Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2002-09-10
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S017000, C700S083000, C700S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06449528
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an NC (numerically controlled) machine tool which comprises a plurality of axes for movement for moving a movable unit, and display means for displaying positional coordinates of the movable unit with respect to the plurality of axes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One exemplary NC machine tool of the aforesaid type is shown in
FIG. 6
, which is a block diagram schematically illustrating the construction of the NC machine tool.
As shown, the NC machine tool
50
includes a machine tool
10
, an NC (numerical controller)
30
and a PLC (programmable controller)
40
for controlling operating portions of the machine tool
10
, and an operation panel
20
for operating the respective operating portions of the machine tool
10
via the NC
30
and the PLC
40
. In general, the NC
30
and the PLC
40
constitute a numerical control apparatus.
The machine tool
10
includes a movable unit
11
such as a carriage, and a plurality of drive mechanisms
12
each adapted to move the movable unit
11
along an axis for movement. In general, there are provided a plurality of axes for movement, for example, X-axis, Z-axis and C-axis, and the drive mechanisms
12
are respectively provided in association with the axes so that the movable unit
11
can bemoved along the respective axes.
More specifically, the drive mechanisms
12
each include a servo motor
13
for driving the movable unit
11
, a servo amplifier
14
for controlling the operation of the servo motor
13
, and an position detector (encoder)
16
for sensing an angular position of the servo motor
13
. The drive mechanism
12
and a controller
31
to be described later constitute a so-called semi-closed loop servo mechanism, so that a position detection signal detected by the position detector
16
is fed back to the controller
31
.
The operation panel
20
includes: a mode selection switch
21
which permits an operator to select a desired control mode of the drive mechanisms
12
; an axis selection switch
22
which permits the operator to select one of the plurality of axes along which the movable unit
11
is to be moved by manual operation; a pulse handle
23
to be manually operated to move the movable unit
11
; a multiplication factor selection switch
24
which permits the operator to select a desired one of predetermined multiplication factors of a movement amount of the movable unit
11
for each pulse outputted from the pulse handle
23
; and a CRT display (hereinafter referred to simply as “CRT”)
25
for displaying positional coordinates of the movable unit
11
and the like.
The mode selection switch
21
includes a plurality of key switches for automatic operation modes such as a memory operation mode and a programmable tape operation mode and manual operation modes such as a jogging mode and a handle feed mode. When one of the key switches for a desired mode is pressed, a selection signal is inputted from the key switch to the PLC
40
to allow for an operation in the desired mode. Where the movable unit
11
is to be operated with the use of the pulse handle
23
, the handle feed mode is selected.
The axis selection switch
22
includes a plurality of key switches for the respective axes, e.g., X-axis, Z-axis and C-axis. When the handle feed mode is selected by the mode selection switch
21
, a desired one of the axes is selected by pressing the corresponding key switch of the axis selection switch
22
, whereby a selection signal is outputted from the key switch to the PLC
40
. This permits the movable unit
11
to be moved along the selected axis.
When the pulse handle
23
is rotated, a pulse signal is generated in accordance with the amount of the rotation thereof. More specifically, the pulse handle
23
is manually rotated, whereby a pulse signal of a predetermined pulse number is generated in accordance with an angular movement amount of the pulse handle
23
and then inputted to the NC
30
.
The multiplication factor selection switch
24
includes a plurality of key switches, for example, for multiplication factors of ×1, ×10 and ×100. When one of the key switches for a desired multiplication factor is pressed, a selection signal is inputted from the key switch to the PLC
40
.
The PLC
40
controls: fundamental functional operations for the machine tool such as various interlock operations and operations of a spindle, a magazine, an automatic tool changer (ATC), an automatic pallet changer (APC) and a tool post; and auxiliary functional operations for the machine tool such as operations of jigs to be incorporated in the machine tool in accordance with a workpiece and a working process, a cutting oil feeder, a chip remover and a workpiece loader/unloader. The PLC
40
receives the signals from the mode selection switch
21
, the axis selection switch
22
and the multiplication factor selection switch
24
. Where the selection signal inputted from the mode selection switch
21
indicates the selection of the handle feed mode, the PLC
40
outputs the axis selection signal and the multiplication factor selection signal from the axis selection switch
22
and the multiplication factor selection switch
24
, respectively, to the NC
30
.
The NC
30
numerically controls the respective drive mechanisms
12
on the basis of a machining program, MDI data, a manual rapid feeding signal, a manual operation pulse signal and the like. The NC
30
comprises: the aforesaid controllers
31
respectively associated with the drive mechanisms
12
; distribution means
32
which generates a pulse signal (movement command signal) by multiplying the pulse number of the pulse signal directly inputted from the pulse handle
23
by the selected multiplication factor specified by the multiplication factor selection signal inputted from the multiplication factor selection switch
24
via the PLC
40
, and outputs the generated pulse signal to one of the controllers
31
specified by the selection signal inputted from the axis selection switch
22
via the PLC
40
and to positional coordinate calculating means
34
to be described later; the positional coordinate calculating means
34
for calculating positional coordinates of the movable unit
11
in a machine coordinate system and/or a work coordinate system on the basis of the pulse signal (movement command signal) inputted from the distribution means
32
; and display control means
33
for outputting the calculated positional coordinate data together with display format data to the CRT
25
and displaying the positional coordinate data on the CRT
25
.
When the movable unit
11
is to be moved by manual operation with the use of the pulse handle
23
in the NC machine tool
50
of the aforesaid construction, the handle feed mode is selected by pressing the corresponding key switch of the mode selection switch
21
, and one of the axes and one of the multiplication factors which are to be employed for the movement of the movable unit
11
are respectively selected by pressing the corresponding key switches of the axis selection switch
22
and the multiplication factor selection switch
24
. Thus, signals are respectively inputted from the mode selection switch
21
, the axis selection switch
22
and the multiplication factor selection switch
24
to the PLC
40
, and an axis selection signal and a multiplication factor selection signal are inputted from the PLC
40
to the distribution means
32
of the NC
30
.
When the pulse handle
23
is rotated, a pulse signal is generated by the pulse handle
23
in accordance with the angular movement amount thereof, and inputted to the distribution means
32
. By multiplying the pulse number of the inputted pulse signal by the selected multiplication factor, a pulse signal (movement command signal) is generated, which is in turn inputted from the distribution means
32
to one of the controllers
31
specified by the axis selection signal. Thus, the corresponding drive mechanism
12
is controlled by the controller
3
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Frank Elliot
Mori Seiki Co. Ltd.
Picard Leo
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