WIRE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINE HAVING FUNCTION FOR DISCRIMINATING STATE IN WORK TANK

• US 20140284311A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, Masayuki
• Application Number:
  US14/218,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20140284311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/69.12
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 1/02 Electric circuits specially adapted therefor, e.g. power supply, control, preventing short circuits or other abnormal discharges
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 1/024 Detection of, and response to, abnormal gap conditions, e.g. short circuits preventing short circuits or other abnormal discharges by altering machining parameters using adaptive control B23H7/16
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 1/10 Supply or regeneration of working media
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/02 Wire-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/20 for programme-control, e.g. adaptive programme-control systems in general G05B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 7/36 Supply or regeneration of working media

Abstract

The wire electric discharge machine determines whether machining is submerged machining or flushing machining. If the machining is the submerged machining, when a fluid level of working fluid is lower than a predetermined height, the wire electric discharge machine prohibits a machining power from being applied. Thus, it is possible to prohibit the machining power from applied in a state in which the working fluid is insufficient and the submerged machining cannot be appropriately performed, thereby preventing an electric shock due to contact with a wire electrode and machining parts of a workpiece and preventing the working fluid from scattering to the air, and improving safety.

Claims

1. A wire electric discharge machine comprising:

a work tank; and

a wire electrode arranged in the work tank,

the wire electric discharge machine applying a voltage between a workpiece placed in the work tank and the wire electrode and performing machining of the workpiece while spraying working fluid between the wire electrode and the workpiece,

the wire electric discharge machine further comprising;

a fluid level detecting unit configured to detect a fluid level of the working fluid in the work tank;

a machining type discriminating unit configured to discriminate whether a type of the machining is submerged machining for performing the machining in a state in which the wire electrode and the workpiece are submerged in the working fluid or flushing machining for performing the machining in a state in which the wire electrode and the workpiece are not submerged in the working fluid; and

a machining power application prohibiting unit configured to prohibit a machining power from being applied if a discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and a detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than a predetermined position.

2. The wire electric discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising a working fluid spray prohibiting unit configured to prohibit the working fluid from being sprayed between the wire electrode and the workpiece if the discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and the detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than the predetermined position.

3. The wire electric discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a machining power application prohibiting unit configured to instruct application of machining power for applying a voltage between the wire electrode and the workpiece; and

a warning displaying unit configured to display a warning when an instruction of application of machining power is issued by the machining power application prohibiting unit if the discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and the detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than the predetermined position.

4. The wire electric discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a working fluid spray instructing unit configured to instruct spraying of the working fluid between the wire electrode and the workpiece; and

a warning displaying unit configured to display a warning when a working fluid spray instruction is issued by the working fluid spray instructing unit if the discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and the detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than the predetermined position.

5. The wire electric discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a machining power application prohibiting unit configured to instruct application of machining power for applying a voltage between the wire electrode and the workpiece; and

a working fluid supplying unit configured to supply the working fluid to increase the working fluid in the work tank to a predetermined fluid level when an instruction of application of machining power is issued by the machining power application prohibiting unit if the discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and the detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than the predetermined position.

6. The wire electric discharge machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

a working fluid spray instructing unit configured to instruct spraying of the working fluid between the wire electrode and the workpiece; and

a working fluid supplying unit configured to supply the working fluid to increase the working fluid in the work tank to a predetermined fluid level when a working fluid spray instruction is issued by the working fluid spray instructing unit if the discrimination result by the machining type discriminating unit indicates that the machining type is the submerged machining and the detection result by the fluid level detecting unit indicates that the fluid level is lower than the predetermined position.