Metal Sawing Machine Zero-Positioning Without Stops or Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sawing machines face challenges in precisely and quickly positioning heavy metal workpieces to the zero position for sawing, with existing solutions involving sensors or stops being unreliable or costly, and light barriers being susceptible to environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
The sawing machine employs a machine control system that allows the operator to manually or automatically enter an offset value for the distance between the workpiece's front face and the zero position, using scales on the saw table or clamping jaws to adjust the clamping jaws and position the workpiece accurately without sensors or stops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a stop is used to position the workpiece in the zero position, then positioning is achieved, but the stop must be removed for sawing and must be very resistant to withstand impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the stop component entirely from the system. Instead of using a physical stop to position the workpiece, the system extracts this function and replaces it with a sensor-based detection method that identifies the zero position without requiring any physical obstruction in the cutting plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical stop system with an optical/electronic sensor system. The sensor detects the zero position through non-contact means, substituting the mechanical interaction between stop and workpiece with an electronic detection mechanism that eliminates the need for a physical stop.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are used to detect the workpiece front side and control braking, then positioning precision is improved, but the sensor system is very susceptible to failure in harsh environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protective intermediary structure (housing or enclosure) that shields the sensor from the harsh sawing environment. This intermediary element allows the sensor to function reliably by filtering out dust, coolant, and other environmental factors while still permitting optical or electromagnetic detection of the workpiece position.
3Measurement precision
If a light barrier is arranged in the cutting plane, then the zero position can be detected, but the components are exposed to harsh environmental conditions and cannot always operate reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a protective housing or enclosure as an intermediary that allows the light barrier to detect the zero position while shielding it from harmful environmental factors such as metal chips, coolant spray, and dust. The housing creates a protected microenvironment for the sensitive optical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent may use a reflective copy or indirect detection method where the light barrier does not directly face the cutting plane but detects position through reflection or indirect optical paths, reducing exposure to environmental contaminants while maintaining detection accuracy.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a sawing machine for sawing metal workpieces. The sawing machine comprises a machine frame 1 with a saw table 2 and with clamping jaws 8 that can be moved back and forth for positioning workpieces on the saw table 2, and a saw upper part attached to the machine frame 1, which can be moved relative to the saw table 2 in order to generate a saw feed movement running in a cutting plane 7 is and carries a sawing tool 6, which is driven to produce a chip-removing sawing movement. A machine controller for controlling the movement sequences controls the clamping jaws 8 in such a way that they clamp the workpiece in a zero position, in which a front end face of the workpiece lies in the cutting plane 7, and bring the clamped workpiece from the zero position with a feed movement into a cutting position, in which is that point of the workpiece in the cutting plane 7 at which the workpiece is to be sawed off. The machine control clamps a workpiece placed on the saw table 2 in the clamping jaws 8 and then waits for an offset value to be entered, which corresponds to the distance from the front face of the workpiece to the zero position. It then brings the workpiece to the zero position by advancing or retracting the clamping jaws 8, taking into account the offset value, clamps it again and brings it to the cutting position with a feed movement.