Method and system for controlling a machine tool with direct transfer of machining data

Abstract

Method and system for a direct transmission of motion path data (310) from a generating system (204) to a control system (205) for use in controlling a servo-driven machine. For example, a machine tool for machining stock material, and the data generating system includes a computer-aided-design software package (301). Tool paths for directing the tool members of the machine tool can be extracted from a design file opened by the CAD software through the operation interface of the CAD software (302). Alternatively, the design file can be used to specify motion paths rather than end product geometry. The CAD interpreter application extracts the motion path data from the design file, eliminating the need to translate the data into another or intermediate form for controlling the machine tool.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of digitally interfacing a robot, machine tool or other servo-driven machine with a system for providing the data for controlling that servo-driven machine. The present invention also relates to the field of machining equipment parts from appropriate material with a numerically controlled or computer controlled machine tool that roughs and / or finishes an initial piece of material according to the specifications defining a part to be made. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new paradigm for controlling the operation of such machine tools by directly transferring the machining data defining the part to be made from a CAD / CAM application to the machine controller. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] There are many machines in modem industry with moving parts that are driven by servo-motors. These machines include industrial robots, coordinate measuring machines, machine tools and the like. These ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] It is an object of the present invention to meet the above-described needs and others. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method of programming a machine tool controller to machine a specified part based on data generated with a CAD/C

Problems solved by technology

Even today, it is a long and tedious task to write an M&G program to machine a complex part.

However, due to the proprietary and inconsistent nature of available machine systems, the commands created using APT must ultimately be translated in the more basic M&G code.

As a design evolves, this unidirectional flow of data makes the task of keeping all relevant files current and deleting obsolete files very problematic.

A further problem arise in the variation of even the “standard” M&G code between machine tool controllers.

In reality, M&G codes are not consistent from machine tool to machine tool.

Efforts have been made to standardize M&G codes, but have not yet succeeded.

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