System for oil / air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit of a machine tool

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) for oil / air lubrication of rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11) of a drive unit of a machine tool, comprising: a lubricating assembly (2) with an assembly controller (3), a data interface (4), a lubricant storage tank (5) and lubrication ports (6); lubricant lines (7) which extend from the lubrication ports (6) to the rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11); a memory unit (20, 21) which is assigned to the drive unit and in which lubrication parameter data of the drive unit are stored; and a data connection (22) for transmitting the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit to the data interface (4) of the lubricating assembly (2). The assembly controller (3) is designed to lubricate the rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11) of the drive unit on the basis of the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit.

Description

[0001] System for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit of a machine tool

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The invention relates to a system for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit of a machine tool.

[0004] It has long been known as state of the art to mount the drive units of machine tools (e.g., motor spindles) using rolling bearings. It is also known to supply these rolling bearings with lubricant (e.g., an oil-air mixture) during machine tool operation using a lubrication unit to increase the service life of the rolling bearings. However, the optimal lubricant quantity and lubrication times vary depending on the type of drive unit and the operating parameters.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of providing a system for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit of a machine tool, which enables lubrication of rolling bearings that is individually adapted to the drive unit.

[0006] This object is achieved by a system having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

[0007] The system according to the invention for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit of a machine tool comprises a lubrication unit, lubricant lines, and a storage unit assigned to the drive unit. The lubrication unit has a unit control, a data interface, a storage tank for lubricant, and lubrication point connections. The lubricant lines extend from the lubrication point connections to the rolling bearings. Lubrication parameter data of the drive unit are stored in the storage unit assigned to the drive unit. Furthermore, the system has a data connection for transmitting the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit to the data interface of the lubrication unit, and the unit control of the lubrication unit is designed to lubricate the rolling bearings of the drive unit based on the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit.

[0008] In this way, the machine tool's lubrication unit provides individual lubrication parameter data for each drive unit, allowing the respective drive unit to be optimally lubricated by the lubrication unit. Assigning the storage unit to the drive unit ensures that the spindle-specific lubrication parameter data is reliably available for the respective drive unit, while simultaneously preventing incorrect assignment to another drive unit.

[0009] The lubrication parameter data of the drive unit preferably contains information on a lubrication operating mode, in particular information on whether pre-lubrication mode, normal lubrication mode, venting mode, or standby mode is to be performed. Furthermore, the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit preferably contains information on a lubrication cycle, in particular information on the time interval between two consecutive lubrication cycles and the amount of lubricant supplied per lubrication cycle. In addition, the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit can also contain an identifier for the drive unit or further information about the drive unit, for example, in the form of a digital nameplate. In general terms, the memory unit is assigned to the drive unit.This assignment can be achieved, in particular, by integrating the storage unit into the spindle housing of the drive unit or by mounting it in a (separate) housing on the drive unit. However, other embodiments are also conceivable, in which the storage unit is integrated into the machine tool's control system or is designed as a cloud storage unit. It is important, however, that a clear assignment to a drive unit is ensured.

[0010] The machine tool's control system is interposed into the data connection for transmitting the motor spindle's lubrication parameter data. A particularly advantageous approach is to configure the data connection as a bidirectional data connection, particularly according to the IO-Link standard. This allows for the integration of the lubrication control system into the rest of the machine's control system and data processing.

[0011] In an advantageous embodiment, the system further comprises an update unit configured to modify the drive unit's lubrication parameter data stored in the memory unit. This makes it possible to keep the optimal lubrication parameters up-to-date and adapt them to new findings. For this purpose, the update unit can access the memory unit (e.g., by remote access via a communications network) and overwrite the drive unit's lubrication parameter data stored there with more current lubrication parameter data.

[0012] The invention is further explained using an exemplary embodiment in the drawing figure, wherein the drive unit of the machine tool is designed as a motor spindle. Fig. 1 schematically shows a system for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings of a drive unit—more precisely, a motor spindle—of a machine tool.

[0013] The system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is integrated into a machine tool and comprises a lubrication unit 2 for oil-air lubrication. The lubrication unit 2 has a unit control 3, a data interface 4, a storage tank 5 for lubricant, and several lubrication point connections 6, only a few of which are provided with a reference symbol in Fig. 1. Lubricant lines 7 are attached to the lubrication point connections 6. These lubricant lines 7 extend to the respective lubrication points, i.e., to the rolling bearings 8, 9 of a first motor spindle 12 and to the rolling bearings 10, 11 of a second motor spindle 13. The rolling bearings 8, 9, 10, 11 serve to support the motor-driven spindles 14, 15 in the spindle housing 16 of the first motor spindle 12 and in the spindle housing 17 of the second motor spindle 13, respectively.

[0014] A storage housing 18 is flanged to the spindle housing 16 of the first motor spindle 12. A first storage unit 20 is located in the storage housing 18. Lubrication parameter data for the first motor spindle 12 are stored in this first storage unit 20. A storage housing 19 is also flanged to the spindle housing 17 of the second motor spindle 13. A second storage unit 21 is located in this storage housing 19. Lubrication parameter data for the second motor spindle 13 are stored in this second storage unit 21. The lubrication parameter data contains information for each rolling bearing 8, 9, 10, 11 as to whether pre-lubrication mode, normal lubrication mode, venting mode, or standby mode should be performed, as well as information on the time interval between two consecutive lubrications and the amount of lubricant supplied per lubrication.In addition, static characteristic data of the respective motor spindle 12, 13 are stored in the memory units 20, 21.

[0015] The data interface 4 of the lubrication unit 2, the first storage unit 20, and the second storage unit 21 are connected to a machine control system 23 of the machine tool via data connections 22. The data connections 22 are designed as bidirectional data connections according to the IO-Link standard and enable data exchange between the elements connected to them. The machine control system 23, in turn, forwards, for example, the data received and / or requested from the first storage unit 20 or second storage unit 21 to the lubrication unit 2.

[0016] The unit control 3 is designed to receive lubrication parameter data via the data interface 4 and to operate the lubrication unit 2 such that the desired amount of lubricant according to the respective lubrication parameter data is supplied to the rolling bearings 8, 9, 10, 11 via the respective lubricant line 7 at the desired times. In other words, the unit control 3 is programmed such that the lubrication of the rolling bearings 8, 9 of the first motor spindle 12 is carried out based on the lubrication parameter data of the first motor spindle 12 and the lubrication of the rolling bearings 10, 11 of the second motor spindle 13 is carried out based on the lubrication parameter data of the second motor spindle 13. As a result, each of the rolling bearings 8, 9, 10, 11 can be optimally lubricated by the lubrication unit 2. However, it is also possible to lubricate all of the rolling bearings 8, 9, 10, 11 with identical lubrication parameters.In this case, the lubrication parameters are set to data that are acceptable for all rolling bearings 8, 9, 10, and 11. If, for example, the first motor spindle 12 is replaced by another motor spindle ("third motor spindle"), this third motor spindle has another storage unit assigned to this third motor spindle ("third storage unit"). The third storage unit stores the lubrication parameter data for the third motor spindle. After replacing the first motor spindle with the third motor spindle, the lubrication unit 2 thus has individually adapted lubrication parameters, allowing the third motor spindle to be optimally lubricated as well.

[0017] Two motor spindles 12, 13 are shown in Fig. 1. However, embodiments with only one motor spindle or with more than two motor spindles are also possible.

[0018] An update unit is not explicitly shown in Fig. 1. The update unit is designed to modify the lubrication parameter data of the motor spindles 12, 13 stored in the first storage unit 20 and the second storage unit 21, in particular to replace the lubrication parameter data stored there with more current lubrication parameter data. For this purpose, the update unit can access the first storage unit 20 and / or the second storage unit 21 remotely via a communications network (wired or wireless).

[0019] LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0020] 1 system

[0021] 2 lubrication unit

[0022] 3 Aggregate control

[0023] 4 Data interface

[0024] 5 Lubricant storage tank

[0025] 6 Lubrication point connection

[0026] 7 Lubricant line, 9, 10, 11 Rolling bearing

[0027] 12 First motor spindle

[0028] 13 Second motor spindle

[0029] 14, 15 spindle

[0030] 16, 17 spindle housing

[0031] 18, 19 Storage enclosures

[0032] 20 First storage unit

[0033] 21 Second storage unit

[0034] 22 Data connection

[0035] 23 Machine control

Claims

CLAIMS 1 . System (1) for oil-air lubrication of rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11) of a drive unit of a machine tool, comprising: a lubrication unit (2) with a unit control (3), a data interface (4), a storage tank (5) for lubricant and lubrication point connections (6); Lubricant lines (7) extending from the lubrication point connections (6) to the rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11); a storage unit (20, 21) assigned to the drive unit, in which lubrication parameter data of the drive unit are stored; and a data connection (22) for transmitting the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit to the data interface (4) of the lubrication unit (2); wherein the unit control (3) is designed to carry out the lubrication of the rolling bearings (8, 9, 10, 11) of the drive unit based on the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit contain information on a lubrication operating mode, in particular information on whether a pre-lubrication mode, a normal lubrication mode, a venting mode or a stand-by mode is to be carried out.

3. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit contain information on a lubrication cycle, in particular information on the time interval between two consecutive lubrications and the amount of lubricant supplied per lubrication.

4. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage unit (20, 21) associated with the drive unit is mounted in a housing (18, 19) on the drive unit.

5. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the data connection (22) for transmitting the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit to the data interface (4) of the lubrication unit (2) is designed as a bidirectional data connection, in particular according to the IO-Link standard.

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the data connection (22) for transmitting the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit runs via a machine control (23) of the machine tool.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an updating unit configured to modify the lubrication parameter data of the drive unit stored in the storage unit (20, 21).

8. System according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a further drive unit with a further storage unit (20, 21) associated with this drive unit, in which lubrication parameter data of this further drive unit are stored.

9. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive unit is designed as a motor spindle (12, 13).

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