CONTROL DEVICE FOR A MACHINE TOOL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MACHINE TOOL

• US 20130289760A1
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co.KG. (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Original Assignee: TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co.KG. (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Inventors: Strasser, Hagen, Theis, Helmut, Angerer, Gerhard, Hoerl, Matthias, Weiss, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/165
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/00 Bending sheet metal along straight lines, e.g. to form simple curves B21D11/06 - B21D11/18 take precedence; corrugating sheet metal B21D13/00; as edge treatment B21D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 55/00 Safety devices protecting the machine or the operator, specially adapted for apparatus or machines dealt with in this subclass for presses in general B30B; safety devices in general F16P
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/26 Programme control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/182 characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine controller comprising a sensor module (4), an evaluation module (9) and a control module (5), and the sensor module (4) has a convertor which converts a mechanical variable acting on the sensor module (4) into a proportional electric characteristic variable, and the evaluation module (9) is connected via a first signal connection (8) to the sensor module (4) and via a second signal connection (11) to the control module (5). The evaluation module (9) generates a signal profile from the detected electric signal by means of an analysis of potential and/or change, which is compared with at least one reference signal profile stored in a memory means of the evaluation module (9) by means of a comparison module of the evaluation module (9), from which the control signal is generated. Furthermore, at least one of the two signal connections (8, 11) is based on a wireless design.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. Machine controller comprising a sensor module (4), an evaluation module (9) and a control module (5) in which the control module (5) has means for activating or deactivating at least one drive means (6) of a machine tool (1) on the basis of an incoming control signal, the sensor module (4) also having a convertor which converts a physical variable acting on the sensor module (4) into a proportional electric characteristic variable, the evaluation module (9) being connected via a first signal connection (8) to the sensor module (4) and via a two-way second signal connection (11) to the control module (5), and in addition at least one of the two signal connections (8, 11) is based on a wireless design, and the sensor module (4) is disposed on or in a shoe, wherein the evaluation module (9) generates a signal profile from the detected electric signal by running an analysis of potential and/or change, the evaluation module (9) has a memory means in which a reference signal profile is stored, the evaluation module (9) also has a comparison module which compares the detected signal profile with the stored signal profile and generates the control signal, and the control module (5) has a position locating or position identifying module (28) with at least two co-operating receiver stations (27).

24. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein at least the sensor module (4) is provided in the form of an outer wear part.

25. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the sensor module (4) and the evaluation module (9) are disposed in an integrated arrangement and the second signal connection (11) between the integrated modules (4, 9) and the control module (5) is based on a wireless design.

26. Machine controller according to claim 25, wherein the arrangement of the sensor module (4) and the evaluation module (9) is designed as a push-in module.

27. Machine controller according to claim 25, wherein an actuator is connected to the evaluation module (9).

28. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the evaluation module (9) and the control module (5) are disposed in an integrated arrangement, and the first signal connection (8) between the sensor module (4) and the integrated modules (9, 5) is based on a wireless design.

29. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein at least one sequence of time-discrete changes in signal value is stored in the signal profile (22).

30. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein a period during which there is a rise above or drop below a threshold value is stored in the signal profile (22).

31. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of a pressure sensor.

32. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of a threshold sensor and has at least one threshold value.

33. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of an acceleration sensor.

34. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of an active component.

35. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein the wireless signal connection is a local area data link, in particular a high-frequency data link.

36. Machine controller according to claim 23, wherein a wireless third signal connection (23), preferably based on ultra-sound, exists between the evaluation module (9) and the control module (5).

37. Method of operating a machine tool, comprising a machine controller according to claim 23, wherein an effect of a physical variable is detected by the convertor of the sensor module and transmitted to the evaluation module as an electric characteristic variable, which generates a signal profile therefrom by means of a time analysis, in which signal profile an assignment of a time period to a signal value or a change in signal value is stored, and the evaluation module also compares the generated signal profile with the stored signal profile and on that basis generates the control signal.

38. Method according to claim 37, wherein the evaluation module determines the rate of change in the electric characteristic variable.

39. Method according to claim 37, wherein the evaluation module determines the period of time during which there is a rise above or a drop below the threshold value.

40. Method according to claim 37, wherein the sensor module has an identification code which is transmitted to the evaluation module or to the control module.

41. Method according to claim 37, wherein when a threshold value of the change in signal value is exceeded, an alarm signal is emitted as a control signal.