Electricity: motive power systems – Positional servo systems – Program- or pattern-controlled systems
Patent
1990-11-05
1992-06-30
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Electricity: motive power systems
Positional servo systems
Program- or pattern-controlled systems
318570, 318579, 36447424, 36447426, 36447429, 395100, G05B 1918
Patent
active
051266466
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an NC program drawing method for interactive numerical control devices, and more particularly, to an NC program drawing method for an operation check of NC programs.
BACKGROUND ART
In interactive numerical control devices, programming is effected in such a way that queries on various items requiring data are systematically made by the system, and an operator inputs required values in answer to the queries. Accordingly, the operator can create programs without the need to comply with language rules for automatic programming or an NC tape format.
Programs produced in this manner must be checked for errors, and in interactive numerical control devices, the checking is executed by using a check drawing function. Namely, a simulation is carried out wherein profiles such as the shapes of a material and a tool are drawn on a display screen and the tool is moved along a path instructed by the NC program so that the workpiece is progressively machined into a desired shape.
As techniques for drawing a three-dimensional shape, a solid drawing method and a wire frame drawing method are known. According to the solid drawing method, a complicated profile of a solid body is represented by outer surfaces enclosing the body, the various types of surfaces being enclosed by ridgelines. The wire frame drawing method uses figure elements such as a straight line, a second degree curve, and a spline curve, etc., and a three-dimensional shape is represented solely by the lines of these elements.
According to the solid drawing method, since the drawn profile consists of surfaces, it is easy to recognize an actual machining profile, and when a workpiece is machined, the process can be easily followed because the surfaces are cut away. It is, however, difficult to draw a tool path and a detailed profile to be machined, and since the objects are represented by surfaces, a vast quantity of complicated data must be processed, requiring much time for the drawing. Moreover, a problem arises in that colors become blurred when small parts are drawn.
The wire frame drawing method is better, in that it can draw a tool path and a detailed profile to be machined, but since objects are represented solely by lines, it is difficult to recognize the drawn workpiece as a solid body.
Therefore, although each of the above two drawing methods compensates for the shortcomings of the other, conventionally the solid drawing method and the wire frame drawing method are used independently as different drawing methods.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This invention was created in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an NC program drawing method having the features of both the solid drawing method and the wire frame drawing method.
To achieve the above object, according to this invention, there is provided an NC program drawing method for an interactive numerical control device, characterized in that an NC program is represented by a composite drawing composed of a solid drawing and a wire frame drawing.
An edited and input NC program is represented by a composite drawing composed of a solid drawing and a wire frame drawing, whereby the drawing of a machining profile, and a tool path, etc., can be processed in a short time, and the creation of machining programs is made easy because the machining profile is easily recognized. Particularly, according to a preferred mode of carrying out the invention, simple surfaces and the like are drawn by the solid drawing method, and complicated profiles and tool paths, etc., are drawn by the wire frame drawing method.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a display screen illustrating an NC program drawing method according to one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing hardware of a numerical control device (CNC) for carrying out the invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen in which the machining profile in FIG. 1 is drawn by a solid drawing method;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a displa
REFERENCES:
patent: 4697240 (1987-09-01), Cedar et al.
patent: 4864520 (1989-09-01), Setoguchi
Fujita Naoki
Hanagata Toru
Bergmann Saul M.
Fanuc Ltd.
Shoop Jr. William M.
LandOfFree
NC program drawing method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with NC program drawing method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and NC program drawing method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1866252