SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING CHARACTERISTICS OF A ROTARY TABLE

• US 20190308290A1
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikken Kosakusho Europe Limited (Nikken Kosakusho Works, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nikken Kosakusho Europe Limited (Nikken Kosakusho Works, Ltd.)
• Inventors: EASTER-ROBINSON, Rowan Robert, RAY, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 11,027,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/25 Movable or adjustable work or tool supports
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 15/013 Control or regulation of feed movement B23Q15/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 16/025 by converting a continuous movement into a rotary indexing movement
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 2220/004 Rotary tables
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 5/56 Preventing backlash
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/02 by means of drums or rotating tables or discs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/404 characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia G05B19/19, G05B19/41 take precedence

Abstract

A rotary table (10a) for a milling machine, comprising sensing means (30,32) configured to measure and/or calculate a clearance between two mating components of said rotary table (10a), and transmission means configured to transmit said measured/calculated clearance to a central processing unit. The mating components of the rotary table being a worm screw and a worm wheel.

Claims

1. A rotary table for a milling machine, comprising sensing means configured to measure and/or calculate a clearance between two mating components of said rotary table, and transmission means configured to transmit said measured/calculated clearance to a central processing unit, wherein said mating components of said rotary table are a worm screw and a worm wheel.

2. A rotary table according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises a first encoder coupled to said worm screw of the rotary table and a second encoder coupled to said worm wheel of the rotary table.

3. A rotary table according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises a current sensor configured to measure the current flow through a power line into a servo motor of the rotary table.

4. A rotary table according to claim 3, wherein said sensing means further comprises a switch mounted on a faceplate of the rotary table.

5. A rotary table according to claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises an encoder configured to measure the position of a servo motor of the rotary table, and a switch mounted on a faceplate of the rotary table.

6. A milling station comprising a milling machine and a rotary table according claim 1.

7. An industrial shop floor configuration comprising two or more milling stations according to claim 6.

8. A system of monitoring the characteristics of a rotary table comprising at least one rotary table in accordance with claim 1 and a central processor for receiving and processing data transmitted from said at least one rotary table.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said monitored characteristics of the rotary table is backlash.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said central processor is a computer.

11. A system according to claim 8, further comprising a local server on the same site as one of said at least one rotary table, said local server being connected to said central processor.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said local server comprises transmitting means and receiving means configured to transmit and receive data and information from an offsite location.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein said local server comprises a user interface means.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein one or more of said at least one rotary table located on the same site as the local server is connected to the local server via a wired or wireless transmission means.

15. A system according to claim 14, where each rotary table located on the same site as the local server is connected to the local server via a wired or wireless transmission means.

16. A system according to claim 11, further comprising a master server located at a different site to said local sever.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the master server comprises a user interface means.