Method and apparatus for cycle-based programming of a control program for a numerically controlled machine tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12158745-B2
Application number	US-201917429524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for cycle-based programming of a control program for a numerically controlled machine tool at a control apparatus of the machine tool. Geometrical features, which have been detected and/or identified within a data analysis processing performed on the basis of workpiece data including a 3D workpiece model, each detected and/or identified geometrical feature being associated with a respective predetermined machining operation, are associated with a respective machine control cycle which is associated with a respective predetermined machining operation with which the respective associated geometry feature is producible. Further, one or more user-selectable options for cycle-based programming of the control program for the machine tool are provided by a graphical user interface on a display of a control panel of a control apparatus of the machine tool, each user-selectable option enabling a user to select a respective one of the machine control cycles being respectively associated with a respective one of the detected and/or identified geometrical features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for cycle-based programming of a control program for a numerically controlled machine tool at a control apparatus of and at the machine tool, the control apparatus of and at the machine tool including a control panel with a display and a graphical user interface displayed on the display, the computer-implemented method comprising:
providing a plurality of machine control cycles, wherein each machine control cycle is associated with a respective predetermined machining operation of processing a workpiece at the machine tool;
providing workpiece data, in particular raw part data and/or machined part data, comprising 3D data indicative of at least part of a 3D model of a workpiece to be machined at the machine tool;
executing a data analysis processing, for detecting and/or identifying one or more geometrical features of the workpiece which are producible by at least one of the predetermined machining operations and/or for detecting and/or identifying one or more process parameters relevant for at least one of the predetermined machining operations, on the basis of geometrical characteristics of the 3D model of the provided workpiece data at a server being communicably connected to the control apparatus of and at the machine tool or at the control apparatus of and at the machine tool;
associating geometrical features, which have been detected and/or identified within the data analysis processing performed on the basis of the geometrical characteristics of the 3D model of the provided workpiece data, each detected and/or identified geometrical feature being associated with a respective one of the predetermined machining operations, with a respective one of the machine control cycles which is associated with a respective one of the predetermined machining operations with which the respective associated geometry feature is producible;
providing, with the graphical user interface displayed on the display of the control panel of the control apparatus of and at the machine tool, one or more user-selectable options for cycle-based programming of the control program for the machine tool, each user-selectable option enabling a user to select a respective one of the machine control cycles being respectively associated with a respective one of the detected and/or identified geometrical features;
determining, for at least one of the detected and/or identified geometrical features a set of one or more parameters, in particular including at least one of one or more geometrical parameters and one or more position parameters, associated with the respective geometrical feature based on the 3D model of the provided workpiece data; and
using the determined set of one or more parameters associated with the respective geometrical feature to automatically populate an NC code template associated with a machine control cycle which is associated with the respective geometrical feature.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein
the workpiece data is provided at or input to the control apparatus of the machine tool.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein
said associating geometrical features, which have been detected and/or identified within the data analysis processing performed on the basis of the provided workpiece data, with a respective one of the machine control cycles which is associated with a respective one of the predetermined machining operations with which the respective associated geometry feature is producible, is performed at the control apparatus of the machine tool.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting workpiece data input to the control apparatus of the machine tool from the control apparatus to the server via a network; or
providing, by the graphical user interface on the display of the control panel of the control apparatus of the machine tool, one or more user-selectable options for enabling the user to select workpiece data being stored at the server.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting feature data from the server to the control apparatus of the machine tool,
wherein the transmitted feature data is indicative of geometrical features and/or process parameters detected and/or identified by the data analysis processing.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein
said associating geometrical features, which have been detected and/or identified within the data analysis processing performed on the basis of the provided workpiece data, with a respective one of the machine control cycles which is associated with a respective one of the predetermined machining operations with which the respective associated geometry feature is producible, is performed at the server.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting machine control cycle data from the server to the control apparatus of the machine tool,
wherein the transmitted machine control cycle data is indicative of process parameters and/or one or more machine control cycles being associated to geometrical features and/or process parameters detected and/or identified in the data analysis processing.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein
the machine control cycle includes at least one of:
one or more machine control cycles respectively associated with drilling operations, including in particular one or more of: a machine control cycle being associated with a drilling operation for drilling a borehole, in particular a cylindrical borehole, a machine control cycle being associated with a deep drilling operation for deep drilling, a machine control cycle being associated with a drilling operation for drilling a conical drill hole, a machine control cycle being associated with a thread drilling operation for drilling a threaded drill hole, and a machine control cycle being associated with a set of drilling operations for drilling a pitch circle or bolt-hole circle;
one or more machine control cycles respectively associated with milling operations, including in particular one or more of: a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for pocket milling of a circular milled pocket, a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for pocket milling of a rectangular milled pocket, a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for face milling of a milled plane face, a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for contour milling of a milled contour, a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for groove milling of a milled groove, a machine control cycle being associated with a milling operation for oblong hole milling of a milled oblong hole, and a machine control cycle being associated with a gear cutting operation for gear cutting; and
one or more machine control cycles respectively associated with turning operations including in particular one or more of: a machine control cycle being associated with a turning operation for tread turning, a machine control cycle being associated with a turning operation for recess turning, a machine control cycle being associated with a turning operation for groove turning, and a machine control cycle being associated with a turning operation for area clearance turning.

9. A control apparatus for controlling a numerically controlled machine tool, the control apparatus being adapted to execute a method according to claim 1 .

10. A machine tool including a control apparatus according to claim 9 .

11. A system incl

Assignees

• Siemens Ag
• Dmg Mori Digital Gmbh

Inventors

• Jennessen Johannes
• Peschke Stefan
• Hahn Rudolf
• Olomski Jürgen

Classifications

• G05B2219/31016

  General NC system executes tasks not present in specialised machine tools · CPC title

• G05B2219/32128

  Gui graphical user interface · CPC title

• G05B2219/35216

  Program, generate nc program, code from cad data · CPC title

• G05B2219/35086

  Machining feature extraction, geometry and machining parameters · CPC title

• G05B19/4155 Primary

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title