Parameter-based controller for managing tool life considering change in machining conditions
First Claim
1. A numerical controller for machining a workpiece by controlling a machine tool including a tool based on a command of each of a plurality of blocks read from a machining program, the numerical controller comprising:
- a tool data storage section for storing tool data in which the tool and a life of the tool are associated with each other;
a machining condition data storage section for storing machining condition data in which machining conditions at time of machining and a consumption factor representing a degree to which the tool consumes the tool life under the machining conditions are associated with each other;
a program operation section for controlling the machine tool based on the machining program;
a tool usage calculation section for calculating a usage of the tool for each of the plurality of blocks of the machining program;
a consumption factor determination section for determining a consumption factor by referring to the machining condition data storage section based on machining conditions at time of machining performed in accordance with the machining program; and
a life consumption-amount calculation section for calculating an accumulated consumption life, which is a tool life consumed before each of the plurality of blocks based on the tool usage for each of the plurality of blocks calculated by the tool usage calculation section and the consumption factor determined by the consumption factor determination section,wherein the program operation section is configured to, in response to a block read from the machining program containing a tool change command,read a machining command of each of subsequent blocks between the block containing the tool change command and a block containing a next tool change command in advance of execution of the machining command, andselect a tool having a tool life that does not end before the block containing the next tool change command, from among tools stored in the tool data storage section, based on the accumulated consumption life.
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Abstract
A numerical controller determines a consumption factor representing the degree to which a tool included in a machine tool consumes the life in association with machining conditions, and calculates a tool life (accumulated consumption life) consumed before each block based on the determined consumption factor and a tool usage for each block. If a command of a block read from a machining program is a tool change command, a tool having a tool life not ending before the next tool change command is selected among tools based on the accumulated consumption life.
12 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A numerical controller for machining a workpiece by controlling a machine tool including a tool based on a command of each of a plurality of blocks read from a machining program, the numerical controller comprising:
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a tool data storage section for storing tool data in which the tool and a life of the tool are associated with each other; a machining condition data storage section for storing machining condition data in which machining conditions at time of machining and a consumption factor representing a degree to which the tool consumes the tool life under the machining conditions are associated with each other; a program operation section for controlling the machine tool based on the machining program; a tool usage calculation section for calculating a usage of the tool for each of the plurality of blocks of the machining program; a consumption factor determination section for determining a consumption factor by referring to the machining condition data storage section based on machining conditions at time of machining performed in accordance with the machining program; and a life consumption-amount calculation section for calculating an accumulated consumption life, which is a tool life consumed before each of the plurality of blocks based on the tool usage for each of the plurality of blocks calculated by the tool usage calculation section and the consumption factor determined by the consumption factor determination section, wherein the program operation section is configured to, in response to a block read from the machining program containing a tool change command, read a machining command of each of subsequent blocks between the block containing the tool change command and a block containing a next tool change command in advance of execution of the machining command, and select a tool having a tool life that does not end before the block containing the next tool change command, from among tools stored in the tool data storage section, based on the accumulated consumption life.
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2. The numerical controller according to claim 1,
wherein the consumption factor determination section is configured to determine, in response to a change in machining conditions during an operation based on the machining program, a latest consumption factor based on the changed machining conditions, the life consumption-amount calculation section is configured to recalculate an accumulated consumption life, which is a tool life consumed before each of the plurality of blocks, based on the latest consumption factor, and the numerical controller further includes a life exhausting block determination section configured to determine a block of the machining program at which a tool life of a currently-used tool will end in response to an estimation, based on the recalculated accumulated consumption life, that the tool life of the currently-used tool will end before the next tool change command, and an operation-stop-block determination section configured to determine a block at which a machining operation is safely stoppable in a section ranging from a block of the machining program currently executed by the program operation section to the block of the machining program determined, by the life exhausting block determination section, to be a block at which the tool life of the currently-used tool ends.
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3. The numerical controller according to claim 2, wherein the operation-stop-block determination section is configured to determine the block at which a machine operation is to be stopped where an operable time is maximum.
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4. The numerical controller according to claim 1, wherein the machining condition comprises one or more of coolant concentration, pH, temperature and machine'"'"'s internal temperature.
Specification