ADAPTIVE CONTROL FOR A GRINDING MACHINE
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling a grinding process, said process being executed by a machine having a driving mechanism for producing relative motion and consequently a grinding force between a workpiece and rotating abrasive tool being driven by a power source, and said machine including a gaging device for generating a gaging signal representing an excess of material on the workpiece over a predetermined workpiece size, the apparatus comprising:
- a. means responsive to the power source for generating a control signal as a function of power being consumed by the grinding process;
b. means for receiving and comparing the control signal and the gaging signal to produce an output signal; and
c. means responsive to the output signal and having an output connected to the driving mechanism for modifying the operation of the driving mechanism to reduce the grinding force.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for use on a grinding machine for adaptively controlling the grinding process. The grinding process is initiated by a coarse-feed motion of a grinding tool into a workpiece. A gaging device is adapted to the workpiece and produces a gaging signal representing the excess material remaining thereon. A feed back circuit produces a control signal as a function of the power required by the grinding process, and the control signal represents an amount of material capable of being removed from the workpiece by the measured power. A comparator circuit is responsive to the gaging signal and the control signal and produces an output signal when the excess material remaining on the workpiece equals the amount of material capable of being removed by the measured power. The output signal is operative to terminate the coarse feed, and the remaining material is removed primarily as the result of the force which has built up between the tool and the workpiece as indicated by the measured power. When the gaging signal indicates the part is ground to size, the tool is retracted from the workpiece.
22 Citations
7 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling a grinding process, said process being executed by a machine having a driving mechanism for producing relative motion and consequently a grinding force between a workpiece and rotating abrasive tool being driven by a power source, and said machine including a gaging device for generating a gaging signal representing an excess of material on the workpiece over a predetermined workpiece size, the apparatus comprising:
- a. means responsive to the power source for generating a control signal as a function of power being consumed by the grinding process;
b. means for receiving and comparing the control signal and the gaging signal to produce an output signal; and
c. means responsive to the output signal and having an output connected to the driving mechanism for modifying the operation of the driving mechanism to reduce the grinding force.
- a. means responsive to the power source for generating a control signal as a function of power being consumed by the grinding process;
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2. An apparatus for controlling a grinding process, said process being executed by a machine having a driving mechanism for producing relative motion and consequently a grinding force between a workpiece and a rotating abrasive tool being driven by a power source and said machine including a gaging device for generating a gaging signal representing an excess of material on the workpiece over a predetermined workpiece size, the apparatus comprising:
- a. means responsive to the power source for producing a power signal as a function of power being consumed by the grinding process;
b. means responsive to the power signal for changing said power signal to produce a control signal representing an amount of material that may be removed from the workpiece as a function of the power being consumed;
c. means for receiving and comparing the control signal and the gaging signal and producing an output signal in response to said signals having substantially equal magnitudes; and
d. means responsive to the output signal and having an output connected to the driving mechanism for modifying the operation of the driving mechanism to reduce the grinding force in response to the output signal.
- a. means responsive to the power source for producing a power signal as a function of power being consumed by the grinding process;
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3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the means for producing the power signal further comprises:
- a. means responsive to the power source for producing a first signal representing total power being supplied by the power source; and
b. means responsive to the first signal for generating the power signal by reducing the first signal an amount representing the power required to drive the tool in an unloaded condition.
- a. means responsive to the power source for producing a first signal representing total power being supplied by the power source; and
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4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for producing the control signal further comprises:
- a. means for producing a reference signal representing a predetermined final power upon the workpiece being reduced to the predetermined size; and
b. means responsive to the powEr signal and the reference signal for producing the control signal, said control signal representing an amount of material that may be removed from the workpiece as a function of the power being consumed by the grinding process minus the predetermined final power.
- a. means for producing a reference signal representing a predetermined final power upon the workpiece being reduced to the predetermined size; and
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5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the modifying means is operative to terminate the operation of the driving mechanism in response to the output signal.
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6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the modifying means is operative to substantially reduce the relative motion between the tool and workpiece in response to the output signal.
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7. An apparatus for controlling a grinding process, said process being executed by a machine having a driving mechanism for producing relative motion and consequently a grinding force between a workpiece and a rotating abrasive tool being driven by a power source, and said machine including a gaging device for generating a gaging signal representing an excess of material on the workpiece over a predetermined workpiece size, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a transducer circuit connected to the power source and producing a first signal representing total power being supplied by said source;
b. a first reference circuit for providing a first reference signal representing power being consumed by the rotating tool in an unloaded condition;
c. a first differential amplifier having inputs connected to the first reference circuit and the transducer circuit for producing a power signal as a function of the difference between the inputs;
d. a second reference circuit for providing a second reference signal representing a predetermined final power of the grinding process;
e. a second differential amplifier having inputs connected to the first differential amplifier and the second reference circuit for producing a control signal as a function of the difference between the inputs, said second differential amplifier including a gain adjustment for changing the magnitude of the control signal;
f. a third differential amplifier having inputs connected to the gaging device and the second differential amplifier for producing an output signal as a function of the difference between inputs; and
g. means responsive to the output signal and having an output connected to the driving mechanism for modifying the operation of the driving mechanism to reduce the grinding force in response to the output signal.
- a. a transducer circuit connected to the power source and producing a first signal representing total power being supplied by said source;
Specification