Machine tool

• US 7,997,385 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Okuma Corporation
• Original Assignee: Okuma Corporation
• Inventors: Yanohara, Naomitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Siconolfi; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): AUNG, SAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/867,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20080083585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.1, 184/6.23, 184/6.4, 384/313, 384473-475, 702/55, 702/189, 408/239.A, 408/239.R, 409135-136, 409/231
• US Class Current: 184/6.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6625 Controlling or conditioning the grease supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/108745 Cutting action along work axis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303976 with means to control temperature or lubricate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/304032 Cutter or work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309352 Cutter spindle or spindle support

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a machine tool in which appropriate warm-up operation can be performed. Unnecessary warm-up operation before machining is not carried out and damage of bearings caused by the warm-up operation is prevented. A controlling unit stores data of a supply amount of lubricant to bearings and a rotation speed of a main spindle in a memory unit as time-series data. When rotation of the main spindle is started, the time-series data stored in the memory unit is used to calculate an amount of remaining lubricant in the bearings and determination of necessity of warm-up operation is made based upon the stored data. A rotation speed at a start-up time of the main spindle is controlled according to the determination result.

Claims

1. A machine tool comprising:

a main spindle rotatably supported via a bearing into which lubricant is supplied; and

a controlling unit which controls rotation operation of the main spindle and supply operation of lubricant to the bearing,

wherein the controlling unit stores data of an amount of lubricant to supply to the bearing during operation and a rotation speed of the main spindle in a storing unit as time-series data, and when the main spindle is started, the time-series data of the previous operation stored in the storing means is used to calculate an amount of remaining lubricant in the bearing, to determine the necessity of a warm-up operation based upon the amount of remaining lubricant in the bearing at the time of starting, and if the amount of remaining lubricant exceeds a threshold value and the controlling unit determines that a warm-up operation is required, the controlling unit determines a rotation speed and a rotation time for the warm-up operation and performs the warm-up operation according to the predetermined rotation speed and rotation time.

2. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit stores at least one of the data among a bearing temperature, a body temperature which is a temperature of a main spindle body, and an ambient temperature which is a temperature of an environment where the main spindle is placed as the time-series data, as well as a supply amount of lubricant and a rotation speed of the main spindle, in order to use the same for calculation of an amount of remaining lubricant.

3. The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit controls an amount of lubricant to supply to the bearing at a start-up time of the main spindle based upon the calculated amount of remaining lubricant.

4. The machine tool according to claim 2, wherein the controlling unit controls an amount of lubricant to supply to the bearing at a start-up time of the main spindle based upon the calculated amount of remaining lubricant.

5. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein when the determination result is to conduct a warm-up operation, the controlling unit selects a warm-up operation program comprising at least a rotation speed, rotation time period and amount of lubricant to be supplied to the bearing based on at least the amount of remaining lubricant calculated in the bearing.