Adaptive and manual control system for machine tool

Claim 2

A control system for a machine having a tool which is movable relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, said control system comprising: a manual control system including manually adjustable signal controls operative to generate and to supply manually regulated drive signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the manually regulated drive signals; an adaptive control system including an adaptive controller operative to generate and to supply automatically regulated drive signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the automatically regulated drive signals, comprising: a source of predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation of said machine; means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating a manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation; means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal for generating the automatically regulated command signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined strategy adapted to maximize machine productivity, and for supplying the automatically regulated command signals to saId machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the automatically regulated command signals; and means for alternatively switching the source of the drive signals for the machine between the manual control system and the adaptive control system.

Claim 3

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said machine has a rotatable spindle holding said tool, a table mounting said workpiece and the predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation of said machine include at least one of the constant signals of maximum spindle torque, minimum spindle torque, maximum tool temperature, maximum table vibration, maximum spindle speed, maximum table traverse per revolution of said spindle, maximum table traverse per unit of time, and maximum tool force.

Claim 4

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said machine has a spindle holding said tool, a table mounting said workpiece and the predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation of said machine include maximum spindle torque, minimum spindle torque, maximum tool temperature, maximum table vibration, maximum spindle speed, maximum rate of movement of said workpiece and said tool relative to one another, maximum table traverse per unit of time, and maximum tool force.

Claim 5

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said machine has a stationary frame and a rotatable spindle, the measurable physical manifestation generated due to the interaction of said tool with said workpiece is heat which produces a thermal voltage as a function of the heat, and said means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating the manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation, includes a tool temperature sensing device, comprising: a toroidal resilient means disposed intermediate said rotatable spindle and said stationary frame, and means operative to receive the thermal voltage from said stationary frame through said toroidal means, said rotatable spindle and said tool.

Claim 6

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said machine has a rotatable spindle and a stationary frame, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generates the measurable physical manifestation of spindle torsional angular displacement, and said means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating the manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation, includes a spindle torque sensing device, comprising: means fixed to said rotatable spindle operative to generate output signals during the machining operation as a function of the spindle torsional angular displacement, a rotary transformer having first windings fixed to said stationary frame and second windings fixed to said rotatable spindle, said first windings operative to receive the output signals and to inductively transfer the output signals to said second winding and means operative to receive from said second windings of said rotary transformer, the output signals generated as a function of the spindle torsional angular displacement.

Claim 7

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation have values setting desired ranges of machine to maximize the machine productivity strategy adapted to maximize the machine productivity comprises a plan to displace said tool relative to said workpiece in such a manner as to generate a value for the manifestation signal which is without the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation, then to displace said tool relative to said workpiece in such a manner as to generate a value for the generated manifestation signal which is within the constant signal value setting the desired ranges of machine operation and to continually alternatively cause generation of values of the manifestation signal without and then within the constant signal values.

Claim 8

The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation have values setting desired ranges of machine operation, and the predetermined strategy applied to said means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal is adapted to maximize the machine productivity by sequentially increasing the motion of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other until such time as a value of the manifestation signal generated is outside the constant signal values setting the desired range of machine operation, followed by decreasing the motion of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other to cause generation of a value for the manifestation signal within the values setting the desired range of machine operation and then by alternatively generating on a continuing basis signals which decrease and then increase the motion of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other.

Claim 9

The combination of a manual control system and an adaptive control system for a machine having a tool which is movable relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, comprising: a drive system for said machine operative to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of command signals; a manual controller included in the manual control system, operative to generate and to supply manually regulated control signals, first drive signals and to supply the first drive signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the first drive signals; an adaptive controller included in the adaptive control system operative to generate and to supply automatically regulated drive signals to said drive system to cause said drive system to generate, as a function of the automatically regulated control signals, second command signals and to supply the second command signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the second command signals, comprising: a source of predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation of said machine; means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating a manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation; means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal, generating the automatically regulated control signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined plan adapted to maximize machine productivity and supplying the automatically regulated drive signals to said drive system to cause said drive system to generate, as a function of the automatically regulated control signals, second command signals and to supply the second command signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the second command signals; and means to alternately switch said drive system between said manual controller and said adaptive controller.

Claim 10

The combination of a manual control system and an adaptive control system for a machine having a tool which is movable relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, comprising: a drive system for said machine operative to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of command signals; a manual controller included in the manual control system, operative to generate and to supply manually regulated control signals, first drive signals and to supply the first drive signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the first drive signals; an adaptive controller included in the adaptive control system operative to generate and to supply automatically regulated drive signals to said drive system to cause said drive system to generate, as a function of the automatically regulated control signals, second command signals and to supply the second command signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the second command signals, comprising: a source of predetermined constant signals related to a desired mode of operation of said machine; means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating a manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation; means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal, generating the automatically regulated control signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined plan adapted to maximize machine productivity and supplying the automatically regulated drive signals to said drive system to cause said drive system to generate, as a function of the automatically regulated control signals, second command signals and to supply the second command signals to said machine to displace said tool relative to said workpiece under control of the second command signals; and means to alternately switch said drive system between said manual controller and said adaptive controller.

Claim 11

In a control system for a machine having a tool which is movable relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating a manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation, said control system having a device system operative to move said tool and said workpiece relative to each other under control of drive signals, a source of predetermined constant signals having values setting desired ranges of machine operation, an improvement comprising: means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal and for generating drive signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined pLan adapted to maximize machine productivity by causing said drive system to displace said tool and said workpiece relative to each other in such a manner as to generate a value for the manifestation signal which is without the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and by alternatively causing said drive system to displace said tool relative to said workpiece in such a manner as to generate a value for the generated manifestation signal which is within the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and to thereby maximize the machine productivity.

Claim 12

In a control system for a machine having a tool which is movable relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, means for measuring the physical manifestation and for generating a manifestation signal having a value which is a function of the manifestation, said control system having a device system operative to move said tool and said workpiece relative to each other under control of drive signals, a source of predetermined constant signals having values setting desired ranges of machine operation, an improvement comprising: means for receiving the constant signals and the manifestation signal and for generating drive signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined pLan adapted to maximize machine productivity by causing said drive system to displace said tool and said workpiece relative to each other in such a manner as to generate a value for the manifestation signal which is without the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and by alternatively causing said drive system to displace said tool relative to said workpiece in such a manner as to generate a value for the generated manifestation signal which is within the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and to thereby maximize the machine productivity.

Claim 13

In a control system for a machine having a tool adapted to be displaced relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, means operative to measure the physical manifestation and to continually generate manifestation signals having values which are a function of the manifestation, a drive system operative to rotate said tool and translate said tool and said workpiece relative to each other under control of command signals, a source of predetermined constant signals having values setting desired ranges of machine operation, a controller operative to receive the constant signals and each manifestation signal generated, to generate powering signals as a function of the received signals for said drive system to rotate and translate said tool and said workpiece relative to each other, an improvement which comprises: means within said controller operative to generate the powering signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined plan to increase productivity of said machine by increasing the rate of rotation and translation of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other until a value of the manifestation signal generated is outside the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and to immediately afterwards decrease the rate of rotation and translation of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other to thereby cause generation of a value for the manifestation signal within the values setting the desired ranges of machine operation, and to thereafter cause generation of values for the manifestation signals which are alternately outside and then inside the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation.

Claim 14

In a control system for a machine having a tool adapted to be displaced relative to a workpiece, thereby interacting with said workpiece to perform an operation thereon at a tool-workpiece interface, the interaction of said tool with said workpiece generating a measurable physical manifestation, means operative to measure the physical manifestation and to continually generate manifestation signals having values which are a function of the manifestation, a drive system operative to rotate said tool and translate said tool and said workpiece relative to each other under control of command signals, a source of predetermined constant signals having values setting desired ranges of machine operation, a controller operative to receive the constant signals and each manifestation signal generated, to generate powering signals as a function of the received signals for said drive system to rotate and translate said tool and said workpiece relative to each other, an improvement which comprises: means within said controller operative to generate the powering signals as a function of the received signals in accordance with a predetermined plan to increase productivity of said machine by increasing the rate of rotation and translation of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other until a value of the manifestation signal generated is outside the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation and to immediately afterwards decrease the rate of rotation and translation of said tool and said workpiece relative to each other to thereby cause generation of a value for the manifestation signal within the values setting the desired ranges of machine operation, and to thereafter cause generation of values for the manifestation signals which are alternately outside and then inside the constant signal values setting the desired ranges of machine operation.