Generation of a Cnc Machine Tool Control Program

• US 20070250204A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Original Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Inventors: Powley, Matthew, Kane, Alexander, Tett, Kevin, Whale, Sam, Ould, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/181
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/401 characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes G05B19/19 takes precedence

Abstract

A machine tool program editor (42) is used to insert auxiliary operations e.g. measurement, process control and program logic into a CNC work producing program. The editor (42) has representations (50, FIG. 3) of the operations which can be placed in the correct position in the program. User input in the form of parameters is prompted when a representation is selected. The program is post processed (46) and run on a machine tool (30) whereat the operations are performed.

Claims

1. A method for generating a CNC program, used for producing a workpiece on a CNC machine tool, having at least one measurement instruction comprising the steps of:

opening a program editor for a CNC machine tool program;

loading a CNC machine tool work producing program into the program editor;

inserting at a selected point in the program a selected measurement instruction for performing one or more measurement operations of the CNC machine tool;

characterised in that, the program editor includes representations not in the language of the CNC program, indicative of the or each measurement operation, and in that the method comprises the further steps of;

selecting a representation of the measurement operation required; and

generating and inserting at the selected point in the work producing program the at least one measurement instruction required for carrying out the measurement operation on the CNC machine tool.

2. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further provides the step of selecting a representation of process control operations and program logic operations and inserting the process control and program logic operations into the CNC program in the form of auxiliary instructions necessary for carrying out the process control and logic operations.

3. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 2 wherein the measurement instructions together with the remaining program is in the form of blocks which are post-processed to produce machine usable commands for performing the measurement operations, and workpiece producing commands.

4. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selection of the representation prompts user input in the form of parameters of the measurement operations, process control operations or program logic operations.

5. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 4 wherein the parameters of the measurement operations include, feature geometry, probe path, number of points to inspect, what is to be done with the probing data or geometric tolerances.

6. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 4 wherein parameters of the process control operations include updating machine tool variables including cutting speed, feed and depth of cuts, updating tool variables including cutter diameter or length, tool geometry, tool wear, or updating work coordinates.

7. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 4 wherein the parameters of the program logic operations include, instructions to control program flow such as, if, then, while and else instructions.

8. A method for generating a CNC program as claimed in claim 2 wherein the workpiece producing program has measurement operations, process control operations and program logic operations.

9. A computer program which when run on a computer carries out the method according to claim 1.

10. A method of producing a workpiece comprising in any suitable order the steps of:

generating a CNC program according to claim 1;

loading the CNC program into a CNC controller;

running the program, producing the workpiece; and

carrying out the said at least one measurement operation.

11. A work producing CNC program which when run on a CNC machine tool controller carries out the method according to claim 10.