MONITORING HOLE MACHINING

• US 20160070253A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Glavicic, Michael George, Ma, Kong, Ritchey, Andrew James, Dunkin, Mike R.
• Application Number:
  US14/843,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 41/16 for boring holes with high-quality surface
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/0961 by measuring power, current or torque of a motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35529 Monitoring current machining, store information in database as a new working case
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36201 Hole machining

Abstract

A method includes machining a component with a machine tool to form a feature in the component, monitoring, by a computing device, while machining the feature into the component with the machine tool, horsepower of the machine tool used to machine the component, determining, by the computing device, a quality of the feature in the component based on the monitored horsepower, and storing, by the computing device, an indication of the quality of the feature in combination with a unique identifier for the feature in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

machining a component with a machine tool to form a feature in the component;

monitoring, by a computing device, while machining the feature into the component with the machine tool, horsepower of the machine tool used to machine the component;

determining, by the computing device, a quality of the feature in the component based on the monitored horsepower; and

storing, by the computing device, an indication of the quality of the feature in combination with a unique identifier for the feature in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending control signals from the computing device to machine tool, the control signals being based on a predetermined design of the feature and the monitored horsepower, wherein the machine tool machines the component to form the feature in the component in response to the control signals sent from the computing device to the machine tool.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically reworking the feature with the machine tool based on the determination of the quality of the feature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the quality of the feature includes an indication the feature may include white layer damage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein machining the component with the machine tool includes drilling into the component with a rotary element of the machine tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises metal, wherein forming the feature in the component comprises forming the feature in the metal of the component.

7. A system comprising:

a machine tool; and

a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to;

send control signals to the machine tool for causing the machine tool to machine a component to form a feature in the component,

monitor, while the machine tool machines the feature into the component, horsepower of the machine tool used to machine the component,

determine a quality of the feature in the component based on the monitored horsepower, and

store an indication of the quality of the feature in combination with a unique identifier for the feature in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control signals from the computing device for causing the machine tool to machine the component are based on a predetermined design of the feature and the monitored horsepower, wherein the machine tool is configured to machine the component to form the feature in the component in response to the control signals sent from the computing device to the machine tool.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to present the indication of the quality of the feature to a human operator.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to send additional control signals to the machine tool to rework the feature based on the determination of the quality of the feature.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device is further configured to store an indication that the feature in the component is outside a predetermined tolerance range.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the indication of the quality of the feature includes an indication the feature may include white layer damage.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the machine tool is configured to machine the component in response to the control signals from the computing device by drilling into the component with a rotary element of the machine tool.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

send control signals to a machine tool for causing the machine tool to machine a component to form a feature in the component;

monitor, while the machine tool machines the feature into the component, horsepower of the machine tool used to machine the component;

determine a quality of the feature in the component based on the monitored horsepower; and

store an indication of the quality of the feature in combination with a unique identifier for the feature in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

15. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 14, wherein the control signals from the computing device to machine tool are based on a predetermined design of the feature and the monitored horsepower.

16. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable data storage medium, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to send additional control signals to the machine tool to rework the feature based on the determination of the quality of the feature.

17. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable data storage medium, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to store an indication that the feature in the component is outside a predetermined tolerance range.

18. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 14, wherein the indication of the quality of the feature includes an indication the feature may include white layer damage.

19. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 14, wherein the control signals are for causing the machine tool to machine the component by drilling into the component with a rotary element of the machine tool.

20. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 19, wherein the feature is a through hole.