Electric heating – Metal heating – Cutting or disintegrating
Patent
1986-06-12
1987-08-25
Pellinen, A. D.
Electric heating
Metal heating
Cutting or disintegrating
219 69C, B23H 102, B23H 704
Patent
active
046894578
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wire feed apparatus of a wire-cut electric discharge machine.
Conventional wire-cut electric discharge machines include those having a mechanical means for obtaining a remaining amount of a wire electrode (to be referred to as a wire hereinafter), those having a wire reel of a special design, and the like. These machines are all complex, high-priced, and inaccurate. A wire-cut electric discharge machine can operate for a long period of time without need of an operator. However, if the wire cannot complete the current work, operation is interrupted, resulting in damage to a work surface or loss of working time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above drawbacks of the conventional technique and to display a workable time or a workable length of a currently used wire by a simple means.
In order to achieve the above object, a wire-cut electric discharge machine (to be referred to as an electric discharge machine hereinafter) according to the present invention comprises wire length input means for inputting a length of a wire when the wire is mounted on the electric discharge machine, wire feed speed input means for inputting the wire feed speed, and wire length storage means for storing a remaining wire length. A wire length calculating means calculates the remaining wire length at preset time periods from the wire length stored in the wire length storage means and the input wire feed speed, and stores the remaining wire length in the wire length storage means. In addition, the wire length calculating means calculates a workable time (i.e., machining time) from the stored remaining wire length and the wire feed speed with a workable time calculating means, and the calculated workable time is displayed on a display means.
In this manner, according to the present invention, when a new wire feed bobbin is mounted on the electric discharge machine, if the wire length is input, a workable time is displayed on a display unit. Therefore, interruption of machining caused by depletion of the wire is prevented, so that the work surface is not damaged due to the interruption of machining, and loss of working time is prevented. Since the workable time is displayed, automatic operation of the electric discharge machine can be performed easily.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of an electric discharge machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which part thereof is shown as a block diagram;
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of operation for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a flow chart of operation for another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a workpiece to be machined; 2, a wire used for machining; R1 and R2, rollers for guiding the wire 2; B1, a wire feed bobbin with unused wire wound therearound; B2, a wire takeup bobbin for taking up used wire; M, a motor for driving the wire takeup bobbin; 3, a motor drive circuit for driving the motor; and 4, a control unit of the electric discharge machine. In the control unit 4, reference numeral 5 denotes a central processing unit (to be referred to as CPU hereinafter) for controlling the entire electric discharge machine, and 6, a memory comprising a ROM storing a program for the overall control, a RAM for temporarily storing data, and a non-volatile memory for storing wire characteristics to be described later. Reference numeral 7 denotes a manual input unit, provided on a control panel or the like of the electric discharge machine, for inputting various preset values and operation commands; 8, a display unit such as a CRT; and 9, an input/output circuit, connected to various detectors or actuators such as a table drive unit of the electric discharge machine to which the work is mounted. FIG. 1 shows only the part of
REFERENCES:
patent: 4383160 (1983-05-01), Obara
patent: 4510367 (1985-04-01), Obara
patent: 4559434 (1985-12-01), Kinoshita
patent: 4581514 (1986-04-01), Inoue
Ito Masaya
Izumiya Shunzo
Okuyama Yuji
Evans Geoffrey S.
Fanuc Ltd
Pellinen A. D.
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