Machining Program Editing Assist Device for Shape-Program Association

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machining program editing devices lack the ability to effectively associate machining processes with corresponding shapes and data, making it difficult for users to identify and edit specific portions of the program, leading to inefficiencies in machining operations.

Innovation Solution

A machining program editing assist device with a display control unit that divides the screen into program data and shape display areas, allowing users to designate specific portions and register them into a machined shape table, enabling clear association and differentiation of machining processes and shapes, thus facilitating intuitive editing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the machining program is analyzed block-by-block and shapes are displayed sequentially, then the machining program can be processed systematically, but users cannot quickly identify which program portion corresponds to a specific shape or grasp the overall shape from a specific program section

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveEase of identifying correspondence between program and shapeVSAvoidTime required to locate program portions
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The screen is divided into multiple display areas: a program data display area showing the machining program text and a shape display area showing graphical representations. This segmentation allows simultaneous viewing of both program code and corresponding shapes, enabling users to quickly identify correspondences without sequential searching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A display control unit acts as an intermediary between the machining program data and the visual shape representation. It automatically matches and displays corresponding program portions with their generated shapes, eliminating the need for users to manually search and correlate program blocks with shapes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the entire machining program is displayed, then users can review the complete program, but users cannot easily focus on or edit specific portions of interest

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveEase of focusing on specific program portionsVSAvoidComplexity of display management
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display control unit provides different display characteristics for different portions of the program. When a user designates a specific shape or program portion, that area is highlighted or emphasized in the display, allowing users to focus attention on specific regions of interest while maintaining context of the overall program.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If machining processes are sectioned into individual blocks, then the program can be analyzed systematically, but users must manually search to understand the relationship between program sections and resulting shapes

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePrecision of program analysisVSAvoidEase of understanding program-shape relationships
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The display control unit merges the program data display with the shape display by showing corresponding program portions and their generated shapes simultaneously in different display areas. This combination allows users to understand program-shape relationships intuitively without manual searching or cross-referencing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3176660B1Machining program editing assistance device
Publication Date: 2019.08.21 YAMAZAKI MAZAK KK
  • EP3176660B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3176660B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3176660B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A display control unit is configured to, when, in a state in which, on one display area that is either one of a program data display area and a shape display area, a display target of the one display area is displayed on the one display area, a specific portion on the one display area is designated via an input device, allow a display candidate specified by the specific portion and the display target of the one display area to be displayed as a designated display target of the one display area so as to be included in at least one display target of the one display area and be differentiated from any other display target of the one display area, and allow a display candidate being among at least one display candidate of another display area that is another one of the program data display area and the shape display area and corresponding to the designated display target of the one display area to be displayed as a designated display target of the another display area so as to be included in at least one display target of the another display area and be differentiated from any other display target of the another display area.