Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-21
2004-05-25
Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S083000, C700S086000, C700S169000, C142S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06741905
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) system and method for automatic programming of lathes, such as multi-axis, computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathes for working on a fixed stock, and CNC Swiss-type lathes for working on a sliding stock. The system and method provides for the automatic production of a program that simultaneously controls a plurality of lathe processes for machining one or more workpieces by synchronous operation of a plurality of cutting tools and/or spindles. The system and method utilizes graphic symbols or icons to visualize data entry for combined and synchronized operations in different synchronous modes. These modes are automatically converted by the system and method of the present invention into executable CNC code for specific CNC machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A fabricated machine part is cut from a piece of material (blank stock or workpiece) having an original shape that is different from the final machined part. The machine can use various types of cutting tools to chip away all unnecessary material and shape the surface of the workpiece to that of the final part. When the machine is a lathe, the most common lathe operations or processes employed during fabrication of the part are facing, turning, grooving, threading and drilling of axial holes. A turning lathe spins the workpiece while plunging a tool with a non-rotating cutting edge (referred to as a fixed tool) into the workpiece to cut it. A variety of drilling and milling machines chip away material from the workpiece by plunging a tool with a rotating cutting bit (referred to as a rotary, or live, tool) having spinning cutting edges into the workpiece to cut it. Modern CNC lathes can be configured to perform milling and drilling of non-axial holes with rotary tools.
In the not so distant past all these operations were manually controlled. For example, a cylindrical surface was made on a lathe by holding a non-cylindrical stock in a rotating chuck and manually moving a cutting tool parallel and perpendicular to the stock's axis of rotation. To make a hole, a machinist would fasten the workpiece to a stationary table, align the drill bit with the location of the desired hole, and lower the proper diameter rotating drill bit until a hole of the correct depth was produced. To make a slot, a rotating milling bit was first plunged into the stock's surface, and then the stock was moved horizontally along the path of the desired slot.
FIG.
1
(
a
) diagrammatically illustrates one example of a modern multi-axis CNC lathe
100
. For purposes of describing lathe processes, a non-limiting orientation of general orthogonal axes X, Y and Z, and rotational directions A, B and C, about those axes, respectively, is illustrated in FIG.
1
(
a
), with the Y-axis being perpendicular to the plane of the drawing sheet, and the positive direction of the Y-axis being towards the viewer. First workpiece
102
can be fed through main spindle
104
, along the Z
1
-axis, in either the positive or negative direction. Guide bushing
106
can be used to support workpiece
102
as it is fed through the main spindle. Workpiece
102
can be rotated in the C
1
-direction about the Z
1
-axis by main spindle
104
. Tool post
108
holds a plurality of cutting tools. The tools are aligned along the Y
1
-axis in FIG.
1
(
a
), and therefore, only first cutting tool
110
is visible in the figure. The tools may be fixed or rotary tools, or a mix of these two types. Generally one tool from the tool post is actively working on workpiece
102
at a time. Tool post
108
is indexed for selection of the current active tool by moving the tool post along the Y
1
-axis. This type of tool post with linear indexing is sometimes referred to as a gang slide. Tool post
108
moves along the X
1
-axis so that the indexed active tool makes contact with workpiece
102
to cut into it. For example, moving actively indexed first tool
110
down along the X
1
-axis will result in cutting edge
111
of the first tool making contact with the workpiece. Tool post
108
may also include tools for working both first workpiece
102
and second workpiece
122
at the same time, such as a double-end drill, as further discussed below. Typically a double-end drill is mounted on a turret-type tool post. Tool post
108
and main spindle
104
may, or may not be, mounted to the same structural element. Sub-spindle
120
can be used either to support first workpiece
102
during main spindle operations, or hold second workpiece
122
while lathe processes are performed on it. Second workpiece
122
is created when the sub-spindle (with no second workpiece) holds the front end
102
a
of first workpiece
102
while a tool from tool post
108
is used to cut off a portion of the first workpiece (cut-off process) that will form the second workpiece. Sub-spindle
120
can move along the Z
2
-axis and X
2
-axis, and rotate second workpiece
122
in the C
2
-direction around the Z
2
-axis. Lathe processes on second workpiece
122
in sub-spindle
120
may or may not be performed at the same time as lathe operations on first workpiece
102
in main spindle
104
. Tool post
130
holds a plurality of tools
132
that can be indexed so that the active tool can work on the front end
102
a
of first workpiece
102
. In this example, sub-spindle
120
is located on the same slide as tool post
130
, and therefore, the tools that are mounted on tool post
130
and sub-spindle
120
share the same coordinate system (X
2
, Y
2
, Z
2
). Tool post
130
is a linearly indexing tool slide that moves along the Z
2
-axis to engage the front end
102
a
of first workpiece
102
and indexes tools along the X
2
-axis. Tool post
130
is sometimes called an end working tool post. Tool post
140
holds a plurality of tools
142
that can be indexed so that an active tool can work on the back end
122
b
of second workpiece
122
. Tool post
140
may be a linearly indexing tool device that moves along the Z
3
-axis to engage the back end of workpiece
122
and indexes tools along the X
3
-axis. Alternatively tool post
140
may be a rotary indexing tool device, which is called a turret. The tool turret would move along the Z
3
-axis to engage the back end of workpiece
122
and index tools by rotating in the C
3
-direction about the Z
3
-axis. Rotary (live) tools cutting on the front end or back end of a workpiece are referred to as Z-oriented tools. Rotary tools cutting along the X-axis are sometimes referred to as cross working or X tools. The multi-axis CNC lathe described in FIG.
1
(
a
) is known as a Swiss-type lathe. There are many variants of the Swiss-type lathe shown in FIG.
1
(
a
). For example, a particular lathe may have a further multiplicity of tool posts for working on stock and/or two or more sub-spindles.
FIG.
1
(
b
) illustrates one variant of the multi-axis CNC lathe shown in FIG.
1
(
a
). Lathe
100
in FIG.
1
(
a
) is known as a left hand lathe, since main spindle
104
is oriented to the left of sub-spindle
120
. Conversely lathe
101
in FIG.
1
(
b
) is known as a right hand lathe since main spindle
104
is oriented to the right of sub-spindle
120
.
FIG.
1
(
c
) illustrates another variant of a multi-axis CNC lathe that is sometimes called a turning center or turn-mill center. CNC lathe
99
in FIG.
1
(
c
) is used to produce a part having curvilinear inner and outer surfaces of revolutions, such as solid or hollow cylinders, cones, semi-spheres, or a part with surface features created by rotational movement of the part including grooves and threads. To create a round surface, main spindle
105
rotates first workpiece
103
in the C
1
-direction about the Z-axis while an indexed cutting tool, such as tool
115
or tool
117
, moves along the X-axis and Z-axis in a plane coincident to the workpiece's rotational axis to engage and cut the first workpiece. Sub-spindle
119
can be used to support the front end of workpiece
103
or hold a second workpiece
123
Fishman Hanan
Fishman Lena
IMCS, Inc.
Paladini Albert W.
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