Process for drilling at least two holes in a two-step cycle

• US 6,345,938 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
• Original Assignee: ZF Lemforder Metallwaren AG
• Inventors: Schleicher, Andrej, Brandt, Karl-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Daniel W.
• Application Number:
  US09/508,723
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 408/1.R, 408/43, 408/44, 408/45, 408/50, 408/53, 408/69, 408/70, 408/91
• US Class Current: 408/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 35/00 Methods for boring or drilling, or for working essentially requiring the use of boring or drilling machines; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 39/161 with parallel work spindles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/03 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/3809 Successively acting on workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/3833 with means to advance work relative to Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/54 Means to intermittently advance work

Abstract

A process is provided for drilling at least two holes with a device. The device has at least one double-spindle machining unit (2), which can be moved along a first travel axis (Y), and a linear carriage unit (3) with a duplicate work holding fixture (4) for two workpieces (5.1, 5.2). The linear carriage unit can be moved along a second travel axis (X) independently from the machining unit. The following steps are performed one after another:

Drilling of a first hole in a first workpiece (5.1) (first cycle),

subsequent drilling of a second hole in the first workpiece (5.1) and simultaneous drilling of a first hole in a second workpiece (5.2) (second cycle),

removal of the first workpiece (5.1),

loading of a third workpiece (5.3), and

drilling of a second hole in the second workpiece (5.2) and simultaneous drilling of a first hole in the third workpiece (5.3).

Claims

1. A process for drilling at least two holes in each of several workpieces, the process comprising the steps of providing:

a device, which has at least one double-spindle machining unit, which can be moved along a first travel axis, and a linear carriage unit with a duplicate work holding fixture for two of the workpieces, wherein the linear carriage unit can be moved along a second travel axis independently from the machining unit;

drilling a first hole in a first workpiece;

subsequent to said step of drilling a first hole, drilling a second hole in the first workpiece and simultaneously drilling a first hole in a second workpiece;

removing the first workpiece from the duplicate work holding fixture;

loading a third workpiece onto the duplicate work holding fixture; and

drilling a second hole in the second workpiece and simultaneous drilling a first hole in the third workpiece.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein each step of drilling forms a cycle and a finished workpiece is removed after each cycle following a second cycle and the duplicate work holding fixture is loaded with another workpiece.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.

4. A process in accordance with claim 2, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.

5. A process for drilling at least two holes in each of several workpieces, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a device, which has at least one double-spindle machining unit, which can be moved along a first travel axis, and a linear carriage unit with a duplicate work holding fixture for two of the workpieces, wherein the linear carriage unit can be moved along a second travel axis independently from the machining unit;

loading a first workpiece onto the duplicate work holding fixture and loading a second workpiece onto the duplicate work holding fixture;

drilling a first hole in the first workpiece in a first cycle;

in a second cycle drilling a second hole in the first workpiece and simultaneously drilling a first hole in a second workpiece;

removing the first workpiece from the duplicate work holding fixture;

loading a third workpiece onto the duplicate work holding fixture; and

in a third cycle drilling a second hole in the second workpiece and simultaneous drilling a first hole in the third workpiece.

6. A process in accordance with claim 5, wherein a finished workpiece is removed after each cycle following the second cycle and the duplicate work holding fixture is loaded with another workpiece.

7. A process in accordance with claim 5, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.

8. A process in accordance with claim 6, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.

9. A process for drilling at least two holes in each of several workpieces with a device, which has at least one double-spindle machining unit, which can be moved along a first travel axis, and a linear carriage unit with a duplicate work holding fixture for two of the workpieces, wherein the linear carriage unit can be moved along a second travel axis independently from the machining unit, the process comprising the steps of:

drilling a first hole in a first workpiece during a first drilling phase;

subsequent to said first drilling phase, drilling a second hole in the first workpiece and simultaneously drilling a first hole in a second workpiece;

removing the first workpiece from the duplicate work holding fixture;

loading a third workpiece onto the duplicate work holding fixture; and

drilling a second hole in the second workpiece and simultaneous drilling a first hole in the third workpiece during a third drilling phase.

10. A process in accordance with claim 9, a finished workpiece is removed after each drilling phase following the second drilling phase and the duplicate work holding fixture is loaded with another workpiece.

11. A process in accordance with claim 9, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.

12. A process in accordance with claim 10, wherein a distance between the holes in the workpiece is determined by the amount of the travel of the double-spindle machining unit.