Multi-axis machine tool and machining head control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-axis machine tool and a machining head control method thereof. The multi-shaft machine tool comprises a translation shaft, a rotating shaft, a lifting coarse adjustment shaft and a lifting fine adjustment shaft. The method comprises the steps that by controlling a translation shaft, a rotating shaft and a lifting fine adjustment shaft, a machining head moves towards a target position on the surface of a workpiece in an idle mode, and the lifting fine adjustment shaft stops following and moves towards a stop point; predicting following time required by the lifting fine tuning shaft to move from the current position to a target following position on the surface of the workpiece, calculating residual idle moving time required by the machining head to move from the current position to the target position on the surface of the workpiece, and comparing the following time with the residual idle moving time; in response to determining that the following time is greater than or equal to the remaining idle time, the lift trim shaft begins to follow. The machining efficiency and the following precision are both considered by additionally arranging the lifting fine adjustment shaft with the high precision, and the machining efficiency is improved by combining following control and idle movement control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of machine tools, and more specifically to multi-axis machine tools and methods for controlling their machining heads. Background Technology

[0002] Machine tool processing plays a crucial role in modern mechanical manufacturing. Parts requiring high precision and fine surface roughness generally need to be processed on a machine tool using a machining head. To process a workpiece, such as cutting out specific patterns, the machining head needs to be moved frequently to process different patterns at different positions.

[0003] Three-dimensional workpieces typically have curved edges and numerous curved surfaces. If the height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface is not well controlled, the machining head is prone to collisions or friction with the workpiece surface. This not only scratches the workpiece surface, leading to its scrapping, but also accelerates the wear of the machining head, and may even cause safety accidents. Therefore, it is essential to individually control the distance between the machining head and the workpiece surface (i.e., the following height). This process is usually called follow control. Existing multi-axis machine tools suffer from low follow control accuracy and low control efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome the above-mentioned and / or other problems in the prior art. Through the multi-axis machine tool and its machining head control method of the present invention, the accuracy of follow control and machining efficiency can be significantly improved.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling the machining head of a multi-axis machine tool is provided. The multi-axis machine tool includes a translational axis, a rotary axis, a coarse adjustment axis, and a fine adjustment axis. The method includes the following steps: controlling the translational axis, the rotary axis, and the coarse adjustment axis to move the machining head toward a target position on a workpiece surface, and stopping the fine adjustment axis from following and moving it toward a stop point; predicting the following time required for the fine adjustment axis to move from its current position to the target following position on the workpiece surface, and calculating the remaining idling time required for the machining head to move from its current position to the target following position on the workpiece surface, and comparing the following time and the remaining idling time; and in response to determining that the following time ≥ the remaining idling time, starting the fine adjustment axis to follow.

[0006] This invention adds a high-precision lifting and fine-tuning axis to the existing multi-axis machine tool. The high-speed lifting and coarse-adjusting axis and the high-precision lifting and fine-tuning axis jointly control the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface, balancing machining efficiency and following control accuracy. The control method of this invention combines following control and idle movement control, eliminating the need for additional time in the process of the lifting and fine-tuning axis returning to its docking point and in the following process, thus greatly improving the machine tool's machining efficiency.

[0007] The remaining idle time is obtained through the following steps: calculating the remaining idle distance based on the current position of the processing head; and calculating the remaining idle time based on the remaining idle distance.

[0008] The following time is obtained through the following steps: real-time monitoring of the position of the lifting and fine-tuning axis; calculation of the remaining following distance based on the position of the lifting and fine-tuning axis; prediction of the following time based on the remaining following distance, as well as the preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting and fine-tuning axis.

[0009] After the lifting and fine-tuning axis begins to follow, the machining head control method further includes the following steps: real-time monitoring of the machining head's idle speed, and determining whether the machining head's idle speed is greater than a preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, and whether the remaining idle distance is less than a preset safety distance; and in response to determining that the machining head's idle speed is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis and the remaining idle distance is less than the preset safety distance, controlling the machining head's idle speed to be less than or equal to the maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis. Through the above means, this invention limits the machining head's idle speed when it is about to reach the target position on the workpiece surface, allowing the lifting and fine-tuning axis to retract at maximum speed, which can prevent collisions between the machining head and the workpiece surface, ensuring safety while having almost no impact on processing efficiency.

[0010] The preset safety distance is a monotonically non-decreasing function of the maximum idle speed of the processing head. This means that the preset safety distance increases as the maximum idle speed of the processing head increases, thus ensuring that the processing head has sufficient buffer distance and buffer time when controlling the idle speed.

[0011] The processing head control method further includes the following steps: in response to determining that the following time is less than the remaining idle time, reacquiring the remaining idle time and comparing the following time with the remaining idle time.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a multi-axis machine tool is provided, comprising: a machining head; a translational axis, a rotary axis, and a coarse adjustment axis, wherein the translational axis is used to control the horizontal position of the machining head, the rotary axis is used to control the posture of the machining head, and the coarse adjustment axis is used to coarsely adjust the height of the machining head; a fine adjustment axis is used to finely adjust the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface; and a controller that controls the translational axis, the rotary axis, and the coarse adjustment axis by executing the machining head control method of the present invention, so as to cause the machining head to move toward a target position on the workpiece surface, and controls the fine adjustment axis to stop or start following.

[0013] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed, implements the processing head control method of the present invention.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having encoded instructions recorded thereon, which, when executed, implement the processing head control method of the present invention.

[0015] Other features and aspects of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a machining head control method for a multi-axis machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-axis machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the changes in the following time and remaining idle time in an embodiment of the present invention with a relatively long total idle time.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the corresponding lifting and fine-tuning axis.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the lifting fine-tuning shaft in an embodiment of the present invention with a shorter total idle time.

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the corresponding lifting and fine-tuning axis.

[0022] Figure 7 The flowchart illustrates steps S4-S5 of the machining head control method for a multi-axis machine tool according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0024] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] In the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims. In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence, nor should they be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0027] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from their scope. The scope of the embodiments of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

[0028] According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for controlling the machining head of a multi-axis machine tool is provided. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the machining head control method for a multi-axis machine tool of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0029] S1 controls the translational axis, rotary axis, and lifting coarse adjustment axis of the multi-axis machine tool to make the machining head of the multi-axis machine tool move freely toward the target position on the workpiece surface, and makes the lifting fine adjustment axis of the multi-axis machine tool stop following and move toward the stop point.

[0030] S2 predicts the following time required for the lifting fine-tuning axis to move from the current position to the target following position on the workpiece surface, and calculates the remaining idle time required for the machining head to move from the current position to the target position on the workpiece surface, and compares the following time and the remaining idle time.

[0031] S3, in response to determining that the following time is greater than or equal to the remaining idle time, causes the lifting fine-tuning axis to start following.

[0032] The multi-axis machine tool of the present invention includes a machining head, a translation axis, a rotary axis, a lifting coarse adjustment axis, a lifting fine adjustment axis, and a controller. Figure 2 Taking a five-axis beveling machine as an example, a multi-axis machine tool according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated (however, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is also applicable to other types of multi-axis machine tools). The translational axes are used to control the horizontal position of the machining head. The translational axes include an X-axis and a Y-axis, which respectively control the x-axis and y-axis coordinates of the machining head, thereby jointly controlling the horizontal position of the machining head. The rotary axes are used to control the posture of the machining head. Figure 2 In this setup, the rotary axes include the B-axis and C-axis, which control the rotation angle of the machining head around two axes that are not parallel to its own axis, thus jointly controlling the orientation of the machining head. The lifting and coarse adjustment axis is used to roughly adjust the height of the machining head. Figure 2 In this configuration, the coarse adjustment axis is the Z-axis. The fine adjustment axis is used to fine-tune the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface. Figure 2 In this invention, the lifting and fine-tuning axis is a small Z-axis. The controller controls the position of the machining head by controlling the translational axis, rotary axis, lifting and coarse adjustment axis, and lifting and fine adjustment axis. Existing multi-axis machine tools can only control the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface by controlling the Z-axis. However, the Z-axis has a large load and high power, and can only perform coarse adjustments with low precision to the following height, which cannot meet the requirements for improving the following control accuracy. But if the load and power of the Z-axis are reduced, the Z-axis movement speed will decrease, resulting in a decrease in machining efficiency. This invention adds a high-precision small Z-axis (lifting and fine-tuning axis) to the existing multi-axis machine tool's Z-axis, while the original Z-axis becomes the lifting and coarse adjustment axis. The high-speed Z-axis and the high-precision small Z-axis jointly control the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface, thus balancing machining efficiency and following control accuracy.

[0033] The machining process of a workpiece is usually carried out in stages. If the position of the machining head at the end of the previous stage is different from the position at the beginning of the next stage, the machining head needs to move rapidly to the target position specified in the next stage after the previous stage has ended. This rapid movement without actual machining is called "idle movement," and the process of controlling the machining head to idle movement to the target position is called idle movement control.

[0034] exist Figure 2In the multi-axis machine tool shown, although both the Z-axis and the small Z-axis can control the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface, the Z-axis has a large load and low precision. During control planning, the Z-axis, along with the X-axis, Y-axis, B-axis, and C-axis, participates in the planning of the idle movement trajectory (i.e., idle movement control). The Z-axis is only used for rough adjustment of the machining head height. The following control accuracy depends almost entirely on the control accuracy of the small Z-axis. Therefore, the following control in this invention refers to the control of the small Z-axis. In other words, the controller performs idle movement control by controlling the translational axes, rotary axes, and the lifting coarse adjustment axes (X-axis, Y-axis, B-axis, C-axis, and Z-axis), and follows the machine by controlling the lifting fine adjustment axis (small Z-axis).

[0035] To ensure safety, existing multi-axis machine tool machining head control methods typically separate following control and idle movement control. That is, before idle movement, the Z-axis is first stopped and raised to its maximum travel point (dock point), and then the machining head is controlled to idle to the target position; after idle movement is complete, the Z-axis is then controlled to follow from the dock point to the target following position. It is evident that under the existing multi-axis machine tool machining head control method, the interval between the previous and next machining stages is approximately equal to the time it takes for the Z-axis to return to the dock point + the idle movement time + the following time for the Z-axis to move from the dock point to the target following position. This control method results in a relatively long interval between the previous and next machining stages, leading to low machining efficiency.

[0036] The machining head control method of this invention combines following control and idle movement control. Simultaneously with the start of idle movement, the lifting and fine-tuning axis stops following and moves towards the highest point of its travel (dock point). The timing for initiating following is determined by predicting the following time required for the lifting and fine-tuning axis to move from its current position to the target following position. When the remaining idle movement time is less than or equal to the predicted following time (before the idle movement is complete), the lifting and fine-tuning axis begins following to the target following position. In this invention, the interval between the previous and next machining stages is approximately equal to the idle movement time. The process of the lifting and fine-tuning axis returning to the dock point and the following process no longer require additional time, thereby improving machine tool processing efficiency.

[0037] return Figure 1 Step S1 occurs after the previous stage of machining is completed. The controller sends an idle movement start command to the translation axis, rotary axis, and lifting coarse adjustment axis, causing the machining head to idle from the position at the end of the previous stage of machining to the target position at the start of the next stage of machining. At the same time, the controller sends a return to the docking point command to the lifting fine adjustment axis, causing the lifting fine adjustment axis to stop following and move towards the docking point.

[0038] Then, in step S2, after sending the idle movement start command and the return to docking point command, the controller predicts the following time required for the lifting fine adjustment axis to move from the current position to the target following position when the next stage of processing begins, and calculates the remaining idle movement time of the processing head, without waiting for the lifting fine adjustment axis to reach the docking point; and compares the following time and the remaining idle movement time to determine whether the time for the lifting fine adjustment axis to start following has arrived.

[0039] When the following time is less than the remaining idle time, the controller determines that the timing for the lifting fine-tuning axis to start following has not yet arrived. At this time, it returns to step S2 to reacquire the remaining idle time and compares the following time with the remaining idle time.

[0040] Then, in step S3, when the following time is greater than or equal to the remaining idle time, the controller determines that the time has come for the lifting and fine-tuning axis to start following. At this time, a start following command is sent to the lifting and fine-tuning axis, causing the lifting and fine-tuning axis to move from the current position to the target following position at the start of the next stage of processing.

[0041] The following example demonstrates how the lifting and lowering fine-tuning axis can begin following when the following time equals the remaining idle time. Figures 3-6 A qualitative analysis was conducted on the relationship between the magnitude of the following time and the remaining idle time in step S2. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the changes in the following time and remaining idle time in an embodiment of the present invention with a relatively long total idle time. Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the corresponding lifting and fine-tuning axis. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the lifting fine-tuning shaft in an embodiment of the present invention with a shorter total idle time. Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the movement trajectory of the corresponding lifting and fine-tuning axis.

[0042] As the machining head continuously moves towards the target position, the remaining idle time decreases as the machining head gradually approaches the target position. The trend of the remaining idle time is as follows: Figure 3 and Figure 5 The solid line indicates that the predicted following time increases as the lifting fine-tuning axis approaches the stop point before it reaches the stop point. After the lifting fine-tuning axis reaches the stop point, the predicted following time remains relatively stable. Therefore, the trend of the predicted following time is similar to... Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown by the dashed line. If the lifting and fine-tuning axis starts following when the predicted following time equals the remaining idle time, the machining head and the lifting and fine-tuning axis can reach their respective target positions and target following positions almost synchronously.

[0043] like Figure 3As shown, when the total idle time is long, the intersection of the predicted following time and the remaining idle time is located after the lifting fine-tuning axis reaches the docking point. At this time, the movement trajectory of the lifting fine-tuning axis is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the lifting fine-tuning axis will only begin following after reaching the stop point. Figure 5 As shown, when the total idle time is short, the intersection of the predicted following time and the remaining idle time is located before the lifting fine-tuning axis reaches the stopping point; at this time, the movement trajectory of the lifting fine-tuning axis is as follows. Figure 6 As shown, the lifting fine-tuning shaft will start following even before it stops.

[0044] It should be noted that instructing the lifting and adjusting axis to begin following when the predicted following time equals the remaining idle time is only one embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, the following time can be ≥ the remaining idle time (i.e., ... Figure 3 and Figure 5 The lifting and fine-tuning axis can be started following at any time within the shaded area. As long as the lifting and fine-tuning axis starts following before the machining head completes its idle movement, the technical effect of saving time and improving machining efficiency compared to existing control methods can be achieved. Since the following time in step S2 is only a predicted following time estimated by a prediction algorithm, the following time may tend to be too large or too small under different prediction algorithms. Therefore, those skilled in the art can adjust the specific timing of starting the lifting and fine-tuning axis to follow according to the actual situation. This invention does not impose specific limitations.

[0045] When the machining head has moved to the target position for the start of the next stage of machining, and the lifting and fine-tuning axis has moved to the target following position for the start of the next stage of machining, the controller determines that the machining head is in place, and the next stage of machining can begin.

[0046] In one embodiment, the remaining idle time can be obtained through the following steps: calculating the remaining idle distance based on the current position of the processing head; and calculating the remaining idle time based on the remaining idle distance.

[0047] In one embodiment, the current position of the processing head can be detected by any sensor with position detection function, such as a grating ruler, magnetic grating ruler, laser interferometer, or encoder. Those skilled in the art can choose according to actual needs, and the present invention does not impose specific limitations.

[0048] In one embodiment, calculating the remaining idle time based on the remaining idle distance may include: substituting the remaining idle distance and parameters such as the maximum speed, acceleration, and accelerometer of each axis into a first empirical formula to calculate the remaining idle time; and / or, inputting the remaining idle distance and parameters such as the maximum speed, acceleration, and accelerometer of each axis into a pre-trained first neural network model to obtain the remaining idle time. The first empirical formula and / or the first neural network model can be obtained through extensive testing and / or training, and this invention does not impose specific limitations.

[0049] In one embodiment, the following time is obtained through the following steps: real-time monitoring of the position of the lifting fine-tuning axis; calculation of the remaining following distance based on the position of the lifting fine-tuning axis; prediction of the following time based on the remaining following distance, as well as the preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting fine-tuning axis.

[0050] In one embodiment, the position of the lifting and fine-tuning shaft can be obtained by an encoder built into the motor of the lifting and fine-tuning shaft, or by any sensor with position detection function such as an optical grating ruler, magnetic grating ruler, or laser interferometer. This invention does not impose any specific limitations.

[0051] In one embodiment, predicting the following time based on the remaining following distance and preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk, and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting and lowering fine-tuning axis may include: substituting the remaining following distance and preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk, and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting and lowering fine-tuning axis into a second empirical formula to calculate the predicted following time; and / or, inputting the remaining following distance and preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk, and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting and lowering fine-tuning axis into a pre-trained second neural network model to obtain the predicted following time. The second empirical formula and / or the second neural network model can be obtained through extensive testing and / or training, and this invention does not impose specific limitations.

[0052] In one embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the control method of the present invention may further include the following step after step S3:

[0053] S4 monitors the idle speed of the processing head in real time and determines whether the idle speed of the processing head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, and whether the remaining idle distance is less than the preset safety distance.

[0054] S5, in response to determining that the idle speed of the processing head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis and the remaining idle distance is less than the preset safety distance, control the idle speed of the processing head to be less than or equal to the maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis.

[0055] When the machining head is about to reach the target position on the workpiece surface, the distance between the machining head and the workpiece surface is relatively short, posing a risk of collision. If the idle movement speed of the machining head is greater than the maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, then even if the lifting and fine-tuning axis retracts at its maximum speed before the machining head collides with the workpiece surface, it cannot prevent the collision from occurring. If the remaining idle movement distance is less than the preset safety distance, it indicates that the machining head is about to reach the target position on the workpiece surface, and the risk of collision between the machining head and the workpiece surface is high at this time. If the idle movement speed of the machining head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, it indicates that the idle movement speed of the machining head is too fast, and even if the lifting and fine-tuning axis retracts at its maximum speed, it cannot prevent the collision from occurring. Therefore, in step S5, when the idle movement speed of the machining head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis and the remaining idle movement distance is less than the preset safety distance, the idle movement speed of the machining head is controlled to decrease to less than or equal to the maximum speed of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, so that the lifting and fine-tuning axis retracts at its maximum speed to prevent the collision from occurring, thereby ensuring safety. Although adding steps S4 and S5 will increase the total idle time, experiments have shown that the increase in total idle time after adding steps S4 and S5 does not exceed 50ms, and the impact on processing efficiency is negligible.

[0056] In one embodiment, the preset safety distance is set based on the maximum idle speed of the processing head. Preferably, the preset safety distance is a monotonically non-decreasing function of the maximum idle speed of the processing head. That is, the greater the maximum idle speed of the processing head, the larger the preset safety distance needs to be to ensure that the processing head has sufficient buffer distance and buffer time when the speed limiting action is performed in step S5.

[0057] This invention adds a high-precision lifting and fine-tuning axis to the existing multi-axis machine tool. The high-speed lifting coarse-adjustment axis and the high-precision lifting and fine-tuning axis jointly control the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface, balancing machining efficiency and following control accuracy. This invention combines following control and idle movement control. Simultaneously with the start of idle movement, the lifting and fine-tuning axis stops following and moves towards the docking point. By predicting the following time required for the lifting and fine-tuning axis to move from its current position to the target following position, the timing for initiating following is determined. The lifting and fine-tuning axis begins following to the target following position before the idle movement is completed. This eliminates the need for additional time for the lifting and fine-tuning axis to return to the docking point and for the following process, significantly improving machine tool machining efficiency.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention limits the idle speed of the machining head when it is about to reach the target position on the workpiece surface, so that the lifting and fine adjustment shaft can retract at the maximum speed to prevent the collision between the machining head and the workpiece surface, which ensures safety and hardly affects the processing efficiency.

[0059] Based on the same inventive concept, this invention also provides a multi-axis machine tool, including a machining head, a translational axis, a rotary axis, a coarse adjustment axis, a fine adjustment axis, and a controller. The translational axis controls the horizontal position of the machining head. The rotary axis controls the orientation of the machining head. The coarse adjustment axis is used to coarsely adjust the height of the machining head. The fine adjustment axis is used to finely adjust the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface. The controller controls the translational axis, rotary axis, and coarse adjustment axis by executing the machining head control method of this invention, so that the machining head moves freely toward a target position on the workpiece surface, and controls the fine adjustment axis to stop or begin following.

[0060] The multi-axis machine tool described above can implement the machining head control method according to the present invention as described above. Many of the design concepts and details applicable to the machining head control method of the present invention described above are also applicable to the multi-axis machine tool described above, and can achieve the same beneficial technical effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] According to embodiments of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which encoded instructions are recorded, which, when executed, enable the processing head control method according to the present invention described above. The computer-readable storage medium may include hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, optical disc read / write (CD-R / W) drives, digital universal disk (DVD) drives, flash memory drives, and / or solid-state storage devices, etc.

[0062] According to embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product is also provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed, implements the processing head control method according to the present invention. The computer program product can be implemented using various programming languages, such as C, C++, Java, Python, JavaScript, etc., to adapt to different development environments and platform requirements.

[0063] Exemplary embodiments have been described above. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made to the above exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, if suitable results can be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and / or if components in the described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in different ways and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents, then correspondingly, these other modified embodiments also fall within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the machining head of a multi-axis machine tool, the multi-axis machine tool comprising a translation axis, a rotary axis, a coarse adjustment axis, and a fine adjustment axis, the method comprising the following steps: By controlling the translation axis, rotation axis and lifting coarse adjustment axis, the processing head is moved toward the target position on the workpiece surface, and the lifting fine adjustment axis stops following and moves toward the stop point. Predict the following time required for the lifting fine-tuning axis to move from its current position to the target following position on the workpiece surface, and calculate the remaining idle time required for the machining head to move from its current position to the target position on the workpiece surface, and compare the following time and the remaining idle time; as well as In response to determining that the following time is greater than or equal to the remaining idle time, the lifting and adjusting axis begins to follow.

2. The processing head control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The remaining idle time is obtained through the following steps: Calculate the remaining idle distance based on the current position of the processing head; and Calculate the remaining idle time based on the remaining idle distance.

3. The processing head control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The following time is obtained through the following steps: The position of the lifting fine-tuning axis is monitored in real time, and the remaining following distance is calculated based on the position of the lifting fine-tuning axis; Based on the remaining following distance, and the preset maximum speed, maximum acceleration, jerk, and single-axis filtering parameters of the lifting and fine-tuning axis, the following time is predicted.

4. The processing head control method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, After the lifting and fine-tuning axis begins to follow, the machining head control method further includes the following steps: The idle movement speed of the processing head is monitored in real time, and it is determined whether the idle movement speed of the processing head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and adjusting shaft, and whether the remaining idle movement distance is less than the preset safety distance. as well as In response to determining that the idle movement speed of the processing head is greater than the preset maximum speed of the lifting and adjusting shaft and the remaining idle movement distance is less than the preset safety distance, the idle movement speed of the processing head is controlled to be less than or equal to the maximum speed of the lifting and adjusting shaft.

5. The processing head control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The preset safety distance is a monotonically non-decreasing function of the maximum idle speed of the processing head.

6. The processing head control method according to claim 1 further includes the following steps: In response to determining that the following time is less than the remaining idle time, the remaining idle time is reacquired and compared with the following time and the remaining idle time.

7. A multi-axis machine tool, comprising: Processing head; The machining head includes a translational shaft, a rotary shaft, and a coarse adjustment shaft. The translational shaft controls the horizontal position of the machining head, the rotary shaft controls the orientation of the machining head, and the coarse adjustment shaft adjusts the height of the machining head. The lifting and fine-tuning axis is used to fine-tune the following height of the machining head relative to the workpiece surface; as well as The controller controls the translation axis, rotation axis, and lifting coarse adjustment axis by executing the machining head control method according to any one of claims 1-6, so that the machining head moves toward a target position on the workpiece surface and controls the lifting fine adjustment axis to stop or start following.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed, implements the machining head control method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having encoded instructions recorded thereon, which, when executed, implement the machining head control method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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