Numerically controlling apparatus for the machine tool

• US 5,831,407 A
• Filed: 02/26/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Sadami, Kamiya, Takashi, Noda, Akio, Tsujido, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Application Number:
  US08/807,807
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 318/560, 318/579, 364/474.01-474.08, 364/474.14-474.2, 364/474.22-474.26, 395/92, 395/99
• US Class Current: 318/567
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4068 Verifying part programme on screen, by drawing or other means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/40937 concerning programming of machining or material parameters, pocket machining
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35522 Database for standard machining data and for personal machining data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36284 Use of database for machining parameters, material, cutting method, tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A machine tool is controlled in response to a numerical control program that is indicative of tool path data. A user selects a working region on which the machine tool will operate. A portion of the tool path data that corresponds to the selected working region is determined, so that both the selected working region and the portion of the tool path data may be displayed on a display. Such a display may also include a grid so that the user may select grid areas. Grid areas may be selected so that only data associated with the selected grid areas is modified, or to allow the user to modify a visible outline of the area to be worked, or to allow the user to select non-workable regions for which the original tool path data will not be modified. Further magnification may be based upon a predetermined magnification rate or a magnification rate selected by the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a machine tool, comprising:

a tool path generating means for generating a tool path for forming a worklpiece on the basis of a numerical control program;

a working region setting means for setting a desired working region to be displayed on a display unit, the desired working region corresponding to a portion of the workpiece that is less than an entirety of the workpiece;

a tool path extracting means for determining a portion of the tool path that corresponds to the desired working region;

a display means for displaying a representation of the workpiece, the desired working region relative to the representation of the workpiece, and the portion of the tool path relative to the desired working region;

a grid space determining means for dividing the desired working region into grid-like portions that are displayed on the display means;

a working region dividing means for dividing the portion of the tool path corresponding to the desired working region into a plurality of tool path segments, each of the plurality of tool path segments corresponding to a respective one of the grid-like portions;

a tool path extracting means for extracting a tool path segment corresponding to each grid-like portion;

a grid selecting means for selecting a grid-like portion displayed on the display means; and

a tool path editing means for modifying the tool path segment that corresponds to the selected grid-like portion so as to make up a new numerical control program on the basis of the modified tool path segment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a visible outline modifying means for modifying a visible outline of the workpiece in the working region corresponding to the selected grid-like portion selected by said grid selecting means; and

a tool path modifying means for modifying the tool path segment in accordance with the modified visible outline so as to make up a new numerical control program on the basis of the modified tool path segment.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a selected grid magnifying means for magnifying a grid-like portion selected by said grid selecting means;

wherein the means for displaying includes means for displaying a magnified working region and a tool path segment corresponding to the magnified working region.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a further magnification means for further dividing the magnified working region into smaller areas and for re-dividing the tool path segment corresponding to the magnified working region into smaller segments; and

a tool path extracting means corresponding for extracting tool path data corresponding to the smaller segments

wherein the means for displaying includes means for displaying a smaller segment of the tool path

the apparatus further comprising;

a magnified grid selecting means for selecting one of the smaller areas; and

a magnified tool path modifying means for modifying the smaller segment of the tool path that corresponds to the selected one of the smaller areas so as to make up a new numerical control program on the basis of the modified smaller segment of the tool path.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a magnified visible outline modifying means for modifying a magnified visible outline of the smaller area of the working region; and

a magnified visible outline tool path modifying means for modifying the smaller segment of the tool path in accordance with the modified magnified visible outline so as to make up a new numerical control program on the basis of the modified smaller segment of the tool path.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a grid magnification rate setting means for setting a magnification rate of the selected grid magnifying means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a grid space setting means for setting a size of said grid-like portions to an arbitrary value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a working prohibition grid setting means for setting at least one of the grid-like portions as a working prohibition region; and

a tool path generating means for modifying a tool path so as to not interfere with the working prohibition region so as to make up a new numerical control program on the basis of the modified tool path.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a working prohibition region setting means for setting a working prohibition region in one of said working region portions; and

a workable region dividing means for dividing said working region and the portion of the tool path corresponding to said working region into workable and non-workable areas based upon the working prohibition region.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a tool interference judging means for judging whether a tool path interferes with said working prohibition region or not; and

an interfering grid specifying means for specifying a grid-like portion that includes the tool path when said tool interference judging means judges that an interfering tool path exists.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a working information identifying means for identifying a type of a tool and a machining condition corresponding to the tool on the basis of the working region portion included in said grid-like portion; and

a working information displaying means for displaying the type of the tool and the machining condition identified by said working information identifying means.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a tool path modifying means for modifying the data of said type of said tool and said machining condition displayed on said working information display means to generate a new tool path on the basis of the modified data of said type of said tool and said machining condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tool path identifying means for identifying working blocks within the tool path and for adding an identifier to each working block, the tool path extracting means determining the portion of the tool path from the identifier.

14. An apparatus for controlling a machine tool to form a workpiece in response to a numerical control program indicative of tool path data, the apparatus comprising:

a data input device having an input that receives an indication from a user indicative of a selected working region of the workpiece on which the machine tool will operate, the selected working region being less than an entirety of the workpiece;

an extractor having an input coupled to the data input device that receives the tool path data and the indication indicative of the selected working region, and an output that provides a portion of the tool path data that corresponds to the selected working region; and

a display, coupled to the data input device and the extractor, the display providing a representation of the workpiece, a representation of the selected working region relative to the workpiece, and a representation of the portion of the tool path data to the user;

wherein;

the display further provides a plurality of grid areas overlaid upon the selected working region to be displayed to the user;

the data input device further receives input from the user indicative of a selected grid area for which tool path data will be modified and input from the user indicative of changes to the tool path data associated with the selected grid area; and

the apparatus further comprises a storage device, coupled to the data input device, that stores the tool path data, only the tool path data associated with the selected grid area being changed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a tool path identifier having an input that receives the tool path data, the tool path identifier dividing the tool path data into a plurality of working blocks and adding an identifier to each of the plurality of working blocks within the tool path data to provide correlated tool path data that may be modified by the user, each identifier correlating the working path with the associated tool path data.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the display further provides to the user a visible outline of the workpiece corresponding to the working region, the visible outline being representative of an area upon which the machine tool is to operate;

the data input device further receives input from the user indicative of a modification to the visible outline; and

the display further provides a modified visible outline to the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the data input device further receives input from the user indicative of a non-workable region within the working region and input from the user modifying at least part of the tool path data; and

the apparatus further comprises a storage device that stores the tool path data modified in response to the input from the user modifying at least part of the tool path data, an indication of the non-workable region, only tool path data that does not correspond to the non-workable regions being modified in the storage device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data input device further receives input from the user indicative of a change to the numerical working data;

the apparatus further comprising a tool path data modifier, coupled to the data input device, that modifies the tool path data in response to the change received from the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display further provides numerical working information associated with the portion of the tool path data.