Method and system for controlling cutting machines, and controlling medium

• US 20020164221A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ohta, Atsushi, Hosoda, Tsuyoshi, Izutsu, Yukio, Nishimoto, Mitsuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,824,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 409/132
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4166 Controlling feed or in-feed G05B19/4163 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34107 Zigzag workpiece parallel sweeps, direction parallel machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49082 Maintain constant material removal rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30084 with regulation of operation by templet, card, or other replaceable information supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30112 Process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303808 including infeeding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/307392 with means to change rate of infeed

Abstract

A cutting machine control determines a required stock-removal amount from a work for each of sections into which a tool path is divided, and feeds the rotating cutting tool at a speed that is controlled according to the required stock-removal volume so that the rotating cutting tool removes a predetermined or target stock-removal volume of material for the component path section from a work per unit time.

Claims

1. A cutting machine control method of controlling a cutting machine equipped with a rotating cutting tool for cutting a surface of a work, said cutting machine control method comprising the steps of:

determining a required stock-removal volume to be removed from an object work along a tool path on the basis of a blank configuration of said object work; and

variably controlling a tool feed speed of said rotating cutting tool along said tool path according to said required stock-removal volume so that said rotating cutting tool removes a predetermined stock-removal volume of material from said object work per unit time.

2. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 1, wherein said required stock-removal volume is determined for each of a plurality of component path sections into which said tool path is divided along the entire length thereof, and said rotating cutting tool is fed at a constant tool feed speed along said component path section so that said rotating cutting tool removes said required stock removal volume from said object work for said component path section when the rotating cutting tool cuts said object work along each said component path section with said predetermined stock-removal volume per unit time.

3. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 2, wherein said rotating cutting tool is an end mill and, when said end mill is fed to approach a cutting surface of said object work at a tool feed angle with respect to said cutting surface in said component path section, said component path section is divided into a plurality of subsections and said rotating cutting tool is fed at a tool feed speed that is decreasingly varied in steps for each said subsection, said subsection being shorter in length for said tool feed angle of 90°

than for said tool feed angle other than 90°

.

4. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 2, wherein, when a rate of a rate of tool feed speed change of said tool feed speed for an instant component path section relative to said tool feed speed for an preceding component path section is smaller than a specified rate, said tool feed speed for said instant component path section is replaced with said tool feed speed for said preceding component path section.

5. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 4, wherein said specified rate is changed larger with an increase in said tool feed speed for said previous component path section.

6. A cutting machine control method of controlling a cutting machine equipped with a rotating cutting tool having a plurality of cutting edges for cutting a surface of a work, said cutting machine control method comprising the steps of:

determining a required stock-removal volume to be removed from an object work along a tool path on the basis of a blank configuration of said object work; and

variably controlling a tool feed speed of said rotating cutting tool along said tool path according to said required stock-removal volume so that each said cutting edge removes a predetermined stock-removal volume of material from said object work per one revolution

7. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 6, wherein said required stock-removal volume is determined for each of a plurality of component path sections into which the whole length of said tool path is divided, and said rotating cutting tool is fed at a constant tool feed speed along said component path section so that said rotating cutting tool removes said required stock removal volume from said object work for said component path section when the rotating cutting tool cuts said object work along each said component path section with said predetermined stock-removal rate per unit time.

8. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 7, wherein said rotating cutting tool is an end mill and, when said end mill is fed to approach a cutting surface of said object work at a tool feed angle with respect to said cutting surface in said component path section, said component path section is divided into a plurality of subsections and said rotating cutting tool is fed at a tool feed speed that is decreasingly varied in steps for each said subsection, said subsection being shorter in length for said tool feed angle of 90°

than for said tool feed angle other than 90°

.

9. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 7, wherein, when a rate of a rate of tool feed speed change of said tool feed speed for an instant component path section relative to said tool feed speed for an preceding component path section is smaller than a specified rate, said tool feed speed for said instant component path section is replaced with said tool feed speed for said preceding component path section.

10. A cutting machine control method as defined in claim 9, wherein said specified rate is changed larger with an increase in said tool feed speed for said previous component path section.

11. A cutting machine control system for controlling a cutting machine equipped with a rotating cutting tool for cutting a surface of a work, said cutting machine control system comprising:

means for determining a required stock-removal volume to be removed from an object work along a tool path on the basis of data on said tool path and data on a blank configuration of said object work;

means for determining a tool feed speed of said rotating cutting tool along said tool path according to said required stock-removal volume so that said rotating cutting tool removes a predetermined stock-removal volume of material from said object work per unit time;

said specified stock-removal volume from said object work; and

means for feeding said rotating cutting tool at said tool feed speed.

12. A control medium for use with a cutting machine equipped with a rotating cutting tool having a plurality of cutting edges for cutting a surface of a work, said control medium recorded with a computer program that is run on a computer to execute the functions of:

routing a tool path along which said rotating cutting tool is fed to cut an object work;

dividing said tool path into a plurality of component path sections;

determining a specified stock-removal volume of each said cutting edge per one revolution of said rotating cutting tool on the basis of information on said rotating cutting tool and said subject work;

determining a required stock-removal volume to be removed from an object work for each said component path section on the basis of said information on said tool path and information of a blank configuration of said object work; and

determining a tool feed speed of said rotating cutting tool along said component path section according to said required stock-removal volume so that said rotating cutting tool removes said specified stock-removal volume from said object work; and

storing data of said tool feed speed of said rotating cutting tool for each said component path section.