Machine Tool Hole Positioning via Measurement and Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In machine tools, particularly those used for working and adjusting multiple blank holes in a workpiece, such as those in excavator booms, achieving coaxial alignment with minimal pitch error is challenging, leading to potential defects when the holes' axes are offset, preventing proper assembly of components like hydraulic cylinders.
Innovation Solution
A machine tool equipped with a table, spindle, measurement means, spindle drive, and arithmetic control system that measures and adjusts the positions of blank holes to calculate optimized positions for the worked holes, ensuring all pitch errors are within tolerance by using equations to minimize axis-to-axis errors and offsets, allowing for precise cutting and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If blank holes are cut to expand diameters with conventional machine tools, then the holes can be worked and adjusted, but pitch errors between holes exceed tolerance making products defective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent measures the actual positions of blank holes before cutting operations and calculates optimized hole positions in advance. This preliminary measurement and calculation step allows the system to determine the best possible hole locations that minimize pitch errors, ensuring that even when raw material variations cause blank holes to be slightly off-position, the final worked holes will still meet tolerance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the actual measured positions of blank holes are used to adjust and optimize the positioning of worked holes. The system continuously monitors pitch errors and uses this information to calculate optimized positions that compensate for initial deviations, ensuring final pitch errors remain within tolerance. This closed-loop approach prevents defective products by adapting to actual measurements rather than relying solely on predetermined positions.
2Ease of operation
If multiple blank holes are worked and adjusted into coaxial positions, then assembly of components like hydraulic cylinders becomes possible, but achieving coaxial alignment with minimal pitch error is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary calculation system that acts as a mediator between the measured blank hole positions and the final worked hole positions. This arithmetic control unit calculates optimized positions that ensure coaxial alignment by considering all measured blank hole positions and determining the best possible worked hole locations. This intermediary calculation step bridges the gap between imperfect blank hole positions and the required coaxial alignment, making assembly feasible while maintaining high precision.
3Device complexity
If conventional cutting methods are used without position optimization, then the manufacturing process is simple, but pitch errors exceed tolerance causing product defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces purely mechanical cutting positioning with a hybrid system that incorporates measurement and arithmetic calculation. Instead of relying solely on mechanical fixtures and predetermined positions, the system uses measurement means to detect actual blank hole positions and an arithmetic control unit to calculate optimized worked hole positions. This substitution of mechanical positioning with intelligent calculation maintains relatively simple device complexity while dramatically improving manufacturing precision and reducing pitch errors.
Data Source
AI summary
This machine tool is provided with an arithmetic control unit that: controls a motor so as to measure the positions of raw material holes in a boom using an imaging camera held on a main shaft (S111-S113); calculates the positions of the center axes of the raw material holes on the basis of the information about the positions of the raw material holes captured by the imaging cameras (S114, S115); calculates distances between two center axes of interest (S116); and, when at least one of the calculated distances does not meet a prescribed value (S117), calculates the most suitable positions for process holes from minimum holes that comply with formulae (1111-1) to (1114-1) and (1141-1) to (1144-1) on the basis of equations (1101), (1111) to (1114), and (1141) to (1144) (S121); and controls the motor so as to form process holes in the positions calculated as the most suitable and cuts raw material holes using a tool held on the main shaft (S122, S123).