Chamfering device

Abstract

To provide a device for a toothed workpiece.SOLUTION: A device for chamfering includes: a workpiece spindle; and a processing head movable relative to the workpiece spindle by means of a linear shaft. The processing head includes a tool spindle for processing a workpiece. The processing head also includes a milling spindle that is used for holding an end mill cutter for chamfering an edge of a tooth part of the workpiece held by a workpiece holder and that has a milling cutter holder rotatably mounted. A work angle of the end mill cutter held by the milling cutter holder to the edge of the tooth part can be set by a first turning shaft. The milling spindle is disposed in a turning arm via the first turning shaft so as to enable turning. The turning arm is disposed in the processing head via a second turning shaft disposed in an orientation in parallel with the first turning shaft so as to enable turning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chamfering device for a toothed workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] This type of device is used to chamfer the edge of a toothed workpiece. This can prevent the sharp edge of the tooth part from being a factor in damage when the workpiece is further handled, or from damaging other workpieces or tools.

[0003] Chamfering devices are known, for example, from Patent Document 1. In this example, a milling spindle (a milling spindle) that holds an end mill cutter is provided on a machining head, and this spindle is movable through a plurality of linear axes. In this example, the working angle of the end mill cutter can be set by a swivel axis on which the milling spindle is arranged on the machining head.

[0004] A similar configuration is also disclosed in Patent Document 2. In this example, the milling spindle is arranged on a machining head having yet another tool holder that holds a further chamfering tool. In this example, either an end mill cutter or another chamfering tool can be used depending on the ease of access to the corresponding edge of the workpiece.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which a milling spindle is arranged on a processing head by a swivel arm, and a tool holder for holding a grinding tool or a milling tool (milling cutter) for forming the tooth part itself is arranged on the milling spindle. In this example, a chamfering milling cutter (chamfering milling cutter) arranged on the milling spindle is arranged perpendicular to the upper edge or the lower edge of the tooth part of the workpiece by a swivel arm, and forms a milling angle (milling angle) determined by the shape of the chamfering milling cutter. A swivel shaft arranged on the swivel arm is used to selectively set the chamfering milling cutter from above to the upper edge of the workpiece or from below to the lower edge.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an improved chamfering device.

[0008] This object is achieved by the chamfering device according to claim 1. The dependent claims clarify preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The present invention includes a chamfering device for a toothed workpiece, the device having at least one workpiece spindle rotatably mounted for holding the workpiece, and a machining head movable relative to the workpiece spindle through at least one linear axis, and at least one tool spindle rotatably mounted is provided on the machining head for holding at least one tool for machining the workpiece held by the workpiece holder, and a milling spindle having a rotatably mounted milling cutter holder is provided on the machining head for holding an end mill cutter for chamfering the edge of the tooth portion of the workpiece held by the workpiece holder, and the working angle of the end mill cutter held by the milling cutter holder at the edge of the tooth portion can be set by a first turning axis. According to the present invention, the milling spindle is pivotably arranged on a pivoting arm via the first turning axis, and the pivoting arm is pivotably arranged on the machining head by a second turning axis arranged in a direction parallel to the first turning axis.

[0010] The inventors of the present invention have found that by the arrangement of the milling spindle of the pivoting arm and the two parallel turning axes provided for the turning of the pivoting arm and the milling spindle, chamfering can be performed more accurately and quickly compared to the prior art, and by arranging on the machining head, chamfering can be performed continuously with the preceding machining step or the subsequent machining step without re-chucking or replacing the workpiece or the tool.

[0011] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the rotation axis of the milling spindle is arranged perpendicular to the second turning axis.

[0012] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the rotation axis of the milling spindle can be pivoted in a plane extending parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle by the second turning axis.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second turning axes extend parallel to the rotation axis of the tool spindle.

[0014] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a first drive device for a first swivel axis, a second drive device for a second swivel axis, and a controller for operating the first and second drive devices. As a result, chamfering can be automated. In particular, the first and / or second drive device can be an NC drive device (numerical control drive device).

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured and / or programmed to operate the first drive unit at the machining position in order to set the working angle of the end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder with respect to the edge of the tooth part and / or to switch the machining of the upper edge and the lower edge of the tooth part.

[0016] According to still another possible embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured and / or programmed to position the milling spindle at a machining position where the end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder extends obliquely from the position on the side (lateral side) of the workpiece to the edge of the tooth part. In particular, in this example, the milling cutter may extend upward from below the side to the upper edge, or may extend downward from above the side to the lower edge.

[0017] According to still another possible embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured and / or programmed to move the swivel arm together with the milling spindle from the machining position to the standby position and / or vice versa.

[0018] The controller is preferably configured and / or programmed such that when moving, the first and second swivel axes move to the machining position and the angle between the rotation axis of the milling spindle and the main extension direction of the swivel arm changes.

[0019] In particular, in this example, the first swivel axis can be operated so as to pass the end mill cutter through the tooth flutes (tooth gaps, between teeth) and / or so as to set a desired working angle with respect to the edge, thereby forming a chamfer angle. In contrast, the second swivel axis is operated so as to move the milling spindle from the retracted position to the machining position in front of the workpiece, and at this machining position, the milling spindle is arranged in front of the tool held in the tool holder of the machining head.

[0020] According to yet another possible embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a NC drive for operating the NC drive of the second swivel axis and preferably also for operating the first swivel axis, a NC drive of at least one linear axis of the machining head, and / or a controller for operating the NC drive of the workpiece spindle.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller has a chamfering function configured and / or programmed to operate the second swivel axis in order to guide the milling cutter held in the milling cutter holder along the edge of the toothed workpiece held in the workpiece holder in a controlled manner, in particular via the individual tooth flutes (tooth gaps, between teeth), synchronously with the rotation of the workpiece spindle during chamfering. In this example, the second swivel axis has a function similar to that of a linear axis extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the workpiece, and guides the milling spindle and thus the end mill cutter in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the workpiece along the edge of the tooth part according to the shape of the individual tooth flutes of the tooth part. Compared with the movement of the machining head, the use of the second swivel axis has the effect that the mass to be moved is very small, whereby the chamfering can be performed more quickly and accurately.

[0022] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the chamfering function is further configured and / or programmed to operate the first swivel axis in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece spindle during chamfering. On the one hand, it is possible to correct the change in the workpiece angle resulting from the movement of the swivel arm by the second swivel axis. On the other hand, it is realized that the working angle of the end mill cutter is intentionally changed across the tooth grooves. As a result, for example, in a plane extending parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece and perpendicular to the flank of the tooth portion, the size and / or the chamfering angle of the chamfer can be intentionally influenced and preferably configured to be more uniform across the tooth grooves.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one linear axis on which the machining head is movable operates to set the initial position of the milling spindle relative to the workpiece.

[0024] Particularly in this example, a linear axis arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle and / or the rotation axis of the tool spindle and / or for setting the axial distance between the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle and the rotation axis of the tool spindle, and / or a linear axis extending parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle operates to set the initial position of the milling spindle relative to the workpiece.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the machining head is movable via at least one linear axis parallel to the rotational axis of the tool holder and / or parallel to the first swivel axis and / or the second swivel axis, and the controller is configured and / or programmed to actuate the linear axis to set the initial position of the milling spindle relative to the workpiece. In particular in this example, the controller is such that the end mill cutter is arranged at a position offset from the center relative to the workpiece for chamfering, and / or the rotational axis of the end mill cutter extends in a plane that does not intersect the rotational axis of the workpiece spindle, but rather parallel to and spaced from the radial plane in which the rotational axis of the workpiece spindle extends. This is particularly effective for chamfering when the tooth portion is helical.

[0026] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the linear axis operates only for setting the initial position of the milling spindle relative to the workpiece and does not operate during chamfering.

[0027] However, in an alternative embodiment, at least one or more linear axes along which the machining head is movable can move in synchronization with the rotational movement of the workpiece during chamfering, particularly through individual tooth grooves.

[0028] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the machining head is movable via at least one linear axis parallel to the rotational axis of the tool holder and / or parallel to the first swivel axis and / or the second swivel axis, and the chamfering function is configured and / or programmed to actuate the linear axis in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece spindle.

[0029] As a result, the position of the end mill cutter relative to the central plane of the workpiece can be changed via the tooth grooves. This has an effect, particularly in the case of chamfering of helical teeth, with regard to influencing the shape of the chamfer, and particularly with regard to a more uniform chamfer over the entire tooth groove.

[0030] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, a thread sensor is arranged on the swivel arm.

[0031] The controller inserts an end mill cutter for chamfering into the tooth groove of the tooth part so as to guide the end mill cutter along the edge of the tooth part and chamfer the edge, or preferably synchronizes the movement of the end mill cutter with the rotational movement of the workpiece. For this purpose, the thread sensor is preferably configured and / or programmed to detect the position of the tooth or the tooth groove of the tooth part in the outer circumferential direction of the workpiece and / or the position of at least one edge of the tooth part in the axial direction of the workpiece before chamfering.

[0032] The controller is preferably configured and / or programmed to detect the position of at least one edge of the tooth part in the axial direction of the workpiece before chamfering using the thread sensor, and to arrange the end mill cutter at a correct position axially with respect to the edge to form a chamfer of a desired size. This option may be important when the allowable error of the workpiece is too large, such as when a very accurate chamfer size is important and the axial position of the edge is not known with sufficient accuracy in advance.

[0033] The main advantage of this embodiment is that the thread sensor is located close to the chamfering position because the thread sensor is arranged on the swivel arm where the milling spindle for the end mill cutter is arranged, compared to the configuration where the thread sensor is arranged on the main part of the machining head, so the speed is improved. Therefore, after identifying the tooth groove, all that is required is to rotate the milling spindle into that gap without moving the thread sensor.

[0034] In contrast, a thread sensor arranged on the machining head itself has to first move to a position in front of the tooth part to detect the tooth groove and then has to return to the standby position. After that, the milling head with the end mill cutter can be sent to the workpiece.

[0035] Placing a thread sensor on the swivel arm is also an object of the present invention independent of the embodiments described so far.

[0036] Accordingly, in a second independent aspect, the present invention includes an apparatus for chamfering a toothed workpiece, the apparatus having at least one workpiece spindle rotatably mounted for holding the workpiece, and a machining head movable relative to the workpiece spindle through at least one linear axis, and at least one tool spindle rotatably mounted for holding at least one tool for machining the workpiece held by the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head, and a milling spindle having a rotatably mounted milling cutter holder for holding an end mill cutter for chamfering the edge of the tooth portion of the workpiece held by the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head, and the milling spindle is arranged on the machining head via a swivel arm. The second aspect is characterized in that a thread sensor is arranged on the swivel arm.

[0037] Thereby, the effects already described above can be obtained.

[0038] The preferred embodiments already described above with respect to the first aspect of the present invention are also preferably implemented in the example of the apparatus according to the second aspect.

[0039] Furthermore, as already mentioned, the second aspect is preferably combined with the first aspect side.

[0040] More preferred embodiments that can be used in either the second aspect or the first aspect, or in combination thereof, will be described in more detail below.

[0041] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the thread sensor is arranged at the free end of the swivel arm, particularly in the mounting area for the second swivel axis for arranging the milling spindle on the swivel arm.

[0042] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the swivel arm is pivotably arranged on the machining head via a first swivel axis, and the device comprises a controller configured and / or programmed to move the swivel arm to a measurement position located in front of the tooth section to be measured by the thread sensor.

[0043] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the milling spindle is arranged on the swivel arm via a second swivel axis, and the controller actuates the second swivel axis so that the end mill cutter held by the milling spindle is in a position where it does not engage with the tooth section at the measurement position.

[0044] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured and / or programmed to engage the end mill cutter with the tooth section by pivoting the milling spindle via the second swivel axis after the tooth groove of the tooth section has been detected by the thread sensor. As a result, without moving the thread sensor, the end mill cutter can be inserted into the tooth groove in a controlled manner and chamfering can be performed along the outer shape of the tooth.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thread sensor is a sensor operating in a non-contact manner, in particular an inductive, capacitive and / or optical sensor. Such a sensor operating in a non-contact manner only needs to detect the tips of two teeth in order to calculate the center of the tooth groove.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the working area of the tool of the machining head is limited to the rear by a boundary wall provided behind the tool, and the second swivel axis is arranged on the machining head in the area in front of the boundary wall. As a result, the swivel arm is arranged in the vicinity of the tool spindle, and the milling spindle can easily reach the workpiece by pivoting the swivel arm.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the swivel arm extends upward along the boundary wall in the standby position and preferably terminates below the upper edge of the boundary wall. As a result, the swivel arm does not form an interfering outer shape with respect to the machining with the tool held by the tool spindle.

[0048] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the swivel arm rotates in the region of the side of the tool held by the tool holder by being arranged on the axial side of the tool holder with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the tool spindle. In particular, the swivel arm is arranged on the side of the tool holder along the axial direction in the direction of the main bearing of the workpiece spindle with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the tool spindle.

[0049] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the second swivel axis is arranged in the housing of the main bearing of the tool spindle.

[0050] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, an element that extends axially with respect to the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle and on which the milling spindle is arranged is arranged at the free end of the swivel arm. As a result, the milling spindle can be arranged in the region in front of the tool held by the tool holder of the tool spindle. Therefore, when changing (exchanging) the machining by the tool and the chamfering by the end mill cutter, the movement path of the machining head is shortened.

[0051] The first swivel axis can be arranged between the swivel arm and the axially extending element, or between the axially extending element and the milling spindle.

[0052] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the device is provided with a sensor for controlling the breakage of the end mill cutter held by the milling cutter holder, and this sensor is preferably arranged to inspect the end mill cutter in the standby position of the swivel arm. In particular, in this case, the sensor can be arranged on the upper edge of the boundary wall as described above.

[0053] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the tool spindle is a tool spindle for gear cutting of a workpiece held by a workpiece holder, that is, a tool spindle for performing machining operations for manufacturing and / or machining the gear teeth themselves. In particular, the gear cutting can be gear shaping (milling) of the tooth profile.

[0054] Therefore, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the device is a gear cutting device having a function for chamfer milling, in particular a gear shaping milling device.

[0055] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the machining head is movable via at least two, preferably three linear axes.

[0056] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, a first linear axis is provided for movement in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tool holder, and a second linear axis is provided for movement in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the machining head is pivotable relative to the workpiece spindle by a pivot axis, in particular for setting the axis intersection angle, and the pivot axis preferably extends perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tool holder.

[0058] The controller in the present invention can be provided with a microcontroller and a non-volatile memory for storing a computer program executed on the microcontroller. In this case, the controller is signal-connected to the drives to activate these drives. In particular, the computer program is configured to execute the functions of the controller described above and below when executed on the microcontroller, or to operate the device to execute the methods described above and below.

[0059] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured and / or programmed to automatically execute the methods described above and below, and / or to execute the same method for each of a plurality of identical workpieces.

[0060] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the workpiece that can be chamfered by the apparatus according to the present invention is a gear, particularly a gear having straight teeth. In particular, this gear can be an external gear.

[0061] The edge or group of edges that can be chamfered by the apparatus according to the present invention is preferably the edge of the tooth portion of a gear having an upper edge and / or a lower edge of a toothed portion.

[0062] The present invention further includes a method for manufacturing a toothed workpiece using the above-described apparatus, the method comprising: machining a workpiece held by a workpiece holder using a tool held by a tool holder; chamfering at least one edge of the toothed workpiece using an end mill cutter held by a milling cutter holder.

[0063] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the swivel arm is located at a standby position while machining the workpiece using the tool, and moves to a machining position via a second swivel axis for chamfering the edge.

[0064] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the drive unit of the second swivel axis operates in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece to guide the end mill cutter along the edge during chamfering.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, while the swivel arm is in the standby position, damage control of the end mill cutter is performed by a sensor. In particular, the sensor can be an optical sensor such as a light barrier that checks the presence of the tip of the end mill cutter, for example.

[0066] According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, while the swivel arm is in the measurement position, the thread sensor measures the tooth portion.

[0067] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on embodiments and drawings.

Brief Explanation of Drawings

[0068]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0069] FIGS. 1 to 8 show embodiments of an apparatus according to the present invention for chamfering a toothed workpiece 1.

[0070] This device includes a workpiece spindle 10 having a workpiece holder rotatably attached thereto for holding a workpiece 1. Accordingly, the workpiece 1 is rotatable about the axis of rotation C1 by the workpiece spindle. In this embodiment, in this case, the workpiece spindle has an NC drive device.

[0071] Furthermore, a machining head 50 is provided, and the machining head 50 is provided with a tool spindle 20 capable of holding a tool 2. In this example, the tool 2 is rotatable about the axis of rotation B1 by the tool spindle 20. This tool spindle is also equipped with an NC drive device.

[0072] The machining head having the tool spindle 20 is movable relative to the workpiece spindle 10 through at least one linear axis and, in this embodiment, through a plurality of linear axes.

[0073] The moving axis along which the machining head 50 is movable is shown in FIG. 4.

[0074] In this embodiment, a first linear axis X1 is provided for setting the axial distance between the tool 2 and the workpiece 1. In this example, the first linear axis X1 extends perpendicular to the axes of rotation C1 and B1 of the workpiece spindle and the tool spindle.

[0075] Furthermore, a second linear axis Z1 is provided, and the machining head 50 is movable parallel to the axis of rotation C1 of the workpiece spindle 10 by this axis. As a result, the tool can move along the width direction of the tooth part.

[0076] Furthermore, the machining head 50 is rotatable via a swivel axis A1 extending parallel to the X1 axis in order to set the axial intersection angle between the axes of rotation C1 and B1 of the workpiece spindle 10 and the tool spindle 20.

[0077] Therefore, the rotation axis B1 of the tool spindle 20 can rotate within a plane that extends parallel to the rotation axis C1 of the workpiece spindle 10 via the A1 axis.

[0078] Furthermore, a shift axis V1 is provided, and the tool spindle can move parallel to the rotation axis B1 of the workpiece spindle via this shift axis. As a result, an axial region of the tool 2 that comes into engagement with the workpiece can be set.

[0079] In the configuration shown in this embodiment, the shift axis V1 is rotatable by the A1 axis and is provided as a carriage on the machining head 50. However, in an alternative embodiment, the A1 axis can also be arranged on a Y1 axis that is perpendicular to the X1 axis and the Z1 axis.

[0080] However, the configuration of the illustrated device, and particularly the arrangement of these illustrated axes, is merely an example. The present invention can also be used in a gear cutting device or other chamfering device with a different axis configuration.

[0081] This device is, in particular, a gear cutting device for performing gear cutting of the workpiece 2 by the tool 2 for the manufacture or machining of gear teeth. In this example, the gear cutting device preferably includes a controller having a gear cutting function, and the axis of the machining head can be operated via the controller to perform gear cutting such as hob machining of gears.

[0082] However, such an embodiment is not essential for the present invention. Rather, the tool holder of the machining head may function to hold additional chamfering tools, for example, to machine different edges of the workpiece using different chamfering tools, as known, for example, from Patent Document 2 (German Patent Application Publication No. 102018108622).

[0083] Regardless of the purpose the tool is intended for, according to the present invention, a milling spindle 30 for supporting a tool spindle 20 for holding a tool 2 is further provided on the machining head. This milling spindle can hold an end mill cutter 3, whereby chamfering of the edges 5 and 6 of the workpiece 1 held in the workpiece holder can be performed. The end mill cutter 3 can be set to be rotatable around the rotation axis B2 by the milling spindle 30. In particular, the end mill cutter is used for chamfering the edges of the tooth part that is manufactured or machined by the tool 2 and held in the tool holder.

[0084] The milling spindle 30 is arranged on the machining head 50 via a swivel arm 40. In this example, the milling spindle 30 is pivotally attached to the swivel arm 40, particularly at the free end of the swivel arm, via a first swivel axis 35. The swivel arm 40 is pivotally arranged on the machining head via a second swivel axis 45. The first swivel axis 35 and the second swivel axis 45 extend in parallel.

[0085] The two axes Bx and Bxx of the second and the first swivel axes extend parallel to the rotation axis B1 of the tool spindle. The rotation axis of the milling spindle is arranged at a right angle to the second swivel axis Bxx.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first swivel axis 35 is used for chamfering the lower and upper edges to set the working angle at the edge of the chamfering milling cutter, and thus the chamfering angle.

[0087] At the machining positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in both cases, the milling spindle is located on the side of the workpiece 1, that is, outside the radially outer periphery of the workpiece, between the upper edge and the lower edge of the workpiece. Therefore, from the milling cutter holder, the end mill cutter extends obliquely from a position radially outside with respect to the edge to be chamfered. In particular, in this example, the end mill cutter extends from the outside to the inside, from the upper edge to the lower edge of the workpiece to chamfer the lower edge of the workpiece as shown in FIG. 1, and extends from the outside to the inside, from the lower edge to the upper edge of the workpiece to chamfer the upper edge as shown in FIG. 2. During the chamfering process, the free end of the end mill cutter is located in a region within the radial position of the edge, above or below the end face of the workpiece.

[0088] As can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, in this example, the first rotation axis 35 is also used for the rotation from the first machining position shown in FIG. 1 for chamfering the first edge to the second machining position shown in FIG. 2 for chamfering the second edge. Further, the first rotation axis 35 is also used to pass the end mill cutter through the tooth groove.

[0089] As can be seen from the comparison of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the swing arm 40 is used to swing the milling spindle from the standby position shown in FIG. 3 to the machining positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0090] In the standby position shown in FIG. 3, in this example, the end mill cutter 3 and the swing arm are located outside the interference region of the workpiece while the tool 2 is held by the tool holder 20 during the machining of the workpiece 1.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, in this embodiment, since the end mill cutter 3 held by the milling spindle is located within the measurement area (detection area) of the tool breakage sensor 60 in the standby position, the controller can detect the tool breakage of the end mill cutter 3 in the standby position. The tool breakage sensor 60 can be configured as an optical sensor. This (optical sensor) is a light barrier in the measurement area where the tip of the end mill cutter 3 rotates particularly when approaching the standby position, and when the end mill cutter is not damaged, its optical path is blocked. Therefore, in the standby position, if the controller does not recognize the interruption of the optical path of the light barrier, it determines that the tool is broken, interrupts the chamfering process, and / or outputs a warning signal.

[0092] In an alternative embodiment, the tool breakage sensor 60 may be omitted. In this case, the standby position is only used to move the end mill cutter and the swivel arm out of the collision area with the workpiece 1.

[0093] In any example, the swivel arm 40 can move the milling spindle 30 from the standby position to the engagement position with the workpiece 1, and the end mill cutter 3 chamfers the edge of the workpiece at that position.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the swivel arm 40 is used to move the milling spindle 30 during chamfering so that the end mill cutter 3 held by the spindle follows the edge of the tooth part of the workpiece 1. For this purpose, an NC drive device is particularly used as the drive device for the second swivel axis 45, and the drive device of the second swivel axis operates by the controller of the device in synchronization with the rotational movement of the NC drive device of the workpiece spindle 10 in order to follow the outer shape of the edge of the tooth part.

[0095] The second swivel axis 45 substantially performs the function that can be assigned to the Z1 axis during chamfering, that is, the movement of the milling spindle in a direction parallel to the rotation axis C1 of the workpiece spindle. However, as a result, since the mass of the swivel arm and the milling spindle 30 is significantly smaller compared to the entire machining head that has to be moved via the Z1 axis, much faster and more accurate movement and thus machining becomes possible.

[0096] Due to the swivel movement of the swivel arm, the milling spindle 30 moves in the X1 direction, that is, in the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis C1 of the workpiece 1. However, since this only slightly shifts the area of the end mill cutter 3 that is engaged with the edge of the workpiece, it does not affect the machining result.

[0097] Furthermore, due to the swivel movement of the swivel arm 40, the direction of the rotation axis B2 of the milling spindle 30 and thus the direction of the end mill cutter are actually rotated. Therefore, to some extent, it affects the chamfering direction of the workpiece machined by the end mill cutter. However, the fact that the swivel arm 40 extends relatively long has a relatively small impact on the chamfering angle compared to the upward movement of the milling spindle 30 caused by the swivel movement and is acceptable within the tolerance range for most applications. In this case, the first swivel axis can be operated as an adjustment pin.

[0098] Alternatively, the first swivel axis 35 operates in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece during the machining process. For this purpose, it is preferable that the first swivel axis 35 has an NC drive device.

[0099] According to a possible embodiment, during the machining process, the first swivel axis 35 is driven in the opposite direction to the second swivel axis 45 in order to keep the direction of the rotation axis B2 of the milling spindle 30 constant with respect to the rotation axis C1 of the workpiece or set it to a desired value during the machining process.

[0100] Furthermore, the first swivel axis 35 can be purposefully used during the machining process to intentionally set the working angle for different regions of the tooth groove. In particular, the swivel position of the first swivel pin 35 can also be operated to synchronize with the rotational movement of the axis of the workpiece spindle in order to set different working angles for different regions of the tooth groove.

[0101] In addition to, or instead of, using the second swivel axis 45 to guide the end mill cutter along the edge during the machining process, the X1 axis or the Z1 axis can be selectively used for chamfering.

[0102] The linear axes X1, Z1, and V1 are also used as adjustment pins for chamfering to move the milling spindle to a starting position suitable for chamfering. Depending on the operating mode, no adjustment may be made during chamfering.

[0103] In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the V1 axis is used to position the end mill cutter offset from the center with respect to the workpiece, in other words, the axis of the end mill cutter 3 does not extend across the entire radial tooth groove of the workpiece during chamfering in any case, but rather is offset therefrom.

[0104] In this example, in the first embodiment, the V1 axis is only used to approach the starting position of the chamfering, at which position the end mill cutter is arranged at an offset position with respect to the workpiece and does not move during chamfering. Therefore, the end mill cutter remains in a fixed position with respect to the central axis of the workpiece throughout the chamfering process.

[0105] In contrast, in a preferred embodiment, the V1 axis operates to synchronize with the rotational movement of the axis of the workpiece spindle during chamfering and sets different V1 positions for machining different regions of the tooth groove. Thereby, the shape of the chamfer can be intentionally changed through the tooth groove.

[0106] It is preferable that the chamfering process and, by extension, the operation of the shaft, be performed identically for each tooth groove.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, the tool spindle 20 is arranged on the machining head such that the boundary wall 51 extends rearward of the tool 2 held by the tool holder. In this example, the swivel arm 40 is arranged on the machining head via the swivel axis 45 so as to be positioned in front of the boundary wall 51. Therefore, although the length of the swivel arm 40 can be kept relatively short, the resulting deviation can be made such that the workpiece can reach without problems.

[0108] In this embodiment, the swivel plane of the swivel arm extends laterally (side part) of the region where the tool 2 is arranged, and the swivel arm does not collide with the tool.

[0109] For this purpose, in this embodiment, the second swivel axis 45 is arranged in the main bearing region 22 of the tool spindle 20 and is located beside the drive housing 21 of the tool spindle 2.

[0110] A strut 41 extending parallel to the axial direction B1 of the tool spindle is arranged at the free end of the swivel arm 40, and this strut supports the first swivel axis 35 and the milling head 30. As a result, the milling head is arranged at a lateral position in the axial direction of the tool 2.

[0111] As can be seen from FIG. 7, in this example, the strut 41 is firmly arranged on the swivel arm 40, carries a mounting element 42 at its free end, and the second swivel axis 35 is attached to the mounting element. The drive device 36 of the second swivel axis extends parallel to the strut 41 from the radially extending part of the swivel arm towards the free end of the strut.

[0112] In the standby positions shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, both the axes of the swivel arm 40 and the milling spindle 30 extend upward along the boundary wall 51. In this example, the tool breakage sensor 60 is arranged on the boundary wall 51, particularly at the upper end of the boundary wall, and the end mill cutter 3 held within the milling spindle is located within the measurement area of the tool breakage sensor 60 in the standby position, enabling this sensor to detect tool breakage in the standby position.

[0113] Therefore, when moving from the machining position to the standby position or vice versa, usually both swivel axes 35 and 45 are actuated.

[0114] Furthermore, the machining head is provided with a touch sensor 80, which can be moved to a predetermined position by the machine axes X1, Z1, and V1. However, detecting the tooth groove of the workpiece 1 via this type of touch sensor 80 is cumbersome because this sensor first has to be laboriously moved to the measurement position in front of the tooth part. Furthermore, this type of touch sensor has to be moved slowly in the vicinity of the tooth part to prevent damage.

[0115] Therefore, instead of or in addition to that, according to a second aspect of the invention, the swivel arm 40 is provided with a thread sensor (Einfadelsensor) 70 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0116] In the embodiment, the thread sensor 70 is arranged at the free end of the swivel arm when viewed radially with respect to the first swivel axis, specifically, it is arranged on a strut 41 that extends parallel to the axial direction B1 of the tool spindle and extends the swivel arm in front of the area of the tool 2.

[0117] In this example, the thread sensor 70 is arranged in the end region of the strut 41 that is remote from the swivel arm, and thus, in the embodiment of the mounting element 42 for the second swivel axis 35, it is arranged directly beside (laterally) the milling spindle 30. As a result, the distance between the thread sensor and the milling spindle can be kept particularly small.

[0118] The thread sensor 70 operates in a non-contact manner and can detect, for example, the teeth 7 or tooth spaces of the tooth portion by a dielectric method, a capacitance method, or an optical method when located at the measurement position shown in FIG. 8.

[0119] In this example, with respect to the turning position of the first turning axis 45, the measurement position substantially corresponds to the machining position. In particular, the first turning axis is set at the machining position and / or the measurement position such that the second turning axis 35 is located between the upper and lower edges of the tooth portion beside the workpiece to be machined.

[0120] As a result, the thread sensor at the measurement position is also located beside the tooth portion and can detect the teeth or tooth grooves.

[0121] The second turning axis 35 is set at the measurement position such that the end mill cutter 3 held by the milling spindle 30 does not mesh with the tooth portion and the outer diameter of the milling spindle itself does not interfere. In this case, in particular, the rotation axis of the milling spindle may extend parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece spindle.

[0122] After detecting the tooth grooves of the tooth portion, the second turning axis 35 is used to turn the end mill cutter to the chamfering position as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, since the linear axis of the machining head is such that the milling spindle is already located in the immediate vicinity of the workpiece, it only needs to move along a short travel path to move from the measurement position to the chamfering position.

[0123] It is also possible to change very quickly from the machining operation of machining the workpiece 1 using the tool 2 held by the tool holder, particularly the tooth cutting operation for forming the tooth portion, to the measurement position and / or the chamfering position.

[0124] For this purpose, it is necessary to retract only the machining head through the X1 axis to disengage the tool 2 from the workpiece and provide sufficient space for the milling spindle between the tool 2 and the workpiece 1.

[0125] As a result, by rotating the swivel arm 40 about the first swivel axis 45, the milling spindle can be moved from the standby position to the region between the tool 2 and the workpiece 1, and at the same time the thread sensor 70 is also positioned in the region in front of the toothed portion of the workpiece.

[0126] In this example, it is possible to first approach one of the chamfering positions at the measurement position shown in FIG. 8 and after detection of the tooth or tooth groove.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for chamfering a toothed workpiece, comprising: at least one workpiece spindle having a rotatably mounted workpiece holder for holding said workpiece; a machining head movable relative to the workpiece spindle by at least one linear axis; at least one tool spindle having a rotatably mounted tool holder for holding at least one tool for machining a workpiece held in the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head; A milling spindle having a rotatably mounted milling cutter holder for holding an end mill cutter for chamfering an edge of a tooth portion of the workpiece held by the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head; The working angle of the end mill cutter held by the milling cutter holder with respect to the edge of the tooth portion can be set by the first pivot shaft; The apparatus comprises: The milling spindle is pivotally disposed on a pivot arm via the first pivot axis, and the pivot arm is pivotally disposed on the machining head via a second pivot axis that is oriented parallel to the first pivot axis. An apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, An apparatus comprising: a first drive unit for the first pivot axis; a second drive unit for the second pivot axis; and a controller for operating the first and second drive units, wherein the controller is configured and / or programmed to operate the first drive unit in a machining position to set a working angle of an end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder with respect to an edge of a tooth portion and / or to switch between machining an upper edge and a lower edge of the tooth portion, and / or the controller is configured and / or programmed to position the milling spindle in a machining position in which the end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder extends obliquely from a position on the side of the workpiece to the edge of the tooth portion.

3. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, a first drive for the first pivot axis, a second drive for the second pivot axis and a controller for operating the first and second drives, the controller being configured and / or programmed to move the pivot arm together with the milling spindle from a processing position to a retracted position and / or vice versa, preferably such that during the movement the first and second pivot axes move to a processing position and the angle between the rotation axis of the milling spindle and the main extension direction of the pivot arm changes.

4. 4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: and a controller for operating an NC drive of the second pivot axis, the controller configured and / or programmed to operate the second pivot axis to controllably guide an end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder, in synchronization with rotation of the workpiece spindle, along an edge of a toothed workpiece held in the workpiece holder during a chamfering operation.

5. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, the chamfer machining function is configured and / or programmed to actuate the first pivot axis synchronously with rotation of the workpiece spindle during a chamfer machining operation; The machining head is movable via at least one linear axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the tool holder and / or parallel to the first and / or second pivot axes, and a chamfering function is configured and / or programmed to operate the linear axis in synchronization with the rotation of the workpiece spindle.

6. An apparatus for chamfering toothed workpieces, in particular an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, at least one workpiece spindle having a rotatably mounted workpiece holder for holding said workpiece; a machining head movable relative to the workpiece spindle through at least one linear axis; at least one tool spindle having a rotatably mounted tool holder for holding at least one tool for machining a workpiece held in the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head; A milling spindle having a rotatably mounted milling cutter holder for holding an end mill cutter for chamfering an edge of a tooth portion of the workpiece held by the workpiece holder is provided on the machining head; The milling spindle is disposed on the machining head via a pivot arm; The apparatus further comprises a sled sensor disposed on the pivot arm.

7. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, the thread sensor is arranged at the free end of the pivot arm, in particular in a mounting area for a second pivot axis for arranging the milling spindle on the pivot arm; and / or the pivot arm is pivotably arranged on the machining head via a first pivot axis, the apparatus comprising a controller configured and / or programmed to move the pivot arm to a measurement position in which the thread sensor is located in front of the toothing to be measured, the milling spindle is preferably arranged on the pivot arm via a second pivot axis, the controller actuating the second pivot axis such that an end mill cutter held on the milling spindle is not in engagement with the toothing at the measurement position; and / or The thread sensor is a device which is a sensor operating in a contactless manner, in particular an inductive or capacitive and / or optical sensor.

8. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , An apparatus in which the working area of ​​the tool of the machining head is limited to the rear by a boundary wall provided behind the tool, the second pivot axis is arranged on the machining head in the area in front of the boundary wall, and the pivot arm is preferably arranged to extend upwardly along the boundary wall in a standby position and preferably terminate below the upper edge of the boundary wall.

9. 9. The device according to claim 1 , The device, in which the pivot arm is arranged on an axial side of the tool holder in relation to the direction of the rotation axis of the tool spindle, thereby pivoting in the area of ​​the side of the tool held in the tool holder, and / or the second pivot axis is arranged in the housing of the main bearing of the tool spindle.

10. 10. The device according to claim 1 , An apparatus comprising a sensor for damage control of an end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder, the sensor being preferably arranged to inspect the end mill cutter in a standby position on the pivot arm.

11. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , The tool spindle is a tool spindle for gear cutting, in particular for gear milling, of a workpiece held in the workpiece holder, and / or the device is a gear cutting device, in particular a gear milling device.

12. 12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , The device, in which the machining head is movable via at least two, preferably three, linear axes, preferably a first linear axis is provided for movement in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tool holder and a second linear axis is provided for movement in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder and / or the machining head is rotatable relative to the workpiece spindle by a swivel axis, in particular for setting an axis crossing angle, the swivel axis preferably extending perpendicular to the rotation axis of the workpiece holder and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the tool holder.

13. A method for manufacturing a toothed workpiece using an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising the steps of: machining a workpiece held in the workpiece holder with a tool held in the tool holder; chamfering at least one edge of the toothed workpiece with an end mill cutter held in the milling cutter holder; The method according to claim 1,

14. 14. The method of claim 13, The method wherein the pivot arm is positioned in a standby position while the workpiece is machined with the tool and is moved via the second pivot axis to a machining position to perform chamfering of the edge, and / or the drive of the second pivot axis operates in synchronism with the rotation of the workpiece to guide an end mill cutter along the edge during chamfering.

15. 15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, A method in which the breakage control of the end mill cutter is performed by a sensor while the pivot arm is in a waiting position and / or the measurement of the toothing is performed by a thread sensor while the pivot arm is in a measuring position.

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