Bar-Fed Spindle Position Monitoring for Early Abnormality Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional machine tool systems cannot determine abnormalities in the axial direction of a bar during machining until a single cycle is completed, leading to potential overloading or breakage of the machining tool and wasteful use of the bar.

Innovation Solution

A machine tool system with a rotatable spindle and a pusher that biases the bar, equipped with an abnormality determining unit monitoring the movement of the pusher in the axial direction to detect positional abnormalities early, allowing for immediate intervention to prevent tool overload and waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual devices separately determine abnormalities after a single cycle is completed, then the determination method is simple, but the abnormality detection is delayed and cannot prevent tool overload or breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabnormality detection accuracyVSAvoidabnormality detection timing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control device collects position information from both the pusher and spindle in real-time, compares their positions, and provides feedback to determine abnormalities. This continuous feedback mechanism enables early detection of positional deviations before they cause tool overload or breakage, resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary abnormality detection by continuously monitoring the positional relationship between the pusher and spindle during machining operations. This preliminary action allows the system to identify potential abnormalities early in the machining process, preventing tool overload or breakage before they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If machining continues without early abnormality detection, then productivity is maintained, but tool overload and breakage occur causing wasteful loss of time and materials

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining continuityVSAvoidbar and tool waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary detection of abnormalities by continuously comparing pusher and spindle positions during machining. When a positional abnormality is detected, the system immediately stops the machining operation, preventing tool overload and bar waste while minimizing productivity impact by stopping only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4349526A1Machine tool system
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 STAR MICRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4349526A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4349526A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4349526A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A machine tool system 1 of the present invention includes a rotatable spindle 25 capable of releasably gripping a bar W, a pusher 44 that biases the bar W from a rear end thereof toward a front end thereof to be movable together with the bar W in a Z1-axis direction thereof, and an abnormality determining unit 20b that determines whether an abnormality occurs by monitoring movement of the pusher 44 in the Zl-axis direction. The spindle 25 is movable in the Zl-axis direction, and the abnormality determining unit 20b determines that a first abnormality occurs when the moving distance of the spindle 25 differs from the moving distance of the pusher 44 in a state that the spindle 25 grips the bar W.