← Back to Patent Explorer
US4345131A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for electrode tool wear compensation

Assignee: Agie Charmilles New Technologies SA
•
Filing: 1980-03-17
•
Granted: 1982-08-17
•
Expires: 2000-03-17
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for compensating for the wear of an electrode tool during machining by EDM of an electrode workpiece by the electrode tool. During penetration of the electrode tool into the electrode workpiece, relative displacement of the electrodes is stopped as soon as it reaches a predetermined reference position corresponding for example to a machining depth limit data entered in a control buffer memory. The reference position data is corrected as a function of the actual wear of the electrode tool which is measured by comparing the positions taken by the electrode tool when one of its active surfaces reaches the same reference position before and after a machining pass. The correction of the reference position data may be obtained either by successive approximations, or by a single calculation step effected after the first machining pass.

Inventors

  • 👤 Georges Semon
  • 👤 Alain Wavre

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 09:04
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23H; B23H7/00; B23H7/14; B23H7/18

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 175 words
A process for controlling the depth of material removal by an electrode tool from an electrode workpiece in an EDM apparatus, wherein a machining pass is terminated when the electrode tool has penetrated into the workpiece to a pre-established reference position limit, said process comprising bringing said electrode tool prior to effecting a machining pass to a first position whereby one of the active surfaces of the electrode tool reaches a reference location, recording the parameter of said first position, effecting said machining pass to said pre-established reference position limit, subsequently bringing said electrode tool prior to effecting a second machining pass to a second position whereby said active surface of said electrode tool reaches said reference location, recording the parameter of said second position, determining the amount of wear of said electrode tool as a difference between the parameters of said first and second positions, and adjusting the reference position limit in the course of a subsequent machining pass as a function of the difference between the parameters of said first and second positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 175 words
A process for controlling the depth of material removal by an electrode tool from an electrode workpiece in an EDM apparatus, wherein a machining pass is terminated when the electrode tool has penetrated into the workpiece to a pre-established reference position limit, said process comprising bringing said electrode tool prior to effecting a machining pass to a first position whereby one of the active surfaces of the electrode tool reaches a reference location, recording the parameter of said first position, effecting said machining pass to said pre-established reference position limit, subsequently bringing said electrode tool prior to effecting a second machining pass to a second position whereby said active surface of said electrode tool reaches said reference location, recording the parameter of said second position, determining the amount of wear of said electrode tool as a difference between the parameters of said first and second positions, and adjusting the reference position limit in the course of a subsequent machining pass as a function of the difference between the parameters of said first and second positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a predetermined number of consecutive machining operations is effected, and adding the difference between two location parameters after each machining operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said reference position limit is increased after a first machining pass by a correction factor obtained by dividing the product of a value representing said reference position limit and of said difference value by the difference between those values.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 169 words
An apparatus for controlling in an EDm apparatus the depth of material removal from an electrode workpiece by an electrode tool wherein material removal is terminated when the distance of penetration of the electrode tool within the electrode workpiece reaches a predetermined reference limit value, said apparatus comprising means for measuring the relative displacement of the electrodes in a predetermined direction, means limiting said displacement to a limit value, means for measuring the relative position of the electrodes when an active surface of said electrode tool reaches a locating position, means for determining the difference between two relative positions of the electrode measured at said locating position one before and the other after a machining pass, and means for correcting said predetermined reference limit value for a subsequent machining pass as a function of said difference, whereby the amount of penetration of said active surface of said electrode tool into said electrode workpiece at the end of said machining pass is substantially equal to said predetermined reference limit value.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 169 words
An apparatus for controlling in an EDm apparatus the depth of material removal from an electrode workpiece by an electrode tool wherein material removal is terminated when the distance of penetration of the electrode tool within the electrode workpiece reaches a predetermined reference limit value, said apparatus comprising means for measuring the relative displacement of the electrodes in a predetermined direction, means limiting said displacement to a limit value, means for measuring the relative position of the electrodes when an active surface of said electrode tool reaches a locating position, means for determining the difference between two relative positions of the electrode measured at said locating position one before and the other after a machining pass, and means for correcting said predetermined reference limit value for a subsequent machining pass as a function of said difference, whereby the amount of penetration of said active surface of said electrode tool into said electrode workpiece at the end of said machining pass is substantially equal to said predetermined reference limit value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein means are provided for adding the value of said difference to said reference limit value, and further comprising means for repeating said adding after each machining pass.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 54 words
The apparatus of claim 4 comprising means for multiplying said reference limit value by said difference, means for subtracting said difference from said reference limit value, means for dividing the product of said multiplication by the difference of said subtraction, and means for adding the quotient of said division to said reference limit value.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3601572A Cited
US3614371A Cited
US3609279A Cited
US3973104A Cited
US4049942A Cited
US4071729A Cited
GB2011653A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-08-16 1986-02-15 1986-08-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-08-16 1990-02-15 1990-08-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-08-16 1994-02-15 1994-08-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag