Machine Tool Cover for Abrasive Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional machine tools face challenges in preventing the leakage of unnecessary byproducts such as abrasive grains and cutting liquids during processing, which can lead to reduced precision, water leakage, and decreased reusability of cutting liquids, while existing solutions either restrict tool movement or are limited in handling workpieces with varying shapes.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool design featuring a separately provided cover with a three-directional open structure and a movement mechanism that allows independent positioning and posture adjustment, effectively capturing byproducts without compromising the tool's mobility or adaptability to different workpiece shapes, using a multiple-joint robot or similar mechanism for precise movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a cover is formed around the tool to prevent swarf scattering, then swarf scattering is prevented, but the tool becomes bulky and its movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into a fixed base portion attached to the machine tool and a movable cover portion that can independently move relative to the tool. This segmentation allows the cover to provide protection while not restricting tool movement, as only the base portion remains fixed while the cover portion follows the tool's motion trajectory.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover portion is made movable relative to the tool through a movement mechanism, transforming the cover from a static structure to a dynamic one. This enables the cover to adapt its position and posture according to the tool's movement, maintaining swarf containment without limiting tool freedom of movement.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a cover is formed around the tool to prevent swarf scattering, then swarf scattering is prevented, but the tool structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is segmented into a fixed base portion and a movable cover portion, with the movement mechanism separately controlling the cover portion. This segmentation allows the complex movement function to be isolated from the tool structure itself, keeping the tool design simple while achieving sophisticated swarf control through the independent cover portion.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a fixed cover structure is used to contain processing byproducts, then byproduct leakage is prevented, but the structure cannot adapt to workpieces with varying shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The cover portion is equipped with movement capability that allows it to adjust its position and posture dynamically. This enables the cover to adapt to different workpiece shapes and sizes while maintaining effective containment of processing byproducts, overcoming the limitation of fixed cover structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover system changes its spatial parameters (position and orientation) according to the workpiece characteristics and processing requirements. This parameter adjustment capability allows the same cover structure to effectively contain byproducts for various workpiece shapes without requiring multiple different cover designs.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine tool includes a main shaft unit; a polishing head for processing a workpiece; and an unnecessary byproduct leakage preventing unit for preventing leakage of abrasive resulting from processing at or around a part of the workpiece, the part being processed, and wherein the unnecessary byproduct leakage preventing unit includes a cover provided separately from the polishing head, the cover having a structure that is open in three directions and that has walls in another three directions such that a protection space where to hold a part of the workpiece is defined, the cover for receiving the abrasive, and a movement mechanism for moving the cover so as to stay apart from the workpiece while the workpiece is not being processed and so as to have a part of the workpiece held in the protection space while the workpiece is being processed.