Touch Panel Override Control for Industrial Machine Axes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing costs of control panels for industrial machines are increased due to the need for dedicated override switches to adjust spindle rotational speed and feed rates.
Innovation Solution
A controller with an image display unit to show an operation image for changing the override value of a driving axis, a determination unit to determine the override value based on user operations, and a control unit to control the driving axis accordingly, eliminating the need for a dedicated override switch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If dedicated override switches are provided for adjusting spindle rotational speed and feed rate, then operational control capability is improved, but manufacturing costs of the control panel increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple dedicated override switches into a single touch panel interface. The touch panel displays operational images that respond to touch operations, consolidating what would traditionally require separate physical switches for spindle speed and feed rate adjustment into one integrated digital interface, thereby reducing component count and manufacturing costs while maintaining full operational control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical override switches with a touch panel interface that uses graphical operational images. Instead of physical switch mechanisms, the system uses displayed images that detect touch operations and translate them into control signals, substituting mechanical components with electronic/software-based solutions to reduce manufacturing complexity and cost
2Measurement precision
If multiple dedicated switches are installed for different speed adjustments, then control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch panel interface serves multiple control functions through a single device. The operational images displayed on the touch panel can represent different control functions (spindle speed override, feed rate override, etc.), allowing one universal interface to replace multiple specialized switches, thereby maintaining control precision across different functions while reducing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses graphical representations (operational images) that visually represent control functions. These images act as virtual copies of the traditional switch interfaces, providing the same control capabilities through a simplified digital interface rather than multiple physical switches, reducing complexity while preserving precise control functionality
Data Source
AI summary
This control device includes an image display unit that displays, on a display screen, an operation image for changing an override value of a drive axis, a determination unit that determines the override value on the basis of an operation of the operation image, and a control unit that controls the drive axis on the basis of the override value determined by the determination unit.