Working System, Method for Detecting Contact, and Acoustic Emission Contact Detection Device

• US 20090042483A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Company Limited
• Inventors: Meki, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/11
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/22 for indicating or measuring existing or desired position of tool or work B23Q16/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 47/22 Equipment for exact control of the position of the grinding tool or work at the start of the grinding operation
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/003 involving acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/10 involving electrical means B24B49/02, B24B49/08 take precedence

Abstract

The object is to aim at the reduction in the influence of noises in an output of an AE sensor in a working machine. In a working system comprising a working device for working a work W by causing a tool 14 to come into contact work W, an AE sensor 21, and an AE signal processing section 22 for processing an AE signal output from the AE sensor, AE signal processing section 22 comprises an A/D converter 33 for converting an AE signal into a digital signal, a frequency analysis section 34 for calculating the frequency characteristics of a digital AE signal, storage sections 35, 37 for storing the frequency characteristics when the tool is not in contact with the work or tool dresser as non-contact frequency characteristics, and a difference calculation section 35 for calculating a difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics.

Claims

1. A working system comprising:

a working device for working a work by causing a tool to come into contact with the work;

an AE sensor provided in the working device; and

an AE signal processing section for processing an AE signal output from the AE sensor, wherein;

the AE signal processor comprises;

an A/D converter for converting the AE signal into a digital signal;

a frequency analysis section for calculating the frequency characteristics of a digital AE signal;

a storage section for storing the frequency characteristics when the tool is not in contact with the work or tool dresser in the working device as non-contact frequency characteristics; and

a difference calculation section for calculating a difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics.

2. The working system according to claim 1, wherein the AE signal processing section comprises a judgment section for judging that the tool has come into contact with the work or tool dresser based on the difference calculated by the difference calculation section and outputting a contact signal.

3. The working system according to claim 1, wherein:

the working device comprises a working controller;

the working controller controls, when causing the tool to come into contact with the work or tool dresser, the tool to move relative to the work or tool dresser at a first speed until it reaches a first position at which it is ensured that the tool does not come into contact with the work or tool dresser and then to move at a second speed lower than the first speed until it comes into contact with the work or tool dresser, and issues a storage position signal when the tool passes through the first position; and

the storage section of the AE processing section stores the non-contact frequency characteristics in accordance with the storage position signal.

4. The working system according to claim 2, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a corresponding frequency and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

5. The working system according to claim 2, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal in a predetermined frequency range and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

6. The working system according to claim 2, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a predetermined frequency and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

7. The working system according to claim 2, wherein the AE sensor is provided in the working device so that the difference calculated by the difference calculation section is sufficiently large when the tool comes into contact with the work or tool dresser.

8. The working system according to claim 2, wherein the frequency analysis section, the storage section, and the judgment section of the AE signal processing section are configured using a digital signal processor.

9. A contact detection method for detecting that a tool has come into contact with a work or tool dresser in a working device for machining the work by causing the tool to come into contact with the work, the method comprising:

converting an AE signal output from an AE sensor provided in the working device into a digital signal;

calculating the frequency characteristics of a digital AE signal;

storing the frequency characteristics when the tool is not in contact with the work or tool dresser as non-contact frequency characteristics; and

calculating a difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein that the tool has come into contact with the work or tool dresser is detected based on the calculated difference.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

when the tool is caused to come into contact with the work or tool dresser, the tool is controlled to move relatively to the work or tool dresser at a first speed until it reaches a first position at which it is ensured that the tool does not come into contact with the work or tool dresser, and then to move at a second speed lower than the first speed until it comes into contact with the work or tool dresser; and

the frequency characteristics of the digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics when the tool passes through the first position are stored.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics is calculated by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a corresponding frequency; and

when the power of the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined value, the contact is judged to have been established.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics is calculated by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal in a predetermined frequency range; and

when the power of the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined value, the contact is judged to have been established.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

the difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics is calculated by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a predetermined frequency; and

when the power of the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined value, the contact is judged to have been established.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the AE sensor is provided in the working device so that the difference to be calculated is sufficiently large when the tool comes into contact with the work or tool dresser.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the calculation of the frequency characteristics, the storage of the non-contact frequency characteristics, and the detection of establishment of the contact are carried out by a digital signal processor.

17. An AE contact detection device to be attached to a working device for working a work by causing a tool to come into contact with the work, the device comprising:

an AE sensor provided in the working device; and

an AE signal processing section for processing an AE signal output from the AE sensor, wherein the AE signal processing section comprise;

an A/D converter for converting the AE signal into a digital signal;

a frequency analysis section for calculating the frequency characteristics of a digital AE signal;

a storage section for storing the frequency characteristics when the tool is not in contact with the work or tool dresser in the working device as non-contact frequency characteristics; and

a difference calculation section for calculating a difference between the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal and the non-contact frequency characteristics.

18. The AE contact detection device according to claim 17, wherein the AE signal processing section comprises a judgment section for outputting a contact signal by judging that the tool has come into contact with the work or tool dresser based on the difference.

19. The AE contact detection device according to claim 17, wherein the storage section stores the non-contact frequency characteristics in response to a signal from the working device.

20. The AE contact detection device according to claim 18, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a corresponding frequency and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

21. The AE contact detection device according to claim 18, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal in a predetermined frequency range and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

22. The AE contact detection device according to claim 18, wherein the judgment section calculates a difference signal by subtracting the non-contact frequency characteristics from the frequency characteristics of the detected digital AE signal at a predetermined frequency and outputs a contact signal when the power of the calculated difference signal is greater than a predetermined value.

23. The AE contact detection device according to claim 18, wherein the frequency analysis section, the storage section, and the judgment section of the AE signal processing section are configured using a digital signal processor.