Control device for machine tool including rotary indexing device

• US 9,527,176 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: Ogawa, Yoshitsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, ALVIN J
• Application Number:
  US14/519,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 302/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 16/065 with a continuous drive
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/08 other than mechanically-actuated B23Q3/061, B23Q3/066, and B23Q3/067 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39264 Torque control using hardware designed for position control

Abstract

A rotary table is rotated by a machining load. A drive motor tries to return the rotary table to a positioned target position, and increases output torque. When the output torque reaches upper limit torque Tmax or when output torque which is equal to or greater than permissible torque Tp continues for predetermined time ΔT, a target position which is sent to a drive motor is changed, thereby promoting reduction in output torque. If the output torque becomes smaller than permissible torque Tp, the target position is changed to bring position deviation of the drive motor equal to 0, and the position deviation is swiftly returned.

Claims

1. A control device for a machine tool including a rotary indexing device, the rotary indexing device comprising:

a rotary table on which a work is to be mounted and fixed;

a clamping mechanism configured to clamp the rotary table;

a drive motor configured to rotate and drive the rotary table; and

a motor controller configured to control a rotation position and a speed of the drive motor,

wherein the rotary table is configured to be clamped by the clamping mechanism at a target position of a predetermined rotation angle position,

wherein the control device comprises a processor configured to

detect an output torque of the drive motor,

obtain a position deviation from the motor controller, and

execute a target position changing processing on a condition that a time, during which the detected output torque of the drive motor is equal to or higher than a preset permissible torque, continues for a predetermined time or the detected output torque of the drive motor reaches a preset upper limit torque while a work mounted on the rotary table is being machined, and

wherein, in executing the target position changing processing, the processor is configured to

change the target position such that the output torque of the drive motor is brought close to or equal to 0 if the detected output torque is equal to or higher than the permissible torque, and

change the target position by increments such that the obtained position deviation is brought close to or equal to 0 if the detected output torque is smaller than the permissible torque.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is further configured to return the target position changed by the target position changing processing to an original target position of when the rotary table is clamped, when

the detected position deviation is 0, and

a difference between the target position changed by the target position changing processing and a target position clamped by the clamping mechanism is smaller than a predetermined value.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein

the processor is further configured to

turn on a target position-change signal indicating that the target position is changed and output this target position-change signal when the target position is changed by the target position changing processing, and

turn the target position-change signal off when the target position is returned to the original target position of when the rotary table is clamped.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is further configured to output a clamping-time position deviation signal when the detected output torque of the drive motor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value before a machining operation is started.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is further configured to output a target position excessively large error signal when a difference between a target position clamped by the clamping mechanism and the target position changed by the target position changing processing reaches a permissible position deviation.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to detect, as the output torque of the drive motor, a torque command which is output from a speed controller of the motor controller of the drive motor.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the processor is configured to detect the output torque of the drive motor based on a drive current of the drive motor.