Multi-Spindle Machine Control System for Chip Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-spindle machines face issues with long, continuous metal chips that accumulate and cause mechanical fouling, impede cutting tools, and damage workpieces, leading to downtime and increased costs due to the need for manual chip clearance and repair.
Innovation Solution
A control system that selectively breaks the continuity of chips by controlling high and low speed clutches, disengaging the low speed clutch for short periods to create torque pulses and disrupt chip formation, using machining data to optimize clutch engagement and disengagement timing and duration, and integrating with other machine components like brakes and actuators to manage chip configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous machining is performed without interrupting the cutting process, then productivity is maintained, but long continuous chips are formed that cause mechanical fouling and machine damage
Solution Approach 1:
The control system periodically interrupts the low-speed clutch engagement during machining operations, creating cyclic torque variations that break continuous chips into manageable segments. This periodic disengagement and re-engagement of the clutch mechanism transforms the continuous cutting process into a segmented one, preventing chip mat formation while maintaining overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the rotational speed parameter of the workpiece by controlling the low-speed clutch engagement and disengagement timing. By varying the speed parameters during the machining cycle, the system alters chip formation characteristics, preventing the creation of long continuous chips that cause machine fouling.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the low speed clutch is disengaged frequently to break chips, then chip continuity is reduced, but machine downtime increases due to clutch engagement/disengagement cycles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely disengaging the low-speed clutch or stopping the machining process, the system applies partial disengagement for brief intervals. This partial action is sufficient to create torque pulses that break chip continuity, while minimizing the time lost compared to complete stops or frequent full disengagements.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system maintains continuous machining action by rapidly re-engaging the low-speed clutch after brief disengagement periods. The useful machining action continues with minimal interruption, as the clutch cycles are designed to break chips without creating significant downtime, thus maintaining production flow.
3Productivity
If high speed clutch is used for rapid work piece movement, then productivity increases, but chip breaking effectiveness is reduced compared to low speed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between high-speed and low-speed clutch operation based on the machining cycle phase. During rapid workpiece movement between stations, the high-speed clutch is engaged for productivity. During actual machining operations, the low-speed clutch is engaged with periodic disengagements for effective chip breaking. This dynamic adaptation optimizes both productivity and chip control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system implements periodic switching between clutch speeds and engagement states. The high-speed clutch operates periodically for rapid positioning, while the low-speed clutch operates periodically during machining for chip breaking. This periodic alternation between different speed regimes enables the system to achieve both rapid movement and effective chip control.
Data Source
AI summary
A machine control system for a multi-spindle machine includes a controller (42, 86). The controller is operative to reduce the risk of potentially damaging machining chip formation by controlled disengagement of a low speed clutch (18) of a transmission (14) which drives spindles (36) which rotate work pieces. Automatically selectively varying timing and duration of periods of disengagement of the low speed clutch breaks the continuity of chips to reduce the risk of developing damaging conditions as a result thereof.