about a vertical B2 axis can be used. The work holding unit can be built up using a rotary table already existing in more modern deep drilling centres and which is usable as part of the second partial device for rotating the workpiece about the B axis. The rotary table can be movable horizontally parallel or at an acute angle to the spindle axis, in order to permit a spacing change between the workpiece and the deep drilling unit. The basic design of inventive installations can consequently take place inexpensively using appropriately combined, existing partial installations.
As a result of the exclusively horizontal retention of the workpieces it is possible to have a vertically relatively compact construction without highly projecting parts, which reduces the vibration susceptibility of the installation and consequently increases drilling precision. For an optionally desired multiple machining, in which e.g. two or more crankshafts are simultaneously machined in the same way, the workpieces can be readily superimposed. For loading and unloading purposes the work holding unit can be rotated or moved into a loading position by means of the second partial device, in which the work longitudinal axes are e.g. roughly parallel to the spindle axis and in which an easy horizontal, lateral loading and unloading can take place. These processes can be particularly easily automated by means of corresponding loading and unloading units. However, in particular, these processes can also be easily manually performed, because the possibly heavy and long crankshafts, etc. only have to be horizontally held and do not have to be rendered upright or inclined. The ergonomics are consequently improved compared with existing installations.
The horizontal retention of the workpieces also makes it possible in simple manner for them, based on the spindle axis direction, to be swivelled into two opposing horizontal directions. Starting from a base position in which the spindle axis is perpendicular to the work longitudinal axis and in which e.g. ra
Briggs William
Senterfitt Akerman
TBT Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH
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