Method and apparatus for adaptive control of a turning machine

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising comparing the material removing rate derived from the speed and torque of the tool or workpiece with signals corresponding to datum magnitudes of the material removing rate in said directions to provide rate comparison results, and correcting the datum magnitude of the material removing rate in at least one of the directions in accordance with the rate comparison results.

Claim 4

Apparatus for adaptive control of a turning machine tool for removal of material from a workpiece, including a tool holder for said tool, feeding means for rapidly feeding the tool until it comes into contact with a workpiece, and work feeding means for work feeding the tool up to a maximum to the programmed contour after a magnitude depending upon the forming power and the material removing rate exceeds a lower threshold level and for reducing the work feeding and movement of the tool in the direction of reduced feed-in for a period of time until the magnitude depending upon the forming power exceeds an upper threshold level, said work feeding means operating repeatedly until the actual contour of the workpiece coincides with a programmed contour, said work feeding means being connected to said tool or workpiece for receiving signals representing the speed and torque of the tool or workpiece and producing a first control signal for controlling the feed velocity Vz in one direction of movement of the tool or workpiece in dependence upon the material removing rate and producing a second control signal for controlling a feed velocity Vx in a direction perpendicular to the one direction in dependence upon the feed velocity Vz and the first derivative dPz/dt of the material removing rate Pz, said apparatus comprising vibration measuring means mounted on said tool holder for measuring vibrations of the tool during operation to produce vibration signals corresponding to actual vibrations in mutually perpendicular directions; comparing means connected to said vibration measuring means for comparing the vibration signals with signals corresponding to datum magnitudes of vibration in said directions to provide comparison results; and feed regulating means for controlling said tool coupled between said comparing means and said tool for controlling the work feeding of said tool in accordance with the comparison results.

Claim 5

Apparatus for adaptive control of a turning machine tool for removal of material from a workpiece, including a tool holder for said tool, feeding means for rapidly feeding the tool until it comes into contact with a workpiece, and work feeding means for work feeding the tool up to a maximum to the programmed contour after a magnitude depending upon the forming power and the material removing rate exceeds a lower threshold level and for reducing the work feeding and movement of the tool in the direction of reduced feed-in for a period of time until the magnitude depending upon the forming power exceeds an upper threshold level, said work feeding means operating repeatedly until the actual contour of the workpiece coincides with a programmed contour, said work feeding means being connected to said tool or workpiece for receiving signals representing the speed and torque of the tool or workpiece and producing a first control signal for controlling the feed velocity Vz in one direction of movement of the tool or workpiece in dependence upon the material removing rate and producing a second control signal for controlling a feed velocity Vx in a direction perpendicular to the one direction in dependence upon the feed velocity Vz and the first derivative dPz/dt of the material removing rate Pz, said apparatus comprising vibration measuring means mounted on said tool holder for measuring vibrations of the tool during operation to produce vibration signals corresponding to actual vibrations in mutually perpendicular directions; comparing means connected to said vibration measuring means for comparing the vibration signals with signals corresponding to datum magnitudes of vibration in said directions to provide comparison results; and feed regulating means for controlling said tool coupled between said comparing means and said tool for controlling the work feeding of said tool in accordance with the comparison results.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tool has a spindle and said vibration measuring means is coupled to the spindle of the tool and determines the amplitude of vibration in accordance with the torque of said spindle.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said vibration measuring means comprises an optical device.