Lathe Bar-Length Determination for In-Cycle Spindle Grip Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional machine tool systems waste material, energy, time, and labor when manufacturing long products exceeding the movable range of the spindle, as they require unnecessary grip changes and cutting off of machined portions during machining cycles.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool system with a bar length shortage prior determination unit that determines whether a grip change can be performed during a machining cycle before it starts, allowing for efficient management of bar length and reducing wasteful machining by ensuring the pusher is in a position to permit grip changes, thereby optimizing the machining process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If grip change is performed during machining cycle for long products, then productivity is improved by manufacturing products exceeding spindle movable range, but material waste increases due to cutting off machined portions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of bar length shortage before the machining cycle starts. The control apparatus calculates whether the pusher can reach the bar length shortage position during the machining cycle in advance, and only starts machining when the determination result indicates it can. This prevents unnecessary machining and material waste by avoiding cycles that would result in cutting off machined portions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If grip change is performed during machining cycle, then versatility is improved by enabling long product manufacturing, but time waste increases due to unnecessary grip changes
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary calculation and determination of whether a grip change can be completed before the machining cycle starts. By evaluating the pusher position and bar length shortage conditions in advance, the system avoids initiating machining cycles that would require interrupting for grip changes, thereby eliminating unnecessary time loss while maintaining the capability to handle long products when appropriate.
3Ease of operation
If conventional control starts machining without prior determination, then ease of operation is maintained with simple control logic, but energy waste increases due to unnecessary machining cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus incorporates a preliminary determination step that calculates whether the pusher can reach the bar length shortage position before starting the machining cycle. This additional calculation is performed automatically by the control system using existing position data, maintaining operational simplicity while preventing energy waste by avoiding unnecessary machining cycles that would result in cutting off machined portions.
Data Source
AI summary
A lathe system capable of manufacturing a long product from a bar by performing a grip change by a spindle during a machining cycle, the long product being of a length exceeding a movable range of the spindle, the spindle releasably gripping the bar and moving in a Z1-axis direction of the bar. The lathe system includes a pusher capable of moving in the Z1-axis direction together with the bar. The lathe system further includes a bar length shortage prior determination unit that determines whether the pusher is in a position permitting the grip change to be performed during the machining cycle. The determination is made prior to the start of the machining cycle.