NUMERICAL CONTROL UNIT WITH THE OPTION OF MODIFYING THE SUB-PROGRAM

• US 20160103447A1
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: SPIELMANN, RALF, SINN, CHRISTOF
• Granted Patent: US 10,095,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4068 Verifying part programme on screen, by drawing or other means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4155 characterised by programme execution, i.e. part programme or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a programme
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36088 Machining parameters, overide
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36094 Inhibit or permit override by separate manual switch

Abstract

A sub-program carried out by a numerical control unit that controls a production machine is disclosed. The numerical control unit transmits a piece of information identifying a program instruction, by means of which the sub-program was generated to a CAM system after the instruction is selected by a user through an operator interface. The numerical control unit receives, a parameterized description of the sequence of program instructions containing the selected program instruction from the CAM system. The numerical control unit outputs the parameterized description to the user via the operator interface and receives a modification of the parameterized description from the user. The numerical control unit then transmits the modified parameterized description to the CAM system and receives a modified sub-program corresponding to the modified parameterized description from the CAM system.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method of operating a numerical control unit, comprising:

loading a sub-program executable by the numerical control unit to control a production machine into memory accessible to the numerical control unit;

entering a command into the numerical control unit selecting at least one program instruction of a sequence of program instructions in the sub-program using an operator interface;

conveying an item of information identifying the at least one selected program instruction using a computer-computer connection directly or indirectly from the numerical control unit to a CAM system that generated the sub-program;

conveying a parameterized description of the sequence of program instructions containing the at least one selected program instruction to the numerical control unit using the computer-computer connection between the CAM system and the numerical control unit;

outputting the parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the user of the numerical control unit using the operator interface;

inputting a change in the parameterized description to the numerical control unit using a operator interface;

transmitting the modified parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the CAM system; and

entering a modified sub-program from the CAM system that corresponds to the modified parameterized description transmitted to the CAM system, into the numerical control unit.

12. The operating method of claim 11, further comprising:

entering an image of processing a workpiece by executing the sub-program, said image corresponding to the parameterized description transmitted from the CAM system together with the parameterized description; and

outputting the image from the numerical control unit to a user using the operator interface.

13. The operating method of claim 11, further comprising:

entering an image of a processing of a workpiece performed by executing the modified sub-program, said image corresponding to the modified parameterized description, after transmitting the modified parameterized description from the CAM system from the numerical control unit;

outputting the image from the numerical control unit using the operator interface;

confirming that the image is correct using the operator interface of the numerical control unit; and

requesting the modified sub-program from the CAM system for numerical control unit, once the image has been confirmed as correct

14. The operating method of claim 11, wherein the sequence of program instructions is present in parameterized form neither in the sub-program nor in the numerical control unit.

15. The operating method of claim 11, wherein any program instruction or any group of consecutive program instructions of the sequence of program instructions can be selected by the user.

16. The operating method of claim 11, wherein the program instructions selected by the user comprise at least one program instruction by which the workpiece is processed on a surface that is curved in two directions at at least one point on the surface, the two directions being respectively orthogonal to each other.

17. The operating method of claim 11 wherein a main program of said sub-program includes sub-program calls, further comprising selecting the at least one program instruction by selecting a subprogram call using a operator interface.

18. The operating method of claim 11, further comprising automatically determining what CAM system generated the sub-program, the numerical control unit using a header of the sub-program for this determination.

19. A computer program, wherein the computer program is machine code configured for execution by a numerical control unit to control a production machine, the program including a sub-program, the computer program comprising:

machine code that selects at least one program instruction of a sequence of program instructions in the sub-program in response to a selection entered into the numerical control unit using a operator interface,

machine code that conveys an item of information identifying the at least one selected program instruction using a computer-computer connection directly or indirectly from the numerical control unit to a CAM system that generated the sub-program;

machine code receiving a parameterized description of the sequence of program instructions containing the at least one selected program instruction from the computer-computer connection between the CAM system and the numerical control unit and outputting the parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the user of the numerical control unit using the operator interface;

machine code entering a change in the parameterized description the numerical control unit received from the operator interface;

machine code transmitting the modified parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the CAM system; and

machine code receiving a modified sub-program from the CAM system corresponding to the modified parameterized description transmitted to the CAM system.

20. A numerical control unit, comprising:

an operator interface;

a computer program loaded into the numerical control unit, the computer program including a sub-program executable by the numerical control unit to control a production machine, the sub-program including;

machine code that selects at least one program instruction of a sequence of program instructions in the sub-program in response to a selection entered into the numerical control unit using a operator interface,

machine code that conveys an item of information identifying the at least one selected program instruction using a computer-computer connection directly or indirectly from the numerical control unit to a CAM system that generated the sub-program;

machine code receiving a parameterized description of the sequence of program instructions containing the at least one selected program instruction from the computer-computer connection between the CAM system and the numerical control unit and outputting the parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the user of the numerical control unit using the operator interface;

machine code entering a change in the parameterized description the numerical control unit received from the operator interface;

machine code transmitting the modified parameterized description from the numerical control unit to the CAM system; and

machine code receiving a modified sub-program from the CAM system corresponding to the modified parameterized description transmitted to the CAM system.