Demodulator for magnetic milling force sensors

Abstract

Abstract An improved system is provided for sensing spindle deflection of a milling machine and developing a feedrate control signal in accordance therewith to achieve optimum tool life consistant with high metal removal rate from a workpiece. A plurality of magnetic transducers are disposed adjacent the spindle or spindles of a milling machine, and each magnetic transducer is excited by an audio frequency signal such that, as deflection of a spindle brings the spindle closer to or moves it further from a transducer, a corresponding change in the impedance characteristics of the transducer is utilized to develop an a-c signal of a given amplitude. Signals developed from opposing transducers are fed to a differential amplifier to derive a difference signal which is demodulated by a phase detector, rectified and filtered, and then passed through a squaring circuit in order that signals corresponding to the square of the deflection sensed by each transducer pair may be mixed to provide a d-c voltage representing the sum of the squares representing the deflection components. The square root of the sum of the squares is then taken to give a feedback signal proportional to the vector sum of spindle deflection for utilization as a feedrate correction signal. For milling machines utilizing multiple spindles simultaneously, a peak detector circuit is utilized to select the largest sum of the squares only for subsequent development of the feedrate correction signal. Changes in the resistance of the magnetic transducers due to temperature variations encountered under normal operating conditions are compensated by placing the coil of each magnetic transducer in a series circuit which includes a field effect transistor biased to perform as a variable resistor responsive to a change in current flow through the coil by presenting an apparent resistance which opposes the change in current. Runout, which introduces an invalid deflection signal component by modulating the audio frequency reference signal according to the rate of spindle rotation, is compensated by observing the signal produced by runout from each tool holder, tool combination prior to machining, and then providing a continuous equal and opposite signal thereby leaving only the component due to actual spindle deflection. This signal also compensates for component drift. This function is carried out by a loop including a d-c amplifier which drives an A-D converter which, in turn drives a D-A converter which has its output coupled back to the input of the d-c amplifier. When activated, the calibrate circuit introduces trial signal levels until the output of the d-c amplifier is zero, thus negating the effect of runout.

Inventors

• 👤 W Whetham

Bibliographic Details