Tool Turret Machine Layout With Moving Workpiece Carrier

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Solution Overview

Problem

Machine tools with tool turrets that require complex and rigid tool slides for precise machining, often resulting in high inertia and difficulty in tool changing, while also occupying significant space due to the need for multiple axes of movement.

Innovation Solution

A machine tool design where the workpiece carrier provides an additional degree of freedom, allowing the tool carriage to be movably mounted along a single machining axis and a transverse axis, enabling a simpler, more rigid tool slide with reduced mass and inertia, and incorporating multiple tool turrets with angled turret axes for efficient tool positioning and space-saving configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the tool slide is designed with complex and rigid structure for precise machining, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and mass increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining precisionVSAvoidtool slide complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the positioning function between the tool slide and workpiece carrier. The tool slide provides movement along the machining axis (Z-axis), while the workpiece carrier provides movement along the transverse axis (Y-axis). This segmentation allows each component to have a simpler, more focused structure rather than requiring the tool slide to handle all positioning movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the tool slide responsible for all positioning movements, the patent inverts the approach by adding movement capability to the workpiece carrier. This allows the tool slide to be simplified while maintaining overall positioning precision through the combined system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Manufacturing precision

If the tool slide is made rigid and complex for precise machining, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the inertia increases and rapid adjustability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining precisionVSAvoidrapid adjustability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the positioning function between tool slide and workpiece carrier, each component can be optimized independently. The tool slide can be made lighter with lower inertia since it only needs to handle Z-axis movement, while the workpiece carrier handles Y-axis positioning. This segmentation enables faster acceleration and deceleration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables dynamic positioning by allowing independent movement of the tool slide along the machining axis and the workpiece carrier along the transverse axis. This dynamic separation allows each component to be optimized for its specific movement requirements, improving overall responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the tool slide is designed with multiple axes of movement for positioning, then adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and space occupation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning capabilityVSAvoidtool slide structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the multi-axis positioning function between two separate components: the tool slide (Z-axis movement) and the workpiece carrier (Y-axis movement). This segmentation allows each component to have a simpler structure focused on a single axis, rather than requiring the tool slide to accommodate multiple axes of movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds the transverse axis (Y-axis) movement capability to the workpiece carrier rather than adding it to the tool slide. This dimensional distribution across different components simplifies the tool slide structure while maintaining full two-axis positioning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Manufacturing precision

If the tool slide is made complex and rigid, then manufacturing precision is improved, but tool changing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining precisionVSAvoidtool changing ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the positioning function, the tool slide can be designed with a simpler, more compact structure. This simplification directly improves tool accessibility and changes ease, as the tool slide does not need to accommodate complex multi-axis mechanisms that would obstruct tool changing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3334559B1Machine tool
Publication Date: 2022.08.17 ALFING KESSLER SONDERMASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP3334559B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3334559B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3334559B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a machine tool (10) comprising a workpiece carrier (60) and a tool carriage (20) that is mounted by means of a linear guide (21) so as to move towards and away from said workpiece carrier (60) in a, particularly, horizontal machining axis (Z), at least one tool revolver (40, 140) that has at least two machining tools (44) for machining the at least one workpiece (W) being arranged on said tool carriage (20), and said at least one tool revolver (40, 140) comprising a tool carrier (41) which can rotate about a revolver axis (42, 142) and position a respective machining tool (44) in a machining position (O), and a tool drive (43) for rotationally driving the machining tool (44) that is in the machining position (O). According to the invention, the workpiece carrier (60) is mounted so as to move linearly on a workpiece carrier linear guide (70) along a, particularly, vertical adjustment axis (Y) transverse to the machining axis (Z) of the tool carriage (20), for the purpose of positioning the at least one workpiece (W) being machined relative to the machining tool (44) that is in the machining position (O).