Grinding machine for grinding a surface of an object

Abstract

The invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding the surface of an object, wherein the grinding machine comprises a. a plurality of grinding brushes (2), i. which are rotatably mounted about a brush rotation axis, b. at least one brush carrier (4), i. on which at least one of the grinding brushes (2) is mounted and which ii. is rotatably mounted about a carrier rotation axis (6), and c. a conveying device for conveying the object through the grinding machine at a feed rate, wherein the grinding machine has an input device and an output device, wherein the input device allows a brush rotation rate about the brush rotation axis and / or a carrier rotation rate about the carrier rotation axis (6) and / or the feed rate to be set, and the output device allows an expected grinding result to be output.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding the surface of an object, wherein the grinding machine comprises a plurality of grinding brushes rotatably mounted about a brush rotation axis, at least one brush carrier on which at least one of the grinding brushes is mounted and which is rotatably mounted about a carrier rotation axis, and a conveying direction for conveying the object through the grinding machine at a feed rate. Such a grinding machine is known, for example, from DE 10 2007 022 194 B4. Such grinding machines are used for grinding the surfaces of objects, whereby the desired grinding result can vary considerably.If the workpiece is to be further processed after grinding, for example by painting, it is advantageous to achieve the most uniform grinding pattern possible, so that as few grinding marks, grooves, scratches, or other depressions as possible remain on the surface. Conversely, if the surface to be ground is not to be further processed, it may be desirable to leave specific types of grinding marks on the surface to achieve a decorative effect. For this purpose, it is known, for example, from DE 10 2011 116 842 A1, to use a grinding machine equipped with a transverse grinding belt in such a way that the grinding direction is not necessarily perpendicular to the feed direction, but rather the angle between the two directions is adjustable. Furthermore, active areas of the grinding belt can alternate with passive areas.

[0002] In prior art grinding machines, the distance between the individual grinding brushes and the conveyor is typically adjustable. This allows for adaptation to workpieces of varying thicknesses and also enables adjustment of the contact pressure or grinding pressure of the individual grinding brushes on the surface being ground. Prior art grinding machines are known in which this adjustment is performed automatically via sensors. If the same grinding effect is to be achieved for every workpiece, this is certainly achievable with prior art grinding machines. However, switching from, for example, a uniform grinding result to a specific grinding pattern is either impossible or only possible with considerable effort.From DE 11 2014 000427 T5, which forms the basis for the preamble of claim 1, a polishing machine is known in which various polishing parameters, such as a rotational speed of the polishing brushes, a polishing duration or a rotational speed of the polishing brushes, can be set by entering the corresponding values ​​into a control system.

[0003] The invention is therefore based on the objective of further developing a grinding machine in such a way that as many different grinding results as possible can be achieved and the corresponding settings can be made as easily as possible.

[0004] The invention solves the stated problem by means of a grinding machine according to claim 1. Further embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0005] In contrast to prior art grinding machines, a grinding machine according to the invention offers further adjustable parameters. This is particularly true when several of the parameters mentioned in the claim are adjustable. The brush rotation speed, the carrier rotation speed, and the feed rate all have their own influence on the expected grinding result. Since the adjustment of all these parameters involves a multidimensional parameter space, even experienced engineers cannot predict the individual grinding results, or can only do so with great difficulty. This is especially true when, for example, the brush rotation speed and the carrier rotation speed are adjustable independently of each other.This, combined with an adjustable feed rate, allows for a wide variety of movement patterns of the individual brushes relative to the surface being ground. Therefore, the machine also features an output device that displays the expected grinding result, which naturally depends on the brush rotation speed, the carrier rotation speed, and the feed rate.

[0006] Preferably, the output device is a display device, for example a display, particularly preferably an LCD or LED display, on which the expected grinding result is shown. This can be in black and white or, more preferably, in color, with the color preferably encoding a grinding depth or applied grinding pressure. The display can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

[0007] The operator of the grinding machine can therefore see what the expected grinding result will look like after setting the respective parameters at the output device. If necessary, further parameters, such as brush contact pressure, different brush rotation speeds for different brushes, different carrier rotation speeds for different carriers, the surface finish of the surface to be ground, and other parameters, can be entered and included in the expected grinding result that is output via the output device.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the grinding machine has an electrical control system, in particular a microprocessor, configured to calculate the expected grinding result using the set parameters. In this case, an algorithm stored in an electronic data memory is executed on the electronic data processing unit, i.e., the electrical control system. The set parameters are fed into the algorithm and further processed within it. For example, a movement pattern of the individual brushes relative to the grinding surface is determined.Additionally, a surface finish, in particular a surface material of the surface to be ground, can be included in the execution of the algorithm, so that, for example, a grinding depth or different grinding pressure is included in the calculation and factored into the expected grinding result shown.

[0009] Advantageously, the grinding machine has several brush holders for which different holder rotation speeds can be set via the input device. Additionally or alternatively, the grinding machine has several grinding brushes for which different brush rotation speeds can be set via the input device. For some embodiments, it is perfectly sufficient to provide identical holder rotation speeds and / or identical rotation speeds for some of the grinding brushes. In this case, the different brush holders and / or the different brushes can, if necessary, only be set to a single rotation speed together.

[0010] Preferably, the brush holders are rotatable in the same direction. "Bis" means that they can all be rotated in the same direction, i.e., with the same direction of rotation, for example, clockwise.

[0011] Advantageously, the brush holders are arranged offset in the feed direction. This ensures that the effective areas of the individual brush holders and the grinding brushes attached to them can overlap along a direction perpendicular to the feed direction. This prevents areas of the surface to be ground from being untreated or excessively treated by a single grinding brush. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the spacing of the individual brush holders in the feed direction and / or perpendicular to the feed direction is also adjustable. This further influences the grinding result and thus increases the versatility of achievable grinding results.

[0012] Preferably, the brush holders are arranged such that the effective circles of the grinding brushes overlap. An effective circle of a brush is understood to be, in particular, the area swept by a grinding brush when the brush holder on which the grinding brush is located completes one revolution. The effective circle of a brush holder is the sum of the effective circles of the grinding brushes arranged on that brush holder.

[0013] Abrasive circles can overlap directly. This occurs when there are points that are brushed by two different grinding brushes, even if the surface itself is not moved, but only the brush holders are. Abrasive circles can also overlap indirectly. In this case, points on the surface to be ground are only brushed by multiple grinding brushes mounted on different brush holders when the workpiece or object is moved along the feed direction. This type of overlap is particularly easy to achieve when the brush holders are offset in the feed direction.

[0014] Advantageously, at least one brush holder is mounted eccentrically. This means that the holder's axis of rotation does not pass through its center point. As a result, the different grinding brushes on this brush holder have different distances from the holder's axis of rotation and, while they move in circular paths when the brush holder rotates, these paths may be of different sizes for the different grinding brushes.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the degree of eccentricity is adjustable via the input device. The degree of eccentricity is, for example, a measure of the distance between the carrier's axis of rotation and the center point of the brush carrier. Here, too, it can be advantageous to provide adjustable degrees of eccentricity for different brush carriers.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the input device has an interface to a data connection, in particular a Bluetooth interface, a USB interface, an internet application, or a wireless interface, such as a radio or WLAN interface. In this way, preset parameter sets can be transmitted, for example, by a customer and made available to the grinding machine or the electronic data processing device. Furthermore, the expected grinding result can also be sent via the same data connection to another location, such as a customer, via the output device. It is therefore not necessary to be at the location of the grinding machine to operate or monitor it.

[0017] Preferably, the input device has a control element through which the parameters can be manually adjusted. This could be, for example, a keyboard or a keyboard displayed on a screen. Of course, it is also possible to use an external data processing device, such as a computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, as the corresponding control element. In this case, it is advantageous to install appropriate software on the data processing device. For example, on a smartphone or tablet, this could be an app that can be downloaded from the internet and allows operation of the grinding machine or at least the adjustment of individual parameters.

[0018] Preferably, the grinding machine has an electronic data storage device in which set parameters can be stored. It is sufficient if the grinding machine has access to such an electronic data storage device. According to the present invention, the electronic data storage device need not be part of the grinding machine itself. The set parameter sets can be stored in such a data storage device and reused at a later time.

[0019] According to the invention, the grinding machine has a detection device that can record the grinding result achieved. This detection device is, for example, a camera and is preferably directed towards the ground surface. It is therefore arranged downstream of the actual grinding mechanism, i.e., the grinding brushes and brush holders, in the feed direction. The detection device is connected to an electronic data processing unit. The recorded data, for example, captured images, are transmitted to the data processing unit and processed therein. The data processing unit is configured to compare the data of the achieved grinding result with the expected grinding result.If a deviation detected exceeds a predetermined tolerance value, the electronic data processing unit can modify at least one parameter, such as the brush rotation speed, the carrier rotation speed, a contact pressure, and / or the feed rate, and thus iteratively adjust the achieved grinding result to the expected grinding result. The result of this comparison can therefore be used as a control parameter.

[0020] With the aid of the accompanying drawings, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below. They show: Figure 1 - the schematic three-dimensional view of a part of a grinding machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 - the schematic representation of brush holders and grinding brushes, Figure 3 - the schematic representations of spheres of influence, Figure 4 - a schematic representation of a drive for a grinding machine, Figure 5 - the schematic representation of circuits according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 - another view of action circles according to a further embodiment of the present invention and Figure 7 - the schematic representation of two different control modes.

[0021] Figure 1Figure 1 schematically shows a part of a grinding machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It has a plurality of grinding brushes 2, of which, in the illustrated embodiment, three are arranged on each brush holder 4. Each of the brush holders 4 is rotatably mounted about a carrier rotation axis 6. For this purpose, a carrier drive 8, for example in the form of an electric motor, is provided, by which the carrier rotation axes 6 and thus the brush holders 4 can be set into rotation via a first transmission belt 10. Deflection rollers 12 ensure that the carrier gears 14 surrounding the respective carrier rotation axes 6 are surrounded by the first transmission belt 10 with sufficient tension.

[0022] The grinding machine according to Figure 1It also features a brush drive 16, which can also be in the form of an electric motor. This motor drives the individual brushes 2 via a second transmission belt 18 (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, each brush carrier 4 has a third transmission belt 20, through which the movement transmitted via the second transmission belt 18 is transferred to the individual brushes 2 of each brush carrier 4.

[0023] Figure 1 Figure 17 also shows an output device 17, which is, for example, a monitor. Preferably, it also includes an input device, for example, in the form of a keyboard, so that the desired values ​​for the parameters to be set can be entered. The output device 17 is coupled to a schematically depicted electronic data processing device 19, which is connected to the brush drive 16 and the carrier drive 8.

[0024] Figure 2The schematic representation shows a similar embodiment of the grinding machine. One can see that in Figure 1 Four brush holders 4, each with three grinding brushes 2 arranged on it. The individual grinding brushes 2 are designed as cup brushes, so that the bristles 22 of the individual grinding brushes 2 are located only in their edge region. Of course, disc brushes or other brush shapes are also conceivable.

[0025] The carrier rotation axes 6 are also visible. They are each surrounded by a first brush gear 24 in which they can rotate freely. The first brush gears 24 are connected to each other via the second transmission belt 18.

[0026] A drive gear 26 drives a component of the Figure 2The torque applied by the brush drive 16 (not shown) is transmitted to the second transmission belt 18 and thus to the first brush gears 24. These are coupled to a second brush gear 28, which engages with the third transmission belt 20 and transmits the motion to the actual grinding brushes 20. Since the grinding brushes 2 are driven by the brush drive 16 and the brush carriers 4 by the carrier drive 8, the respective rotational speeds can be set independently of each other. However, in the illustrated embodiment, it is not possible to set different carrier rotational speeds for different brush carriers 4 or different brush rotational speeds for different grinding brushes 2.

[0027] The four brush holders 4 in Figure 1 and 2are arranged in a transverse direction. The feed direction runs perpendicular to this, in the illustrated embodiments therefore from bottom to top or from top to bottom. It can be seen in Figure 2 , that the individual brush carriers 4 are arranged offset in this feed direction, which is indicated by the arrow 30.

[0028] The individual working circles of the brushes are in Figure 3 The diagram shows the brush holders 4, each with three grinding brushes 2. These brushes extend beyond the circumference of the brush holder 4. When the brush holders 4 are moved along the brush rotation direction indicated by arrow 32, the grinding brushes 2 rotate with them, and the outermost edge of the grinding brushes 2 describes the effective circle 34 shown in the dashed-dotted line. Simultaneously, the individual grinding brushes 2 are moved in the brush rotation direction indicated by arrow 36.

[0029] Since the individual brush carriers 4 are also arranged offset in the feed direction, which is again represented by the arrow 30, there is no point on a surface of a workpiece that is not processed by a grinding brush 2, even though the individual working circles 34 do not overlap each other.

[0030] Figure 4 The diagram schematically shows the structure of the different drives. Two grinding brushes 2 are visible, arranged on a brush holder 4. This is driven via a drive shaft 38, at the upper end of which is the carrier gear 14, which engages with the first transmission belt 10. One of the components already shown in Figure 1 illustrated deflection pulleys 12.

[0031] The first brush gear 24 is arranged around the drive shaft 38 and engages with the second transmission belt 18. It extends in Figure 2downwards and is connected to the second brush gear 28, which engages with the third transmission belt 20 and transmits the movement to the actual grinding brushes 2.

[0032] Figure 5 shows one of the Figure 3 Similar representation. Three brush carriers 4 are visible, each with three grinding brushes 2 arranged on it. These also protrude beyond the outer circumference of the brush carrier 4 and are rotated along the brush rotation direction shown by arrow 36. Unlike in the Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the individual brush carriers 4 are arranged eccentrically around the carrier rotation axis 6. The individual brush carriers are rotated around this carrier rotation axis 6 in the direction indicated by arrow 32. As a result, each of the grinding brushes 2 describes a circular path around the carrier rotation axis 6. However, the individual distances of the grinding brushes from the carrier rotation axis 6 are of different sizes, resulting in different effective circles 34 for different grinding brushes 2. Due to the eccentricity of the suspension of the brush carriers 4 around the carrier rotation axis 6, the individual effective circles 34 overlap without collisions occurring between the individual brush carriers 4 or the grinding brushes 2. Therefore, in the Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, it is not necessary to arrange the brush carriers 4 offset along the feed direction.

[0033] Figure 6Figure 1 shows a further embodiment of the different arrangements. Three brush holders 4 are visible, each holding three grinding brushes 2, which are rotated around the brush rotation direction indicated by arrow 36. The individual brush holders 4 are not offset from one another but are positioned on a common support beam 40. This beam is attached at both ends to a rotating disk 42, with the mounting 44 being eccentric. When the rotating disks 42 are set in motion along the direction of rotation 46, the support beam 40 undergoes a pivoting or wobbling motion. In a preferred embodiment, the rotational speed of the rotating disks 42 can also be adjusted.

[0034] Figure 7 This shows that, in principle, two different rotation modes can be selected. In the example below... Figure 7The two rotating disks 42, which are in Figure 7 The movements are only shown schematically, in the same direction. An additional rotational movement is superimposed on the movement of the brush carriers 4 (not shown) and the grinding brushes 2, since the support beam 40 is moved without changing its orientation. In the upper part of the Figure 7 In contrast, the two rotating discs 42 rotate in different directions. This results in a wobbling motion of the support beam 40, which is superimposed on the movement of the grinding brushes 2 and the brush holders 4. Advantageously, the direction of rotation of at least one of the two rotating discs can therefore be adjusted in order to achieve further grinding patterns. Reference symbol list

[0035] 2 Grinding brush 4 Brush carrier 6 Carrier rotation axis 8 Carrier drive 10 First transmission belt 12 Deflection pulley 14 Carrier gear 16 Brush drive 17 Output device 18 Second transmission belt 19 Data processing device 20 Third transmission belt 22 Bristles 24 First brush gear 26 Drive gear 28 Second brush gear 30 Arrow 32 Arrow 34 Working circle 36 Arrow 38 Drive shaft 40 Carrier beam

Claims

1. A grinding machine for grinding a surface of an object, wherein the grinding machine comprises a. a plurality of grinding brushes (2), i.which are mounted such that they can be rotated about a brush axis of rotation, b. at least one brush holder (4), i. which is mounted on the at least one of the grinding brushes (2) and which ii. is mounted such that it can be rotated about a holder axis of rotation (6), and c. a conveying device for conveying the object through the grinding machine at a feed speed, wherein the grinding machine features an input device and an output device, wherein a brush speed of rotation about the brush axis of rotation and / or a holder speed of rotation about the holder axis of rotation (6) and / or the feed speed can be adjusted using the input device, the grinding machine being characterized in that the output device is configured in such a way that an anticipated grinding result can be displayed by the output device, said result being dependent on the parameters set by the input device, wherein the grinding machine comprises a detection device by means of which an achieved grinding result is detected and further processed, and an electronic data processing device is configured to compare the data of the achieved grinding result with the anticipated grinding result and to modify at least one parameter, such as, for example, the brush rotational speed, the holder rotational speed, a contact pressure and / or the feed speed, thereby iteratively adapting the achieved grinding result to the anticipated grinding result, when a deviation determined in this process is greater than a predetermined tolerance value.

2. The grinding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the output device comprises a display device on which the anticipated grinding result can be displayed.

3. The grinding machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the grinding machine has an electric control unit, especially a microprocessor, which is configured to calculate the anticipated grinding result using the set parameters.

4. The grinding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grinding machine comprises multiple brush holders (4), for which different holder speeds of rotation can be adjusted by way of the input device, wherein the brush holders can preferably be rotated in the same direction.

5. The grinding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the brush holders (4) are arranged at an offset in the feed direction.

6. The grinding machine according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the brush holders (4) are arranged in such a way that the effective radii of the grinding brushes overlap.

7. The grinding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one brush holder (4) is mounted eccentrically.

8. The grinding machine according to claim 7, characterized in that a degree of the eccentricity can be adjusted by the input device.

9. The grinding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the input device features an interface to a data connection, especially a Bluetooth interface, a USB interface, an internet connection or a wireless interface, such as a radio or WiFi interface.

10. The grinding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the input device has an operating element by way of which the parameters can be adjusted manually.

11. The grinding machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the grinding machine comprises an electronic memory in which set parameters can be stored.

Images