Method and apparatus for recording operating status of an NC processing machine

• US 5,812,406 A
• Filed: 11/08/1995
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amada Metrecs Co. Ltd. (Amada Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Amada Metrecs Co. Ltd. (Amada Company Limited)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shigeharu, Sakurai, Nobuo, Yoshikawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/554,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 364/474.16, 364/474.17, 364/474.22, 364/474.25, 364/474.03, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 83/527, 83/550, 83/554-556, 83/69, 83/73-75, 83/667-670, 83/526, 83/75.5, 83/72, 72/20.1, 72/17.2, 72/389.3, 72/389.1, 72/386
• US Class Current: 700/174
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31407 Machining, work, process finish time estimation, calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45143 Press-brake, bending machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50197 Signature analysis, store working conditions, compare with actual
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/155 Optimizing product from unique workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8696 Means to change datum plane of tool or tool presser stroke
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8737 With tool positioning means synchronized with cutting stroke

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recording an operating status of an NC processing machine is provided. Measuring and recording operations can be performed with trial processing and actual processing distinguishing from each other. In order to record the operating status in a case where an NC apparatus is controlled to cause an NC processing machine i.e. a press brake, to perform continuous processing according to a processing program, a processing condition for a work used in previous processing is stored in a memory. A comparison/decision unit decides whether a processing condition for a work used in current processing coincides with the stored processing condition of the work in the previous processing. If the current processing condition coincides with the previous processing condition, a recording unit records the current processing as actual processing. On the other hand, if the current processing condition does not coincide with the previous processing condition, the recording unit records the current processing as trial processing.

Claims

1. A method of recording an operating status of an NC processing machine, the method comprising:

comparing a processing condition currently employed with a processing condition previously employed;

determining whether the processing condition currently employed coincides with the processing condition previously employed;

recording the current processing as an actual operation if the processing condition currently employed coincides with the processing condition previously employed; and

recording the current processing as a trial operation if the processing condition currently employed does not coincide with the processing condition previously employed.

2. The method of recording an operating status according to claim 1, further comprising:

(a) inputting a new processing condition to be employed in current processing;

(b) determining whether the new processing condition equals a current processing condition;

(c) substituting the new processing condition for the current processing condition if the new processing condition does not equal the current processing condition; and

(d) processing with the current processing condition;

wherein (a), (b) (c) and (d) are performed before the comparing of processing conditions.

3. The method of recording an operating status recording of claim 1, wherein the NC processing machine is a press brake machine which performs a bending operation.

4. The method of recording an operating status recording apparatus of claim 1, in which the processing condition currently employed is defined by coordinates and the processing condition previously employed is defined by coordinates.

5. An operating status recording apparatus of an NC processing machine, said apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a processing condition previously employed;

a decision unit for deciding whether a processing condition currently employed coincides with the processing condition stored in said memory; and

a recording unit for recording the current processing as an actual operation if the processing condition currently employed coincides with the processing condition stored in memory and for recording the current processing as trial processing operation if the processing condition currently employed does not coincide with the processing condition stored in memory.

6. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an input system which inputs a new processing condition to be employed in current processing.

7. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a comparator which determines whether the new processing condition is different from the current processing condition;

a second memory which stores the current processing condition and overwrites the current processing condition with the new processing condition if the new processing condition is different from the current processing condition; and

a processor which performs processing using the processing condition currently stored in the second memory.

8. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 7, in which the first memory and the second memory comprise a storage memory.

9. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 8, in which the storage memory stores a number of products to be processed.

10. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 6, in which the input system comprises a keyboard.

11. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 6, in which the input system comprises a computer program stored in a storage memory.

12. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a CRT output system for displaying information.

13. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 5, wherein which the NC processing machine comprises a press brake machine.

14. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a ram to perform the bending operation and a motor for driving the ram in accordance with the processing condition currently employed.

15. The operating status recording apparatus of claim 5, in which the processing condition currently employed is defined by coordinates and the processing condition previously employed is defined by coordinates.