Control device for a machine tool and method for controlling the machine tool with evaluation module having memory storing reference signal profile

• US 9,547,300 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co.KG. (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Original Assignee: TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co.KG. (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Inventors: Angerer, Gerhard, Hoerl, Matthias, Strasser, Hagen, Theis, Helmut, Weiss, Thomas, Freudenthaler, Klemens, Gaggl, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Saad M
• Application Number:
  US13/994,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 5/00 Bending sheet metal along straight lines, e.g. to form simple curves B21D11/06 - B21D11/18 take precedence; corrugating sheet metal B21D13/00; as edge treatment B21D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 55/00 Safety devices protecting the machine or the operator, specially adapted for apparatus or machines dealt with in this subclass for presses in general B30B; safety devices in general F16P
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/26 Programme control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/182 characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine controller comprising a sensor module (4), an evaluation module (9) and a control module (5), and the sensor module (4) has a convertor which converts a mechanical variable acting on the sensor module (4) into a proportional electric characteristic variable, and the evaluation module (9) is connected via a first signal connection (8) to the sensor module (4) and via a second signal connection (11) to the control module (5). The evaluation module (9) generates a signal profile from the detected electric signal by means of an analysis of potential and/or change, which is compared with at least one reference signal profile stored in a memory means of the evaluation module (9) by means of a comparison module of the evaluation module (9), from which the control signal is generated. Furthermore, at least one of the two signal connections (8, 11) is based on a wireless design.

Claims

1. Machine controller comprising a sensor module (4), an evaluation module (9) and a control module (5) in which the control module (5) has means for activating or deactivating at least one drive means (6) of a machine tool (1) on the basis of an incoming control signal,

the sensor module (4) also having a convertor which converts a command into a proportional electric characteristic variable, the command comprising a physical variable acting on the sensor module (4) for a period of time, the evaluation module (9) being connected via a first signal connection (8) to the sensor module (4) and via a two-way second signal connection (11) to the control module (5), and in addition at least one of the two signal connections (8, 11) is a high-frequency local area data link, and the sensor module (4) is disposed on or in a shoe, wherein the evaluation module (9) generates a signal profile from the detected electric signal by running an analysis of potential and/or change, wherein the evaluation module (9) has a memory means in which a reference signal profile having a threshold value for an intensity of the signal is stored, the evaluation module (9) also has a comparison module which compares the detected signal profile with the stored signal profile and generates the control signal to activate or deactivate the at least one drive means when there is a rise above or drop below the threshold value throughout the period of time, and the control module (5) has a position locating or position identifying module (28) with at least two co-operating receiver stations (27) wherein an ultra-sound based wireless third signal connection (23) exists between the evaluation module (9) and the receiver stations (27), and the position locating or position identifying module (28) is configured to evaluate the travel time difference of the signals emitted simultaneously from the evaluation module (9) across the second (11) and third (23) signal connections and from this, information pertaining to position is determined.

2. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein at least the sensor module (4) is provided in the form of an outer wear part.

3. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module (4) and the evaluation module (9) are disposed in an integrated arrangement and the second signal connection (11) between the integrated modules (4, 9) and the control module (5) is based on a wireless design.

4. Machine controller according to claim 3, wherein the arrangement of the sensor module (4) and the evaluation module (9) is designed as a push-in module.

5. Machine controller according to claim 3, wherein an actuator is connected to the evaluation module (9).

6. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module (9) and the control module (5) are disposed in an integrated arrangement, and the first signal connection (8) between the sensor module (4) and the integrated modules (9, 5) is based on a wireless design.

7. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein at least one sequence of time-discrete changes in signal value is stored in the signal profile (22).

8. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of a pressure sensor.

9. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of a threshold sensor and has at least one threshold value.

10. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of an acceleration sensor.

11. Machine controller according to claim 1, wherein the convertor is provided in the form of an active component.

12. Method of operating a machine tool, comprising a machine controller,

wherein the machine controller comprises a sensor module (4), an evaluation module (9) and a control module (5) in which the control module (5) has means for activating or deactivating at least one drive means (6) of a machine tool (1) on the basis of an incoming control signal, the sensor module (4) also having a convertor, the evaluation module (9) being connected via a first signal connection (8) to the sensor module (4) and via a two-way second signal connection (11) to the control module (5), and in addition at least one of the two signal connections (8, 11) is a high-frequency local area data link, and the sensor module (4) is disposed on or in a shoe, the evaluation module (9) has a memory means in which a reference signal profile having a threshold value for an intensity of the signal is stored, the evaluation module (9) also has a comparison module, and the control module (5) has a position locating or position identifying module (28) with at least two co-operating receiver stations (27), wherein an ultra-sound based wireless third signal connection (23) exists between the evaluation module (9) and the receiver stations (27), and the position locating or position identifying module (28) is configured to evaluate the travel time difference of the signals emitted simultaneously from the evaluation module (9) across the second (11) and third (23) signal connections and from this, information pertaining to position is determined, the method comprising:

detecting via the convertor of the sensor module a command from an operator, the command comprising a physical variable acting on the sensor module for a period of time,

transmitting the command to the evaluation module as an electric characteristic variable,

generating via the evaluation module a signal profile from the electric characteristic variable,

comparing via the evaluation module the generated signal profile with the stored signal profile, and

generating on a basis of the comparison the control signal to activate or deactivate the at least one drive means when there is a rise above or drop below the threshold value throughout the period of time.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the evaluation module determines the rate of change in the electric characteristic variable.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the sensor module has an identification code which is transmitted to the evaluation module or to the control module.