US5808432A — Method of and apparatus for finely machining a wo…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 226 words

A method of finely machining a workpiece with use of a numerical control having a computer-aided simulation function, said method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a machining program based on design data obtained by CAD and machining conditions stored in advance in a data base; (b) obtaining machining status information from a start of machining up to a present time from a machining site, said machining status information including at least one of sound information obtained from the machining site, information indicative of a drive current required to drive an NC machine, information indicative of a shape of the workpiece, and information indicative of a shape of a machine tool; (c) simulating a machining status based on the machining program and the machining status information to predict a result of machining; (d) outputting the result of said simulating; (e) determining whether or not the result of said simulating is within a permissible range; (f) obtaining information on another machine tool from a data base if the result of said simulating is not within the permissible range; (g) preparing machining commands based on the machining program and the result of said simulating; and (h) executing an NC control based on the machining commands to optimize a remainder of the machining of the workpiece, wherein steps (b) to (h) are executed during a machining of the workpiece.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 226 words

A method of finely machining a workpiece with use of a numerical control having a computer-aided simulation function, said method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a machining program based on design data obtained by CAD and machining conditions stored in advance in a data base; (b) obtaining machining status information from a start of machining up to a present time from a machining site, said machining status information including at least one of sound information obtained from the machining site, information indicative of a drive current required to drive an NC machine, information indicative of a shape of the workpiece, and information indicative of a shape of a machine tool; (c) simulating a machining status based on the machining program and the machining status information to predict a result of machining; (d) outputting the result of said simulating; (e) determining whether or not the result of said simulating is within a permissible range; (f) obtaining information on another machine tool from a data base if the result of said simulating is not within the permissible range; (g) preparing machining commands based on the machining program and the result of said simulating; and (h) executing an NC control based on the machining commands to optimize a remainder of the machining of the workpiece, wherein steps (b) to (h) are executed during a machining of the workpiece.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method according claim 1, wherein said preparing of the machining program is further based on machining status information from the machining site.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method according to claim 2, wherein said preparing of the machining program is performed so as to minimize an excess thickness on the workpiece that requires further machining by referring to at least one of tool shape information employed as one of the machining conditions and 2-dimensional information plus predetermined depth information indicative of the shape of the workpiece during machining.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 58 words

The method according to claim 2, wherein said preparing of the machining program is performed so as to minimize an excess thickness on the workpiece that requires further machining by referring to at least one of tool shape information employed as one of the machining conditions and 3-dimensional information indicative of the shape of the workpiece during machining.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method according to claim 1, and further comprising a step of diagnosing abnormal conditions based on the machining status information obtained from the machining site.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method according to claim 1, and further comprising a step of reshaping a machine tool based on the machining status information obtained from the machining site.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 263 words

An apparatus for finely machining a workpiece with use of a numerical control having a computer-aided simulation function, said apparatus comprising: an NC machine having a machine tool for machining a workpiece; a drive means mounted in said NC machine for driving said machine tool; an NC control means for controlling said drive means; a control shell for collectively controlling said machine tool, said drive means, and said NC control means, and for simulating a machining status during machining to predict a result of machining, determining whether or not the result of the simulating is within a permissible range obtaining information on another machine tool from a data base if the result of the simulating is not within the permissible range preparing machining commands based on the machining program and the result of the simulating, and executing an NC control based on the machining commands to optimize a remainder of machining; and a display and instruction device for selectively displaying design data obtained by CAD, machining conditions, a machining program, machining status information obtained from a start of machining up to a present time at a machining site, the result of the simulating executed by said control shell, and instructions given to said control shell, wherein the machining status information includes at least one of sound information obtained from the machining site, information indicative of a drive current required to drive said NC machine, information indicative of a shape of the workpiece, and information indicative of a shape of said machine tool; wherein said control shell further controls said display and instruction device.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 263 words

An apparatus for finely machining a workpiece with use of a numerical control having a computer-aided simulation function, said apparatus comprising: an NC machine having a machine tool for machining a workpiece; a drive means mounted in said NC machine for driving said machine tool; an NC control means for controlling said drive means; a control shell for collectively controlling said machine tool, said drive means, and said NC control means, and for simulating a machining status during machining to predict a result of machining, determining whether or not the result of the simulating is within a permissible range obtaining information on another machine tool from a data base if the result of the simulating is not within the permissible range preparing machining commands based on the machining program and the result of the simulating, and executing an NC control based on the machining commands to optimize a remainder of machining; and a display and instruction device for selectively displaying design data obtained by CAD, machining conditions, a machining program, machining status information obtained from a start of machining up to a present time at a machining site, the result of the simulating executed by said control shell, and instructions given to said control shell, wherein the machining status information includes at least one of sound information obtained from the machining site, information indicative of a drive current required to drive said NC machine, information indicative of a shape of the workpiece, and information indicative of a shape of said machine tool; wherein said control shell further controls said display and instruction device.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 126 words

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control shell is a multitasking control shell having a task of converting the design data obtained by CAD into NC control information, a task of referring to machining condition information stored in advance in a data base, a task of preparing the machining program based on the machining condition information and the NC control information, a task of obtaining the machining status information from the machining site, a task of simulating a machining status based on the machining status information and the machining program, a task of preparing machining commands required for NC control based on a result of simulation and the machining program, and a task of controlling said drive means in accordance with the machining commands.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control shell has a task of diagnosing abnormal conditions during machining based on the machining status information.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus according to claim 7, and further comprising a reshaping means for reshaping said machine tool based on the machining status information obtained from the machining site.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 56 words

The apparatus according to claim 7, and further comprising at least one of a sound monitor for detecting sound information at the machining site, an ammeter for obtaining drive current information of said drive means, and a shape recognition means for obtaining shape information indicative of at least one of said workpiece and said machine tool.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 260 words

A method for machining a workpiece at a machining site using an NC machine and a machine tool, said method comprising: preparing a machining program based on CAD data and machining conditions stored in a database; generating numerical control data based on said machining program; controlling machining of the workpiece according to said numerical control data using the NC machine; obtaining, during said controlling of the machining, actual machining status information from the machining site; determining whether said actual machining status information is within a permissible range; continuing said controlling of the machining according to said numerical control data if said actual machining status information is determined to be within the permissible range; and performing a modification procedure if said actual machining status information is determined not to be within the permissible range; wherein said modification procedure includes generating simulated machining status information by performing a machining simulation based on said machining program and a modification of said actual machining status information, determining whether said simulated machining status information is within the predetermined range, if said simulated machining status information is determined to be within the predetermined range, generating new numerical control data based on said machining program and said simulated machining status information and continuing said controlling of the machining according to said new numerical control data, and if said simulated machining status information is determined not to be within the predetermined range, repeating said modification procedure based on a further modification of said actual machining status information until said simulated machining status information is within the predetermined range.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 260 words

A method for machining a workpiece at a machining site using an NC machine and a machine tool, said method comprising: preparing a machining program based on CAD data and machining conditions stored in a database; generating numerical control data based on said machining program; controlling machining of the workpiece according to said numerical control data using the NC machine; obtaining, during said controlling of the machining, actual machining status information from the machining site; determining whether said actual machining status information is within a permissible range; continuing said controlling of the machining according to said numerical control data if said actual machining status information is determined to be within the permissible range; and performing a modification procedure if said actual machining status information is determined not to be within the permissible range; wherein said modification procedure includes generating simulated machining status information by performing a machining simulation based on said machining program and a modification of said actual machining status information, determining whether said simulated machining status information is within the predetermined range, if said simulated machining status information is determined to be within the predetermined range, generating new numerical control data based on said machining program and said simulated machining status information and continuing said controlling of the machining according to said new numerical control data, and if said simulated machining status information is determined not to be within the predetermined range, repeating said modification procedure based on a further modification of said actual machining status information until said simulated machining status information is within the predetermined range.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 61 words

The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said actual machining status information includes at least one of: sound information obtained from the machining site; information indicative of a drive current of the NC machine; information indicative of a shape of the workpiece; information indicative of a shape of the machine tool; and information indicative of a progress of the machining.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 84 words

The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said modification procedure further comprises: fetching information on a shape of a new machine tool from a database before said generating of simulated machine status information; wherein said generating of simulated machine status information is performed based on a new machining program obtained according to the information on the shape of the new machine tool and said generating of new numerical control data is based on the new machining program and said simulated machining status information.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: recognizing said actual machining status information on a real-time basis; determining whether an abnormality exists based on said recognizing of said actual machining status information; and executing an emergency interrupt processing if an abnormality is determined to exist.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: reshaping the machine tool based on said actual machining status information.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-09-14	2002-03-16	2002-09-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-09-14	2006-03-16	2006-09-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-09-14	2010-03-16	2010-09-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of and apparatus for finely machining a workpiece with numerical control having a computer-aided simulated function

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